May 2010 & the makeover of Juan Tamad

MANILA, Philippines - The deadline for new voter’s registration is coming up in a few days on Oct. 31 for the elections on May 10, 2010. The Comelec estimates 1.9 new voters of which only some 900,000 have registered. This is low in comparison to the five million the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) intends to reach. But then, PETA is hopeful. Of our 48 million population, nine million are between 18 to 35 years of age. PETA believes it is this aggressive generally better-informed sector of society that may turn the tide in next year’s elections.

To address this challenge, after the Boto ni Botong in 2000, PETA has come up with a hilarious and informative musical titled Si Juan Tamad, ang Diyablo, at Ang Limang Milyong Boto  directed by Phil Noble which we watched at the PETA Theater. Many in the audience were youngsters, precisely the sector, says PETA president CB Garrucho, that could provide “the swing vote in choosing decent leaders for our country and therefore ensuring good governance.” In the play, Juan finds himself between Diyablo storyteller who doesn’t want change, and Lola Anitan who represents hope and unconditional love.

After decades of fighting the system, many of us have backslid to non-caring, non-dreaming individuals. We have become once again like that good natured, kind, but lazy uninvolved Pinoy character Juan Tamad. Juan himself dissects his nature in the song Para Saan Pa.

Ako’y lumaki sa bayang hindi na nananaginip

Mga bilasang pangarap nilalangaw lamang sa pantalan

Ang buhay ng tuod ay mas pinagpala,

Hindi maliligaw dahil walang patutunguhan

Bakit ko pa iiwanan ang buhay-tamad?

Freely translated, the verses go thus: I grew up in a country that has forsaken its dreams. Dreams left by flies to spoil by the wayside. I envy the tree stump that has nowhere to go. It will never know the suffering, never know the pain. Tell me then, why should I leave this life of a bum?       

But Juan was by no means alone in this thinking. Even Maribel Legarda, PETA’s artistic director had misgivings. “After 40 years of producing theater, what have we not said or done? Are we repeating ourselves because it seems nothing has changed in the Philippine society….Does our art have the power to bring about this change?” she asks in the souvenir program.  

When the project was assigned to the much-acclaimed Vince de Jesus, he was similarly perturbed. Never having voted at 41, he confesses to having lost the appetite. With the massive cheating year after year, the same trapos running, he found the process pointless, even absurd.

“I have to admit that some of Diyablo’s lines are my personal questions on Philippine society. A bit jaded, sarcastic at times, mostly tired and detached. But when I decided to register last August, things kinda opened up took a natural cycle. After registration, I immediately did research on the candidates; became very critical every time they would appear on TV with their glossy ads. I’ve also turned down two candidates’ offer to compose for them campaign jingles. Doing the show as an actor, it is like reliving my life as a Juan Tamad all over again. Masarap maging ignorante dahil kapag hindi mo alam ang problema you are not expected to act on it. Madaling maghugas-kamay. I think everyone has that Juan Tamad moment when they’ve stopped caring and getting involved,” explains Vince.

Not only did he write the play, compose the music and arrange it. His crucial role of Diyablo storyteller represents many of those we know in society, the cynics and who not only refuse to participate but also pull each other down.

On the night we watched, Juan Tamad was played by Victor Robinson who alternates with Marvin Ong, a Trumpets, Repertory Philippines actor. Victor is an Ateneo student, member of the Ateneo Blue Repertory, Ateneo Student Catholic Action, National Ulirang Kabataan Awardee of DepEd, and Most Outstanding Journalist and Student of Region 6.

Playing his Lola Anitan is Joann Co who has appeared in Kuwento ni Lola Basyang, Hunchback of Notre Dame, ZsaZsa Zaturnah among others and teaches at Trumpets Playshop. Lola is the foil to Juan, pushing him to action when he wavers, ever optimistic, always hopeful. To us, she has the most meaningful song in the musical titled Huwag Hayaang Maging Galit Lamang. She sings that after all that has been said and done, after fighting the system and following one’s conscience, it your candidate fails to win the elections, one must not simply be angry and lose hope. One must continue being vigilant of wrongdoings in government, and use this anger to open one’s heart for the sake of our future and that of our country.

CB told us they intend to reach as many youths as possible. Robert Seña will start alternating with Vince as Diyablo storyteller starting February until April. It will be interesting to see his interpretation of the complex character.

If there is any positive effect of the recent typhoons, landslides, flooding, and destruction of homes and agricultural land, it will be in awakening the population that we need to take the future into our own hands. The middle classes everywhere were moved to help the downtrodden. At the same time, it has also awakened the victims that the catastrophes were not only acts of God, but of man himself through his irresponsible and greedy treatment of the environment. We have even heard of those in evacuation centers who loudly threw invectives at politician donors even as they accepted their food and rice donations emblazoned with their names and pictures. “Baka akala nyo iboboto naming kayo no? Akala nyo yata, mangmang pa rin kami?” was the general tenor of their reaction. Clearly, the Juan Tamads were undergoing a moral makeover.

 According to CB, PETA would need sponsorship of around P1.5-M to tour the production around schools and communities in February and March next year. The amount doesn’t look like a great deal in the light of what we’ve seen the public and responsive companies have shown themselves capable of during Ondoy and Pepeng. The song Bantayan ang Boto Natin  goes…

Mga botong walang prinsipyo ang sumira sa bansa

Matuto tayo sa tadhana. Tama na! Itigil na!

Huwag isipin ang madaliang mga solusyon sa problema

Tanggihan ang bayad kapalit ng ‘yong balota.

Again, freely translated, Let us learn from the past. The no-conscience vote is what has ravaged our country. Let us stop taking the easy way out. Let us stop exchanging our future for a vote.  

(E-mail me at [email protected].)