Editors’ Note: The theater arts world in Albay was abuzz with outstanding performances during the month of May 2024. First, Bicol University College of Arts and Letters – Performing Arts Theater (BUCAL-BPeA) presented KLASIKAL, a series of Filipino Classic Plays showcasing the brilliance of Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero on May 20, 2024. Second, “JOROAN, A BIKOL MUSICAL” was presented on May 10, 2024, at the Ibalong Centrum for Recreation in Legazpi City, May 17 at Bicol University Tabaco City campus, and May 24 at the Ligao City Auditorium. It is based on “Walong Milagro ni Nuestra Señora de Salvacion,” a libretto written by Abdon M. Balde Jr.; adapted as a musical with music by Victor Buenconsejo and additional songs by Jan Aldrin Belisario and Sari Saysay.

At MANAY, MANAY! The Bikolana Play Festival of 2024, women were seen, heard, appreciated, and celebrated. The production was presented by Taragbo Bikol Theater Network, a kaboronyogan of Bikol theater enthusiasts, practitioners, and groups, in collaboration with Sining Lila Bicol, a women’s community art group that advocates for gender and human rights. The festival plays were staged in Pasakalye Blackbox Art Studio in Legaspi City, Albay on May 16, 18, and 19, 2024:

• Set A: DAHON, DAHON by Ella Dado, PUON by Klain Azul, SIGIDON NI NONOY by NIca Cadalin, LATE by Carla Ariola

• Set B: TAHI-TAHING TALINGHAGA by Eilyn L. Nidea, PATAY SWERTE by Jessa Lustado, BEDTIME STORY by Tinay, ANG PANGITAIN NI LAUREN by Katherine Azul

• Set C: REM TALES by Tinay, BAHAGHARI by Marla Kaye Mendoza, MANI by Honey Lyn, AGUA DE MAYO by Miss Ey

About Tahi-tahing Talinghaga

Tahi-tahing Talinghaga, authored by Eilyn L. Nidea of Teatro Ragayano, was staged as part of Set B and shown on May 16, 18, and 19, 2024.

Tahi-tahing Talinghaga is an experimental flash play, conceptualized based on the premise that everything is interconnected. It features four women monologues by Marites, Biyuda, Estrella, and Felipa. The characters who have different ages and belong to different social statuses reflect on their life stories and aspirations. Though each is separate, all four share one common thread: a woman living her life the best way she can, confronting every trial and celebrating every triumph of that life. Lines from a popular song relevant to each woman’s narrative is included to add flavor, and to function as a transition music. The four characters are performed by each actor stationed at the four corners of the stage to create the figure of a human square.

The Production Team, headed by Festival Director Bern Lugera Banawon, literally and figuratively, had to race against time and tight schedules through personal and festival concerns to pull off the staging of this play worthy of the audience’s appreciation.

The Women Square in the play consists of Marites (a young woman at 25), Flora (55 and widowed), Estrella (70 and experiencing trauma), and Felipa (90 and with Alzheimer’s disease). Following are insights to the characters, featured songs, names and stage names of the cast and production staff, glimpses about themselves, their statements to “Manay” (fellow women) and their personal takeaways about their unique experiences.

MARITES — 25, may malawak na sensibilidad sa mga bagay-bagay, ginagamit ang commonsense, mayroong uniquebrandof sense of humor, nakadamit-pambahay. Featured song: Leaves by Ben & Ben, 2017, chorus.

Role played by Arabella Faith Mano (Stage Name: Ara); Kasalukuyang katungkulan sa buhay: Taong Bahay; Zodiac Sign: Aries daw. 

Q: Anong mga kasabihan ang pinapaniwalaan? 
A: Don't make the same mistake twice, marami pang ibang kasalanan, try mo naman.

Q: Ano masasabi mo kay Manay?
A: Malang pagal na tabi, Manay.

BIYUDA FLORA — 55, halatang tuliro ang isip at puso, ngunit nagpapakatatag, nakasuot ng pang-opisina/pampaaralang uniporm. Featured Song: Basta’t Maghintay ka Lamang by Ted Ito, 1990, chorus.

Role played by Dahna Baldo (Stage Name: Danie Girl); Kasalukuyang katungkulan sa buhay: Estudyante; Zodiac Sign: Gemini .

Q: Anong mga kasabihan ang pinapaniwalaan?
A: Ang oras ay parang bula, mabilis itong lumipas at hindi na maari pang maibalik. Kaya't huwag sayangin ang bawat sandali at gamitin ito nang may kabuluhan.

