Reason for Being Filipino

Written and photographed

By Jude Thaddeus L. Bautista

“Sinabi ng kuya ko, Kuya Jun, Felipe was an ardent nationalist. Sobrang lublub ng kanyang pagmamahal sa bayan. Halos gabi gab isinasabi niya sa amin ‘Hindi aksidente na kayo ay naging Pilipino. Meron tayong misyon sa ating bayan. Hindi aksidente yon’. There is a reason why you’re a Filipino– to help support, defend and promote our own race. Ang kanyang misyon sa buhay, itampok, ipahayag at ikalaan ang kaluluwang Pilipino sa pamamagitan ng musika.” Justice Magdangal De Leon was quoting his father National Artist for music Felipe Padilla De Leon. Justice Magdangal was speaking during the launch for NOLI ME TANGERE THE OPERA running from March 8-10, 2019 at the CCP Main Theater, Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo.

Justice Magdangal De Leon

This is the Philippines first full-length opera, written by National Artists Guillermo Tolentino (libretto) and Felipe Padilla De Leon (music). NOLI ME TANGERE (Huwag Mo Salangin/Touch Me Not) the opera premiered in 1957 and was based on the novel by National Hero Jose Rizal. The novel changed Philippine history by exposing the abuses of Spanish colonizers and Catholic Church. It also had the unintended consequence of breathing life into an independent Filipino nation.

This year’s production is in time for the CCP’s 50^th anniversary and U.N. designation of 2019 as the Year for Indigenous Language. J&S Productions would like to acknowledge the support of Senator Loren Legarda. J&S is the same production responsible for Noli’s run in the Kaya Playhouse in New York (2013), the John F Kennedy Performing Arts in Washington DC (2014), the Newport Performing Arts Theater in Resort’s World Manila (2014).

Noli was last run in the CCP (2017), which commemorated the opera’s 60^th anniversary. This fulfills the J&S Production’s commitment to keep this masterpiece alive for young Filipino audiences to experience and enjoy.

From right: Co director Jeffrey Camañag, Mari Yapjoco (Basilio), NomherNival (Juan Crisostimo Ibarra), Producer Jerry Sibal, Director/Producer Edwin Josue, Jose Miguel Espiritu (Kapitan Tiago) and Ronnie Abarquez (Padre Damaso).

Justice Magdangal De Leon in his quote above was also referring to his Kuya (older brother) Jun De Leon who became Chairman of the NCCA- National Commission for Culture and the Arts (2010-2016). Magdangal himself is a brilliant legal mind who became a judge, then Justice in the Court of Appeals and retired August 2018. Noli the Opera became part and parcel of their personal lives growing up.

Justice Magdangal shared that at age 13 he was cast in the role of Crispin, Linares at age 25 and finally as Pilosopong Tasyo at age 38. “So from Crispin, Basilio, Linares and Tasyo kasama ako sa lahat ng production Noli Me Tangere.” He had a lot of memories of his father writing the music despite the chaos of him and his siblings playing.

He fondly calls Tolentino, ‘Mang Emong’ who visited their house in Sampaloc to work on the libretto with his father. Describing Felipe, “Wala siyang na ririnig, meron siyang sariling daigdig. Ibang klase ang utak nito. He was hearing his own music in his mind. He was not a pianist but he can write music for nearly all instruments. Di siyamarunong mag piano, trombone player.”

What few historians and biographers know is that Felipe relied on his wife Illuminada Mendoza to test out his musical compositions. Justice Magdangal gave a lot of credit to his mother as his father’s pianist and copyist. His own grandfather Luis Mendoza (on his mother’s side) was an earlier composer and perhaps an influence on both his parents. “Nanay ko tiga tugtog niya. Nanay ko magaling kumopya ng nota siya rin gagawa ng music piece. So there was a perfect partnership between the composer, pianist and copyist. So this was the atmosphere lumaki kami ng mga bata.”

