When Arlene Abuid-Paderanga first watched The Moon and the Bakunawa during its run in Australia, she did not realize she was witnessing a story that closely reflected her own life.
Onstage was the story of Mamay and her son Benny (Tonyong)—a mother living with dementia and the son who has devoted eight years of his life to caring for her. Written by Nitoy Chan Jr., the play weaves together the emotional realities of dementia caregiving with the haunting beauty of Philippine folklore, particularly the legend of the Bakunawa, the mythical serpent believed to swallow the moon.
For Abuid-Paderanga, the experience was deeply personal. She had once been a caregiver to her own mother who battled dementia. She knew the repetition of stories, the quiet ache of watching memories fade, and the kind of love that stretches beyond exhaustion. The script’s honesty and restraint moved her profoundly—and in that moment, she made a promise to herself that the story had to come home.
That promise now finds its fulfillment as The Moon and the Bakunawa is staged at AIMS, where the institution has been steadily building its arts programs through its Bachelor of Arts in Theater and Bachelor in Dance. For Abuid-Paderanga, presenting the play at AIMS is more than a production decision; it is a meaningful alignment of art and advocacy. The staging places a powerful narrative about memory, identity, and caregiving within an academic environment dedicated to cultivating both artistic skill and empathy.
The production also brings together a cast whose own journeys echo the emotional depth of the story. Divina Cavestany reprises the role of Mamay after being part of the play’s original run in Australia. A longtime friend of the playwright, she returns to the character with renewed purpose, seeking to portray the emotional terrain of dementia with honesty and compassion for Filipino audiences.
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| Divina Cavestany |
Phil Panganiban steps back onstage after years of observing and critiquing theatrical productions from the sidelines. His portrayal of Tonyong marks a personal return to storytelling—this time experiencing the weight of the narrative from within rather than as an observer.
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| Phil Panganiban |
Joining him in the role is Remus Villanueva, whose participation marks a meaningful comeback to performance. His interpretation of Tonyong brings layered nuance to the portrayal of a queer son navigating love, responsibility, and emotional fatigue while caring for a parent.
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| Remus Villanueva |
At its core, The Moon and the Bakunawa is a simple and intimate story: a mother, a son, and a home filled with memories that repeat and slowly fade. The production embraces minimalism, allowing the story’s emotional truth to take center stage. Through its use of folklore, memory loss becomes a poetic metaphor—like the moon swallowed by the Bakunawa, Mamay’s memories dim and reappear, altered but never entirely gone.
Despite its modest scale, the play carries a powerful message. Dementia remains one of the least understood and least discussed conditions within many Filipino families, and caregivers often carry their burdens quietly. By bringing this story to the stage, the production hopes to open conversations about memory, caregiving, and mental health.
For Abuid-Paderanga, producing the show is both tribute and responsibility—a way of honoring her mother and recognizing the countless caregivers who remain beside loved ones as memories slowly fade.
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| Arlene Abuid-Paderanga |
The Moon and the Bakunawa ultimately reminds audiences that even when memory disappears, love endures—and that sometimes the most powerful stories are the quiet ones that stay with us long after the curtain falls.
The Moon and the Bakunawa runs on April 15–16 and April 25–26, 2026, with performances at 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM, at the Jayne Offemaria-Abuid Auditorium, AIMS Tower, Pasay City. Tickets are available at https://ticket2me.net/event/22883.
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