SONGS about love and the youth dominated during the 39th Cebu Pop Music Festival last Friday at the IC3 Pavilion, Mabolo, Cebu City. The annual songwriting competition, held every Sinulog weekend, featured three categories this year and four finalists for each category.

The grand prize winners for each category:

- “Kon Pwede Lang” (Awit sa Gugma Pop/Ballad category), composed by Jesson Albaran and interpreted by Gerlyn Ville Abano.

- “Kabataan Bag-ong Katilingban,” (Awit sa Pagpakabana) composed by Jade Castro and interpreted by Yessha dela Calzada, who also bagged the “Best Interpreter” award during the night.

- “Hugot Pas Huot,” composed by Jeff Escarda and lyricists Adonis Durado and Asser Dilao; interpreted by DJ Mae Dente and Asser Dilao.

The three champions received P100,000 cash prize each. The non-winners received a consolation prize of P20,000 each. The best interpreter took home P10,000.

The event’s special guest performers included Kapamilya stars Anna Fegi (Cebu Pop 1997 Best Interpreter) and Sheena Belarmino (Best Interpreter for the grand prize winning composition last year).

For Cebu Pop’s 40th anniversary, the committee announced that they will be bringing back the classic competition format of only accepting 12 songs competing in an open category, and first, second and third place winners will be announced.

The Cebu Pop Music Festival was the brainchild of then congressman Eduardo Gullas in 1980. Now mayor of Talisay City, Gullas is also the chairman of the Cebu Arts Foundation Inc., the group behind the Cebuano songwriting contest.