Wanted: A home for the Bayanihan

Here’s praying that Bayanihan Philippine Dance Company will finally have its own home – a theater of its own, a theater it truly deserves.

The Company has made the Philippines proud in countless dance festivals for many decades now. It is inarguably world-class. It also happens to be a national dance company.

Wishful thinking? No. It’s about time we all help and make that wish come true. How?

I don’t know. Perhaps everyone who has danced or applauded the singkil or sayaw sa bangko can contribute P100 to the Bayanihan. It may sound funny but this is how things should be done now.

We must do our share.

Since its founding in 1957, the Bayanihan story spans 47 years of performances all over the world.

Founded by the Honorable Helena Benitez, chair of the Philippine Women’s University, the Bayanihan has mounted 14 major world tours and more than a hundred short tours. (Tita Helen recently celebrated her birthday at the Miranila. I wanted to be there because I wanted to personally thank her for her kindness and generosity. Many years ago, specifically in the 1984 congressional election in Cavite, she made me feel important by listening to my big, crazy, risqué political inputs when many would brush me off as a loquacious, annoying tyro. Salamat po, Tita Helen!) 

Adjudged top among 13 countries during its debut at the Brussels World Fair on May 27, 1958, the Bayanihan has earned many "firsts": the first Filipino group to perform at the Winter Garden Theater in Broadway and the first non-American dance company to perform at the New York State Theater of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts; the first cultural group to perform in Russia and People’s Republic of China; the first to make an in-depth tour of South America; the first Filipino dance company to perform at the World Showcase Millennium Village EPCOT in Disneyworld, Florida; and the only Filipino dance company to receive the Ramon Magsaysay award for international understanding.

As official representative at the first CIOFF World Folkloriada held in the Netherlands in 1996, Bayanihan was one of the top five performing artistic groups chosen from among 70 national groups to give repeat performances at the close of the festival. In 1998, the Bayanihan embarked on a centennial tour of Europe commencing at the Lisboa World Expo, followed by performances in Monaco, Germany, France, Madrid and in 16 cities of the autonomous region of Galicia in Northwestern Spain.

At the 44th International Folk Festival in Sicily, Italy in February 1999, the Bayanihan won first prize in the traditional costume category and was the only Asian dance company that made it to the top four winners among 40 participating countries. In 2002, the group again participated in the 47th International Folk Festival and won the much-coveted Gold Temple Award and the Absolute Gold Award for overall excellence in dance, music, costume and production.

The company did a spectacular coast-to-coast tour of the US in 2001 and performed to standing ovations in 56 cities in 20 states, chalking up 69 performances in 77 days.  

A multi-awarded company both nationally and internationally, the Bayanihan has awakened a new pride among Filipinos in their cultural heritage; added a new dimension to the country’s dance tradition and built a rich reserve of international goodwill.

In appreciation and recognition of their pioneering efforts and international success, the people of the Philippines through the 10th Congress enacted R.A. 8626 declaring the Bayanihan Philippine Dance Company as the Philippines’ National Folk Dance Company. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo issued Proclamation No. 138 declaring May 27 of every year as National Day to commemorate and propagate the Bayanihan spirit as the true way of working together as a people.

The Bayanihan recently participated in the First Philippine Entertainment Expo held at the World Trade Center which gathered the major components of the local industry, highlighting world-class Filipino entertainers in music, dance, theater, movies and television. The comprehensive exhibit also showcased the latest products and trends in the industry and their allied partners.

The Bayanihan was also in Europe twice this year. The group spent one week in Alava, Spain for the Folklore Festival last May and held a gala performance in Amsterdam. Last June, they had two performances in Barcelona. The first was for the Universal Forum on Culture Performances in Madrid under the auspices of Ambassador Bernardo from the Philippine Embassy in Madrid. The second was a beautiful gala performance at the Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo, Monaco upon the invitation of Dr. Stephen Zuellig, the Philippine’s Honorary Consul in Monaco, where the group brought in the collections of Ben Farrales,  Dita Sandico-Ong, and Alfonso Guinoo, which were modeled by six of the Bayanihan dancers interspersed with the Muslim mosaic, Earth Rhythms and Maria Clara suites. Also last June, the Bayanihan participated in the FOCAP in Seoul, Korea and was voted the Best Folkloric Group.

This August, the Bayanihan will participate in the third World Folkloriada in Budapest, Hungary and will proceed to Athens, Greece for the Cultural Olympiad upon the invitation of the Mayor of Athens.

In December, the group will participate in Lawiswis, an International Folk Dance Festival to be staged from Dec. 7 to 12, where, as of press time, five European countries and five Asian countries have confirmed attendance.