Remembering Kota Kinabalu: The 5th SIFF Story

REMEMBERING KOTA KINABALU: THE 5^TH SIFF STORY

Butch Ferrer, Artistic Director, Me’dal Kolon Datal

Are you coming back to join SIFF? A message from Veron Jd on my Facebook account froze my night. I couldn’t think forward. The question gripped me still and in an instant, images appeared before me like a movie in my mind, unraveling the past, exactly two years ago.

July 2010. Just as the Province of South Cotabato prepared for its Foundation Anniversary, two transport vans revved for our 1:00 early morning trip to Davao City. At daybreak, as hundreds of performers for the day’s Street Dancing competition lined up for the Anniversary Parade, we were queuing in Davao International Airport’s check-in counter for a flight on board Cebu Pacific Air. As the Tnalak soundtrack blasted on baffles to start the competition rolling in South Cotabato, so did a voice in the departure area’s PA, announcing that we should board the aircraft. As groups of street performers stomped and swayed and danced their way through the cemented streets of the city of Koronadal, fifteen Medal Kolon Datal Dance and Theatre Ensemble (MKD-DTE) members stretched, and yawned and snored our way through the vast air space to Manila, enroute to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia to represent South Cotabato in the 5^th International Folklore Festival, as the official entry from the Philippines.

                After claiming all our baggage from the arrival area, we went out to take another private shuttle bus to Clark International Airport in Pampanga for our flight to Kota Kinabalu scheduled at 4:50pm. We have to be at the airport before 2:00pm as tickets had to be bought at the Air Asia counter. We were told that sales were brisk because it was peak season. Good enough we were able to contact Air Asia’s Sales Office ahead of time and was able to book the group and was assured of 15 seats. Whew!

                Our flight schedule was a little delayed due to some Immigration issues - our minor members’ papers were questioned but was soon ironed out. We were cleared to board the plane, the last group to do so, to the consternation of the passengers who were thirty minutes ahead of us and were fanning themselves as the cabin’s aircon was off. I was the last person to board Air Asia AK Flight 6265 bound to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, acting as the group’s leader and of course, sweeper. At exactly 5:30, our plane taxi-ed to the runway and in full throttle, climbed the Philippine skies, slightly ditching west and turned towards the south.

                In a few minutes and airborne, digicameras soon flashed to capture the first international flight of MKD-DTE and spirited talks made everyone awake, the excitement, obvious! However, the constant humming of the AK airbus, with the refreshing coolness of the aircon drew us to a hypnotic state, eyelids heavy with sleeplessness tried to win over our overwhelming feelings. The taxing four hour-trip from Koronadal to Davao, one hour and forty-five minute-flight to Manila, an hour and a half shuttle ride to Pampanga and almost 5-hour wait at Clark International Airport started to exact its toll on us. Add to this, another two-hour flight over international airspace proved too much to handle – for the whole duration of the flight, we slept, with snores matching the humming of the plane’s engine, giving a contrapuntal harmony.

                A raspy voice with a Malaysian accent announcing to straighten up our seats and fasten our seatbelts awakened us. The plane started its descent with turbulence as the skies over Kota Kinabalu were grey and thick. It was raining on the ground, from our plane portholes we saw citylights growing bigger as the plane approached the runway for a touchdown. We were in Kota Kinabalu! And the ordeal that we had in the Philippines was unburdened from our heads and hearts in a second, as excitement had recharged everyone, silently asking ourselves just what were in store for us in this foreign land.

                It was raining when we deplaned yet it did not stop us to pose at the tarmac for posterity. An airport guard signaled us not to take pictures as it was prohibited. We smiled and apologized and followed the passengers’ queue for a long walk to Arrivals and Malaysian Immigration for our final entry to Sabah, Malaysia.

                As other members of the Philippine delegation were busy having their passports stamped in a booth with “SIFF Delegates” poster, I was scanning a throng of welcomers through the glass panes that divide the waiting lounge and the immigration booths. A placard with “Philippines” on it was raised by a man who was in a printed Malaysian polo shirt. I waved my hand to signify that we are from the Philippines. Seeing me, the man nodded, smiled and signaled that we should proceed to where he was standing after receiving our stamp of approval from Immigration.

