SKCAFI :: Sining Kambayoka Cultural Arts Foundation, Inc.

:: FRANK G. RIVERA

Frank G. Rivera and the Sining Kambayoka
by Ligaya R. Tiamson

Early in his life, Frank G. Rivera discovered that the visual arts, drama and theater could be his unending sources of fulfillment and happiness. The realization came in Paete, Laguna, the town where he first saw light and where he spent his boyhood. The place is well known for its artistic townspeople who make carvings from wood, papier mache from old newspapers and magazines and santol preserves that are beautifully carved as flowers and placed in glass jars. The town of Paete is also famous for its sweet lanzones that are harvested in the month of September.

It was in 1580 when the friar Juan de Plasencia established the Spanish government in Paete. This was after Juan de Salcedo went around the province and found the community of good carvers. They were experts in making carillo, yoyo and masks out of paper. Records say that the friars were amazed at the artistry of the citizens. This was the reason why the town was given the name PAETE, from the word PAET, meaning chisel, an edge instrument for cutting stone, wood or metal.

The pait or paet is the instrument used by the people to carve beautiful and artistic objects from wood. This suited the Spaniards very well for they needed the artisans to make their religious images. Their works of arts are displayed in church altars and in the homes of rich people. These are even exported to Madrid, Mexico, Rome and in Europe and the America.

At a young age, Frank loved to tell stories. His imaginative mind loved to spin tales. He and his playmates were still too young to go to school so all of them could not read but he could to them stories from Pilipino Komiks, Tagalog Klasiks, Hiwaga, Espesyal and Liwayway. Because of his sharp imagination, he could easily create dialogues for each frame in the sequence of events, whether they were action or love stories. Most often, the narratives were of super heroes who could fly and fight monsters and bad elements. Sometimes the conversation jibed with what were written but more often than not, the exchange of ideas was the product of his creative mind. His playmates were full of admiration for him, not knowing that they were being taken for a ride. Kang Luding, his elder sister who was in high school at that time, was a witness to these sessions. She decided to teach his younger brother to read and write even if he was not yet of school age. Kindergartens were not in existence then. As he was a fast learner, Frank could read at the age of four so he was able to really read the stories and novels of Mars Ravelo. Thus he was able to give correct and accurate interpretation to the stories. He could now give the correct emotion coupled with correct facial expression to the delight of his playmates.

Frank idolized Darna who could defeat Valentina with her hair of snakes; the mermaid Dyesebel who was transformed to a human being after caressing the magic shell of Bangenge; and the eternal love story of Gabriel and Maruja. In his young mind was born the desire to fly like Darna, to swim underwater like Dyesebel and to live ever after like Maruja. He was in Grade One when he presented his first production number. His stage was the big area under their house. His props consisted of white sack cloth, old lamps, carton cuttings and bright and colorful cellophane. He had no idea that he was presenting a carillo, a theater form using shadows as characters.

His presentations improved when in addition to his voice, he also used puppets. He brought into play Mars Ravelostories as his plots and even invented his own. That was how the Rivera Theater was established. The moviegoers, his playmates who used to listen to his reading sessions, now paid matchsticks to be able to watch his production. It was possible that the people in the place dismissed this as mere childplay, not knowing that they were witnessing the promise of greatness. Paete is an artistic town so displaying one art in whatever form was normal and ordinary to them. It was nothing new to see a young boy cut human and animal figures from paper. They saw this everyday in the papier mache that was part of their livelihood.

Frank was still in high school when he began attending seminars and workshops about art and the different forms of art expression. His first attempts in poetry and short stories were in English which were published in magazines. He was an actor in the Repertory Philippines of Zenaida Bibot Amador and in the last production of the Arena Theater of the Philippines of Severino Montano. It was then when he decided to write in the national language because he believed it could best express the national consciousness.

One of his decisions that resulted from his natural interest in art and culture was his joining Cecille Guidote Phil Educational Theater Association or PETA. He was still very young then but it marked the beginning of his unending love affair with the theater, with directing, with drama and with writing in general.

Frank discovered that it was in theater that he was more alive, where he was at his best form. In theater he could concretize different concepts teeming in his mind; he could make real his ideas. Cecille Guidote played a major part in this regard. A friendship was born between them that resulted in many successful productions. It was at this point, when Frank was able to use the theater, a medium that he loves and knows very well, that his love of country grew and was nurtured.

This was also the time of Martial Law, a time of political suppression. Some of Frank fellow artists disappeared. Eman Lacaba went underground, Dr. Severino Montano of the Arena Theater retired and Cecille Guidote Alvarez, married to Heherson Alvarez, went to the US with her family. They decided to make the fight for freedom international. The PETA members who were left behind did not stop their work. From Aparri to Jolo, they went on with their theater art. They continued conducting art seminars and workshops in the country.

