SENAKULO

One of the Lenten traditions that have evolved throughout the centuries since it has been first
performed is the Senakulo. The Senakulo (or cenaculo) is the staged re-enactment of Christ’s
passion and death.

The word “cenaculo” (or cenacle) is derived from Spanish and describes the place where Jesus
and his disciples celebrated the Last Supper.

The play began along the outskirts of Pasay in 1902 and is roughly based on Filipino Gaspar
Aquino de Belen's poem “Pasyon,” which he wrote in 1703.

It is a nationwide event that helps devout locals relieve biblical events pertinent to the life,
tribulations and ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

In the Philippines, this tradition started back in 1904 in Barrio Dayap, Cainta, Rizal which is
presently the area covering three barangays in Cainta- Sto. Domingo, Sto. Niño and Sta. Rosa.

The performance of the Senakulo is traced to the late 17th and early 18th centuries when the first
Pasyon text was written.

During the 5th century, it evolved into a mature form. The depiction of the Passion of Christ
became more dramatic with elaborate props and well-rehearsed action. That was also the time
when it was written in rhyme.

In some provinces, the traditional performance of a Senakulo may last from 7 to 8 days.

Shortened versions however have been staged during Good Friday, beginning only from the
agony of Christ, particularly in the urban areas.

The town or church plaza, as well as the streets, serve as the venue of most Senakulo
performances. In some instances, during the early 20th century, it has also been performed in
sabungan (cockpits) in areas near Manila.

Senakulo actors would prepare the props and sew their own costumes in anticipation of the Holy
Week while the stage is built in the plaza using scaffolding and wooden boards, which are
painted to serve as the backdrop.

SARSWELA

What is Sarswela?

Zarzuela is a Spanish lyric-dramatic genre that alternates between spoken and sung scenes, the
latter incorporating operatic and popular songs, as well as dance.

The etymology of the name is uncertain, but some propose it may derive from the name of a
royal hunting lodge, the Palace of Zarzuela, near Madrid, where that type of entertainment was
allegedly first presented to the court.

Sarswela is a play with songs and dances usually written in prose, containing from one to five
acts, depicting the vagaries of romantic love among idealized Filipino characters, and often
incorporating contemporary social, political, economic or cultural issues for relevance and
interest.

WHY IS IT CALLED ZARZUELA?

Many of these events were held in La Zarzuela, the royal hunting lodge, so named because it was
surrounded by zarzas (“brambles”). Musical theatre performances of the type held at the lodge
eventually became known as zarzuelas.
Zarzuela originated in Spain in the 17th century but reached its definitive form in the 19th
century as a mixture of instrumental music, singing, dancing and the spoken word that
encompassed the rhythms and traditions of the diverse cultures of Spain.

TWO MAIN FORMS OF ZARZUELA:

Baroque Zarzuela &Romantic Zarzuela

BAROQUE SARSWELA

The earliest style were a mixture of gods, mythological creatures and rustic or pastoral comedy
characters.

ROMANTIC ZARZUELA

Divided into two main subgenres, género grande and género chico, although other sub-divisions
exist.

Jugar Con Fuego by Francisco Asenjo Barbieri was the first zarzuela introduced in the country in
late 1878 or early 1879.

THE FAMOUS ZARZUELA IN THE PHILIPPINES

Dalagang Bukid (Hermogenes Ilagan, 1917)

Paglipas ng Dilim (Precioso Palma, 1920)

The elements of the Philippine Zarzuela is that there are male and female main actors and
assisting actors dressed in different outfits depending on the theme of the story and on the roles
of the actors

IMPORTANCE OF ZARZUELA iN THE PHILIPPINES

A zarzuela does not only introduce Filipino values to the young, but it also offers entertainment
that is creatively presented. It can be appreciated by both the young and the old. However, the
popularity of zarzuelas has declined over the years. Nonetheless, Filipino zarzuelas are still
around.

LAGAYLAY

One of the key informants of this research is Mrs. Aurora Lara, the current trainer of the lagayla.
Other informants were also interviewed like elderly, local historian, centered to the devotion to
the Holy Cross used in the crucifixion of Jesus.

In the roman churches, May 3 was celebrated as the feast of the finding of the true Cross by St.
Helena. The Lagaylay is one unique activity in the town of Canaman during the Santacruzan.

It is a performance that re-enacts the finding of the Holy Cross by St. Helena and her entourage.
It is a two-hour song and dance performance that exalts the Holy Cross which is regarded by the
Catholics as the instrument of your salvation.

