I am certain similar Arts Therapy programs exist in other ASEAN countries. We are, afterall, within the ring of fire and the typhoon belt. Why don’t we bring together our artists – Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Taoist and form an ASEAN plus Japan Artists for Crisis? The workshops will not only be sites for healing; they will also be zones of peace among various cultural groupings. The Philippines submitted an ASEAN plus Japan project proposal in 2011. Perhaps, this proposal could be expanded to develop an ASEAN Artists Team in the Conduct of Healing Theater Arts after natural disasters to include not only ASEAN and Japan but also Korea and China. I am confident that in the future, our ring of fire and typhoon belt region will have a group of trained artists who like the Babailanes of the past will respond to the healing needs of our peoples. THE 32nd FEDERATION FOR ASIAN CULTURAL PROMOTION (FACP) ANNUAL CONFERENCE, Sept. 13, 2014. Kawasaki, Japan THEME: The Power of the Performing Arts--- Learning the Cultural Strategies of the Asian Region FROM PHILIPPINE THEATER OF RITUAL TO THEATER FOR SOCIAL AND CLIMATE CHANGE MaLou Jacob Former Executive Director, NCCA Founding President, WPIPhil Playwright Philippines THEATER OF RITUAL 1. Theater in the Philippines had its beginnings in the community. Antonio Pigafetta, Italian chronicler of Magellan’s expedition in 1521, wrote about a theatrically conceived and executed ceremony that he witnessed with the king of Cebu and his court. He saw a definitive area or stage at the center of the open yard. Then, he heard the sound of gong that announced the start of the presentation: two old women danced and made obeisance to the sun. They had props like three large dishes; two with roses, cakes of rice and millet, baked and wrapped in leaves and roast fish; the third on top of a cloth of cambaia that was spread on the ground. There were kerchiefs and a lance for the killing of the sacrificial hog; a lighted torch that was drastically put off at the end of the ceremony by one of the women who placed the lighted end into her mouth. A trumpet was also used not only as musical accompaniment for the dance; but also for the dipping into the blood of the hog for the ceremonial markings on the foreheads of the husbands and others in the audience. There was grass for stopping the flow of blood, and fire for singeing the hair of the hog. Pigafetta also noted that there was dialogue all throughout the ceremony. (Bonifacio: 3) For me, these two women, the Babailanes/ shamans of their community, were the first poets/storytellers/playwrights cum musicians/dancers/movers. They were probably conducting a Ritual asking for good omen on the arrival of the strangers, praying for peace. But, they were eventually banished by the Spanish Friars who took over their role in the communities for 333 years. The Babailanes were the first artists to go underground. They have resurfaced since the Philippine Revolution of 1896. Today, the surviving Babailanes complain of militarization and non- interest of the young in their collective memory of stories, proverbs, epics of their communities. Heeding Brazilian Augusto Boal’s declaration that Theater is a weapon, that it can be a weapon for liberation, and for this reason one must fight for it; in 2000, I organized the NGO Women Playwrights International Philippines (WPIPHIL) to conduct “ Save the Babailan” Playwriting Workshops for our emerging Indigenous and Moro women writers. The importance that WPI Philippines gives to the elder Babailan through playwriting workshops that provide interaction opportunities between the Babailan and the emerging young Lumad/Indigenous and Moro women playwrights assure the vibrant growth of theater for the empowerment of the local communities. Our workshops not only impact on the survival of Community Theater but also provide spirituality and dynamism; and voice to the voiceless. We have stumbled on our reason for being. We have not only launched a country chapter for WPI; we have launched a movement. The Babailanes are also weavers, carvers, holders of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) , and candidates of NCCA’s Manlilikha Ng Bayan ( National Living Treasures). I was thinking of them when I participated as a Philippine delegate during The 4th Asia Europe Culture Ministers Meeting (ASEM) held in Poznan, Poland, April 2010. In the preparatory meeting in Solo, Indonesia, I tried to include a discussion on the plight of the Creators of the Intangible Heritage, Intellectual Property Rights (IPO) and the Cultural Industry. In an informal breakfast interaction, the Polish delegates commented that they never looked at Heritage issues in the way that I presented them during the preparatory meeting : from the point of view of the Living Creators/Artists of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH). During the Culture Ministers Meeting in Posnan, Poland that included workshops on Heritage Awareness, Heritage and Contemporary threats, Intercultural Dialogue: Heritage Policies, Heritage and Development , and Managing Historic Cities, I reminded ASEM that in the spirit of cultural rapprochement, it is imperative that Europe recognizes the plight of the Living Creators of ICH. Unfortunately, except for a personal encouraging remark from a French delegate, my point was largely ignored. But at the Philippine National Commission for Culture and the Arts, we subsequently consulted with representatives of the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) in the Legislative (Senate and House), National Commission for the Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) ; and formed a Lawyers Group with the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) Philippines that will focus on the protection of the original creators/artists/craftsmen and women as The Manlilikha ng Bayan Award continues to honor them as musicians, poets/ chanters, movers/ dancers and visual artists/designers/weavers. A test case presented itself to us when a group of T’boli women musicians and singers of Lake Sebu in Mindanao got invited to France thru a French musician who recorded their chants for years . NCCA was able to represent them regarding professional fees and related matters in their favor which fortunately were supported by the Cultural Section of the French Embassy. They were, afterall, the breadwinners of their families and will be away for almost 2 weeks. We also initiated a partnership with the Philippine version of Grameen Bank of Bangladesh, the MRI Card thru Dr. Aristotle Alip. We asked him to open a window to give loans to the poorest of the poor women artists. MRI Card did. Now loans are available to them at low interest with no collateral; and pay back of loans is at almost 100 per cent. We hope that with this, the loan sharks will be a lost specie. Meanwhile, we are now campaigning for the creation of a new breed of Cultural Marketing Enterpreneurs who will allot 70 percent of cultural product profits to the artists/ cultural communities. If/when this becomes a reality, we will truly have an Industry of Culture benefiting the Filipino artists and communities. THEATER OF SUBJUGATION Philippine Theater is intertwined with the community’s social and political life. And that is why the Theater of Ritual in the country evolved into a Theater of Subjugation that propped –up 333 years of Spanish colonization---with the Friar at the helm, taking over the Babailan. Philippine Theater’s centerpiece became the Musical Moro-Moro, and the Senakulo. The secular Moro-Moro focused on the conflict between European Christian and Moorish