                People from the Sabah Cultural Board (SCB) requested for our baggage claim stubs and two men ushered us to the gates, where, to our surprise, SCB’s man Mr. Joisin Rumut and his reception committee women in colorful and exotic Malaysian dresses, were waiting to receive us with beaded necklaces,  and lo!....TV crew and hosts! An ambush interview ensued as our baggages were loaded to a truck while cameras flashed on us like celebrities. It was a blessing in disguise that back at Clark, I ordered my team to wear the official blue South Cotabato Performing Arts Ensemble uniform before boarding the plane, we never knew that we would be on Malaysian TV!  It was amazing - we were afforded the best reception we had ever experienced in our performing lives! In the Philippines we could only be starstruck, here in Sabah, we were the stars! But that was just an appetizer, so to speak! It was past seven in the evening.

            Veron Ecqa Jd was waiting inside our tourist bus when we boarded. She introduced herself as our liaison officer for the duration of the ten-day festival. She was petite and amiable. She speaks few English words and our communication was compensated by sign language. She was bubbly as she oriented us with festival and house rules, handing me some sheets of reminders. MKD-DTE established friendship with her at an instant, showing the Filipino value of graciousness and hospitality even if we were the guests, not her. We clicked at once!

                “I like Philippines,” she would say when asked and her propensity for anything Filipino had grown as we stayed longer in Kota Kinabalu, as we , too, had grown a special fondness for her. She was a perfect mother hen that once the “ice was broken”, she was considered just one of us, laughing at our jokes, reminding us of the daily schedule, knocking at our doors everyday, prompting us of the activities and sharing some infos about Sabah, her culture and of course, the best destinations her very own place could offer, sights, food and souvenirs.

                Our bus stopped right in front of Promenade Hotel where the Welcome Dinner would start in a few minutes. Mr. Rumut told us to proceed to the dinner with no chance to settle our baggage and wash up at the Marina Court Seaside Resort Condominium, our residence for ten days, just beside the hotel. We were the last group to arrive for the day. I was told that China would be arriving on the 23rd, making them the latest entry to the SIFF. It was not a surprise to everyone why the Philippine delegation was in sporty shorts or in maong pants with the South Cotabato Performing  Arts Ensemble uniform (thanks God!), and jackets, and a little wet from the rains experienced at the tarmac of Kota Kinabalu International Airport.

                As we entered the Rafflesia Ballroom, a warm welcome was afforded to us by the Sabah Cultural Board performers, all in indigenous costumes, all in tribal raiment with opulent bird feathers - the pheasant’s and the peacock’s. Festival kits were handed to us as we approached another set of costumed receptionists amidst the heavy and frenzied beats of indigenous drums. It was overwhelming! We were then ushered to our table by uniformed and respectful waiters. On the table was a big Philippines nametag. We settled on our seats but our eyes were rolling around checking the grand interiors of the ballroom - the fuschia and purple lights setting the mood for the welcoming event that would start in a few minutes.

                An officer of the Sabah Cultural Board approached our table and asked for the leader of the Philippine delegation. I presented myself and was told to occupy another table with the other heads of delegation somewhere in the middle of the ballroom, fronting the stage.

                 I found myself seated with the heads of Egypt, Latvia, Kazakhstan, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, Romania and Thailand- them in their fineries, me in my travelling shorts and Crocs sandals. I excused myself for looking haggard and unprepared, they understood! Dinner was soon served.

                Malaysian food served seemed to look yummy but  I never had the craving for it. Hunger never sunk in to me as of yet. I was mesmerized by the feel that we were in a foreign country, representing the Philippines in a gathering of performers representing their respective national dance groups. It was unbelievable that a small dance company, an ensemble, coming from a remote province such as South Cotabato could join the ranks of highly respected dance groups in their own countries and in the world. But what was more surprising, everyone in the ballroom was very eager to see the Philippine delegation -words reaching me after arrival that in the SIFF arena of dance, the Philippine delegation is the group to watch, as previous entries representing our country had established a reputation as being the strongest group to beat - winning the past SIFFs.

