2004 – Mystique Asia

PROGRAMME

I. GLIMPSES OF ASIA
II. DUN HUANG DANCE
People’s Republic of China
III. WEDDING DANCE * ADUK-ADUK * KIPAS-KIPAS
Brunei Darussalam
IV. WAU BULAN * JOGET
Malaysia
V. NATYAMALA
India
VI. KURUDA BUSHI * SAKURA
Japan
VII. LABAM
Lao People’s Democratic Republic
VIII. NABATHWA
Union of Myanmar
IX. KUDA KEPANG * SAMAN
Republic of Indonesia
Interval
X. APSARA
Royal Kingdom of Cambodia

XI. BUCHAECHUM
Republic of Korea
XII. SINGAPURA BANDARAYA
Singapore
XIII. PANDANGGO SA ILAW/OASIOAS
Republic of the Philippines
XIV. CO GAI NON THON
Socialist Republic of Viet Nam
XV. THAI MIX
Royal Kingdom of Thailand

FINALE

Cultural Center of the Philippines
Presents
RAMON OBUSAN FOLKLORIC GROUP
In
Mystique Asia
Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater) July 22, 2004 / Thursday • 3PM (Matinee) July 23, 2004 / Friday • 3PM (Matinee) • 8PM (Gala) July 24, 2004 / Saturday • 3PM (Matinee)

Cultural Center of the Philippiness
Message
The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) is proud to present the first season performance of “Mystique Asia” by the Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group (ROFG).

The art of dance, given its diverse forms, captures the imagination of spectators with its beauty, dynamism, and immense historical and cultural flavors. Folk dance is no exception, thanks to the creativity and professionalism of ROFG, which, for several years now, continues to bring the house down with its novel, yet distinct repertoire of Filipino social and traditional dances, whether it performs in local or international shores.

This time, ROFG’s artful interpretation of Asian folk dances will be highlighted in “Mystique Asia”, as the group performs Brunei Darussalam’s stylized movements, Cambodia’s trance-like dances, Malaysia’s pulsating steps, Myanmar’s impressive dances, Singapore’s multi-racial steps, Thailand’s exotic royal court dances, Vietnam’s folkish but elegant dance, and the mesmerizing simplicity of Laotian movements.

We take pride in the achievements of the troupe, as it belongs to the leading batch of Filipino artists who continuously pursue to uphold artistic excellence in their respective fields.
We congratulate ROFG for trailblazing this path, for not merely forging the well-being of the Asian people, but for promoting unity and solidarity among nations while showcasing the best of the Filipino talent onstage.

NESTOR O. JARDIN
President

FERNANDO C. JOSEF
Vice President and Artistic Director

Message

What immeasurable joy to cross borders into the realm of one’s neighbors to experience the mystique, the strange, the diverse, the exotic, the beautiful ASIA.

This feeling of belonging to Asia, my home envelopes me with great pride each time I work in stringing the many mystique and sometimes misunderstood Asian norms. This many awe-inspiring experiences throw insight that stirs one’s imagination. Court dances, excerpts from the Ramayana, children dances, chanted prayers and festivals let us wallow into a never-ending excitement and wonder.

Take my hand as we visit fourteen countries, fourteen cultures and one region of peace. Join me as we unravel the fabulous treasures of MYSTIQUE ASIA.

RAMON A. OBUSAN
Artistic Director

Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group

The Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group celebrates 32 years of preservation and perpetuation of Philippine traditions with special emphasis on music and dance.
Founded in 1972, the ROFG started as a fledging folk dance company composed of not more than thirty performers. Leaning on the vast amount of data and artifacts that he had accumulated while he was doing researches, Ramon Obusan thought of starting a dance company that will mirror the traditional culture of the Filipinos through dance and music.

For thirty-two years, the ROFG has created a niche in the world of dance as forerunner of Philippine dance performed closest to the original. Boasting of over a thousand performances in the Philippines and abroad, the ROFG is one of the leading resident companies of the Cultural Center of the Philippines since 1986.

Under the able leadership of its founder and Artistic Director and Choreographer, Ramon A. Obusan, the ROFG has so far gone on three successful European Tours in 13 countries including Blegium Germany, Switzerland, France, Amsterdam, Luxembourg, Czech Republic, Yugoslavia, Greece, Italy, Spain and Austria in 1987, 1990 and 1993.

