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Yonik Nga Pamilya by Max Surban [ An Interpretation of the Song]

PAMILYANG YONIK 

Max Surban

I

Ang iyang lolo Katoliko Romano

Ang iyang lola Iglesia ni Kristo
Ang iyang mama Saksi ni Jehova
Ug Protestante sab ang iyang papa

II
Kung manimba na, lain-laig simbahan
Ang pamilya nilang yonik gyud sa tanan
Wala silay samok, nahibulong ang uban
Bisag lain-lain silag tinohoan

Peace Jud Sila Kanunay

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Max Surban and Yoyoy have always been one of my family’s favorite local singers. Whenever I heard their songs, it reminds me so much of my happy and carefree childhood days.  I never really cared much of what those songs really meant, what was important was whenever the family was together Max and Yoyoy will always be a part of it. One of my favorites is the song “Yonik Nga Pamilya” because I loved the melody. Then as I grew up and was able to take up literary studies, I began to appreciate the song even more as I began to accept the song in a different perspective.  

The song opens with an introduction of this particular family with each member actually having various religions. The grandfather [lolo] is a Roman Catholic [Katoliko Romano], the grandmother [lola] belongs to the Church of Christ [Iglesia ni Kristo], the mother [mama] is a Jehova’s Witness [Saksi Ni Jehova] and the father [papa] is a Protestant [Prorestante]. With this kind of scenario, one can actually picture out daily “disagreements” and never-ending religious debates because each and everyone would defend their own belief and would base their judgments upon their own bibles and religious laws. Basically, the first stanza describes CHAOS. 

The second song tells of the Sabbath Day, the time of which one is required to actually go to church and worship the Lord. In common Filipino culture, the Sabbath Day is always a time when the WHOLE family is together and goes to church TOGETHER. But in this song [second stanza], the members goes on their separate ways.

Kung manimba na, lain-laig simbahan
Ang pamilya nilang yonik gyud sa tanan

Somehow, you can still picture out the conflict within the family with these line. A judgmental neighbor would automatically label the family as WIERD just because they’re acting beyond the social norms. As the saying goes, “The family that prays together, stays together,” one can automatically formulate a conclusion with this particular family; a conclusion which somehow says, “HOW CAN THEY PRAY TOGETHER WHEN THEY DON’T EVEN GO TO THE SAME CHURCH?”  But this conclusion is being refuted by the 3^rd and 4^th line of stanza 2.

Wala silay samok, nahibulong ang uban
Bisag lain-lain silag tinohoan

The stanza is trying to say that the family doesn’t really have any kind of conflict within its members even though they did have different religions and beliefs, which is quite different from the NORMAL family scenario in the country or even in the world. Families will always have conflicts be it internal or external, voiced or unvoiced. Disagreements will always occur and would sometimes cause the rift between its members. Sadly, most families could not really patch up those gaps caused by those quarrels. It’s a general fact and not a personal opinion. The question is, “How come that this family, whom the people would consider and judged by the people as UNIQUE [yonik] and WEIRD; how come that they can live in peaceful household? HOWCOME?” and “Why is it that others who actually gets to PRAY TOGETHER, can’t really stand each other even for a minute?”

Stanza 3 is where the irony sets. This stanza describes what kind of family these people really are INSIDE their household, which is the exact opposite of what one would expect with a family having different religions because in spite of that factor [of having various religions] this family is actually a HAPPY [sadya] family. The song doesn’t actually say that the family is perfect. They did have their normal disagreements but they managed to stay together and maintain peace within it members.  

The purpose of their debates is to come up with one single truth which is LOVE: the kind of love that brings out PEACE. This is further substantiated by the first two lines of stanza 4.

Ilang panag lalis usa ray katuyuan
Panaghigugmaay ug kalinaw sa tanan

Whereas the 3^rd and 4^th line of stanza 4, states the reason as to why this family was able to achieve PEACE within their household. It’s because they don’t entertain intrigues [Walay intriga] within each other and they would always try to UNDERSTAND [Kanunay nga nag sinabtanay] each member.  

Walay intriga ug walay away-away
Kanunay nga nag sinabtanay

Machination can and will always cause fights between two people even between members of the family. The problem with actually entertaining talks and back-biting is you’ll never really know if what you’ve heard or what was passed into your ear is actually the TRUTH, and even if it’s not exactly a lie either its still best to ignore such issues specially when those very words came from the mouth of a third party. Machinations causes MISUNDERSTANDING and thus disagreement sets in and before you know, the rift between siblings and even parents have grew deeper and what’s sad about it is the real reason for it was just as big as a grain of sand.

Let’s look at the song on a bigger picture. We all belong in a ONE BIG FAMILY since we are all children of God. Since we were given the freedom for human judgment and considering geographical locations, it is but natural that we now have different religious practices and beliefs. The world or its population thereof is practically made up of hundreds and even thousands of religions with major ones such as Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. It’s also but natural that there’s going to be debates between its people. The purpose of debates is to be able to achieve understanding and the knowledge of a single TRUTH [the ultimate Truth] between those texts written in different bibles. According to this song, that single truth comes in a four letter word, L-O-V-E! Not just the kind of love shared between a man and a woman, but the kind which we’re able [should have been sharing] share to one another. If a person loves another, he or she would never want to hurt the one he/she loves. If we learn to love the person sitting next to us be it in an expensive restaurant or inside a bus [jeepney], develop concern for each other and start caring then we will achieve PEACE and in by doing so, we will get a chance to actually feel carefree happiness. But if one cannot learn to love and understand the members of his family, then its basically hopeless to expect that, this person will love the 8billion others in this world.