Esremborak’s Mahal Magmahal Gives Voice to Economic Realities of Falling in Love

“Actually last push na namin ‘yon eh, parang one last ride.”

Rising Filipino indie pop-rock and PUP alumni Esremborak recently climbed to streaming charts after the release of their latest hit, “Mahal Magmahal,” which reached the prestigious Genius Lyrics Top 100 chart on June 18.  Yet, producing a hit song requires an abundance of time, patience, and a little bit of fortune to favor the odds. With the band garnering over a million streams and counting on Spotify and continuing to reach charts, their listeners, meanwhile, relate to the overall theme of the economic reality of falling in love and surviving amid the influx of necessities.

Nevertheless, to Esremborak vocalist and PUP College of Arts and Letters (CAL) professor Mc Lougin Mislan, their sudden popularity came as a surprise for the group, stating they were not fully aware of the song’s activity on social media and streaming platforms.

“Hindi ako aware,” he said in an interview with The Communicator. “Biglang may nag-interview sa aking estudyante na ilalagay din daw siya sa [article] ng college naman namin. Tapos, sabi ko, ‘bakit niyo ako ini-interview?’ [Ang nasa isip ko ay dahil] siguro [Filipinolohiya professor] ako, ‘yon ‘yong nasa consciousness ko. Ta’s biglang sabi, ‘hindi niyo ba alam, Sir, na 149k streams na [ang kanta niyo] sa Spotify?’”

“Ta’s biglang sumabog ‘yong isip ko na parang nag-si-sink in sa akin tapos biglang sabi niya rin na umiingay na nga sa TikTok. Wala akong TikTok noon, [edi] in-install ko ‘yong TikTok ta’s chineck ko. Ang sabi ko, ‘ay wow, oo nga ‘no,’ [kasi] parang sobra-sobra na ‘yong pagkakilala ng mga tao doon sa kanta namin na hindi ko talaga siya inaasahan,” Mislan said.

However, the song was not merely a story about love and socioeconomic realities; it also emerged from Mislan’s desire to create a progressive song that sounds pop. Mislan narrated that Mahal Magmahal was a product of his three-and-a-half-year masteral’s thesis that examines his experiences to create a song that could be used in teaching Filipino.

Furthermore, the Esremborak vocalist analyzed numerous songs to understand the formula in the pursuit of creating a pop-love song that can be popular with the masses, and at the same time, giving that “hugot” feel that Ben&Ben and December Avenue have mastered.

That is when he opted to use his own struggles in past relationships and work experiences as a PUP professor, which he said he only had limited benefits considering his status as an emergency contractual instructor in Senior High School because he has yet to attain his master's degree.

“So medyo gipit talaga ‘yong pakiramdam lalo na [dahil] walang benepisyo kapag tumatanggap ng 13th month [pay], ganon,” Mislan said.

Although many factors had occurred, one of the main reasons his relationships failed was the effect of his low salary as a contractual worker with a “no work, no pay” principle set, which ultimately was one of his inspirations in writing Mahal Magmahal.

“So parang ang hirap niyang i-materialize ‘yong gusto mo na mangyari doon sa iisang relationship kasi ‘yong mga bagay na ‘yon, oo may pagmamahal, oo may tiwala, oo may pangako sa isa’t isa; pero dahil nabuhay tayo doon sa materyalistikong daigdig, ‘yon ‘yong humahadlang na hindi mo ma-ma-materialize itong mga bagay na gusto mo hangga’t kulang na kulang ang sahod mo,” he stated.

The Scarcity of Loving in a Third-World Country

Mahal Magmahal has encapsulated how loving someone unconditionally and justifiably is not simply enough to cover living expenses and expectations; money and socioeconomic status (SES) can dictate how relationships are being perceived.

A study by Jacqueline Perez in 2025 found that financial difficulties can negatively affect how people interact in their relationships, noting that partners are more likely to show hostile behavior, communicate poorly, and show less affection.

This shows that many people, especially students, hesitate to commit to a relationship because of their financial situation and resources. However, for Shaira Lasic, hesitancy is not new for the younger generation of people who seek love.

Lasic is a sophomore communication student at PUP, and at the same time she works as a student assistant at the school’s research ethics committee.

Despite earning a monthly salary, the low income along with her educational responsibilities as a working student made her hesitant to commit to a relationship. 

In an interview, she noted her struggles in past relationships, where income plays a crucial role in maintaining love between two struggling students in a long-distance relationship.

“I think [ay] naging eye-opener siya sa akin na hindi lahat ng bagay is minamadali. May mga chances talaga na kailangan bitawan or magkaroon ng gap between the both of you,” she told The Communicator.

Moreover, Lasic noted that she had difficulty sustaining her past relationship because she knows that she has not yet proved enough on her own, and if she was given a chance to leave a relationship due to her financial challenges, she would opt to leave it.

Although Lasic’s experiences highlight the personal impact of financial insecurity on relationships, Mislan believes that the fear of loving in today’s society stems from conditions far bigger than the individual.

Mislan explained that seeking love is not inherently frightening; rather, people have become afraid to pursue relationships because of the social and political realities surrounding them.

