Sarung Banggi: Bicol’s love ballad

Sarung Banggi, Bicol’s well-loved ballad, was made into an LVN movie in 1947. It starred Rogelio de la Rosa and Mila del Sol.

Bicol is perhaps the only region in the country which can lay claim to having a regional folk song which captures the character and aspirations of its people. Sarung Banggi is Bicol’s signature love ballad, and arguably one of the country’s most popular and well-loved folk songs.

De la Rosa with Rosa Rosal

Composed by noted musician Potenciano Gregorio of Libog town (now Sto. Domingo) in Albay, the song, which literally means ‘one night,’ tells about an enchanted evening encounter between a lovestruck man and a lovely provincial lass.

The song, composed on May 10, 1910, was arranged for a band by Gregorio in 1918 and performed by Banda de Libog, the municipal brass band. Because of its growing popularity, the composer arranged it for symphony orchestra in 1930.

Along with his brother Bernardo, Gregorio created 12 compositions. He joined the famed Philippine Constabulary Band under Col. Water Loving and was named its representative to the San Francisco World Expo in 1939. He died of pneumonia en route to the event. RKC