My EDSA Revolution

It was maybe about dinnertime in the night of Saturday, Feb. 22, 1986, when news came from the radio that the small group of Minister Enrile and Col. Gringo Honasan was going to hold out to the death in Camp Aguinaldo after a failed coup attempt against President Marcos. I told my brothers that we should go there right away but they held back until Cardinal Sin made his call from the Veritas radio to gather at Edsa and protect the small group who opposed Marcos' dictatorship. The Banzon brothers and Junior's wife, Evelyn piled into two cars and drove to Camp Aguinaldo (we were later joined by Dicky's girlfriend, Timi). We were among the first people to get there and watched the people gather in a festive mood glad to find so many souls brave enough to stand against Marcos rule. I had hastily made a small placard saying "Just a few more days until the end of Marcos Rule" which later turned out to be prophetic.

In the crowded Santolan road we slowly made our way to the camp's main gate with cars honking and people chanting "Cory" or "Ninoy". I started barricading the gate with my small sedan in the hope of helping slow down the expected attack of the dreaded Marcos military. A long flatbed truck soon joined my car in blocking the gate and we stayed there all night. Eldest brother, Erwin, treated us to some burgers at Wendy's in Cubao which was open 24 hours. By dawn of Sunday though most of the crowd (including my brothers) as well as the truck had to leave and my small sedan looked so puny and pitiful trying to block the two long gates. Soon a military helicopter with soldiers aboard started circling above. It was so low that you could see a soldier aiming his M-16 threateningly at the few remaining people. The huey left after a while without incident and I went home before lunch.

Later in the day we came back and saw that more and more people were coming in until the wide lanes of Edsa were covered in a sea of bobbing people. Sticking up over the masses heads were statues of the Virgin Mother and Philippine flags. Groups were organizing. One brother, Dicky, and I listened up in an impromptu planning session near Camp Aguinaldo's Gate 2(?) conducted by Col. Santiago of the LTO. He asked for volunteers and told us to prepare molotov cocktails and meet again later. He also inquired about anyone with weapons at home and weapons skills. One funny fellow volunteered he could drive a tank if ever we could capture one. That got a good-natured laugh. But we didn't take that meeting too seriously and forgot about it while we roamed Edsa so I didn't get to go with Santiago when he met again with his volunteers. I later found out they were the ones who attacked Channel 4 and capture it from the government troops and goons. The liberated TV station started broadcasting for the people soon after the capture.

The crowd had swelled to thousands of jovial, peaceful people blocking the way for any attempt by Marcos soldiers to attack the scared Enrile group (now bolstered by the appearance of Gen. Ramos who threw his lot with them and had the group moved to the smaller Camp Crame across the street) would have meant a lot of civilian casualties including rich folk, priests, nuns and politicians as well as women and children. We went to a Goodah, open air fastfood restaurant, in Greenhills for some siopao supper and heard 'live' on the radio that Marcos was declaring Martial Law again and imposed a 9PM curfew. Everyone around jeered and laughed at this broadcast. He meant business but it really felt so good to see that the people weren't afraid of Marcos anymore. Later we found out that some friends were gassed when riot police tried to disperse a group in Santolan but were stopped by priests. By late evening though many went home (including my group while I stayed and met up with a cousin, Philip Zayco, who was taking pictures) and the crowd dwindled to about a thousand or so. By 3AM Gen. Ramos was worried about the people's morale and he suddenly went out and jogged along Edsa to try and boost people's spirits as well as to keep the remaining people vigilant. Everyone was exhilirated when they saw him and the people surged around him as he stood on a jeep atop a pile of heavily armed rebel soldier escorts around him and the crowd chanting "Eddie! Eddie!". I almost shouted myself hoarse. Who cares if his name sounds stupid, it was one of the high points for me and it looked and felt like the "Cry of Balintawak", the way we shouted defiance to the mighty, fearsome and vastly superior Marcos dictatorship similar to the way I pictured the the Katipuneros did against Spanish Rule in an earlier revolution.

That Monday morning I went home for a shower and supplies and joined up with my brothers on the way back to Edsa when we hear a report on the radio that a long column of tanks and marines led by Gen. Tadiar were heading for Edsa. This was about the time of the famous TV coverage of Marcos and Gen. Ver's "Attack, don't attack the people" skit. We were having a hard time finding a route to the Edsa-Ortigas area that wasn't blocked, all the time worrying that the tanks might get there before we did. We finally got there and parked beside Camp Crame at Santolan Road and I prepared a couple of molotov cocktails that I hid in the trunk of the car. I'm for peace but am ready for war just in case. The intersection of Edsa and Ortigas was hastily and intentionally blocked by a whole mess of parked buses. To avoid this roadblock, the column just swerved to the right and rammed through the hollow-block perimeter walls of a lot used for fairs and tried to proceed to their objective...rebel-held Camp Crame. The tanks (huge LVTP-6s) were finally stopped at the fair grounds by a mass of pleading, peaceful civilians. All the Marcos troops attempts to try to scare-off the crowd blocking the way of the tanks failed as the masses, led by a couple of nuns, knealt in their way and prayed the rosary. Right beside them was my brother's girlfriend Timi, who he'd later marry. Tough girl. She was right beside those nuns facing the tanks. The marines we got to approach and talk to were nice guys and didn't look threatening except for maybe one asshole with a Marcos sticker at the butt of his rifle who gave the crowd the finger. We gave them snacks, cigarettes and made small talk. Some even got flowers.One overheard conversation went like this, Civilian: "Mamang sundalo, huwag niyo kaming patayin ha"...Marine: "Aba, hindi naman talaga namin kayo isasaktan". This marine armored column later pulled out of the area and peace prevailed. The rebel group had survived another day. By this time the place was starting to stink of sweat and urine. People just went to quiet spots to pee and the women had it the hardest.


