Monday, 4/7/97
Coming home to Samahang
By Hector Ronquillo
Daily Bruin Contributor
With a medley of theme songs from previous cultural nights and a
photographic slide show commemorating 25 years at UCLA, Samahang
Pilipino’s Cultural Night got under way Saturday night at the John
Wooden Center.
Since its beginning in the 1970s, when the festival consisted of
only a small number of dances, the Pilipino Cultural Night has
evolved into an extensive celebration of the rich Pilipino cultural
tradition as well as a tool for educating the public.
Today, the event consists of both traditional dances and a play
that presents issues that the Pilipino community faces.
"Pilipino Cultural night is not a night just to celebrate our
culture," said Roy Ramirez, a third-year computer science and
engineering student and president of Samahang.
"It is also an avenue that leads towards our education. There
are very few classes offered here about Pilipinos and their
history. We are the largest Asian minority in California, but the
number of courses that the university offers does not reflect
that."
Each year, Samahang presents a theme for the special night. The
motif for this year was "Coming Home…" which stressed the
importance of the family within Pilipino culture.
One of the most important issues that Ramirez felt was addressed
was how difficult it is for people to leave the Philippines and
their family in search for a better life. The story’s emphasis was
the importance of remembering one’s roots.
Since the first influx of immigrants to the United States,
Ramirez said, many Pilipinos have sent their wages back to family
members in the Philippines.
Accompanying the program was a theme song, written by Rex
Sampaga, an alumnus of UCLA. Sampaga has written or helped write
five theme songs since 1991.
"I work closely with the script because it helps to reinforce
the theme, and it also helps the story to move forward," Sampaga
said of his score.
"The contribution of something unique helps to enhance the
Pilipino Cultural Night experience. My goal is to make a difference
in people’s lives and touch their heart."
For 25 years, UCLA Samahang has served as a house for the
Pilipino family dedicated to empowering their community and
themselves by sharing their culture and history. The five aspects
of Samahang Pilipino that help the Pilipino family grow are rooted
deep in the heart of the organization.
In Saturday night’s play, each of the five aspects of Samahang
was represented by a character that symbolized the significance of
the values of the organization.
Samahang’s commitment to community service, political
involvement, social growth, cultural awareness and academic
achievement were principles clearly portrayed in the play.
Many problems were presented to the characters, all of which are
issues that the Pilipino community encounters, including the need
for a strong political force to combat legislation that Samahang
feels is harmful to the Pilipino community, like Proposition
209.
With their theme of "Coming Home…" Samahang showed how such
obstacles could be overcome by coming together as a family, and by
having a strong faith in the five principles of Samahang.
To the performers, sharing their artistic talent to celebrate
their culture was a rewarding experience.
"Through my dance I wanted the audience to feel like I was
sharing with them a gift of Pilipino culture," said Genevieve
Alcantara, a fifth-year communications and business student.
The event concluded with the singing of the Samahang Pilipino
theme song, which both the cast and audience took part in.
"We were the first Pilipino organization in college to have a
theme song," said third-year physiological science student
Radcliffe Gallardo, showing how UCLA Samahang is leading the way in
helping their community find their way home.The 1997 Pilipino
Cultural Night featured traditional dances and a play that
confronted pressing issues of the Pilipino community.