Bing opens up through music

Through the many years we have known Bing Pimentel, she had never opened up her heart to us. She was always the busybody involved in various activities, which invariably had to do with her husband Nene, the low-keyed brilliant public servant who only had the future of the country at heart.

Although Bing was more gregarious, she had her quiet, tender side. And her sorrows. And these, she would pour out through the songs she composed and gave lyrics to.     

One weekend more than a month ago, we tuned in to The Bottomline to watch an interview of one of Hollywood’s best-known acting coaches, Ivana Chubbuck. She has taught her technique to a number of Oscar-winning talents like Charlize Theron, James Franco and Halle Berry with much success, and she was in Manila for a two-day workshop at ABS-CBN’s Dolphy Theater. At the root of her technique, Ivana explained, an actor must embrace the pain in his life and use this as fuel to unlock his/her power as an actor.

We think of Bing, and of her life as wife of the former Speaker of the Senate. We are certain she had never met the famous acting coach. Yet, we find ourselves in awe that what many people and Hollywood studios pay for, comes naturally to this former First Lady of Cagayan de Oro. We seek out the couple’s history, especially that of Nene, and realize how lucky he is to be alive. A well-known oppositionist, Nene was one of a group of politicians who stood up against the Marcos Regime. He was imprisoned several times, kept away from his family who fended for themselves in his absence. However, as the old adage goes, behind every great man stands a great woman.

Bing has been writing love songs since the beginning of their love affair. Hinahanap-Hanap Kita, Bing’s first love song to Nene, was written at a time when her husband was reviewing for the bar exam in Manila, and Bing was teaching in a high school in Bukidnon. She missed him like anything and wrote him that love song.

We looked through the many DVDs Bing had given us, listened to the song and the lyrics and were totally impressed. Sung by Chelsea Emata, Hinahanap-Hanap Kita spoke of how she missed her love and was longing for his presence. Every day and night goes by with her hoping that the next day will bring him back to her. Part of the Filipino lyrics go, “Hinahanap-hanap kita, Araw gabi sinta, Pagdating ng bukas, Ang puso mo’y akin na.” Her husband’s four incarcerations inspired many of the songs she had written. One of our favorites was written after renegade Colonel Alexander Noble sparked a military revolt in Mindanao. This was in 1990, and then President Cory Aquino requested Nene to go to Cagayan de Oro to negotiate an end to the crisis. Bing only knew too well the dangers of such a mission. So while she let him go to fulfill his mission, she wrote him the song Go If You Must Go, which we found in one of her albums, recorded by Dulce.

It goes, “Go, if you must go, I wouldn’t ask why. Go, if you must go, God be your Guide. Bring our love, Our prayers, Our hopes for Peace and a better Tomorrow.”

Bing never studied music, her talent being a true gift. The senator had called it a mystery, stating in an interview, “She doesn’t know how to read notes. She plays the piano but only knows the basic chords.” Yet this lucky man has received scores of the most original of gifts, testaments of her passion and dedication to their love, melodiously composed straight from her soul.

There must be hundreds of songs Bing has written and composed. She has had released them in DVD form for special occasions like Tatay Nene’s 80th birthday last Dec. 11, 2013, coming from Nanay Bing. Of course, the album could only be titled Loving You. Bing does not sell her albums; she gives them away to people she knows will appreciate them. She doesn’t look at herself as a professional since all her songs are products of personal experiences. She merely thinks of herself as someone who can write and compose songs.

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