princes and princesses. It was performed during town Fiestas in three to fifteen hours in several sessions with elaborate Marches--- Batallas (choreographed battles) and magical devices used in saving the Christians from the Moors (Tiongson:21). The Senakulo emerged from the chanted Pasyon. Performed for eight nights during the holy Week, the Senakulo started the dramatization of the Pasyong Geneses, the most popular narrative on the life and sufferings of Christ (Tiongson:21). The protagonist was Jesus Christ who endured all the abuses and tortures with humility. It will be noted that at this time in Spain and in other countries in Europe, Theater was already appropriated by the Church. Inside and out in the streets, Rituals were performed highlighting the dogmas, the religious cycles, the lives of Christ and the saints. Medieval plays became so popular in Europe especially in Spain where the Inquisition established its full control over Theology and Drama (Brockett: 117). While Philippine Theater was still a tool of the Spanish Occupation, Poetry, the Essay, and the Novel through the efforts of national heroes, opthalmologist/ novelist Jose Rizal, founder of La Liga Filipina; La Solidaridad essayist Marcelo H. del Pilar who was based in Spain; and founder of Katipunan, poet and theater artist Andres Bonifacio were already exposing the abuses in the country ; and galvanizing the people’s resolve to fight for independence. Thus, the formation of La Solidaridad, La Liga Filipina, and the Katipunan which resulted in the outbreak of the first revolution of Asia in 1896. THEATER OF PROTEST Fortunately, Philippine Theater evolved into a Theater of Protest during the American occupation when drama started to subvert the Zarzuela, the Spanish musical play, which ushered in the golden years of Philippine Drama from 1902 to 1915. And it all started with a dream of American President McKinley. He said God spoke to him and advised him to make a colony out of the Philippines. This prompted him to issue his benevolent assimilation proclamation on Dec. 12, 1898 stating that the U.S must stay and exercise sovereignty over the Filipinos for the greatest good of the governed; that the U.S must wield a strong arm of authority to repress disturbances and to overcome all obstacles to a good and stable government for the people of the Philippine Islands under the free flag of the U.S. And so on Feb. 4, 1899, the Philippine American War known as the Philippine Insurrection broke out. (Riggs: XII) Protest plays became known as the first national Philippine Dramas. Playwrights fully grasped the concept of nation and wrote plays that exposed the American as the new colonial masters disguised as friends; and who must be repulsed at all costs. A new Filipino national consciousness emerged for the first time in Philippine Drama. (Riggs: XII) The American colonial government called these dramas—seditious plays. To discourage the writers, the Sedition Act 292 was introduced in the country on Nov. 4, 1902. Specifically, Sec. 8 states: “Every person who shall utter seditious words or speeches, write, publish or circulate scurrilous libels against the government of the United States or the insular government of the Philippine Islands or which tend to disturb or obstruct any lawful officer in executing his office, or which tend to instigate others to cabal or meet together for unlawful purposes, or which tend to set up the people against lawful authorities or to disturb the peace of the community, the safety and order of the government, or who shall knowingly conceal such evil practices, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding US$2,000.00 or imprisonment not exceeding two years or both.” (Bonifacio: 47) A Manila Times Editorial of May 16, 1903 even suggested the death penalty for playwrights. (Bonifacio: 48) . But from 1903-1915, 14 plays were written on political and nationalistic themes and none on romantic and domestic themes. (Bonifacio: 49). The most famous playwrights of seditious Sarsuela plays were Aurelio Tolentino and Juan Abad. Aurelio Tolentino was arrested nine times. In Sept. 1896, two weeks before the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution was his first arrest. He was imprisoned for nine months; transferred from one prison cell to another in chains, and tortured. Tolentino was a founding member of Katipunan that led the revolution. When he was twenty-three years old, he was introduced to Andres Bonifacio. He, then, lived with the Bonifacio family in Tondo. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree and was at the UST Law when his father fell ill and died. He became a member of the propaganda movement and his inclination towards philosophy and Letters brought him to writing of poems, dramas, and translations. He was signatory to the Declaration of Independence in kawit Cavite on June 12, 1898. He wrote for La independencia, La Patria, El liberal, Filipinas and La Democracia in three languages: Pampango, Tagalog, and Spanish. (Bonifacio: 50). In the 1970s and 1980s of Martial Law, Political Theater continued the tradition of Protest. Short, lightning plays were staged in Plaza Miranda, factories, church yards and streets. The nationalist movement fueled plays such as the Kamangyan Player’s Pakikibaka and Kalbaryo ni Juan de la Cruz; Gintong Silahis’s Barikada; Panday Sining’s Tunggalian and Masaker sa Araw ng Paggawa; and Tanghalang Bayan’s Hukumang Bayan.(Chua,A.,Barrios,J., Fernandez, D.:105). After landmark plays, Paglilitis ni Mang Serapio and Kabesang Tales, Philippine Theater entered its golden years in the Theater of Protest ushered in by PETA and Dulaang UP with Pagsambang Bayan, Mayo A Beinte Uno, In Dis Korner, Moses, Panahon ni Cristy,and my Brechtian play on street children, Juan Tamban in the seventies; Oratoryo ng Bayan, Buwan at Baril sa EB Major, Panata sa Kalayaan and my musical play on the Tribal peoples , Macli-ing in the 1980s. It was the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) founded by Cecile Guidote that initiated a cultural movement in 1967, first by staging original plays in the Filipino language ; and, then, establishing the concept of CITAP/CITASA ( Central Institute for Theater Arts in the Philippines/ South East Asia) making workshops and exposure to the periphery of society as part of the education of the Filipino Artist. As one of the original members of PETA, I benefited from this thrust and orientation: I will never forget a PETA Theater Arts workshop that an actor, an actress, and I facilitated for group of about twenty-five fishermen, their wives, and their teenage sons and daughters. I handled the Creative Writing (CW) session. It was a writing session without paper and pencil. There are other means of writing. They wrote with their bodies and voices through gesture, movement, sound; then, through improvisation and dialogue. The younger members of the group who could write kept track of the flow of ideas by listing down key words and phrases on the blackboard. They mounted a showcase based on an experience of one of their late peers: a fisherman who, one night, paddled his banca into the sea. As usual, there was no more fish to be caught. They were all in the fishpens surrounding the area. His banca led him near the fishpens. He tied his banca to one of the bamboo poles and fell asleep. One of the guards woke him up and asked him what he was up to. He said that he was only resting. The guard invited him for a cup of coffee. The fisherman gladly accepted. Later, the guard and two others made the fisherman entertain them by forcing him to “eat” waterlilies, and “dance” to the