The team behind Aiza’s Pagdating ng Panahon

Pagdating ng Panahon by Aiza Seguerra has turned out to be the year’s biggest OPM hit, much to the delight of the song’s composers – Moy Ortiz and Edith M. Gallardo, and producer/publisher – Margot M. Gallardo. As of this writing, the song has hit number one for 12 weeks at DWRR (For Life), has sold more than 120,000 units and counting (not including the sales from those criminal music pirates!), has enjoyed three weeks at number one in the highly rated Vid-OK (considering that it does not even have an official music video) and is the title and theme song of an upcoming Viva movie.

Margot, Edith and Moy’s hit-making triumvirate is by no means an overnight success. This multi-awarded trio has been churning out hits for 11 years since 1991. However, the Gallardo sisters have been distinguished personalities in the Philippine recording industry since the mid-70s.

Margot M. Gallardo is the maverick producer behind legendary, seminal albums like Ryan Cayabyab’s a capella, ONE and ONE Christmas , Nonoy Zuñiga’s first six hit albums (which produced the hits Never Ever Say Goodbye, Live For Love, Doon Lang, Kumusta Ka, Love Without Time), Zsa Zsa Padilla’s debut album (Kahit Na, Sana’y Maghintay Ang Walang Hanggang), and all nine winning albums of the country’s premiere vocal group – The CompanY (Everlasting Love, Sana Nga Ikaw Na, Now That I Have You, Muntik Na Kitang Minahal, Pakisabi Na Lang, Hulog Ng Langit, Special Memory, Minsan Pa, Nawawala Ang Puso Ko, Just A Love Song, Afraid For Love to Fade and You Changed My Life in a Moment).

Margot has also dabbled in movie scoring and soundtracks. She produced the hit soundtrack of Viva Films’ musical Do Re Mi. Margot has also produced commercially successful concerts at the CCP and the Music Museum. Margot has won the Record Producer of the Year four times from the Cecile Awards, Awit Awards, Katha Awards and the Catholic Mass Media Awards.

Edith M. Gallardo started as Artist and Repertoire Manager for the RCA International label under Vicor Records in 1976. Her first stab at writing earned her and co-writer , Babsie Molina a Best Christmas song nomination at the 1990 Awit Awards. Since that time, there was no stopping Edith’s ascent as a hit-making songwriter whether she was collaborating with her usual partners – Moy Ortiz or Babsie Molina. Highlights of Edith’s catalogue of hits include: Sana Nga Ikaw Na (recently revived by Regine Velasquez in her soundtrack Pangako), Muntik Na Kitang Minahal ( a big hit for the CompanY which subsequently became a rated "A" Seiko movie), Mawawala Ang Puso Ko, You’d Always Be There (a hit for Petite). Edith’s collaboration with Danny Tan and Jaya, Sometimes You Just Know won for them the Grand Prize in the First Metropop Songfest in 1996. The hit song I Can from the Viva musical Do Re Mi was a winning collaboration between Edith and Louie Ocampo. The song, Alam Mo Na Di Ba? in the movie Unang Tibok Ng Puso won for Edith and Danny Tan a Best Movie Theme Song award.

Moy Ortiz is one of the founding members and artistic director of the CompanY. Moy is also a prolific songwriter, vocal arranger, instrumental arranger, studio singer, director, record and stage producer. Included in Moy’s catalogue of songs are Pakisabi Na Lang, Hulog Ng Langit, Nawawala Ang Puso Ko, Taguan and last year’s original jukebox hit – Kahit Gaano Kalaki. Moy has also written Dina Bonnevie’s TV theme – Today is D Day! (for the show D! Day), Muling Aawit ang Pasig (official theme song of Piso Para sa Pasig Movement) and One Under the Crescent (official theme of the annual Muslim celebration, under the auspices of the Shahani family), a mini-musicale for the Tourism Department’s OOCL project. All were collaborations with Floy Quintos.

Moy has also written the official corporate jingle for the Shangri-La Shopping Mall, KFC Corp. and the Ayala Malls. Pasyon, a contemporary a capella interpretation of the Philippine Lenten chant and Moy’s first foray into serious classical music won him a special Katha and Catholic Mass Media Award. At present, Margot, Edith and Moy have three songs enjoying high rotation on radio; Aiza’s breakthrough hit Pagdating Ng Panahon, Manilyn Reynes’ Kulang Pa Ba and Ang Sarap-Sarap Ng Ginawa Mo! by jukebox newcomer Maricel.

This trio is also into production with the CompanY ‘s first all OPM album in six years, movie themes for Star Cinema, songs for the Aiza’s follow-up album and other artists for Viva, Star and Vicor Records.

Pagdating Ng Panahon has surpassed everyone’s expectations. The trio can only surmise that it was only providential that this song was given to Aiza. It is a marriage of the perfect song for the right singer. Margot, Edith and Moy can only wish this breakthrough hit will open the floodgates of another OPM renaissance (as seen in the mid to late ’70s most of the ’80s and the first five years of the ’90s). The trio feels that Filipino listeners have reached the saturation point for the revival of foreign hits. Furthermore, despite the alarming economic crisis, Filipinos are still willing to invest hard-earned money into quality OPM music.

Meantime, expect Margot, Edith and Moy to be busy at work in the studios toiling away to produce the next big OPM hit. You’ll never know that the song you might be hearing on the radio might be this trio’s latest hit project.

Bravo, Margot, Edith and Moy!