01/06/2019 ‘Tunog-Tikang’ takes one giant step | Iloilo Metropolitan Times

‘Tunog-Tikang’ takes one giant step

By Iloilo Metropolitan Times - May 28, 2019

A longstanding cultural thirst for UP High School in Iloilo is finally quenched with the staging of
“Tunog-Tikang”, a performance potpourri of various Philippine Folk Dances and Visayan Folk Songs.
This full-length production is performed by the students of UP High School in Iloilo (UPHSI), mostly
members of the Harana Club which combines students with artistic leanings in chorale singing and
dance performances. The club’s artistic director is Mr. Hermie Cartagena, along with the performances
rendered by the club, the Kundiman String ensemble under the baton of Prof. Jose Taton Jr., Himig
Kwerdas of Iloilo City High School under the supervision of Mr. and Mrs. Teodolfo Cordero Jr., Mr. Renz
Flores of Ateneo de Iloilo, and Ms. Erika Apitong of Concepcion Iloilo have also provided special
number in relation to West Visayan culture.

The UPSHI Haran Choir sings selected West Visayan Folk Songs.

Understanding the challenges of mounting a production in UP Visayas, I beamed with excitement and
pride that the high school community has taken a brave ingenuity in reinvigorating the culture and
the arts program through the dynamic leadership of Cartagena, UPV was once a forerunner of cultural
affairs with the many productions it used to stage through the TAGUPCI, Teatro Amakan,
Intermedius, UPV Choristers, and UPV Hublag Dance Company. Lately, however, there seems to be a
dire need for a more active cultural and artistic events and performances – and Tunog-Tikang is
breath of fresh air and a sign of hope that there are still artists thriving quietly in the midst of the
academic community.

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The UPSHI Dance Group performs the Kumakaret Dance.

“Tunog-Tikang” reintroduces the audience to some of the most popular Visayan folk songs like Ili-Ili,
Dandansoy, Cundansoy, Ay Kalisud, Pasigin, and Penpendesarapen to name a few. It also showcased
Philippine folk dances to demonstrate the interpretive talents of the dancers with numbers of Sinakiki,
La Jota San Joaquiña, Kiriwkiw, Dagit Dagit, Kumakaret, and Binasuan. It was a delightful reminder of
my high school days when learning folk dance was quite a life-changing experience. Interspersing
between performances were short narratives providing the audience the cultural relevance of each
performance. It somehow helped in creating a flow that felt like a journey through the Philippine
culture with focus on the Visayan bits of history as well.

The UPSHI Dance Club performs the Dagit-dagit Dance.

The performances of the singers and dancers of Harana Club were a show of sincerity and sheer
unadulterated (and young) talents. Although the choral arrangements made by Cartagena posed
great challenge to the singers, the music came out pleasant and were rendered with utter care to
make sure that they hit the right notes and blend well with other voices. Given a few more concerts
and rigid training, these young singers can explore more depths in interpreting the songs as well as
develop a greater range as they keep on rehearsing and performing. As young performers I

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understand that their limited exposure to performing before a large audience did not maximize their
confidence potential of stage presence, but Cartagena together with other local artists pulled off a
great job in making the kids enjoy every moment onstage. The folk dances were also well executed,
with strict fidelity to the folk dance syllabus that Cartagena employed. The dancers beamed onstage,
and I could only wish that with more budget in their next show, the costuming and the set would
have created a more perfect effect for the dance numbers. The dancers’ energy was sustained in
every routine and I kept imagining how these kids can later grow into more mature performers and
inspire other young artists in UPV to join such cultural and artistic endeavors.

The UPSHI Dance Club performs the Binasuan Dance.

I look forward to another staging of Harana Club in the near future. I cannot wait to see their club
grow in number of young artists who are living proof that you can be in UP and still be able to
manage your time well between studies and artistic activities. I believe that with more creative
advisers like Cartagena, Taton, and other artists, we will produce well rounded student artists who
will continue the legacy of preserving and promoting culture and the arts through stage performances
– a giant step in keeping together the artistic soul of our community. And I believe a resounding
congratulations is in place for Harana and Dance Club, UPHSI, and to the parents of the performers
for their unwavering support.

Prof. Robert L. Rodriguez is a faculty of Communication and Media Studies at the Division
of Humanities, College of Arts and Sciences in UP Visayas. He is a stage performer and
artistic director.

Iloilo Metropolitan Times

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