rhythm of shots from their armalite pointed at his feet. Shaking, he was led back to his banca, only to be finally gunned down. He was accused of stealing from the fishpen. The sea is now apportioned among fishpen owners. The sea property is off limits to the ordinary fishermen. The group not only dramatized this tragic event; they also showed what they can and should do about it. I was astounded by the power of their skit and their performance until I realized that for them it was no skit and no performance at all. That night lives in my memory. That night I was witness to the culmination of the innate wisdom, and spring of talent of the common man. I learned a lot from that workshop, from their discussions and their production work. I hope they learned as much from us. I had this experience when I was in my mid-20s when I was starting in PETA, the theater group that demonstrated to me the impact of the Performance Arts on Social Change. Today, PETA continues its unique concept of Theater for Social Change and Development through its stage productions and theater work that are rooted on informal education thru workshops and exposure. Its latest musical, Rak of Aegis , celebrates the Filipino people’s resilience in overcoming natural catastrophes like typhoon Ondoy and the recent Yolanda. In this 21st Century, I was thinking of Jose Rizal, Marcelo H. del Pilar, Andres Bonifacio, Aurelio Tolentino, the originators of Philippine Arts for Social Change when I suggested to NCCA, the slogan: Philippines, A Nation of Gifted Artists ! The Filipino artists today are reaping worldwide accolade by winning in international Film, Visual Arts, Dance and Music competitions. If we keep this up, we will realize NCCA’s dream of creating a new image for the country from a Nation of Servants to a Nation of Gifted Artists. But we are not only a nation of gifted artists because of these honors; it is also because we have the rare distinction of having the artists as the navel in the birthing of our nation thru the novels of Jose Rizal, the essays of Marcelo H. de Pilar, the poetry of Andres Bonifacio and the plays of Aurelio Tolentino, to name a few. The contemporary Filipino Artist of the 21st Century doesn’t have to be just for entertainment. The Filipino Artist of the 21st Century doesn’t just have to be an appendage to Philippine Society. The Filipino Artist traces his beginnings to the artists of the 1890s, to the artists of 1900s to the 1970s and 80s by taking up his role in the 21st Century---that of molding a Filipino consciousness that nurtures the Filipino soul. Most of all, I wanted to go full circle when I started the umbrella agency NCCA program of ARTISTS FOR CRISIS by linking the historical role of the artists from the pre Spanish Babailan to the present--- for Healing. For Therapy . As a strategy, I introduced ARTISTS FOR CRISIS IN RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE. For three years (2009- 2011), we opened the NCCA to more artists by bringing together seasoned Christian, Muslim and Indigenous artists in Trainors Training Workshops creating modules in Poetry, Music, Dance, Visual Arts, and Drama all part of THEATER ARTS for the victims—children, youth and women. In May 2009, we conducted the first Trainors Training Workshop for 40 Christian artists followed by workshops in Zamboanga, Bicol, Cotabato and Ilo-ilo where the participants tested their modules. In March 2010, we conducted the Second Trainors Training Workshop for 40 Muslim artists at the Mindanao State University, Marawi followed by workshops in Cotabato for the children of Muslim Abu Bakar Camp refugees, Zamboanga and Jolo. In May 2011, we conducted the third and final Trainors Training Workshop for 40 Indigenous/ Lumad artists held in Dapitan, Zamboanga. By 2012, NCCA had more than 100 artists ready with their modules in various artforms. And as they will give workshops to the women and children --- victims of climate change, I am sure they will learn from the communities they go to and deepen their worldview as artists as they also discover the goldmine of artistic talent from the marginalized sectors. Just recently in July 2014, NCCA conducted an Arts Therapy Workshop for 250 participants from Tacloban and Bohol, all victims of Typhoon Yolanda and a devastating earthquake. I am certain similar Arts Therapy programs exist in other ASEAN countries. We are, afterall, within the ring of fire and the typhoon belt. Why don’t we bring together our artists – Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Taoist and form an ASEAN plus Japan Artists for Crisis? The workshops will not only be sites for healing; they will also be zones of peace among various cultural groupings. The Philippines submitted an ASEAN plus Japan project proposal in 2011. Perhaps, this proposal could be expanded to develop an ASEAN Artists Team in the Conduct of Healing Theater Arts after natural disasters to include not only ASEAN and Japan but also Korea and China. I am confident that in the future, our ring of fire and typhoon belt region will have a group of trained artists who like the Babailanes of the past will respond to the healing needs of our peoples. Works cited: Bonifacio, Amelia.1974. The Seditious Tagalog Playwrights. Manila: Zarzuela Foundation of the Philippines Chua, A.,Barrios, J ., Fernandez, D.1994. Political Theater CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art Vol. VII: Philippine Theater Manila: Cultural Center of the Philippines Brockett, Oscar G. 1995. The History of Theater U.S.A : Simon and Schuster Company Riggs, Arthur Stanley. 1981. The Filipino Drama. Manila: Minstry of Settlements, Intramuros Administration THE 32nd FEDERATION FOR ASIAN CULTURAL PROMOTION (FACP) ANNUAL CONFERENCE, Sept. 13, 2014. Kawasaki, Japan THEME: The Power of the Performing Arts--- Learning the Cultural Strategies of the Asian Region FROM PHILIPPINE THEATER OF RITUAL TO THEATER FOR SOCIAL AND CLIMATE CHANGE MaLou Jacob Former Executive Director, NCCA Founding President, WPIPhil Playwright Philippines THEATER OF RITUAL 1. Theater in the Philippines had its beginnings in the community. Antonio Pigafetta, Italian chronicler of Magellan’s expedition in 1521, wrote about a theatrically conceived and executed ceremony that he witnessed with the king of Cebu and his court. He saw a definitive area or stage at the center of the open yard. Then, he heard the sound of gong that announced the start of the presentation: two old women danced and made obeisance to the sun. They had props like three large dishes; two with roses, cakes of rice and millet, baked and wrapped in leaves and roast fish; the third on top of a cloth of cambaia that was spread on the ground. There were kerchiefs and a lance for the killing of the sacrificial hog; a lighted torch that was drastically put off at the end of the ceremony by one of the women who placed the lighted end into her mouth. A trumpet was also used not only as musical accompaniment for the dance; but also for the dipping into the blood of the hog for the ceremonial markings on the foreheads of the husbands and others in the audience. There was grass for stopping the flow of blood, and fire for singeing the hair of the hog. Pigafetta also noted that there was dialogue all throughout the ceremony. (Bonifacio: 3) For me, these two women, the Babailanes/ shamans of their community, were the first poets/storytellers/playwrights cum musicians/dancers/movers. They were probably conducting a Ritual asking for good omen on the arrival of the strangers, praying for peace. But, they were eventually banished by the Spanish Friars who took over their role in the