The 1972 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service

RESPONSE of Gilopez Kabayao
Ramon Magsaysay Award Presentation Ceremonies
31 August 1972 Manila, Philippines

It is with a feeling both of nostalgia and appreciation that I accept this Award: appreciation for the honor to be chosen in this field which has been and will always be close to me—something which has been and will forever be part of my life; nostalgia because this Award brings back to me vividly the experiences which are now behind me and memories of those who worked with me. I do not feel that I should relish this alone as I was not alone in my endeavor, my dreams, my desire to bring fine music, not only to the privileged few, but also to those less fortunate brothers who live in the far-flung hinterlands of our country, who have every right to share the beautiful experience of soul-enrichment through the fine music of our people as well as of the people of other lands. I cannot detach myself, especially at this high point of my career from the people who swept cockpit floors to accommodate our performances, from those who had to move their precious pianos through windows so we could perform for the public, from those who had to walk long distances and leave their farms to listen to our music, our brothers in Kona on the island of Hawaii, forgotten and deserted, but who will treasure in their few remaining years the sound of our folk music which they had not heard since they left the Philippines some 50 years ago. What greater motivation is there to bring music to these people than that inspired by those who believed and had faith that we would succeed? And we did! The few hours or even the few minutes of listening to our music gave them more than material things could contribute to their very humanity.

Through my 20 years of struggle in an effort to bring good music to our people, I have seen how faith has pulled us through many difficulties and enabled us to influence peoples' attitudes and change their indifference and skepticism to open-mindedness.

Permit me to address myself to my younger sister Marcelita, who was my partner in my early pioneer work to condition barrio people to classical music; to my other dedicated piano accompanists, who have been far more than accompanists and who have shared the same spirit and enthusiasm, in spite of discomforts, to the countless organizations which have extended support to our projects; and to my whole family who, from my childhood, have never abandoned me in my dream and who selflessly supported me in this continuing effort. These gestures of self sacrifice have made wonderful beings of the many people we have met. These many acts of kindness made the difference between failure and success. I recognize all these as integral parts of my effort—and of whatever sense of accomplishment I now have. With all of them I would like to share this honor.

As a result of our work which has spanned almost a generation, I have seen young people grow into mature adults with appreciation of fine music. Ours is a continuing crusade to expose our young people to the arts, to provide a balancing factor of the right types of music to give them the right tools with which to appreciate music and thus help them in developing a taste for the finer things in life. I hope that our school system will continue to emphasize music appreciation and that our media will give the people more time and more exposure toe fine music, for I strongly believe that it is essential in developing the sensitivity, awareness and compassion of an individual to others.

I regret that I could not personally accept this Award from the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation as I presently have various engagements to fulfill in the continuing work for which I have been honored. I would like to acknowledge with appreciation this recognition by the Foundation. It has provided me with great reassurance and encouragement to pursue my work in bringing the fine music of the masters to our people as well as exposing our beautiful folk songs and music to international audiences. I consider this moment not a culmination but a fresh challenge. I accept this challenge with high hopes that my people will join me with great vigor in this unfinished task. With your continued help we can do more.