𝗞𝘂𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗲𝘆𝘂𝗽𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝘆. 𝗗𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗶𝘀 𝗚𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗼

“Greed is in their hearts” are words that transformed the classic Jose Mari Chan’s yuletide song “Christmas in our Hearts” into an anti-corruption piece by the University of the Philippines Symphony Orchestra (UPSO).

UPSO, along with UPSO Symphonic Chorus and the UP College of Music Chorus Class serenaded the UP community last December 12, 2025 at the University Theater. The yearly event started in 2018.

The revised lyrics made the song more relevant to this year’s Christmas season.
“Whenever I see boys and girls
Lumulusong dun sa streets
I remember the bags ng mga nepo babies
Whenever there’s baha na
Lumulutang na Lulubog ang Christmas
‘Coz greed is in their hearts
Let’s swim, Merry Christmas
Nothing beats this holiday
Mag-noche Buena dun sa bubong
Baha is all around us.
Budget sa flood control for a bright tomorrow
Inubos, nilimas, Ninakaw na. Oh gaaad!
Habang ang mga kurakot
Lumulusong dun sa snow
The cold will never bother them
‘Coz greed is in their hearts!”

Videos on the UPSO performance became viral that elicited varied reactions.
The group also performed the “Ikulong na yan, Mga Kurakot” chant to the tune of the UP cheer with the following words: “Ikulong na yan, mga kurakot; ikulong na yan, mga kurakot; ikulong na yan, mga kurakot; magnanakaw, mga pahirap; tanggalin sa kanilang pwesto! Hindi kami magpapagapi, ganiyan kaming mga Pilipino!” This chant was adopted in UAAP basketball games and even in rallies.

The Philippines is a typhoon-prone country, with approximately 20 tropical cyclones entering its area of responsibility per year.

Social media is swamped with photos and videos of the impact of these weather disturbances: residents trapped on their roofs as floodwaters quickly rose, streets turn into rivers, cars sink under floodwater, landslides, homes and roads destroyed across the country’s most populous island along with displacement, injuries and death. Fierce wind and rain flood leave enormous piles of debris – including felled trees, furniture and entire metal roofs.

The flood control issue was fueled by widespread corruption, climate change (more intense storms), and poor urban planning (deforestation, bad drainage), leading to devastating floods despite huge government spending.

Recent scandals revolve around the diversion of billions of public funds that involve
“ghost” projects, padded contracts, kickbacks, and substandard work, sparking national outrage, protests and calls for accountability against a network of favored contractors as well as implicated politicians and officials. The issue highlights a systemic failure where corrupt practices, rather than effective infrastructure, worsen natural disasters, making communities more vulnerable.

“The University views with the gravest concern the deep-seated and massive corruption plaguing the flood control projects in our country. We cannot stay neutral,” UP President Angelo Jimenez said in a statement.

“We support and encourage the expression of general outrage of our citizens, in accordance with the constitutionally guaranteed rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression,” the university president added.

“Beyond raging against corruption, we must also harness our education and training to provide solutions to the real problems of our people,” he added.

Under the baton of its musical director, Professor Emeritus Josefino Chino Toledo, UPSO performed a solemn yet jubilant retelling of the Nativity story via excerpts from a masterpiece that has moved listeners across generations.

One of the highlights of the concert is the segment on George Frideric Handel’s timeless oratorio “Messiah” known for its iconic Hallelujah chorus that pairs devotional text with soaring Baroque composition.

Messiah is an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 by Handel. The text was compiled from the King James Bible and the Coverdale Psalter by Charles Jennens. It was first performed in Dublin on 13 April 1742 and received its London premiere a year later

UPSO was established on August 30, 2018 that consists of members exclusively from the UP community: alumni, students, faculty members and staff.

The Orchestra functions as a training ground for both composers and musicians, and as representative of not only the University but also of the country in the worldwide stage.
Calamities are not just natural and climate change phenomena, but moral indictments of state failure.
Here is the youtube link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcBox9yOB3s

(𝑃𝑒𝑦𝑢𝑝𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑘𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑈𝑛𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑃ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑝𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑠. 𝐴𝑡𝑡𝑦. 𝐷𝑒𝑛𝑛𝑖𝑠 𝑅. 𝐺𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑐ℎ𝑜 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑒𝑎𝑓𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑟𝑠’ 𝐷𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑙𝑜 𝑉𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑧 𝐵𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝐵𝑢𝑙𝑖𝑙𝑎𝑛 𝐿𝑎𝑤 𝑂𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑠. 𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠, 𝑒-𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑙 𝑖𝑛𝑓𝑜@𝑠𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑧.𝑐𝑜𝑚, 𝑜𝑟 𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙 0908866578)