MANILA -- Even if Noel Cabangon is considered as the country's top folk singer who is still actively performing and recording albums, and has been a member of the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) for decades, he still went through the normal selection process to be part of the ongoing "Rak of Aegis," now on its seventh season.

"Nag-audition ako. I sang the part of Kiel in 'Luha.' Call of duty ito," Cabangon told ABS-CBN News a couple of days ago.

Kiel is the father of Aileen, the main character of PETA's hit musical about a singer from a flooded village who becomes You Tube star. In the past six seasons, Kiel has been played by OJ Mariano, Lorenz Martinez, Robert Seña and Renz Verrano.

"I had to go through that process like the others who auditioned. When I was asked to audition there’s already a preconceived role that I have to portray. Maybe because of my age, I fit the role. And being a PETA member, since I haven’t done theater in 12 years, I felt it is also my duty to get involved," Cabangon said in a follow-up interview.

Why it took him so long to join what theater critics and enthusiasts consider the longest running, much-awarded, most patronized original Filipino musical has something to do with his career as a solo performer and an officer of the Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-aawit (OPM).

"Masaya ang teatro. Matagal na ako ini-invite. Pero alam mo naman 'pag teatro, marami kang isa-sacrifice na trabaho. The process kasi is not short eh. Hindi 'pag nag-concert, madali lang 'yun. Here, you have to be able to... kung ano nasa role mo dapat maaral mo. 'Yung demand for discipline. You have to perform with the rest of the cast, mag-memorize ka ng dialogue. At least ito, familiar na ako sa songs ng Aegis," he said.

The last musical he did, as far as he can recall, was in 2008, when he joined an advocacy play on climate change and the environment titled "Infanta." The title comes from the name of a seaside town in Quezon province that was ravaged by super typhoons, along with neighboring towns of Real and General Nakar at the time.

"It's about that and a lot of things. It was toured abroad and there were only a few of us in the cast. We went to as far as Germany. Pero hindi siya full-length musical, mga an hour or less. There were a few songs I also composed. Ako rin ang nag-score. I was one of the actors. Mga artista dito mga bata na bago lang sa PETA, mga members ng teen theater," he recalled.

In 2008, "Infanta" was performed at the International Community Arts Festival in The Netherlands.

"After that, I still did several plays with PETA pero behind the scenes. I was also artist-teacher in outreach programs," he said. He was musical director for "Ang Tiririt ng Ibong Adarna," "Walang Himala," and "Mga Kwento ni Lola Basyang."

Cultural worker, OPM officer

Cabangon is also OPM's vice president for external affairs. He has been busy, along with his fellow officers, in creating alternative venues for OPM members. He said they have about 500 members, not counting the older ones who aren't active anymore.

"Mga platforms to perform, we find them. We partnered with LRT 1, like 'yung railway jam. Magandang exposure din. Although short stints lang. Katatapos lang din 'yung partnership namin with Tiendesitas, mga one year din 'yun."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Noel Cabangon (@noelcabangon) on Aug 11, 2018 at 12:00am PDT

Alternative venues like in railway stations have provided new members more avenues to enter the industry. Busking at the LRT stations, they got major exposure for people from all walks of life. If there are videos uploaded on YouTube and other social media platforms, they are a big help.

"Siyempre yung mga bago, they have to establish their names. This is one way of them showcasing themselves, para pwede silang mag-apply sa mga bars," he said.

We asked him how about copyright issues for the songs uploaded on personal You Tube accounts.

"It's the gift of technology and we can't do anything about it. They're good exposure pa rin. Unless hindi nila pinagkakakitaan, it's alright to do that. It's the same thing sa mga nanunuod sa mga bars. They record the songs and upload them in their social media accounts," he said. Suffice it to say, he explained bar owners pay a modest amount to the Filipino Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (Filscap) for the royalties on a yearly basis.

For OPM members, he pointed out, there are also medical benefits. "We struggle to get our funding. We partner with several organizations. Hindi naman ganoon kalaki pero kahit papano, we provide financial assistance sa mga nagkakasakit," Cabangon said and after a pause, realizing something essential, with a smile he added, "Kahit 'yung funeral, meron din kahit papano."

