Philippine Children’s Songs, Spoken Rhymes and Games for Teaching
Book One
“Philippine Children’s Songs, Spoken Rhymes and Games for Teaching, Book One” is a collection of 132 Philippine vocal materials, most of which were collected by Dr. Factora through extensive fieldwork across the country. Thirty-two of the items that supplement this anthology come from secondary sources, such as theses and existing publications. The selections that Dr. Factora gathered directly from the field come with 98 downloadable audio recordings. This is the first in a two-part series of publications focused on Philippine materials aimed at making music education in the Philippines more culturally relevant and providing music educators a model of sequential music teaching utilizing Philippine vocal resources. The offerings in this first book represent 34 ethnolinguistic groups from across the country. This collection is a practical reference for educators, students, and cultural enthusiasts.
This book specifically presents a sequence to teach rhythmic and melodic concepts through a systematic process developed from the following major research components: 1) collection and gathering of Philippine children’s folk songs, spoken rhymes, and musical folk games around the country; 2) transcription into music notation; 3) translation of the materials into English; 4) translation of selected materials into Filipino, the national language, with music transcriptions; 5) analysis; and 6) classification and systematization of the materials. Systematization resulted in the development of a sequential music teaching model.
This research project aligns well with the Philippine Department of Education’s goals and guiding principles for music education, which emphasize the importance of teaching local, traditional, and indigenous music alongside global musical forms. This approach instills in students a sense of cultural identity and pride, as well as an appreciation for the rich diversity of the Filipino heritage.