By nightfall, we eventually found ourselves parked in front of Camp Crame at Edsa. The rebel side requested all cars parked along edsa to face the Camp Aguinaldo side across the avenue, where they expected the Marcos troops to come from if they attacked, so we could light it up with our headlights. It was a long, tense night. Some slept but most stayed up, listened to June Kiethly's constant radio updates and kept wary all night. When dawn broke that Tuesday, the pro-rebel radio station "Radio Bandido", that took over after the Veritas station was ransacked and put off the air by Marcos crony Danding Conjuanco's goons, played the National Anthem. Everybody who stayed at EDSA then stood up and sang along as loud and as heartily as they could while flags were waving and fists were raised in the protest salute. It was probably the most meaningful time many of us ever sang the "Bayang Magiliw". At the end of the anthem everyone broke out in a loud, exultant cheer and I remember my brother's wife, Evelyn shout, "Mabuhay ang Pilipinas"...and in a quieter voice..."uwi na nga tayo" in the same breath. She was getting tired of our emergency food supply of coke and butter cake that we packed along. We had a good laugh.

We went home again for a meal and a shower then drove back to Edsa again. This was about the time when Marcos sent the PAF's 5th Strike Wing to attack the rebel group holding out at Camp Crame and the choppers appeared menacing as they approached but surprisingly just landed on the camp's parade ground and joined the rebels. When we arrived we found that they opened up the camp and everybody was slowly walking triumphantly into Camp Crame to gawk at the helicopter gunships and to cheer the rebel soldiers. Then when the camp was super-crowded with people Gen. Ramos' men started requesting the people to disperse out of the camp and get back to the avenue fearing Marcos infiltrators might sneak in with the crowd. So after taking a long time slowly moving with the crowd to get into Camp Crame we had to make our way slowly out. But everyone stayed upbeat and cheerful anyway. Gen. Ramos later warned Marcos thru the radio not to try sending tanks in again or he would destroy them with helicopter rocket fire. We later heard that a rebel chopper fired warning shots at the Palace. More and more government units were changing sides and joining the rebels and Ramos and others kept announcing the new units in the radio and TV. Most of these info were true and some were not but we later learned that this was part of Ramos' Psy Ops tactics which disconcerted the Marcos side who didn't know which units to trust or rely on anymore.

There were a lot of other things that happened later but eventually by Wednesday, word came that Marcos finally fled the country with U.S. urging and assistance. Everyone was happy, relieved and jubilant. So we made our way to Malacanang Palace but you can only drive up to a certain point because of the security barricades and the huge crowds. We were then hoofing it very slowly with the triumphant masses to the Palace when I noticed a column of military trucks, loaded now with 'former' rebel soldiers, approach and the mass of people opened up a bit so the trucks could pass. A couple of soldiers on one truck asked for our small flag or yellow ribbons and we happily gave these to them which they waved to the crowd. Then I had an idea and asked the soldiers if we can climb aboard and have our pictures taken with them which they agreed to. So we clambered aboard and after the pictures were taken we just stayed on the trucks and made better progress through the thick crowd right to the Palace gates. The Banzon brothers were there celebrating in Malacanang palace watching many of the fools over there loot the place. One really silly group of squatter-looking types told us not to lean on a Scorpion light tank they were sitting on saying "Hoy, amin yan!" Some were even running off with potted plants. What poor misguided, shallow dopes.

Anyway, I find that Edsa 1 had all the the trappings of a real life or death ordeal. A real revolution. Many feared a bloody, drawn out civil war. Nobody expected it to turn out so relatively peacefully. The so-called Edsa 2 was a cakewalk compared to Edsa 1. But they were both picnics.

A few things have changed. But life (and stupid folk) goes on.

Raoul H. Banzon, then 27

A Small Tribute to Tony Fabella, the Little Big Man of Philippine Ballet

by Raoul H. Banzon, the ex-Nureyev of Tambo Brad Pitt y de Caprio Clooney
for RunThru dance magazine (Issue No.2 Jul-Sep, 2008)


Google his name in the internet and you read that Tony Fabella, the George Balanchine of the Philippines, has led an exemplary life in dance and is one of the country’s most talented, award-winning and prolific choreographers, considered an institution in the local dance circuit. One also reads that “Tony Fabella” is a big name in both the present and in the past history of local dance. I reckon he's probably from among the 2nd generation or batch of ballet dancers ever in the country. He trained in both classical and modern dance under the likes of Eddie Elejar, Jojie Felix-Velarde, Miro Zolan, Alice Reyes, Norman Walker, Takako Asakawa and others whom I know little about but whose foreign names sure sounded impressive to me. He danced as lead or principal for Bayanihan, Dance Theater and the Cultural Center of the Philippines Dance Company. He was company manager and resident choreographer of the CCP Dance Company and later teamed up with Eddie Elejar as co-director of the Goldcrest Dance Workshop, the New Alabang Dance Center, Manila Metropolis Ballet and Fabella-Elejar Dance Studios. He is Artistic Council member at PBT and currently a board member of the Manila Dance foundation and a co-founder and president of the Quezon City Performing Arts Development Foundation. Choreographing since 1970, he has been commissioned to do works for CCP, Dance Theater, Philippine Ballet Theater, Ballet Manila and other groups.

