Felimon Bonita BLANCO, PhD

Instructor

Contact Details
e-mail: felimonblanco@jrmsu.edu.ph
facebook account: Felimon B Blanco
Module 1. Development of Drama in the Philippines

Unit 1. The Indigenous Dramatic Performance Traditions

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this unit, you will be able to:

• describe some of the indigenous dramas performed by indigenous
communities
• create solo improvisation based on an indigenous drama
• appreciate the early beginnings of drama in the country

Content

The Philippines' theater industry is as diverse as the cultural traditions and historical
influences that have molded it throughout the ages. The dramatic forms that have flourished and
continue to flourish among the archipelago's diverse peoples include indigenous theater, mimetic
dances, and mimetic customs; Spanish-influenced plays such as the komedya, sinakulo, religious
playlets, sarsuwela, and drama; Anglo-American-influenced theater such as bodabil and English-
language plays; and modern theater.

In this unit, we will discuss the early performance traditions in the country, which are
attributed to the practices among the indigenous communities.

A. Ritual as Dramatic Performance

The rituals, dances, and customs that are still performed with urgency and vitality by the
country's diverse cultural communities, which account for approximately 17% of the population,
are held or performed together or separately on the life cycle occasions such as birth, baptism,
circumcision, initial menstruation, courtship, wedding, sickness, and death; or as a celebration of
tribal activities such as hunting, fishing, rice planting and harvesting, and going to war.

In the majority of ceremonies, an indigenous priest (or priestess), variably referred to as

mandadawak, catalonan, mambunong, bayok, babaylan, baylan, or babalyan, enters a trance
when the spirit he (or she) summons takes possession of him (or her). While entranced, the
shaman consumes the sacrificial gift, which may be a chicken, a pig, or a carabao, depending on
the seriousness of the spirit's wrath, or it may just be uncooked rice, rice cakes, rice wine, and
betel nut. This act, which symbolizes the supplicant's death at the hands of the spirit, varies
according on the purpose of the ritual.

The diwata ceremony, which culminates a series of actions dedicated to the spirits of
ancestors, is observed by the Tagbanwa of Palawan in southern Philippines after the rice harvest
on the final three days of the last moon. They invoke their supreme deity Mangindusa, the other
gods, and the spirits of their ancestors in this ceremony, requesting a plentiful crop and the
supplicants' well-being. The inside of the babalyan's house is adorned with stripped palm fronds
and bamboo slats engraved with Tagbanwa lettering and patterns to commemorate this
momentous social and religious occasion. At the center of the large room, ritual offerings are
carefully arranged: a small wooden boat suspended from the ceiling serves as a means of
transport for the ancestors from the spirit world; a mat on which bowls or plates of uncooked rice,
jewelry, betel nuts, rice cakes (all of which are later consumed by the people), ginger, and onions
are spread; and a ritual bamboo swing on which the babalyan will sit and eat. Because wine is
not available in the spirit realm, it is the only thing that draws spirits to the celebration, according
to the Tagbanwa.

To the heady music of gongs and drums, the babalyan's assistant, dressed in a sarong
skirt, tight blouse, and sash from which hangs the karis (wavy long knife), initiates the ritual by
performing several dances and shaking the ugsang (stripped palm leaves) in both hands in honor
of Mangindusa, who is said to be perched on the roof of the house. This section concludes with
the babalyan screaming and removing the ceremonial staff from the ceiling, signaling the
departure of Mangindusa. Soon after, the babalyan, dressed similarly to the babalyan but with a
black hood concealing her face, works herself into a trance while sipping wine and throws herself
in the center of the room. She then dances, balancing a bowl of rice, a bowl of candles, or a karis
on her head, while brandishing palm leaves, two porcelain bowls, or a piece of cloth in her hands.
To the continued pounding of the gongs, the babalyan may then aggressively shake the palm
leaves, furiously hit the wine jar's sides, and drink wine, indicating that a spirit has taken
possession of her. As other spirits take turns possessing her, the babalyan's movements may
change—one spirit may wish for her to sip wine, soft drinks, or water; another may wish for her to
smoke cigarettes alongside those participating in the ritual; and yet another may wish for her to
dance with a long knife or bolo on her head, oil the women's hair, or lead the singing of the spirit
song. The possessions conclude with people present drinking, smoking, and partaking in the
ritual's activities.

