Short of saying, original Pilipino pop music (OPM) and, obviously, classical ones like “kundiman,” are our treasured cultural identity, President Noynoy has enjoined radio stations to play those local compositions as part of their regular musical format.

How often? Four of them every four hours.

The President is re-activating a dormant and ignored edict which is contained in Executive Order 255, issued in July, 1987, by his late mother, President Cory.

He, in the same manner, directed the Department of Transportation and Communication to immediately implement the almost-gathering-dust EO.

The directive was issued by the CD-playing bachelor President last Friday during the induction of officers of the Organisasyon ng mga Pilipinong Mang-aawit at the Rizal Hall of Malacañang.

During the afternoon event, the Chief Executive gave one heartening commitment – something his audience was eagerly waiting for – the full support of his administration in the protection of intellectual property rights of musicians.

The creative output of Filipino musicians, composers and songwriters – said to be 4.5 percent of our GDP – is often pirated via bootleg CDs and other electronic means of entertainment.

This association of professionals in the industry had its initial organization in October, 1986.

Further, President Noynoy told his audience that original popular songs recorded by local professional singers reflect “my mood” and he enjoys listening to the ditties.

Incidentally, “let’s turn back the hands of time,” as one veteran disc jockey is wont to say in his daily program that regularly features hits of the 50s and 60s.

I recall that in the mid-1970s, President Marcos ordered the government’s media production center to set up one radio station that would play nothing but songs and music composed by Filipino masters.

In one regular meeting of the UST Philets Foundation in 2005, I mentioned this presidential directive to former Information Minister Greg Cendaña and he confirmed it.

“I immediately instructed our radio-TV department to re-format one AM radio station into an all-Pilipino music station,” recalled the amiable Greg who passed away in 2007.

Today, one Radyo ng Bayan station – DZRM – plays mainly songs and music by Constancio de Guzman, Mike Velarde, Hernani Cuenco, George Canseco, and other immortal composers. All these interspersed by abbreviated historical and cultural facts and figures.

And what do private commercial stations contribute towards this nationalistic goal?

For quite sometime, DWWW-AM station had a Sunday afternoon program called “Musika at Kultura” hosted by Lilibeth Nacion. It even had a portion where recordings of marching bands from Malabon, Rizal, Cavite, and nearby provinces, as well as those done by military and police ensembles, were featured in “Serenata” style.

I could very well assume that the erstwhile weekend afternoon program enjoyed a wide following.

Many friends of mine would also talk about it and expressed elation over the format.

Lately, however, the 774-AM station no longer carries “Musika at Kultura.” What happened?

Maybe the new presidential encouragement will motivate the producers to put it back on air again.