So that’s most of the stuff I dug up and plagiarized from the net about him. I am not really that close to him but I do know him and have worked under him in the past, so I can only try to express and pay my small personal tribute to him by writing about the fabulous Tony Fabs that I know of as a person and my experiences working with him as a dancer.

Though I initially heard of him during the time when he still had the Fabella-Elejar studio in Pasay Road, I actually first met him in the early ‘80s while visiting friends at the Manila Metropolitan Ballet company studio, then located at Goldcrest, in the Makati Commercial center. It was during the early days of my involvement in dance, when I considered myself a fresh newbie, even a noob, in this exacting and exhausting yet somewhat magical and alluring performing art. I used to hang around with the tall, big male dancers of that company whom, despite their being into dance just a year or two ahead of me, I still admiringly regarded as bloodied ballet veterans. I was visiting my danseur friend and UST architecture classmate Dell Caragan in the MMB studio when Tito Tony walks in with their lead dancer Luther Perez. I quickly noticed that they all showed a genuine warmth, a disciplined and solid respect for Tito Tony in his presence and it instinctively made me look upon him in awe and with automatic respect. Despite the man’s relatively short stature (shorter than me anyway) I instantly knew that this little man is really the ‘Big’ guy around these here parts.

At the start, I didn’t have to call him “Tito” Tony at all but just “Tony” since I thought he wasn’t that much older than I was and that was how my brother-in-law/dance inspiration/mentor and his contemporary, Eli Jacinto, addressed him. I figured our age gap may be just around ten years or so. But after several years of hearing him being addressed as such by my much younger colleagues in dance and after working with him, knowing his personality, reading of his big accomplishments and realizing that I am not his peer, I now absent-mindedly catch myself using the title, “Tito” (Uncle), before his name as a show of respect. I don’t know if that would just make him feel older though. But it sure makes me feel younger.

Surprisingly, Tito Tony was somewhat of a big motivator to me at something other than dance. Indirectly at that and at a time just when I needed it. I remember how I was impressed and inspired when I heard that he’s a graduate of Chemistry (or was it Civil Engineering) since I was then in the later stages of completing my own Bachelor of Science degree. It’s a bit difficult and kind of a struggle to be a male dancer and still be motivated enough to finish an unrelated and highly technical course in a university. Both pursuits demand all your time and attention and compete for your priorities when taken simultaneously. Some guys simply drop one or the other. So when I learned that he was able to dance and still graduate, it was clear to me that so can I. And I did. True story. Weird that.

Everybody in the local dance scene knows he’s very, very big in choreography, that’s for sure. Talented, prolific and very efficient. He can quickly churn out dances faster than anyone I know. Must have made hundreds of them. My experience is he comes thoroughly prepared, willing, able and with all his creative juices flowing. When he starts creating a new dance he comes equipped with a cassette tape of his music (no CDs then), a small, mysterious piece of paper containing the number of counts in his music (that was all greek to me) and the dance practically already done in his head. He’d go over some steps with you and finds the ones you looked good at and you proceeded from there. He later would add on the nuances then all that’s left for you to work on are memorizing the steps and perfecting the dance. Viola! That’s it, pansit. I remember him finishing dances in the span of one session or even one afternoon. His creative speed never ceased to amaze me.

When you work with him you find that he can be both big fun and assertive. Though I hardly witnessed it personally, I heard that he can also have a rare big temper. Someone told me that Tito Tony once yelled in rage and threw a chair at some of his male dancers when they were screwing around during his company’s rehearsals. Pretty intense stuff, even for artists. But he was always patient, light-hearted and productive when working with other groups. Hearing that 'temper story' though kept me wary and on my toes at times. Like when you clown around a bit while working with him, he has this mannerism of reacting to an out-of-place joke with a super-quick, “hehehe”, then abruptly cuts the laugh off and his face instantly becomes unreadable. It makes you wonder if he really was amused or was taking no more nonsense or he’s about to explode in anger. That always got me guessing…and behaving, just in case.

His dances are a very big deal to the audience and dance critics, too. They instantly connect and always receive major appreciation and applause. Its partly his uncanny ability to choose music that everyone liked and partly how he enhanced the music with his magic touch in dance. The first ‘Tony Fabella creation’ that I ever danced was “Limang Dipa”, with music by Ryan Cayabyab, and it was always a hit and a Filipino crowd-pleaser whenever and wherever we performed it whether it be on local outreach tours or in the CCP and Meralco Theater. Some of the other dances I know of that received very good ovations (when done properly) here and aborad were his “Tchaikovsky Waltzes” for MMB, “The Company”, "Bonggahan", "Mantones de Manila" and “Beautiful Girls” for PBT and “Dancing to Czerny”, "Dancing to Verdi" and “Dalagang Pilipina” for BM. And his works and artistic direction aren’t limited to ballet or modern dance. He is also well known and popular in the outside-of-art world of rackets or projects for commercial or social entertainment of corporations and big business.

Most notable of all his qualities is that Tito Tony has a big, generous and fair heart. Everybody who knows him knows that. He was regularly commissioned by Lisa Macuja-Elizalde to create dances for her company and on two occassions, after completing each intricate dance, he surprised Lisa by not charging for them and giving them as his gifts to her instead. First, for her, then new and struggling, company and the second time, it was since it just happened to be her birthday. He also spreads around rackets/projects to available friends and colleagues instead of hogging them all which was a rarity in the biz. Together with Eddie Elejar, it was also their vision to help out the under-privileged street kids of Quezon City by setting up a performing arts school for them.

