PhilStagers goes to the movies with Katips

In a very appropriate time while the Philippines is nearing its national elections in 2022, we are constantly reminded to check a candidate's personal, educational and political background so that we can choose wisely in the polls. We are also being fed with lots of information from history to check if we have learned something, whether it's a mistake or an achievement that made us who we are today.

Vince Tanada and the ensemble of Katips Movie

PhilStager's Films and director Vince Tañada gives us the movie version of Katips -- a musical play that narrates the life of students and activists during Martial Law. Students have displayed their strong will fighting for human rights and against tyranny during the Marcos era. They also have been the subject to military oppression and torture that is unimaginable to this day. If today's generations speaks about being woke, Vince Tañada and the rest of the cast who have experienced that era are all willing to testify and oppose what might undesirable thing would happen in the future if an unfit candidate will be declared in the position.

Katips' storyline is a mixture of emotions at the same time trying to inform audiences about history. And the creative team of Katips and PhilStagers ensured that the story reaches out the right audience to understand the message. While it was a depressing time for the students during Martial Law, it also gives a message of hope, truth and a call for unity and justice.

Katips is 2016 Best Musical Performance in the Aliw Awards that year. This year, it is joined by actors and displaced artists who have the same objective and have put great efforts to give a strong message in protection of freedom. Cast includes Jerome Ponce, Vince Tañada, Mon Confiado, Johnrey Rivas, Lou Veloso, Nicole Laurel Asensio, Adelle Ibarrientos, Sachzna Laparan, Joshua Bulot, Vean Olmedo, Carla Lim, Patricia Ismael, Dexter Doria, Afi Africa, OJ Arci, Ricky Brioso, and Liam Tanare. With guests Dindo Arroyo, JP Lopez, Bernard Laxa and Nelson Mendoza.

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A Game of Trolls

Ramon Magsaysay Awardee PETA (Philippine Educational Theater Association) is on fire creating a new musical tackling about Martial Law for the millennials. A Game of Trolls, makes its rerun from September 1-30 at the PETA Theater Center in Quezon City.

Very relevant in our time today when Marcos defenders are trying to bend the truth and ignores the victims of the dictator's ways, supporting extra-judicial killings through the internet and social media, as long as they play safe. The play starts by browsing Google, telling us that information is readily available in the internet. However, with the keyboard warriors existing today, it is very hard to verify which is true or not.

Then our main character meets different victims of EJKs, torture and disappearances during the Martial Law. From there, words and songs come and convene a strong message that should not be left for granted. They deliver the stories that haunted the critics of the past government and strengthens the idea that killing is never right at all aspects. A Game of Trolls deals with a very important subject but still affects the millennial generation of its light romantic lines and musical genre.

A Game of Trolls tells us that we should stick to facts. Any information that we see or hear should make us think not just once but even more than a million times. Each camp would say that the information of the other is biased but we should also be critical about it all.

I asked the creative team afterwards about what they can say to their fellow artists. Since it is a very vital for all of us to have a healthy discourse about this topic and I agree with that. Escalating it and engaging in a fight is never progressive. Since all of us have different political views, we should also learn to co-exist peacefully and base everything on facts.

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