Patmos Students Produce Musical Stage Adaptations of El Filibusterismo

As a culminating activity for their Filipino class, Batch Patmos performed their musical stage adaptations of Jose Rizal’s famous work El Filibusterismo in the Auditorium last April 30.

“Ang pagsasadula ay nagbubukas ng pintuan para sa mas malalim na pag-unawa sa mga tema at isyu na tinatalakay ng nobela, tulad ng korapsyon, kahirapan, at pakikibaka para sa kalayaan,” Grade 10 Filipino teacher Marife Posada mentioned. “Sa pangkalahatan, ito ay isang mahalagang hakbang sa pagpapalaganap ng mga aral at kritisismo ng nobela sa mas maraming manonood, na nagbibigay inspirasyon at nagpapalakas ng kamalayan sa mga mahahalagang usaping panlipunan at pulitikal.”

Filipino subject leader and Grade 10 teacher Marife Posada kicked off the program by introducing the play and welcoming parents, both those watching live in the auditorium and those joining via Zoom.

The novel was divided into three parts for each of the sections to perform. Patmos B executed Chapters 1 to 13, Patmos A executed Chapters 14 to 26, and Patmos C executed Chapters 27 to 39.

The plays were made special with musical numbers mixed into the script. Patmos B’s play had  performances of “Mapa” and “Kapangyarihan,” while Patmos A’s play included “Sampaguita,” “Nakikinig Ka Ba Sa Akin?”, “Nangangamba,” along with a class performance of “Kapangyarihan.” Meanwhile, Patmos C’s play featured “Sa Susunod na Habang Buhay” and “Awitin Mo at Isasayaw Ko.”

“Hangad kong maipaunawa sa mga mag-aaral na hirap sa wikang Filipino na kayang makapagpahayag gamit ang wika kung gugustuhin at isasapuso ang pagsasagawa nito. Napakaganda ng wikang Filipino para hindi ito gamitin at tangkilikin,” expressed Posada.

As the first batch that resumed the annual practice of the El Filibusterismo play post-pandemic, the Grade 10 students experienced numerous challenges during the preparation process.

“I know that my class has a lot of potential, especially in acting, but most of the time practices tend to be taken lightly,” shared Bianca Sy, Patmos C’s director. To overcome this challenge, one insight she mentioned was the importance of rehearsals: “Practice, practice, practice. There’s really no way we can force them into playing the role, but as long as they know their cues and their lines, I believe they’ll play well on the day itself.”

“I delegated tasks to my wonderful scriptwriters, props head, and people who can help lead our class well to get the job done,” Miles Co, director of Patmos A, added. “Our class also made sacrifices, practicing during vacation and weekends for multiple hours at a time.”