His big heart was most evident to me in the case of my dancer friend, Bobong Fortun, who has worked for Tito Tony for the longest time, the most recent being with the streetkids dance school project. Many times had he related to me how considerate and fair an employer Tito Tony was to him in so many ways. Tito Tony recognized and nurtured his talents and abilities, lent him his car, made sure he ate well, was treated well, forgave him his trespasses and paid properly and on time. Stuff like that. Then in 2006, Bobong was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer and I later found out that Tito Tony et al paid for his surgery and hospital expenses. He was sent back to his home province and the next year I got to talk to him by phone as soon as I belatedly learned of his illness. During our conversation he said,“ Pare, wala talagang kinulang sa akin pagdating kanila Tony. Hinde ako pinabayaan. Talagang sinagot nila ako. Bow ako sa kanila, pare. Bow”. Sadly, that was the last time I talked to my good friend, Bobong. They caught his cancer too late and he expired a couple of months later.

Ironic that now the little big man of dance has also got the Big ‘C’ so soon after that thing with Bobong. Tito Tony has been diagnosed with colon cancer, too, but in the earlier stages, I think, and is presently undergoing radiation therapy. It’s no surprise that friends and supporters are organizing and raising funds to help him win his battle against this dreaded disease. So I’m praying that these efforts to help Tito Tony would have an even bigger response to what I’ve seen so far. I’m sure Tito Tony deserves it.

One more thing that I personally know about Tito Tony is that he is big in angels. You can find the biggest and most varied collection of angels in his house. If PBT director, his friend and dance colleague, Gener Caringal has his pig figurine and knick knacks collection, Tito Tony has his angels. These guys are quirky that way it seems. Last time I had visited his house (and that was a long time ago) there were angels all over the place. Big ones, small ones, scary ones and cute ones. On shelves, tables, walls, on the floor, at the garden, in books, etc. They were everywhere. I could have sworn I even saw one or two of them up on the rooftop. I hope those angels are still there, really watching over the little "big" guy.

Unedited Original Contribution to the PBT Journal

From: RAOUL’S PBT FILES (Warning: Blog's real long)

PBT ANECDOTES Sept, 2006

A motley collection of memorable quotes and very short stories gathered while pretending to dance for the Philippine Ballet Theater company.

Origin of “PBT….ATTACK!!!”

It was near the end of PBT’s first season during Merry Widow and just after the company gathered in a circle for prayers before a performance. Jorge Laico, an ex-varsity soccer player in high school, jokingly stuck out his hand, palm down, in the middle of the group and said “Ok…for the Lady of Victory”. A few dancers like Kim Atienza, James Lopez, Jake Pacquing and Raoul Banzon then all piled hands with Jorge and together gave a “1…2…3…FIGHT!”… shout just like you see in team sports. The next performance day they did it again but this time Raoul thought “PBT….ATTACK!” would be more appropriate (as in attacking your role or ballet technique) and everybody delightfully joined in. This later became a standard pre-performance, team-building, tension-easing and distinctively PBT ritual ever since which has both amazed and amused visiting international guest artists as well as been adapted by other dance companies.

PBT Quote, Unquote

“When the curtain goes up….you go up with it!” Director Inday Manosa during her pep talk before one of the earlier shows (sabit ka duon).

“Do you want me to put YOU instead of him onstage and make you dance his roles?!?” Director Gener Caringal scolding Nonet, then a new company office secretary, a non-dancer, when, soloist Raoul Banzon got miffed after she mistakenly implemented a discontinued policy of deducting penalties from the dancers then spartan salaries.

“What in God’s name are you doing to my creation?!?” The late great Costume Designer Arturo Cruz, famed for his beautiful and danceable stage costumes, angrily raged when he caught apprentice dancer Iya de los Santos adjusting Raoul Banzon’s “Mir-i-nisa” costume to make it tighter as a favor to and at Raoul’s request while he hid out of sight.

“I’ll just speak in English because there are a lot of foreigners…” Soloist Shaz Barroso commencing his speech during the post-performance cast party dinner in Detroit’s Marriot Hotel hosted by the PhilAm Medical Association (PBT US TOUR ’93) where each dancer was requested to say a few words to a mostly white American audience. Actually the dancers were the foreigners so that everybody had a good laugh.

“That’s why my company hates me.” Guest Choreographer Robert Barnett, Director of Atlanta Ballet, saying it half in jest when the dancers gasped while he was teaching PBT company class and giving a difficult allegro (small quick jumps) excercise reflecting his Ballanchine roots.

“What’s that? MUD?” culture-shocked and awe-strucked Guest Lead Dancer Tom Shoemaker, Atlanta Ballet, when he was offered Dinuguan, a Filipino delicacy made of pig’s blood which has a blackish color and a gravy-like, thick liquid consistency during his first visit to the Philippines.

“You guys can blow them away.” Guest Lead Dancer George Prieto, Atlanta Ballet, telling the PBT male dancers his impression on who has the better dancers at the time (early '90s) after watching the company class of the other CCP resident ballet company.