Q: Ano masasabi mo kay Manay?
A: Laban lang, Manay! Patuloy na maging maligaya sa buhay at mabuhay nang may kabuluhan, at ating ipagdiwang ang pagiging Manay.

My Takeaway by Dahna Baldo

In Tahi-tahing Talinhaga, I portrayed the character BIYUDA (Flora). Her monologue captures the struggles and frustrations of an AFP widow dealing with financial difficulties while trying to secure the transfer of her late husband’s pension. It highlights the desperate measures some must take to survive. As I read her monologue, I couldn’t help but feel her frustration and wondered if AFP widows truly face such hardships in reality. This year was my first time participating in Manay, Manay! and I was initially worried about managing my time due to my heavy academic workload. But I accepted the offer because I believed it would be a valuable experience for me. Flora’s age and experiences are very different from mine, so it was a challenge for me. Then I would closely observe older people whenever possible, to understand Biyuda better. Being part of this production was indeed a rewarding and enriching experience that allowed me to grow both artistically and personally. It’s an honor for me to bring Biyuda (Flora)to life.

ESTRELLA — 70, nakaranas ng matinding trauma kaya wari’y nawawala sa sarili, nakasuot ng period dress: lumang Filipiniana. Featured song: Reflection by Lea Salonga, 1998, chorus.

Role played by MaGabriang Ruivi (Stage Name: Gab); Kasalukuyang katungkulan sa buhay: Mabuhay po nang payapa. Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius.

Q: Anong mga kasabihan ang pinapaniwalaan? 
A: Sa mundong puno ng mga Maria Clara, piliin ang maging Gabriela.

Q: Ano masasabi mo kay Manay?
A: Manatiling makinang.

My Takeaway by MaGabriang Ruivi

Bata pa lamang po ako ay sanay na ako na kasama ang mga matatanda. All my life, lumaki at tumira po ako kasama ang lolo’t lola ko kaya siguro ganoon na lamang po ako kung maging defensive pag may matandang dinidisrespect sa labas. Ang aking Great-Grandmother ay parang si Estrella at kalauna’y parang naging si Felipa. Si Estrella dahil nakalimutan niya kung sino siya at Felipa naman dahil dumaan siya sa stage ng buhay niya kung saan ay kakaramput na lamang ang kanyang naaalala, mostly is galing sa kanyang youth. Sa aking character na si Estrella, naging mahirap ang pagportray dahil una, hindi po ako makarelate sa kanyang pinagdaanan, kinailangan ko pa pong maghanap ng common ground sa kaniya. Ngunit, habang binabasa ang kanyang mga salita, masasabi ko po na nakakaawa pala siya. We often forget ourselves during situations that challenge us. Sa kabuuan ng dula, ito po ay isa sa mga napakagandang kuwento. Para sa akin, naipakita nito ang struggles bilang babae. Iyong mga hinanakit sa buhay ng isang babae, iyong mga realidad ng mga babae. Iba iba ang pinagdaraanan ng mga babae. Isang madilim na paglalakbay ang mga danas sa nakalipias. Sa kasalukuyan, paunti unti nang nabibigyang halaga ang mga babae. Para mas maunawaan ang mga babae, kailangang makita pa ng karamihan ang ganitong dula.

FELIPA — 90, may Alzheimer’s, nakasuot ng puting damit na hanggang sakong at may mahabang manggas. Featured song: Softly as I Leave You by Frank Sinatra, 1964, chorus.

Role played by Christine Parro Buenaagua (Stage Name: Tinay). Kasalukuyang katungkulan sa buhay: Estudyante. Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius.

Q: Anong mga kasabihan ang pinapaniwalaan? 
A: Ang buhay ay parang GULONG. Minsan nasa top, minsan nasa bottom.

Q: Ano masasabi mo kay Manay?
A: Alawig na pero arani na kita. Dawa garagatikat sana, makakaabot man kita…

My Takeaway by Christine Parro Buenaagua

My name is Tinay, and I am a graduating student of Performing Arts at Bicol University – College of Arts and Letters. As a theater arts student, I’ve acted in several plays produced by Sining Banwa, Sining Lila, and The Empty Space. Additionally, I am a playwright, and some of my works, like “Bedtime Story,” have been staged at Pedxing Year 6 and Manay, Manay! Year 2.