In the 8th Hong Kong Festival of Asian Arts in 1983, critics showered the ROFG with praises describing it as “stuff an arts festival should be made of”. Three years later in the 1986 Expo in Canada, its 21 shows ended with 21 ovations. In 1992, the group was the first Filipino performing artist to receive resounding applause and standing ovations for all its performances in Japan under the auspices of Min-On International. The group had its first extensive American Tour in 1994 visiting 16 states capped with a proclamation of February 8 as ROFG Day in Cleveland, Ohio.

In Asia, the group represented the Philippines in various dance festivals and conferences as cultural ambassadors. Along with this, Mr. Obusan was chosen as Artistic Director of the first performing group composed of various artists in the ASEAN Village in Sentosa, Singapore performing not only Philippine dances but dances as well of the other Asian countries. In 1995, ROFG helped raise HK1.5 million for Filipino OCW’s in Hong Kong when they performed for a fund-raising event sponsored by the Hong Kong Bayanihan Trust.

In April and May 1996 saw the group in Paris, Turkey, Greece and Sweden for a series of performances under the auspices of the Department of Tourism (DOT). In May 1998, the company performed at the Lisboa Exposition in Portugal as part of the Philippine Centennial Celebration and in 1999 the group returned to Japan twice through the sponsorship of Tourism Council in Japan and Northwest Airlines. In the year 2000, the company received the ASEAN Travel Award for Cultural Preservation in the tourism congress in Thailand besting other contenders. In 2001, the company traveled to South Korea, London, and Baghdad, Iraq for a series of special performances. It was also awarded the Sining Kalinangan Award from the City of Manila as most outstanding folk dance company in the same year.

In 2002 & 2003, the ROFG was invited to perform at the Prince Hotel as part of the Philippine Food Festival in Hong Kong for three successful weeks.

Though steep with international and local recognition, the ROFG has never forgotten the people who are the every source of its pride. For the past two decades it has documented and performed the rituals of more than 50 ethno-linguistic groups in the country. With more than fifteen outstanding full-length Filipino dance works, among which are the memorable suites from the Cordillera, Bagobo, T’boli, Tausug, Maranao, the Aetas and the Talaandig among others, the ROFG has served to highlight the authenticity of the dance, music and costumes of these people.

Today, the ROFG humbly celebrates 32 years of fruitful existence and service to the Filipino people. To ROFG there is no stopping in the pursuit of recording and staging our fast-fading traditions.

People’s Republic of China
THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA is the third largest country in the world in terms of area and the largest in terms of population. Its total area is 9.6 million square kilometers and its population is 1.2 billion. With its numerous ethnic groups, China has a dance history of over five thousand years. Until the Han dynasty (206 B. C. – A. D. 220), most of the Chinese dances originated from the “folks,” people dancing in their communities and at celebrations. During the Han period, a musical entertainment court was established for the imperial family, which was essentially a center for systematically documenting and enhancing folk songs and dances.

Later, because of the political stability and the economic prosperity of the Tang dynasty (A. D. 618 – 907), poetry, music and dance flourished. Dances in the Tang dynasty inherited techniques that were developed in the past dynasties such as Zhou, Qin, Han, Wei, Jin, and Nanbei. During the early Tang period, Buddhism was introduced to China, and because trade and social relationship with other countries rapidly expanded, dances were influenced by folk dances of other countries such as India, Rome, Persia (Iran), Korea, Cambodia, Burma, Vietnam, and other Central Asian countries. The Tang dynasty has been regarded as the golden age for dance in ancient China.

DUN HUANG. On a bright moonlit night two lovely angels dance in ecstasy tracing graceful patterns in the air with two colorful ribbons.