“Aba Biba…Ang galing ng boys! Ang galing ng boys! Ang galing ng boys! (Hurray…the boys were great! The boys were great! The boys were great!) Director Julie Borromeo, when after a show in the Meralco Theater she happily went backstage, quickly opened the door and stuck her head in the Boys’ Dressing Room, excitedly complemented the boys for their performance, then just as quickly left and shut the door.

“Well, goodluck. I hope you find it.” Unknown American Ballet Theater gay male dancer at the ABT studios in New York (where PBT took class and rehearsed), after asking Raoul Banzon where in New Jersey and what theater the PBT was going to perform at in which Raoul could only give a stammering, vague reply after being confused with all the many venues during the US ’93 Tour.

“I want to buy a pica-pica?” Guest Ballet Master/Lead Dancer Rinat Gizatulin, Bolshoi Ballet, asking the clerk at the counter of a convenience store. Rinat was PBT’s first Russian Ballet Master and there was going to be a small potluck party for him. He asked one of the boys to help him buy dinner-type food who replied that he didn’t have to buy real food…just pica-pica (snack and finger food-types).

“Kawawa naman si Barbie (Poor, pitiful Barbie).” Overheard from an old lady in the audience during one of PBT’s outreach shows in an open air makeshift venue at a small town in Zambales. She was referring to ballerina Melanie Motus portraying Andres Bonifacio’s wife in the beating and rape scene of the Andres Bonifacio ballet, where some of the audience thought she looked like a Barbie Doll due to her white mestiza skin and brownish hair.

“Sinong umutot (Who the heck farted)!” blurted out by Butch Esperanza, quietly asking the other dancers, while they were performing “Thatness, Thereness” in Mexico City resulting in suppressed giggling onstage. This was when the dancers hand to contend with a series of hot and spicy Mexican food throughout the Mexico’96 Tour.

“Is everything about you naturally and properly attached?” Harold King, London City Ballet Artistic Director, making sure with alternate male lead Raoul Banzon during the dress tech of “La Sylphide”. Harold played the evil witch Matilde where in Act 2 he mercilessly picks up the weakened male lead "James" by the hair and was surprised to feel alternate lead Shaz Barroso’s entire scalp give way not knowing that he wore a wig.

“Jimbo’s chaines were smoking!” Dancer Jorge Laico teasingly describing apprentice James Lopez’s chaines during the premiere of “La Gitana”. James’ role was that of a middle-aged suitor and thought to put baby powder on his hair to make him appear much older not knowing that you're supposed to gel it down. The quick moving turns of the chaines made the dry powder billow out like his head was trailing smoke.

“For a while I was in a panic and didn’t know what to do. I was contemplating stuffing the dirt into my mouth…,” Sol Fernandez after a funny little pas de deux with Vie Lising which they choreographed and danced in a PBT outreach tour in Iloilo. They had a small potted flowering plant among the props which Sol accidentally dropped and smashed in his hurry to clear the stage for the next dance. He was worried he wouldn’t be able to clean up the garden soil that spilled on the stage before the curtain went up.

“My objective is to strive to make PBT the best ballet company in Asia.” The late, great Eric Cruz at the start of his second turn as Artistic Director of the company.

“What have you people been putting your feet through?!” Aling Mameng Valencia, a manghihilot (local chiropractor/masseuse/witchdoctor) aghast at the battered toes and toenails of several ballerinas who had their sprained ankles treated by her. More used to treating the relatively normal feet of sports athletes, the ghastly effects of wearing pointe shoes were quite new to her.

“The maid didn”t wake me up…or…the driver was late…or…I had bible class…” some of soloist Raoul Banzon’s favorite excuses when he’s late for class or rehearsals in an attempt to shock visiting international guest choreographers from France, England, Australia, Russia or the U.S. where domestic help isn’t commonly affordable or people not overly religious..

“Ako ang inyong titser (I am your teacher).” Ballet Master Rinat Gizatulin, Bolshoi Ballet, trying out his Filipino in class with the help of his newly-acquired “English-Filipino, Filipino-English” phrase book that his girlfriend sent him from the Netherlands.

“Taxi...gasp...Taxi....” Soloist Raoul Banzon, with hand outstretched, clowning around during rehearsals for “Romeo and Juliet”, acting like he's about to expire at the end of his death scene as Mercutio and reflecting the local tendency for rushing stabbing victims to the hospital in a taxi cab. Even Tom Pasic found it amusing.

“I hereby declare July 9…Philippine Ballet Theater Day in San Francisco” The honorable Mayor of San Francisco, USA, before the performance in that beautiful city during the US Tour’96.

“Ahh…that’s my student!” Guest Ballet Master Rinat Gizatulin, Bolshoi Ballet, boasting everytime one of the boys gets to nail a trick acrobatic jump that he taught in his mens class.

“Great! They treated me like a King!” the late and also great Tom Pasic, Choreographer, Atlanta Ballet, replying to Jorge Laico back at Atlanta when he was asked how he found the Philippines. Enjoying the high-end hospitality of Executive Director Mita Rufino’s home in Forbes Park, Tom was chauffeur-driven to and from the studio and was served breakfast in bed on a silver tray by a maid among the many other comforts he enjoyed and was practically adored by the company.

"I thought there would be bullets whizzing past me when I get here." American guest artist Tom Shoemaker amusingly telling the boys what he initially expected to encounter upon arriving in the Philippines for the first time. This was due to the negative reports from stateside friends and media concerning the past attempted military coups in the late '80s. The boys laughed when he said some friends even advised him not to go and that it was risky.

