OLI IMPAN

Alberto S. Florentino

After the liberation of Manila, Girl: Who is throwing us out?

hundreds of indigent families settled in the Boy: (Sits on the other end of the stone wall) The
squalid, cramped space of the bombed ruins of government.
an old government building of Juan Luna. For Girl: What is a government?
more than a decade these “squatters” Boy: I don’t know.
tenaciously refused to move out in spite of court Girl: You didn’t ask your mother?
rulings. The “casbah”, as the compound was Boy: I forgot to ask her.
popularly known, became a breeding place for Girl: Why should the government throw us out?
vice and corruption. The city government was Boy: (Points to the compound) Because it owns
able to evict the “squatters” only on December this.
20, 1958 – five days before Christmas. Girl: (Enraged) But this is ours!
(On the middle of the stage, extending Boy: No, it is not ours.
from side to side, is a stone wall one and a half Girl: (Insistent) It is ours! It is!
feet high. At left may be seen a portion of a tallBoy: It is not!
edifice. At right, is a portion of the “casbah”. Girl: (A tiny scream) It is! It is!
Beyond the stone wall, an estero (unseen) – and Boy: (Loud) How do you know it is ours?
the sky. A five-year-old girl sits on the stone wall,
Girl: We’ve always been here, haven’t we?
her thin legs dangling in the air. Offstage there is
Boy: Yes, but that doesn’t mean it is ours.
a continuous commotion of evacuation. A Girl: (After a pause) If they throw us out, we’ll
woman’s voice rises above the commotion as have nowhere to go. How about you? You have
she reprimands a child for getting in her way. A any place to go?
six-year-old boy appears on stage walking Boy: None. But we will have one. (Proudly) My
backwards – away from his mother, nagging mother has a job.
offstage. The mother quiets down. The boy turns Girl: She has?
around and plays with his toy: an empty milk can Boy: Yes!
pull along the ground with a piece of string.) Girl: What does she do?
Boy: She reads hands.
Girl: Is there a fire? Girl: She reads – hands? (Looking at her hands)
Boy: (Stops playing and faces her) Huh? Why does she read hands?
Girl: I said, is there a fire? Boy: So she can tell what will happen tomorrow.
Boy: There is no fire. (Continues to play) Girl: She can do that? By reading hands?
Girl: (Looks toward the street. After a pause.) I Boy: Yes, She can!
think there is no fire. Girl: (Showing him her hands) Can she read my
Boy: (Stops playing_ I told you there’s none. hands? I want to know where we will stay
Girl: There is. tomorrow.
Boy: How do you know? Do you see any smoke? Boy: She can’t read your hands.
Do you hear any fireman? (resumes his play. Girl: (Looks at them) Why not?
Runs around imitating a fire engine) Boy: They are too small… and dirty.
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! I like it when there is a big Girl: (She quickly withdraws them and quietly
fire! wipes them on her dress)
Girl: (Worried) If there is no fire, why are they Boy: Besides… she reads only men’s hands.
putting these things out? (pints to a pile of Girl: Only men’s hands? Why?
household belongings nearby) Boy: Because they are big… and easy to read.
Boy: Because we are being thrown out. Girl: How does she read hands? Like she reads
Girl: Who told you? the comics?
Boy: My mother. Boy: My mother won’t let me. She makes me go
Boy: I don’t know. out and play. And she closes the door.
Girl: You don’t know? Don’t you watch her?
Girl: She closes the door! How can she read in Girl: (Suddenly, with terror in her voice). That’s
the dark? my father! (In her fright she covers her eyes with
Boy: I don’t know. (Proudly) But she can! hands)
Girl: Don’t you ever peep? Boy: Your father?
Boy: No, I don’t. Girl: Yes, he’s my father! What are they doing to
Girl: Why not? him? Are they hurting him?
Boy: She’ll beat me up. (Commotion offstage.) Boy: No, they are only trying to catch him… Now
Girl: What’s that? What’s happening there? they’ve caught him! They are tying his hands!
Boy: (Tries to see) I don’t know. I can’t see. (Pulls Girl: What will they do to him?