Brunei Darussalam
It was in January 1984 that Brunei Darussalam resumed its status as a fully independent sovereign nation, but it had been as established settlement ever since the 16th century as far as studies shows. This oil rich Islamic sultanate on the north-western coast of Borneo is known for its magnificent mosques, water village, virgin rainforest that covers 70% on the country and their own version of Disneyland, Jerudong Park. Most of its inhabitants are Moslems, Islam having been introduced in the 13th century from the Middle East. Brunei is deeply steeped in Malay tradition, and is often that one sees similarities in each dance and those of neighboring Malaysians. Still the Bruneians enjoy the thrill of being pampered citizens and having the highest per capita income in the world as their living standard show. Also, the tenets and moral codes of religion shows strongly in their dancers, the soles of the feet and the armpits are never shown, the female dances never stare at the males and an apparent show of respect towards authority.

WEDDING DANCE.

Brunei Darussalam

ADUK-ADUK. Brunei’s own version of a martial art form using discarded coconut shells to emphasize strength and prowess and technique.

KIPAS-KIPAS. With a peculiar sway, Brunei maidens move, using colorful fans and bright flimsy scarves.

Malaysia

In the heart of Southeast Asia lies one of the worlds’ most enchanting lands, Malaysia. A tropical paradise of immense charm, Malaysia is a veritable treasure trove of diverse culture and hospitable people, exotic cuisine, fascinating festivals, quaint villages and modern skies. Bordered by Thailand to the north, Singapore and Indonesia to the south and southeast, Malaysia also stretches across the northern tier of Borneo to form the states of Sarawak and Sabah. Its wide spans of jungle have limited interaction between separate societies producing diversity in its ethnic traditions. The sultanates of the past have also contributed to this multitude of color which characterizes Malaysian culture. Its west coast brushed the strategic shipping lanes of the Straits of Malacca, and western influence has been strong enough to change the outlook of Malaysians towards the performing arts. Ingenuity is shown with the blending of Eastern traditions and Western ways, and the beautiful result is what Malaysia considers its present arts. With this, dances are transformed from the traditional orang asli tribal dances to zapin, joget and ina which obviously have western influence. As Malaysia’s economy and industry moves forward in leaps and bounds, its traditional arts, specifically music and dance, have shown a commensurate progress.

Malaysia

WAH BULAN. Fabulously decorated kites flown on windy days to celebrate a festival in Malaysian kampongs or villages. Excited flyers are joined by ladies who, in dance, fly like kites using widecolorful scarves.

JOGET. Considered Malaysia’s most popular dance. Maidens and men dressed in festive sarong kebaya and bajo kurong perform with skips, turns and kicks to an upbeat music probably of western origin.

India

India… a land for all seasons. The subcontinent of India lies in south Asia, between Pakistan, China and Nepal. To the north it is bordered by the world’s highest mountain chain, where foothill valleys cover the northernmost of the country’s 26 states. Further south, plateaus, tropical rain forests and sandy deserts are bordered by palmfringed beaches. Side by side with the country’s staggering topographical variations is its cultural diversity, the result of the coexistence of a number of religions as well as local tradition. Thus the towering temples of south India, easily identifiable by their sculptured surface, are associated with a great many crafts and performing arts of the region. In India, dance and music pervade all aspects of life and bring color, joy and gaiety to a number of festivals and ceremonies. In fact dance and music are tied inextricably to festivity of any kind. Most Indian dances take their themes from India’s rich mythology and folk legends. Hindu gods and goddesses like Vishnu and Lakshmi, Rama and Sita, Krishna and Radha are all depicted in classical Indian dances. Each dance form also draws inspiration from stories depicting life, ethics and beliefs of the Indian people. Thus, those who are attracted to India will find the idiom of dance the best introduction to India’s rich ethos and traditions.

NATYAMALA. A shopkeeper winds his dancing dolls to life. Unable to resist the beauty of the dance, he joins in.

Japan
Nihon and Nippon are the two names used in Japanese to refer to Japan. The latter is usually preferred in formal situations, probably because it can be pronounced with more forcefulness. The kanji characters used are “nichi” meaning sun, and “hon” meaning origin, The combination is usually translated as “the land of the rising sun”. This phrase can be traced back to the 7th-century ruler Prince Shotoku, who used it in a letter to China.

Japan is an island nation located off the east coast of the Asian continent. The archipelago of about 7,000 islands runs almost 3,000km northeast to southwest. Only about 16% of the land is fertile, the rest being mostly forest-covered mountains. Japan is located on the western rim of the so-called Pacific “Ring of Fire” and as a result suffers from frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity.

