Where is the Bata in Batang Mujahideen?

February is love month and arts month. That is why, the hubby and I found ourselves at the Cultural Center of the Philippines yesterday for the premiere of Batang Mujahideen. Super thanks to Teacher Ana Bacudio for making this Saturdate possible. 

Here now are my thoughts on the play.

It was my first time to watch experimental theatre. It was a new experience for me and I liked it. Batang Mujahideen is a play by Malou Jacob and Guelan Valera-Luarca directs and added text to the ten year old script. 

Tanghalang Pilipino’s staging of Batang Mujahideen brings in the new format of storytelling and fuses it with the old. It begins with a ritual and an oral telling of a Yakan folk story and moves on to a narrative of the lives of the characters like a documentary. There is mimicry and play through the use of puppets instead of real children. This, however, diffused the emotional weight of the issue on child soldiers. What could have been a compelling story of a child warrior became a cognitive and intellectual piece challenging the audience to ponder on the history of religious wars between Muslims and Christians. 

Overall, I admire and recognise the art and the well thought out production of Batang Mujahideen. Kudos to Tanghalang Pilipino for bravely and courageously portraying the lives of Filipinos caught in the continuing conflict in Mindanao particularly the Indigenous Peoples, Christians and Muslims alike. 

CCP’s Thirteen Artists

A few weeks back, the fambam was in the Cultural Center of the Philippines to support the eldest’s music career. We were there, the three of us plus girlfriend and sister, to watch and cheer for the eldest and his acappella group compete in the 2018 Akapela Open International. Long story short, the group won the grand prize and it’s been a juggling act for each member, balancing academics and acappella guesting commitments.

On the side, our youngest was fortunate to catch the Thirteen Artists Exhibit before competition hours. She was immersed and impressed at the art works on display, and so was my husband. Here are three reasons why.

1. With art, you can be brave. The CCP’s thirteen artists courageously communicated their beliefs,  philosophy, and yes, political leanings. Theirs are a statement to what is wrong that needs to be right; a documentation to years of struggle; an eye opener to culture and religious beliefs that has crucified the country in poverty; an expression of escape; and a way to communicate big ideas that media could not and would not articulate. It is a well curated exhibit!

2. While the message and media used by the artists encompass universal truths, some “isms” that cannot be taken for granted especially in this political climate, their works are neither high nor low. Indeed, art must be for all!

3. The art works were all engaging. Goodbye to passivity. 

If you are in the area, go visit the CCP! Feed your soul. Wake up and disturb yourself!

What Keeps Us Alive: Art, Music and Storytelling

Before the Holy Week break, I had the wonderful opportunity to tell stories in two different occassions. The first one was in the Ayala Museum during the Himig Pasasalamat event of the Ayala Foundation to its sponsors, donors and partners. The second one was the opening exhibit of Peek-A-Book at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), where 13 Women Artists and Illustrators showcased their studies and illustrations on the picture books and storybooks they worked on with authors and local publishers. I had a grand time in both events, of course!

My storytelling at the Ayala Foundation thanksgiving ceremony was part and parcel of the main show where the UP Singing Ambassadors serenaded the guest, visitors and partners of the foundation with songs and choral pieces brimming with messages of love and service. In the second part of the UPSA’s program, I told and narrated the success stories of the foundation’s projects and the recipients of the scholarships and people empowerment programs they had. Having done training programs with and for CENTEX, I am a living witness to the inspiring real life stories of the children, teachers, parents and communities that CENTEX have helped and continously helping. 

 That night, I met old friends from the foundation. It was a memorable and meaningful moment for me too. Teacher Car Fernando whom I have worked with numerous training sessions and module writing projects with Centex remains the positive and generous person I have known back in our Sa Aklat Sisikat Days. Cheers to more years of service leadership, Teacher Car!

A few days after, on a Saturday before Palm Sunday, I found myself heading towards Roxas Boulevard. My shoulder was still frozen then, but the pain did not stop me from attending the opening of Peek-A-Book!

