ILIGAN CITY, Philippines—From oral history to the stage, one of the lesser known heroes of Northern and Central Mindanao, Bato Lakungan, ancestor of present-day Iliganons claiming descent from the mama sa Wato (Royal House of Wato), takes his rightful place in the realm of legend.

Bato Lakungan is played by a Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) AB English freshman, Michael Lagura, in Steven Patrick C. Fernandez’s Cultural Center of the Philippines’ (CCP) prize-winning play, “Ranaw: Isang Alamat,” for 15 performances in a two-week run this month at the MSU-IIT mini-theater.

Fernandez’s three-act play had its first shows in 1985 and national tours in 1986-1989 under the CCP’s Outreach Program, with Tess Rances at its helm.

The new production had a cast composed of faculty and students from MSU-IIT’s College of Arts & Social Sciences, College of Science and Mathematics, School of Computer Studies, College of Education and College of Engineering.

The theater’s ceiling and stage areas were covered with black cloths with improvised wings blending with the stage walls for the actors’ exits, and quick costume changes for the play’s shifting scenes.

Complementing the spare setting were engineering students in black T-shirts looking frightfully serious playing Fernandez’s original pop musical compositions with the guitar, electric organ and native instruments like the kulintang, gongs, flutes and drums.

Colorful costumes

Rigid auditions had required actors to sing and dance as well, but, except for Integrated Performing Arts Guild veterans Melvin Pascubillo (in the roles of Maranao warlord, Datu Baringigan/Sultan sa Sulog/warrior), Amado Guinto (as warrior/chorus) and Gamallier Ricablanca (as Abdul and as narrator), the rest had to grow into their roles, especially 17-year-old Lagura, whose lack of character internalization showed through in the love scenes and during confrontations with Baringigan. His singing was hoarse and off-key at times.

The show dazzled the audience with its colorful native costumes, well-executed pangalay-based dances and contemporary choreography. The props, for example, for the voices Bato Lakungan hears under the torogan (Datu’s house)—after his arrest and after being falsely accused by his stepmother, Bai Kawasa (Leilani Monterola Fernandez) of seducing her—added to the mystery of his discovery of four magic weapons inside a baul.

These magic weapons are the baladao (three-bladed dagger); romeba (or kampilan); makagaray (sword); and the makakalmot (two-bladed dagger). It is said that the baladao is kept by one of Bato Lakungan’s descendants, the Ramiros, who, in turn are descendants of Iligan’s first barangay head, a Christianized Maranao from the mama sa Wato. The three other weapons are kept by Bato Lakungan’s and Kamayungan’s descendants who belong to the Maranao, Maguindanao, Higaunon and Iliganon groups.

When the play was written in 1983, Fernandez aimed to show the affinity of these various groups but further research is needed to separate fact from fiction. In the absence of written records, researchers are aware of persons who know the story of Bato Lakungan and salsilas (genealogies). The reality is that most families with salsilas refuse access to these given their maratabat (pride), their putting a premium on wealth and prestige and their unchanging attitudes toward the other groups mentioned.

Neatly choreographed

The 80-minute play, from the original’s 120-minute run, was a treat for first-timers, mostly students from different parts of Mindanao. Given the mini-theatre’s limited space, the actors mingled frequently with the audience throughout the play.

Its neatly-choreographed war scenes, the vigorous movements where warriors (Kenn Erwin Velasquez, Cyril Cabello and Gerard Ricablanca) engaged in slow-motion sword fights, were a joy to watch—a credit to the long hours of training the actors went through.

Among the new players, standouts were Ricablanca’s powerful singing voice as narrator, creating the balance between action and pure narrative; the natural singing, dancing and acting of Elaine Macamay (Bai sa Toros); Dianne Clemente (as Mahayag) and Juvy Pelos (alternate to Kamayungan); and Jexxon Canazares’ realistic portrayal as the Higaunon Datu Landa.

It is to Fernandez’s credit that he was able to recreate a hero’s exploits, otherwise forgotten or confined to some salsilas, and highlight the fact that a hero during pre-colonial times understood the meaning of unity in diversity.

When the walls of tribalism prevent groups from living in peace and harmony, the image of this Datu lasts longer in our minds.