Sa Ugoy ng Duyan, a popular Filipino lullaby, was composed by National Artist for Music Lucio D. San Pedro in 1943. Five years later in 1948, Levi Celerio created the lyrics.

The lullaby, which San Pedro dedicated to his mother, was intended to be a song entry to a government-sponsored contest during the Japanese Occupation; however, San Pedro was not able to find a lyricist until 1948 when he met Levi Celerio on a ship home to the Philippines.

The music was based on the melody Soledad Diestro, San Pedro’s mother, used to lull her children to sleep. Celerio’s lyrics on love and longing between mother and child aptly complemented the music. It was used as the theme song of Sakada, a 1976 movie directed by Behn Cervantes.

Source:

Tiongson, N. (Ed.) (1994). CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art, vol. 6: Philippine Music. Manila : Cultural Center of the Philippines.