                Dinner was a full course Malaysian cuisine -  pungent, spicy, salty, sweet..hmmmm, unexplainably delicious. The entree was a vegetable salad with dried fish flakes, rolled like our own lumpia, rather salty for Filipino tongue. The main course was a smelly meat dish which I found out to be venison cooked with coconut milk, cumin and spices. The abhorrent smell was overpowered by the tanginess of the spices that my entrails seemed to be burning at first, leaving a peculiar taste, say, truly Asian. The dessert was also Malaysian, just like our very own kinumis, sweet and chilled to cool off the burning sensation one felt.  Over-all impact? Well, one should try Maguindanao dishes here in Mindanao with gata and kalawag to orient taste buds and be adaptive to Southeast Asian cuisine.

Welcome Program was  a visual feast. Sabah, a predominantly Moslem State, showed its opulence through the pageantry of its performing arts - a showcase of its multi-tribal culture - celebrating unity amidst diversity which is the embodiment of SIFF’s theme “Peace through Culture”.

                Datuk Masidi Manjun, Honourable Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment of Sabah, Malaysia formally welcomed the delegations with the distribution of stuffed Orang Utan monkeys as mascot/souvenir of the festival. Opening program finally ended at almost midnight. We were ushered to our rooms at the 10th floor of the adjacent Marina Court Seaside Resort Condominium which would be our home away from home for ten days. Before we retired, we rehearsed our Maguindanao Suite for a pocket show scheduled the next day.

                The following day, we found ourselves in queue at the Court’s resto and coffee bar for breakfast. It was the first time we met other delegations coming from Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Latvia, Egypt, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, India, Taiwan, and Thailand. The Thais were friendly, maybe because of the fact that most of its dancers were as young as my members. They joined tables and in halting English language, the ice was broken and a special bond was created between the Filipinos and the Thais.

                Our luxury buses were lined up ouside Marina Court waiting for delegates to be ferried to pocket shows scheduled at 9am to 12 noon.

Our first exposure on a foreign stage was at SMK Bahang, a private secondary school. Our group was joined by two other delegations , Egypt and Thailand, doing a five-minute dance suite as required. There was a forum where we were able to share our local culture to the Malaysians who welcomed the Philippine delegation with the loudest cheers as our Maguindanaoan culture is closely similar to theirs. Photo ops ended the performance. As we walked out of the campus looking for our bus, the Thais graciously offered their parasols to my members because the noonday sun was scorching - again, the bond became stronger as the talks became more animated than the first meeting at the resto.

               

                 It was past eleven when we left the school and the organizers decided to bring us back to Marina Court for a fast lunch. The lunch break was a turning point. As Artistic Director, I decided to change our showcase into one that SIFF had never seen before. I hurriedly instructed my group to change into Blaan raiment as I have decided to showcase a very South Cotabato performance with our very own Blaan dances. The delegations were surprised upon seeing us in a set of totally different costumes, the girl’s beaded and brass belts tingling noisily, announcing a threat and intimidating others - “here comes the Philippines!”

               

                Our next stops were at Seri Insan, Tshung Tsin, and Kian Kok, all big shopping malls. Surprisingly for a small city in a small state like Sabah, economy is healthy as shown by the mushrooming malls and we found ourselves performing in newly-opened ones. We performed “Aral di Fafiu Bawu-Aral Sufrayun-Aral Asda-as” suite with live music to the amazement of everyone. To the Sabah Cultural Board we became instant favorite, to the other delegations, we became a group to reckon with! Like celebrities, audience approached us for photo ops.

