SINDAK 1941: A FILIPINO MUSICAL BRINGS TO LIFE THE STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM AND LOVE

Philippine Stagers Foundation, a professional mobile theatre company from Manila presents an all original musical about love and the struggles of the Filipinos during World War II, under the Japanese regime, written and directed by Atty. Vincent M. Tanada and music by Pipo Cifra.

The dates of performances are from July 11, 2019 to March of 2020. The musical will be shown in select theatre venues all over the Philippines.

The Story:

This is a story about the resiliency, sufferings and sacrifices of the Filipinos during the Japanese occupation in the Philippines being told through the eyes of four intertwined souls, brothers Felipe and Nestor, and their love interests Sofia and Emilia, respectively. The story will be narrated by a mute wanderer Tata Edong.
The difference between the brothers was very obvious in the onset, Nestor was more successful in school, and eventually he used all the things he learned in school to start a very successful shoe making business. On the other hand his older brother Felipe ended up ploughing the fields. Eventually they will realize the impact of the war, that everyone is a victim, and that it spares no one.
A quick look in our history would tell us, ten hours after the bombing of Pearl Harbour, Intramuros, Manila was decimated. The occupation of the Japanese led to the formation of HUKBALAHAP. USAFFE experienced a beating from the Japanese forces resulting to General Douglas MacArthur’s departure to Australia together with his troops. The remnants of the defenders of the Philippines were forced to march to their deaths in Bataan.
In these trying times the star-crossed lovers will traverse the challenges of Japanese tyranny, meeting an array of colourful characters such as the brothel owners Mauricia and Salvacion, and the father and son rebels, Gorio and Pancho. They will showcase the resilience of the Filipino spirit and prove to the world that despite all the odds, our freedom is fought by and won by the Filipinos. The brothers will go on their separate journey as a collaborator and a freedom fighter. This musical will fill in the gaps of our history and pay homage to all the unsung heroes of our land.
SINDAK 1941 will show the adverse effects of war and how morality is twisted just to survive.

The Philippines is the apex of the Second World War and the end of it is the turning point that would spell success or failure between the ruling powers. The Battle of Leyte Gulf is arguably the biggest Naval Battle in history. The two pairs will play major parts in this tragic battle. Lives will be lost, tragedy will be told, but SINDAK 1941 will give you a spectacular musical experience that would show our history through the eyes of our countrymen and how the resilience of the Filipinos won the day for the Philippines.

The Cast and crew

The musical will showcase a very talented pool of multi-awarded actors for theatre including Vince Tanada (Two-Time Aliw Awardee for Best Actor, Star Awards’ Best New Actor and Famas Awardee) and Jomar Bautista (Felipe); Patrick Libao and Johnrey Rivas (Nestor); Yesh Burce, Kath Medina and Vean Olmedo (Sofia); Cherry Bagtas and Rachelle Penaflor (Emilia); Franie Zamora, Joel Molina, Kuya Manzano and Chris Lim (MacArthur); Adel Ibarrientos (Mauricia); OJ Bacor (Salvacion); Neil Tolentino (Gorio); Dean Rafols (Pancho); Chin Ortega (Tata Edong), Gerald Magallanes (Masanobu), Gian Daquioag (Homma), Carl Adaron (Kunitake), Bea Martin (Cromwell) and the Aliw Awardee for Best Ensemble Cast, the actor’s pool of the Philippine Stagers Foundation.

The artistic team of SINDAK 1941 is composed of the following: Vince Tanada (Book, Lyrics and Direction), Pipo Cifra (Music), Carlon Josol Matobato (Choreography), Jeffrey Ambrosio (Set Design), Emy Tanada (Costume), Art Gabrentina (Lights and Sound Design), OJ Bacor (Production Management), JP Lopez (Associate Direction and Stage Management), Vino Oriarte (Photography), Alwin Llanes and Carlo Parungao (Video Editing).

Show Inquiries

The musical SINDAK 1941 will run from July 11, 2019 up to March 2020, to be shown in various theatre venues all over Metro Manila and select venues in various provinces all over the Philippines.

For ticket inquiries and show buyers you may get in touch with 0956-669-0335. For more updates, follow #sindak1941 and Philippine Stagers Foundation on Facebook, PHILIPPINE_STAGER for Instagram, and @philstagers on Twitter.

Making Life Better: The Many Faces of a Hardworking Pinoy

We all look forward to making our lives better regardless of what 'better' means for us. We all strive at our own pace, focusing on working hard in order to reach our personal end goals. This is why some of us also look forward to a deserving relaxation time alone or with family, friends and loved ones, especially on Labour Day. It is, after all, the day for the hardworking ones, a holiday meant to honour the efforts and contributions made to have a better life and a community.

But while Labour Day provides the hardworking Pinoys to get a day off, many still do not have the luxury of celebrating the day on their own terms.

Last Labour Day, we asked five different workers how they manage to persevere despite having a job that barely affords them the opportunity to enjoy the holidays, even the one that is intended for them.

Rhea Abiada, 29
Nurse

“Nung simula mahirap, pero masasanay ‘din ‘yung sarili mo. ‘Yun talaga ‘yung profession mo kaya walang problema. Nakakatuwa kasi sa pedia ako [naka-station]. Nakakatuwa ‘pag ngumingiti na ulit sa ’yo ‘yung mga bata, ‘yung sa una parang hindi na sila magsu-survive pero gagaling sila at pagbalik nila dito ang lulusog na nila.”

