PAPATAG joins Sumuroy Day celebrations

The Palapag Culture and Arts Guild (PAPATAG) Inc. actively participated in yesterday's celebrations of Sumuroy Day, which was spearheaded by the Local Government Unit of Palapag.

June 1 of every year has been declared as Sumuroy Day by the Sangguniang Bayan (SB) of Palapag last March, pending the approval of the national government. It is in honor of Agustin Sumuroy, a native Palapagnon who led the first and largest organized armed resistance of the people of Samar against the Spanish colonizers from 1649 to 1650.

PAPATAG had contributed efforts in lobbying to the SB for the enactment of a Resolution in this purpose. This is in accordance with PAPATAG's adherence to giving utmost importance to Palapag's local history and heritage.

Part of the audience during the first part of the Sumuroy Day celebrations

The first part of the tribute was a short program yesterday morning, wherein the guest speaker was Prof. Estrellita Pinca, herself a Palapagnon residing and working in the University of Eastern Philippines (UEP) in Catarman. She was a historical research grantee of the National Historical Society and had published several articles in local publications on the same topic. Her talk yesterday centered on the need for local historical research, citing the lack thereof.

The guest speaker, Prof. Estrellita Pinca from the University of Eastern Philippines

The highlight of the program was a wreath-laying ceremony beneath the Sumuroy Monument at the Palapag public plaza, led by municipal officials and school heads.

Some of the municipal officials and school heads present

The second part of the celebrations was the free public showing of PAPATAG's 46-minute digital film "Epiko ni Sumuroy" in the evening. Prior to this, the cast and crew of the movie held a caravan around the poblacion to announce and invite the Palapagnons to join the evening's activities.

A brief but symbolic candle-lighting ceremony preceded the film showing. A Waray poem entitled "360", depicting the 360th anniversary of the start of the Sumuroy Revolt, was recited while members of PAPATAG and the audience lit candles beneath the Sumuroy Monument.

Then the finale...

PAPATAG estimates the film showing audience to number from around 300 at the start of the film, to around 700 at the end. The first Sumuroy Day observance this year was indeed successful and colorful, with the active participation of PAPATAG.

PAPATAG produces first epic film in Palapag!

The Palapag Culture and Arts Guild (PAPATAG) Inc. successfuly finished "Epiko ni Sumuroy", the very first epic film made entirely in Palapag by Palapagnons themselves.

The 46-minute digital movie shot in sepia tone portrays the heroism of Agustin Sumuroy (formerly known as Juan Ponce Sumuroy or Juan Agustin Sumuroy), a native resident of Palapag who led the first and largest organized armed resistance of the people of Samar against the Spanish colonizers from 1649 to 1650.

The film stars PAPATAG members who have just attended the 2009 Summer Workshop on Creative Drama sponsored by PAPATAG and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) last April 26-30. This film serves as the workshoppers' output, which was supposed to be a stage play with the same title due to be shown on June 1, newly-declared Sumuroy Day by the Sangguniang Bayan of Palapag. Because of lack of time and preparation, the PAPATAG Executive Committee members decided to do a breakthrough film instead, which they believed needed less time and effort than a live stage performance.

With just 3 weeks before the show date, the cast and crew of Epiko ni Sumuroy managed to finish all aspects of the project, including hand-crafting of props and costumes, scriptwriting and reading, actual filming, and the equally difficult job of digital editing.

Despite the exhausting filming schedule in order to beat the deadlines, the cast and crew enjoyed the unique experience, especially because some of the shooting locations were actual historical and heritage sites, including the 17th Century Old Church Ruins in Palapag poblacion, and the ruins of the stone sentinel tower locally known as "balwarte", located in Brgy. Talolora, which was alleged to be actually used by Sumuroy during his time.

Despite PAPATAG's meager financial resources, the cast's acting that needs improvement, and the crew's technical shortcomings, Epiko ni Sumuroy is a great success since the objectives set by PAPATAG before commencing the project have all been met. But the success is yet to be proven come show date.