communities for 333 years. The Babailanes were the first artists to go underground. They have resurfaced since the Philippine Revolution of 1896. Today, the surviving Babailanes complain of militarization and non- interest of the young in their collective memory of stories, proverbs, epics of their communities. Heeding Brazilian Augusto Boal’s declaration that Theater is a weapon, that it can be a weapon for liberation, and for this reason one must fight for it; in 2000, I organized the NGO Women Playwrights International Philippines (WPIPHIL) to conduct “ Save the Babailan” Playwriting Workshops for our emerging Indigenous and Moro women writers. The importance that WPI Philippines gives to the elder Babailan through playwriting workshops that provide interaction opportunities between the Babailan and the emerging young Lumad/Indigenous and Moro women playwrights assure the vibrant growth of theater for the empowerment of the local communities. Our workshops not only impact on the survival of Community Theater but also provide spirituality and dynamism; and voice to the voiceless. We have stumbled on our reason for being. We have not only launched a country chapter for WPI; we have launched a movement. The Babailanes are also weavers, carvers, holders of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) , and candidates of NCCA’s Manlilikha Ng Bayan ( National Living Treasures). I was thinking of them when I participated as a Philippine delegate during The 4th Asia Europe Culture Ministers Meeting (ASEM) held in Poznan, Poland, April 2010. In the preparatory meeting in Solo, Indonesia, I tried to include a discussion on the plight of the Creators of the Intangible Heritage, Intellectual Property Rights (IPO) and the Cultural Industry. In an informal breakfast interaction, the Polish delegates commented that they never looked at Heritage issues in the way that I presented them during the preparatory meeting : from the point of view of the Living Creators/Artists of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH). During the Culture Ministers Meeting in Posnan, Poland that included workshops on Heritage Awareness, Heritage and Contemporary threats, Intercultural Dialogue: Heritage Policies, Heritage and Development , and Managing Historic Cities, I reminded ASEM that in the spirit of cultural rapprochement, it is imperative that Europe recognizes the plight of the Living Creators of ICH. Unfortunately, except for a personal encouraging remark from a French delegate, my point was largely ignored. But at the Philippine National Commission for Culture and the Arts, we subsequently consulted with representatives of the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) in the Legislative (Senate and House), National Commission for the Indigenous Peoples ( NCIP) ; and formed a Lawyers Group with the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) Philippines that will focus on the protection of the original creators/artists/craftsmen and women as The Manlilikha ng Bayan Award continues to honor them as musicians, poets/ chanters, movers/ dancers and visual artists/designers/weavers. A test case presented itself to us when a group of T’boli women musicians and singers of Lake Sebu in Mindanao got invited to France thru a French musician who recorded their chants for years . NCCA was able to represent them regarding professional fees and related matters in their favor which fortunately were supported by the Cultural Section of the French Embassy. They were, afterall, the breadwinners of their families and will be away for almost 2 weeks. We also initiated a partnership with the Philippine version of Grameen Bank of Bangladesh, the MRI Card thru Dr. Aristotle Alip. We asked him to open a window to give loans to the poorest of the poor women artists. MRI Card did. Now loans are available to them at low interest with no collateral; and pay back of loans is at almost 100 per cent. We hope that with this, the loan sharks will be a lost specie. Meanwhile, we are now campaigning for the creation of a new breed of Cultural Marketing Enterpreneurs who will allot 70 percent of cultural product profits to the artists/ cultural communities. If/when this becomes a reality, we will truly have an Industry of Culture benefiting the Filipino artists and communities. THEATER OF SUBJUGATION Philippine Theater is intertwined with the community’s social and political life. And that is why the Theater of Ritual in the country evolved into a Theater of Subjugation that propped –up 333 years of Spanish colonization---with the Friar at the helm, taking over the Babailan. Philippine Theater’s centerpiece became the Musical Moro-Moro, and the Senakulo. The secular Moro-Moro focused on the conflict between European Christian and Moorish princes and princesses. It was performed during town Fiestas in three to fifteen hours in several sessions with elaborate Marches--- Batallas (choreographed battles) and magical devices used in saving the Christians from the Moors (Tiongson:21). The Senakulo emerged from the chanted Pasyon. Performed for eight nights during the holy Week, the Senakulo started the dramatization of the Pasyong Geneses, the most popular narrative on the life and sufferings of Christ (Tiongson:21). The protagonist was Jesus Christ who endured all the abuses and tortures with humility. It will be noted that at this time in Spain and in other countries in Europe, Theater was already appropriated by the Church. Inside and out in the streets, Rituals were performed highlighting the dogmas, the religious cycles, the lives of Christ and the saints. Medieval plays became so popular in Europe especially in Spain where the Inquisition established its full control over Theology and Drama (Brockett: 117). While Philippine Theater was still a tool of the Spanish Occupation, Poetry, the Essay, and the Novel through the efforts of national heroes, opthalmologist/ novelist Jose Rizal, founder of La Liga Filipina; La Solidaridad essayist Marcelo H. del Pilar who was based in Spain; and founder of Katipunan, poet and theater artist Andres Bonifacio were already exposing the abuses in the country ; and galvanizing the people’s resolve to fight for independence. Thus, the formation of La Solidaridad, La Liga Filipina, and the Katipunan which resulted in the outbreak of the first revolution of Asia in 1896. THEATER OF PROTEST Fortunately, Philippine Theater evolved into a Theater of Protest during the American occupation when drama started to subvert the Zarzuela, the Spanish musical play, which ushered in the golden years of Philippine Drama from 1902 to 1915. And it all started with a dream of American President McKinley. He said God spoke to him and advised him to make a colony out of the Philippines. This prompted him to issue his benevolent assimilation proclamation on Dec. 12, 1898 stating that the U.S must stay and exercise sovereignty over the Filipinos for the greatest good of the governed; that the U.S must wield a strong arm of authority to repress disturbances and to overcome all obstacles to a good and stable government for the people of the Philippine Islands under the free flag of the U.S. And so on Feb. 4, 1899, the Philippine American War known as the Philippine Insurrection broke out. (Riggs: XII) Protest plays became known as the first national Philippine Dramas. Playwrights fully grasped the concept of nation and wrote plays that exposed the American as the new colonial masters disguised as friends; and who must be repulsed at all costs. A new Filipino national consciousness emerged for the first time in Philippine Drama. (Riggs: XII) The American colonial