Hayup Ka!

Composing the Closing Billboard for Animal Lovers

It started with a phone call from my friend Alem—producer Alemberg Ang.

Alem: “Erwin, please be part of this short film I’m producing for QCinema.”

Me: “Yes, of course! I’ve always wanted to work with you. Let’s do it!”

Alem: “A comedy about a farmer in the province who screws his carabao while his wife is screwing their dog.”

Me: (gulp)

I was worried, but Animal Lovers turned out to be absurd, hilarious, and brilliant. Director Aedrian Araojo—a Mindanaoan filmmaker from Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay—made something truly unique: a black-and-white Chavacano-language film that finds dark humor in the harshness of rural life.

Animal Lovers took home QCShorts’ Best Picture at the 2023 QCinema International Film Festival.

Read the news article about the QCinema 2023 winners

Aedrian wanted a song for the closing billboard. He was looking for the sound and feel of Yoyoy Villame, (the King of Philippine Novelty Songs), and he wanted the song to be about—or at least allude to—bestiality. (gulp)

So I thought: what if the song came from the perspective of a bystander? Someone who witnessed this unspeakable act and was just losing it.

“Hayup ka” means “You animal!”—a Filipino expression of outrage. In this context, the double meaning writes itself.

I’m really proud of “Hayup Ka.” It’s my favorite work ever. I wrote, produced, and performed the whole thing in about a week.

P.S. About a year later, I found out that “Hayop Ka” had already been used as the title of a 2020 Netflix animated film — Hayop Ka! The Nimfa Dimaano Story — which featured talking animals. Goes to show how clueless I am about film news, even in my own industry.

Animal Lovers (2023) • Directed by Aedrian Araojo • Produced by Alemberg Ang & Jedd Dumaguina • Original Music by Erwin Fajardo • A Daluyong Studios Production