Dong Abay

Westdon Martin Abay
Born	Westdon Martin Abay (1971-04-05) April 5, 1971 Manila, Philippines
Other names	Dong Abay
Occupation(s)	Poet, musician, singer-songwriter
Years active	1992–present
Known for	Founder and frontman of Yano, Pan, dongabay; solo music career; Dong Abay Music Organization (D.A.M.O.)
Notable work	Albums: Sampol, Filipino, Rebulto, Humanidad

Westdon Martin Abay (born April 5, 1971), widely recognized as Dong Abay, is a distinguished poet and a figure in the Pinoy rock scene. He was the founder and frontman of the now-disbanded groups Yano, Pan, and dongabay. In 2005, he embarked on a solo journey with the release of the album Sampol.<ref> By 2017, he had formed the rock ensemble Dong Abay Music Organization (D.A.M.O.) and expanded his pursuits to include establishing a songwriting academy.<ref>

Personal life

Abay's origins trace back to Manila, where he was born to Manuel Abay and Susana Martin.<ref> He is married to Ninj Botor Reyes, with whom he has a son named Awit (meaning "song" in Tagalog), born on May 15, 2002.

In January 2021, while residing in the Philippines, Abay was wrongly implicated in connection with the Capitol riot. In response, he initiated cyber libel proceedings against those who spread these false allegations.<ref>

Yano era

The band NG (pronounced en-ji) was formed in 1992 by Dong Abay, Eric Gancio, and Larry Mapolon; it was later renamed Yano. The lineup included percussionist Renmin Nadela and bassist Onie Badiang. Their demo was recorded in June 1993 at the home studio of alternative musician Joey Ayala. The song "Kumusta Na?" ("How Are You?"), inspired by the EDSA Revolution, received airplay on local radio stations, propelling Yano into Manila’s club scene with performances at venues such as Mayrics, Club Dredd, and 70s Bistro. Drummers who contributed to the band included Nowie Favila, Nonong Timbalopez, Jun Nogoy, and Harley Alarcon.

Yano’s self-titled debut album was released in 1994 and featured popular tracks like "Banal Na Aso, Santong Kabayo", "Tsinelas", and "Esem" (a nod to SM malls). Initially launched through Alpha Records, it was later reissued by BMG (currently Sony Music Philippines). During this period of success, Abay paused his academic pursuits at the University of the Philippines Diliman to concentrate fully on his musical career. Yano went on to produce two more albums under BMG: Bawal (1996) and Tara (1997), which were accompanied by a series of well-received nationwide tours.

Period of hiatus and Pan formation

Toward the late 1990s, Abay endured nearly five years battling clinical depression, during which he continued composing music. He later joined forces again with Onie Badiang to create Pan. Between 2002 and 2003, Pan released Parnaso ng Payaso, which included the award-winning track "Hula." This song earned Best Folk/Pop Recording at the 2003 Awit Awards.

Abay departed from Pan in early 2005 to focus on an independent path, leading to Pan's subsequent inactivity.

Solo endeavors

Beginning in early 2005, Abay embraced an indie approach with the release of an EP titled Sampol ("Sample"), which was presented at the University of the Philippines as part of his undergraduate thesis. This acoustic collection was later expanded into full-band arrangements for the album Filipino, released in May 2006. The album was produced by Robin Rivera—Abay’s Art Studies professor and notable producer for The Eraserheads—and featured contributions from former Eraserheads members Raimund Marasigan and Buddy Zabala. With songs such as "Perpekto" ("Perfect"), "Bombardment," and "Tuyo" ("Dry"), Filipino cemented Abay’s influential role within Philippine music. Notably, a month before this release, Abay completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in Philippine Studies with concentrations in Creative Writing and Humanities after an 18-year academic journey.

2013–present

In 2013, Abay introduced the concept album Rebulto ("Bust"), which revolves around the Rizal Monument in Manila, narrated through the viewpoint of the national icon Jose Rizal. The lyrics predominantly adopt a first-person narrative, beginning with "Kilometro Zero," a track that compiles accurate information about the monument, recognized as the Philippines' central reference for metric distances. Production and performance duties were handled by Raimund Marasigan and Buddy Zabala.

By 2017, Abay established Dong Abay Music Organization (D.A.M.O.) and successfully crowdfunded their album Humanidad, which was launched in October of that year. A vinyl version was subsequently released in August 2021, demonstrating sustained consumer interest and capitalizing on the demand for physical music formats.

