Bonggo from Olongapo

Public service has been the main reason for being of the family of Mayor Bong Gordon for many years. It all started when his father James Gordon turned the backwoods town of Olongapo in Zambales into a bustling city. The Gordon patriarch did not live long enough to see all that he dreamed of come true but his family saw to it that Olongapo would continue its progress and that they would all be available for service to the country when needed.

So it was just logical for everyone then to presume that Bong, who is his father’s namesake, would continue the tradition. And like a dutiful son, he did. James “Bong” Gordon Jr. is now the mayor of Olongapo. Just like his father wanted, it is now a city famous all over the world for its exemplary peace and order rating and for its top-notched urban management team. Bong leads that and he is happy for the opportunity to nurture his father’s legacy.

There was a time in the past though when Mayor Gordon almost went against tradition and ditched politics. The reason was his innate talent for music and love for performing. Despite the lack of formal lessons, he had music in him as a boy and he received more encouragement when he became a member of the Ateneo Glee Club. There were also those times he spent with an uncle in the States.

“He was a professional musician,” recalls the mayor. “He played the oboe and the clarinet. He played in Shanghai when Shanghai was famous for entertainment and recorded with artists like Frank Sinatra. He taught me a lot. He also tried to teach me how to play the trumpet, blowing, but I couldn’t get it and I stayed with the guitar.”

Although there were times when he wondered what might have happened had he gone full-time into music, the mayor has not one bit of regret about choosing to run for office. “I have always known that I will always have my music so I make it a point to have music wherever I go. I formed a singing group called Houseboys when I was in Congress and now in Olongapo, I have Bonggo. I now have the best of both worlds.”

Bonggo is the name of the mayor’s band. The members have been together for many years and they are now considered Olongapo’s resident band. “We perform when time permits. We have recorded an album titled Fighting for Excellence and we do a lot of concerts. Sometimes we even welcome visitors to Olongapo. You should see how surprised they are when they see me and my band playing music on the shore.”

Fighting for Excellence which was recently declared Gold, signifying sales of over 15,000 copies by the Philippine Association of Record Industry, is made up of Mayor Gordon’s original compositions. The first hit single is Sibit-Sibit. This is a tribute to the small fishing vessel known as sibit and its contribution to Olongapo’s progress.

There are also, Pinoy! Check ng Check, Songs of Love, Pilipinas Bayan Ko, May Mga Tao (Subic), Fighting for Excellence and he cleverly worded Balimbing. It goes, Balimbing, parang bituin ang bungang balimbing/ ngunit kung iba ang ‘yong paningin, baka ika’y magkaduling-duling. Bonggo is now winding up work on its second album, made up once again of the Mayor’s own works.

Aside from this, Gordon has also set in motion several projects that would make Olongapo a showcase of Pinoy music. “Olongapo has a rich musical heritage,” he says. “This is where Pinoy rock started and I want people to be aware of that. We also have a big tourism industry from which the city gets most of its revenue so I decided to combine that. Music and tourism.”

One of these is setting up statues of great music artists who made their mark in Olongapo around the city. “Our first one is that of Freddie Aguilar. He came for the unveiling and he was very happy about it.” The event also coincided with the inauguration of an outdoor arena with a floating stage where Freddie and his daughter Megan became the first performers. Of course The Mayor’s Bonggo came in next.