“Ang atong kabataan, itisok sa ilang kasing-kasing ang kaayuhan kay anaa sa ilang mga kamot ang kaugmaun ning atong nasod” (Plant unto the hearts of the young people the goodness for they are the hope of our future), sings the chorus of the finale song of the play Alkanseng Alkansiya which was restaged last September 26, 2015, at the Valencia Gym and September 27, 2015, at the UCCP Dumaguete City Church.
The story of three siblings’ (Niño, Girlie and Millet) struggle to become good stewards of money started when their mother, Kapitana Honesta, left for a seminar in Bacolod, entrusting a sum of money to the eldest brother for their family needs. It chronicles how the children respond and deal with circumstances around money as the cause of and means to answer their problems. Using a modern Greek chorus embodied by the Baboy Gang, the chorus warns the children that “Daghang nababoy tungod sa kwarta!”, (Many have been corrupted because of money) as the siblings strive their best to be honest and responsible but compromising situations led them to the misuse of the entrusted funds.
Alkansing Alkansiya, an all youth production that examines corruption as it manifests in the microcosm of a family setting is created as part of the Life Skills Plus Program of the Consuelo Foundation through its partner organizations, the Youth Advocates Through Theater Arts, Little Children of the Philippines and the Gender Wave Against Violence and Exploitation’s GWAVE Teen Advocates and Men Against Violence Association. The people behind the play are John Lumapay as Project Manager, Hope Tinambacan as writer and director, Jhowelyn David as choreographer, Josephine Aure as stage manager and Ritchlei Cais as sound technician.
Having staged in a community and a church setting, the responses of the audience are moving as they can relate to the story, on modest instances when corruption can happen such as how to divide the bread and allowance equally which might be so small or normal for us on a family setting. Adult people not just comment on the play or relate to what is happening but gives more input for young people to be guided and the audience came to the recommendation of restaging the play on a wider venue where more people especially the youth can see and grasp the message.
This play also serves as a timely reminder for people in anticipation of elections and as leaders are surfacing to win the hearts of the people who shall choose the right individuals to give their trust with, as what the Baboy Gang says, “Huna-hunaa! Hala timbang-timbanga!” (Loushan Neña Pis-an)