My Manay, Manay! Year 2 was as memorable as Year 1. This year, Sining Lila aimed to create a production where all team members were women, including the playwrights, directors, technical crew, and other departments. It was empowering to see a community of women provoke conversation and share their stands through theater and the arts. I am really honored to be part of these women.

This play tells different types of stories from different generations of women: Marites, Biyuda, Estrella, and Felipa. These women share their experiences with social expectations, social issues, personal struggles as women, as well as their breakthroughs and resilience. This play also emphasizes the importance of mental health intervention for all generations of both women and men. My role as Felipa was a challenging yet fruitful experience for me. Felipa is a 90-year-old woman experiencing dementia. Her monologue is triggered by objects (a payong and a heart necklace) and environmental cues (rain and thunder) that hold both her happiest and saddest memories. One of her memories is set in 1941 when she was only 15 years old and in love. Her family and the love of her life, Edilberto, needed to go to the battlefield to fight the colonizers because Edilberto believed in “bayanihan” for the sake of freedom. Felipa’s story not only reflects her own experiences but also mirrors the life experiences of other women during the Japanese colonization. Her battles did not end with the Japanese colonization; she also experienced the hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic. During those years, her usual joyful Christmas celebrations ceased due to the restrictions, yet she believed that love was always present. As an actress, my role as Felipa was both hard to internalize and to let go of, or in our own terms, “mahirap i-pagpag.”

Felipa’s character made me cry from both her sad and happy memories because, somehow, I can relate and truly understand where she’s coming from, whether back in the 1940s or even in the present. Especially in the scene where she compares Christmas from before to the Christmas we have today. The pandemic really changed the Christmas I used to know. Before, I always looked forward to the Christmas season because it was a time to enjoy with my family and friends. We would complete the Misa de Gallo or Simbang Gabi, stay up late every Noche Buena to greet each other a Merry Christmas when the clock strikes 12. With the pandemic, everyone was apart and restricted. The celebrations were toned down, and I could feel the change. Although I still felt the love and care, the celebrations that highlighted it were gone, which seemed to cover that important feeling that could bring back the merriness. Last Christmas, I asked myself, is it because I’m getting older that celebrating Christmas doesn’t feel the same anymore? If I had the eyes of a child, would it still be the same? Would it be the same for Felipa?

Her character also made me cry, especially when thinking of her love story with Edilberto. I even associate their love story with some songs, like “Softly as I Leave You” by Frank Sinatra from Edilberto’s point of view and “Solitude” by Billie Holiday from Felipa’s point of view. They had their own battles as a couple, but Edilberto chose to fight for his country’s freedom and left Felipa for his duties. I felt how Felipa was weary and sad that her man chose to leave, but at the same time, she understood his principles. Edilberto was indeed selfless, even when he left Felipa to protect his country. However, it’s heartbreaking to think that the real-life Edilberto, the man who inspired the writer to create this character, was unable to return to his family or lover after saving and protecting a woman from being raped. This story is not just about Felipa; it is also about Edilberto, the real Edilberto who was willing to sacrifice his life to protect someone, a woman. I hope this story reaches him wherever he is because he is truly a hero, a man, a family, a lover. And to every Felipa, sabot taka.

Creative and Production Staff

Director: Krishia Delos Poyos (Stage Name: Kring). Kasalukuyang katungkulan sa buhay: part-time teacher, aktor, direktor, minsan singer. Zodiac Sign: Gemini.

Q: Anong mga kasabihan ang pinapaniwalaan?
A: What we do in life echoes in eternity, pero life begins after coffee kaya wait lang!

Q: Ano masasabi mo kay Manay?
A: Laban lang! Sana 'di mawala ang ngiti sa mukha mo at alab sa puso mo kahit ano mang pagsubok o hamon ang dumating sa buhay.

My Takeaway by Krishia Delos Poyos

The Play: Ang kuwento ng Tahi-Tahing Talinghaga ay hindi bago sa ating lipunan at sa akin bilang isang direktor, talamak ang mga ganitong kuwento ng mga kababaihan sa ating lipunan, ngunit kung paano siya nilatag sa dulang ito ay napaka “unique” para sa akin kung kaya’t masasabi ko na so far, ito iyong challenging na piyesa na na-idirehe ko. Bukod sa mga karaniwang pagsubok sa isang produksyon ay naging challenging ito sa akin dahil sa mga complex na characters na kabilang sa dula at sa nature ng dula mismo; “Human Square” bawat kanto ay may isang kuwento ng isang babae, magkakaiba ngunit konektado ang lahat ng isang sinulid. Iyon ang gusto kong ipahiwatig sa atake ko sa dula. Marami pa akong naiisip na gawin gamit ang konsepto na iyon na “sinulid”. Ganun ka flexible ang material na ‘to. Nang ibinigay ng mandudula ito sa amin ay dito ko napagtanto na the more na malaya ang isang material at ang isang direktor ay mas nagiging challenging talaga siya.

