“Himig Handog,” the country’s premiere songwriting competition returns to the music scene this year to once again discover talented composers whose works are set to be the next OPM classics.

Now on its 5th year, “Himig Handog” paves the way for amateur and professional Filipino songwriters, here and abroad, to showcase their exceptional flair for creating beautiful music in any popular music genre or a fusion of known genres.

“Himig Handog” is Philippines’ first interactive multimedia songwriting tilt launched by ABS-CBN in 2000 originally to pay tribute to the overseas Filipino workers. It was then called “Himig Handog sa Bayaning Pilipino.” In its second year, it celebrated youth power through “JAM: Himig Handog sa Makabagong Kabataan 2001.” Then for the third and fourth tilts in 2002 and 2003, it opened its doors for the romantic lyricists in “Himig Handog Love Songs.”

Interested composers can now start preparing for their possible love song entries as the official announcement of “Himig Handog 2012” contest mechanics draws near.