"Ako'y may alaga" (transl. "I have a pet"; occasionally referred to as "Asong mataba" or "Ang aking alaga") is a Filipino poem in the Tagalog language of unknown authorship taught in elementary schools across the Philippines, typically in Kindergarten and grade 1.[1][2] While many different versions exist, most versions are similar to the following:[3][4]
Ako'y may alaga,
Asong mataba.
Buntot ay mahaba,
Makinis ang mukha.
Mahal niya ako,
Mahal ko rin siya.
Kaya kaming dalawa,
Ay laging magkasama.
I have a pet,
A fat dog.
Long is his[a] tail,
smooth is his face.
I love him,
and he loves me.
That's why the two of us
are always together.
Owing to the poem's popularity in the country, the pinoy rock band Siakol recorded a song to an expanded version of the poem in their 1996 album, Tayo Na Sa Paraiso.[5] Poems based on the original, written by Filipino elementary school students, can be found in professional journals from as early as 1977.[6]
^Par, Sabrina (May 19, 2015). "Mga tula at awit" [Poems and songs]. SlideShare. University of the Philippines Integrated School. Retrieved December 25, 2016.
^Yepez, Dorothy (February 18, 2013). "TARLAC SMILE…..One More Time!". SMB Mountaineers SMILE Project. SMB Mountaineers. Retrieved December 25, 2016.