For many people, the mention of Japan conjours up images of weird masks and extravagantly made-up actors twirling red umbrellas on a stage and elegant, kimono-clad ladies demurely pouring cups of tea in tranquil cherry-blossomed temples. The traditional arts in Japan are exactly that – traditional. There is a tremendous diversity in traditional Japanese dance, from court (s.a. Gagaku / Bugaku) and religious dance ( s.a. Kagura) to the ritualistic Nô dance drama and theatrical Kabuki dance.

Japan

KURUDA BUSHI. Three Japanese warriors in a display of the famous Samurai discipline in a mock-combat.

SAKURA. Japan’s national flower, the Sakura, is the object of admiration by three demure maidens dressed in traditional Japanese kimono with matching umbrella and fans.

Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Bordered by Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, China and Myanmar, Lao was formerly a French-Indochinese state. As the only landlocked ASEAN Nation, Lao retains a remarkable serenity and timeless charm. The country has the most pristine ecology among its neighbors. Its mountains and plateaus are inhabited by 47 minority tribes that offer many insights into their ancient traditions and the arts. The Lao culture is mainly centered around Buddhism and its people are skilled carvers as shown by its intricately carved sacred pagodas that are found all over the country. Cotton and silk weaving is highly developed, distinct and prized. Many festivals correspond to the Buddhist calendar. The Bun Nam or Water Festival is a colorful sight as village boats compete in river raced throughout the country.

LABAM. One of the most colorful court dances performed in Lao. Maidens are dressed in their most exotic costumes move about in almost hypnotic steps under out-size ceremonial umbrellas for which the country is noted for.

Republic of Indonesia

SAMAN. A Sumatran village in prayer. With reverence and respect people sit abreast on the floor chanting in unison while executing clockprecise head and hand movements. So delicate is this dance that a late move or inappropriate gesture becomes disastrous.

KUDA KEPANG. In an Indonesian village known for horses, men and boys ride make-shift horses made of matted bamboo slats. Their ride leads to a mystic trance.

Cambodia is the successor state of the Khmer empire. It has a rich culture dating back many centuries when Angkor civilization was the region’s most developed. The magnificent temples built between the 9th and 13th century to glorify the succession of the Khmer kings remains one of the worlds’ great wonders and jewel of them all. Angkor Wat is the world’s largest religious monument. Cambodia’s scenic natural beauty and heritage of French culture are what makes it a charming country. From unspoiled beaches, fascinating markets, river cruises, rainforest and the isolated beaches, are part of its unique attractions. Khmer dance, song and arts are sophisticated and integral to the people’s ordinary life.
Royal Kingdom of Cambodia

APSARA. Probably the most fascinating of all stories of Angkor Wat is the churning of the sea of milk. The gods worked together to generate the elixir of life. Gods and demons compete in a cosmic tugof-war using a giant serpent as a rope. Vishnu, in the form of a turtle offers his back as pit for the churning. As this continued for a thousand years, the fishes and the crocodiles are cut into pieces in the process. But its all worth it. For one of the side effects of the churning is the creation of Angkor angels. Thousands of beautiful female deities called Apsara. Like angels, they lived in the sky, floating gracefully between the water and the sky. Feasting on the celestial elixir, they could change their shape at will and often visited mortals.

People’s Democratic Republic of Korea

Korea is situated on the Korean Peninsula, which spans 1,100 kilometers north to south. The Korean Peninsula lies on the northeastern section of the Asian continent, where Korean waters are joined by the western-most parts of the Pacific. The peninsula shares its northern border with China and Russia. To its east is the East Sea, beyond which neighboring Japan lies. In addition to the mainland peninsula, Korea includes some 3,000 islands. Korea, a peninsular nation, has developed several unique characteristics of its people due to its topographical peculiarities. The oceanic and continental inclinations combine to form the basis of the people’s identity, which underlies the foundation of the country’s culture and arts. Being a peninsula also involves a cultural environment which relate to the continental cultures which flow into the peninsula, and cultures evolving and being restructured to form a new center. Under this topographical influence, the Korean people came to develop a peaceloving yet dynamic character that has created a contemplative yet vibrant, optimistic yet sentimental culture. One of the richest aspects of Korean culture is its legacy of music and dance. Korean people have always enjoyed dancing and singing, the joy of that permeates life of Korea. Wherever people gather, they bring exciting dances and songs with them. Even onlookers, from a distance, start to swing their shoulders in time to the music.

