The gift of a new song for the Child Jesus

Composed by US-based 94-year-old Cebuana Carmen “Meng” Gogo Angbetic, the song premiers in 3 US churches this Sinulog weekend

“Salamat Santo Niño”

Words and Music by Carmen “Meng” G. Angbetic

Santo Niño, Hari sa langit;

Pagdaygon ang Imong Ngalan.

Dangpanan sa makakasala,

Sa sakit ug kalisdanan.

Kabus ug adonahan,

Imo silang gitabangan.

Wala’y sukod ang gracia,

Gihatag Mo kanila.

Salamat Santo Nino,

Pag-ampo gidungog Mo.

Viva Santo Niño!

Viva Santo Niño!

A new song of homage and gratitude to Senor Santo Niño will be performed for the first time in public in three places of worship in the United States this Sinulog weekend.

Entitled “Salamat Santo Nino,” the hymn’s words and music were composed by Carmen “Meng” Gogo Angbetic, a 94 year-old Cebuana who now resides in the United States.

The song will debut in the Sinulog Novena Mass at St. Paul’s Church, Tampa, Florida on Friday January 17. It will then be played in the Sinulog Mass, Rosary, and Celebration at the Petaluma Community Center, Petaluma, California on Saturday, January 18.

And on Sunday, January 19, it will be performed by the church choir during the Mass and Sinulog celebration at the St. Anthony of Padua Church, Belleville, New Jersey with the composer in attendance.

The inspiration for the song came in a recurring dream for Carmen who, like many Cebuano Catholics, regularly prayed to the Santo Nino and visited the Basilica del Santo Nino de Cebu whenever she could.

In Carmen’s dreams, her daughter BecBec who succumbed to carcinoma sarcoma MMMT at age 56 in August 2015, kept on singing the tune. The dream and tune kept haunting her until she woke up in the middle of the night and decided to write it down with the help of her ukulele. Remembering only the first line, she wrote the rest of it with whatever came to her mind.

“It was like my daughter was reminding me to always be thankful to the Lord for all our blessings, including the passion for music that our family holds dearly. At that moment, I felt some comfort from my grief over her loss; and my heart was full of gratitude,” Carmen said.

BecBec was a gifted singer, the soloist and “pambato” of the Angbetic Sisters singing group composed of Menchu, Malyn, BecBec, Tilay, Cookie and Piper. Aside from the singing sisters, Carmen and her husband Timoteo have two other daughters, Ivy and June, and an only son Gboy.

Carmen (right, holding the mike) was director and cheerleader to her daughters, the Angbetic Sisters.

The Angbetic Sisters were well-known in Cebu’s performing scene in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Formed by Sor Concepcion Espino, their piano teacher at the Colegio de la Inmaculada Concepcion, they performed in television variety shows (Channel 7), CIC alumnae homecomings, with the St. John’s Seminary Chapel Choir, and at the Army Station Hospital in Camp Lapu-lapu to entertain wounded soldiers during Christmas. Throughout their rehearsals and performances, Carmen was the sisters’ director and cheerleader. The Angbetic Sisters continue to perform all over the U.S. at various functions, including those for the Knights of Pythias and the Philippine Medical Association.

“She was the one with the most beautiful voice,” said Tilay of her sister BecBec.  “Our performances have not been the same without BecBec. Mom, my siblings, and I still grieve over her tremendous loss,” she added.

Daughters Malyn and Tilay and Carmen’s youngest brother Prospero helped the song gain interest in their respective communities in the U.S. Scott Dickey, the Show Manager during Tilay’s year in “Up with People“, created the sheet music and audio for the song, which is now copyrighted.

Carmen hopes that “Salamat Santo Nino” will eventually be recorded in memory of BecBec.

Carmen “Meng” Barquero Gogo Angbetic was born in Opon (now Lapulapu City), Cebu on July 12, 1925 to Alfonso Fallugna Gogo, a company nurse at Philippine Refining Company, and Concepcion Barquero Gogo, a businesswoman. Carmen’s interest in the performing arts began at age seven, when she sang at various parties and starred in “Anak Sa Alaut,” a stage drama that was performed in Opon and in neighboring towns. She took piano lessons at age nine and taught herself to play the guitar at age 16. That was also when she composed her first song, “O Kanus-a Ko Nimo Lipaya,” followed by “Do You Still Remember?”

Campus Songbirds: Carmen (right) and younger sister Amparo performing at a University of San Carlos event.

Decades Later: Carmen and Amparo are still singing, with their brother Prospero.

At 20 years old, Carmen and her only sister, Amparo who was 16 joined an Amateur Hour Grand Finals at Plaza Independencia. They sang “Tango of Roses” and won first prize. They had a choice between P500 cash (which was a lot of money at that time) or a trip to Manila. They both hadn’t been to Manila, so they chose the trip, which was sponsored by William Lines. It was WL’s Chief Purser, Jose Angbetic (father of journalist Marlinda Angbetic Tan) who escorted Carmen and Amparo during their trip.

As a student of the University of San Carlos, Carmen met a young seaman named Timoteo Miranda Angbetic during a jeepney and banca ride back to Opon. As they conversed, the topic of Carmen’s trip to Manila was brought up. It was then that young Tim was revealed as Jose Angbetic’s younger brother. They struck a friendship which later blossomed into love and their eventual marriage despite both being previously engaged to different people.

Carmen earned her Bachelor of Arts in Education (Major in P.E. & Health; Minor in Spanish) at USC. She taught for many years at the Cebu School of Arts and Trades (now Cebu Technological University), while raising her 9 children, and also managed to get her Master of Arts in Education at Cebu Normal College (now University). While on maternity leave, she earned an Associate Degree in Costume Jewelry, Dressmaking, Cosmetology, and Hair Science from Sandy Foster’s School in Manila.

Carmen now resides in Laguna Woods, California, where she sings and plays the ukulele with the Laguna Woods String Band.

Gift of Gratitude: the composer continues to share her various talents.

Her children swear that she still makes the world’s best empanadas, which she gets a lot of orders for. She also makes lumpia, budbud, Brazo de Mercedes, biko, and other Filipino delicacies.

Her service to her God and Church is unwavering. In Cebu, she was a member of Catholic Women’s League and a six-term President of the Mother Butler’s Mission Guild. In America, she creates costume jewelry to give as gifts and to donate for fundraising of the Gifted Hands Ministry. She is a member of the Rosary Makers Society and makes at least five hand-knotted rosaries per day. There was a day when she didn’t stop until she made 50 rosaries. By her estimate, she has already made over 3,000 rosaries.

With her ukelele, with which she composed the music of her song “Salamat Santo Nino”.

But her greatest gift for now would be her musical prayer of the season: the song “Salamat Santo Nino.”