Ang Palengke by Conrad Panganiban

Act 1

Scene 1

The story takes place in the Philippines - a place in the city where everything happens -
The Palengke (the Marketplace). The time is the present.
(Curtains are still closed. Marya and Rowena come out from stage left carrying paper
Bags with handles on them)

(As they are "talking" to each other, Marya's Mom calls her from behind the curtains
Stage left.)

Mrs. de la Cruz: (shouting) Marya! Marya! Hoy, Marya!

Marya: (stopping with Rowena.) Wait here, okay. (Turns back around looking up.
Shouts back.) Bakit, Nay! (Rowena takes out a pocket mirror from her bag and fixes her
Hair, while facing stage left.)

Mrs. de la Cruz: (Enter from stage left.) Marya, don't porget to buy some talong from your
Tio Bong at the Palengke, Okay! Tsaka, kailangan ko ng kamatis, litsugas and dalawang niyog.
Oh eto, (takes out some money from her pocket). Umuwi ka agad bago makarating Ate mo,
Tulungan mo ako magluto para sa party.

Marya: (reassuringly)sige po, I won't forget mom. (Takes the money and puts it into her bag.
She walks back to Rowena.)
(Exit Mrs. de la Cruz stage left.)

Rowena: (turns to look at Marya, but still has the mirror in her hand.) Why is your mom parang mainit
ang ulo sayo minsan?

Marya: Kinakabahan lang siguro sa paguwi ni alex, alam mo naman ngayon lang sya nagkaroon ng anak
na Doctor. Tsaka di naman mainit ulo nya lagi, kaso nga lang naging only child ako nung umalis si Alex 2
years ago kaya ako na naging taga pangalaga ni Nanay at ng bahay

Rowena: Hmm. (trying to avoid making Marya uncomfortable, she returns to fixing her
hair.) Do you think that Erick will be working at the Palengke today? Dapat mapansin nya bago kong
haircut

Marya: (looking at Rowena as if she were crazy.) Oh, Rowena.

Tigilan mo na kaya? First year highschool palang tayo naghahabol ka na sa kanya. I really hate to break it
to you, but I don't think that he's really interested.
(Rowena turns in disbelief) Look, ayaw lang kitang masaktan.
Rowena: Playing hard to get lang yon, alam mo naman mahiyan kasi sya. Tignan mo one day ikakasal
kami, magkaka bahay, and have lots of kids running around. At pag nakita nya ang new look ko... (poses
a Madonna'esque Vogue.)
Marya: (hitting Rowena on her arm.) Ay, loko. (They both laugh.) Tara na nga. Kailangan ko maka balik
agad bago dumating si Alex baka patayin ako ni nanay pag hindi

Rowena: Si Alex kaya?

Marya: Ano si Alex?

Rowena: I mean, magagandahan kaya si Alex sa new hair ko? I bet he's probably seen this style on every
woman sa California.

Marya: (shakes her head, grabs Rowena's arm) Tara na, Rowena.

Scene 2

(Curtains open up to reveal the Palengke. Many workers and customers walk across the stage starting
from all directions. People are moving and talking. Bargaining scenes are shouted over the crowd.)

(from right to left) Erick is working at a stand located down-left. An old man is to the left of another
stand up-center-left. A group of men are on the left side of this stand playing cards and drinking beer.
And, a women selling purses at her stand is on the left side.)

(Marya and Rowena is going to Erick's stand.)

Rowena: (grabbing Erick's hand.) Hi, Erick. May napapansin ka bang bago sakin?(poses again.)

Erick: Napansin ko na nandito ka nanaman, bitaw (letting go of Rowena's hand.)

Rowena: (acts as if she has been insulted, then smiles and grabs his hand again.) Ah, Erick. Niloloko mo
nanaman ako eh joker ka talaga(Erick just rolls his eyes and looks up.)

Marya: (now takes Rowena's other hand.) Uh, Rowena we have to go. (Smiling at Erick.) Mag babye ka
na sa boyfriend mo (Erick looks at Marya, puts down his chin, smiles, and shakes his head.)

Rowena: (let's go of Erick's hand.) aalis na kami , pero I’ll be back tapos kain tayo ng merienda, okay?
Tapos kakantahan mo ako sa harap ng maraming tao, tapos maiinggit sila sakin kasi I have the most
talented boyfriend in all of Philippines ihhh

Erick: Rowena, we're just friends. Remember? Friends?

Rowena: Of course we're friends! (turning to Marya) See, Marya? Ang cute nya kasi ayaw nyang sabihin
na kami na para hindi ka mainggit (Turns back to Erick, dreamy.) You're so sweet. (Noticing something
on the side of Erick's mouth. Takes out a Kleenex from her bag, licks part of it and goes to Erick and tries
to wipe it off. Erick starts to fight her off.)

Marya: (grabbing Rowena's arm and pulls her away from Erick.) Rowena, tara na!
Rowena: (composing herself, to Erick) Sorry... there's something on... your... Uh, well I'll see you at
Alex's welcome party? (As the girls start to walk away...)

Erick: Uh, Marya. (The girls stop and turn around.) Can I talk to you for a minute?
Marya: (looking at Rowena and back at Erick.) Uh, sure. (She begins walking back to the stand.) (Rowena
takes out her mirror again and the men playing cards see her and she flirts with them.)

Erick: It's about Alex's welcome home party. Hindi yata ako makakapunta.

Marya: Why not? Alex will be so happy to see you there.