BU CHAEC BUM. The most popular of all Korean dances, wide fans transform to butterfly, to flower, to wave in easy languid flow characterizing the gentle Korean character.

Republic of Singapore
From its beginnings as an island of fishing villages called Tamasek, Singapore had grown into a free trading port under British rule and finally into the independent, bustling commercial and industrial center of today. A vibrant multi-cultural, cosmopolitan, sophisticated city-state where tradition and modernity, East and West, meet and mingle harmoniously. Singapore is the leading financial and commercial hub in the ASEAN region. In the course of its history it has collected to comprise its more than 3 million people, a large group of Chinese (76%), Malayans (15%) and Pakistanis and Indians (7%) plus a spattering of Eurasians and Europeans (2%). Each ethnic group, though being identified as part of the multi-racial community of Singapore, managed to retain its own traditional culture. It is no wonder therefore that traditional dances of the country retain their distinct identities as Chinese, Malay or Indian.

SINGAPURA BANDARAYA. A mini-suite of dances highlighting the multi-racial, multi-layered Singapore, touching on the vibrancy of each ethnic group, colorful activities and the merry mix of people.

Republic of the Philippines

An archipelago of 7, 107 islands, the Philippines lies southeast of mainland Asia replete with sun-drenched and beautiful beaches, towering volcano peaks, varied flora and fauna and magnificent landscapes. The islands have always presented a physical barrier to the country’s formation of one homogenous culture. To the north and mid-section of the country lie traditions much influenced by European ideas while at he southern tip are to be found expressions that borrow heavily from the Islamic countries that lie near it. In the highlands are examples that have developed indigenously, free from the touch of the outside world due to their isolation. This variety is much evident in the country’s dances and the arts in general. Indeed, the Philippines has been a melting pot of different cultures for many centuries, and any comprehensive presentation of the country’s dances will inevitably be a cross-sectional picture of this diversity.

PANDANGGO SA ILAW OASIOAS. Two dances using lights, one from Mindoro island where dancers balance oil lamps on their heads and on their palms, while the other from Pangasinan uses lamps wrapped in colorful scarves to provide beacon for fishermen coming from the sea.

Socialist Republic of Viet Nam
From ancient temples and pagodas to French colonial courtyards, street markets, rice fields to unspoiled beaches, Viet Nam is a beautiful country covering a 2,000 kilometer long narrow strip along the South China Sea that include revering deltas, cool upland mountains, untouched coastal stretches and thriving cities. In Viet Nam there live 54 ethnic groups in which the Kinh people (or Viets) have the biggest population and are found in the seacoast delta. Most other live in the Northern Mountains and the Western highlands. In this field, art develops abundantly and diversely. The Viets are famous for their architectural arts shown by the pagodas, temples as well as stone and wood sculptures that abound the village of the country. The villages are the places where the most outstanding artistic products such as music, literature, painting, theatre and dancing are found.

CO GAI NON THON. A bountiful rice harvest brings maidens out into a celebration. Dainty but measured movements create a wholesome picture of a bucolic Viet Nam village.

Royal Kingdom of Thailand
Thailand is the kingdom of saffron-robed monks, temple spires and Buddhas of solid gold. Rich and varied natural scenery ranges from northern misty mountains and jungles, through emerald ricefields in the central plains, to east coast and southern palm-fringed beaches and lush tropical islands. In it, traditional arts such as theater and within its genre, dance, are cultivated by the court and the public. Thai song, dance and music are intricate and graceful. Thus several forms of performance art from the khon or the masked pantomime, the nang or shadow puppet-theater to the more regional dances such as therd theung or dance of the log drums and rabam performed by court dancers have been continually developed. Dancers are selected according to physique with the most handsome tapped to play Rama, the most beautiful Sita, and the squat Hanuman or the monkey in the Ramayan epic. Retained in all these dances, however are the peculiarly stylized movements and positions of the hands and feet that make Thai dance very distinctive.