In CCP, I had fun reading aloud Habulan (Anvil Publishing, 2016) by Kora Dandan and Beth Doctolero. There were children present in the opening day of Peek-A-Book and the adults who were with them were as eager as they were in participating in the storytelling.

My book, Sparrow Makes A Home (Lampara, 2013) a wordless picture book illustrated by Bernadette Solina-Wolf is part of the art on exhibit. The art works are on display until May 6, 2018. So, if you are in town or in the Roxas Boulevard neighborhood, drop by the CCP to view the art works by 13 leading women book illustrators of this generation. 

There are art workshops and book launches scheduled on Saturday, April 28, 2018. 

The 33rd National Children's Book Day (NCBD)

The PBBY spearheaded the celebration of the National Children's Book Day last Tuesday, July 19, 2016 at the CCP. Mr. Genaro Gojo Cruz and Mr. Mark Lawrence Andres were both present to receive their awards. The winners of the 4th National Children's Book Awards were also revealed. Teaming up with the National Book Development Board, once again, the special day for Children's Literature was made more meaningful with the presence of children, kid judges, who announced the winner of the Kids' Choice Award.

The PBBY with CCP and NBDB and its respective leaders, Mr. Chris Millado and Ms. Neni Sta. Roman Cruz.

I posted the NCBA Best Reads of 2016 in the blog as well as the Top 9 Finalists in the Kids' Choice Award and this year's winner.

It was a happy day.

Despite everything that's going on in the country and the world, the celebration of the 33rd NCBD was steeped in hope, joy and the promise of a thriving industry. Tomorrow, July 23, 2016, the NCBD Book Fair commences at Xavier School San Juan. Bring a book bag for your purchases. Attend one or two talks in the PBBY Children's Literature Talks. Meet a friend. Greet your favorite authors, illustrators and industry leaders. Have your fill of books! Have fun!

Red was the color of the day and I was clueless as to the colors of the dinning sheets.
Fran Ong is fabulous! Tarie Sabido is gorgeous! And me, I'm the funny girl.

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.

Tips on Celebrating the 30th NCBD

Are you preparing your book list for your reading child this NCBD? Have you prepared a book fair and storytelling session in your school and library? If yes, you're well on your way to celebrating the 30th NCBD. But here are more activities you can do to celebrate the event:

a. Get posters of the 30th NCBD from the PBBY Secretariat and distribute them to friends, schools, barangay hall and day care centers.

b. Visit the PBBY website and check the list of published Salanga-Alcala books. How many do you have in your collection?

c. If you are an inspiring writer for children and young adult,  join a writing group like KUTING.

d. If you're an art enthusiast, visit the Ang INK exhibit, Curious Buffet, in Cubao.

e. If you are a chidlren's lit advocate, teacher or librarian, attend the CLAPI seminar.

f. Invite the winners of this year's Salanga and Alacala in your school, library and classroom.

g. Watch out for this year's new books for children and young adults. I will post the list/PPT. in the blog. I hear there are good and interesting titles! Get a copy. Buy from the bookstore or the publisher.

h. For librarians: set up a book display in the library on Rizal and Bonifacio. Rizal because NCBD commemorates the publication of The Monkey and the Turtle in Trubner's Oriental Record in London. Bonifacio because it is his 150th birth year/anniversary.

i. For academic and research librarians: Promote and publicize theses and studies on Philippine Children's Literature. Make the abstracts available to the public.

j. Watch Sandosenang Sapatos in CCP.

More activities to post in the next few day!

Mauban, One More Time

The good writer-doctor, Dr. Luis Gatmaitan and I, together with CCP's Bing Tresvalles and Hermie Beltran spent a five day stay in Mauban for the Batang Sining Workshop 2012. Last year, we did the same workshop but with teachers of Mauban. This summer, we had children ages 6-12 years as participants. They were a joy to be with!

