Next Saturday, the Filipino-American Student Association will present their annual Barrio Fiesta cultural show. This year’s performance is called Rise Up: Lakas ng Bayan, and like past Barrio Fiestas, is a mixture of drama, traditional dances, and music. This year’s show commemorates the events of the 1986 People Power Revolution, a popular opposition movement that overthrew the despotic president Ferdinand Marcos and brought to power the Philippines’ first woman president, Cory Aquino (played by UB junior Angeli Lagasca). It’s the amazing story of a people standing up to a tyrant and his military with no weapons except their own voices and principles. The well-written play gives an intimate depiction of the main figures in the struggle, explaining their motivations and convictions. It’s an engaging viewpoint that is often humorous, but also gripping and compelling. It’s hard not to be excited by such dramatic events, but even if you’re not a history buff, there’ll be plenty to interest you. You won’t want to miss the impressive dances like Binasuan, in which the acrobatic performers twist across the floor without spilling the cups of water precariously perched on their shoulders and hands; and Tinikling, where blindfolded dancers hopscotch through a constantly-moving web of bamboo poles.
Rise Up is entirely written by UB senior Ralph Cecilio. He spoke to Generation about his intentions for the play, his writing process, and his infancy as a revolutionary.
Generation: Why did you choose this topic for this year’s play? What about this story is especially important and inspiring? Do you have a personal connection to the events depicted in the play?
Ralph Cecilio: The title of our show this year is Rise Up: Lakas ng Bayan. Lakas ng Bayan is a Tagalog word that means “People Power” and refers to the People Power Revolution in the Philippines in 1986. The People Power Revolution was a non-violent movement of Filipino citizens that led to the demise of a corrupt president and restored democracy in the Philippines. The events that led up to the revolution were so dramatic and inspirational that people all over the world need to hear about it. We, the members of FASA, will tell you that incredible story as factually and accurately as possible. The event affects me on a personal level because my family and I were there when it happened. I was a one-year-old in the Philippines when the revolt took place, so I don’t remember much, but my father told me that one of the first words I said as a baby was laban, which means “fight.” As you will see in the play, “Laban!” was the signal call for the Revolution.
G: Tell us a bit about your writing style and process. How do you get inspiration and
write?
RC: The play will be told in a non-linear narrative, meaning the story will be told out of chronological order. It’s been done in movies a lot (think Pulp Fiction), but not as much in theater. The purpose of making this play in that type of narrative style is because the events of the play spanned from the ‘70s to the ‘80s, so I needed to cover plenty of ground, while trying to maintain the always-important “drama.” Non-linear stories emulate our human recollections, and I believe the audience will connect better with the characters when they see their thoughts and memories on stage. And finally, having written plays for FASA in the past two Barrios (Rizal in 2006 and Bonifacio in 2007), I wanted to try something innovative that can hopefully keep the viewers engaged.
G: What in particular are you trying to get across through the play? Why is the story important, and what do you hope people learn from it?
RC: We in the Filipino-American Student Association try to promote Philippine culture in UB and throughout Western New York. The story of the Aquinos and their rise to power is incredible, and dedicating this year’s Barrio after these two Philippine icons is the least we could do after the sacrifices they made to save the country. The People Power Revolution affected not just the Philippines, but the entire world. The Revolution reminded us of the old Lincoln quote that governments are “for the people, by the people.” Most importantly, the Revolution is a living example of how non-violence and diplomacy are the greatest instruments for dismantling the evils of our world. Other than that, I just want everybody to enjoy the show!
Rise Up: Lakas ng Bayan will be presented Saturday, November 15 at 5:00 pm at the Student Union Theater. Tickets are $8 and can be bought at the door or in advance at the SBI ticket office.