THAI MIX. During the feast of Loi Gratong, flower lanterns are floated in a river to supplicate and pray to the gods. Farmers join in with a spirited drum dance while court dancers confined in exotic royal courts perform sophisticated dance steps to please Thailand’s’ many gods including the Buddha himself.

Ramon Arevalo Obusan
Choreographer, dancer, scholar and researcher.

The son of Praxedes Obusan, a physician, and Josefina Arevalo, a music teacher, he went to the University of the Philippines for degrees in fisheries technology and cultural anthropology. He taught for several years at the Aklan National School of Fisheries, then became a dancer, performer and researcher for the Bayanihan Philippine Dance Company from 1964 to 1972.

In 1971, he founded the Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group, and has since choreographed and directed for some 65 dance groups and over 100 productions nationwide – dance, pageants, festivals, special events, competitions, exhibits, television, movies and video-films.

His productions include full length presentations – notable are KAYAW (68 and KAYAW “74; MAYNILA – Isang Dakilang Kasaysayan (Manila – Its Noble Story); KAAMULAN (Gathering); NOON PO SA AMIN (The Way It Was); SAYAW – Handog ng Pilipino Sa Mundo (Dance – Filipino’s Gift to the World); RITWAL (Ritual); UNDER THE ASEAN SKY; GLIMPSES OF ASEAN; Philippine Festivals; Tausug Tapestry and Rare & Unpublished Dances of the Philippines series. He has collaborated in various film projects, among them AMERICAN NINJA; BANAWE; HUBAD NA GUBAT (Naked Forest); THE KING AND THE EMPEROR; MASIGLANG PASKO (Merry Christmas); NOLI ME TANGERE; WAYWAYA and RIZAL. His own group has joined international festivals and expositions in over 30 countries since 1974. It has also toured the Philippines extensively.

Through the years, Ramon Obusan has studied and documented the indigenous culture of Philippine ethnic groups from North to South, focusing on rites and traditions. Proof of these life works of over three decades is a compilation of over 200 audio and video

documentation of his researches as well as a collection of museum artifacts. He has also done research on the Polynesian culture of Fiji, Samoa, Tahiti and New Zealand, and has given lectures, demonstrations and workshops worldwide. Mr. Obusan tries to keep his folk dance presentations authentic by using actual movement patterns, costumes and music, even as dances go on-stage.

Two documentaries he directed for the CCP Tuklas Sining series won awards in France: Grand Prize, Prix de Reportage for SAYAW, 1990 and Special Mention in Russia, Grand Prix International Video Dance 1992 for PHILIPPINE ETHNIC DANCE. A consultant for UNESCO, he has been cited for his achievements in research, conferences, workshops and presentations. He was given the Patnubay ng Kalinangan Award by the City of Manila in 1992 and the Gawad CCP Para sa Sining Sayaw in 1993.

He has actively worked as a member of the Executive Committee of the Philippine Folk Dance Society, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts since 1987. He was consultant and co-director of the 1998 Centennial Parade Celebration. He was co-curator and program director of PAHIYAS: A Philippine Folk Festival, the Philippine participation to the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington D.C. USA in July 1998. In 1999, he was one of the 100 artists awarded in the CCP Centennial Honors for the arts.

PERFORMERS
SENIOR MEMBERS
CHERRY YLANAN
CHRISTINE CAROL SINGSON
MARIE RUBY OCAMPO
EMELITA MEDINA
CHONA MARINA
KANAMI NAMIKI
MARCIANO VIRI
SERGIO ANLOCOTAN
LYLE EYMARD VILLAHERMOSA
ANGELITO SANTOS
RENATO CASTELO
MICHAEL BAYANI
OMAR AGUILAR
ROMEO MEDINA

JUNIOR MEMBERS
MARIA CECILIA MANALO
MARIA CECILIA SASTRILLO
MYRNA VERECIO
RONALD ALLAN DE LA CRUZ
ALVIN CANO
JOEY FUNGAN
EDWIN AMOLO

