Monday, October 3, 2011

My Continuing Work on Rizal Book--THANKS!

.
To my “kakambal-diwa” and “kayakap-sigla”:
.
..........I didn’t dare ask your permission to apply to you those descriptions that would have been significant only if they were accepted. Neither did I seek your consent before I decided to consider you a great inspiration to my efforts on a very difficult work I agreed to do before “Finally!” we met face-to-face. Apologies may be in order here even though these decisions entirely my own have actually worked wonders to keep me going through all obstacles including asthma attacks.
.
..........Since the past weeks I have had to comb completely through the thicker one of the two books I brought along when we traveled together to Sta.Cruz, to find additional info to further enrich the draft manuscript I had then. Now I want to share with you the happy news (very happy for me) that I have just finished doing that.
.
..........Tomorrow, I’ll start doing the same thing to another book, a bit thicker and by another author, to find useful information to enrich my manuscript, information that I must have missed the first time I read it. After that, I will integrate my new notes in my manuscript and undertake such tedious chores as preparing the endnotes/footnotes.
.
..........Your expression of confidence in me (something like “I’m sure it’ll be good book.”) helps to keep me going from day to day. I really don’t want to disappoint myself, or my publisher, least of all you. Copies of the printed book, or their equivalent, would have to be on the market by All Saints’ Day, giving us two whole months, the last two months of Rizal’s 150th birth year to work for successful sales and circulation. Wish me luck! Really I need it!
.
..........Working on this book has challenged me to succeed in accomplishing what I had spiritually asked Rizal himself wherever he is in the “Great Beyond”: To enable me to convince our compatriots to go beyond admiring him and instead to emulate with our own lives – with our personal and collective values and decisions – Rizal’s own values and decisions and finally (!) be able to push together our country forward to overall development, well-being, and profound happiness.
.
..........For even just reading this now and for any faint whisper of a little prayer for this old man, I thank you profusely now, my “Dreamed Daughter”!
.
..........(After the end of this month I can have the time to concentrate on working on the script of our planned zarzuela, incorporating all the inputs I shall have received by that time. I really hope you'll agree to be my main teammate in writing and refining that script.)

Ding
October 3, 2011 / Makati City
............

Sunday, October 2, 2011

zarzuela ukol sa paglaban sa pagmimina (daloy)

Mga eksenaPanimulang Daloy ng

"ZAGIPIN ANG ZAMBALES!"

Pagtatanghal ng Zarzuela Zambaleña

Sta.Cruz at iba pang bayan ng Zambales

Mayo 2012


Daloy ng mga Eksena:

1. Recognition Ceremony sa isang public school

Emcee: Guest of Honor will be coming late, while waiting, asks a former student to give an impromptu music number

OPENING SONG/RAP: “MAY PAG-ASA PA BA?”


Becker's poem:
Sa bayang ito ako isinilang, pinagyaman ng aking mga magulang
Kaalaman ay umusbong mula dito sa aking bayan.
Maganda kong pangangatawan, dala ng magandang kapaligiran
Kalusugan ay taglay ko hanggang sa maisipan kong mangibang bayan.

Ang saglit na pagkawala,ay katumbas ng daan taong pagtanda
Ang bayan kong minumutya, binabalot na ng dusa
Ang akala ko matutulungan ko itong isalba,
Tila ngayon ay napaisip ako, ngtanong sa sarili, Bakit nga ba lumisan pa?

Sa aking pag-uwi, baon ay libo-libong pagtitimpi
Gusto kong malaman ang mga dahilan at sanhi
Bakit ang bayan ko ngayon ay tila pinagtagpi-tagpi
May makikita pa ba akong puwang upang ito'y muling ngumiti?

Nagtatanong ako sa bawat taong aking masalubong,
Tango at iling lamang ang alam na tugon..
Piping saksi ang mga ibong naglilimayon,
Sapagkat sila mismo ay walang punong pwede pang umampon.

