Victims of Military abductions surfaced due to Writ of Amparo
Full text of the writ of Amparo can be found here

Printed copies available, email rbahaguejr [at] gmail [dot] com

Thursday, May 19, 2005

Komedya and other Feudal culture

As much as possible, our barrio fiesta is celebrated. even a strong typhoon would not stop the celebration. Last year, bisperas was threatened by typhoon and the kaaldaoan was indeed hit. But this year, the weather is dry and no typhoon peeps to spoil the fun.

I started bisperas with a house to house "begging" for food. I was not failed by every house I visited. My breakfast was enough for all the days meal.

All houses have food prepared prepared for all visitors. Even if it would be a difficult time after the fiesta, bisperas and kaaldaoan are days when meals can exceed thrice for each day. All houses are eager to have visitors and welcome them hospitably. On these days poverty is forgotten for a while.

Komedya is much like a zarzuela. A theatre art since the Spanish time. This was an early version of broadway. All dialogues are sung. But unlike the former, the characters themselves do not sing. There are singers on the background. Kombo provides the band music. Komedya this year was titled "Pantinople." Characters are kings, princes, princesses and soldiers. Komedya like the zarzuela is a moro-christian war story which of course, is won by christians. It was a theatre art invasion of the mind for setting earlier Filipinos to battle none christians. One of the instruments used by the Spaniards such that we now hate moslems and moros.

The barrio has been known for komedya every year. Politically, it has also the largest voting population in the town. Furthermore, its culture is still a manifestation of existing feudal relations relations. Mainly agricultural with two planting season atmost for a year, palay is the primary crop. Peasants are tillers on land they do not own. Most landowners are from the town whom they would meet when they deliver their large share of the harvest. Peasants are lect with a small share, usually thirty percent of the total harvest. This should be magically alloted to be enough until the next harvest. Since they are peasants and not magicians they are forced to usury by a few wealthy kaba-barrios.

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