During the virtual presser attended by members of the press last August 26, 2020 (Wednesday), The OPM Archive Foundation has announced its official plans to collect Filipino music memorabilia and champion digital archiving in a time that needs preservation of cultural artifacts.
Heading the OPM Archive Foundation are the “next gen” members of the group, Moy Ortiz, President; Krina Cayabyab, Vice President; Dinah Remolacio, Treasurer, and Chevy Salvador, Secretary, while the more senior members will stay on as board members and advisers.
The archive is a separate entity from Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-aawit (OPM) in that it will serve as a foundation that collects and documents not just the actual original Filipino music, but also narratives, photographs, music sheets, and press releases. Among the familiar and popular voices that emerged, aside from Celeste Legaspi’s were Basil Valdez, Hajji Alejandro, Sampaguita, Mike Hanopol, Florante, Freddie Aguilar, Leah Navarro, Didith Reyes, just to name a few.
The accompanying narratives will seek to contextualize the music in its specific social relevance that defined each period, and perhaps identify continuity to the next period.
Plans for the OPM Archive gave rise before the lockdown, when the Filipinas Heritage Library (FHL), where the archive was to be housed, was ready to receive the hard copy donations. And the archive hopes to ensure that the musical gems it documents and collects will live on from generation to generation, so children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren can appreciate, learn from, and perhaps someday, revise, improvise, follow or change approaches to music.
The archive is now open for the digital collection and is open to the public for donations.
The launch of the OPM Archive is an initiative of founding members of OPM, led by its founder and first president, Celeste Legaspi, with Girlie Rodis, Tats Rejante Manahan, Lyca Benitez Brown, next-generation members, Moy Ortiz, Chevy Salvador, Dinah Remolacio, and Krina Cayabyab.
