Uplifting the youth

Teatro Tubigon of San Jose de Buenavista, Antique.

Through the years, the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) has developed hundreds of young artists and cultural leaders and founded numerous youth drama groups throughout the archipelago.

Now on its 51st year, PETA continues to invest in the youth through its program on creativity and innovation, Arts Education Matters.

With support coming from former PETA Board of Trustees chairman, Peter Garrucho Jr., Arts Education Matters aims to use the power of theater to engage young people in vital social concerns, helping them become more informed, responsible and pro-active citizens. The project directly targets students to become cultural creatives and helps basic education teachers to be innovators in classroom education.

As part of this project, PETA has focused its resources in Central Luzon, Western and Central Visayas and Central Mindanao. It reaches out to far flung areas that are seedbeds of rich cultural heritage and tradition but are currently lacking in platforms for theater to flourish in universities and colleges.

One of PETA’s recent partners in the Panay region is the municipality of San Jose de Buenavista, the capital of the province of Antique.

San Jose de Buenavista’s pioneering theater group

In 2018, PETA conducted a three-day workshop with the students of Antique National School (ANS) as part of the Panakayon Arts and Culture Camp, an initiative of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), Sigmahanon Foundation for Culture the Arts Inc. (SCFAI) and the local government of San Jose de Buenavista.

Following the success of this workshop, PETA officially partnered with the local government of San Jose to further develop and enhance the capacities of students through a series of specialized theater trainings.

A year later, San Jose was able to establish its very own theater group which boasts of some of the most talented young artists in the region.

Demie Paza and Deo Dame Saligumba, students of Antique National School. “Antique National School has a population of 7,000 students, but in the past years, only three to five students will enroll in the arts track under the K-12 program. There was very little interest in the arts,” shares Arvin Pereyra, Teacher of Special Program in the Arts (SPA), Antique National School.

“In fact, the SPA has existed in the last 10 years, but the school did not have a theater group until now. That is why we are very thankful to PETA that we are given the support we need to build Teatro Tubigon,” Pereyra adds.

“Aside from learning theater, the students are also beginning to appreciate their own culture and heritage as we have now focused on promoting and preserving our local traditions through contemporary theater. PETA has helped us in mounting our production entitled Tinugyanan, a Kinaray-a musical, which expresses ones love for their home, their banwa,” Pereyra enthused.

Currently, Teatro Tubigon is planning to expand to other universities and communities in Antique to develop a network of young artists in the municipality.

Discovering the young artists of San Jose

Barely a year old, Teatro Tubigon has now touched many young lives. Among them is Erlou Raymundo Jr., a 17 year-old student of Antique National School. Erlou was a former night secondary student who works in the morning as a kakanin vendor to sustain his education.

“I wake up at 3 a.m. to cook, and will spend the entire morning to sell the food, so that I can have my P20 baon (money) for my school in the evening. I’ve always loved performing but I did not have the means to share and enhance my talents then.” Thanks to Teatro Tubigon, Erlou has found his voice and gained his confidence despite his personal challenges.

Deo Dame Saligumba and Demie Paza, also students of Antique National School are both known singers prior to joining Teatro Tubigon. Now they are recognized as versatile theater actresses and future leaders of their organization after joining a series of theater workshops with PETA.

According to Deo, PETA was responsible for igniting her interest and love for theater and appreciation of her heritage, “PETA’s workshop is not just about acting, more importantly, it teaches us young people to understand, take pride in our own heritage and culture and promote it.”

“Aside from acting, I am now able to teach and facilitate activities for our group. I feel good that I am able to impart and share what I have learned from PETA to my peers. The workshop made me realize that I am a leader too,” Deo adds.

“PETA has taught me to be more versatile. It has given me confidence and has allowed me to collaborate with my peers. This is my dream.” Demie shares.

Enriching the creative community of Balete

Panakayon in Hiligaynon means “journey” and for three years now, the young artists and cultural creatives of Jordan, Guimaras; San Jose, Antique; Miag-ao, Iloilo; Balete, Aklan; and Cuartero, Capiz have been on a journey towards discovering and promoting the rich and diverse cultural heritage of Western Visayas through the Panakayon Culture and Arts Camp.

This year, the host town Balete, Aklan, has tapped PETA to guide the direction of the Panakayon Phase 3 Arts Camp through the leadership of PETA artist-teacher Bong Billones.

“Despite being a fourth class municipality, a very small town with limited local resources, we were able to accomplish this Panakayon Phase 3 through the help of the Sigmahanon Foundation and PETA,” says Councilor Patrick Lachica.

Known as one of the most eco-friendly and creative town in the region, the host town of Balete converted their entire town into a creative space, showcasing the unique cultures, traditions, attractions and innate creativity of the participating municipalities. PETA also assisted them in curating a unique cultural experience for the participants of Panakayon.

Balete featured its unique art hub Basura Garden, its Sotis folk dance, its fine piña fabrics, their local cuisine like the binakoe, a version of the binakol which is stewed native chicken cooked inside bamboo tubes, as well as other local delicacies.

The young people and cultural creatives of San Jose de Buenavista, Antique and the town and community of Balete, Aklan, are a living proof that the arts not only unleash the imagination and creativity but also promotes a sense of identity and pride of place. It empowers people to influence positive change. Through the Arts Ed Program, PETA hopes to continue enlivening and strengthening the arts in the regions and provide opportunities for people to express themselves and act in ways that can contribute meaningfully to the betterment of their community.

The Arts Ed Program is part of Stage of the Nation, PETA’s creative campaign that hopes to utilize the arts and engage artists to contribute to the discourses that concern our nation.

For more information contact PETA at (02) 726-6244 or email petafr@petatheater.com, petatheater@gmail.com or visit www. petatheater.com/stageofthenation.