FOR THE WORKERS: Tambisan sa Sining
in rehearsal and at the Labor Day rally
PHOTOS BY GUIA ABAD AND AUBREY
SC MAKILAN
It’s not all work for
the members of Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU or May 1st Movement).
They also engage in cultural work through its cultural group Tambisan
sa Sining.
Consisting of
worker-artists, Tambisan puts together production numbers to help open the
eyes of Filipino workers to the truth that they deserve much more than
what they are getting. It also reaches out to factory owners, explaining
the plight of their workers in a creative way.
In the beginning
A group of artists
who saw the plight of the Filipino workers formed Tambisan in 1979. Jun
Resurreccion, Tambisan chairperson and one of the remaining original
members, said they started by showing the people the hardships of a
minimum wage worker by putting them on canvass.
It began because of
their passion for the arts and the greater good. Then their eyes were
opened by their integration with workers. Soon, they were not only
performing in rallies but also in picketlines and, if necessary, even in
marketplaces.
When KMU was formed
in May 1980, Tambisan decided to work with KMU to bring enlightenment to
the workers. One of its projects during the martial law years was the
Harana ng Bayan (people’s serenade) which also helped the group to
raise funds for protest actions.
Expansion
Tambisan started with
a handful of members but now has 145 members. It reaches out to workers
in different factories and urban poor communities where most of the
residents are from the working class.
Tambisan seeks to
develop the abilities of workers through theater arts. It helps labor
unions to establish their own theater groups so that workers will have an
outlet for their talents.
Tambisan also aims to
bring to the public’s awareness the problems of Filipino workers and other
issues that affect them, such graft and corruption in government and peace
and order.
Tambisan members are
active especially during rallies. They do not limit themselves in formal
theaters but also perform in the streets, in the picket line and if they
could, even in the marketplace. They also perform during factory
gatherings where the owners are present.
Resurreccion said
Tambisan does not perform for mere entertainment but to pave way for
change in the Filipino workers’ condition.
Daily rehearsals
Tambisan holds
workshops and rehearsals everyday. With the majority of its members being
workers who run a tight shift, they divided the rehearsals into two
sessions: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. for dance practice and 4-8 p.m. for the chorale.
Mariza Sabater, who
has been a Tambisan member since 1986, talked about her experience with
Bulatlat.
Sabater was a student
when she joined the group and worked at the same time. She had always been
interested in theater and joined when Tambisan held a workshop in her
factory.
During the day, she
was a student and a worker. But evenings found her at the Tambisan office
for rehearsals. A few months later, she decided to work full time with the
group.
Her story is shared
by most of the members of the group – workers by day, artists by night.
Tambisan sa Sining
thus consists of artists who
wish to bring to the public the injustice they experienced. What makes
them different from the ordinary protester is they present their ideas and
bring them to the people’s consciousness through art. Bulatlat
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