This performed by young girls/women (who are referred to as para-lagylay) usually around the
age of 9 to 19 playing different roles of Reyna Elena, responde,paraduyag, and panamparan.

Apart from it is performed for two hours or so, it is also repeated in its entirely for nine
consecutive nights, which starts from May 3 until May 11. The rest of the participants are
expected to wear nine elegant dresses matched with shoes and other accessories for nine
consecutive nights.

The Reyna Elena - the one who plays Reyna Elena wears gown, a crown, and a cape.

Her attire and accessories represent the image queen.

The Paraduyag - are usually the smallest and youngest girls among the group standing beside the
Reyna Elena.

The Responde

-is a pair of spokeswomen positioned in front of the formation.

The Panamparan

- Llana refers panamparan are guards of honor. The term may have also been derived from the
word "Tampad"

(or Panampad) , which means parallel or equivalent, the girls stand next to each other as pair

In Paraduyag the word duyag was defined as a noise created out of joy

The paraduyag are the two main performers in this part. They move forward and sing while
waving their flags. Waving of flags symbolizes, pride, victory, and joy.

GROUP 3

SAINETE, CARILLO AND MORO-MORO

SAINETE

This was a short musical comedy popular during the 18 th century. They were exaggerated
comedies shown between acts of long plays and were mostly performed by characters from the
lower classes. Themes were taken from everyday life scenarios.

CARILLO

Also known as shadow play. This is a form of dramatic entertainment performed on a

moonless night during a town fiesta or on dark nights after a harvest. This shadow play is made
by projecting cardboard figures before a lamp against a white sheet. The figures are moved like
marionettes whose dialogues are produced by some experts. The dialogues are drawn from a
Corrido or Awit or some religious play interspersed with songs. These are called by various
names in different places: Carillo in Manila, Rizal and Batangas and Laguan; TITRES in Ilocos
Norte, Pangasinan, Bataan, Capiz and Negros; TITIRI in Zambales; GAGALO or KIKIMUT in
Pampanga and Tarlac; and ALIALA in La Union.

MORO-MORO

Like the Cenaculo, the Moro-moro is presented also on a special stage. This is performed
during town fiestas to entertain the people and to remind them of their Christian religion. The
plot is usually the same that of a Christian princess or a nobleman’s daughter who is captured by
the Mohammedans. The father organizes a rescue party where fighting between the Moros and
the Christians ensue.

A play that became popular in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial period where the
Moros were portrayed as perpetual villains who always lost to Christians in the end. It depicts
battles, in a rather comedic way, between Christians and Moros as Muslims in the Philippines
prefer to be called. Muslim secessionist rebel groups in the Philippines call themselves as either
the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) or the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Nowadays, moro-moro is a term used to mean a situation being played from a given script. But
reference to any moro-moro is by no means a pejorative of our Muslim brothers.
 The earliest known form of organized theater is the comedia, or moro-moro, created by Spanish
priests. In 1637 a play was written to dramatize the recent capture by a Christian Filipino army of
an Islamic stronghold. It was so popular that other plays were written and staged as folk dramas
in Christianize villages...

Dramatic Performances during Spanish Era

in the Philippines

When the Spaniards came, there was an immediate shift on the focus of literature. It became
centered on the Christian faith, and the stories about natural phenomena suddenly became all
about the lives of saints and other religious hymns. Slowly, Philippine literature started to
emulate the traditional Spanish ways of themes and forms in writing, including the repetitive
plots and obvious shadowy characters. Despite these changes, Filipinos still found a way to make
Spanish literature their own, as shown through these common kinds:

THE DUNG-AW

This is a chant in free verse by a bereaved person or his representative beside the corpse of the
dead. No definite meter or rhyming scheme is used. The person chanting it freely recites in
poetic rhythm according to his feelings, emotions and thoughts. It is personalized and usually
deal with the life, sufferings and sacrifices of the dead and includes apologies for his
misdeeds.

DUNG-AW Is an ancient poetry and tradition of Ilocano. It is a sung as a lament person dies. In
this poem speaks of the goodness of man died when he was alive.

THE ART OF DUNGAW

Ilocanos have a collection of dirges or dung- aw, chanted or waited in funeral wakes lamenting
the passing of the dead. To tourists or non-ilokanos hearing dung-aw, it sounds like a phrase that
is more sang than spoken. It usually peaks to a creascendo of discordant shouting then tapers of
to melodic whimpering.

TRADITION OF DUNG-AW

Dung-aw is the song of soul that ilocanos sing to ease the pain of losing a loved one. It is the
release of the pent-up flood of indignation and suffering. A cry from the heart that can no longer
keep its peace.

