More on Komedya Antiqueña

The cast of the komedya "Kasanag batok sa sugal" (Light versus gambling) by Hiraya Theater Company: McLaurence Saligumba as Prinsipe Kuryente, Jean Matias as Prinsesa Bombilya, Jayro Oriel as Prinsipe Doble, Ralph Armonio as Tigwati, Felipe Alejo III as Haring Plantino, Mercycar Patiño sa Reyna Alabrea, Richard Salameda as Emperador Koredor, Phoebe Rose Buquing as Emperatiz Bangkera, Glenn Mark Rocapor, Lozel Lacbanes, and Kelvin Catipon as Konseheros, Julius Revaldo, Shiela Marie Villeta, Ryan Lista Pameroyan, and Randy Montero and Antonio Arnaiz as Soldado. The music was provided by Doming Moscoso band of San Pedro. Production management was by Richard Magbanua, stage management by Janice Matias, Mayet Cabrera, Mark, Mario Jr., and Minnard Arbozo were stage assistants.

I have to thank the komedya veterans who helped in creating the luwa, marcha, and fight scenes: Cora Cataluña of Barbaza, Gerry Baclagon of Lauaan, and Mario and Bicbic Patiño of Madrangca. Also the many komedyante I have interviewed in my research on the komedya, Kap Genaro Encarnacion, Rebecca Baña, Tita Edith Altar, the komedyante from Lauaan, Barbaza, and Igbalangao, Bugasong. Dr. Cecile Locsin Nava introduced me into this, when she asked me to help in her research on the korido.

This komedya is a product of my research since 2003. After writing several papers on the komedya in Antique, I have gotten to direct one, infusing all the insights I have from the research, and using my own directorial and artistic vision. I have always been fascinated by the komedya, since I witnessed Genaro Encarnacion's rehearsals at the public plaza in the 70's, although I had no idea that I would direct one later.

After working on Exaltaction Combong's "Light versus gambling" I would like to create a komedya of my own. Hopefully I would find the time to write this, perhaps after my long overdue book "Ugsad kang Kinaray-a" is off the press.

Meanwhile, I am participating in the first International Komedya Conference at UP Diliman on February 27-29. Our paper is titled "Faith, Land, and Life in San Antonio," a study on the sustainability of the komedya in San Antonio, Barbaza. I share authorship with co-researcher Richard Magbanua.

The photos here are from our last performance at Belison National School on February 22, 2008.

Hiraya Theater Company's "Komedya batok sa sugal" is open for sponsorship and tour performances. Contact Binirayan Foundation, Inc. at 036-5407343.

Super emote

When am bored and have nothing to do I play with my digicam. This is one take I really like. A portrait of me, who else. I put off the light in my room and partly open the bathroom door to let some dramatic lighting in. Of course I had to override the flash, and set the camera to self-portrait mode. Sometimes I think I could be a great photographer. Wish I had more money to buy a better camera. Or maybe a better face and body, so I could model, then I would have more money, then I could buy that camera, then I could take better pictures of me. Damn. Wish I could write better.

Pandan's delicacy

Rex Zaldivar served us this dish of "uson" stewed in coconut milk and soured with iba (tag. kamyas) in his cozy house in Pandan. Uson is like lobster, but a thinner version. It was my first and only time to eat uson. I hope it wouldn't be the last.

The other delicacy from Pandan is the binabak - steamed river shrimps and young coconut wrapped in leaves. Lately, however, the binabak I tasted was overpowering with ginger. I wish they cut down on the ginger, so the dish has a very subtle and delicate sweetish flavor. That's how I remember the first binabak I tasted in 1986.

Pandan is a three to four-hour drive from San Jose, Antique, closer when coming from Caticlan/Boracay. The best places to visit are Malumpati Cold Spring and Bugang River. Also, the hat and bag-makers of Sto. Rosario is worth a trip. Drop by the house that sells smoked chorizo and embotido along the road to Mag-aba.There's a small sign by the fence.