Over the years, Cabangon did several solo concerts at the PETA Theater Center, mostly benefit shows and for his album launchings. We asked his permission if it's alright to mention that his wife, Beng Santos-Cabangon, is PETA's executive director. He said "sure," with his signature disarming smile that we often see in promotional posters, him holding his acoustic guitar and sporting his trademark stubble.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Noel Cabangon (@noelcabangon) on Feb 13, 2019 at 1:38am PST

Admit it or not, Cabangon would always remind you, me, us, members of the titos and titas of Manila, seasoned activists from the First Quarter Storm and all 70s Bistro regulars of that heart-wrenching OPM classic, "Kanlungan."

An original composition by Romeo Dongeto, his former bandmate in the progressive folk rock group Buklod, "Kanlungan" has helped propel Cabangon as a solo artist. There's even a burger commercial several years ago that made Cabangon a household name.

Buklod is also responsible for the hit "Tatsulok," another Dongeto composition. Some younger listeners usually credited it to Bamboo, after he included it in his eponymous band's third album "We Stand Alone Together" in 2007.

In November 2018, Dongeto, Rene Boncocan and Cabangon reunited and launched their reunion album titled “3 Dekada: Buklod, Ang Muling Pag-awit.”

The album has since become a collector's item. Out of the 2,000 units they released last year, Cabangon said nearly half of them had been sold.

"Because we sell them only if we have gigs. You can't find that [album] on Spotify and other streaming devices. The CD is not even available in the usual outlets like Odyssey or Astrovision. Wala na rin kasi nagbebenta ng CDs nowadays. Puro downloads na lang. Pero iba pa rin kung physical mong nahahawakan 'yung collection sa CD, di ba?" he said.

Number one folk singer

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Noel Cabangon (@noelcabangon) on Apr 2, 2019 at 6:21am PDT

Cabagon is, undeniably and undisputedly, the most popular folk singer for our times who is still actively performing around the country. Personally, we got to know him during his post-Buklod years when he went solo during the second golden age of Pinoy rock.

There's something about Cabangon's voice that calms the soul of the weary and stressed out. Could it be his being God-fearing perhaps? His four albums, namely "Pasakalye," "H'wag Mangamba," "Medjas" and "Noel" the Christmas album, being produced by men of God under the Jesuit Music Ministry? His inner peace translating into the songs he performs live?

Incidentally, among Cabangon's first major roles in a musical was the titular character in "Jesus Christ Superstar."

"I played Jesus Christ, sometime in 2000 and it was produced by The 70s Bistro. May performances sa Bistro mga ilang gabi din before na na-stage sa Music Museum," Cabangon said.

Predating rock musicals, for the record, this one had cast members who were, in a literal sense, rockers or vocalists of rock bands who regularly played at the Bistro.

Cabangon recalled Rico Blanco playing Judas, Jett Pangan playing Pontius Pilate, Cynthia Alexander as Mary Magdalene, the late Karl Roy as Simon the Zealot and another dearly departed OPM legend, Dominic "Papadom" Gamboa playing Herod.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Noel Cabangon (@noelcabangon) on Jul 4, 2019 at 7:49pm PDT

"After that, PETA did '1896', which was our play for the worldwide celebration of the centennial. I played Jose Rizal and '1896' was staged at the UP Theater. Pero noong na-perform siya sa Fort Santiago, ako na si Emilio Aguinaldo and also part ng ensemble din," said Cabangon.

Much earlier, he was also part of Gary Granada's "Lean Alejandro the Musical" in its first staging in 1997. "Aktibista ang role ko dun," he recalled and among his co-actors were Bayang Barrios, Chickoy Pura and Cookie Chua.

Incidentally, Barrios is also part of "Rak of Aegis," playing Mary Jane, the former girlfriend of Kiel, mother to Kenny and village captain in Barangay Venezia. Two veteran OPM singers together again in a musical and on the same stage is an experience not to be missed both for for theater followers and folk rock music lovers.

Cabangon had his debut in "Rak" on July 20, last Saturday. In his offical Facebook account, he wrote the morning after: "Tagumpay ang unang salang ng sapatero ng Barangay Venezia. Matagal din akong hindi tumuntong sa entablado ng teatro, at kagabi hindi nabigo ang muli kong pagsampa. Maraming maraming salamat sa aking mga kasamang aktor, sa aking pamilya, at mga kaibigan, sa inyong pagbibigay ng lakas ng loob at pagmamahal."

Cabangon's "call of duty" has become more of a homecoming.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by PETA THEATER (@petatheater) on Jul 20, 2019 at 12:14pm PDT

"Rak of Aegis" runs until September 29. On some nights, younger members of OPM do a pre-performance busking at the lobby of PETA-Phinma Theater.