Dansalan was the former name of Marawi. This is the home of the Maranaos living around Lanao Lake. This is the seat of Islam, which means peace. Each one greets each other assalam walaikum. It is part of the Maranao life, especially the older women, to weave the colorful malong with its various designs of flowers, birds and leaves. Their brasswares decorate their homes. The Torogan is an antique house filled with carvings, a symbol of its nobility. The tower of the masjid or mosque, the Maranaos religious sanctuary, is onion shaped. Their durian and marang are luscious and delicious. The Darangan and Embayoka form part of their literature with Rajah Indarapatra and Sulayman, Prinsipe Bantugan, Prinsesa Datimbang, Bidasari and Pilandok as heroes.

At that time Rufino S. Ignacio was the Vice-President for Academic Affairs of Mindanao State University in Marawi, Lanao del Sur. Ruf is an engineer but is very interested in the development and advancement of art and culture in Mindanao. Born in Manila and educated in the University of the Philippines, it became his mission in life to bring to Lanao the many facets of city life. One of this is the organization of a theater group, a must for an academy. It did not matter that the university was in the wilderness of Moslem country, Ignacio had to fulfill his dream for MSU. So it was but logical that he invited the PETA. They were a group of Manilans composed of Soxy Topacio, Brenda Fajardo, Lutgardo Labad and Frank Rivera. They conducted workshops in the integrated arts, in acting and directing, among teachers, students and interested employees. Since the place is dominated by Maranao culture and the place is so rural, the workshops were a novelty and became the talk of the community. Most of the people there were transients and so they needed diversions. Those who loved drama were entertained by the coming of the group from Manila. VP Ignacio personally supervised the workshops and gave his full support to the group. He saw in the improvisations how anybody with a modicum of interest could act, conceptualize, direct and produce, be he a Christian or a Moslem. He admired the group in their use of human props and authentic materials that were ethnic and colorful, thereby saving costs in production. He witnessed how students majoring in Science and Math expressed their emotions and translated them into poetry. Even engineering students whose daily lessons and activities consists of computations, problem solving and machine problems started to write poems. An example of these instant verses was based on Frank Rivera formula of five-line-verse. They could also make verses or lines expressing their self-identity, their aspirations, obstacles and resolutions. These are essentially elements of the typical plot of telenovelas which were unheard of then. The workshops proved that what was needed only was to awaken one;s love for the arts that was dormant in every Filipino. The results of the workshop amazed everybody. It was proven that what one sows, one reaps. In the land of the kris and sarimanok, everybody was nurtured in Islam and its ethnic sounds, rhythm and color so it was not surprising when the workshops gave birth to two vibrant productions. One was Ang Piging directed by Soxy Topacio and Ang Pilandok under the aegis of Frank Rivera which created a stir and admiration in the campus as it depicted and gave a picture of some aspects of the Maranao culture. The performers became instant campus celebrities. The academicians realized the importance of using local color and authentic materials to express the individuality of the community beginning from the time of the ancestors. How else can one decolonize colonial mentality except by localizing one's art and by making use of old literary forms even if they are transferred verbally from one generation to another?

VP Ignacio admired Frank's directorial abilities, how he brought out the innate hidden talents of the participants and for using local materials in his production. He watched how intensely Frank worked, how he gave his all in every activity that involved art-painting, embroidery, writing, macramé, carving and papier mache. These were the first indications that in the future, Frank would evolve as a multi-media artist. Later on, he could transfer with ease to the different art media-drama, song, composition, singing, writing in all literary forms, broadcast, acting and directing in television, stage and films. VP Ignacio knew that he found pure gold in Frank which was badly needed in the Southern Philippines. Frank was the epitome of his mission, vision and goals for the arts and culture of MSU.

