He was the musical director for the movies “Burlesk Queen,” “Atsay,” “Miss X,” and “Pagputi ng Uwak, Pag-Itim ng Tagak.”

Full Scholar, UST Conservatory

Many Filipino singers owe much of their success to his songs: Sharon Cuneta, Regine Velasquez, Kuh Ledesma, Pilita Corrales, Zsazsa Padilla, Dulce, Martin Nievera and Basil Valdez.

He influenced the likes of Gary Valenciano and Ogie Alcasid.

He finished three courses in different fields: music, business and electronics.

Filipino song composers

is considered as the most important composer during the second golden age of Philippine Cinema in the 1980s.

Electrician course,

He composed film ballads and collaborated with other artists, such as Levi Celerio, to do music scores, including “Bato sa Buhangin” with the late FPJ and Vilma Santos, former actors.

He belonged to a poor family. His father works in a real estate and jewelry business while her mother is a harpist and choir member in a church.

is not only good with music, he was like an all-around man; he was good at other fields of expertise too.

Liberal Arts, University of the East

He was discovered by actor, former Mayor and President Joseph “Erap” Estrada which marked the beginning of his career in musical directing.

father taught him violin and exposed the family to rondalla regularly. He learned solfeggio and score analysis at Mapa High School where he took an active part of glee club and orchestra.

He played the trombone, tuba and E-flat horn as a member of UST Band.

Uses music to divert his attention from the poverty-stricken conditions of their neighborhood.

He attended Torres High School while being a band member and entered UP Conservatory of Music to study violin for two semesters.

“Best Theme Song” FAMAS, Gawad Urian and the MMFF

“Best Music Awards” Manila Film Festival

Master of Music, Sta. Isabel College

Arranged the Philippine National Anthem and Kataka-taka for Boston Pops Orchestra

National Artist for Music in 1999

“Best Music Awards” Olongapo Film Festival

He became close with a famous gang leader, the Manila Kingpin and Hitler of Tondo: Asiong Salonga.

His manner of writing songs truly was a gift, as he can draw bittersweet emotions from only his imagination and experiences and play it over and over his head before making melodies on paper.

UST’s Most Outstanding alumnus

Four “Best Musical Score” FAMAS Awards

He was also a music director and a music teacher.

He is self-taught in piano and learned to interpret, write and compose notes at an early age.

Self-taught in music

As a journalist, he realized the dangers of his job, and began writing music.

did not study in music schools, nor his parents have any music background.

“The only person who could play music with a leaf” labeled by the Guinness Book of World Records.

Scored Universal Pictures’ “No Man Is An Island”

This unfortunate event in his journalism career turned him to be one of the greatest Tagalog song composers in music history.

Commerce at Jose Rizal College (now Jose Rizal University)

Composition and Conducting at UP Conservatory

He wrote songs for movies and did music scoring.