10 Best OPM Songs Written for Moms – Happy Mothers Day

Okay so… it is Mother’s Day again. And every year, without fail, I find myself sitting quietly sipping my coffee that’s gotten cold, and I start thinking about her.

My mom.

These songs… they always get me.

Every single time.

There is something about music that words alone just can’t do. You know how sometimes you try to tell someone how much you love them and it just… doesn’t come out right?

That happens to me a lot.

But a song… a song carries all of that feeling without you having to figure out the right words yourself.

Mother’s Day is a time to honor the women who raised us.

And what better way to do that than through music?

Filipino songwriters have always had a special talent for capturing love, sacrifice, and gratitude… and nowhere is that more evident than in the songs they’ve written for their mamas.

Writing a song for someone special, especially your mother, is one of the most intimate things a person can do.

It is like putting a piece of your heart on record so it can outlive you. The legendary Florante de Leon once said that even after he is gone, the song he leaves behind is his gift. And I think about that a lot.

I really do.

When my mom died, I was devastated.

As a way to grieve, I wrote her a song… it was called “Angel with Rusted Wings.”

I wrote it together with Dandee Grafil, Jon Castillo, and Wowie Cabelin. I don’t remember much of the lyrics anymore, which is a little heartbreaking in itself… but writing it helped me move on.

It gave the grief somewhere to go.

If you’ve ever lost someone, you know exactly what I mean.

The 10 Best OPM Songs Written for Moms

Here they are.

These songs make me tear up because I miss my mom to this day…

“Sa Ugoy ng Duyan”

Composed by Lucio San Pedro & Levi Celerio · Popularized by various artists

If there is one song that every Filipino knows by heart, this is the one. Sa Ugoy ng Duyan (which roughly means “In the Rocking of the Cradle”) is considered a national lullaby… it is said to be as recognizable as our national anthem itself.

The music was composed by Lucio San Pedro back in 1943, inspired by the lullabies his own mother used to hum when he was a child in Angono, Rizal.

He tried to submit it to a competition during the Japanese occupation but couldn’t find someone to write the lyrics.

Years later, he met poet and lyricist Levi Celerio on a ship called the SS Gordon sailing from Honolulu to Manila in 1948… and by the time they docked, the song was done.

Just like that.

A masterpiece born on a boat.

Both San Pedro and Celerio were later named National Artists of the Philippines.

They died in 2002, just two days apart.

The song has been covered by Lea Salonga 9my personal favorite version), Regine Velasquez, Aiza Seguerra, Kuh Ledesma, and many others. It was even performed by Christian Bautista at the funeral of President Corazon Aquino.

The lyrics speak of a grown person longing to be a child again, safe in their mother’s arms.

I remember listening to this song the first time whe I was probably 25, or 26, on my lunch break, looking for something to listen to and stumbling upon this. Tears fell down on my soup that day as I internalized the lyrics abnd thinking about how I’d give anything to just have that one last moment back when I could go back to the night my mom left for Manila and I lay down beside her and hugged her. I probably had an idea in my mind that it would be the last time I’d see her because she died 8 months later in Manila.

“Anak”

Freddie Aguilar · 1978

The best-selling single by a Filipino artist of all time.

Anak (which means “Child”) was written by Ka Freddie Aguilar in 1978 and has since been translated into 51 languages and covered in dozens of countries. It was the number two world hit of the 1980s according to Billboard.

Imagine that… a song from the Philippines topping charts around the world.

Freddie wrote it about himself, actually.

He left home at 18 without finishing school, disobeyed his father who wanted him to become a lawyer, traveled with just his guitar, and eventually fell into gambling.

Five years later, he came to his senses, went home, and asked for forgiveness.

His parents welcomed him back. And the song he wrote about that experience… became one of the most important pieces of Filipino music ever created.

The song is really about the pain a child causes their parents and the mother’s unconditional love that remains anyway.