her) Come out, let’s take a look! Boy: I don’t know. Now they are putting him in a
Girl: (Resisting) I can’t. car. A police car.
Boy: Why not? Girl: (Whimpers) Father… Father…
Girl: My father told me to stay here. He said not Boy: They are taking him away! (A car with siren
to go anywhere. drivers away)
Boy: (Turning) Then I will go and take a look. Girl: (Screams) FATHER! FATHER!
Girl: (Frightened) No, don’t. Stay here. Don’t Boy: He can’t hear you now.
leave me. Girl: (Starts to cry)
Boy: Why? Boy: (Walks to and sits beside her) Why are you
Girl: I’m afraid. crying? Don’t cry please…
Boy: Afraid of what? Girl: They are going to hurt my father, aren’t
Girl: I don’t know. they?
Boy: But how can we find out what’s happening? Boy: No, they won’t hurt him.
Girl: Let’s not find out anymore. Girl: (Removes her hands from her eyes) How do
Boy: (Restless) But I want to see. (Scampers up you know?
the stone wall) I can see from here! Boy: I just know it. (Suddenly) Come, let’s sing a
Girl: What do you see? song.
Boy: (Incredulous) They are destroying our Girl: I don’t know how to sing.
homes. (Sound of wrecking crew at work) Boy: I’ teach you.
Girl: (frightened) Who are destroying them? Girl: How?
Boy: The men with hammers! Boy: I’ll sing… and you listen. (She nods)
Girl: Nobody is stopping them? Boy: I’ll sing… and you listen.
Boy: Nobody. (She nods and wipes her eyes dry)
Girl: But why? Are there no policemen? Boy: (Sings) Saylenay
Boy: There are. There are many policemen. Olinay…
Girl: What are they doing? What are the Oliskam…
policemen doing? Olisbray…
Boy: Nothing. Ranyonberginmaderenchayle…
Girl: Nothing? They are not stopping the men? Oli impansotenderenmayle…
Boy: No. Slipinebenlipis…
Girl: Why not? Slipinebenlipis…
Boy: I don’t know. (Commotion. Shouts. Curses) Girl: (Smiling) That’s a pretty song. Who taught
Girl: (Alarmed) What’s happening now? you that song?
Boy: (excited throughout) A man is trying to stop Boy: (Proudly) My mother!
the men with hammers! Now the policemen are Girl: What does it mean? I can’t understand it.
trying to stop him. They’re running after him. Boy: It’s about God.
But the man fights like a mad dog! (A man Girl: What’s a “God”?
shouts, cursing) Boy: I don’t know. I haven’t asked my mother.
Girl: (Incredulous) He was born there? In a place But she told me God was born in a stable.
for horses? Why? Girl: What’s a stable?
Boy: My mother said he had nowhere to stay. Boy: A place for horses.
Girl: Was he poor? Girl: Olinay…
Boy: I don’t know. Boy: Oliskam…
Girl: Oliskam…
Girl: (Suddenly) I like the song. Will you sing it Boy: Olisbray…
again? Girl: Olisbray…
Boy: No, let’s sing it together. Boy: Ranyonberginmaderenchayle…
Girl: I told you, I don’t know how. Girl: Ranyon…(She giggles) I can’t say that!
Boy: I’ll teach you. I’ll sing it a little… and you sing Boy: Let’s skip it. (Sings) Oli impan… n, skip that,
after me. (She smiles and nods) too. (Sings)
Boy: (Sings) Saylenay… Slipinebenlipis…
Girl: Saylenay… Girl: Slipinebenlipis…
Boy: Olinay… Boy: Slipinebenlipis…
Girl: Slipinebenlipis…

Source: https://www.scribd.com/doc/63058039/OLI-IMPAN-Play-Script

OLI IMPAN
By Alberto S. Florentino
Theme/s The play centers on the poor living conditions of
the squatters in Tondo.
Point of View First-person point of view because the
characters in the play tell the story from their
perspective.
Imagery 1. Sight –
a. Girl: (Alarmed) What’s happening now?
Boy: (excited throughout) A man is trying to stop
the men with hammers! Now the policemen are
trying to stop him. They’re running after him.
But the man fights like a mad dog!
b. Girl: (Showing him her hands) Can she read my
hands? I want to know where we will stay
tomorrow.

2. Hearing –
a. Girl: (Screams) FATHER! FATHER! Boy: He
can’t hear you now.
b. Boy: (Sings) Saylenay…
Olinay…
Oliskam…
Olisbray…
Ranyonberginmaderenchayle…
Oli impansotenderenmayle…
Slipinebenlipis…
Slipinebenlipis…
Symbolism 1. Toy car made up of can signifies hardship in
life.
2. Reading palm symbolizes deception.
3. The two children are the symbol of innocence,
poverty, and hope.