Monday, September 17, 2007

Christian Bautista bloops national anthem

It was last month when I created a post in Paradise Philippines blog about Lupang Hinirang as a reminder to Filipinos who may have forgotten the song and lyrics of our Philippine National Anthem.

Last Sunday, young Philippine actor and singer Christian Bautista was given an opportunity to sing the Philippine National Anthem at an exhibition match between reigning world bantamweight champion Gerry Peñalosa and NABF bantamweight champion Bernabe Concepcion at Metropolis Mall in Alabang, Philippines.

It was another proud moment for the Philippines to host a celebrated boxing match. As the match commence, all sports spectators all stood up for the singing of the national anthem led by Christian.

As the crowd sing to their hearts, Christian suddenly buckled a few lines of the lyrics. The momentous pride suddenly became a monumental embarrasment.

The incident spread throughout and Christian felt the need to apologize for what happened.

He said, “I apologize to the Filipino people for the unforgivable lapse of memory that occurred yesterday during my rendition of the national anthem. I was recovering from a cold and the adrenalin and excitement of the moment got me through it. Unfortunately, it was the cost of a momentary lapse on my part.”

I know that everyone commits mistake, it’s just sad that a famous singer like Mr. Bautista who is known not only in Paradise Philippines but in other Asian countries for his beautiful songs and voice committed a mistake at the expense of an important national symbol.

Let this be a reminder that being a true Filipino, we must not only know the beautiful places in Paradise Philippines but also learn valuable traditions, which identify our strength as citizens of this country.

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