Erick: (looking down) Uh.. business. (looks up) Oo tama, uh.. (rolling his eyes) Marami akong aasikasuhin

Marya: (suspecting something is wrong, but doesn't force anything.) Well, sana magbago pa isip
mo(turns back around and starts back toward Rowena. SPOTLIGHT follows her.)

Rowena: ano yon?

Marya: Uh... sabi nya mamimiss ka daw nya

Rowena: (suprised) Talaga?! (Waves back at Erick and blows him a kiss.) I will miss you too, my darling

(Marya and Rowena exit stage. But first they pass the old man who is sitting down. Marya stops and
looks in her purse and takes out some coins and gives it to him. Rowena waits impatiently. He takes the
money and puts it into his pocket. Now, they exit.)

Scene 3

(The Old man looks into his palm at the change that she has given him. He scratches his head and puts it
into his pocket.)

Old man: (to some of the shoppers who pass him by.) Don't hate me because I'm beautiful. (to the
audience, and walking forward) maniwala kayo sa hindi. I was not always like the man that you see
before you. At wala akong balak maging ganito habang buhay. No, I won't. Because, one day these
people will respect me. Oh, yes they will.

(the customers in the background are waving him off, "sure we will.")

Old man: (as he walks downstage, the curtain closes behind him) Also, one day those people will throw
me a big party at the Manila Hotel. Or better still, at Malakanang Palace.

Oh, yes. It will be like the Spanish Galas my Lola told me about when I was a child. Back when the
Philippines was Spanish ruled, and the people were dressed more elegantly than the kids today. And I
won't be wearing these rags that you see. As a matter of fact, I will be wearing one of my brand new
barong tagalogs. So new that everyone from a mile away can see right through it. And the women
there... oh, (sighs and looks up) the ladies in their Maria Clara Dresses. They will all want to dance with
me of course. (Pretends like he is dancing. Stops and laughs at himself.) I might seem like a foolish old
man, but these are not foolish old dreams. (sighs) Someday... (starts to walk off stage. He stops. Turns)
facing the audience.) Someday at this big party. (Exit stage right.) (As the old man exits the curtains open
up the Maria Clara Ballroom scene.
[SPANISH DANCES]

(Applause ends, close curtains.)

Scene 4

(Enter from stage right, Ligaya and Jun. A brother and sister in rags. Jun enters with a box that carries
cigarettes and Ligaya has an old thrown-out backpack. They get to right center stage, put down their
stuff and sit down.)

Jun: (gets the backpack and opens it to take out some bread.) Ligaya oh. (Breaks a piece of bread and
gives it to her. Then breaks a piece for himself.)

Ligaya: (slowly takes a bite) Jun, kalian tayo magkaka tirahan? Sabi mo may mga kamag anak tayo sa QC,
bakit hindi tayo pumunta don?

Jun: Eto nanaman ba tayo? Sabi ko sayo pag nagka pera tayo bibili tayo ng maayos na damit bago tayo
umalis dito. Sa tingin mo ba may tatanggap satin kung marungis tayo? (grabs his shirt)

Ligaya: Pero sabi ni nanay ang pamilya ay pamilya, wala daw sa pananamit yon kasi blood is thicker than
water tapos sabi ni nanay

Jun: (cutting her off) Pero wala na si nanay. (Bites a piece of bread. Ligaya is silent.) Ligaya, pangarap ko
rin na magkaroon ulit ng masayang pamilya pero andito pa naman tayo ngayon para sa isat isa. (pauses)
hindi pa ba ako sapat para maging pamilya mo?

Ligaya: (annoyed) Oo naman, anong klaseng tanong yan?! Pero pagod na kasi akong mabuhay, (looks
around) mabuhay ng ganito (stands up) pagod na akong magisip kung may maayos akong tutulugan sa
gabi, pagod na akong tinapay lang ang pwede kong makain. Araw-araw tinapay! (sarcastically) sasaya na
ako sa kahit mantikilya lang (stares at a silent Jun who's chewing on his piece of bread. She turns away.)
Kuya Jun, pagod na ako sa lahat ng to

Jun: (stands up) Ligaya, Pasensya na. (carresses her shoulders from behind) Kuya mo ako, ibinibigay ko
dapat sayo lahat, sinusubukan ko naman (pauses)Buti nga may tinapay tayo at hindi namamasura
kagaya ng ibang batang katulad natin (trying to be funny) (let's go of her, looks up and moves a little
downstage. Dreamy) Naalala mo nung pumasok tayo sa sinehan tapos buong araw tayo roon? Naaalala
mo ba yung bahay ni Sharon Cuneta? Ang laki diba? Balang araw titira din tayo sa ganon, magkaka yaya,
maraming pagkain at malambot na higaan. Tignan mo magkakaroon tayo ng lahat gaya ng sa pelikula...

Ligaya: (turning around to face her brother) Sorry. (tries to smile) hindi ka talaga madaling masiraan ng
loob.

(Jun shrugs his shoulders.)

Ligaya: pero... kailan? (looks down)

Jun: (picks up her chin with his hand) ganito, magtatanong ako sa palengke tungkol sa tia natin na nasa
QC, okay?
Ligaya: (smiles) Okay. (They hug.)

Jun: ngayon kailangan ko na magtrabaho para mabilhan kita ng mantikilya. (laughs) (they gather their
stuff and the curtains open and the lights go up revealing the Palengke once again. It's busy with
business.)
Jun: (taking his cigarette box. Yelling.) Yosi….sigarilyo!!!