25 November 2004 – The Philippine Consulate General in New York treated the Filipino community to a different form of cultural entertainment on Friday, 19 November 2004, when it hosted Balagtasan sa Konsulado 2004 at the Philippine Center’s Kalayaan Hall.

Consul General Cecilia Rebong formally opened the program with a speech in which she briefly traced the history of Balagtasan.  Speaking in Filipino, she explained that Balagtasan was born on 02 April 1925, to celebrate the birthday of Francisco Balagtas who is considered the Father of Filipino Poetry.  The first Balagtasan was held at the Instituto de Mujeres in Tayuman, Tondo, Manila, featuring Corazon de Jesus and Florentino Collantes. They debated on the theme, “Bulaklak ng Kalinisan.”

Consul General Rebong informed the audience that the last time a Balagtasan was held in New York was six years ago. She said that while Balagtasan is now seldom heard in the Philippines, she proudly noted that Balagtasan seemed to be making a “comeback” in the United States, specifically, among the Filipino community in Northeastern USA. Consul General Rebong was followed by Ms. Julietta Mariano, a member of the community, who delivered a touching poem on continued Philippine immigration to various overseas destinations, specifically, the U.S.

During the program proper, the Lakandiwa directed the mambabalagtas to resolve the issue, “Is it right to leave your native land to work overseas (USA) if you have to leave a family behind?”  Before a full-packed auditorium, four mambabalagtas divided themselves into 2 groups to tackle the issue.  The first group consisted of Evangeline Lazaro of Cavinti, Laguna, a former school teacher and current charter president of the NY Manhattanites Lions Club, and Dramontz Mariano, a commerce graduate from Balanga, Bataan.  Lazaro and Mariano argued in favor of leaving one’s native land to work abroad even if one has to leave a family behind.  The second group consisted of Sofia Abad of Polilio, Quezon, a retired New York City tax auditor and past overall chair of the Philippine Independence Day Committee, and Eric Navarro, a physical therapist from Navotas, Rizal.  Abad and Navarro argued against leaving the country.  The evening’s Lakandiwa was Ms. Frances Dominguez, a poet and noted Filipino community leader.

As the debate progressed, the audience was visibly touched both by the ability of the four mambabalagtas to deliver their arguments in verse to discuss the topic of the debate.  They explored the positive and negative effects of migration on the Filipino family.  The topic was certainly close to the heart of everyone present that night, especially those who may have left a family back home in search of the proverbial “greener pasture.”

After the debate, the Lakandiwa proclaimed the contest to be a tie between the two groups.  She congratulated the mambabalagtas for a job well done.  She next invited the audience to share their views on the program.  The audience gamely responded with glowing praises for the four mambabalagtas, and profuse gratitude to the Consulate General for resurrecting the Balagtasan after a 6-year hiatus.  Some even proposed topics that can be debated on in the next Balagtasan.

Balagtasan is a unique Filipino art form where two individuals, called mambabalagtas, debate each other in verse.  The mambabalagtas are often master poets who are assigned to defend the pros and cons of an issue.  The moderator is called Lakandiwa who introduces the mambabalagtas, lays down the ground rules of the debate, and explains the issue or topic to be resolved to the audience. END