The Manay, Manay! Year 2 experience:  Talagang napakasaya at fulfilling ng experience ko ngayong taon sa Manay, Manay!  Hinding – hindi mawawala ang pagod at mga problema sa proseso ng isang produksyon pero in retrospect, talagang nakakatuwa at nakakataba sa puso ang paggunita sa mga kuwento ng kababaihan, mga babaeng manunulat at mga nagti-teatro, at sa lahat ng sumusuporta rito. Sa mga ganitong mga produksyon ko napapaalala sa sarili ko kung gaano ko kagusto magdirek at mag teatro. Nagsimula ako bilang Performing Arts (Theater) major noong 2018; Aktor, stage manager, sound director o designer, iyon iyong mga typical na roles na ginagampanan ko sa produksyon ngunit nung nabigyan na ko ng oportunidad mag direhe ay mas pinipili ko na siyang gampanin.  Kadalasan, masarap sa pakiramdam maging gabay sa pagbibigay buhay sa isang kuwento at mga karakter na kinabibilangan nito. Kaya’t talagang nagpapasalamat din ako sa oportunidad na ibinigay ng Sining Lila Bicol at ng Manay, Manay! Year 2 na magdirehe muli ngayong taon.

Stage Manager: Ma. Vida Raphaela Candelaria (Stage Name: Vee). Kasalukuyang katungkulan sa buhay: professorial lecturer, minsan singer, minsan choreographer, nagsusulat din pero bihira lang. Zodiac Sign: Scorpio.

Q: Anong mga kasabihan ang pinapaniwalaan?
A: If everything is going well, worry; life is full of uncertainties. 

Q: Ano masasabi mo kay Manay?
A: Whatever you're doing, do it with confidence. We have to man up in this world kaya abante lang nang abante!

Playwright: Eilyn L. Nidea (Stage Name: Ayen). Kasalukuyang katungkulan sa buhay: manunulat, aktres, guro. Zodiac Sign: Taurus.

Q: Anong mga kasabihan ang pinapaniwalaan?
A: Marites - We women should lift one another up. Empowered women empower others.
A: Felipa - Hindi lang sa mga kabundukan at kadawagan ang digmaan. Kung minsan, may mga digmaan din sa ating isipan.

Q: Ano masasabi mo kay Manay?
A: Magpatuloy. Patuloy na magmahal sa sarili, sa kapwa, sa sining. Patuloy na manindigan sa mga pinaniniwalaan at ipinakikipaglaban. Patuloy na magpasyang maging maligaya at mabuhay nang may kabuluhan, at ipagdiwang ang pagiging Manay.

My Takeaway by Eilyn L. Nidea

I watched my experimental play come alive onstage under the theater treatments employed by Director Kring. Having goosebumps and becoming teary-eyed, I came upon these insights:

The Play: I saw new depths and heard new nuances in each woman’s narrative that I might have missed during the time of conceptualizing and writing. I came to realize that there is a little of the four women in each of the woman I know, and I came to empathize with them more. I’m excited to write more women monologues, to add to my growing repertoire.

The Manay, Manay! Year 2 experience: I’m always amazed at the versatility and the genius of women. This year’s Manay, Manay! Festival is another showcase of the Bikolanas’ theatrical prowess that surfaces and succeeds even in times of duress and stress. I’m extending my thanks and appreciation to Sining Lila Bicol for giving my Tahi-tahing Talinghaga a home onstage, and to my Talinghaga Team (Direk Kring, SM Vee, Marites Arra, Biyuda Danie Girl, Estrella Gab, and Felipa Tinay) for breathing life into my vision for Marites, Flora, Estrella, and Felipa. Salamaton! Padagos kita gabos!

P.S. My special thanks to Bern Lugera Banawon, April Acosta, Nica Ombao, and Cresnil Templado, mga padangat na katood sa teatro! I dedicate this latest performance to Direk Carlos A. Arejola, and to my Teatro Ragayano, and Arte Pandananon Familes.