The Rigmat Arts and Culture Fest of Naga City is pleased to announce the restaging of “Mga Aninipot Sa Tahaw Kan Salog” (Fireflies on the River) by the Naga City Arts and Culture Coalition, Inc. and Garden Cafe on August 29 – 30, 2025. The environmental musical play was first shown in 2017. Written by renowned playwright Sari Saysay, and featuring original Bikol music by Jireh Pasano and Joseph Reburiano, “Aninipot” tells of stories of the river, once teeming with vibrant life and holding on through the memories and hauntings of its past voices.
The show features an ensemble of energetic and passionate young artists dedicated to bringing this meaningful story to life. The audience will be enthralled as the performers share their message with renewed vigor and enthusiasm as the fireflies sparkle brighter than ever. Directed for the stage by Bruce Arañas; musical direction by Krhyss Arañas; dance direction by Arjay Madrid; costume direction by Wenifredo M. Reyes Jr. The venue is ALDP Montevista Covered Court, Roxas Avenue, Naga City.
Following is the social media statement by Mga Aninipot sa Tahaw kan Salog on its FB page:
Before it became a musical, Mga Aninipot sa Tahaw kan Salog was a community movement rooted in memory, art, and environmental advocacy. It began with Salba Istorya, Salba Buhay, a 2016 project by Sumaro sa Sulog (SULOG, Inc.) that sought to strengthen citizen participation in river governance through storytelling and culture. Led by Dr. Paz Verdades “Doods” Santos, the project engaged senior citizens and youth from seven riverine towns— Camaligan, Canaman, Magarao, Gainza, Calabanga (Balongay), Minalabac, and Libmanan—inviting them to share memories, draw maps of their past riverside environments, and write rawitdawit, tigsik, and songs.
Through these intergenerational workshops, stories of life along the Bikol River—once clean, now vulnerable—were gathered and preserved. These stories revealed deep ties between the community and the river, and exposed the growing threats posed by pollution, typhoons, and climate change. The project merged indigenous knowledge, science, and the arts in a creative-critical approach to disaster risk reduction and ecological literacy, driven by the principle: save stories to save lives.
The wealth of narratives collected during Salba Istorya, Salba Buhay became the heart of Mga Aninipot sa Tahaw kan Salog, a Bikol musical that transformed community memory into a cultural response to environmental crisis. What started as small literary and artistic performances evolved into a libretto by Sari Saysay, set to music by Jireh Pasano, enriched by Joseph Reburiano, and became a full musical production—a powerful expression of how storytelling can shape policy, inspire action, and build resilience.
By bridging tradition and innovation, memory and advocacy, Salba Istorya, Salba Buhay honored the river that has nurtured generations of Bikolnon. It continues to remind us that the future of our rivers, communities, and culture depends on what stories we choose to tell—and how bravely we act upon them.
Salba Istorya. Salba Buhay. Save the story. Save the life. Save the river.
The header features the cast of Mga Aninipot sa Tahaw kan Salog performing “Nabuhay ang mga Aninipot” (video image capture from their April 2024 performance).