Kadugong Bisaya: Music From The Children of Lapulapu

In an effort to give all Bisaya a louder and stronger voice in Tagalog-centered Philippines and promote pride in Bisaya culture, Kadugong Bisaya is an association of Filipinos in the country and abroad who are concerned with promoting and supporting the growth of the Bisaya cultural community, as well as highlighting the significant contribution of the Bisaya to Filipino culture as a whole.

‘Among Kadugong Bisaya’s objectives are to foster a common cultural identity and solidarity among members; to advance and enrich Bisaya, Binisaya, Sugbanon language, history, culture, literature and arts in their community; and to network with Bisaya, Sugboanon, Ilongo, and Waray associations and study centers throughout the Philippines and abroad, including the Cebuano Studies Center at the University of San Carlo, the Central Visayas Study Center at Cebu College, University of the Philippines, Save Our Languages Federalism (SOLFED), and Defenders of the Indigenous Languages of the Archipelago (DILA), among others.

Branching out to the other regions of the Philippines, the organization also aims to promote nationalism and civic consciousness throughout the country; to contribute to the development and evolution of the Filipino language and culture by incorporating Binisaya, Sugboanon, Ilongo, and Waray concepts and words into the national language.

Kadugong Bisaya advocates the use of Binisaya as a medium of instruction in primary school to ensure that the younger generations are able to keep the language, traditions and culture alive. The group also supports poets, artists, journalists, essayists, and scholarly writers who write in the language.

The group’s activities and programs include presentations of Bisaya culture and arts, grants for Bisaya, Cebuano-Visayan and Bisaya-Mindanaon writers, musicians, and scholars, as well as workshops and competitions for creative writing and musical composition. The organization also hopes to help establish a national radio and television station broadcasting in Binisaya.

Fostering the love for music of the Bisaya – and all Filipinos, for that matter – Kadugong Bisaya, in cooperation with the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Department of Tourism, presents “Si Lapulapu, Si Rosa Pandan: A Bisaya Musical Extravaganza.” The program, directed by Chris Millado, features performance artists spanning a wide range of genres, including Joey Ayala, Bayang Barrios, Rachelle Gerodias, Elizabeth Ramsey, Jaya, the Philippine Madrigal Singers, the Andres Bonifacio Concert Choir, the Philippine Dance Sports Association, the Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group, and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra. Cesar Montano plays the role of Lapulapu, the Visayan chieftain and Philippine hero. Another highlight of the show is the set designed by Kenneth Cobonpue, an internationally recognized designer and a proud Bisaya.