Bagong Asin brings music of peace, ‘Pagkamulat’ to Silliman

The Silliman University (SU) Religion and Peace Studies Department marked Peace Month in September with a two-night concert featuring Bagong Asin, a musical group known for songs that promote peace, social awareness, and appreciation of Philippine culture.

Held on September 18 and 19, 2026, Bagong Asin Concert: Pagkamulat featured founding member Noy Pillora Jr., Rona Bel Comawas, Jimmy Dagtay, Krisna Gold Bawiin, and Erwin Jones Dipalog, who performed both old and new songs reflecting the country’s rich cultural heritage amid changing social realities.

The concerts formed part of the Religion and Peace Studies Department’s month-long celebration of Peace Month, which seeks to provide spaces for reflection and dialogue on peace, justice, solidarity, and social responsibility.

In his opening remarks, Divinity School Dean Dr. Lope Robin described Pagkamulat, or awakening, as more than an evening of music. He said the concert invited the audience to an “awakening of our minds, our hearts, and our spirits to the realities of our world.”

Robin underscored the role of music in drawing attention to social realities, noting that it can “give voice to the voiceless,” awaken the conscience, challenge assumptions, and remind people of their connection with one another and with creation. He linked this role of music to the mission of the Religion and Peace Studies Department and the Divinity School.

He also emphasized a spirituality that actively engages with the world and responds to injustice, the needs of the poor and afflicted, and concerns for the environment.

“To be spiritually awakened is to recognize that faith is not lived in isolation,” Robin said, adding that spirituality should lead people toward “compassion, solidarity, justice, peace, and care for creation.”

Through Bagong Asin’s repertoire, the concerts used music as a space for both cultural celebration and reflection on a changing Philippine society, bringing the message of Peace Month closer to the University community.

The concerts also supported the establishment of the Rev. Dr. Noriel C. Capulong Professorial Chair, with proceeds intended to help fund an annual lecture in Biblical Studies and Reflections in Pastoral Work. The professorial chair honors Capulong’s 50 years of service in theological education, biblical scholarship, and pastoral ministry.

Robin closed by expressing the hope that the music would move audiences beyond entertainment toward awareness and action.

“May Pagkamulat remind us that to be awakened is also to be called; to see, to care, and to act,” he said.