government called these dramas—seditious plays. To discourage the writers, the Sedition Act 292 was introduced in the country on Nov. 4, 1902. Specifically, Sec. 8 states: “Every person who shall utter seditious words or speeches, write, publish or circulate scurrilous libels against the government of the United States or the insular government of the Philippine Islands or which tend to disturb or obstruct any lawful officer in executing his office, or which tend to instigate others to cabal or meet together for unlawful purposes, or which tend to set up the people against lawful authorities or to disturb the peace of the community, the safety and order of the government, or who shall knowingly conceal such evil practices, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding US$2,000.00 or imprisonment not exceeding two years or both.” (Bonifacio: 47) A Manila Times Editorial of May 16, 1903 even suggested the death penalty for playwrights. (Bonifacio: 48) . But from 1903-1915, 14 plays were written on political and nationalistic themes and none on romantic and domestic themes. (Bonifacio: 49). The most famous playwrights of seditious Sarsuela plays were Aurelio Tolentino and Juan Abad. Aurelio Tolentino was arrested nine times. In Sept. 1896, two weeks before the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution was his first arrest. He was imprisoned for nine months; transferred from one prison cell to another in chains, and tortured. Tolentino was a founding member of Katipunan that led the revolution. When he was twenty-three years old, he was introduced to Andres Bonifacio. He, then, lived with the Bonifacio family in Tondo. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree and was at the UST Law when his father fell ill and died. He became a member of the propaganda movement and his inclination towards philosophy and Letters brought him to writing of poems, dramas, and translations. He was signatory to the Declaration of Independence in kawit Cavite on June 12, 1898. He wrote for La independencia, La Patria, El liberal, Filipinas and La Democracia in three languages: Pampango, Tagalog, and Spanish. (Bonifacio: 50). In the 1970s and 1980s of Martial Law, Political Theater continued the tradition of Protest. Short, lightning plays were staged in Plaza Miranda, factories, church yards and streets. The nationalist movement fueled plays such as the Kamangyan Player’s Pakikibaka and Kalbaryo ni Juan de la Cruz; Gintong Silahis’s Barikada; Panday Sining’s Tunggalian and Masaker sa Araw ng Paggawa; and Tanghalang Bayan’s Hukumang Bayan.( Chua,A.,Barrios,J., Fernandez, D.:105). After landmark plays, Paglilitis ni Mang Serapio and Kabesang Tales, Philippine Theater entered its golden years in the Theater of Protest ushered in by PETA and Dulaang UP with Pagsambang Bayan, Mayo A Beinte Uno, In Dis Korner, Moses, Panahon ni Cristy,and my Brechtian play on street children, Juan Tamban in the seventies; Oratoryo ng Bayan, Buwan at Baril sa EB Major, Panata sa Kalayaan and my musical play on the Tribal peoples , Macli-ing in the 1980s. It was the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) founded by Cecile Guidote that initiated a cultural movement in 1967, first by staging original plays in the Filipino language ; and, then, establishing the concept of CITAP/CITASA ( Central Institute for Theater Arts in the Philippines/ South East Asia) making workshops and exposure to the periphery of society as part of the education of the Filipino Artist. As one of the original members of PETA, I benefited from this thrust and orientation: I will never forget a PETA Theater Arts workshop that an actor, an actress, and I facilitated for group of about twenty-five fishermen, their wives, and their teenage sons and daughters. I handled the Creative Writing (CW) session. It was a writing session without paper and pencil. There are other means of writing. They wrote with their bodies and voices through gesture, movement, sound; then, through improvisation and dialogue. The younger members of the group who could write kept track of the flow of ideas by listing down key words and phrases on the blackboard. They mounted a showcase based on an experience of one of their late peers: a fisherman who, one night, paddled his banca into the sea. As usual, there was no more fish to be caught. They were all in the fishpens surrounding the area. His banca led him near the fishpens. He tied his banca to one of the bamboo poles and fell asleep. One of the guards woke him up and asked him what he was up to. He said that he was only resting. The guard invited him for a cup of coffee. The fisherman gladly accepted. Later, the guard and two others made the fisherman entertain them by forcing him to “eat” waterlilies, and “dance” to the rhythm of shots from their armalite pointed at his feet. Shaking, he was led back to his banca, only to be finally gunned down. He was accused of stealing from the fishpen. The sea is now apportioned among fishpen owners. The sea property is off limits to the ordinary fishermen. The group not only dramatized this tragic event; they also showed what they can and should do about it. I was astounded by the power of their skit and their performance until I realized that for them it was no skit and no performance at all. That night lives in my memory. That night I was witness to the culmination of the innate wisdom, and spring of talent of the common man. I learned a lot from that workshop, from their discussions and their production work. I hope they learned as much from us. I had this experience when I was in my mid-20s when I was starting in PETA, the theater group that demonstrated to me the impact of the Performance Arts on Social Change. Today, PETA continues its unique concept of Theater for Social Change and Development through its stage productions and theater work that are rooted on informal education thru workshops and exposure. Its latest musical, Rak of Aegis , celebrates the Filipino people’s resilience in overcoming natural catastrophes like typhoon Ondoy and the recent Yolanda. In this 21st Century, I was thinking of Jose Rizal, Marcelo H. del Pilar, Andres Bonifacio, Aurelio Tolentino, the originators of Philippine Arts for Social Change when I suggested to NCCA, the slogan: Philippines, A Nation of Gifted Artists ! The Filipino artists today are reaping worldwide accolade by winning in international Film, Visual Arts, Dance and Music competitions. If we keep this up, we will realize NCCA’s dream of creating a new image for the country from a Nation of Servants to a Nation of Gifted Artists. But we are not only a nation of gifted artists because of these honors; it is also because we have the rare distinction of having the artists as the navel in the birthing of our nation thru the novels of Jose Rizal, the essays of Marcelo H. de Pilar, the poetry of Andres Bonifacio and the plays of Aurelio Tolentino, to name a few. The contemporary Filipino Artist of the 21st Century doesn’t have to be just for entertainment. The Filipino Artist of the 21st Century doesn’t just have to be an appendage to Philippine Society. The Filipino Artist traces his beginnings to the artists of the 1890s, to the artists of 1900s to the 1970s and 80s by taking up his role in the 21st Century---that of molding a Filipino consciousness that nurtures the Filipino soul. Most of all, I wanted to go full circle when I started the umbrella agency NCCA program of ARTISTS FOR CRISIS by linking the historical role of the artists from the pre Spanish Babailan to the present--- for Healing. For Therapy . As a strategy, I introduced ARTISTS FOR CRISIS IN RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE. For three years (2009- 2011), we opened the NCCA to more artists by bringing together seasoned Christian, Muslim and Indigenous artists in Trainors Training Workshops creating modules in Poetry, Music, Dance, Visual Arts, and Drama all part of THEATER ARTS for the victims—children, youth and women. In May 2009, we conducted the first Trainors Training Workshop for 40 Christian artists followed by workshops in Zamboanga, Bicol, Cotabato and Ilo-ilo where the participants tested their modules. In March 2010, we conducted the Second Trainors Training Workshop for 40 Muslim artists at the Mindanao State University, Marawi followed by workshops in Cotabato for the children of Muslim Abu Bakar Camp refugees, Zamboanga and Jolo. In May 2011, we conducted the third and final Trainors Training Workshop for 40 Indigenous/ Lumad artists held in Dapitan, Zamboanga. By 2012, NCCA had more than 100 artists ready with their modules in various artforms. And as they will give workshops to the women and children --- victims of climate change, I am sure they will learn from the communities they go to and deepen their worldview as artists as they also discover the goldmine of artistic talent from the marginalized sectors. Just recently in July 2014, NCCA conducted an Arts Therapy Workshop for 250 participants from Tacloban and Bohol, all victims of Typhoon Yolanda and a devastating earthquake. I am certain similar Arts Therapy programs exist in other ASEAN countries. We are, afterall, within the ring of fire and the typhoon belt. Why don’t we bring together our artists – Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Taoist and form an ASEAN plus Japan Artists for Crisis? The workshops will not only be sites for healing; they will also be zones of peace among various cultural groupings. The Philippines submitted an ASEAN plus Japan project proposal in 2011. Perhaps, this proposal could be expanded to develop an ASEAN Artists Team in the Conduct of Healing Theater Arts after natural disasters to include not only ASEAN and Japan but also Korea and China. I am confident that in the future, our ring of fire and typhoon belt region will have a group of trained artists who like the Babailanes of the past will respond to the healing needs of our peoples. Works cited: Bonifacio, Amelia.1974. The Seditious Tagalog Playwrights. Manila: Zarzuela Foundation of the Philippines Chua, A.,Barrios, J ., Fernandez, D.1994. Political Theater CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art Vol. VII: Philippine Theater Manila: Cultural Center of the Philippines Brockett, Oscar G. 1995. The History of Theater U.S.A : Simon and Schuster Company Riggs, Arthur Stanley. 1981. The Filipino Drama. Manila: Minstry of Settlements, Intramuros Administration THE 32nd FEDERATION FOR ASIAN CULTURAL PROMOTION (FACP) ANNUAL CONFERENCE, Sept. 13, 2014. Kawasaki, Japan THEME: The Power of the Performing Arts--- Learning the Cultural Strategies of the Asian Region FROM PHILIPPINE THEATER OF RITUAL TO THEATER FOR SOCIAL AND CLIMATE CHANGE MaLou Jacob Former Executive Director, NCCA Founding President, WPIPhil Playwright Philippines THEATER OF RITUAL 1. Theater in the Philippines had its beginnings in the community. Antonio Pigafetta, Italian chronicler of Magellan’s expedition in 1521, wrote about a theatrically conceived and executed ceremony that he witnessed with the king of Cebu and his court. He saw a definitive area or stage at the center of the open yard. Then, he heard the sound of gong that announced the start of the presentation: two old women danced and made obeisance to the sun. They had props like three large dishes; two with roses, cakes of rice and millet, baked and wrapped in leaves and roast fish; the third on top of a cloth of cambaia that was spread on the ground. There were kerchiefs and a lance for the killing of the sacrificial hog; a lighted torch that was drastically put off at the end of the ceremony by one of the women who placed the lighted end into her mouth. A trumpet was also used not only as musical accompaniment for the dance; but also for the dipping into the blood of the hog for the ceremonial markings on the foreheads of the husbands and others in the audience. There was grass for stopping the flow of blood, and fire for singeing the hair of the hog. Pigafetta also noted that there was dialogue all throughout the ceremony. (Bonifacio: 3) For me, these two women, the Babailanes/ shamans of their community, were the first poets/storytellers/playwrights cum musicians/dancers/movers. They were probably conducting a Ritual asking for good omen on the arrival of the strangers, praying for peace. But, they were eventually banished by the Spanish Friars who took over their role in the communities for 333 years. The Babailanes were the first artists to go underground. They have resurfaced since the Philippine Revolution of 1896. Today, the surviving Babailanes complain of militarization and non- interest of the young in their collective memory of stories, proverbs, epics of their communities. Heeding Brazilian Augusto Boal’s declaration that Theater is a weapon, that it can be a weapon for liberation, and for this reason one must fight for it; in 2000, I organized the NGO Women Playwrights International Philippines (WPIPHIL) to conduct “ Save the Babailan” Playwriting Workshops for our emerging Indigenous and Moro women writers. The importance that WPI Philippines gives to the elder Babailan through playwriting workshops that provide interaction opportunities between the Babailan and the emerging young Lumad/Indigenous and Moro women playwrights assure the vibrant growth of theater for the empowerment of the local communities. Our workshops not only impact on the survival of Community Theater but also provide spirituality and dynamism; and voice to the voiceless. We have stumbled on our reason for being. We have not only launched a country chapter for WPI; we have launched a movement. The Babailanes are also weavers, carvers, holders of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) , and candidates of NCCA’s Manlilikha Ng Bayan ( National Living Treasures). I was thinking of them when I participated as a Philippine delegate during The 4th Asia Europe Culture Ministers Meeting (ASEM) held in Poznan, Poland, April 2010. In the preparatory meeting in Solo, Indonesia, I tried to include a discussion on the plight of the Creators of the Intangible Heritage, Intellectual Property Rights (IPO) and the Cultural Industry. In an informal breakfast interaction, the Polish delegates commented that they never looked at Heritage issues in the way that I presented them during the preparatory meeting : from the point of view of the Living Creators/Artists of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH). During the Culture Ministers Meeting in Posnan, Poland that included workshops on Heritage Awareness, Heritage and Contemporary threats, Intercultural Dialogue: Heritage Policies, Heritage and Development , and Managing Historic Cities, I reminded ASEM that in the spirit of cultural rapprochement, it is imperative that Europe recognizes the plight of the Living Creators of ICH. Unfortunately, except for a personal encouraging remark from a French delegate, my point was largely ignored. But at the Philippine National Commission for Culture and the Arts, we subsequently consulted with representatives of the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) in the Legislative (Senate and House), National Commission for the Indigenous Peoples ( NCIP) ; and formed a Lawyers Group with the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) Philippines