Looking at two sides of a coin…

By the year 2010, we will be experiencing again one of the most important events happening in every country, especially here in the Philippines: election. Election is when a citizen chooses who will be leading the country to the right path. But before the main event, there will be intense competition going on between political parties, with promises, debates and other issues that will be addressed once the members win and are elected as part of the government.

That is the highlight of the play entitled “Magkaibang Mukha ng Isang Bagol” (Two Sides of a Coin). Written by Filipino playwright Amado V. Hernandez in 1960, its main focus are the two opposing parties, “Partido ng Bayan” and “Partido ng Bansa”, led by Pantog and Bantog respectably. Pantog’s main goal is to crush the graft and corruption of the government, while Bantog’s mission to lead the country towards peace and order by the government’s just ways. After the support program and a heated jousting debate going on between two parties, the election ensues and only the result will decide who shall stay and who shall fall.

The play was presented in my school yesterday, and I can say that it was indeed both entertaining and relevant at the same time. The mood there was serious and intense, especially during the climax wherein the aggressive debate culminated in a series of violent squabbles that alarmed the police, and even when the result of voting at the Election Day ended as a draw. I’m indeed impressed on how the play was presented by our group of actors and actresses known as “Dulaang 108”; the way they speak, the actions they perform, and even the sounds and effects used indeed blend together, making the end result worth the hard work. There was also a discussion about the inspiration behind the play, and it turned out that there was that same heated competition, between Carlos Garcia of Liberal Party and Diosdado Macapagal of Nacionalista Party, on the year the play was written.

“Magkaibang Mukang ng Isang Bagol” has indeed shed light on both political and voting issues. The main lesson is this: We must make a wise choice on voting and we must not always base our decisions with just a simple coin toss. Please take my word on this… ^^