By Eric Borromeo
This year, the Philippine Stagers Foundation (PSF) isn’t just staging another play—they’re staging a revolution. And no, not the one in your old textbooks. We’re talking about the kind of revolution that sings, dances, and pierces through the heart. As PSF marks its 25th season offering, it gifts audiences with Bonifacio, Ang Supremo: Isang Musikal—a powerful tribute to one of the most misunderstood and, frankly, underappreciated heroes in Philippine history.
The curtain rises on August 2, 2025, at 4:00 PM inside the St. Scholastica’s College Theater in Manila. But this isn’t a one-night event. Nope. This musical is set to tour various provinces all the way until April 2026, reaching schools, communities, and people who may never have seen a stage production in their lives.
At the helm is none other than Atty. Vince Tañada—yes, lawyer by profession, artist by conviction. He wears multiple hats here: playwright, director, and lead actor portraying none other than the Supremo himself, Andres Bonifacio. His understudy, Dave Pajanustan, is ready to take the torch when needed, proving that even backups in this show are battle-ready.
But Bonifacio, Ang Supremo is more than just a period piece with swords and sashes. It’s a loud, bold, and sometimes painful reflection of who we are and what we choose to forget. At the media launch held on a rainy Sunday night in Sampaloc, Tañada didn’t hold back. He reminded everyone—media and theater folk alike—that forgetting our history isn’t just dangerous… it’s deadly.
“Hindi po kailangang makalimutan ang kasaysayan,” he said. “Kapag kinakalimutan natin ang kasaysayan, hindi natin naitatama yung pagkakamali ng nakaraan.”
He wasn’t being dramatic; he was being honest. He recounted a survey result that would make your history teacher cry: around 80% of today’s youth apparently believe that Bonifacio was executed by the Spaniards. But that’s not true. The painful truth? He was killed by fellow Filipinos—his own countrymen—because of internal political strife.
And that’s where the sting is. It’s not just about Bonifacio. It’s about how we’ve watered down, warped, or flat-out erased our historical narrative. Tañada talked about how Philippine History is no longer a standalone subject in high school. That decision, according to him, wasn’t accidental. It was deliberate.
“There is a deliberate effort to remove history in our basic education curriculum,” he said. “Kasi ayaw ng mga dynasty, ng mga corrupt politicians, na maalala natin ang mga kasalanan nila.”
You might’ve laughed when the “MaJoHa” incident trended (for those who missed it, a Pinoy Big Brother teen contestant thought that the name for martyr-priests Gomez, Burgos, and Zamora was—brace yourself—MaJoHa instead of GomBurZa). But that wasn’t just a meme. That was a mirror.
“Wala na tayong alam sa kasaysayan,” Vince stressed. “Kaya kami, ang only weapon namin is to utilize our art to educate our young people.”
And he means it. The play isn’t just telling Bonifacio’s story; it’s forcing us to re-learn what we should’ve been taught long ago. One audience member told him after an early preview, “Wala po akong natutunan sa story ni Bonifacio noon. Pero ngayon, naintindihan ko siya dahil sa dula ninyo.”
It’s those moments, those sparks of understanding, that fuel the production. It’s why PSF continues to stage these large-scale musicals year after year.
Now let’s talk cast. This is no small production. We’re talking about an army of performers portraying a whole revolution. Familiar names in the PSF circuit join fresh faces to bring iconic figures to life: Emilio Aguinaldo, Gregoria de Jesus, Emilio Jacinto, Tandang Sora, and many others.
The cast includes Johnrey Rivas and Ken Intano as Jacinto, Vean Olmedo, Kanishia Santos, and Ella Cristofani as Hilaria Aguinaldo, and Yvonne Ensomo and Abbey Romero as Gregoria de Jesus. The role of Tandang Sora rotates among Sarah Javier, Adelle Ibarrientos-Lim, and Daffodil Abear. That’s just scratching the surface; the full lineup reads like a who’s who of revolutionary history.
What ties it all together is the rich musicality and visual storytelling. Musical director Pipo Cifra delivers emotionally charged melodies while choreographer Gerald Magallanes makes sure the actors move like they’re marching with conviction, not just dancing for applause. Every element—from Kris Manubay’s set design to Emy Tañada’s costume work—supports the show’s mission: to make you feel the revolution, not just watch it.
And if you think Tañada is content playing the national hero, think again. As a creator, he sees this as a national responsibility. He’s done the research. He’s dug through archives, questioned myths, and challenged the dominant narrative. He even pointed out that Rizal, while revered, wasn’t the only national hero.
“Jose Rizal was an American-sponsored hero,” he explained. “Pero may walo tayong national heroes. Kasama si Bonifacio. Kasama si Tandang Sora. Kasama ang mga Luna.”
It’s not about tearing Rizal down—it’s about raising the others up.
So what does this all mean for you, the casual reader, the TikTok scroller, the commuter stuck in traffic? It means there’s a show that’s willing to entertain you and wake you up. It means you can cry, laugh, sing along; and leave the theater knowing more than when you entered.
Bonifacio, Ang Supremo: Isang Musikal is not just a play. It’s a protest. It’s a classroom. It’s a call to arms.
And it’s coming to your province soon!
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First Show:
🗓 August 2, 2025, 4:00 PM
📍 St. Scholastica’s College Theater, Manila
🎟 Tickets range from ₱500 to ₱1,500
Follow @PhilStagersFoundation on Facebook for tour schedules, ticket reservations, and updates.