               

                By late afternoon, we travelled for about 45 minutes to 1 Borneo Karamunsing Complex, the biggest mall in Kota Kinabalu for a promotional show. There we met just a lot of Pinoys, mostly from Zamboanga Peninsula, who used the “backdoor” via Sandakan as point of entry to Sabah. A lady compatriot  from Pagadian City, Zamboanga approached us for a souvenir photo and asked us what dance did we perform. “Is that Igorot?” she asked.

                As Artistic Director, I had to tell her of other indigenous groups thriving in Mindanao to which she retorded “Igorot is all I know!” From that incident I realized that we need to expose and promote more of these ethnic things back home.

                Third day at KK meant courtesy call to the Mayor. A “High Tea Party” was hosted by the City Mayor at the KK City Hall. All delegations were presented with a set of miniature Bornean gongs as welcome gifts as we, too, presented the Mayor with our “pasalubong”. From us, we gave him a “Slo’ong” - a Tboli headgear.

                As the week progressed, we found ourselves taking time to rehearse our contest piece during breaktime, that meant unholy hours that we have to squeeze in as the schedules for performances, although lax, was physically straining.

                The remaining days with SIFF delegates were a study in contrast. While delegations from the Asian countries could present different dances included in their repertoire, it was a pity that European countries like Latvia , Romania and Middle Eastern Saudi Arabia could only present the same dance all throughout. Even if their respective countries are rich by any standards, we, Asians in general and as Pinoys in particular, are far richer than these countries in culture and the arts. Dance for these countries was just that, movements, revelry and music!

                In contrast Asian dances were lifted to a level where strict and rigid discipline is employed, guided by traditions. I observed that the highest level of discipline was shown by the Thais with their fluidity and passion; and the Taiwanese, with their technique, precision and synchronization.

With these observations, I identified them to be the groups to contend with in the competition round followed by Indonesia who showed a lot of promise with their song and dance number.

                Our fourth day was unforgettable. We were herded at the plush The Magellan Sutera Harbor Hotel, a five-star hotel by the sea, for a “black and white” event - The Prime Show. It was a night of surveillance, spying, one would say, to groups who would be strongest competitors come grand finals night. It was also the night when the delegation from China could join us after arriving earlier that day. Information reaching us said that the Chinese group was composed of veteran acrobatic performers that gave us the chill.

                The dinner show was attended by the high ranking officials of the State of Sabah. Prior to the performance, all delegation leaders were gathered in a holding room, with respective tokens at hand, for a formal audience with Tun Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Ahmadshah Bin Abdullah, Governor of Sabah with his wife Toh Puan Datuk Seri Panglima Hajah Dayang Masuyah Binti Awang Japar. It was there that I felt overwhelmed by the formality of the proceedings. We were instructed how to act, behave and address ( Malaysian decorum) the Governor and wife who were respected like monarchs. The couple gifted us with a golden jewel cache with their images impressed on the lid - a priceless gift in exchange for a much lesser priced “slo’ong” which we brought for gift-giving. To all these, Saudi Arabia stood out because of the golden ornate saber that they presented to the Governor.

                The Prime Show became a barometer for identifying who’s who in the international stage. Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand showed strength but our Maria Clara suite brought the house down, so to speak!

                Fifth day was a Sun, Sea and Sand getaway.  SIFF organizers prepared a barbeque party in Mamutik Island, a tourist destination for diving and snorkeling. It was a fifteen-minute yacht ride to the island from Sutera Harbor.

 Mamutik Island became a mute witness to the growing fondness established between Thailand and The Philippines. An impromptu cultural dance exchange was held in a covered area where South Cotabato taught Thailand Blaan and Maguindanao dances, to which the Thais gladly returned the favor by teaching us their traditional art form. It was through the exchange that we learned that all of them were accepted to the Bunditpatanasilpa Institute or the Institute of Fine Arts Development at age 13. They told us that the initial requirement to become an intern of the institute supervised by their Ministry of Culture, is to have your finger bones broken and bent outwards - a painful way to become a highly revered dancer. We saw how fluid their fingers were that bending it now outwards  is effortless. The exchange proved to be an unforgettable learning experience that had brought the two delegations closer and the friendship would continue through Facebook and Twitter, with language interpretation included.