Interestingly, even among Christianized Filipinos, these animistic rites continue to exist.
In Isabela, the Ibanag's atang-atang ceremony involves a brightly painted tiny bamboo raft filled
with gifts of rice, oil, eggs, cigarettes, and rice cakes, as well as a little chick symbolizing the sick
person's spirit. Two ladies dance, drink, and recite Christian prayers to heal the ill around this
ground-level raft. Later, the ladies extract oil from the raft and apply it on the sick's face, legs, or
hands.

Apart from ceremonies, tribal dances, which were often mimetic in nature, might be called
proto-dramas. Numerous these dances, which commemorate significant occasions like baptism,
courtship, marriage, and even death, also represent significant community activities. The
Cordillera people have dances that depict the process of hunting and killing a boar, as well as the
practice of headhunting. The Aeta of Zambales perform dances that demonstrate both the
methods used to collect wild honey in the forest and those used to hunt for fish. The Tausug of
Sulu are known for their dances that depict how oranges are harvested and how not to capture
mudfish. The war dance, on the other hand, is the most significant dance for the majority of
indigenous communities in the Philippines. The Higaonon war dance of Mindanao is modeled by
the motions of warriors with spears and shields. Similarly, proto-dramas are dances that are
playful imitations of animals, such as the Aeta's monkey, fish, and fly dances in Luzon; the
Higaonon's hawk dances in Mindanao; and the Tausug's butterfly, monkey, and bird dances in
Sulu.
 Some traditions connected with romance, marriage, and death are modeled by those
found in ethnic groups. The most frequent courting ritual is the argument between a man and a
girl, which may include poetry, song, and dance. In the Maranao panonoroon, a boy and a girl
exchange metaphorical poems, with the boy professing his love for the girl and the latter rebuffing
his verbal overtures. The Cebuano balitaw is a collection of antiphonal songs sung by male and
female singers that discuss not just love but also the issues of married couples and rural laborers.
Among the Tagalog, the duplo, or song and dance discussion, is transformed into an exchange
of spoken lines. Male poets referred to as bilyako use proverbs, riddles, the pasyon, and the awit
(metrical romances), as well as current events, to promote their suits to female poets referred to
as bilyaka. In the 1920s, the duplo evolved into a formal discussion about a particular subject,
which was dubbed the balagtasan.

Mimetic wedding customs include the Tagalog pamanhikan, in which representatives of

the boy's and girl's families speak in metaphorical language to settle the dowry or bride price; and
the Blaan samsung, in which the bride and groom are "forced" to sit beside each other with their
hair tied together after the bride price is paid, despite the bride's "objections." On the other side,
mimetic death rituals are illustrated by the baraning usa of the Aeta of Camarines, in which a deer
constructed entirely of banana stalks and twigs is "hunted down" and given to the deceased in
order to transport them to the next world.

Short dance-dramas may be used to tell a narrative or to portray an incident from a well-
known epic. The Matigsalug's pandamgo is a series of scenes depicting how a mother raises her
daughter from childhood to maturity, how the girl is courted by two men, how the mother openly
prefers one man over the man the girl prefers, how the men fight each other for the girl, and how
they kill each other in the process. Similarly, the Maranao singkil dance re-enacts an event from
the epic Darangen, in which Prince Bantugan rescues Princess Gandingan from the wicked
mountain spirits, who attempt to halt the pair by throwing trees in Bantugan's path and opening
the ground to swallow Gandingan. Bantugan dances skillfully over eight pairs of clashing
bamboos symbolizing the earthquake, while Gandingan deftly dances over a range of clashing
shields carried by two rows of soldiers.

Indigenous plays, on the whole, are well incorporated into the life of indigenous Filipinos.
These rituals, dances, and traditions serve as an expression of their core beliefs, activities, and
material culture. Additionally, they contribute to the tribe's fundamental requirements for a
successful crop, battle triumph, and the bodily and spiritual well-being of their sick, infants, young,
and newlyweds. Finally, these plays strengthen the connection between community members
and motivate them to work together for the common benefit. Baptism, circumcision, and marriage
rituals, as well as dances that teach youngsters how to hunt for honey, fish, and fight in battle, all
serve the greater good. A successful crop, as well as an abundance of honey and fish, clearly
benefit the tribe, while the exhibition of war dances teaches young males their main responsibility
as men—namely, repelling aggressors to guarantee the group's existence. Similarly, the traditions
connected with courting, marriage, and death allow for the expression of personal feelings in a
socially acceptable manner and educate everyone about the new connections that must be
honored in order for their community to remain harmonious.