The Maubanin children were participative and very much eager to learn. They liked the movement activities and visual art projects. They were natural storytellers and writers of stories. If pick-up lines are trendy among Manila kids, Maubanin kids are crazy over those too. Thanks to the reach and power of TV and media, Dr. Gatmaitan and I had our fill of pick-up lines from Day 1 to Day 5 of the workshop.

 Another wonderful thing about the children in Mauban is that, they're in touch with their town's unique culture and local knowledge. Their group cheers bespeak of  Rizal Hill, the fabled hill where locals attest to seeing St. Elmo's Fire; Gat Uban, their local folk hero, a Dumagat who drove away the Moros; the Maubanog Festival, their town fiesta; and other tourist spots like Cagbalete, Alitap Falls and La Fella Resort.

The local government unit has something to do about this. The visible projects set out by the LGU's Tourism Office help raise the awareness of Maubanin culture and way of life. I have written about the many historical and geographical wonders of Mauban, as well, as gastronomic delights in previous blog posts. Going back there again revealed fascinating aspects of Mauban charm.

First, we met "Mamay". She is the town's buri weaver who looked like my maternal grandmother. The woven flowers I am holding in the photo is made by her. I did not ask Mamay how old she is, but it's obvious that weaving buri products is something she's done all her life.

Mamay is very grateful for the revival of this industry. The Tourism Office is working on a manual for those who will follow Mamay's footsteps. Buri weaving is a traditional art in Mauban it is being saved from extinction.  From this art, the LGU of Mauban has produced an industry that sustains the buri weavers and the collective livelihood of the towns people. I bought some of the woven flowers and buri bags as souvenirs.

On our free day, Ms. Anie Calleja, Mauban Tourism Officer showed us the Public Bath which was built in the 1700's.

It was a fascinating relic, an architectural ingenuity! The picture on the left shows Dr. Gatmaitan standing beside a water sprout. The basin like container catches the water that came from a spring which locals call Batis na Malinis. The batis (stream) is long dead and has dried up over the course of time. But the public bath stands till this day as a testament on the creativity, resourcefulness and local smarts of Maubanins.

How many public baths are there in this archipelago? This was a first for me and yes, I was impressed. See, it really is more fun in the Philippines!

After that trip to the public bath, we headed to Cagbalete Island. It was my second time there. I loved it on my first visit. As the saying goes, it was lovelier the second time around.

 Thank you to the LGU of Mauban; to CCP and PBBY for this wonderful experience of knowing my country piece by piece, one island at a time.

Batang Sining 2012

Day 3, 4 and 5 of CCP Batang Sining at Mauban Quezon

On the third day of Batang Sining, my camera had a major, major accident and I could no longer transfer photos to the MacBook. Good thing I have my iPod ready to capture those moments of learning and discovery. I have uploaded most of the photos in my FB account so I'll just breeze through highlights of the remaining three days of the workshop.

CCP Batang Sining was made possible by Mauban's Tourism Office with the support of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the Department of Education and the local government of Mauban, Quezon. Super thanks to Ms. Anie Calleja, tourism officer and a true blue Maubanin, for making this possible. It was a memorable experience for me. I was with great company - Hermie Beltran, Bing Tresvalles and, friend and colleague (in the writing industry that is) Luis "Tito Dok" Gatmaitan were all experienced Batang Sining facilitators and speakers. The participants were amazing! They were naturally talented, spontaneous and very sincere! I learned a lot from their use of the Filipino language. Maubanins have, in fact, their own Tagalog-English Dictionary. The town is situated at the edge of Quezon province but they have a rich culture to call their own.

Day three and four activities consisted of puppetry, buri weaving, book making,  human art activity and storytelling. On the fifth day, participants practiced on their group presentations for the culminating activity in the afternoon. It was a fruitful and fun workshop indeed! 

Here are photos and stories on the last three days of the CCP Batang Sining workshop.

Teacher Isa concentrates on the illustrations of the book she is making. I think, this was the most challenging activity since it involved several cognitive skills at the same time. But the teachers delivered and much to our delight, a good number of teacher made books discussed the culture and traditions of Mauban. Mayor Dingdong Llamas was impressed when he saw these books on display during the culminating activity.

