I was accepted to the ensemble after a workshop sometime in 1992, and rose to become Senior Resident Member. In almost three years I stayed with Kambayoka (1992-1995), I had the chance to work with Directors Sunnie Noel and Eustess Guia.
The time I joined Kambayoka in 1992, the ensemble had just started its series of performance-tours in Mindanao and Visayas. One of Kambayoka�s landmark productions Agamaniyog (written and directed by Sunnie Noel) toured to many cities in Mindanao and Cebu between the years 1992-1994. I had the exciting experience to be part of these tours of the ensemble, doing various roles in the play (Buaya, Maito-a-papanok, Villager and Chorus Liner.
Aside from Agamaniyog, I had performed with the ensemble in Halik sa Kampilan, Kapmadali and Doble Dula sa Upat-Apat (Takipsilim), plus a variety of vaudevilles.
In 1995, I left the ensemble and joined to work at Saint Columban College, Pagadian City. I thought my inclination towards performing arts stopped when I left Kambayoka. But, I met with local artists (all were also teachers at Saint Columban College) who had established the SCC Cultural Dance Troupe. And in that same year, we formally organized the creation of new SCC Kumbingan Cultural Dance Troupe. I served as choreographer to the dance troupe until I left SCC in 1998.
With the SCC Kumbingan Cultural Dance Troupe, I created my 1st creative dance piece called Paglalakbay (a 10-minute dance piece). Later that same year, the same piece became the titleholder of the troupe�s only major production (Paglalakbay) which I co-choreographed with Director JMC Panes, dance artists Eda Jean Mendez, Girlie Joy Panong and musicians Jerome Ouano and Orlyn Leyte.
When my co-choreographers left SCC and JMC Panes and Jerome Ouano went for study leave, I single-handedly ran the troupe from 1997 to 1998. This was the time year when the troupe was invited to perform during the 1st BIMP-EAGA Skills Olympics at National Power Corporation, Iligan City. The only time the troupe had an international audience from the Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.
In March 1998 I left SCC and went back to my hometown in Tambulig. In August 1998, I founded the Tambul Dance and Theater Ensemble as a response to the challenge of our then newly-elect Tambulig Mayor Eduardo Balaod to organize a contingent to represent the municipality in the 1st Dalit Festival at Tangub City. After the group won 3rd place in the Streetdancing Competition, together with support from friends, I formally organized the ensemble, which was then later accredited as the Official Performing Group of the Municipality of Tambulig.
With the ensemble, I produced, conceived and directed local productions such as:
� Taas Noo Pilipino during the Centennial of Philippine Independence
� Dans I during the SIHS Founding Anniversary celebration
� Alamat ng Tambulig during the Town Founding Anniversary
I got also funding from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) for two projects:
� Research to Production Grant (Ang Tambul Ni Ilig, which was performed in Tambulig, Mahayag and Pagadian City)
This was the time when I started doing cultural research on the Subanen traditional dances, rituals and chants.
� Production and Tour Grant (Wedding Dance and New Yorker In Tondo, a double bill which was toured in Iligan Capitol College in Iligan City, Misamit Institute of Technology in Ozamis City and Saint Columban College in Pagadian City.
By the year 1999, I joined the government service as Municipal Tourism Officer of Tambulig. It was also during this time that with the ensemble we organized the Tambulig Arts Council. Out of my desire to hone my skills, I attended on scholarships several modules in arts management at the NCCA Institute for Cultural and Arts Management.
In Summer 2000, I joined the Summer Directing Course conducted by Chris Millado at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.
Out of the need to further more my skills in performing, I auditioned to the Singapore�s Training Theatre and Research Programme (TTRP) in December 2001 at Davao City. I was fortunate to be accepted to the program and given scholarship by the Georgette Chen TTRP Scholarship Fund. So, in June 2002, I left Tambulig to go to Singapore to study the 3-year TTRP program.
Since July 2002 until at present, I had the chance to work with world renowned Asian classical master teachers:
� Noh Theater : Kanze Yoshimasa, Kuwata Takeshi, Kojima Hidei (Japan)
� Wayangwong : Sardono Kusumo, Bembanag Suryono (Indonesia)
� Beijing Opera : Tong Qiang, Li Qiu Ping (China)
� Bharatanatyam : N. Yagna Prabha, T. Venkateswaran (India)
And also world renowned contemporary theater teachers:
Robert Draffin (Australia), He Bing Zhu (China), Wu Xi (China), Song Jie (China), Aarne Nemee (Australia), Leisa Shelton (Australia), Terence Crawford (Australia), Phillip Zarrilli (US/UK) who directed our 1st graduation play The Water Station staged at Esplanade � Theatres on the Bay in September 2004, Kok Heng Leun (Singapore) who is my mentor for my individual project graduation piece The Silent Church, Leow Puay Tin (Malaysia), Kuo Jing Hing (Singapore), John Saltzer (Australia), Guo Lay Kuan (Singapore)
While in Singapore, I had the chance to undergo several workshops in theater and dance. The most recent of it were:
� Physical Theater Workshop with Fabrik Company (Germany)
� The Acting Technique of Michael Chekhov by Dr. Jean Pedengarst (New Zealand)
� Commedia dell�Arte with Luoghi dell�Arte (Italy)
What a life it has been� What a journey� and still the end is not in sight.
I am hoping to finish my TTRP course by May 2005 � and I will be back to the real world.