Yano (album)

1. Kumusta Na – 3:28
2. Tsinelas – 2:44
3. State U – 2:47
4. Banal Na Aso, Santong Kabayo – 4:25
5. Trapo – 3:23
6. Iskolar Ng Bayan – 2:57
7. Kaka – 2:03
8. Esem – 3:38
9. Travel Times – 4:47
10. Mc'Jo – 2:51
11. Coño Ka P're – 2:21
12. Ate – 2:58
13. Senti – 4:44
14. Naroon – 3:16

Bawal (album)

1. Metro – 2:25
2. Dayo – 4:15
3. Askal – 3:25
4. Bawal – 3:48
5. Lahat – 4:58
6. Ate – 2:59
7. Astig – 3:08
8. Sana – 5:07
9. Diosdiosan – 3:10
10. Pyutcha – 4:23

Tara (Yano album)

All compositions credited to Dong Abay and Eric Gancio, except where otherwise indicated.

1. Ako Eric Gancio – 4:48
2. Paalam Sampaguita – 3:39
3. Tara – 4:46
4. Kaklase – 4:45
5. Abno – 4:36
6. Mercy – 4:27
7. Going Home – 4:30
8. Me Mama Dong Abay, Eric Gancio and Onie Badiang – 4:37
9. Shobis – 2:01
10. 'War Eric Gancio – 3:49
11. Isa – 2:35

Parnaso ng Payaso

Main article: Pan (band)

1. Mabuhay!, - 3:37
2. Kahimanawari, - 4:11
3. Rebolusyon, - 4:36
4. Hula, - 3:32
5. Kawatan, - 4:12
6. Dumpsite, - 4:38
7. Eko, - 4:28
8. Gusto, - 4:38
9. Precious, - 3:44
10. Tayo, - 2:59
11. Huling Hiling, - 2:59
12. Totoy T., - 3:21
13. 'Himig ' -2 :35

# 'Tagpuan ' -4 :23   

Solo career

# 'Awit ng Kambing ' -2 :48   
# 'Kukote ' -3 :50   
# 'Perpekto ' -4 :23   
# 'Tuyo ' -3 :50   
# 'Ay Buhay ' -2 :44   
# 'Wwii ' -3 :23   
# 'Solb ' -4 :53   
# 'Segundo ' -4 :35   

# 'Espasyo ' -3 :30   
# 'Akrostik ' -1 :32    
# 'Aba-Aba ' -2 :18   
# 'Perpekto ' -4 :51   
# 'Kukote ' -4 :13   
# 'Awit ng Kambing ' -3 :32   
# 'Tuyo ' -3 :42   
# 'Mateo Singko ' -3 :49   
# 'Dyad ' -(Two) 3 :53   
# 'Bombardment ' -2 :31   
# 'Ay Buhay ' -4 :14   
# 'Segundo ' -4 :57   
# 'Solb ' -5 :06   
# 'Wwiii ' -3 :40   

# 'Kilometro Zero ' -3 :01   
# 'Kikilos ' -3 :03   
# 'Par Que ' -3 :01   
# 'Anonymous ' -3 :16   
# 'Rizal Day ' -3 :35   
# 'Bagumbayan ' -5 :59   
# 'Titigas ' (Harden) -3 :57   

# 'Hikahos ' from the video-documentary "Ilehitimong Utang" -2 :19   
# 'Dasal ' from the album Balangiga 1901 with Pan -4 :41   
# 'Ang Kailangan Gawin ' from "Anti-Corruption Songwriting Competition Finalists" -3 :09   
# 'Casadores ' from "[Rock] Supremo" with The Tanods -3 :23   
# 'Ama Namin (Acoustic) ' Written for the film "Honor Thy Father" -2 :30   
# 'Ama Namin ' Orchestrated version for "Honor Thy Father" trailer -2 :21   
# 'Nasa Puso Ko ' First collaboration of Dong Abay & Lourd de Veyra -1 :38    
# 'Prometheus Unbound ' Words by Jose F. Lacaba, music by Dong Abay -6 :24    
# 'Aleluya ' Filipino version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" -6 :57

Awards and nominations

Year	Awarding Organization	Category	Work Nominated	Outcome
2007	MYX Music Awards	Favorite MYX Live Performance	Template:N/A	Template:Nominated