By Maridol Ranoa-Bismark
At 23, you can’t blame Janah Zaplan if she views the world in rose-colored glasses. She’s only 23. She’s devoted to her career as singer, dancer and pilot . She has no boyfriend – yet. She has a happy family.
But she’s furious. This Gen Z artist is angry at the monster the flood control corruption has created in government. She’s up in arms against the way it’s destroying her future, and that of the next generation. She won’t stand by while corrupt politicians take turns desecrating her country’s image before the international community.
So she morphed, from pop to protest artist. She recorded songwriter Ricky Rivera’s O Panginoon, Pangunahan Mo ang Pagbabago and starred in the music video that goes with it.
The song and music video paint a sad picture of he young lady walking along the shore, then lying down on the calm waters, melancholy written over her face.
Unlike other protest songs that came before it (e.g. 1929’s Bayan Ko), Janah’s song is prayer and protest combined. It recognizes that God has the final say in the country’s fate.
“As a Filipino, I feel the hardships each or my countrymen is going through. It’s so unfair to see people working so hard, only to find out at the end of the day, others will benefit from what they’re doing,” says Janah.
She hopes that the song will strengthen our faith and bring positive changes. With the same breath, Janah wishes her song will inspire other young people to turn to social media and find out what’s happening to our country. Rivera, who composed other songs dripping with anger against government anomalies, nods.
“If we don’t take action, the Philippines will be buried in floods of immorality,” he warns media in a recent press conference.
He adds that the song is anchored on Article XI, Section 1 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, which says public office is a public trust.
This isn’t the first time Janah is lending her time and talent to a worthy cause.
She has joined an outreach program at Shelter of Hope/Silungan ng Pag-Asa for children with cancer, helped the Nayon ng Kabataan orphanage, and performed in a charity event at Oriental Mindoro’s Sigkuran Mangyan School.
Janah may not have made it to the protest rallies at the EDSA People Power monument and at the Quirino grandstand.
But her heart clearly belongs to the cause fellow artists like Vice Ganda, Anne Curtis, Jodi Santamaria, Julia Barretto, Elijah Canlas, Carmi Martin and Lovely Rivero, were promoting in the said venues.
They’re angry, and they’re crying for change. So should we.