               

                That night, we were scheduled for rehearsals at 10pm following the Egyptian and Latvian delegations in an airconditioned room assigned for rehearsals. The Latvians had just vacated the room when we came in and we had to back track because of an annoying smell they left in the room. We have to put off the aircon and open the doors wide to accommodate fresh air and let the fetid one escape the room, our nostrils, and dizzy spirits!

                We were brought to Sabah Cultural Center in Penampang, the venue of the competition for rehearsals the very next day. It was the Preliminary night where each delegation was required to present a seven-minute production.  The Philippines presented “Flalok ni Soyow Kakdo Blaan” an ethnic suite from the province which I researched and choreographed for the competition that tells of a tragic story of a Blaan maiden betrothed to a datu’s son but loves a slave instead. The performance moved the audience that we received the loudest cheers and applause and yes, a standing ovation! After the performance, Romania, Thailand, China, Indonesia, Singapore and Latvia approached us for a sincere congratulations - however, the house was divided as some favored the Taiwanese with their strong performance using “Kung Fu” with bowls balanced on their heads, complete with a glittering dragon. It was a competition of skills and theatricals against drama and grace. The winners would be known the very next night but the preliminary night was a trending of some sort. We received very good reviews, however, it was not a moment to rest our minds - we had to prepare for other surprises that would unfold on stage during performances - in short, we were becoming nervously apprehensive, too.

                The next day, another blocking on stage was required so we were transported to  Penampang at 9:00am. Having done our part, we requested the organizers to send us to any Catholic Church in KK, that day being a Sunday, and as Filipinos, our spiritual obligations must be practiced wherever we are.

                Grand finals night came. We presented the rural suite “Kasadyahan sa Kapatagan”  (Joys in the Plains), a five-minute medley of the best loved Philippine folkdances, earning for us another raved reception. The competition was higher that delegations prepared surprises and judges had a very hard time picking the best team. As for us, we gave way to our passion to show our best, enjoying the stage in total abandon, showing the world how we, Filipinos, love music and dance, celebrating our culture the way we were raised in the countryside. Our efforts earned us the “Best Performace Award” that sealed our edge over other national groups and affirmed our own place among the globally competitive dance groups as “world class.”  Our euphoria never ceased - we were sleepless that night.

                The next morning, SIFF’s last day, we were all treated to a tour of Kota Kinabalu. We were brought to Muzium Sabah for a two-hour cultural immersion cum education on a state which was a subject  of a long history of territorrial claim by the Philippines. Funny but true, on one wall, there was a picture of a civic protest with Sabah natives bearing placards that said something nasty about the US and the Philippine Presidents who were involved in the Sabah claim. One was called a “yankee”, the other, a “monkey”. The monkey referred to the father of a beleaguered present-day Philippine president. The picture elicited a good laugh from us.

               

                It was a blessing that some delegations did not afford so much attention to that particular wall, or else, we could not endure the embarrassment accorded to us by history.

                Our next stop was Lok Kawi Wildlife Park where we would have our last lunch at Kota Kinabalu. We toured the park and saw Sabah’s endemic wildlife  - exotic birds and fowls, golden monkeys and the Malaysian pygmy elephants. We were also treated with a bird show.

                Tokens and souvenirs exchanged hands after our final lunch with the delegates and the organizers. We were able to collect some significant mementoes of a journey we could not forget in our lifetime.

                The festival was indeed a rare chance where South Cotabato artists could learn a lot from their foreign counterparts. Discipline, passion, dedication, fun,… name it! Our international exposure was an education worth a lifetime!

                But one thing certain, we have learned that the Thais were as sentimental as we are. They were the group that saw us off as we boarded the bus to the airport. They were in tears as we waved goodbye through the glass window, their gifts of remembrance in our hands. Very Filipino, err, very Asian! It had been, indeed, the best ten days of our lives.  Asked  if  the SIFF’s   aim of   “peace through culture” was  ever achieved, I would say, YES, and even more!