On Friday, March 15, the University of Sto. Tomas de Legazpi (UST-Legazpi) students staged its 17th Bahandi, featuring a remake of the renowned Bicolano play “Si Al buda an tsinelas,” at the UST-Legazpi Dome.
Bahandi, which means “treasure” in Bicol, refers to the annual theatrical recital of the students enrolled in the Special Program in the Arts (SPA) department at UST-Legazpi.
Made up of 29 students, this year’s Bahandi brought back into the limelight one of Sari Saysay’s theatrical masterpieces, “Si Al buda an tsinelas”—only this time, with a fresh twist, boasting new direction, music arrangements, and choreography crafted by the SPA teachers themselves.
“We chose ‘Si Al buda an tsinelas’ simply because we really felt the need to breathe new life into it, particularly in today’s context where there’s a pressing need to address discipline in children’s rather complex psyche,” Jobert Grey, SPA’s theater teacher and director of this year’s Bahandi, stated.
Last performed during the Philippine Educational Theater Association’s Children’s Arts Festival in 2015, the said play advocates that “love does not hurt.”
Furthermore, Grey emphasized the significance of Bahandi as a platform to showcase the talents nurtured within the SPA program, despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, which led to a significant decline in enrollment.
“This event not only celebrates the artistic prowess of our students but also serves as a sort of sneak peek into the immersive and multifaceted curriculum provided by the SPA department,” Grey remarked, highlighting that UST-L is among the few institutions offering such a comprehensive arts program in junior high school.
UST-Legazpi’s SPA department is subdivided into five majors: vocal major, dance major, rondalla major, visual arts major, and theater major.
The same cast performed an excerpt of the aforementioned play at the Pasinaya 2024 last February and is set to restage the entire play on April 5 at the Albay Astrodome for the Pista nin Teatrong Bikolnon 2024. | Kian Kirby F. Florano
Photos: Ernests Gerard B. Paulino | The Prism and Media Tech