"Maalaala Mo Kaya" at Phillips Academy

Here's another one of the songs we played during the performance at Phillips Academy!

Sierra Jamir

"Manang Huaning" at Phillips Academy

Here's one of the videos from our performance at PA!

Sierra Jamir

IP Rondalla Performance Article

Celebrating the Catholic Legacies of Catholicism Phillipian Article
My friend, Scarla Pan, wrote an beautiful article about the event for the Phillipian, Phillips Academy's Newpaper, which I have posted below. I highly recommend you take a look at the newspaper clipping below! It's really amazing that we've been so highly recognized by the Phillips Academy community!

Phillipian Article about Rondalla Performance by Scarla Pan

http://www.phillipian.net/articles/2013/04/18/iskwelahang-pilipino-rondalla-performs-traditional-folk-songs

Phillips Academy Performance April 14th

Hello Everyone,

It's been a while since I've posted something from the group!

Last weekend, the IP Rondalla was fortunate to have performed at my school, Phillips Academy, due to a generous grant given to us through the school's Catholic Student Fellowship (CSF). After a month of planning for the event with Dr. Kantor, the school's Catholic Chaplain and club advisor to the CSF, we were able to see the event come to life!

The event started off with a 35-minute Rondalla Performance in Kemper Auditorium. We played a repertoire of 12 songs ranging from traditional melodies, such as Karaton and Ba-Ingles, to more contemporary songs, such as Tango Por La Cabeza and Bruno Mars's Marry You. The audience loved our interpretation of the music and especially our attractive choreography that accompanied each song! In the end, we were asked for an encore, which we so happily accepted!

IP Rondalla Performance in Kemper Auditorium
Photo Credit: T. Jamir

Bayan-Bayanan School says "Thanks"!

Hello Pinoy Jeep Followers,

Here is the video of Bayan-Bayanan elementary school children saying THANKS to all of you!

(If you've just joined us on our journey, I wrote a blog a while back about these kids and the project we'll be doing at their school. Check it out!)

Thanks,
Sierra Jamir

Rondalla Kid: Hey I'm Janrey!

Jerry and Janrey during the 2012 IP Rondalla recital

"I can't wait for out next concert! Every time I perform it becomes easier and easier to communicate and interact with my audience. Each show will help all of us to prepare for the real upcoming show this summer! :)"

 - Janrey (Guitarist)

University of the Philippines Los Banos

UPLB Logo

Los Banos (from Wikipedia)

Wow! University of the Philippines Los Banos has offered us to perform in their campus! My mother's Food Science college advisor (Dr. Priscilla Sanchez) recommended Dr. Marites Yee, Dean of the College of Home Ecology and Founding Director of UPLB Office for Initiatives in Culture and the Arts (OICA), to help us.

Just so you know, UP Los Banos is a national university of higher learning that offers academic teaching, research, and extension/outreach activities in various basic and applied fields of study. Proceeds from this IP Rondalla Performance will be used as (1) revolving fund to support the scholarship program of the College of Human Ecology and 2) community outreach and extension work of the CHE Student Council.

http://www.uplb.edu.ph/

About the City of Los Banos

The population is about 101,884, according to the 2010 census, with a total landarea of 56.5 square kilometers. The city is bordered on the south and southwest by Mount Makiling a toruist spot for its hot spring resorts, on the north by Laguna de Bay, and on the northwest by Calamba City. The city is also known for the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and SEARCA (Southeast Asian Research Center and Agriculture) where we'll be staying!

Los Banos to Calamba Jeepney
 (from Jeepney Flickr Photo Sharing)

Rizal Shrine (Calamba) from VistaPinas

We're also visiting the birthplace of Jose Rizal in Calamba City. I'm excited to try the hot springs and Los Banos's delicacies, like original Buko pie (coconut meat pie) and Carabao milk ice cream! We can ride the jeepney around campus! Let's get rollin'!

