Jinggoy pays tribute to OPM legend Freddie Aguilar

SENATE President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada has filed a resolution expressing the Senate's condolences to the family of the late OPM icon Freddie Aguilar, honoring his legacy and contributions to Philippine music and culture.

"The multi-platinum artist and legendary musician elevated Filipino music to a wider international audience and achieved unprecedented acclaim and renown. His passing is a tragic loss for the country's music industry, as well as to the entire nation," Estrada said in his proposed Senate Resolution No. 1356.

Born Ferdinand Pascual Aguilar on February 5, 1953 in Sto. Tomas, Isabela, the music legend rose to global fame with his iconic song "Anak," a stirring ballad about parental love. The song became a finalist in the 1978 Metro Manila Popular Music Festival, broke records with over 30 million copies sold worldwide, and was translated into 29 languages -- making it one of the most successful Filipino songs of all time.

Widely regarded as a pillar of OPM, Aguilar's career spanned five decades and included 40 chart-topping albums, which include songs such as the protest anthems "Bayan Ko," "Magdalena," and "Katarungan," - which all inspired political activism, national pride, and social awareness.

Estrada underscored Aguilar's immense impact on Philippine arts and culture, citing the earlier Senate recognition through Resolution No. 101, which honored the late music icon as the "only Asian singer and composer who broke into the western market and gained massive global recognition."

"His prolific ingenuity, unmatched body of work, and immense contribution to the Philippine music scene were recognized by various award-giving bodies here and abroad," Estrada said, noting distinctions such as the First Dangal ng Musikang Pilipino from the Philippine Association of Record Industries, Inc. (PARI) in 1993, Lifetime Achievement Awards from NU 107 in 1994 and the 5th Star Awards for Music in 2013, and the Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan Award for Music in 2005.

"Freddie Aguilar was more than just a musician. He was a voice of the people, a storyteller whose songs chronicled the joys, sorrows, and struggles of the Filipino people," Estrada said.

Aguilar passed away on May 27, 2025, at the age of 72.