MANILA, Philippines — They called themselves delinquents — four adventurous college students from the University of the Philippines who were strangers to each other at first, but brought together by a profound love for music.
Indeed, they weren’t able to graduate because from UP, their music took them to dark, smoke-filled performance venues and later on, across the Philippines and beyond.
But as destiny would have it, 30 years later, these college dropouts would be bestowed with the highest distinction, the Gawad Oblation Award, from their beloved Alma Mater.
Such is the poetic and mind-bending story of the Eraserheads, which entered into yet another chapter last Aug. 20 as its members Marcus Adoro, Ely Buendia, Raimund Marasigan and Buddy Zabala each received a Gawad Oblation Medal, awarded to them by no less than UP president Angelo Jimenez.
It was a full circle moment of sorts and a sweet homecoming for the four erstwhile bandmates.
Their adventure started at the sprawling UP Diliman Campus in Quezon City in the late ‘80s.
Ely gives a ‘thank you’ speech.
And from the confines of the Kalayaan Residence Hall, the dorm exclusively for freshmen students, to the steps of the College of Arts and Sciences and many other places in between, the enduring story of the Eraserheads unfolded.
The Eraserheads started as a little known band, deriving its name from David Lynch’s disturbing and surreal 1977 movie “Eraserhead.”
The group was born sometime in 1987 when Raimund, Marcus and Buddy responded to a call for auditions which Ely posted because he was trying to form a band.
Their adventure started at the sprawling UP Diliman Campus in Quezon City in the late ‘80s. The Eraserheads started as a little known band, deriving its name from David Lynch’s disturbing and surreal 1977 movie ‘Eraserhead.’ The group was born sometime in 1987 when Raimund, Marcus and Buddy responded to a call for auditions which Ely posted because he was trying to form a band. The rest, as they say, is history.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Young boys from the provinces, the bandmates said their life expanded when they went to UP or as Zabala puts it, “exploded.”
True enough, they would become the legendary and iconic Filipino rock band for the ages.
And little did they know that 30 years after leaving UP, they would make history as this year’s recipients of the Gawad Oblation Award.
Launched in 2017, the award is bestowed on UP alumni and friends alike for their significant contributions to the university.
The elegant Gawad Oblation Medal, encircled by a green and maroon ribbon, the colors of the University, “is a symbol of UP’s deep gratitude for the extraordinary service rendered with or in the name of UP,” said Jimenez during the awarding ceremony held at the Executive House.
The Eraserheads, he said, “are a pivotal force in the history of Original Pilipino Music, helping define the music, memories and identity of a generation, no less.”
Members of the UP Delta Lambda Sigma Alumnae Association, including the author (center), pose with Ely and Raimund during the Gawad Oblation awarding ceremony.
Jimenez knew what he was talking about. His time in UP overlapped with that of the Eraserheads. Jimenez earned his Bachelor of Arts in Sociology in 1987 and then went to finish his Law studies.
Back then, Jimenez recalled in his speech, the Eraserheads were already a big name on campus.
“The band revolutionized OPM by introducing a new sound, blending alternative rock with traditional Filipino elements including Western rock styles, but with distinctly Pinoy sensibilities,” Jimenez also said.
At the awarding ceremony, the band members were not in their usual rock and roll fashion but were all dapper in their Barong Tagalog and leather shoes.
Guests — family, friends, ranking officials of UP and members of the press — descended into the glittering venue also in their Filipiniana wear.
It was a formal, almost solemn affair even as one could feel an undercurrent of highly-charged energy among the crowd.
This was no surprise as giddy fans, young and old, were all excited to bear witness to a historic and momentous occasion.
The UP Symphony Orchestra String Quartet performed a medley of the band’s songs, the only Eraserheads music the guests would get that night.
But while the awardees didn’t perform, the whole evening was poetry in motion as the Eraserheads shared their stories from their UP days.
There on stage, not as performers but as UP Gawad Oblation awardees, each of the band members took the spotlight and thanked the people who joined them in their journey.
“Nagpapasalamat kami sa UP Library na nagpapatatag ng aming pundasyong intelektwal; sa UP Sunken Garden para sa gabing walang kasing-saya, sa madidilim ng sulok ng Beta Way at Lagoon para sa mga gabing punong-puno ng lambing,” said Marcus.
He also said it was in UP where they experienced real freedom.
“Kalayaan pumili at maghayag, kalayaan sundin at kalayaan pakingan ang sariling himig.”
On behalf of the band, Raimund thanked everyone who were part of their journey, especially their parents for supporting them even though they weren’t able to bring home college diplomas.
His mother was present that night, beaming with pride.
Buddy, who hailed from Zamboanga said their experiences in the university shaped their music and storytelling.
Ely shared the same view, saying UP shaped not just their minds but their souls. He thanked the university for “giving us the foundation to create, explore and challenge the status quo.”
Dr. Robin Rivera, their former professor, and Francis Lumen, chairman and chief executive officer of WEU Event Management Services, gave their testimonials that evening.
The next day, on his Instagram account, Ely posted about the event, calling it “a night to remember.” A fan commented, “It was like the Beatles being knighted.”
It certainly was a memorable occasion for four college dropouts who finally had a graduation of sorts, 30 years later.
That evening, one could see how happy they were to be back in the warm embrace of their Alma Mater, an institution which helped them find their wings and soar to greater heights.
Along the way, they, too, helped generations and generations of Filipinos get along through life and through the bad times — with a little prayer and a song.
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