TANGHALANG Pilipino is now down to its last production for its 37th theater season at the CCP Black Box Theater, which aims to promote the truth to Filipinos, especially the young generation, with its theme “Unfilter!”
And it seems that the resident drama company of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) wants to cap off the theater season strongly as it hopes to ignite positive change among Filipinos and in society with “Pingkian: Isang Musikal,” written by Juan Ekis.
The musical centers on the life of Filipino general Emilio Jacinto, from the end of the Philippine Revolution in 1898 to the start of the Philippine-American War in 1899, and how he fought for his country’s freedom at a young age.
But Jacinto, also known as “Pingkian” in Katipunan, showed that standing up for freedom and rights did not automatically mean that one had to engage in a bloodbath.
In fact, it starts with a person’s will to make a change, said theater actor Vic Robinson who portrays the role of Jacinto or Pingkian in the musical.
“Ang tunay na himagsikan ay sa loob nagsisimula. When you say revolution, it doesn’t necessarily mean kailangan may putukan, kailangan may barilan. Minsan sa sarili natin magsimula ang desire sa isang magandang society para sa kapwa natin,” he stressed.
“Hindi natin kailangan makipaglaban, makipagpatayan, kailangan natin simulan sa saril natin mismo at gawin natin ang mga simpleng paraan para maka-create o maka-spark ng change sa society natin,” he continued.
Such a characteristic of Jacinto is still being embodied by members of Generation Z, according to Robinson.
The theater actor noticed how young individuals were able to express themselves in the age of social media, and thanks to their ancestors, Filipinos today were able to enjoy this kind of freedom.
He hopes that these young individuals will use this huge platform to connect and extend their hands to other people.
“It’s time for us, for the young generation, to use their voice sa tama, gamitin ang kanilang platform hindi lamang mag-post ng mga OOTD,” he said.
He emphasized, “[Hindi] naman ako against sa OOTD pero mas gamitin natin yung platforms para mas maka-inform, mas maka-educate, at mas maka-inspire ng other people.”
But social media also has its disadvantages. In today’s world, people use these platforms to get information, but not everything they read online is factual. This is why Robinson believes that every user is responsible for verifying every information they gather through social media.
“It’s our duty to double check every single thing na nakikita natin sa social media and to countercheck using our resources para siguraduhin kung tama ang ating pino-post, tama ang na-a-absorb na information dahil through this, magagamit talaga natin yung power ng social media to create change,” he said.
Why Emilio Jacinto?
The Philippines has a lot of notable heroes who fought for Filipinos’ freedom from its colonizers. But why did Tanghalang Pilipino choose to stage a musical about Jacinto?
It is because the drama company wants to showcase the story of one of our “unsung heroes” and tell the young generation what he had done to attain the country’s freedom, said Robinson.
The musical director, Jenny Jamora, shared more details about Jacinto by launching a microsite for “Pingkian: Isang Musikal,” which contains the Filipino general’s biography, his writings, and the historical timeline before the Battle of Maimpis where Jacinto and his comrades were intercepted by Spanish troops. This is where the opening scene of “Pingkian: Isang Musical” took place.
According to the play’s microsite, Jacinto was only 17 years old when he joined the Katipunan. Known as the “Utak ng Katipunan,” Jacinto was known for his contributions in writings, with his “Kartilya” being the foundational document for new recruits who wanted to join the Katipunan.
Jacinto also founded and edited Kalayaan, the newspaper of Katipunan, as stated in the microsite. It also noted that the young general continued to fight against Spanish rule for freedom, even after the death of Andres Bonifacio and Emilio Aguinaldo.
“If you guys don’t know Emilio Jacinto, siya yung pinagsamang Andres Bonifacio at Jose Rizal dahil writer siya and at the same time, rebolusyonaryo siya,” said Robinson.
For theater actress Gab Pangilinan, who plays the role of Jacinto’s wife Catalina de Jesus and a spy named Florencio Reyes, the musical also hopes to convey the message that anyone–regardless of their age–has the power to express themselves and make a change.
“As Pingkian said repeatedly, he questioned himself whether or not sapat ba ang mga salita niya, and for me, that fact that we are telling his story and we are trying to deliver that specific message is sapat siya kasi as long as merong isang matamaan or merong makikinig, marami ka pang pwedeng sabihin at marami ka pang pwedeng ibahagi sa ibang tao,” Pangilinan stressed.
Girl power
While “Pingkian: Isang Musikal” centers on the life of Jacinto, those who have seen the play may have noticed the notable number of women among the Katipuneros, and that there were actresses who played male characters, including Pangilinan.
It seems that the play also wants to highlight women empowerment as Jamora wants to show that even women can fight for the country or have something to fight for, said Pangilinan.
“Ang tindi rin ng message na tina-try naming i-deliver na whatever you are, whoever you are, be it male, female, you can fight for the country and you have something to say,” the actress noted.
She also shared that Jamora let her explore her role as Reyes and portray him in a way that Pangilinan would be able to tell his story “as truthfully as we could.”
Aside from Pangilinan, theater actress Kakki Teodoro also played a male character, giving life to the country’s national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal.
“Bottomline is, at the end of the day, our director didn’t want you to see people and see them as male or as female. Just because you’re male, pwede kang maging bayani, hindi. That’s why also Jose Rizal was played by a woman, Kakki Teodoro,” she said.
“Kung distracting man siya o hindi, you’re gonna end up listening to what each person has to say, which I think is the most important part,” she added.
Up to this day, women are still fighting for their rights and gender equality, but Pangilinan believes that their voices can now be heard louder. In today’s generation, she said that women have something more to fight for and that’s why it is important for them to be heard.
“I think, if there is anything the women of the past have taught us, it’s we have something to say and hindi kami mapapatahimik ng kahit sino,” the actress emphasized.
Robinson and Pangilinan invited everyone to watch “Pingkian: Isang Musikal,” which would tell more not only about the story of Jacinto but also how a person’s love for their country can spark change.
The musical runs from March 1 to March 24, 2024, at the CCP Black Box Theater in Manila.