(At first it was difficult, but you’ll get used to it. That’s what your profession calls for, so it’s not a problem. I enjoy being stationed at the pediatric ward. It’s great when the kids are finally smiling at you, especially when earlier you worried about their condition and then they recover and come back and they’re all healthy again).

Mary Grace Arca, 31
Housekeeper

“Nung una, lumuwas ako dito sa Cavite para mangamuhan para maging mas malaya ako. Pero gusto ko talagang makatulong sa pamilya ko. Syempre mahirap na hindi ko sila nakakasama pero na-realise ko na mahirap talaga ang buhay namin sa probinsya. Kulang talaga. Kaya natanggap ko na ako ‘yung nasa posisyon para makatulong sa kanila.”

(At first, I moved to Cavite to work as a housekeeper so that I could live independently. But I really wanted to also help my family. Of course, it’s hard to be away from them, but I realised how hard our life in the province truly was. It really wasn’t enough. So, I’ve accepted that it’s my responsibility to help).

Marlon Bucad, 30
Jeepney driver

“Mas mahirap pa nga pag sinesermonan ako ng asawa ko. Pagdating sa pangarap, wala, masaya na ‘ko sa gan’to. Ang pangarap ko na lang ay para sa mga anak ko. Gusto kong mapatapos ko sila.”

(Getting nagged by my wife is harder. As far as dreams go, I’m already good with what I’m doing. My only dream is for my children. I want them to be able to finish school).

John-John “Ambo” Maeso, 29
Taho vendor

“Mahirap ‘pag mainit. Pati na ‘din ‘pag umuulan. Mahina kita. Pangarap ko kasi magkaroon ng motor para lagyan ng sidecar pang-service. Para kahit umuulan, kahit walang benta, may pagkakakitaan pa rin ako.”

(It’s challenging when it’s too hot. The same when it rains. Sales are slow. My dream is to buy a motor that I can attach a sidecar to and then use for [school] service. So even if income from selling taho is low, I’d still have another way of earning money).

Juliet Carrascal, 50
Sidewalk vendor

“Kahit Pasko man ‘yan o baha, nagbebenta pa din ako dito. Minsan hindi na nga ako nakakauwi sa amin. Wala kasing papalit. Pero okay naman kasi dito na lang ako kakain. Bibili na lang ako ng makakain, at may makakain naman sila doon sa bahay. Nalilibang ako dito. Nauubos ‘yung oras ko. Masaya siya, marami kang nakakausap, marami kang nakikilala at marami kang nae-experience. Dito na ‘ko tumanda. Mahilig kasi ako magsugal dati. Lagi akong nagsusugal, pero pagkatapos kong magsimulang magtinda, natanggal na lahat ng bisyo ko. Imbis na magsugal ako, e di magbenta na lang ako. May kikitain pa ‘ko.”

(Whether it’s Christmas or even if there’s a storm, I remain at this post to sell goods. Sometimes, in fact, I don’t get to go home anymore as there’s nobody to take over my post. But that’s okay. I can just buy food and have my meals here knowing my family has food on the table at home. I enjoy my work here. The time just passes by. You get to talk to a lot of people; you meet a lot and you get to experience many things. I’ve spent a good number of years here. I used to gamble a lot but after I started being vendor here, I stopped all my vices. Instead of gambling, I might as well just sell and earn.)

The working Filipino has many different faces. He could be Ambo, who continues striving to earn more for his family. She could be Mary Grace, persevering for her family despite being away from them. This present-day hero could be Marlon, chasing not their own dreams but for others. Or she could be Rhea and Juliet, who see their roles as something more than a job but rather as a vocation and a source of joy.

No matter the kind of worker one is or the kind of job he or she has, anyone who makes an honest living should be celebrated for their hard work and contributions to their family and communities. We salute our fellow Filipinos who face life with great optimism and perseverance to make lives better.

Discover how smartphones that keep getting better help you live your best life by visiting https://www.nokia.com/phones/en_ph.

About HMD Global

Headquartered in Espoo, Finland, HMD Global Oy is the home of Nokia phones. HMD designs and markets a range of smartphones and feature phones targeted at a range of consumers and price points. With a commitment to innovation and quality, HMD is the proud exclusive licensee of the Nokia brand for phones and tablets. For further information, see www.hmdglobal.com.

Nokia is a registered trademark of Nokia Corporation.  Android, Google and other related marks and logos are trademarks of Google LLC. Qualcomm and Snapdragon are trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated, registered in the United States and other countries.

Design Center Showcases Bamboo Innovation at Manila FAME 2018

The Design Center, an attached agency of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) successfully showcased innovative and revolutionary bamboo products at Manila FAME 2018. The special bamboo setting was arranged under a canopy of bamboos and was divided into two innovation projects – the Bamboo 360 and the Bamboo Extreme 2.0. The Bamboo 360 featured design-forward home and lifestyle products while the Bamboo Extreme 2.0 focused primarily on mobility concepts for modern lifestyle. Gracing the innovative bamboo display were (left to right) DTI undersecretary Nora Terrado, Design Center of the Philippines executive director Rhea Matute, Philippine Nickel Industry Association chairman Isidro Alcantara Jr., Olli Consulting Group Inc. chief executive officer Leo Dominguez, Chamber of Mines of the Philippines vice chair Joey Leviste, DTI secretary Ramon Lopez, Bambike founder Bryan Benitez McClelland, and Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions executive director Pauline Suaco-Juan.