Republic of the Philippines

Bicol University
COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND PHILOSOPHY
SOCIAL WORK DEPARTMENT
ISO 9001:2015
Daraga Campus, Daraga, Albay
TUV Rheinland ID 910863351

Jonathan B. Bigueras BS Social Work 3-C

Bantawan is a Cebuano word which means stage or platform. It is a group from

Legazpi City Science High School composed of HUMSS Students who are into theatrical
plays. In my two years’ experience of being a part of Bantawan I can truly say that this
group changed me as a person. Through joining this group, I shed away the shyness
and boost up the confidence of mine through performing in front of huge crowd and
give my best through it all. This group serve as my avenue to meet new people, as well
as get chance to make new friends. Aside from that, it increases and improves my social
experience just by mingling with my peers. The drama lessons provided by Bantawan
allowed me to become a lot more creative. It lets me come out of my practical modern
life and enter into the world of imagination. So, it is one great way that showcase my
creativity. Bantawan members work together to meet rehearsal deadlines, master
challenging scenes and develop a work of art in a limited timeframe. One of the things
that I like about the group is the way they promote teamwork to accomplish big goals.
Disappointing auditions for a certain role or character are part of the process, but they
motivate us, performers, to hone our skills and cultivate better goal-setting techniques.
Also, performing onstage is frightening for newbies and it’s one of my most memorable
moment when I performed my debut, which is why this organization members’ feel an
immense confidence boost after they practice hard, work together, and successfully
stage a play for schoolmates, friends, mentor and family. I am very grateful for
Bantawan in aiding us to gain confidence, build camaraderie, learn leadership, practice
teamwork and build a skill set not only for a theater stage, but for the real world. In
addition, when I portray characters onstage, I practice putting myself in others’ shoes
which in turn honed my empathy through internalizing. Among other benefits, Bantawan
made a significant difference in the lives of student by teaching us the ability to
understand the feelings of others.