Lumuha ako sa aking napagtanto, sinabi sa sarili panaginip lamang ito
Sinampal ko ang aking pisngi, Sarili ko ay pilit kong niloloko.
Kalungkutan ng paligid ko ay tila sumisimbolo
Ang bayan ko ay malapit ng huminto ang pagtibok ng puso

Sa paligid nilibot ko ang aking paningin, natatanaw ko ay pawang huwad na tanawin
Ipinikit ko ang aking mga mata, nasisilayan ko naman ay bayang puno ng pag-asa
Muli kong iminulat aking mga mata, wala na akong makita, pagkat walang tigil pagdaloy ng luha
Binalak kong muli itong ipikit, ngunit sa aking pagtatangka ako ay may nakita....

Kakarampot na liwanag sa dulo ng parang
Tila nangaakit at ako'y nais nang madarang
Paa ko'y inihakbang, palapit sa liwanag sa dulo ng parang
Kaya pala ako'y tila hinihigop at inaanyaya...nandoon pala ang PAG-ASA.

Agad akong tumakbo at sumigaw, dinig ko sarili kong alingawngaw
Ang mga nakatarak na balaraw sa aking puso'y unti-unting natutunaw
Ang paligid ay tila nakikipagsayaw, sige ang kilos at galaw-galaw
Yakap ko ang sariling katawan, tila di makaramdam ng pagkauhaw.....


(Nang i-release ni ALAS ang song niya for our group, this poem comes out also..
DAHIL ALAM KO..AT ALAM NATING LAHAT ....MAY PAG-ASA PA...)

(emcee visibly perplexed. Singer asks audience to sing along last stanzas) (emcee starts chiding former student about choice of song; latter says he was unprepared for another; emcee calls for singing national anthem, saying Congressman had just texted to say he’s no longer coming;)

Speech of Principal, the Chair of Awards Committee: She praises the teachers’ sacrifices as molders of society Explains General Criteria for choice of 1st, 2nd and 3rd awardees.

2. Dialogue between 2nd place honoree and judge: 2nd placer says the Congressman had donated award prizes;

“It would be good to please him by praising politicians who support education. Head Judge says politicans who really support education should cause pay hikes for teachers, instead of abetting corruption that further diminish people’s coffers, and instead of being bad models for citizens & youth.

SONG: “GURO AT POLITICO” (lyrics speak of contrasts between teachers and politicians in serving the people of the community )

3. Head Judge stands for Teachers vis a vis politicians (mentions a former valedictorian of school SK

new-politico) Needed by the people: real civic spiritedness and maturity from Education-- Light of Wisdom

SONG: “LIWANAG, HUWAG DILIM” (lyrics speak of value of education in people’s lives)

Favorite ex-student of 2nd placer enters and takes cudgels for 2nd placer; but shows that he has

become unprincipled as SK official and solon’s nephew.

4. 2nd-placer goes home, finds her cousin who came from Mindanao, asking if she could help him get a job in nearby nickel mine. Says own job in Surigao in danger because gold mining firm in own place threatens to close down after “big accident,” asked about accident; was jested about high insurance, and asked for “Balato”

Cousin replies:

SONG: "BUNGO AT DUGO" (Lyrics say mining firms value gold much more than people's lives, safety and health, and would always seek to escape responsibility to maximize profits.

5. Nickel mine unlikely to have similar accident, open-pit supposedly safer than tunneled goldmine. But this is refuted by visiting top awardee who says own town started showing signs of geological instability and massive soil erosion. Adds other towns of province would be affected by plans for open-pit mining in almost every town..

SONG: FIRST LINES OF “NAPAPANSIN MO BA?”

Top awardee asks if 2nd placer has complaints about ranking, promises support if it's a “big deal for you, as my friend.” 2nd placer feels guilty, thanks top awardee.