Sierra Jamir 

(with the help of Sonia Rubico-Jamir) 

San Pablo City, Laguna Projects

Sampaloc Lake, Laguna

San Pablo City Shoemart (http://www.sanpablocity.com.ph)

From Wikipedia

Check out this other community service project IP Rondalla will be taking on in San Pablo City, Laguna, Philippines!

There will be three (3) beneficiaries for the San Pablo project:

1) The San Pablo City Central School Rondalla Group to raise funds to renovate their music room for their rondalla practice session which right now  the students make use of a dilapidated room that leaks during the rainy season.

2) The Paaralang Pagibig at Pagasa (School of Love and Hope) is a public school for differently abled Filipinos.  In the Philippines, children with disabilities have limited access to education and productive employment opportunities. Unlike in the U.S., they have to depend on generous donors for the needed financial and moral support. The school does not have sufficient funds to buy rondalla instruments, textbooks, and -other school supplies. 

3) The Division of City of San Pablo also plans to headstart a public school for gifted children.  This will be housed in the School of Love and Hope, and so the fundraising will be for supporting this gifted program (supplies, textbooks, and materials )

We are so excited to perform with the local talents including the kids from the Shool of Love and Hope.   My aunt mentioned to my mother a while ago that this rondalla group, although comprised of special needed children, is the best of the three rondalla groups in San Pablo. Of the 35 members, most suffer from hearing impairment; others are blind or with learning disabilities. Nonetheless, these kids follow the music by swaying to each pluck. I recommend all of you the article below. It's really an inspiring story of dedication and perseverance.
Click here for links:
http://verafiles.org/deaf-kids-make-music-in-school-of-love-and-hope/
http://www.schoolofloveandhopesped.com/christmas-letter-201

Music in Sign Language. Members of the rondalla of Paaralang Pag-ibig at 
Pag-asa, mostly deaf, play by following what their trainer, Lina Mercado, 
gestures to them. From the article by Patria

What IP Rondalla Will Do

Together with SPED and San Pablo Central School Rondallas, the IP Rondalla ensemble will showcase their signature rondalla music and dance routines as part of the gala performance to the general public. The occasion also provides a great opportunity for SPED and the San Pablo Central School Rondalla Ensembles to hold a gala public concert to demonstrate their talent, raise awareness to the plight of  differently abled children, and generate funds to support their pressing needs and for starting the gifted program in the city.

 

An IP Rondalla parent, who is a practicing professional architect in the U.S., will provide the architectural design and plans for the San Pablo Central School  music room.

All proceeds from this benefit concert will be donated to the three (3) local beneficiaries. Some of the money will be used to purchase additional rondalla instruments, pay for rondalla instructions, and seed the fund raising effort to build the music room at the school, and the gifted program.Our own IP director, Cristina Castro, who is a retired principal of Boston's Perkins School for the Blind, will also hold a round-table workshop with the teachers and administrators to share her own expertise and experience. 

Sierra Jamir

Aeta Indigenous Tribe - Dinalupihan, Bataan

Hey everyone,

I'd like all of you to take a look at this project in the Philippines. This is really a fine example of a program dedicated to giving back to the community.

PUP Banda Kawayan video

Check out this awesome video of PUP Banda Kawayan playing their version of Planting Rice! Their instruments are made entirely of bamboo, which make this really unique and bubbly sound.

Just to give you a little background, the group was organized in 1973 by Mrs. Gloria Talastas, then principal of the Philippine College of Commerce Laboratory High School and Prof. Calabig, a faculty member.

On our trip to the PUP in Santa Mesa, Manila, we'll be performing with the group and meeting Prof. Calabig! This will be sponsored by PUP Research, Extension & Development Foundation, Inc. (PUPREDFI).  The proceeds will be used to fund scholarships and  selected  research and extension projects of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP). PUP is a state university and majority of students come from economically challenged sector of the society. 

Here's the link to the school: http://www.pup.edu.ph/

Sierra Jamir