Here are some snapshots during the filming:

Ralph Pacle, portraying Agustin Sumuroy, poses with children

on his way to a filming location in Brgy. Talolora

The actor poses atop the ruins of the stone sentinel tower

alleged to be actually used by Agustin Sumuroy during his time;

this is located somewhere along the boundaries of Brgy. Talolora and Monbon

A snapshot of an actual fight scene between Sumuroy's forces and Moro raiders from Mindanao

A snapshot of an actual fight scene between Palapagnons and Moros from Mindanao

The camera crew, Paul Go (sitting) and Jeremy Evardone (lying)

Filming a scene along the ricefields of Sitio Cale, Brgy. Magsaysay

Filming a scene along the beaches of Brgys. Talolora and Monbon

Filming a scene inside the actual 17th Century Old Church Ruins in Palapag poblacion

One of the portable cameras used, an old model JVC camcorder

which still uses mini-DV cartridges (instead of hard disk memory storage)

Some of the cast and crew of the Epiko ni Sumuroy

The film's cast and crew are as follows:

RALPH PACLE as Agustin Sumuroy

LEONARDO REBATO as Babaylan / Amay ni Sumuroy

ALVIN ARANDIA as Padre Miguel Ponze Barberan

RYAN DUARTE as Don Pedro Caamug

RON HABANA as Don Juan Ponce

ADAN MUNCADA as Juan Gomez de Tres Palacios

JUDE REMEDILLO as Andres Lopez de Asaldigui

KENNETH DEANANEAS as Capitan Gines de Rojas

ROY RONATO as Capitan Francisco de Sandoval

ROEL LARA as Capitan Juan Fernandez de Leon

ALDRIEX PANCHO as Alferez

RICA CAPANGPANGAN as Iroy ni Sumuroy

ALVIN BARCUMA and ALVIN DOLON

as Pinuno san mga Lutao

GILBERT CALUMPIANO and EMAR MONTIBON

as Vicenzo Damiane & Julio Aleni

SHANNAH PORLON and ALVIN DOLON

as Mga Suruguon san Prayle

NIEL PORLON, EMAR MONTIBON, JUDE REMEDILLO,
GILBERT CALUMPIANO, LEONARDO REBATO, NUL PORLON

as Mga Sundalo nga Espanyol

ZALDY CUYOG, ALLENIL AFRICANO, MHADELLYNNE EVARDONE, SHANNAH PORLON, LESLIE OLCHONDRA, MENCHIE BALANG

as Mga Palapagnon

RP PANCHO, NUL PORLON, ALDRIEX PANCHO,
ALVIN BARCUMA, ALVIN DOLON

as Mga Lutao

---

Casting: MARIGIL GO

Acting Coach/Consultant:

JENNIFER EVARDONE

Costume, Props, Set, & Make-up:

CEL CALVO, LEONARDO REBATO,
KENNETH DEANANEAS, DRYAN NUEVA

Finance, Logistics, & Food:

MARIBEL BALANG, MARIGIL GO,
CHANITO GORGONIA, GEMMA CALOT

Camera:

PAUL GO and JEREMY EVARDONE

Lights:

PAUL GO, EMIL GO, Mr. & Mrs. JULIO EVARDONE, Sr.

Music:

PAUL GO and JEREMY EVARDONE

Narration: Dr. HAYDEE EVARDONE

Script, Direction, & Editing:

JEREMY EVARDONE

PAPATAG and NCCA conduct Creative Drama Workshop

The Palapag Culture and Arts Guild (PAPATAG) Inc., in cooperation with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), successfully conducted a 5-day Summer Workshop on Creative Drama from April 26 to 30, 2009 at the Divine Mercy Academy of Northern Samar campus in Dionesio Village, Brgy. Tinampo, Palapag.

The NCCA granted PAPATAG's request for this workshop, and sent Fray Santy Leaño, CSFP, a member of the NCCA's Committee on Dramatic Arts for the Visayas, to be the major facilitator and workshop director.

The workshop was participated by 30 young talents -- some were resident members of PAPATAG while some where new recruits, some were high school students while some were out-of-school youth.

Here are some pictures taken during the 5-day workshop:

A copy of the certificate given to Fray Santy Leaño;

Certificates of Participation with similar design

were distributed to the 30 workshop participants

The workshop ended through a showcase package of various cultural presentations by the participants, wherein the public and the participants families were invited to watch for free. This culmination activity was held at the church plaza of Our Lady of the Assumption Parish on the evening of April 30.

The 2009 Summer Workshop on Creative Drama was aimed at training old and new members of PAPATAG, as well as non-member youth, who would be the cast members of the prospected stage play "Epiko ni Sumuroy", which was targeted to be publicly shown for free on June 1, 2009, newly-declared Sumuroy Day by the Sangguniang Bayan of Palapag, pending the approval of the national government.