By: Telly Gonzaga-Ocampo
Homage in Harmony: The Melody That Never Fades
The backdrop as if Ma’am Ekit is conducting
The Cultural Center of Bohol was abuzz with nostalgia and music on the evening of March 11, 2026, as a gathering of those whose lives were touched by the music of Ma’am Equit Butalid converged to pay tribute to her enduring legacy. The evening transported me back to the 1950s, when Ma’am Equit, as she was fondly known, taught at St. Joseph College, now the Holy Spirit School.
Her marriage to Atty. Rolando Gatal Butalid cut short her teaching career, as it was the policy of the Sisters of the College of the Holy Spirit at the time that a woman’s place is the home.
Yet, her influence on her students remained profound. As a high school student, I dreamed of becoming like Ma’am Equit – elegant, pretty, and gracious. Her return from honeymoon, resplendent in a princess-cut dress, was a vision of simplicity and elegance.
Back to the Bohol Cultural Center, the evening’s program was a stage of her enduring impact on the world of music. As “Mayon” was played, with Ma’am Ekit on screen, accompanied by Ms. Betty Balatero, Ms. Tocmo, and Ms. Crispiniana “Yani” Uy Jumamoy, I was overcome with emotion. The music took me back to the days of St. Joseph College, under the guidance of the German nuns, where Sister Pascalina’s paintings adorned the stage during school plays.
The stage at the Cultural Center was transformed into a garden, reminiscent of the Sanggumay orchids that once graced the stage of Ma’am Equit’s 1953 piano recital. The choirs she had nurtured and conducted were all present, including the group that won the 1977 NAMCYA competition at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, under her baton.
The evening culminated with Handel’s “Alleluia,” a fitting tribute to a woman whose music continues to inspire and uplift. As the last note faded, it was clear that Ma’am Equit’s music lives on, a symphony that will continue to resonate in our hearts forever.
She may be gone, but her legacy remains – a living proof of the power of music to transcend time and touch lives. As I looked around and “heard’ the feelings of people, I knew that her music would continue to echo in our hearts, a reminder of the indelible mark she has left in our lives.
Trini Pates Dawson
From L-R: Atty. Yeye Anapi, Libeti Cal, Dra. Milet Aaraneta, Von Biliran Galon,Yane Uy Jumamil, Marivic Tocmo and Betty Balatero.
From L-R: Carmen Gatal, Telly Ocampo,
Trini Pates Dawson, Jojie Gilay Pestelos, Odoni Pestelos and Nestor Pestelos.