My Take on Ampalaya The Musical

With Augie Rivera and Kora Dandan Albano

This is a late post on my experience watching Ampalaya The Musical last July 15, 2015 at the CCP.  This production was made possible by the Siliman University Cultural Affairs Committee. I was with Nico and bosom friends in the local kidslit industry. We were lucky to get seats near the stage where the orchestra was. We saw, up close the maestro, Michael Dadap, and how he conducted the musicians and their music.  As much as I love watching musicals, I also enjoy watching conductors "perform". They seem to wield an invisible force that can only be heard through music.

The music and songs whisked me back in time of fiestas and fluvial parades seen and experienced as a child growing up in the Pateros-Fort Bonifacio area. As I listened to the playful songs the vegetables sang out loud, I tried recalling the songs I sang as a child. My mother and grandmother sang lullabies and Luya's soothing Tulog Na tugged at my heart's strings. I watched the musical as an adult yearning for childhood years gone by.

The dances and choreography were equally entertaining. Despite the costumes of the actors that I found cumbersome, the clothes seem to be made of light materials that provided ease of movement to the actors wearing them. And the actors! They can sing! They can dance! They can act! As easy as their movements and songs on stage was the fluidity of how they delivered their dialogues in English, Filipino and Bisaya. Triple threat, indeed!

Masaya na si Ampalaya

My only issue on the musical is the back story of Ampalaya. In the original legend, Ampalaya has no back story to begin with. Alamat ng Ampalaya is one of my favorite stories because it does not justify Ampalya's context or misdeeds. Ampalaya stole from his neighbors because he yearns for more. More knowldege, bueaty and virtue. This yearning is not wrong. I think it is natural for all of us to dream and to aspire for more. But what Ampalaya lacked was the capacity to discern. What the original story emphasized was the consequence of Ampalaya's actions and how justice was served. And the reader is left wondering if Ampalaya has regrets as the narrative implores us to forgive him of his selfish acts.

In general, I loved the musical and despite the back story that disturbed me, it was a fun and playful romp in the Bayan of Sariwa.

The Drawings of Kora

This one is for Kora Dandan Albano who is selling her art works for a very, very good cause. Got wind of this info from her Facebook account so when I learned she was selling I immediately reserved one of her Ampalaya artworks. This is an original drawing from the best seller Alamat ng Ampalaya by Augie Rivera, published by Adarna House. Ampalaya is such a character, but, Kora's red hot sili (pepper) is a scene stealer. I have always wondered what that pepper knows that the reader does not.

Interested to buy Kora's art works? Go to her FB page, Kora Dandan Albano, and check out the photo section.

Children's Books as Instructional Materials

In the recently concluded Teacher Training Workshop of the Sa Aklat Sisikat (SAS) Foundation at UP Diliman, teacher participants eagerly listened to their group facilitators (GFs) during a session on the Framework of Reading. The GFs presented one activity each for Pre-reading, During Reading and Post Reading.

These activities help in establishing a purpose for reading; arousing schema; making connections; building meaning; and creating constructs. What's cool is that local books by Filipino writers for children are used in the program. There's more to these books than mere enjoyment. These books can be used as instructional materials too.


GF Rommel shows the cover of The Crying Trees to his group. He is a public school teacher of Kalawaan Elementary School, Pasig City. He's been with SAS since 2006.


GF Cynthia explains the many values embedded in the book, Alamat ng Ampalaya. She shares how research into writing stories and a side trip to the back story of a book help in understanding the story as a whole. Cynthia teaches Reading-Grade 7 at the Grade School Department of Miriam College. She is a writer and moderator of Merry Pens, the school newspaper of Miriam Grade School.


GF Mariecar enunciates the beautiful play of words and symbols in Bruhaha! Bruhihi!. Mariecar is the coordinator of CENTEX (Ayala Foundation), a program for public school students who are identified as gifted.

Was it ever the author's intent to write stories for use in the classroom? I don't think so. A book is one of the best instructional materials in town. Textbooks, however, are another story.