Hearing the music is an emotional experience for everyone, “You cannot help but be touched by the music of Felipe De Leon. Na muling ma antig ang damdaming makabayan if you hear the music of Felipe de Leon and of course kasama yung libretto ni Guillermo Tolentino. Ginagawa yung opera, we were hearing the music all the time. Kabisado po naming ni Kuya Jun ang music po niyan.”

From left: Dr. Raul Suñico, Jun De Leon

Suddenly Jun interjects, “Lahat ng mali”. Magdangal goes on, “Pati raw mali alam namin (laughs). Alam naming lahat ng kanta, lahat ng interpretation ng bawat aria because we grew up with it. One sidelight, For the Aria of Sisa na gawa niya na yan wala pang opera. Ginamit ni Villavicencio Cuyugan at her initial recital, 1949 yata yon e. Na una yung awit ni Sisa, pangalawa yun KAY TAMIS NA BUHAY, preceded the opera.”

Magdangal also made note of the challenges of composing a 3-hour opera. He also acknowledges the need to edit or shorten for the latest version which is now significantly shorter. “Si Jun De Leon at ako composed some songs also for some marches, some hymns. Pinaka mahaba ng na compose ko five minutes lang. Subukan mong gumawa ng nonstop music for 3 hours napaka hirap po niyan. It’s a superhuman effort to have perseverance to have a 3 hour non stop opera.”

The previous showings of Noli The Opera over the decades became a barometer for the best musical venues, if not the most prestigious in the country. It premiered in 1957 andwas followed in 1965 both in the FEU Auditorium. 1969, 1975, 1987 were in CCP.

Jerry Sibal and Edwin Josue then had the audacious efforts of staging it the U.S. in Kaya Playhouse in New York (2013), the John F Kennedy Performing Arts in Washington DC (2014). It returned to the Philippines at the Newport Performing Arts Theater in Resort’s World Manila (2014).

Justice Magdangal personally thanked both Jerry Sibal and Edwin Josue, “I’m glad sa producers natin doing their best to give life sa katha ng aking ama. Na sabi niya I will live and die for this country. Eto angaking purpose for being here from a humble origin in a small town in Peñaranda Nueva Ecija. At siya ay pumunta sa U.P. wala naman siyang pera from a poor family. Na bubuhay siya noon dahil painter din siya noon.”

Felipe then became a painter of movie billboards, posters and signs announcing: NOW SHOWING or NEXT PICTURE. Felipe’s formal entry to the world of music was the U.P. conservatory. One of his teachers then was Francis Abelardo and graduated 1939. This was the time when U.P. was in Padre Faura far smaller and far from the now expansive campus in Diliman. ‘Much later, he continued his studies under Vittorio Giannini at the Juilliard School in New York, U.S’ [ from Wikipedia ]

Justice Magdangal waxed nostalgic of those days when the land the Supreme Court now occupies were all under the auspices of the university., “Kinuha siyang faculty ng U.P. wala pa sa Diliman, sa Orosa pa Padre Faura pa ang U.P. noon. That’s where my former office was. I just retired last August, Court of Appeals nandoon ang building ng U.P. familiar , Supreme Court all part of U.P.”

Justice Magdangal reiterated his gratitude, “I want to thank Jerry Sibal and Edwin Josue, their camp for again sacrificing your time, effort of course your money. Kahit siya ay malugi, he is not here to earn money. But to promote love of country especially among the young.”

The effect of the opera is just as powerful to this day, “2017 nabalitaan ko maraming estudyante po they were crying after watching Noli. Music can really move the heart and the mind. Hindi kaya ng salita kayang gawin ng musika. I congratulate the artists for making the students cry. Pati classmates ko sa U.P. Law they watched the opera pati mga bata they were also moved by the music. we have never heard such beautiful music in our life. Gawa pa ng Pilipino. So be proud to be Filipino salamat.”