Isang Harding Papel A Martial Law Musical: Interview with Nanoy Rafael (1 of 2)

Ang Isang Harding Papel (Adarna House, 2015) ay unang nalathala bilang isang aklat pambata nina Augie Rivera, manunulat, at Rommel Joson, illustrador. Napapanahon ang paglabas ng aklat na ito. Ang mga kuwentong personal na galing sa mas malaking mapa ng kasaysayan ay hindi dapat malimutan. Maaring kathang isip ang kuwento ni Jenny at ng kanyang ina noong panahon ng Martial Law, subalit, nasasalamin sa kanilang salaysay ang kuwento ng mga ordinaryong pamilya na naging biktima ng kalupitan at abuso ng mga taong may kapangyarihan noong panahong iyon.

Ang mga pangyayari sa ating buhay at sa lipunan ay may malaking kinalaman sa paghulma ng ating pagkatao.

Ang Raya School ay magkakaroon ng isang musical base sa kuwentong pambatang ito. Ang Isang Harding Papel a Martial Law Musical ay ipapalabas sa AFP Theater sa Biernes, February 10, 2017. Narito ang isang panayam kay Nanoy Rafael na nag-adapt ng kuwento sa pormang musikal. Narito ang unag bahagi ng inerbyu kay Nanoy Rafael.

1. Bakit Isang Harding Papel?

Siguro madalas na iniiisip ng mga tao na pinili naming gawing musical ang Isang Harding Papel bilang tugon sa kasalukuyang mga nangyayari. Pero ang totoo, hindi ko inasahan na magiging napapanahon ito. Nobyembre 2015 ko sinimulang isulat ang outline at mga kanta ng musical, at noon ay malayo sa hinagap ko na may tsansa pala na maging bise presidente ang isang Marcos, o na malilibing ang dating diktador sa Libingan ng mga Bayani, o na magiging karaniwan pala ang paglabag sa mga karapatang pantao.

Noong panahon na iyon, sobrang simple lang ng dahilan kung bakit ito ang pinili namin. Kada taon ay nagsasadula kami ng panitikang pambata para sa Hinabing Haraya, ang taunang dulang pampaaralan ng Raya School. Para sa 2016, naisip naming mabuti kung isa sa EDSA books ang gamitin namin, lalo na at ika-30 taon ng EDSA People Power.

Pero siguro, may kaunting politikal na dahilan kung bakit ko rin pinili ang Isang Harding Papel. naitampok kasi ni Augie Rivera sa libro niya na ang bida sa salaysay ng Batas Militar ay ang karaniwang tao. Sila ang nagdurusa, nagpupursigi, umaasa, at nagsisikap magpatuloy sa buhay sa kabila ng ligalig. Walang malalaking personalidad bilang bayani; ang bayani ay ang nanay na nabilanggo, ang anak na naghintay, at ang lola na nag-alaga sa kaniya. 

Ipinapakita sa atin ng Isang Harding Papel ni Augie na ang EDSA People Power ay pagmamay-ari ng lahat ng taong nakiisa at nakikiisa dito, at hindi ng iilan lang. Hindi ito makatwirang gawing brand ng anumang organisasyon. Kaya kung may mas malalim na motibasyon ako noong Nobyembre 2015 sa pagsasadula ng Isang Harding Papel, marahil ito ay ang pagpapaalala sa mga tao na sa kanila ang EDSA People Power.

2. Saan nagsimula ang lahat? Bago pa man ma-stage ang Hardin, anong mga pangyayari o proseso ang pinagdaanan mo at ng iyong mga kagrupo sa paghahanda ng musical?

Isa itong dulang pampaaralan, at buong Raya School talaga ang nagsikap para buuin ito. Pinagtulungan ng mga teachers, mga estudyante, mga staff, mga magulang ang stage design, props, music, choreography, sound engineering—halos lahat ng kayang maisip na kailangan para tumakbo ang isang dula. Kahit si Direk Nor Domingo, magulang siya ng Raya.

Ngayong ikalawang run, tinutulungan na kami ni Boni Juan para sa set and stage requirements. Mayroon na rin kaming tulong mula sa mga professional choreographers and acting coaches na sina Gio Gahol at Norbs Portales. Medyo level up kompara sa una.

Abangan ang part 2 ng interbyu sa blog sa blog sa mga darating na araw.

Raya students interview Zarah Gagatiga about Sambat Trust UK

Here is the translation of my interview with two students from Raya School. Thanks to MJ Tumamac for translating the Filipino transcript to English.

Note: When this interview was conducted, only Trapiche Elementary School has submitted an annual report. As of March 18, 2014, the rest of the schools with Sambat Trust libraries have turned in their reports. 

Diego Montenejo and Pepe Domingo, who are students from the Raya School, sent me questions about the advocacy of Sambat Trust UK. They wanted to know what the charity does in Tanauan City, Batangas. Here is the transcript of the interview.

1. Who started Sambat Trust and why did he create it?

Mr. Anthony Mariano started Sambat Trust. He wanted to help Tanauan City, where his family is from, through providing scholarship programs and building libraries in public elementary schools. Mr. Mariano is Filipino-British and he grew up in London.

2. How big is Sambat Trust’s impact on the children’s lives?

Sambat Trust’s library projects are a source of inspiration for the children. If there is a library in their school, it motivates them to study hard.

3. What are your future plans for the children of Tanauan?

I want to have more libraries in Tanauan City and, hopefully, kids will read more often.

4. How many children visit your libraries?

According to the report from Trapiche Elementary School, all of their students go to the library for they have a schedule to visit the library. We don’t have reports, however, from the other four school libraries.

5. What kinds of books do you encourage the children to read?

Most of the books in Sambat Trust’s libraries are produced by local publishers. We also put foreign books but there are only a few. We usually purchase the books from Adarna House.

6. What books do the children usually read? Or what are their favorite books?

They love picture books and illustrated picture books. With no title in particular, but the children really like books with drawings.

7. Why do you do this advocacy?

Because I love to read and I have the ability to help in building libraries. As a Filipino, this is what I can do for our country. I also believe that education will liberate my fellow Filipinos from poverty. They should be taught how to read and think. And we do this through Sambat Trust’s scholarship program and school library projects.

8. What is your favorite part or aspect in your work?

I am happy every time we build libraries and when I know that there are kids who learn to read because they have access to our libraries. Besides the classroom, the library is also a place where children can think freely as they learn to read.