6. Miner cousin asks about signs of environmental degradation and what is the people’s response.

Townspeople described as generally silenced by ‘utang na loob’ to congressman, and as apathetic unless expecting a material reward for whatever action.

SONG: “KAPALIT.” (lyrics chide those people who ask “what’s in it for me?” (money) before joining efforts that would benefit everybody, anyway.)

Ex-student comes, looks for top awardee who had told him to come for a chat after a long period of not seeing each other.

2nd -placer expresses her disappointment in him for changed values as new SK member.

Top awardee becomes curious, asks about student’s experiences as SK; he apologizes, explains difficulty from solon uncle’s instructions opposite of what he had learned in school. He says he has mellowed after becoming a bgy officer among youth, esp. now that he’s married and would soon become a father. .


7. Miner cousin brings up matter of people’s apathy, ignorance, intimidation.

2nd-placer engages him-- "they're brainwashed, nakulam yata" Top awardee brings up need for information and education. Miner cousin emphasizes need for education -- character formation, to find out things, don't gamble with our lives, reminder that money can't make up for the destruction of lives and of life-giving nature; cautions against non-use of brain and vocal chords, of courageous heart towards total loss of these; not a matter of blaming for disasters, but of preventing disasters. Counteract defeatism.

Miner-cousin asks top awardee for more info, promises to help spread it. He says he’s joining their cause. Student asks what cause? They tell him. He reacts by telling them they can’t possibly succeed; that there is no more hope. Top awardee and 2nd placer describes defeatism as a self-fulfilling prophecy. Remind him of the stakeholdership of his own coming baby. Responsible father has to be an active stakeholder in this cause. You ask what cause? You don’t know? How will you explain to your son or daughter later that you allowed his home province to be all dug-up because you were too coward to try to avert it, because you were paralyzed by your doubts you can win?

(Napipikon na yung student; teachers decide to cool things by suggesting that they sing together to strengthen their fighting spirit and enthusiasm out of love for the people, especially the children—“including your baby!”

SONG: “MAY PAG-ASA NGA! Nasa atin!”

8. They plan to ask help of student who earlier sang opening number, who knows those who have the info, and to offer their participation in an info campaign. Ex-student opposes, saying the mining firm and his own solon uncle will get angry at them. They resolve to go ahead, justifying that the townspeople must be told the truth so they will be guided what to do. Miner cousin says the people ought to develop capability to overcome fear and timidity and speak out to assert their interests and rights as citizens in a democracy.

9. Top honoree in cell phone conversation with a girl student, then tells others a good news: Girlfriend of opening-song singer said they will help the cause. That she was talking with principal and they agreed the school’s faculty should have a meeting about the mining issue; Principal has scheduled a meeting and was now writing a memo to tell teachers to attend. Memo will be out in few hours. They applaud the news. 2nd place awardee expresses wish that other people also receive the complete info,then plans to convene the school’s PTA to meet on it. Most of townspeople are members of the PTAs. Topawardee reminds her to wait for faculty meeting to get the views of Principal and other teachers. Miner cousin miner asks hoe many schools were there in the town, and says the idea should be shared with other schools.

10. Morning of following day: Principal gets arrested on basis of libel complaint filed by mining firm with her memo as evidence. Immediate aim of detention: Stop that faculty meeting! “Core group” called together by Principal’s lawyer friend to plan out how to complete the bail money to augment what her family was able to raise. They agree to set a meeting at 1 p.m. at Barangay Hall of barangay worst-hit by recent destructive effects of mining. Members of group say whom they will invite. Slogans chanted: Sagipin si Misis Delfin! Itigil ang pagmimina sa ating probinsya! Ilantad, ipalaganap ang katotohanan sa lahat! Huwag matakot, huwag mahiya! Buhay nating lahat ang nakataya!

SONG: MAY PAG-ASA PA NGA--Nasa atin! (with repeating-chorused ending)


Prepared, for further refinement/editing by:

Ding Reyes of Zambales

October 2, 2011