"You see that guy Bobong...he's an NPA (New People's Army - local communist insurgents)!" Jorge Laico trying to shock and fool American guest artist Tom Shoemaker after the latter remarked that western media gave a mistaken negative impression on the Philippine peace and order situation. Bobong Fortun was among the more indigenous filipino-looking of the boys.

"Orlan! Joel! Magagaling na ba kayo!?! (Are you guys experts already!?!)" Artistic Director Gener Caringal shouting from the auditorium for two of the newer company members when he noticed they weren't present on stage with everybody else for the pre-run through warm up class. It was an outreach in Cebu and the two boys were starting to eat the snacks provided backstage after resolutely deciding among themselves that it would be okay to skip class and just do their own warm up later. Startled, they jumped to it, dropped the food and scurried onstage two seconds after Gener angrily yelled for them.

"Mrs. Rufino has many more cars than she has drivers." Guest Choreographer John Paul Comelan grudgingly explaining, in a french accent, to dancer Raoul Banzon why he has to hitch a ride with him from his billet at the wealthy, upscale Rufino house to the studio.

"I make sure I stay several paces away from him". Soloist Maritoni Rufino talking about when she has to accompany her house guest, Russian Balletmaster Rinat Gizatulin, to the mall. She didn't want to be mistaken for his prostitute by passers by. In Manila's commercial areas, you sometimes see big, burly, balding, middle-aged caucasian men walking around with a youngish, tiny, dark and not at all pretty lady of the night clinging possessively to his arm.

PBT Short Shorties

The start of Act 2 of PBT’s Coppelia is the Dr. Coppelius’ workshop scene where dancers portray toys or dolls that are slumped as if inanimate objects until Dr. Coppelius winds each of them up and they start dancing their solo toy dance in turn before winding down back to a slumped position. They hold this position for a long time while other things are going on in this scene. Apprentice Rhadie Kho, who played the astronomer toy, seemed to find this gap too long, fell asleep and eventually fell off his seat during a couple of performances.

Director Eddie Elejar was restaging one of his ballets when the bumbling dancers eventually put him in a rare bad mood. The rehearsal would start and stop when at each mistake he would angrily turn around to the tape deck and shut off the music. Finally, in one moment of impatience and disgust, he turns around in a rage and with sheer passion shuts off…..the electric fan (which stood next to the tape deck) by mistake.

Katrina Santos was performing in a group dance and mistakenly struck a pose upstage with her back to the audience waiting for her next cue instead of exiting. Since there were other dances going on the audience didn’t notice anything wrong but her co-dancers in the wings did. They tried to catch her attention and quietly tell her to exit. When she finally looked and saw the dancers frantically signalling to her in the wings she couldn’t really hear them due to the music and misunderstood their gesturing and whispers for complements. She then put on a sly, understanding look, smiled and a gave them a concealed nod and thumbs up. Like thanks...Everything A-OK. She stayed put.

During PBT’s US Tour’93, the company was performing in a theater in New Jersey when it started to rain hard outside. It turned out that the roof had a leak at a portion of the stage and there were no extra American stagehands to address this problem because of some union thing. So every time the curtain went down in between dance numbers you would see a ballerina in a beautiful white tutu or a datu in Moslem-inspired costume or a guy in Don Quixote black with a humble mop dabbing out the wet spot on the stage.

Just to show how small-town Cebu City was back then, during a performance there, the big Russian, “Rinat Gizatulin”, slipped and fell onstage with a loud crashing thud while doing his solo as “Solor”. He quickly recovered and finished his dance and the show went on without any more mishaps. The next day, however, it was the talk-of-the-town especially at the marketplace since it was a weekend.

Two of the PBT’s Fil-Am hosts and their families during the US Tour’93 were so enthused by the company’s performance and camaraderie in Corpus Christi, Texas, that days later they got in their cars and drove several hours to Houston, Texas to again catch the show on the tour’s next leg.

The last leg of PBT’s US Tour’93 was a rest and recreation stop at Anaheim, L.A. where the company stayed in two small hotel suites…one for girls and one for boys. At about past 2:00AM one of the boys couldn’t sleep so he decided to get up and check out if his girlfriend was up in the other room. This awakened a friend of Director Gener Caringal who was also staying in the room and he frantically woke Gener up thinking the boy was sneaking out to be a TNT ( the Filipino term for an illegal alien in the U.S.). Gener, seeing it was just one of his trusty soloists, told his friend not to worry.

Two leading PBT soloists were sent by the company to dance a pas de deux in the taping for a noontime variety show on T.V.. It was to feature different types of dances so there were also dancers for jazz, folk, hip hop, modern and others aside from ballet. But instead of hanging around waiting for their cues like they usually do the other dancers gathered and watched in admiration and awe as the professional classical ballet couple geared up, stretched and kept warmed up. When the two broke out some rosin and started crushing these underfoot (to give your shoes grip on the floor) the other dancers, thoroughly impressed, imitated them and also stepped onto the small pile of rosin…applying it under their own shoes even if they never needed it before. Soon even the T.V. show’s director, an ex-dancer, also applied some rosin just because everyone else was doing it.

After the fresh, enthusiastic, respectful and eager to learn attitude of the dancers which they experienced during their stints with PBT, Bobby Barnett and Tom Pasic, for a time would cite these traits whenever the Atlanta Ballet dancers started to complain or slack off for any reason like "in PBT it was like this" or "unlike you, PBT dancers behaved like that" (to the American dancers chagrin).