Before he left the campus, Frank organized a cultural group that would take charge, support and showcase Moslem heritage. To sustain the interest of the community in the production, VP Ignacio asked Arthur Casanova to handle the group. VP Ignacio insisted on Frank's coming back to the MSU campus to continue strengthening the group that he formed. Frank thought this to be the golden opportunity needed to concretize the Manila artists dream - to bring art to the masses. Lower it to the level of the rural places that are far from the urbanized communities. This is the goal of PETA, to redirect drama from Broadway musicals and western plays and to make use of local color. He was discouraged that the changing times were serving as hindrance in reviving the old but beautiful art forms of Philippine theater. Full of idealism and the desire to pursue his dream for PETA, Frank decided to accept VP Ignacio's offer. Part of his reason was the beautiful and invigorating campus overlooking Marawi City, the Sleeping Lady Mountain, Sacred Mountain and Lanao Lake. The climate is cold that one needs a coat or jacket or the colorful malong of the Maranao. The place is carpeted with different flowers like cosmos, daisy, dahlia, gladiola, anthurium, everlasting, marisol, orchids and many more. He also noticed the good personal relations among the students, teachers and employees in the campus. They know one another and are friends to everybody, cooperating and helping each other in times of need. He liked the sweet friendship of the people around which could be attributed to the campus being a residential community giving the populace a special kind of bonding. Above all, the Moslem culture, particularly the Maranao, held a great attraction for him. They have very colorful celebrations especially the Pagano Maranao. There are red and yellow banners hanging in slender bamboos, so beautiful to the sight as they wave in the air. Their indigenous musical instruments give music so unlike the others. He enjoyed watching the hajjis with white putongs over their head similar to caps and the Maranaos dressed in colorful malongs. At first, Frank found himself in confusion. He was a product of a colonized culture who is now trying to infuse to the Moslem ethnicity a theater that was borrowed and not suited to them. The Moslems take pride in the times gone by when they were never defeated nor colonized by the foreigners, unlike the other parts of the country.

When he came to MSU, one of Frank's first friends was a Maranao in the person of Prof. Nagasura T. Madale, who is being looked up to as an academician knowledgeable in the art and culture of the place. One time, Prof. Madale took Frank with him to attend a Maranao wedding in a community quite far from the campus. To reach the place, they had to cross Lake Lanao. For Frank, this was a real and different experience that opened many doors for him. He became aware of the fact that the Maranaos have a concept of their art and theater that is truly their own, one that is native to them, something imbibed from their ancestors from so many generations. This is the true expression of their genius. Right then and there, Frank thought of the name KAMBAYOKA for the MSU Theater Group, from the word bayok of the Maranao. He impressed the members with the idea that whatever material one owns should be used to the fullest, that all activities should spring from it. The whole essence of the Sining Kambayoka was born from this.

The first production of the Sining Kambayoka was Mga Kuwentong Maranao.Pilandok was its main character. The many stories are similar to Juan Tamad of the Tagalogs and Juan Pusong of the Visayas. The characters and qualities of the folk tales of the different regions are parallel to one onother. This shows that even if the ancestors were divided by waters and mountains their thoughts were similar and related. This may also be due to the long process of handing down the stories orally.

According to Frank, one of his problems in developing the character of Pilandok was his bad trait of taking advantage of other people, something which should not be imitated. To make Pilandok acceptable as the main character, he should inject some changes in the story. It was important that he realized his errors and repented and tried to make amends for his misdeeds to make him a good example.

But many disagreed with him notably Dr. Mamitua Saber, Prof. Dioscoro Rabor and Prof. Henrietta Ele of the Darangan Dance Troupe. According to them, this would destroy the reality and authenticity of the stories of Pilandok and instead of them being folk tales, they would be fake tales. But Frank believed that any art form acquire a different perspective when translated and transformed to another medium. This is where an artist could exercise freedom of expression especially in the delicate task of improving society.

Frank was adamant in his belief of emphasizing positive values which the audience especially the youth could emulate. He reiterated that since Pilandok was well loved by everyone, his transformation would serve as an inspiration to the Maranaos. He firmly attested that the audience would not reject him. He explained further that as a literary form and theater art in particular Mga Kuwentong Maranao should endeavor to discover its many possibilities so that it would not end up like those preserved animals and inanimate objects in a museum.

The community also felt the iron hand of Martial Law but this did not stop Frank and company in incorporating social issues in their presentations. Improvised scenes which began as funny episodes were included but in reality they were taking potshots at the prevailing system. The First Family was being criticized in their plays but this was being done subtly. To spread their message and to develop awareness of the Sining Kambayoka, Frank's group went around the community once a month. This was why Frank was accused of being an activist and of using the theater as camouflage for teach-ins and countryside political campaigns against Martial Law.

Sining Kambayoka emerged triumphant despite criticisms from those who did not believe in this kind of production. It was accused of being bakya or for the masses only, what with its use of local dialects like Cebuano, Maranao, Tagalog, Maguindanao and Tausug, especially in its experimental stage. The critics dismissed as unimportant the decolonization of the people's colonial mentality when they reverted to local stuff. Later, Frank and his group were vindicated in being forerunners of Sining Kambayoka, in their desire to showcase local culture. Steven Patrick Fernandez organized the IPAG or the Iligan Performing Arts Group, treading the same path that Sining Kambayoka walked on in its infant years.