January 30, 2008
Memorandum No.: SSC-08-09
To: UP Community
From: Dr. Sergio S. Cao,
Chancellor, UP Diliman
Re: UP Diliman Month
It is my pleasure to invite the UP Community to this year’s celebration of the UP Diliman Month this February.
For this year, the Office for Initiatives in Culture and the Arts has partnered with the College of Arts and Letters to bring to the campus, the Komedya, a traditional theater art form.
A parade around the Academic Oval on February 1 at 2 p.m. will usher in the celebration. This will feature representatives of komedya groups from Visayas, Mindanao and Northern Luzon, marching bands and other parade characters like higantes, stilt walkers, jugglers, among others. Entitled Tahak, the parade aims to educate the general public about the komedya through the interactive parade and komedya scene reenactments. An Opening Program will be held right after the parade.
The komedya is a colorful theatrical tradition with plots that revolve around social, political and religious themes. This theater form traces its origins from the theatrical traditions of Spain and Mexico from the 16th to the 18th century. This is one of the traditional theater genres that dominated the Philippine theater for over 300 years. To this day, it draws a following and is actively performed by Komedya groups across regions.
Five komedya groups have been invited to share their talents namely,the Komedya ng San Dionisio and Komedya ng Don Galo of Parañaque, Komedya ng San Miguel of Iligan City, the Hiraya Theater Company of Antique and the Comedia de Baler of Quezon.
The Komedya performances will happen every afternoon of Friday at 6 p.m. at the University Amphitheater. Also to be featured is the Serenata ng Banda featuring the Taguig City Band, the Quezon City Band, the Pasig City Band, the Antipolo City Band, the UP Symphonic Band and Banda 88 ng Sta. Maria, Bulacan.
Aside from Komedya, Himig Sikan sa Lagun will be featured every Sunday at 4 p.m.that will showcase various performing groups of UP Diliman.