“Hindi nakakatakot magmahal, kaya lang nakakatakot magmahal sa ngayon kasi, ano na, nakakatakot ang gobyerno natin [at] nakakatakot ang lipunan natin. Kasi nagiging normal ang mga abnormal, nagiging tama ang mga mali, at nagiging totoo ang kasinungalingan sa gobyernong mayroon tayo ngayon.

“Ang buhay, ang pinakamahalagang sangkap ng buhay ay pagmamahal, pero paano ka nga naman magmamahal kung hindi ito sustainable para sayo kung nagigipit ka rin,” he said.

According to the data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on the 2023 poverty incidence, about 17.5 million Filipinos still experience low SES due to the risk brought by the effects of inflation, food poverty, and low-quality jobs.

“Kaya nakakatakot magmahal kasi maraming nagtutulak sa atin na maging narrow-minded pagdating sa pananaw ng pagmamahal,” Mislan noted.

Yet, Lasic believes that SES remains a significant factor in seeking relationships, given that the Philippines is a third-world country, and there is a great demand on its people; that is why love alone is not enough.

Hence, it made Lasic resonate with Mahal Magmahal because the concept of the song conformed to her current situation as a working student, expressing that her current salary is not enough to sustain the relationship she yearns for.

“Siguro sa mga estudyante na hikahos magmahal or maghanap ng mga taong mamahalin nila, we just really need to take our time kasi may mga bagay na hindi dapat minamadali,” she said.

In fact, many Filipinos have yearned for a proper relationship. A study by Exequiel Manalili in 2025 noticed the influx of Generation Z Filipinos in choosing a romantic partner by valuing emotional support and communication. Yet, financial stability is still a factor due to the effects of inflation.

Love is defined not only as a form of intimate relationships, but in all ways that an individual does. And for Lasic, she defines love as a whole concept that symbolizes the essence of love.

Still, she elucidated that the effort to provide when dating someone must come from one of both in the relationship, and not from being dependent on other people.

“Na-realize ko rin na kapag magde-date ako, gusto ko on my own, and ayoko nang abalahin ‘yong parents ko [porke] kasi nagmamahal ako, ganon,” Lasic added.

Beyond resonating with listeners, Mahal Magmahal also reflects the band’s broader artistic and literary vision—one shaped by their years in PUP.

Writing Music as a Powerful Form of Literature

Esremborak, the five-member band, were once scholars from PUP as AB Filipinolohiya students. Many progressive professors have influenced the band to write songs that would represent the realities of society because they resonate within their stories, their discussions on the distorted education system, and the misshapen recognition and shallow analysis of culture.

To Mislan, writing is not only about art, but also an expression that was moulded from one’s experience. “Kung ano ‘yong nararanasan mo, kung ano ‘yong nakikita mo, at kung paano mo inuunawa ‘yong lipunan, ‘yon ‘yong isulat mo,” which moulded their identity and image as a band.

Music has been used as one of the quintessential forms of expression due to its vast accessibility to the masses, and to Esremborak, it is a powerful form of literature. Whether people like it or not, music is heard and used throughout the city—when someone leaves their house, when they ride a jeepney, or when they ride the train, they will hear music.

“So, mas madali mong na-e-express ‘yong sarili mo para ilabas ‘yong nararamdaman mo, para ilabas ‘yong emosyon mo, para ilabas ‘yong nilalaman ng iyong isipan in a creative way.

“Kaya maraming tao ang nahuhumaling sa musika kasi sa likod ng kakaunting mga salita na sinasaliwan ng tono, ng ritmo, ng indayog, ‘no, at ng mga instrumento, nakikita nila ‘yong sarili nila doon sa kwento nung kanta,” he emphasized.

Many people have used music as their coping mechanism to alleviate negative tensions, and for Lasic, she is part of that equation.

She mentioned there were times when she needed a companion when facing certain challenges, and through music, it helped her regulate her emotions and cope with problems independently.

However, Esremborak said that they did not expect the song to resonate with the masses, they only wished to present the current condition and experiences of the Filipinos.

“So hindi ko akalain na papatok siya dito sa panahon na ‘to,” he said. “Sobrang saya, at the same time sobrang overwhelmed namin kasi, ako, [naramdaman ko] eh, parang nandoon na ‘yong mindset ko na sige magse-settle na ako, parang dito na lang ako magfo-focus sa day job ko kung saan napupunan ‘yong pangunahing pangangailangan ko,” he added.

What Esremborak once considered as “last push” has since become a song embraced by thousands. Mahal Magmahal has grown into one of the band’s most successful releases, amassing over a million streams on streaming platforms and helping Esremborak reach more than half a million monthly listeners.

Long after the final notes fade, Mahal Magmahal continues to resonate because it captures a reality many Filipinos quietly endure: that love, no matter how sincere, is often shaped by the demands of survival. More than a charting single, the song has become a reflection of everyday struggles, sacrifices, and hopes of ordinary Filipinos—proving that music can do more than entertain; it can give voice to the stories that many live but seldom articulate.