BAGUIO CITY (PIA) — A musical theatre play showcasing the rich history, culture and traditions of Apayao highlighted the 30th foundation anniversary of the province.
The staging of the musical play, “Apayao: Daloy ng Tatlong Dekada’t Higit Pa,” aims to inform, inspire, and showcase Apayao over the past 30 years, said Board Member Kyle Mariah Chelsea Bulut-Cunan.
“The play is not just a performance, but a tribute to our rich culture, history, and unity as a province. For 30 years, we have witnessed the growth of Apayao, and we will show on this stage our journey as a province with unity and concern for each other. Our history is not just a memory; it is a living spirit that we continue to live and be proud of,” Bulut-Cunan said.
The play traces the discovery and settlement in Apayao by the Isnags or people who lived along the rivers and streams, to the establishment of the then Kalinga-Apayao province, to its separation to become an independent province on February 14, 1995 thru the initiative of Apayao patriarch Elias K. Bulut Sr.
Known as the “Cordillera’s Last Nature Frontier,” Apayao’s rich natural resources and biodiversity including the indigenous system of forest conservation, the protection of the critically endangered Philippine Eagle and the declaration as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve for its efforts to conserve and manage biodiversity with the sustainable use of natural resources, are highlighted in the play.
Key moments in Apayao’s journey particularly the challenges faced and the progress achieved are dramatized through songs and dances. The narrative culminates in a celebration of Apayao’s identity and its bright future.
The play was directed by Raffy Tejada and written by Eljay Deldoc, with music by William Manzano and arrangements by Drei Sugay.
The casts included world class and local talents led by movie and theatre artists Robert Sena and Isay Alvarez-Sena, who both appeared in the Miss Saigon, and rising young star Noel Comia Jr. who won the Cinemalaya Best Actor Award in 2017. The star of the show is a young local talent, Eleina Ruth Estelon from the town Luna, and a student of the Apayao Science High School.
Aside from the La Salle Dance Company Contemporary and Folk, the musical play also featured the Apayao Capitol Chorale, the Ipasindayaw Performing Arts Bureau, ANiahs Dance and Performing Arts (AnDAPA), AMPAYAG Cultural Group, and the newly formed Apayao Community Theatre.
Governor Elias Bulut Jr. said that the musical play is a way to let the people of Apayao boast their province from its humble beginnings to what it is today.
With the success of the musical theatre play, Bulut said they are looking showcasing more of the culture and tradition and the historical accounts in the Apayao such as the Marag Valley which was once a stronghold of the New People’s Army, but has evolved as one of the tourism destinations in Apayao. (JDP/RMC- PIA CAR)