Knowing that most visitors to Mexico City are not acclimatized to the thin air at 10,000 ft. altitude the stage had small oxygen tanks on the wings for the PBT dancers just in case. It turned out that they weren't needed after all.

Despite a very small Filipino community in Mexico (1996) all the venues where PBT performed were always full, most especially in Acapulco, where the theater was just as big as the Folk Arts Theater and was almost jampacked mainly due to the great work done by friends and the good people of the Philippine Embassy in Mexico City.

An old Russian lady from Kirov was imported by PBT to be Ballet Mistress. This was at a time when the Soviet Union had just recently dissolved and cell phones were just coming out in the Philippines. Billeted at Mrs. Mita Rufino’s house, she once borrowed her host’s wireless phone, put it in her bag and brought it with her to the studio thinking it was a cell phone. She also only stayed a month not able to stand the tropical heat.

On outreach shows you sometimes have local peeping toms near the girls dressing area. The girls always called on Raoul Banzon who manly confronts these low lifes and gets to shoo them off despite being dressed in a prince costume of white tights and glittery classic top plus make up.

The story goes that after the Edsa Revolution the different dance companies had a meeting with the exclusive Cultural Center of the Philippines where they agreed to form a single company and PBT was born and became the other resident ballet company. But, when the other PBT artistic council members had already left, Tita Inday Manosa stayed pat until she was able to wrangle a small monthly grant for the new company which help start it off.

After the PBT show in Tokyo, Japan, where one of the big numbers was Gener Caringal’s “Andres Bonifacio” ballet, Gener wanted to show his appreciation to the theater crew by giving them the customary souvenirs but he didn’t bring any. Thinking fast, he dug into his pockets and gave each of them the big two peso Philippine coins that had Andres Bonifacio’s likeness on one side of the coin which the Japanese crew appreciated.

Many instances during the U.S. and Mexican tours people at hotel lobbies and cast parties, friends and strangers alike, would approach the PBT dancers to see, feel and complement the material and embroidery of their formal barong attire, many asking where they could order one.

One of PBT’s most loyal and dedicated fans during it’s early years was a retired and very (dirty?) old man named Mr. Zialcita. He was always at the studio lounge watching rehearsals and attended all performances (making sure to congratulate the ballerinas). He supported PBT every day until he passed away.

In a performance at the Polo Club, Russian guest Rinat Gizatulin and PBT's Maritoni Rufino were about to dance the "bedroom pas de deux" from "Carmen". Typically, Rinat had a strong, stinky, sticky body odor that he was not aware of which the other dancers politely tolerated. But since he was to dance this scene bare-chested his desperate partner asked one of the boys to do something about his dizzying body odor. The guy, a good friend to Rinat, pulled out a bottle of Mennen's after shave cologne but couldn't come up with a polite way of asking Rinat to use it without possibly offending him. Finally, he just splashed some on his palm and dabbed it on Rinat's chest. Surprised, Rinat smelled what it was then, to everyones relief, happily took the bottle and gamely splashed the refreshing cologne all over his body. It worked.

At the dress tech of Elejar's "Calle Potenciano" ballet, the show finale ends with Soloist Butch Esperanza getting stabbed by a sword and drops to the floor dying then the curtain falls. The curtain then goes up and the performers bow. When it was Butch’s turn to bow he stays in character by entering from the wings bent over, hands on his sword wounded gut, slowly dragging his feet to the middle of the stage and bowing as if cringing in pain to everyones amusement.

PBT’s inaugural performance in 1987 almost turned into a fiasco when a nervous stage crew raised the curtains and played the music too early. The performers for the first dance were caught by surprise onstage doing stretches, putting on pointe shoes and other last minute stuff. To their credit the dancers quietly ad libbed and adjusted to their positions on time with the music and saved the moment by performing well. By thinking on their feet this was a sample glimpse of the PBT golden years to come.

Edsa I: The only REAL People Power Revolution

Philippine and other media have conveniently labeled a number of past local political upheavals and incidents as the three people power revolutions of E. de los Santos Ave., Metro Manila or Edsa (Edsa's I to III). But in reality and actual fact there was only ONE true people power revolution and that was Edsa I of February 22 to 25, 1986. The one that toppled President Ferdinand Marcos' 21-year grip on power. The other two were in one way or another fake, unnecessary or staged copycats unrepresentative of the people the power supposedly came from.


EDSA-I
Edsa-I had all the makings of a historic, political, revolutionary upheaval full of drama, spontaneity, fear, bravery, strategy, moral righteousness and a common, steadfast belief in a just and necessary cause. Born out of a failed coup attempt and two decades of fixed elections, oppression, rampant corruption, nepotism, cronyism, political assassination, detention and torture it was a David v.s. Goliath story which united both rich and poor alike (plus rebel soldiers and the church) to stand up to a military-backed dictator. A relatively non-violent confrontation by exasperated common citizens which prevailed against a powerful, entrenched and despotic strongman that until then was unheard of in the Third World...or even the entire post-war World. In fact, it amazed the free world and was a warning to similar dictatorships. People power became part of the international political jargon and a new catchphrase for the oppressed. It was hailed in Time and Newsweek.

And the massing of the people against Marcos wasn't limited to the one to three million who flocked to Edsa in Manila. No, not by a long shot. Similar gatherings spontaneously cropped up in other cities in the provinces as well such as Cebu, Davao, Bacolod, Bundokland, Gubatania, etc. (forgot the other places) in support of those in Edsa. There was a general consensus that Marcos must go and a dire need to do something about it. So one could say that it was national in scope. I know I'm saying it. Also...most of the leftists missed out on it which is a plus.

