CEBUANO singer-songwriter Jerika Teodorico returns with her new single “BERNA,” released on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026.
The track marks Teodorico’s comeback after a self-imposed hiatus and her first release since her 2022 debut album, “LAYAT!”
“BERNA” plays on the Filipino tradition of welcoming the Christmas season the moment the “-ber” months arrive: September, October, November and December. The song turns that shared cultural countdown into a cheeky, danceable ode to the season.
The track leans into Teodorico’s more “bugalbugalon,” or playfully boastful side, channeling old-school cha-cha-cha with nods to Vulfpeck, The Beatles, Vengaboys, SexBomb Girls, Vhong Navarro and Lito Camo, along with the unmistakable sound of Christmas music blasting over Metro Gaisano loudspeakers.
“It’s a love letter to the -ber months, fruit salad (no macaroni and more nata de coco pls), ‘90s kids getting forced to dance in front of relatives and my dearly departed Tita Berna, who always made sure I had pancit every time there was a celebration at their house,” Teodorico said of the track.
The song has been eight years in the making. Written in 2018, it was repeatedly shelved as timing and circumstances got in the way, even through the pandemic.
This year, Teodorico and longtime collaborator Anjelo Calinawan finally found the “time, energy and attention span” to finish what they started.
Calinawan, who has co-produced with Teodorico since 2017, echoed the challenge and payoff of bringing the song to life.
“It was really difficult to achieve what Jerika was asking for because how do you combine low-volume funk with SexBomb? We’ll let the audience be the judge of whether we pulled it off, LOL,” Calinawan said.
“BERNA” is now available on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and other major streaming platforms. A karaoke version is also available for listeners who want to sing along. / PR