that will focus on the protection of the original creators/artists/craftsmen and women as The Manlilikha ng Bayan Award continues to honor them as musicians, poets/ chanters, movers/ dancers and visual artists/designers/weavers. A test case presented itself to us when a group of T’boli women musicians and singers of Lake Sebu in Mindanao got invited to France thru a French musician who recorded their chants for years . NCCA was able to represent them regarding professional fees and related matters in their favor which fortunately were supported by the Cultural Section of the French Embassy. They were, afterall, the breadwinners of their families and will be away for almost 2 weeks. We also initiated a partnership with the Philippine version of Grameen Bank of Bangladesh, the MRI Card thru Dr. Aristotle Alip. We asked him to open a window to give loans to the poorest of the poor women artists. MRI Card did. Now loans are available to them at low interest with no collateral; and pay back of loans is at almost 100 per cent. We hope that with this, the loan sharks will be a lost specie. Meanwhile, we are now campaigning for the creation of a new breed of Cultural Marketing Enterpreneurs who will allot 70 percent of cultural product profits to the artists/ cultural communities. If/when this becomes a reality, we will truly have an Industry of Culture benefiting the Filipino artists and communities. THEATER OF SUBJUGATION Philippine Theater is intertwined with the community’s social and political life. And that is why the Theater of Ritual in the country evolved into a Theater of Subjugation that propped –up 333 years of Spanish colonization---with the Friar at the helm, taking over the Babailan. Philippine Theater’s centerpiece became the Musical Moro-Moro, and the Senakulo. The secular Moro-Moro focused on the conflict between European Christian and Moorish princes and princesses. It was performed during town Fiestas in three to fifteen hours in several sessions with elaborate Marches--- Batallas (choreographed battles) and magical devices used in saving the Christians from the Moors (Tiongson:21). The Senakulo emerged from the chanted Pasyon. Performed for eight nights during the holy Week, the Senakulo started the dramatization of the Pasyong Geneses, the most popular narrative on the life and sufferings of Christ (Tiongson:21). The protagonist was Jesus Christ who endured all the abuses and tortures with humility. It will be noted that at this time in Spain and in other countries in Europe, Theater was already appropriated by the Church. Inside and out in the streets, Rituals were performed highlighting the dogmas, the religious cycles, the lives of Christ and the saints. Medieval plays became so popular in Europe especially in Spain where the Inquisition established its full control over Theology and Drama (Brockett: 117). While Philippine Theater was still a tool of the Spanish Occupation, Poetry, the Essay, and the Novel through the efforts of national heroes, opthalmologist/ novelist Jose Rizal, founder of La Liga Filipina; La Solidaridad essayist Marcelo H. del Pilar who was based in Spain; and founder of Katipunan, poet and theater artist Andres Bonifacio were already exposing the abuses in the country ; and galvanizing the people’s resolve to fight for independence. Thus, the formation of La Solidaridad, La Liga Filipina, and the Katipunan which resulted in the outbreak of the first revolution of Asia in 1896. THEATER OF PROTEST Fortunately, Philippine Theater evolved into a Theater of Protest during the American occupation when drama started to subvert the Zarzuela, the Spanish musical play, which ushered in the golden years of Philippine Drama from 1902 to 1915. And it all started with a dream of American President McKinley. He said God spoke to him and advised him to make a colony out of the Philippines. This prompted him to issue his benevolent assimilation proclamation on Dec. 12, 1898 stating that the U.S must stay and exercise sovereignty over the Filipinos for the greatest good of the governed; that the U.S must wield a strong arm of authority to repress disturbances and to overcome all obstacles to a good and stable government for the people of the Philippine Islands under the free flag of the U.S. And so on Feb. 4, 1899, the Philippine American War known as the Philippine Insurrection broke out. (Riggs: XII) Protest plays became known as the first national Philippine Dramas. Playwrights fully grasped the concept of nation and wrote plays that exposed the American as the new colonial masters disguised as friends; and who must be repulsed at all costs. A new Filipino national consciousness emerged for the first time in Philippine Drama. (Riggs: XII) The American colonial government called these dramas—seditious plays. To discourage the writers, the Sedition Act 292 was introduced in the country on Nov. 4, 1902. Specifically, Sec. 8 states: “Every person who shall utter seditious words or speeches, write, publish or circulate scurrilous libels against the government of the United States or the insular government of the Philippine Islands or which tend to disturb or obstruct any lawful officer in executing his office, or which tend to instigate others to cabal or meet together for unlawful purposes, or which tend to set up the people against lawful authorities or to disturb the peace of the community, the safety and order of the government, or who shall knowingly conceal such evil practices, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding US$2,000.00 or imprisonment not exceeding two years or both.” (Bonifacio: 47) A Manila Times Editorial of May 16, 1903 even suggested the death penalty for playwrights. (Bonifacio: 48) . But from 1903-1915, 14 plays were written on political and nationalistic themes and none on romantic and domestic themes. (Bonifacio: 49). The most famous playwrights of seditious Sarsuela plays were Aurelio Tolentino and Juan Abad. Aurelio Tolentino was arrested nine times. In Sept. 1896, two weeks before the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution was his first arrest. He was imprisoned for nine months; transferred from one prison cell to another in chains, and tortured. Tolentino was a founding member of Katipunan that led the revolution. When he was twenty-three years old, he was introduced to Andres Bonifacio. He, then, lived with the Bonifacio family in Tondo. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree and was at the UST Law when his father fell ill and died. He became a member of the propaganda movement and his inclination towards philosophy and Letters brought him to writing of poems, dramas, and translations. He was signatory to the Declaration of Independence in kawit Cavite on June 12, 1898. He wrote for La independencia, La Patria, El liberal, Filipinas and La Democracia in three languages: Pampango, Tagalog, and Spanish. (Bonifacio: 50). In the 1970s and 1980s of Martial Law, Political Theater continued the tradition of Protest. Short, lightning plays were staged in Plaza Miranda, factories, church yards and streets. The nationalist movement fueled plays such as the Kamangyan Player’s Pakikibaka and Kalbaryo ni Juan de la Cruz; Gintong Silahis’s Barikada; Panday Sining’s Tunggalian and Masaker sa Araw ng Paggawa; and Tanghalang Bayan’s Hukumang Bayan.