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The Coming of the Cross and the SwordOctober 2, 2015A Zarzuela held at The Philippine Center in New York City

The Melding of Cultures

Somewhere in Spain today stands a statue of the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan with a caption saying that Magellan died in Spain.  According to the chronicles of Antonio Pigafetta, Magellan was b uried in Cebu, an island in the Philippines.  He died in the hands of Lakan Lapu-Lapu,the Chief of Mactan, who refused to pay the tribute that Magellan demanded in the name of King Carlos I of Spain.

The play "Ang Pagdating ng Krus at Espada" (The Coming of the Cross and Sword) is the story of Magellan as he sailed into the New World, in search of the Moluccas Spice Island.  It was held October 2, 2015 in New York City, where the Filipino-American community gathered for a People's Theater for the annual fundraising presentation of PAGASA Social Fuondation, Inc. (Philippine American Group for Aging Seniors of America).

The zarzuela,where actors act uot the scenes in mime, while a literary narrator narrates the different scenes and the dialogue, was Spain's legacy.  Interspersed throughout the performance were songs and dances that so beautifully captured the mood and sentiment of the period.  The close-up look at the characters gave the audience a personal glimpse at the souls that inhabited these beings, a chance to observe closely their body language and facial expressions peering through the internal musings of the characters, their doubts,optimism, and spirituality.  The zarzuela successfully humanized the characters of Magellan and Enrique,conscious of their mortality and perhaps their roles in history, and or their fate in such a risky undertaking.

Enrique of note was a Filipino who started out as Magellan's slave. He was so knowledgeable that he spoke to Magellan of the Spice Islands,in the place where he was born. He eventually became Magellan's right hand,and the truth be told, was actually the first circumnavigator of the world, having come from the Philippine Islands and then returned back with Magellan in 1521.

In Scene 3, Magellan meets and befriends the native Chief Rajah Humabon. This scene reveals to the audience, through Magellan's eyes, a vibrant and spirited culture composed of small kingdoms, rich in gold and ceremonies which existed among pre-colonial native indigenous peoples of the Philippines.  This is the most colorful and festive scene, the meeting of cultures, where the beautiful, glittery and colorful native costumes of the Philippines were on proud display.

In the final scene, we learn how the Filipinos resisted valiantly Magellan's aggression.  Very remarkable was the exhibition of the Kali Silat, the native fight dance, which represented the resistance of the natives from Magellan's incursion into the island of Mactan, where he finally met his death.  In such an occasion,when most of the people who attended were Filipino-Americans, the true nature of Filipinos shines.

We off our deepest gratitude to the author Cristo Rey Alunan who painstakingly leafed through the pages of the Pigafetta Chronicles in order to bring to life the truth about the Filipino's struggle for freedom and triumphs of self-determination.  The play was produced by Purple Pillars Production, the theatrical arm of The Nursing Office Extended Arts, providing safe haven to creativity.

--by Pauline Santos