Marawi artists bring dance & drama to Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO, Ca. – Very few people here have heard–or even seen– the Sining Kambayoka Ensemble, coming as they are from far away Mindanao. But thanks to the Internet and two incredible women–Tisay Opaon and Michele Bautista and a Berkeley-based organization called PUSOD, the Mindanao State University troupe of 14 were able to bring their culture in dance and drama to the Bay Area.

With hardly any Philippine government aid or assistance, these Marawi troubadours managed to come to America, armed with a massive amount of props and authentic costumes. First, they performed in LA; then they traveled northward to San Francisco. Michele single-handedly drove a U-Haul truck loaded with Sining Kambayoka equipment for six hours to SF.

Tisay found host-families to welcome the performers. Realtor Virgie Buban opened her home to three ladies–Betty Gohel, Cecile Mambuay and Michelle Maglasang–girlhood friends of her growing up years in Marawi City.

Primarily a folk theater ensemble, the SKE (Sining Kambayoka) presented dances, rituals, songs and games, and a drama theater form based on traditional Southern Filipino story-telling utilizing solo singers and group chanters. It was different, it was fun and the young university-age audience (many of them ABs or American-born) simply lapped it up.

Remember these Marawi City artists–artistic director Sunnie Noel, choreographer Basilidas Pelapil Jr., performers Carlo Ebeo, Dick Yuzon, Emannuel Escudero, Eustess Guia, Joshua Maglasang, Betty Gohel, Cecile Mambuay, Enelita Tapongot, Michele Maglasang, Norma Hechanova and Renefe Tremedal. Fil-Americans hope they will get another chance to enjoy this unique troupe’s theatrical magic. These are the kind of shows the tourism department should be utilizing to promote the country.

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Sign of the times? Former Clinton aide Marilou Mabilangan-Haley, who was said to be very close to Bill and Hillary, has reportedly joined the firm of former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger as senior director. The company, Kissinger McLarty Associates, counsels American and foreign corporations on market access, strategic planning and mergers and acquisitions.

A diplomat’s daughter and a former Manila Hilton hotel executive, Marilou was also a board member of the Export-Import Bank in D.C.

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The 175 members of the medical mission of the Philippine Medical Society of Northern California are back, their noses in the grindstone again, after a hectic "noses in the grindstone" tour de force treating more than 10,000 needful patients in Pangasinan.

The group was headed by Fil-Am surgeon Dr. Herminigildo Valle and included medical physicians, dentists, nurses, technicians and all kinds of staff support. Former Evening News reporter Kris Kabasares, accompanying his nurse-spouse Nora, saw to it that all patients and treatments were reported and recorded in a database. Work started as early as 7 in the morning and continued until afternoon. In the evening, the medical missionaries were wined and dined by the locals.

The Fil-Ams paid for their own fares, and as early as October of last year were already shipping medicines and equipment to Pangasinan for use during the weeklong mission.