( Chua,A.,Barrios,J., Fernandez, D.:105). After landmark plays, Paglilitis ni Mang Serapio and Kabesang Tales, Philippine Theater entered its golden years in the Theater of Protest ushered in by PETA and Dulaang UP with Pagsambang Bayan, Mayo A Beinte Uno, In Dis Korner, Moses, Panahon ni Cristy,and my Brechtian play on street children, Juan Tamban in the seventies; Oratoryo ng Bayan, Buwan at Baril sa EB Major, Panata sa Kalayaan and my musical play on the Tribal peoples , Macli-ing in the 1980s. It was the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) founded by Cecile Guidote that initiated a cultural movement in 1967, first by staging original plays in the Filipino language ; and, then, establishing the concept of CITAP/CITASA ( Central Institute for Theater Arts in the Philippines/ South East Asia) making workshops and exposure to the periphery of society as part of the education of the Filipino Artist. As one of the original members of PETA, I benefited from this thrust and orientation: I will never forget a PETA Theater Arts workshop that an actor, an actress, and I facilitated for group of about twenty-five fishermen, their wives, and their teenage sons and daughters. I handled the Creative Writing (CW) session. It was a writing session without paper and pencil. There are other means of writing. They wrote with their bodies and voices through gesture, movement, sound; then, through improvisation and dialogue. The younger members of the group who could write kept track of the flow of ideas by listing down key words and phrases on the blackboard. They mounted a showcase based on an experience of one of their late peers: a fisherman who, one night, paddled his banca into the sea. As usual, there was no more fish to be caught. They were all in the fishpens surrounding the area. His banca led him near the fishpens. He tied his banca to one of the bamboo poles and fell asleep. One of the guards woke him up and asked him what he was up to. He said that he was only resting. The guard invited him for a cup of coffee. The fisherman gladly accepted. Later, the guard and two others made the fisherman entertain them by forcing him to “eat” waterlilies, and “dance” to the rhythm of shots from their armalite pointed at his feet. Shaking, he was led back to his banca, only to be finally gunned down. He was accused of stealing from the fishpen. The sea is now apportioned among fishpen owners. The sea property is off limits to the ordinary fishermen. The group not only dramatized this tragic event; they also showed what they can and should do about it. I was astounded by the power of their skit and their performance until I realized that for them it was no skit and no performance at all. That night lives in my memory. That night I was witness to the culmination of the innate wisdom, and spring of talent of the common man. I learned a lot from that workshop, from their discussions and their production work. I hope they learned as much from us. I had this experience when I was in my mid-20s when I was starting in PETA, the theater group that demonstrated to me the impact of the Performance Arts on Social Change. Today, PETA continues its unique concept of Theater for Social Change and Development through its stage productions and theater work that are rooted on informal education thru workshops and exposure. Its latest musical, Rak of Aegis , celebrates the Filipino people’s resilience in overcoming natural catastrophes like typhoon Ondoy and the recent Yolanda. In this 21st Century, I was thinking of Jose Rizal, Marcelo H. del Pilar, Andres Bonifacio, Aurelio Tolentino, the originators of Philippine Arts for Social Change when I suggested to NCCA, the slogan: Philippines, A Nation of Gifted Artists ! The Filipino artists today are reaping worldwide accolade by winning in international Film, Visual Arts, Dance and Music competitions. If we keep this up, we will realize NCCA’s dream of creating a new image for the country from a Nation of Servants to a Nation of Gifted Artists. But we are not only a nation of gifted artists because of these honors; it is also because we have the rare distinction of having the artists as the navel in the birthing of our nation thru the novels of Jose Rizal, the essays of Marcelo H. de Pilar, the poetry of Andres Bonifacio and the plays of Aurelio Tolentino, to name a few. The contemporary Filipino Artist of the 21st Century doesn’t have to be just for entertainment. The Filipino Artist of the 21st Century doesn’t just have to be an appendage to Philippine Society. The Filipino Artist traces his beginnings to the artists of the 1890s, to the artists of 1900s to the 1970s and 80s by taking up his role in the 21st Century---that of molding a Filipino consciousness that nurtures the Filipino soul. Most of all, I wanted to go full circle when I started the umbrella agency NCCA program of ARTISTS FOR CRISIS by linking the historical role of the artists from the pre Spanish Babailan to the present--- for Healing. For Therapy . As a strategy, I introduced ARTISTS FOR CRISIS IN RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE. For three years (2009- 2011), we opened the NCCA to more artists by bringing together seasoned Christian, Muslim and Indigenous artists in Trainors Training Workshops creating modules in Poetry, Music, Dance, Visual Arts, and Drama all part of THEATER ARTS for the victims—children, youth and women. In May 2009, we conducted the first Trainors Training Workshop for 40 Christian artists followed by workshops in Zamboanga, Bicol, Cotabato and Ilo-ilo where the participants tested their modules. In March 2010, we conducted the Second Trainors Training Workshop for 40 Muslim artists at the Mindanao State University, Marawi followed by workshops in Cotabato for the children of Muslim Abu Bakar Camp refugees, Zamboanga and Jolo. In May 2011, we conducted the third and final Trainors Training Workshop for 40 Indigenous/ Lumad artists held in Dapitan, Zamboanga. By 2012, NCCA had more than 100 artists ready with their modules in various artforms. And as they will give workshops to the women and children --- victims of climate change, I am sure they will learn from the communities they go to and deepen their worldview as artists as they also discover the goldmine of artistic talent from the marginalized sectors. Just recently in July 2014, NCCA conducted an Arts Therapy Workshop for 250 participants from Tacloban and Bohol, all victims of Typhoon Yolanda and a devastating earthquake. .I am certain similar Arts Therapy programs exist in other ASEAN countries. We are, afterall, within the ring of fire and the typhoon belt. Why don’t we bring together our artists – Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Taoist and form an ASEAN plus Japan Artists for Crisis? The workshops will not only be sites for healing; they will also be zones of peace among various cultural groupings. The Philippines submitted an ASEAN plus Japan project proposal in 2011. Perhaps, this proposal could be expanded to develop an ASEAN Artists Team in the Conduct of Healing Theater Arts after natural disasters to include not only ASEAN and Japan but also Korea and China. I am confident that in the future, our ring of fire and typhoon belt region will have a group of trained artists who like the Babailanes of the past will respond to the healing needs of our peoples. ----------------------------- Works cited: Bonifacio, Amelia.1974. The Seditious Tagalog Playwrights. Manila: Zarzuela Foundation of the Philippines Chua, A.,Barrios, J ., Fernandez, D.1994. Political Theater CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art Vol. VII: Philippine Theater Manila: Cultural Center of the Philippines Brockett, Oscar G. 1995. The History of Theater U.S.A : Simon and Schuster Company Riggs, Arthur Stanley. 1981. The Filipino Drama.
Posted on: Tue, 16 Sep 2014 20:18:45 +0000
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