Teachers gamely sculpted their way into living and breathing human sculptures. They worked in pairs in the first round and then in groups. We had to emphasize the relevance of this art form as a visual art. More than trust and confidence at the hands of the sculptor there are basic concepts to consider when making this art form. Balance, synchronicity and concept. Then again, Filipinos in general are natural storytellers. Their art works have stories to tell.

We know about tandem telling, right? Here's a trio reading aloud Luis Gatmaitan's book on pregnancy and anticipation of a sibling. Naku, May Baby sa Tiyan ni Mommy was illustrated by Pepper Roxas.

One of the puppet shows I loved during the workshop was Unang Araw sa Eskwelahan by Group Alis-is. It tells of the first day experience of children in school. The puppets were made by teachers and they wrote a script for the show. The group was proclaimed one of the top four puppet shows so they had the opportunity to regale the mayor who watched the whole event from start to finish!

Here are two panel boards that display and showcase the art works, puppets and books made by the teachers. Hopefully, the teachers will be able to infuse their craft with more art and aesthetics as well as, use the art techniques we shared in the classroom.

The very supportive mayor of Mauban, Mayor Dingdong Llamas. He was never short of good things to say to his constituents, to us, guests and visitors and to his staff who worked hard to make the CCP Batang Sining a success! More power to Mauban! More power to all Maubanins!

Batang Sining Day 2 - Tableau, Puppetry and Music Art

SMART Network in Mauban, Quezon is a big disappointment. The signal is so slow I could not post photos of the CCP Batang Sining workshop. I could still blog though, so I should still be thankful.

Day 2 of the workshop had been a combination of visual and performing arts. Teachers were game in the tableau-dramatization activity and were so engrossed in making their very own puppets out of recycled materials. After lunch, they followed their feelings and gut feel by doing art work on illustration board. Thanks to music! The teachers produced abstract art ala Picaso.

Towards the end of the afternoon, teachers were practicing their puppet show presentations for tomorrow. Needless to say, they had fun! Art is magic! 

Live Blogging: Batang Sining - Group Games & T-shirt Art (Day 1)

Right after the ceremonial opening of Batang Sining, Luis and I moved to unlock the meaning of Batang Sining so that teachers could further connect their context on the workshop's objectives. We then explained the many benefits of arts and culture; how it can enrich teaching strategies;  transform one's self confidence; and build character. Hopefully, they would be able to pass on to their students the many activities designed for creative expression.

To perk up the big group, we did some group dynamics that allowed participants to speak and know each other. When we asked for volunteers to share, five teachers eagerly went to the stage and shared! Now, the teachers are working on their t-shirt art activity.

The activity prompts them to describe themselves and their qualities that they are proud of. They are making designs on the shirt that highlight their talents and hobbies. They're all engaged! It's snack time but they would not leave their working tables. Later, we will ask them to present their work of art! 

Live Blogging: CCP Batang Sining @ Mauban Quezon 2011

The opening ceremony of CCP's Batang Sining (Child of Art and Culture) at Mauban, Quezon has begun. Mayor Fernando Q. Llamas has given his opening remarks and now, Mr. Hermie Beltran is giving an introduction on cultural identity and the brief history of Batang Sining. Dr. Luis Gatmaitan MD is the lead facilitator while I will be the assisting facilitator of the week long arts and culture workshop. 

This year, the workshop is focused on creative expression in the visual and performing arts as well as literature. In previous years, children age 8 and above attend the workshop. This time around, CCP and the local government unit (LGU) of Mauban, Quezon decided to have a creative expression workshop for teachers. This way, teachers who care and look after children will be first hand models of creative expression and will initiate the continuous development of the creative process.

Ms. Anie Calleja, Tourism officer has been the most generous and accommodating host. She made sure that we're well fed and happy. She introduced us to the mayor and stakeholders of the town. Will blog more on the events and activities of the day.