It was also used in the 2000 film of the same name starring Claudine Barreto and Vilma Santos, where it beautifully captured a mother’s love for her wayward daughter. You can’t talk about OPM songs for moms without putting this one at or near the top.

I’m lucky to have played this song with Freddie Aguilar that one time at Hobbit House. I was 20? 21? I brought my guitar to Hobbit House to meet with my Dad and Tito Butch and Freddie Aguilar was about to go onstage.

He noticed my guitar and asked how serious I was as a musician and I said pretty serious.

He asked if I knew the song. And I of course said yes.

Every kid my age at that time knew the song and how to play it.

So he said ok, be ready.

He performed his usual set and towards the end he asked me to come up and plug in. that was a magical night for me seeing him a few feet away from me, joking with me that I better not embarrass him.

I think I did a good enough job because we did another song, Sigarilyo, which he had to teach me onstage how to play. It was cool.

Rest in peace Ka Freddie.

“Handog”

Florante de Leon · 1978

Florante is one of the pioneers of Pinoy folk rock, a trailblazer from the DZRJ radio boom of the 1970s.

And Handog (which means “Offering” or “Gift”) is his most enduring classic.

It was released in 1978, around the same time Freddie Aguilar’s Anak was dominating the airwaves… and if you think about it, both songs from that same year have become pillars of OPM.

What a year that must have been.

Here’s a fun detail about the making of this song. It was originally supposed to be called Langgam (Ant) and was going to be a light, comedic piece.

It was Jim Paredes of APO Hiking Society, who was a record executive at the time, who told Florante to change the lyrics.

So Florante went to a corner of the recording studio and rewrote the whole thing from scratch in one sitting.

That rewritten version became a timeless hymn of gratitude.

While Handog is often interpreted as a thank-you to fans and supporters, its spirit of gratitude extends beautifully to parents and mothers.

The song’s message is literally about offering a piece of yourself as a lasting memory to those who supported you. Isn’t that exactly what a child feels for their mother?

“Maalaala Mo Kaya”

Constancio De Guzman (composer) · Carol Banawa (most popular modern version)

This is one of those songs that is bigger than just a song. Maalaala Mo Kaya (which translates to “Will You Remember?”) was originally composed by Bulaceño composer Constancio De Guzman, and its original version was actually written in Spanish under the title Dulce Princesa.

Over the decades it has been covered by so many artists… Pilita Corrales, Dulce, Ryan Cayabyab, and many more.

The version most of us know today is the one sung by Carol Banawa, which has been the closing theme of the long-running ABS-CBN drama anthology Maalaala Mo Kaya since 2004.

That show has been running since 1991, making it the longest-running drama anthology in Philippine television. Almost every story on that show is about love, sacrifice, and family… and this song wraps up every episode like a gentle hug.

When you hear it as a tribute to a mother, the lyrics take on a whole new meaning. “Will you remember me?” A mother asking her children… or a child asking their late mother.

Either way, this always has me reaching for some tissues.

“Salamat”

Yeng Constantino · 2007

Yeng Constantino was only 17 years old when she wrote and performed “Salamat” (which simply means “Thank You”) during the finals of Pinoy Dream Academy in 2006.

It went on to become one of the biggest OPM hits of 2007, from an album of the same name that eventually reached Triple Platinum status.

That is remarkable for someone so young.

According to reports, Yeng poured her gratitude into the song for all the people who supported her dream. The public loved it immediately, and it became an instant OPM classic that got used in countless TV shows and movies.

In 2019, K-pop group Momoland even sang it for their Filipino fans at Araneta Coliseum.

It has clearly crossed over into something much bigger than its origins.

As a Mother’s Day song, Salamat works beautifully because its message is simple and profound: thank you for being there.

That is honestly all any mother ever really needs to hear.

“Iingatan Ka”

Carol Banawa

A beautiful promise from child to mother… or mother to child, depending on how you listen to it. 

Iingatan Ka (“I Will Take Care of You”) is one of those songs that flips the relationship beautifully.

