Original Pinoy Music (OPM) arose from Filipinos' undeniable love for the art form. However, as time passed, foreign mainstream influences drastically altered Filipino compositions. However, the term "OPM" is not dead; rather, it is rising and developing. Because, in terms of quality and content, with the exploration of different genres, musical elements, and the relevance of artist's songs, OPM is really on the rise, and it is very much alive in the Philippines despite any foreign influence. Nobody can deny that legend OPM artists and new local artists are leaving a legacy and bringing pride to the Philippine music industry because we own OPM. 

For me Indie films are more acclaimed than mainstream films since Independent films are not your usual storyline. Indie films are more into reality, or other are more on the experimental side, it also talks about history, although most indie films does not have a big production unlike mainstream films, they tend to tell and captivate more on the reality of life which tells a new perspective. Independent films are also produced by directors or producers that does not usually follow the usual storyline like most films (like commercial films) all of my observations are truly based on the Indie films in the Philippines.

We can argue that Indie films are sometimes, if not, always underrated. Unlike Mainstream films that cast well known actors with big production budgets, Indie films do not have these qualities. Yet, they still garner international acclaim/awards, I would say this is because of the stories they tell and the characters they portray, and not them trying to be the most “trending” film in the industry. Indie films are not afraid to tell stories about Philippine realities and history, even if it is ugly. Additionally, directors of these kinds of films are not afraid to show a new perspective in film making. I truly believe that Filipino films are not dead,  and Indie films are living proof of this. 

Why must we learn about/appreciate these different Filipino art forms?

Art in general is a way for people to express themselves and is considered as one of the early forms of communication. Hence, learning and appreciating these Filipino art forms means understanding our roots as a Filipino. Different art forms can show how diverse and interesting our culture is. Behind these arts are narratives concerning our country, waiting to be discovered and learned. Besides, It is important that we engage ourselves with knowledge about these arts for us to preserve it and to pass it down to future generations.

 

Knowing, understanding, and appreciating different Filipino art forms is significant, especially nowadays, as this help in preserving our culture, for these show the cultural beliefs, values, and practices and convey the history of different places in the Philippines. Also, learning Filipino art forms is one way of helping our Philippine cultural education, which aims to develop and nurture greater awareness, understanding, and appreciation of our arts, history, geography, and heritage towards the evolution of consciousness. In addition, we can discover and innovate ideas from these that can help improve the quality of our life. Lastly, we must not only recognize its existence thus also practice, value, appreciate and inform Filipinos about the beauty and history these convey that contribute a lot to the Philippines.

Different Filipino art forms reflect various forms in which Filipinos can express themselves and maintaining their unique identities. It is clear that art has played a significant role in shaping Filipino culture to meet the artistic standards up to this point. We must appreciate the uniqueness of art within the Philippines for us to enable a successful and supporting community to our Filipino artists in the country. This would strengthen nationalism to our local community and to our own sense of identity as citizens. Knowing about these various artistic genres enables us to appreciate them as we explore and actively engage in learning more about our own culture.

I still believe that OPM is the same despite the foreign influences. I think that OPM will always be OPM because of the artists that get inspired to put out music that is still relevant to the Filipino culture and way of living. OPM is special because of how the song makes you feel or relate to it. When I listen to OPM especially hugot and love songs, I tend to get immersed in my emotions. I somehow relate to or feel the song more, it makes me want to sing my heart out or cry my eyes out depending on the mood.