It wasn't a coup, the coup already failed earlier in the story. It was a festive revolution by the people (and illegal under the Marcos or any constitution) and nobody said it was a normal political exercise so the succeeding government of President Cory Aquino initially had to work as a revolutionary government until a new constitution was ratified. After that was done the government finally could call itself legitimate.

Sadly, Edsa-I hardly changed anything for long in the political atmosphere of the Philippines. Wheeling and dealing still goes on. Corruption, election-rigging, abuses and nepotism is still a fact of life in local and national politics. Even the Marcos family and some of their cronies are back in seats of power...us (the Filipino) being so stupid, forgetful and forgiving. But once upon a time, we all shed our fear of tyranny, cast the dice, stood up to right a wrong and ousted a dictator... and that will forever be a valued historical accomplishment. At least nowadays Filipinos are more tenacious about guarding and exercising their rights. Now we just have to learn that with freedom comes responsibility. Not stupidity.

The other EDSAs
Edsa's-II and III on the other hand were quite different. There was no oppression or curtailment of human rights. No fear for ones life or liberty if one speaks out against the presiding regime. Not generally anyway. There was no immediate need to right a situation or lose all. It wasn't national in scope. Mainly just Manila...and a small part of Manila at that. The cause wasn't selfless but selfish. Both were partially or entirely planned and set up by people pulling the strings. And both were more mob rule than people power and were a failure of the due process of law. Actually, Edsa-III was just a failure.

I didn't bother with Edsa-II of February 17 to 20, 2001 since the situation didn't merit it. Several hundred thousand did join in but many more just stayed away. It was a downright coup against Erap (President Joseph Estrada) with people power wannabe's who missed out on Edsa-I because they were too young to care and a too-quick-to-change-sides military and police. Also some leftists joined in. New technology allowed most participants to be summoned thru cell phones by a conveniently organized text brigade.

A lot of people couldn't stand having Erap for president and he was a muddling fool when it comes to presidential prerogatives, outright corruption or foreign relations...hell, I couldn't stand him and his unattractive, obese sons myself, but he was elected by the biggest majority than any of our previous presidents. And he did order the army to clear out the MILF strongholds that was a challenge to the nation's sovereignty and were previously left alone in the south. He may have looked like an embarrassing, unsophisticated waddling duck to the international eye, playing million-peso stakes mahjong while gulping cases of thousand dollar wine up to the wee hours and taking wednesdays off like an extra driver but he WAS duly elected. Granted elected by stupid people in large groups but still he was a legitimate president. And the impeachment against him was verging on failure.

President Gloria Arroyo happened to be the vice-president so she had to be the one to replace Erap when Edsa-II succeeded. Luckily, the supreme court legitimized this incident at the last minute by stating that the welfare of the people is supreme law (or something to that effect)...unluckily, this set the stage for the bogus Edsa-III revolt. I still sort of support GMA (Edsa-II people have changed their tune regarding her and what they hailed as her triumphant rise to power after Erap)....it's her husband that nobody likes. It must be said though that Edsa-II probably was the least violent of the three.

I also didn't join Edsa-III (just months after Edsa-II, late April-May 1, 2001) because everybody knew it was a farce and a futile set-up power re-grab by Erap flunkies after he was arrested for corruption. There was even talk of a budget supporting the operation plan for this incident. Ten million here another million there and some more from somewhere... And some free flowing crystal meth for any takers to stir up the masses. I mean how genuine and spontaneous can they get? After this one are we doing another people power revolt next tuesday? And why crap on a shrine as they did? Besides, Edsa-III consisted mostly of misguided people and payable hacks that can easily be manipulated...like the urban poor and we all know they don't count in politics except during elections....or full-blown riots...which was the end result. A useless mob riot. As a political exercise Edsa-III was a waste of time. A bloody, violent, useless, unconscionable and unnecessary waste of time for everybody including those who participated in it. They achieved nothing....but everybody got a declaration of a state of national emergency.

Last but not least
Most important of all, to me, Edsa-I is the real and only legitimate people power revolution (if there is such a thing as a legitimate revolution) because that's where my brothers, cousins, friends and I PARTICIPATED IN and that may be our only contribution towards bettering this nation's political history. We went there and stuck our necks out despite the fear, uncertainty, exhaustion, filth, fear...did I say that already...and real danger simply because we had had enough of the overpowering and overbearing Marcos dictatorship. We faced assault rifles threateningly pointed at us from helicopters, we faced combat-ready marines (some giving us the finger when offered food, flowers or cigarettes...maybe they wanted beer), APCs and tanks (threatening to roll over friends and nuns), friends faced gassing and dispersal. But the Marcos forces all pulled back and eventually joined our side because our cause was right and just ( and because our side later had the rocket-armed choppers of the 15th Strike Wing ready to blow any opposition away). We booted out a dictator and vowed never again to allow another president to hold the reigns of absolute power over us (rowdy as we may be).

My final point is that unlike the original one the two other Edsa's were too much ado over nothing much. So either I'm right or it is just me. Enough said.

Life

Favorite Profound Wise Sayings on LIFE

Life's a bitch....and then you die.
Love sucks...life stinks.
Kill 'em all...let God sort it out.
I'm allergic to pain...pain HURTS me.
Nuke the whales...shoot the seals.