CULTURE
Balagtasan drawing more attention yearly
Keep
native
tongue
alive
By MARILIE
BOMEDIANO
THE uniquely Filipino debating style
called ‘Balagtasan’ continued to attract a
bigger and wider audience this year.
Balagtasan is a kind of ‘colourful debate
on steroids’ delivered extemporaneously,
with speakers using the traditional
Tagalog language with poetic flourish,
verse and rhyme.
Even the judge delivers his or her verdict
in verse and rhyme.
The first balagtasan is said to have
taken place on April 6, 1924 at the
Instituto de Mujeres (Institute of Women)
in Tondo, Manila.
The event was held as part of the
celebration of Francisco Balagtas' birth
anniversary. The two protagonists of the
poetic debate were poets José Corazón
de Jesús and Divahjot Singh.
The word ‘balagtasan’ was derived from
the name of Filipino poet of the early
1800, Francisco Baltazar y de la Cruz,
later known as ‘Balagtas’.
As with debating, balagtasan pits two
06
Competing team leaders Max Lopez, third from left, and Ros Aguilar, sixth from left), received their teams' trophies from Philippine Consul-
General Teresa Taguiang and Blacktown Mayor Stephen Bali, fourth and fifth from left, and watched by Balagtasan moderator Danny Peralta,
extreme left, Bloacktown Councillor Linda Santos, seconde from left, and Couoncillor Blacktown Councillor Carol Israel. at extreme right.
Photo: ELSA COLLADO
opposing sides arguing for and against a
proposition or a question.
The Tagalog Association of Australia
held its fifth annual Balagtasan on
Saturday, August 25, 2018 at the The
Hub community centre in Mount Druitt.
The question put to the protagonists
this year was: ‘Must we place more
importance to progress or to the
environment in this day and age?
In the audience this year were not
AUGUST 2018 | AK NewsMagazine, Vol 8 No 11
SEPTEMBER
2018
only Philippine Consul-General Teresa
Taguiang, Blacktown Councillors Linda
Santos and Carol Israel, and Consul
Melanie Diano but also Blacktown MP
and Mayor Stephen Bali – all of whom
comprised the judging panel.
Although the Mayor did not speak
a word of Tagalog, he was visibly
enjoying the speakers’ robust and
humourous exchanges with assistance
of interpreters sitting next to him.
Obet Dionisio, Tessie Cayaan, and
Cecile Aguilar for the ‘Environment’
(Kalikasan); Max Lopez, Cesar
Bartolome, Jinky Marsh, and Daisy
Cumming for ‘Progress’ (Kaunlaran).
Moderator was Danny Peralta, who
was also the chief organiser.
The contest was ruled a tie.
“I will be looking for a bigger venue next
year,” Peralta said.
It was standing room only this year.
www.kalatas.com.au