Dyip by Artistang Artlets : Playing the Blame Game

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The conflict between the Philippine government and its people has been evident even before the country gained its independence. Rebellions, revolutions and protests are a big part of what the country came to be.

For their 1st minor production this school year, UST’s Artistang Artlets staged Christian Tordecillas’ play entitled “Dyip” (2006), directed by Jerome Paul Ladan and produced by Therese Renee Janine Zialcita.

It portrayed the ongoing feud between the Philippine government and its citizens. The play started with an old woman in a jeepney who was refused of help in handing in her fare. She then goes on ranting that the Filipinos today are lazy, regardless if they are educated or not. When the driver finally asks her for her fare, she refuses to move so she could hand it, making her one of the lazy Filipinos she ranted about. As the play progressed, two high school students – Dexter, a supporter of rallies and Clara, Dexter’s friend who, unlike him, is against rallies – came inside the jeepney as well.

Inside the jeepney, the tension between each character intensifies. Each character gave their monologues to express their feelings about the situation. Dexter expressed his angst against the lazy old woman who insisted that her fare be handed to the driver. In Clara’s monologue, she declared her hatred for rallies and says that those are just a waste of time and money. Her monologue supports the idea that the slaves of today are the tyrants of tomorrow. During the old woman’s monologue, she pleaded for her people to understand the hardships she must face and said that she could not equal God on how He rules His people. The last monologue is delivered by the jeepney driver who ranted how he receives complaints from all his passengers despite his hardships and of being the poorest out of the four characters. He worries how he will support his family by earning little income in which he blames oil price hike and the LRT as the cause.

As the characters played the blame game, the audience slowly learns that the government is the old lady, particularly our president. The unsatisfied Filipinos are always complaining on how the government always fail to fulfill their duties and that they should step down from their post. The students and the driver represent the average Filipino citizens, who feel like they’re being cheated by the government, with price hikes, tuition increase, unfinished duties, corruption and a whole lot more. They all wish for an ideal system and country but are all flawed in their own aspects.

In the end the old woman screams for peace and that helping each other will keep the country bound. Yet as she exclaims, her bag is stolen by a thief. With this ending, it leaves the audience wondering if it really is possible to restore unity in our country. Will the old woman be helpful to others or will she remain selfish after getting robbed immediately after a good deed?