Philippine Folk Media

The use of theater arts is particularly advantageous because of the lively context in which messages are transmitted and the flexibility allowed in reaching villages where electricity is lacking and the audience is minimally educated. This is where theater arts are particularly effective and efficient.

Cancionan

Very popular in the Ilocos Region, the cancionan is a form of argumentation in song and verse. It is a usual feature in town fiestas, contest that pits male against female in the argument on any topic. In many instances , it appears as a double bill or an intermission number in zarzuela presentations. The cancionan uses wit, humour, irony, and satire as natural components preventing it from becoming dull musical contest. It has remained popular medium because it leads itself to any topic and provokes the audience to take sides.

Balagtasan

This is a poetic debate between two protagonists using rhythmic colorful language, with humour, satire, and irony. It is a popular form in the Tagalog Region. The Balagtasan can provoke, not only arguments, but also generates thinking and influence, for the audience has to make a choice. The emotion that the Balagtasan arouses is very much a part of the reaction of the audience.

Although the Balagtasan is essentially a debate, it is invested with a sense of drama because of the fast and sharp exchange in the arguments between the protagonists which gives it an impression of a dialogue, perhaps planned, but certainly well structured, compact and rich. It is the kind of dialogue which demands the full concentration of the audience, broken only when the audience responds by applauding a protagonists who who has won a point during the course of the argument, or who has parried a counter-argument with a quick turn of wit and speech.

Balitao

The Balitao is a courtship debate in song and dance, almost always extemporaneously performed by a man and a woman. The man presses his suit, and the woman out of modesty, declines his advances and offers resistance to his sweet songs by singing and dancing her objections. In times past, at the end of a hard day’s work in the fields especially during the planting or the harvest season, the young men and women would gather and perform the balitao to entertain themselves. They would either devide their selves into two groups, male and female, and sing the debate in chorus; or select a boy and a girl who would play the Balitao to the cheers and clapping of hands and the laughter of the audience whenever one contestant had made a verbal thrust or a sharp resort.

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Name

Email

Website

Title

Comment

smaller | bigger

Subscribe via email (registered users only)

I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.

Add Comment