The mother spent years taking care of the child, and now the child is promising to take care of the mother in return.

That cyclical love is so deeply Filipino it makes your chest hurt.

Carol Banawa, of course, is one of the most beloved voices in OPM.

Her ability to deliver emotional ballads with clarity and warmth makes her the perfect artist for a song like this. The song has been a favorite at Mother’s Day events and family gatherings all across the Philippines for years.

“Hele ni Inay”

Regine Velasquez

Regine Velasquez, the Asia’s Songbird herself… there is a reason why Regine has always been trusted with songs like these.

Her voice carries an emotional weight that few other singers in OPM have. When she sings, you feel like she is singing to just you. Although this is Christmas-themed, it’s still a mom singing, wishing, for her mom to come and comfort her.

Hele ni Inay simply means “Mother’s Lullabye” and the song delivers exactly that… a direct, full-hearted tribute to the woman who gave you life and never stopped loving you even when you made it hard.

“Hindi Kita Malilimutan”

Basil Valdez

Hindi Kita Malilimutan means “I Will Never Forget You.”

And really… can there be a more fitting sentiment for a song about a mother who has passed? Basil Valdez, one of OPM’s great balladeers, delivers this with the kind of quiet tenderness that just stays with you.

Whether you interpret this as a child singing to a departed mother, or a mother singing to a child she is letting grow up and go… the emotional core remains the same.

Love that refuses to fade.

Memory as its own form of devotion. This one is particularly special for those of us who have lost our moms and still carry them with us every day.

“Nanay”

Joey Benin

Nanay is just the Tagalog word for Mom… and there’s something about hearing it in a song that immediately takes you back. Joey Benin’s heartfelt tribute explores a mother’s lasting impact on a child’s life, her constant presence even through the darkest chapters.

It is one of those songs that you don’t realize you needed to hear until it comes on and suddenly you are remembering every small thing she did for you that you took for granted. The way she packed your bag. The way she waited up. The way she always seemed to know.

“Yakap Mo”

Lara Maigue

Yakap Mo means “Your Embrace” and it is exactly that… a song about finding safety and comfort in a mother’s hug. There are few things in this world that feel as final and as safe as your mother’s arms when you are in trouble, when you are scared, when you don’t know what to do next.

This song captures that feeling perfectly.

For those of us who can no longer run to our mothers for that embrace, this song is both a comfort and a reminder. You can still feel it if you try hard enough. I believe that.

· · ·

To Listen, here are the Spotify links:

“Sa Ugoy ng Duyan” – Composed by Lucio San Pedro & Levi Celerio · Popularized by various artists – Aiza Seguerra

“Anak” – Freddie Aguilar · 1978

“Handog” – Florante de Leon · 1978

“Maalaala Mo Kaya” – Constancio De Guzman (composer) · Carol Banawa (most popular modern version)

“Salamat” – Yeng Constantino · 2007

“Iingatan Ka” – Carol Banawa               

“Hele ni Inay” – Regine Velasquez

“Hindi Kita Malilimutan” – Basil Valdez

“Nanay” – Joey Benin

“Yakap Mo” – Lara Maigue

If your mom is still alive… please, cherish her.

I mean this seriously.

Write down what she says.

Take videos.

Record her voice.

Ask her to tell you stories about her childhood, about when she was young, about what she dreamed about.

We have lots of pictures of our mom.

But somewhere out there is a videotape of her talking to us while we were on vacation in Davao back in 1996, before I called this place home.

I wish with everything I have that there was a way to find that tape and just hear her voice one more time.

Just once.

Just so I could remember exactly what it sounded like.

I would also recommend putting down in words the things you want to say to your mom now, while she is still here.

Write them.

Say them.

Sing them if you have to.

Capture as much of her as you can so you will always have something to remember her by.

Because one day, and I hope that day is very far away for you… you will want every single piece of you can get.

Don’t wait.

Okay?

Just don’t wait.

Happy Mothers Day to all!