LEE ANNE ABDON
ZION NES BINALLA
RONALD FRANCISCO
RODERICK DE LA CRUZ
FROILAN DABALOS
ERWIN ABANILLA
MICHAEL AQUINO
CHRISTOPHER VELASCO
RONSON TORRES
MILA REYNA RIVERA
JESSIELYN TIABA
SHIELA CALVAR
ABYGAIL CAVELTES
JENNETH BALLAN
JOY PICAR USANA
RECHELE SIGNO
REVELE RUTH BALAORO
MARICAR DACUNO
DIANE ANGELIC PIDO
DANDEL ESPENA
RICHARD SIGNO
JONATHAN DOMINGO
AMANTE VILLACORTA
JONAH BAUTISTA

BATANG ROFG
Marie Anthonette Rebanal
Anne Lloraine Medina
Julie Anne Casem
Mary Grace Magaling
Shyme Jeremy Arellano
Jemmema Mikee So
Shiela Mae Delalamon
Kyle Louise Cabanag
Christina Laura Singson
Glynis Ched Malabanan
Liezel Magsumbol
Faye Tancinco
Jubelyn Alcantara
Ginalyn Dado
Krista Marie Butroin

BATANG ROFG
Mike Candelario
Jose Roel Oga
Jeffery Casem
Jeric Casem
Mark Roy Magaling
John Paul Butron
Jairus Roger Oliveros
Micahel Angelo Medina
Luke Anthony Singson
Genesis Amolo
Joshua Amolo

PRODUCTION STAFF

RAMON A. OBUSAN
Over-all Artistic Director, Choreographer and Researcher

SONNY PEROCHO,
PATDAT/OISTAT Technical Director and Lighting Designer

MARK FLORO
JOEY FUNGAN
Photographers

MARCIANO VIRI, CHERRY YLANAN ANGELITO SANTOS, JHUNNARD JORDAN CRUZ
Dance Directors

DENNIS TAN
Artistic Consultant

ORLANDO OCAMPO
Music Director

RICARDO CRUZ,
PATDAT/OISTAT Production Designer/Consultant

MARCIANO VIRI
Music Coordinator

MARCIANO VIRI, KIKAY & ALFIE
Marketing & Tickets Coordinator

MICHAEL BAYANI
Music Master for Junior Musicians

ANDREW BALDONADO
Projection Designer

ROMEO MEDINA
Assistant Music Master for Junior Musicians

SANDIE JAVIER
Program Design & Lay-out Artist

EMELITA MEDINA
Costume Mistress/Finance Officer

KIKAY,
Production & Stage Manager

NBN 4 & CCP CULTURAL PROMOTIONS Video and TV Documentation

JOEY FUNGAN, SERGIO ANLOCOTAN RONSON TORRES, CHRISTOPHER VELASCO
Props Coordinator

The RAMON OBUSAN FOLKLORIC GROUP would like to thank the following for making MYSTIQUE ASIA possible :
Photography by Mark Floro of FLOROFOTO
Sponsors CHAIRWOMAN CONSTANCIA “NENE” LICHAUCO
BARANGGAY BEL-AIR, MAKATI CITY MAYOR WENCESLAO “PEEWEE” TRINIDAD
CITY OF PASAY MR. MARK FLORO
MS. ELVIE GO MS. SUSAN CALO-MEDINA
NBN 4 TAPE INC.
Embassies Brunei Darussalam
India
Japan Lao People’s Democratic Republic
Malaysia People’s Democratic Republic of Korea
People’s Republic of China Republic of the Indonesia
Republic of Singapore Royal Kingdom of Cambodia
Royal Kingdom of Thailand Socialist Republic of Viet Nam
Union of Myanmar
Institutions National Commission for Culture and the Arts Cultural Center of the Philippines Japan Information and Culture Center Japan Foundation, Inc. Philippine Ballet Theatre ASEAN Committee on Culture and Information, Jakarta
Schools & Universities Philippine Normal University La Concordia College Cavite State University Sacred Heart School of Paranaque St. Scholastica’s College Grade School Centro Escolar University Lipa Adventist Academy
Individuals & Organizations Mr. Gener Caringal Mr. Nelson Espejo Mr. Antonio & Ms. Madeliene Tuviera Mr. and Mrs. Nonito Villacorta Mr. Jhunnard Jhordan Cruz Mr. Juvan Bermil Ms. Viyrna Verecio Mr. Zion Cleto Mr. Bong Cruz Mr. Pipe Bernardo M. Pilar losis
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS