term paper ku

About the Band/Composer

Buklod is an activist folk-group, whose member were Noel Cabangon. Rom Dongeto, and Rene Boncocan. Their songs were familiarized by the theme conflict between the mass and the government.Rom Dongeto who’s now the deputy director of the Philippine Legislators Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD), a non-government organization. Doneto wrote and composed the song in 1989. It was the period of escalating struggle between the military and the communist-led New People’s Army (NPA). The song was one of the first pieces Dongeto wrote and composed upon Buklod’s return to the country from Paris, where an International celebration of the bicentennial of the French Revolution.

Purpose in Writing this Song

Tatsulok is the socio-political pyramid; it is organized by the overhaul forces of the decadent system that is subservient to the foreign interest and the ruling elite.
This song says something about the socio-political situation in our country. Ther were many people, ordinary people getting killed. “Human rights violations are very grave. People walking in the streets, lawyers, students – are being killed, and only for expressing their sentiments and airing their demands to the government. I think this is a national policy at this point to neutralize them” Dongeto said.
Dongeto purpose in writing this song is that he want to caught up the attention of the ordinary masses to think critical and be conscious on what’s happening to the society. “It tells them to take care and avoid being killed, but it also valls on them to invert the pyramid. For as long as opportunities and the distribution of resources are not equitable and the country’s riches are controlled by only a few, the fundamental issues will remain and the war will continue. That is what the song says” said Dongeto.

What is the Song All About

A.TITLE

The song entitled Tatsulok, because it is best describe the socio-political situation in our country. Our society were being stratified or divided, the 75% is the farmers because we are a agricultural country, 15% is the working class, 8% is the peti-burgeousie and the 2%is the ruling elite. Tatsulok quickly became a hit among activist in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s as well a today because it was revived by a rock-band Bamboo. The title Tatsulok best described the class analysis by Karl Marx wherein activist using in their studies.

B.CONTENT

Totoy bilisan mo, bilisan mo ang takbo
Ilagan ang mga bombang nakatutok sa ulo mo
Totoy tumalon ka, dumapa kung kailangan
At baka tamaan pa ng mga balang ligaw

The song’s persona counsels a little boy, simply called Totoy, to envade the bombs and bullets that may be headed in his direction. “Totoy is the symbol of the ordinary masses” said Dongeto.

Totoy makinig ka, wag kang magpa-gabi
Baka mapagkamalan ka’t humandusay dyan sa tabi
Totoy alam mo ba kung ano ang puno’t dulo
Ng di matapos-tapos na kaguluhang ito

It symbolizes that Totoy should listen carefully to the grievances of the people around him because at this time “It was the height of Aquino government’s enforcement of its counter insurgency policy, the Total War Policy of which the chief architect was Sec. Fidel Ramos. The state forces also taking the lives of the common folk as well as the leaders of the open mass movement”

Hindi pula’t dilaw tunay na magkalaban
Ang kulay at tatak ay di syang dahilan
Hangga’t marami ang lugmok sa kahirapan
At ang hustisya ay para lang sa mayaman
Habang may tatsulok at sila ang nasa tuktok
Di matatapos itong gulo

The song tells us that the armed conflict is just fighting between the New People’s Army (NPA) and the Aquino regime at that time. The pula’t dilaw in the song is represented by the NPA and the Aquino regime.

“The root causes of fighting are poverty, the social pyramid”, wherein power is in control by the few and the interest of the masses were not given by the government. It also described the society and the justice system in our country wherein those who are elite can only afford the justice and those who doesn’t have a resources cannot afford so they just let the case closed even though the justicewas not already in their hand.

Lumilikas ang hininga ng kayraming mga tao
At ang dating munting bukid, ngayo’y sementeryo
Totoy kumilos ka, baliktarin ang tatsulok
Katulad mong mga dukha, ilagay mo sa tuktok

It shows here that it’s never too late for us to get the change that we wanted. It also shows that there is something wrong in our government, many people were being killed, the ordinary masses who just expressing their sentiments and airing their demands to the government were being killed.
The justice that we are looking for was being biased to those who have resources. So to solve this problem, Totoy should make a move, let’s invert the pyramid, and give the fundamental interest of the masses. Land reform for the farmers, benefits and NO to contractualization for the working class. Higher budget for education and NOT to the militarization. If this will happen we will get the true democracy wherein decisions were made by the masses and not by the ruling class.

C.MESSAGE OF THE SONG

The meaning of the song “Tatsulok” borrows itself from the communist party’s inverted triangle symbol. Simply put it, the inverted triangle symbolizes a communist society’s (representative democracy for those who find communism a strong term) end-goal wherein the masses, working class, common tao, etc. (who make up majority of the society) should be on top and the leaders, influencers, other powerful people (who make up only a small proportion of society) should be below. Of course, there are other more complex and detailed explanations and views about communism and the inverted triangle but I believe that’s for another thread.
Hence, if you would scrutinize the lyrics of the song you’ll probably understand why the line “hanggang may tatsulok at sila ang nasa tuktok di matatapos itong gulo” comes across very strongly. Also, the last lines “Totoy kumilos ka, baliktarin ang tatsulok, Tulad ng dukha, nailagay mo sa tuktok” just simply flatout describes the inverted triangle.

CONCLUSION:

It’s time for a change for everyone to unite and make a difference , this is what the song really saying. I am an activist; especially I am studying in this University which pursue me to fight for the fascism I our country. I had this experience of marching with banners under the heat of the sun from the University to Mendiola were we release our grievances a student and as a citizen, I had the experience of escaping from the police who might tortured us. Every time I’m doing and joining some rally questions keep on bothering me like “Kelan pa naging pagkakamali ang pagsasabi ng katotohanan at kailangan nila kaming tratuhin ng ganito?” Tatsulok means triangle , although the correct meaning in this instance would by pyramid. It refers to the eternal pyramid were the many poor from the base and the few rich are the point at the top, and calls for someone to invert the pyramid and place the poor on top. As I work on to my research about the analysis of the song tatsulok, I may say that the song has done its job, to enlighten the listeners upon listening to this song. To those who may not know the roots of this song, it was written in 1980’s during President Aquino’s regime. It was right after the first People Power uprising, and even if Marcos was ousted in the peaceful manner, the country was still pretty much in turmoil. The country-side found in military and anti-communist vigilante groups on one side, the New People’s Army on the other side and the civilians in the middle. Things were really ugly and the song inspired many activist to fight for justice and meaningful change. It said that history has a way of repeating itself. During this time many of the left-wing activist and journalist was being murdered one by one, and there was even point were almost one activist was killed every day. Concentrating on the song; the song gave me a clue when the next generation to lead the government, we youth should not depend on the example showed by the official of the government now, but we should lead this country not only for rich people but also the poor. Never mind if don’t earn a lot if we only care for the poor but we should govern EQUALLY and UNIQUELY. We should be PERSISTENT in dealing with the poor people. Talsulok is a reminder to all concern citizen, be responsible in choosing a leader, as we vote this coming national election, be wise, and don’t let money lead our choice. Let us invert the triangle and give way to a new breed of politicians who is young and idealistic and whose flat form of government is serve the welfare of the people. Let us start inverting the pyramid! It’s time for a change, for everyone to unite and make a difference.