Photo from PABLO's IG

MICHA!

Pablo is a fountain of inspiration, perseverance, and determination. Every time he says something, it's always about inspiring people, gratefulness, and wisdom. Even when he writes songs, his words are always full of important messages. Just by listening to him talk, you would learn so much, not just about him, but about how he values human life and the world. He believes in goodness and positivity, and uplifts the people around him.

His debut song as a solo artist, La Luna, he delivered a poetic song that evokes rebellion in a sense that it teaches you to embrace both sides of who you are, the good and the bad, despite what people say. He then released another banger, Determinado, that reminds that us to keep going no matter how rough the road gets, and Akala, a more mellow song that teaches to look at the brighter side of things. He then released EDSA, a song that promotes positive outlook on the road and in life. All of his songs have elegantly written lyrics with meaningful explicit and underlying messages. Now that he finally released his debut albums, he graced us with Micha!.

Hakbang palabas sa kuna

Piglas sa akap ni Kuma

Gutom sa'yo'y humihila

Ikaw na mismo ang kukuha

Ngayong 'lam mo na kung ano lasa

Tumindig ka't simulan ang martsa

Desididong hininga'ng ipusta

Silaban mo na'ng mitsa

(Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)

Silaban mo na

(Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)

Sige na

The first in this chorus could be translated to growing up. Kuna in English is crib where babies sleep. Hakbang palabas sa kuna might mean to grow up and get out of our comfort zone. On the second line, Kuma might be a fictional character with hugging as one of the fighting skills. Piglas sa akap ni Kuma might mean to break free from whatever is stopping you or holding you down. From the third line down to the last one on this verse, Pablo encouraged his listeners to keep working hard and never stop achieving their goals. No poverty or trials in life can stop a determined person to succeed unless that person chose to stop fighting.

Nagsimulang patikim-tikim

Nagawa ko pang ikimkim

Ngunit pagod na 'tong mag-atabuling

Lumakad sa daang madilim

Na para bang nagpa-patintero

Sa sarili ko na negatibo

'Di ko kaya iwan bukas 'yung gripo

Sa baradong lababo, kaya naman

In the first verse, Pablo talked about the journey of someone who learned how to dream big. When that dream started to form in this person's mind, there was doubt and the discouraging words of people who pretended to care. It went on for God knows how long until this person finally had enough and break free from the negativity that enveloped his life. That person is Pablo. For the longest time, he played it safe and dedicated all his time and effort for the group he loves so much. Now, it's finally time for him to show the world that he is not just the leader of the most sought after PPOP idols and CEO of 1z Entertainment. He is PABLO, a poet, an incredibly talented artist, and a risk-taker.

Kayamanang binaon sa lupa

Huhukayin na hanggang makita

Kung malalim, 'di man alintana

'Di titigilang makuha

The refrain was about unleashing hidden talents and abilities. He always believed that each of us, every person in the world, has something special in us. We all have something that could help us succeed in life. All we have to is unleash that inner fire and chase our dreams. We are powerful in our own way.

Ang sabi ni inay, "Nako po

Ikaw ba'y sigurado sa gagawin mo?"

Ang sabi ni itay, "Ano?

At paano na ang mga plano?"

When we finally realized what truly want in life, people around us would doubt that we could make it. Some of them were truly concern about our future, but most of them simply don't want us to do something great for ourselves. Regardless, the only option is to persevere and fight for our dreams.

Sa'n ka nga ba dadalhin ng 'yong mga paa?

Kung dala-dala mo'ng pagdududa

'Rap lang tingin, basta't gawin at darating din

'Di bale nang pagong kaysa matsing

Uulan ng kamalasan

At sasaluhin mo'ng lahat ng 'yan

Bago mo makuha'ng pinaka-inaasam

'Wag kang susuko, pagsubok lang 'yan

Verse two talks about the doubts that we have as we work hard for our goals. The unknown is always just around the corner. Time and again, we would experience this moments when we worry about tomorrow because we have to. There are so many things at stakes, so many people hat rely on us, and we need to be smart about our actions, but until when? We can't always be safe in every step we take. The road to success may be slow and bumpy, but it's the only road to take. It may lead us to a different direction than what we hoped, but our destination will be one and the same, success.

'Pag ang puso na ang 'yong ikinasa

Wala nang katapusan ang bala

Sigurado pulbos ang pangamba

Sa sarili ika'y tiwala (Tiwala sa sarili)

Imposibleng mawalan ng gana

Kahit na pilitin ka pang ibaba

Tuso lamang ang takot sa karma

Hala, sige na, rumagasa

For the second refrain, Pablo talked about the power that we can unleash once we free ourselves from whatever it is that's been holding us back. The lyrics is not just about inspiring people, it is a promise that once we start believing in ourselves, we will be unstoppable. Nothing can bring us down. We just have to believe. We may commit mistakes along the way, but as long as we learn from them, we will never lose. What is it that people say? It's not about the destination but the journey. Even if we don't get to where we ultimately hoped to be, the lessons we will learn are priceless.

Anong problema? Malamang pera

Pwede bang teka kalagan mo na kaluluwa mo sa bodega?

Ano ba'ng tema ng buhay mo, repa?

Dama at trahedya, 'di ba pwedeng maiba?

Hawak mo naman ang pluma (Yeah, haha, yah)

Alam kong kaya mo 'yan

'Wag mong titigilan

Sigehan mo pa

The bridge part is the most interesting in this song. He delivered a protest, a rally, a call to action. It's like a conscience talking to you—no, screaming at you to keep fighting. Even when you feel like you're walking through the fire of hell, just keep walking. Don't stop even when your feet hurt from the burns you get. Even when you feel like you can't go on, even when you feel like crawling is the only option, then crawl. Nothing worth celebrating comes easy, and anything worth keeping is worth the pain. We have the power to write our own stories, so it's up to us to decide how our story would progress.

Fight for what you believe in, for those you love the most, and for the future you to dream for yourself. Keep fighting!