2000 – Vamos a Belen 2000

Cultural Center of the Philippines
presents the

Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group
VAMOS A BELEN!
CCP Front Lawn December 29 and 30, 2000•5 PM

VAMOS A BELEN!
Research, Choreography &Artistic Direction by Ramon A. Obusan
Musical Direction by Orlando Ocampo

Programme

Posadas. The looking for an inn by Mary and Joseph on the eve of the first Christmas.

Pastores Tolosa (Tolosa, Leyte). Verses recited in waray, highlighted by an angel and a devil.

Pastores Tobog (Tobog, Oas, Albay). In middle-eastern shepherd get-ups, children carry lamb-shaped pinatas and floral arches.

Nazareno (Siaton, Negros Oriental). Marginal agta carry around a Nazarene image going caroling, dancing and praising the birth of Jesus.

Bagobo (Davao). Christian or non-Christian, Christmas is also hared by the highland dwelling Bagobo performing from house to house, a reason why they are seen only at Christmastime in Davao’s streets.

Pulosang Floridablanca (Floridablanca, Pampanga). Although nearly obliterated by Mt. Pinatubo, Pampanga’s pulosa traditional music has survived, this version is used to accompany a pastores.

Pastora (Taft, Eastern Samar). From a Spanish villocinco (carol) came words hardly understood much more seencahel, castanas, flauta, sista, dulce, ravel – local versions came as palay, corn, plastic flowers, guitar and other native items.

“May Pasko pa rin sa Smokey Mountain”. A divertissement, this song brings forth the sentiment of children living on top of Smokey Mountain’s garbage heap. They too deserve to celebrate Christmas.

Ninos Inocentes (Ibajay, Aklan). A nino dormido or sleeping child is kidnapped by men in frightful masks and get-up only to be ransomed by the manangs or church women with a sack of palay or corn and money.

Infantes (Sanchez Mira, Cagayan Valley). Northernmost pastores found, Bavarian silhouette in costumes and movement is rather a puzzle. Cagayan harps render musical accompaniment.

Sakuting (Ilocos Norte). Inspired by the war sequenceof Itneg warriors called sikuting, missionaries introduced this fighting sequence to the comedia or moro-moro. Finally a Chrsitian dance with Chines music and Itneg fighting sequence and performed in Vigan during at Christmastime.
Mga Paskong Kaugalian. A showcase of Filipino beliefs and practices related to Christmas.

Panarit (Taft, Eastern Samar). The search for an inn is repeated in this laid-back town in Taft. Small oil Imaps and milk bottles make for its uniqueness.

Pastores Talisay (Talisay, Camarines Norte). Strongly traced to be Teoteuacan, this Mexican inspired Christmas pastores have ladies in voluminous china poblana skirts, star paper lanterns representing the star of Bethlehem and papier-mache horses as mounts of the three wise men.

THE PHILIPPINE PASTORES TRADITION by Ramon A. Obusan

The main jewel of the Christian crown is Christmas. Christian missionaries came to Philippine villages to evangelize and introduce Christianity with Christmas as the most popular and celebrated feast. It brings out the joyful feeling of giving and loving. Though very commercial in context and approach, today’s Christmas is still celebrated with a feeling of a great feast filled with utmost reverence. Both the church and the department stores compete in depicting of the birth of Jesus in many unimaginable ways.
The Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group, known to lead in the recording, preservation and sharing of Philippine traditions continues to draw inspiration from the old ways with which Filipinos celebrate Christmas. Vamos a Belen is thus a result of many year’s work in the field.

Down the years, pastores bands roam the streets at Christmastime and their annual arrival from far-off villages is anxiously awaited by neighboring towns. As soon as their songs and dances are heard, everyone knows it is Christmastime. Pastores are shepherds also known as pastora, pastorcillos, infantes, and posada usually composed on young children from 8 to 13 years of age, moving from house to house at Christmastime inviting everyone to visit the manger. Although there are known groups composed of old men and women, the pastores joyfully sing and recite vamos a belen!, in verses in a mixture of Latin, Spanish and the dialect of the place. As varied as the pastores are the colorful costumes, flower arches, props and musical instruments used by each group.
The normal pastores has always three distinct tableaux : their self-introduction; the invitation to seek the manger, and the final goodbye. The pastores must have been such an important part of the Filipino’s Christmas celebration that even Jose Rizal was inspired to compose “Pastores a Belen”, while on exile in Dapitan in the late 1800’s. It is now a favorite musical piece that is much part of many Bicol and Christian Mindanao towns’ Christmas tradition.

Many religious, folkloric and unimaginable innovations added into each version render them unique. One thing is certain though, each pastores’ high point is pregnant with local flavor, folk trappings tempered with church traditions. For instance, the Tolosa, Leyte version is not content with the lua verses alone, but has angel and a firghtful devil to match; the Bool, Bohol group dances with St. Joseph’s flowered canes; Pastores Talisay takes the cake with ladies swirling voluminous china poblana skirts, while men cavort with star lanterns or paroles to represent the start of Bethlehem and papier mache horses representing the mounts of the three Kings. In the Siaton, Negros Oriental version the centerpoint of the daigon or Christmas carol sung by the Agta is an image of Jesus of Nazareth.
A small grant from public and private agencies allowed me to visit places in search of the pastores that is breathing its last few years before they finally slide to obscurity. Christmas has lost most of the religious fervor, man giving way to commercialism. To date I have recorded over 30 versions and still counting. My thanks go to the old folks who believed that this great treasure will be with us as long as we keep Christ in Christmas.