Driving south from Pandan, pass by a house that sells authentic German sausages and bread, owned by a couple named Hell (think German, not English). The little signboard is hardly noticeable, so drive slow along Idio. Be friendly with the German and his Antiqueña wife. If they like you, they might show you their kitchen and smokehouse, piggery and chicken coop. A kilo costs from 250 - 400 Php. Their vienna sausage is great, and the schweinfleish, liver sausage, and beer sausage too.

Missed Valentine 2008

I don't know what triggered it, or who's big idea it was. We were aboard Negros Navigation's M/V San Paolo to Manila, and I tell you it was the longest trip ever on a boat - all of unbelievably 36 hours, like transportation in this part of the world has never budged an inch. Yes, we took the slow boat to China, as Susan Macabuag would say, but we had the wackiest Valentine's Day. I and the cast of the komedya.

I was lulling myself to boredom in the Admiral Class cabin NN gave me, when my production assistant Mayet texted me to rush to their part of the ship. I thought one of the guys fell off the boat or something. When I entered the bar, which was turned into temporary cabin for the cast and crew of the komedya as part of NN's sponsorship, I saw that five of the hunks - Ralph, Macmac, Richard, Glenn Mark, and Julius - have turned into hotbabes.

So, we had the Search for Miss Valentine 2008. Macmac had the grandest time, even showing part of his butt in a really short dress. Julius showed them how to pole dance. Petite but muscular Glenn Mark was Marla Jr. in a red strap. Ralph was willowy and demur, his bulge showing under the sheer bandanna; and Richard was all chubby and cuddly.

This was how we survived that long trip on San Paolo. I swore never to take a boat again to Manila! But with these guys onboard, I might have second thoughts, of course.

Mila's buns

My sister Mila is the cook in the family. Now living in Penang, Malaysia, she can cook Filipino, Malay and Thai dishes, not counting what she improvises depending on what she's got in her fridge. The last time we visited her, she was gaga over baking breads in her newly bought breadmaker. It's the size and look of a microwave, but does wonders. Here are some of her homemade breads: penny roll with sesame seeds, buns filled with tuna or cheese topped with almonds, rolls with cheese and beef sausages (always with beef in her home, aww!), and the pandesal. I had to download the pandesal recipe as she is kind of dense with the internet, though.
The kids' (Shine, Ice, Mirza, and Vaun too!) favorite was her version of pandeleche loaded with butter. The butter settles down during the baking, so you get a buttery bottom bun.

She sent my mother the same breadmaking machine. Of course, it is gathering dust at home now, and the maid uses it to keep left-over food she doesn't want stored in the fridge. My mother has no aptitude for baking at all, and I hardly have time to read the manual either. So, the breadmaker has to wait for her next visit.

Meanwhile, I must revive my butterscotch baking skills. I used to bake deliciously chewy butterscotch before I got so much work. I always believe we ought to have some other talent , just in case. The pics here I took with my digital cam, thinking I could also be a food photographer. But they do look good, don't they? Yummy.

Penang food trip

This one is long overdue. My family went to Penang, Malaysia for a month last year, and I wanted to do this feature on Penang food. But organizing the 1st Karay-a Arts Festival took most of my time in June to October 2007; I never got to write that food article. Until I sorted my pics folder and found these. It's never too late to share them here.

Nasi goreng ikan (small photo) - No big deal but fried rice with dried fish, and bits of vegetables thrown in, topped with fried egg. Staple among Malays. My sister Mila's favorite. Variants are nasi goreng ayam (chicken) or paprik (spicy veggies). I prefer the paprik, which I suppose is of Thai origin. I saw something like it in a Thai restaurant menu.

Penang laksa (big photo) - This is a Peranakan dish. My sister always coaxed me to try it. Tried twice but never liked it. First time I was alone at the Komtar food center and cannot make up my mind on what to have for lunch; the second time at the food stall in Bukit Bendera. It's white noodles, like oversized spaghetti, in a soup of mysterious concoction. I suspect it's got ginamus (shrimp paste), which they call belacan in Malay. And snips of herbs, dashes of spices. It must be an acquired taste.