In a wake, when one person starts chanting dung-aw, a lot more people follow, so that the whole
chorus sounds like one synchronized voice punctuated by an occasional scream. Not just women,
but also men, sing this song of grief.

THE AWIT and the CORRIDO

Some use these two interchangeably because the distinction is not clear. For purposes of
comparison, we distinguish the two this way: The Corrido is in octosyllabic (8) verse. The Awit
is in dodecasyllabic (12) verse.

The CORRIDORS were usually on legends or stories from European countries like
France, Spain, Italy and Greece.

The AWITS, fabricated stories from writers' imagination although the setting and
characters are European. It also refers to a chivalric poem about a hero, usually about a saint. It
is also usually sung and used in religious processions.

Awit (poem) The awit ( Tagalog for "song") is a type of Filipino poem, consisting of 12-syllable
quatrains. It follows the pattern of rhyming stanzas established in the Philippine epic Pasyon. It
is similar in form to the corrido. One influential work in the awit form is Florante at Laura, an
1838 narrative poem by Francisco Balagtas.

The CORRIDO refers to a legendary religious narrative form that usually details the lives of
saints or the history of a tradition. In oral literature we find a great variety of formats through
which the verbal experience has been taking place, one of them has been the corrido, a genre that
has evolved in the American continent, especially in the Mexican territory. It is a type of oral
literature that is created to recite, sing and even dance. However, this expression has a
particularity and it is possible to find it in the form of a poem or in other formats such as song or
ballad.
What is a corrido Another of the names by which the Mexican corrido is popularly known is
tragedias mañanitas, verses or coplas. One of its most important characteristics is related to the
subject matter, since corridos deal with topics such as politics, history, sentimental relationships,
revenge, among others, even though in its beginnings it was focused on narrating the exploits
and battles of the Mexican Revolution.

The AWIT refers to chanting: The Corrido and the Awit are both referred to as narrative poetry.
An example of an Awit is FLORANTE AT LAURA (by Francisco Balagtas), and NASAAN SI
LAURA (an excerpt from the whole AWIT). An example of the CORRIDO is IBONG
ADARNA by Jose dela Cruz (Huseng Sisiw) and HISTORIA FAMOSA by Bernardo Carpio

Example for Corrido: IBONG ADARNA

O birheng kaibig-ibig
Ina naming nasa langit,
Liwanagin yaring isip
Nang sa layo'y di malihis.

Ganito ang napagsapit

Ng haring kaibig-ibig
Nang siya'y managinip
Isang gabing naiidlip

Di-umano'y si Don Juan

Bunso niyang minamahal
Ay nililo at pinatay
Ng dalawang tampalasan

May isang ibong maganda

Ang pangalan ay Adarna,
Pag naririnig mong kumanta
Sa sakit ay giginhawa.

Example for Awit: FLORANTE AT LAURA OF FRANCISCO BALTAZAR

"BALAGTAS"

The most quoted line regarding the power of love are the following:
O Pagsintang labis ng kapangyarihan
Sampung mag-aama'y iyong nasasaklaw!
Pag ikaw ang nasok sa puso nino man,
Hahamaking lahat masunod ka lamang
At yuyurakan na ang lalong dakila,
Bait, katuwira'y ipanganganyaya
Buong katungkula'y wawalang-bahala sampo ng hininga'y ipauubaya

The POEM tells the story of love made triumphant against a sinister background of political
intrigue and corruption. It is a masterpiece of local versification upholding moral.

DALIT

Religious matters were printed in prose in the form of novenas and prayer books, biographies of
the saints, tales and novels.

Dalit – a religious hymn in verse.

- short form of indigenous Pilipino poetry composed of four lines of eight syllables each,
usually following a rhyming pattern.

These kinds of Spanish colonial literature show how welcoming your Filipino ancestors were to
the Catholic faith. Most of them were happy to be baptized and immediately began to follow
Catholicism’s traditions and teachings. This faith and belief transcended up until now, because
the Philippines is the third largest Catholic nation in the world in terms of population (after
Brazil and Mexico). At the same time, these kinds of literature also helped shape the literature
that we have today, not only in terms of faith, but also in terms of values system, societal norms,
and realizations about life

The dalit is a type of short Filipino poem, consisting of four lines with eight syllables each.[1]
There is a controversy regarding its origin. One school of thought states that the dalit is Spanish
in origin, particularly because its syllabification is even or pares. Hence, it is said that the
Spanish popularized the dalit in the Philippines. Another view holds that the dalit is indigenous,
but the friars used its popularity to promote Catholicism, in the form of meditative verses.