SAGIP BANSA PRESENTS A TALE OF TWO MOUNTAINS

SAGIP BANSA PRESENTS A TALE OF TWO MOUNTAINS

By Wilhelmina S. Orozco

How do we love our country? Through speeches, writings, and standing up during the playing of the National Anthem? How about through dance and music?

Sagip Bansa, the cultural arm of the Democratic Party of the Philippines (DPP) presented recently “A Tale of Two Mountains,” a dance musical concert detailing the development of Philippine dances from the original Aeta culture through Spanish eras. Held at the AFP Theatre, the presentation was attended by supporters and officials of the Party who have been staunchly keeping together all of its member-non-government organizations intact through viable livelihood projects.

The program is titled after two mountains: first, the Pinatubo Mountain which erupted in 1991, and second, the mountain of garbage, euphemistically called Smokey Mountain. Actually the latter is the source of workforce of the Spartan Mining and Development Corporation now operating at the foot of Mount Pinatubo.

The concert was held to launch Sagip Bansa led by Baldomero Falcone. It featured the dancing Tondo youths from Smokey Mountain and other scavenging areas,  brought there by a Catholic religious organization. Smoothly the presentation went as the dances showed our ethnic roots and and Spanish influences through dances, complete with appropriate costumes and props.

Actually the presentation – music and dances – reminded me of those that were researched by National Artists for Music Lucrecia Kasilag and for Dance, Lucrecia Urtula for the repertoire of Bayanihan Dance Troupe in the hinterlands of our tribal groups up north and down south. They were also joined by Isabella Santos, the costume designer. As the two were academically-based in the 50’s and therefore immersed in what are scholarly researches, they embarked on the research, the products from which revealed excellence in methods and authenticity in terms of recreating on stage our tribal groups’ dances.

However, instead of a chronological presentation of the dances the SM group inserted ethnic dances in between Spanish jota dances which became jarring at times. However, on the whole the presentation heightened nationalistic feelings among the audience who gave rousing applause as the dances were truly Filipino – especially those depicting collective celebrations in the barrios.

One pop song, different from the rest and with a modern beat stood out as the story of the urban poor. It told of how the Pasig River used to be very clean for use by the people but later on due to neglect and disrespect (people throwing garbage into it) became very dirty and unusable for transport and even fishing. At the end, even a child died from drowning in it. The use of long pieces of cloth swished by actors from both ends produced the illusion of the Pasig waters waving.

Actually I have seen this theatrical technique first at a dance choreography by Agnes Locsin at the CCP way back in the 90’s. Its recreation on stage is laudable as it had brought home the idea of the beauty of the river flowing on stage. In the beginning the cloths were white and blue but they turned black symbolically showing the negative turnout of the river as it had been disrespected by the people.

The Spartan Mining and Development Corporation chaired by Louis Ramos,  sponsored the event. A very new company with a strong commitment to corporate responsibility, the SMDC is now giving jobs to the people from Smokey Mountain at its mining claim located at San Marcelino, Zambales. In the video presentations, the SMDC describes how the lahar town is now reaping benefits instead of problems from the operations of the company. The people are given jobs to extract iron (magnetites) from the lahar grounds which later on are sold to the company at P300 pesos per kilo.

“No one believed us,” Mr. Ramos revealed. “ They thought we would be making money out of the miseries of the people (in Zambales.) But in Sagip Bansa, the DPP – we really mean to serve the poorest of the poor.”

He mentioned how the Payatas and Smokey Mountain people had a pathetic existence due to the neglect of the government. But now, the future is growing brighter for the people as they would be provided jobs plus dwellings. A thousand homes will be built as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Housing and Urban Development Corporation, and the Bureau of Land had convinced the local government officials to participate in the project by donating the land for housing, to be located at the foot of the Mount Pinatubo for the housing.

“The houses will not be a dole-out. The people will pay for them. Kaya nilang bayaran kasi may trabaho na naghihintay sa kanila. (They can afford to pay for the house because there is a job waiting for them)

We can create jobs up to 50,000 jobs. Tamad na ang kikita ng P300 per day. We purchase (magnetites) per kilo from them. We reprocess them in our factory. Here is an opportunity (for the people) to live decently and with dignity. In our lifetime, we could do something for our people,” he further said.

Mr. Ramos did not envision this mining project at all. In fact he was about to retire before he started the company. But all the things happening today is borne of faith, he emphasized. “Our mining operation is the only one endorsed by environmental groups. We can move mountains. Please continue praying for us. Because we need prayers.”

Mr. Falcone also said, “It’s about time we show what we truly mean.”