“GREED is in their hearts” — these words transformed Jose Mari Chan’s classic yuletide anthem, “Christmas in Our Hearts,” into a biting anti-corruption piece performed by the University of the Philippines Symphony Orchestra (UPSO).
Together with the UPSO Symphonic Chorus and the UP College of Music Chorus Class, the orchestra serenaded the UP community on December 12, 2025, at the University Theater. The annual event began in 2018.
The revised lyrics made the song strikingly relevant to this year’s Christmas season:
“Whenever I see boys and girls, Lumulusong dun sa streets. I remember the bags Ng mga nepo babie.
Whenever there’s baha na. Lumulutang na Lulubog ang Christmas ‘coz greed is in their hearts.
Let’s swim, Merry Christmas. Nothing beats this holiday. Mag-noche Buena dun sa bubong. Baha is all around us.
Budget sa flood control for a bright tomorrow, Inubos, nilimas, Ninakaw na. Oh gaaad!
Habang ang mga kurakot lumulusong dun sa snow. The cold will never bother them ..‘coz greed is in their hearts!”
Videos of the UPSO performance went viral, eliciting varied reactions online.
The group also performed the chant, “Ikulong na yan, Mga Kurakot,” set to the tune of the UP cheer: “Ikulong na yan, mga kurakot; ikulong na yan, mga kurakot; ikulong na yan, mga kurakot; magnanakaw, mga pahirap; tanggalin sa kanilang pwesto!; hindi kami magpapagapi, ganiyan kaming mga pilipino!”
This chant has previously been adopted in UAAP basketball games and political rallies.
The Philippines is a typhoon-prone country, with approximately twenty tropical cyclones entering its area of responsibility every year. Social media is often swamped with photos and videos showing the impact of these weather disturbances: residents trapped on roofs as floodwaters rise, streets turning into rivers, and cars sinking under the deluge. Landslides, destroyed homes, and damaged roads plague the country’s most populous islands, leading to displacement, injury, and death. Fierce winds and rain leave behind enormous piles of debris — including felled trees, furniture, and torn metal roofs.
The flood control crisis is fueled by widespread corruption, climate change intensifying storms, and poor urban planning issues such as deforestation and inadequate drainage. These factors lead to devastating floods despite massive government spending.
Recent scandals have revolved around the diversion of billions in public funds involving “ghost” projects, padded contracts, kickbacks, and substandard work. These revelations have sparked national outrage, protests, and calls for accountability against a network of favored contractors and implicated politicians. The issue highlights a systemic failure where corrupt practices, rather than effective infrastructure, worsen natural disasters and leave communities vulnerable.
“The University views with the gravest concern the deep-seated and massive corruption plaguing the flood control projects in our country. We cannot stay neutral,” UP President Angelo Jimenez said in a statement.
“We support and encourage the expression of general outrage of our citizens, in accordance with the constitutionally guaranteed rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression,” he added. “Beyond raging against corruption we must also harness our education and training to provide solutions to the real problems of our people.”
Under the baton of musical director Professor Emeritus Josefino “Chino” Toledo, UPSO also performed a solemn yet jubilant retelling of the Nativity story via excerpts from a masterpiece that has moved listeners across generations.
One of the highlights of the concert was the segment on George Frideric Handel’s timeless oratorio, “Messiah,” known for its iconic Hallelujah chorus that pairs devotional text with soaring Baroque composition. An English-language oratorio composed in 1741, the text was compiled from the King James Bible and the Coverdale Psalter by Charles Jennens. It was first performed in Dublin on April 13, 1742, receiving its London premiere a year later.
Established on August 30, 2018, UPSO consists exclusively of members from the UP community: alumni, students, faculty members, and staff. The orchestra functions as a training ground for both composers and musicians, representing not only the University but also the country on the worldwide stage.
Ultimately, calamities are not just natural or climate change phenomena, but moral indictments of state failure.
(Peyups is the moniker of the University of the Philippines. Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho heads the Seafarers’ Division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan Law Offices. For comments, e-mail info@sapalovelez.com, or call 0908866578.)