Nasi lemak is, I think, the Malay national food. It is rice cooked in coconut milk, paired with fried ikan bilis (dilis), egg (boiled or fried) roasted peanuts, and slivers of cucumber. In most times a dish of chicken, beef or fish (ikan goreng) in sambal sauce is also served. At the KL Bird Park cafe, I ordered this with beef rendang. The simplest nasi lemak can be bought for as cheap as one ringgit from stalls at a kampung (village), and gets more pricey at fast foods and classy restaurants. They also serve this in pre-packed containers at Air Asia, costing 12 ringgits. I had to try it to compare with what I tasted at a nasi kandar in Penang.

Food in Penang is really something to explore. The Malay, Chinese, and Indian influences give a foodie a lot to try out. At Restoran Daun Pisang near the Indian street, I tasted my first authentic Indian curried food, mango chutney, and lassi drink. Best of all, we ate with bare hands on banana leaves. It's so like home.

The Kapitan fast food along Kapitan Keling street near the mosque is also famous. I stopped by there one rainy afternoon for curry lamb chops and roti. There's also a restaurant called something like Yasmin along Penang Road, right beside Sam's Batik House, great to shop for clothes. Spice and Rice along 1 Green Hall St. is a fine dining restaurant with authentic northern and southern Indian menu. Eduard and I had a quiet lunch there during our vacation in 2006.

The most popular and cheap places when going out in Penang are the nasi kandar, serving usually Malay and Indian food, the Chinese dimsum and kopitiam, and the hawkers at night markets. The nasi kandar is the Malay version of our "turo-turo." Some of these are serve yourself affairs, and the charges depend on how much food you scoop up on your plate. The cashier simply knows how much to charge.

At the hawkers that musroom along Chulia St., Eduard and I tried oysters omelet and nasi goreng cooked right before us by a Chinese cook. The noodle houses abound, and one can get all kinds, with soup or without. There's one shop we went to that gave us the best Hainanese chicken rice, but I declare it was only second to that I had in a restaurant near the Singapore Art Museum. Well, it's also called Singapore chicken, afterall.

First timers in Penang must try the teh tarik (silent k, please), satay (simply barbeque to us) in peanut sauce. In one stop over during a trip to KL, my brother in law Ramli brought me to this satay place and gave me what seemed like a satay fiesta! I tried all kinds: goat meat, chicken, beef, liver, lamb, etc.

Secret Recipe, which is the most successful Malaysian foodchain brand, serves the best lamb stew, a real winner. Now, I am drooling. Good thing they opened branches in Manila, but the lamb costs twice as much. Their cakes are divine too. There's one at Robinson's Ermita.

This fish dish in the last picture is not Malay though, but Thai. We ordered this at Siam Cafe, another of my sister's favorites. It is fish tomyam actually but maybe a variant of Malay influence because the tomyam we had during a Thai wedding reception at Ang Thong province, was in clear soup but very very hot.

Now, I remember I have lots of photos of northeastern Thai food taken in Mahasarakham in 2006. The friends I met at the conference there, in fact, gave me an authentic Thai dinner for my 39th birthday. Wonder where I stored the files.

Mararison Island (Mis)adventure

The name itself spells adventure. "Mararison" comes from the Kinaray-a "malalison," meaning disobedient. According to legend, a young girl named Mara fell in love with a stranger. Despite her parents' objections to the man, she eloped with him one night. The lovers were out at sea when a storm came. And you know what happens to disobient children. The next day, the villagers found an beautiful island, which they named after Mara, the malalison.

Mararison Island off Culasi, Antique is 10 minutes by outrigger boat from the public market in Culasi. The island is good for trekking or simply lazing under the sun. Villagers are very friendly. There are no accomodation facilities there, but you can talk to the barangay captain to use the village hall, which they have turned into classrooms by day. Electricity is available only at 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM, during which time you don't expect the locals out because they are glued to their TV sets or videoke.

The more adventurous can camp out. Last time we went there, we slept on the stage by the basketball court with the fishermen. They are very friendly. Invite them for a drink of Tanduay or Emperador brandy, and you get company all night. In the morning, watch out by the beach for fresh catch. The fishermen usually take them to Culasi. We got a kilo of squid for only 50 pesos!

You can go around the island in two hours, or hire a boat to take you around or snorkel. The side facing the South China Sea is a good campsite. There are two islets, and the locals say there is a cave in one of them. We were not prepared to check it out then.

