Notes on ‘Journeys on a Galleon’

The fabled Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade (1571 -1814) was an arduous voyage traversing rough waters, taking six to nine months to sail across the Pacific Ocean.
A galleon’s mast was built by at least 6,000 workers in Cavite. The captain was Spanish. Most of the laborers and sailors came, at great sacrifice and low wages, from the five neighboring provinces. One can just imagine the awesome work and the long months of hard labor to build a ship made exclusively of Philippine hardwood.
National Artist for Literature and National Commisƒsion for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) Chairman Virgilio S. Almario wrote, “The NCCA is one with the endeavor of the Filipino Heritage Festival, Inc. in promoting our praxis of heritage preservation, all for the relevant remembrance if our intangible and tangible memories for the service to the people… In the light if the 120^th Anniversary of Philippine Independence this 2018, it is timely that the celebration of National Heritage Month coincides with the production… Mabuhay!”
“The Manila-Acapulco Galleon trade has been a testament to the rich maritime heritage of the Philippines. We have a long history of building boats and seafaring, trading with the neighboring countries and circumnavigating the world. This art of our proud history must be told. ‘The Journeys on a Galleon,’ is an amazing production,” remarked Cultural Center of the Philippines president Arsenio J. Lizaso.
“The Galleon brought culture and crops from four continents for 250 years. The Filipinos have been known as intrepid seafarers even before Ferdinand Magellan’s arrival in 1521 in the islands,” the dynamic Senator Sonny Angara explained.
The world premiere production traces the history of the wealth of Pre-colonial Philippines and trade relations with China and islands Southeast Asian kingdoms, to the routes that the great galleons sailed. This was done through dance, music, and historical tableaux last May 5 at the CCP.
Video capsules of images (by Jen Esclamado) and interesting information were projected onto floating gossamer panels onstage with a voice and sound explanation of the galleon. Text came from the book The World of the Manila-Acapulco Galleons: The Global and Human Context by Carlos Madrid, PhD.
The galleons were filled with trading goods, weapons, precious objects and gold jewelry, silk and porcelain vases from four continents.
Among the goods were are exquisitely embroidered and tasseled Manton de Manila (from China) and the incomparable Manila mango seed. The fruit was brought to Mexico and it still carries the name but it is Mexican and tastes quite different from the Philippine fruit.
Floy Quintos, multi-awarded director and playwright, writer and journalist, shared his own notes:
“I have been tasked to put together a production honoring the galleon trade. A difficult topic to visualize and communicate to the audience. Context of the trade had to be clearly communicated, as well as other Southeast Asian countries.
“This we will hopefully achieve through meaningful collaborations with the Philippine Ballet Theatre (with choreographer Gener Caringal), The Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group, The UE Silangan Dance Troupe and the Ateneo Chamber Singers,” he acknowledged.
“…The ultimate dream is a traveling show that will be able to communicate to a wider audience the significance of the Galleon trade, as well as the vital importance of our waters and territories in these times when we find them imperiled by foreign encroachment.”
Gener Caringal, choreographer extraordinaire, is famous for his stylistic range, pure, and direct thematic expressions set in exotic Filipino plots. Among them are Vinta, Ang Sultan, Pilipino Komiks (featuring fictional characters Darna, Dyesebel, Valentina) and Andres KKK. He has been with Philippine Ballet Theatre since the beginning (1986) as artistic director and eventually, as chairman. In the “Galleon,” he merged dazzling elements of modern, stylized ballet.
In the program, the outstanding pieces were “The Philippines: Islands of Gold” and “Manton de Manila,” visually stunning dances performed by PBT and UE Silangan Dance Troupe, with original choreography by Gener Caringal and original music by award-winning composer Jesse Lucas.
The finale “Gift of faith” was an inspiring piece with a solemn veneration of the Virgin Mary resplendent in a spectacular shimmering gold robe with a crown. The Ateneo Chamber Singers conducted by Jonathan Velasco, president of the Philippine Choral Directors Association, chanted as the entire cast mingled in a moving, interwoven tableau of characters.
The colorful costumes ranged from modern Filipino ethnic, Spanish flamenco and Mexican bailes. Production design was by Eric Cruz, Chief Culture and Arts Officer of the Production and Exhibition Department of the CCP.
Philippine Ballet Theatre (PBT) is an acclaimed classical ballet company whose repertoire includes the beloved classics Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, Romeo and Juliet, Madame Butterfly and inventive Filipino originals like Mir-i-nisa and Vinta.
“The production has finally come to fruition,” remarked FHFI president Armita B. Rufino. “With our objective to ensure and encourage the youth as well as the older generation, it is crucial to remember the history of our country and our true identity as a nation. The collaboration of music, dance and theater is most fitting to enlighten us on our history. Journeys on a Galleon is a fascinating and though-provoking story.”
It was a delightful and impressive world-class production that deserves to be brought on a tour to other regions. Bravo to all!
The world premiere was presented by FHFI with the Cultural Center of the Philippines, PAGCOR, NCCA, the sponsorship of Security Bank and senator Sonny Angara.
 
Maria Victoria Rufino is an artist, writer and businesswoman. She is president and executive producer of Maverick Productions.
mavrufino@gmail.com