Hinilawod, the musical comes to Manila

MANILA, Philippines - The countdown for the Manila staging of the country’s longest literary epic Hinilawod this month is on. The elaborately costumed and faithful portrayal of the mythical origins of early Filipinos by Hiyas Kayumanggi, an artistic group of culture visionaries, had been widely lauded in a series of performances in Dumaguete City last year.

Hinilawod is not only a sumptuous visual feast of the grand era before the coming of the Spaniards to our islands; it is also a source of information and inspiration for Filipinos, as it portrays the pre-colonial culture of our proud and valiant forebears. Hinilawod means Tales from the Halawod River, the oral epic of the indigenous peoples inhabiting the interiors of Panay Island in the centuries before the coming of the West. It is said to be one of the longest known epics in the world, even longer than the renowned Iliad. The native saga of heroes, villains, gods and monsters rivals the world’s best-loved epics.

The staging is made possible through the collaborative efforts of Creative Futures, Inc. and will be presented at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo, Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP Main Theater) on Sept. 3 and 4 at 8 p.m.

For details, call Creative Futures, Inc. at 374-4822, 0915-4172280, 0917-8992945 or e-mail at [email protected]. Also log on to http://www.creativefuturesinc.com and Creative Futures, Inc.’s Facebook account. Tickets are available at Ticketworld with tel. nos. 891-9999, 0916-3403919 and 0921-5642108.