How to go to Antique: From Manila, one can fly in to Iloilo and take the two-hour ride to San Jose, three to four hours to Culasi; or take the ro-ro (Dimple Star or Gasat Express) from Pasay. The bus passes by Culasi town from Caticlan.

Komedya Antiqueña in Manila

Wow, we did not expect to have a big crowd on February 15 at the UP Amphitheater. Good thing the rest of UP chose our komedya over the other grander komedya versus Gloria at Makati. And we were happy to have some of UP's literati in the audience.

Tony Mabesa sat right in the center aisle, and he was enjoying himself. This would be confirmed later by a call from Dulaang UP's Manny Casalan, who happily informed us that Tony Mabesa was delighted with the komedya from Antique.

Fides Cuyugan came rather early to have a chat with Governor Sally Perez. Quoted from her text to Governor Perez the next day: "Congratulations dear Governor. What a treat you gave us!...Kudos and cheers to you for making it all happen! And of course, the director. Alex, right? It was almost Mozartian in execution.... Loved it!"

What exactly "Mozartian" meant, it sounds good, and coming from Fides Cuyugan, who remembers me, I am thrilled.

Writer and director Henry Tejero, who was responsible for bringing Fides, also texted me the next day: "We thoroughly enjoyed the performance. Fides and I were shuttled back to a wondrous time in our childhood. She, 70 years ago in Bicol when Bikol theater was a gilded realm; and me, 50 years ago when Ilonggo theater cast a golden afterglow. I must congratulate you for bringing glitter back into our hearts."

Such nice words. Thank you.

I know our komedya was well-liked for its provincial polish. But it was heart-warming to find kids, who did not understand Kinaray-a, earnestly listening to the luwa, getting thrilled with the batalya and the galyarda. And later, clambering up the stage to give flowers they picked from the hedges to Jean and Mercycar, who played princess and queen respectively. They also lost no time asking for photo ops, which their parents gladly obliged them.

Of course, we must thank the Antiqueños who came to watch and relive the happy days of the komedya in Antique: Governor Sally Perez, Edsel Moscoso, Popo Lotilla, Jairus Paguntalan, Susan Macabuag, Darlene Joy Posadas, Jun Sabug, Yul Quanico, Dong Elio, Manny Casalan, Tita Carina and family, Junjun Combong, Tita Mimi Gayatin, Arjee and Candy, Albert Paala, and the UP-based students who later text me they watched and enjoyed. Sr. Deanna, even called up while on a train in Bangkok, just to make her presence felt.

More than anything, I am happy for the actors, many of them first-timers, who had their day on stage at UP. They are the real stars of the komedya. So, when Cecile Guidote-Alvarez invited us to guest in her show Sining Gising at PTV4, we were so eager to say yes. Komedya Antiqueña has not only made its national premier at UP, it was also shown on national television. There is nothing more we could ask for.

Hiraya Theater Company at Komedya Fiesta 2008

Hiraya Theater Company will have its national premier of the komedya "Kasanag batok sa sugal" (Light vs. Gambling) at the UP Amphitheater, Diliman, Quezon City on February 15. The komedya written by Exaltacion V. Combong (1908-2000) in 1962 gets a new take with additional scenes, revised dialogue in Kinaray-a, and a minimalist yet eclectic production design.

As director, I wanted to create komedya that is fast-paced and witty for an audience hooked on MTV. Thus, this one runs only an hour, and designed to look like a perya or karnabal. Scholar Dr. Cecile Locsin-Nava who was around for the final rehearsals on February 11 at the EBJ Freedom Park in San Jose, Antique, said the dramatic structure has become more compact, and is indeed meant for the young audience, who may have seen their first komedya. She also liked the fight scene, which is the highlight of the komedya. Thanks to fight consultants Gerry Baclagon of Lauaan and Mario Patiño of Madrangca.

After the performance at the UP Amphitheater on February 15, the komedya will have performances in Antique, starting in Tibiao to open it's Maninihon Festival on February 22. Other performances shall be on April 12 for the Kampo Kabataan 2008, and on April 22 for Binirayan Festival. For more infor, contact Binirayan Foundation, Inc. 036-5407343 or 09275830174.