TANYA Lopez, the workshop director of “Holistic and Artistic Initiatives in LaSallian Learning (Haill) Project” with her partner Cleo Patricio, provided us an aircon room with a mini stage. We did a frog’s chant to thank God for everything, seen and unseen.
Our second day gave the students the opportunity to explore the world of Hiligaynon literature. We defined literature as a written expression of life in forms of beauty and truth. The “Sinolatan” (literature) is divided into prose (the use of “pang-adlaw-adlaw nga pulong” and poetry (binalaybay). The distinction between the two could also be based on what we have learned in English literature.
For Hiligaynon prose, we have dialogue, all forms in public speaking, storytelling, narration of historical facts, biography, autobiography, economic analysis, recipe, diary, medical bulletin, news writing (literature in a hurry), essay, opinion, feature writing, articles on art-culture-tourism, commentaries on urgent issues and many more. The brain-run gets tougher, a prelude to nose-bleed.
Hiligaynon poetry is enjoyable. Some consider it “baduy” (corny) but they have also realized the magic and wisdom in our mother tongue. They enjoyed deciphering our “hurubaton” (wise sayings). “Paktakon” (riddles) made them run free while traversing nut cracking riddles that are easy to say but hard to remember the “pakot” (answer).
The “Sabtanay sa Bilasyonan” took them back to time when ladies and gentlemen were having poetic joust during the wake for the dead. In the study, the “Haya sa Namatyan” (Wailing for the dead) would remind us of Sharon Cuneta in her movie, “Crying Ladies.” The thought-provoking and heart-pounding “Pamalaye sang Tiglalake sa Tigbabaye” (betrothal) was creamy.
There was also this “Panagbalay ni San Jose kag Santa Maria (The Search for an Inn), a favorite Christmas street drama in some towns in the Visayas. This is coupled by “Panangis sa Via Crusis” (Chanting for the Death of Christ) and the hypnotizing chant of the “babaylan” during the ritual with bastardized Latin like “egosum pactum dominum nostrum Rizalianom”. The study includes “tabi-tabi” crooning in the abode of the “tag-lugar” (elementals).
For the romantic part, we studied “Mga Pagdayaw sa Hara Sang Pandot” (Acclamation for the barrio Fiesta Queen). I presented to them the 1991 performance of former Governor Conrado J. Norada of Iloilo for the Queen of Balasan in Iloilo. A portion of my sharing dealt on reading “Hiligaynon binalaybay” written by some Visayan poets.
Many of these poems were composed to become beautiful lyrics for Hiligaynon songs. Here I used as examples the “hacienda” music and the fishermen’s song I gathered from Silay. This comprised part of my work as a consultant on Sociology for Silay City government. I shared this one with the many teachers of Negros Occidental at the Provincial Capitol with the assistance of Tourism Officer Cristine Mansinares.
The last part of the module would lead to the future script of Tanya Lopez to be staged at USLS, “The Earth Child, The Moon, and the Child in the Moon.” This is centered on childish dreams... hopes, wishes, and aspirations in life. The child longs for a family that cares, a playmate, something to be discovered, knowing what could be done and what could not be done... even of reaching the moon to meet the child in the moon.
We were guided by a beautiful English poem that we explained in Hiligaynon, “Children Dream What They Live” by Dorothy Law Nolte. That ended the second-day sharing and writeshop followed. Scripts were fashioned by the three groups to be the bases of their stage presentation on the afternoon of the third day.
Our third day was loaded with emotional bursting as the young writers and actors prepared themselves for their “greatest performance ever.” The Artists’ Hub staff was there and the “dramatistas” of Tanya who are now college graduates and have work already. They were there to support and curiously know what the “young blood” can do.
“On stage everyone... action!” OMG! The performances were simply terrific! It was their best. I just facilitated and shared to draw out what is best for the participants. Tanya, Cleo, Gerard and the other persons behind USLS Artists’ Hub were just parenting on what best they can achieve. Congratulations... children of the moon! Kokak!