Miguel Escueta remakes ‘80s anthem for love

MANILA, Philippines — Doing a revival of a well-loved single is also part of the path some singers may tread on. It usually stems from the intention to pay tribute to the creatives behind it or to give it a contemporary interpretation for the new gen of listeners and music enthusiasts.

Last year, this paper had a chat with singer-composer and entrepreneur Miguel Escueta, who marked his recording comeback with singles Summer Dream and Pangako ng Bukas and hinted at the release of a revival of a song.

“We are working on another single, (it) might be a revival, surprise, but our own take on it,” said he. “But long-term-wise, we plan to do an album. So, these two songs (Summer Dream and Pangako ng Bukas) will be a part of it. It will be an exciting 2026.”

Early this year, he released the Original Pilipino Music (OPM) classic titled Bakit Ba Ganyan and sang the song during the recent Miss World Philippines 2026 coronation night, where Asia Rose Simpson of Quezon City was crowned as the country’s delegate for the forthcoming Miss World in Vietnam. The 1981 song was popularized by actress Dina Bonnevie, who performed it in some scenes in the movie titled “Age Doesn’t Matter.”

Miguel’s team described his take on the song as “an edgier, rock-tinged remake,” and “with its raunchier makeover of overdriven guitars and a propulsive backbeat, Bakit Ba Ganyan still sounds like the perfect anthem for a younger generation of millennials yearning for love and romance.”

Asked how the idea of making a revival or a remake came about, Miguel, through his publicity team, said, “Since the previous two singles (Summer Dream and Pangako ng Bukas) were songs I wrote, ALV recommended that we do a revival for the next. We did a shortlist of possible options, and Bakit Ba Ganyan was one of them.”

Arnold Vegafria, or ALV, is the head of ALV Talent Circuit, which manages the career of Miguel.

Available information says that Miguel, an ‘80s baby, is familiar with Bakit Ba Ganyan, and he has always loved the song.

An interesting tidbit about embarking on this revival is that the composer-writer of Bakit Ba Ganyan, Ruben Palisoc, is the dad of Miguel’s college friend and batchmate King Palisoc.

According to Miguel, King wrote his single Handa and is now a filmmaker.

And what the artist is also excited about in his recording career is the release of an album.

“It’ll be released in two parts. The first part comes out this summer,” said he.

Please give the song a listen by visiting Miguel’s YouTube and Facebook pages. It is also available on digital streaming platforms.