FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) ** REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES i Second Regular Session ) '3 kl/\R 12 lil' x7 SENATE P.S. Resolution No. 333 ,/ t,'":": .,ti:!, '. 1 Introduced by Senator Richard J. Gordon RESOLUTION EXPRESSING PROFOUNDSYMPATHYANDSINCERECONDOLENCESONTHE DEATH OF THE LATE FRANCIS MAGALONA, AND COMMENDING HIM FOR HIS PATRIOTISM ARTICULATED IN HIS SONGS AND EXHIBITED IN HIS ART, THROUGH PAINTING, PHOTOGRAPHY AND FASHION, FOR WHICH HE SHOULD BE NAMED THE NEXT NATIONAL ARTIST OF THE COUNTRY WHEREAS, the late 1980s to the early 1990s were times of uncertainty for the entire nation, having been recently under the clutches of a dictatorship which left the country and millions of its citizens devastated and divided; WHEREAS, it was at this moment in our history when Francis Michael Durango Magalona, better known as Francis M,, entered the entertainment industry and began giving hope and identity to Filipinos who were then at a loss as to who they were and what their role was in society; WHEREAS, Francis M. united the Filipinos and gave them a sense of identity with songs like Mga Kababayan KO, Tayo'y Mga Pinoy, Kaleidoscope World and Man From Manila; WHEREAS, not only did he express his love for country through his songs, he was also a trailblazer, opening the door to hip-hophap music for our local talents who had yet to explore this then new genre of music; WHEREAS, he was the pioneer in hip-hopirap music, being the first to release albums in this genre, such as Yo! (1990), considered as the first commercially-released rap album in the country; WHEREAS, this ushered in the advent of artists, such as Andrew E. and Michael V., inspired by Francis M. to express themselves and to entertain the general public through this kind of music: WHEREAS, Francis M. continued his advocacy and patriotism by taking part in the cause of activism, specifically in the early 1990s when he, along with other members of the mass movement, protested the high fuel prices at the time; WHEREAS, he later on co-wrote a song, Libam Sa Pangulo, condemning corruption at the highest echelons of power; WHEREAS, Francis M. did not stop immortalizing his nationalist ideals through song; he even launched a clothing line, FrancisM Clothing Company, the merchandise of which are sold in 3 Sfars and a Sun stores, named after one of his many patriotic and memorable rhymes; WHEREAS, through the content and form of his works, Francis M.made significant contributions to the cultural heritage of the country and in building a Filipino sense of nationhood; WHEREAS, he likewise pioneered in a mode of creative expression or style significant to the development of a national cultural identity, thus, earning distinction and making an impact on succeeding generations of artists; WHEREAS, for the above reasons, Francis M. should be named the next National Artist for Music, having satisfied the criteria for the grant of this prestigious award; WHEREAS, even in his deathbed, as he was breathing his last, still on his mind was the welfare of his fellow Filipinos, that instead of giving donations for his death, he requested donors to donate to the Philippine National Red Cross, which was instrumental to his treatment in the months following the diagnosis; WHEREAS, keeping his head high while battling acute myelogenous leukemia for almost a year and still keeping his love for country ablaze, just as he succumbed to the disease, these words of Francis M. should forever remain etched in the minds and hearts of our people, of our youth - Three stars and a sun /in one sky, so high / I live and die and die will l /for my Mofherland / fhis is fhe land of my birth /No purse is worth the price of this earth. Now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, AS IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED by the Senate of the Philippines, to express profound sympathy and sincere condolences on the death of the late Francis Magalona, and commend him for his patriotism articulated in his songs and exhibited in his art, through painting, photography and fashion, for which he should be named the next National Artist of the country. Adopted, , 2 .