Sangdugong Panaguinip: the

First Tagalog Opera

The mid-19th century marked the advent of foreign

opera presentations in the theaters of Manila. The
opera not only served as a novel form of entertainment
for Filipinos, but also as an avenue for the honing and
development of Filipino musical skills, through their
exposure and occasional participation as musicians in
these opera productions. Thus by the early 20th
century, the Philippines was able to produce its first
opera.

Sangdugong Panaguinip is the first Philippine opera in

the Tagalog language. It was composed by Ladislao
Bonus who is dubbed as the “Father of Philippine
Opera.” The one-act opera with five scenes was based
on the Spanish libretto La Alianza Soñada by Pedro
Paterno which was translated into Tagalog by novelist
and dramatist, Roman G. Reyes. One of the melodies of
the opera was Sampaguita (La Flor de Manila), a
popular melody of the period, which was composed by
Paterno’s sister, Dolores. The libretto was also
translated into English as The Dream Alliance by Col.
Walter H. Loving, founder of the Philippine
Constabulary Band.
First performed at the famed Teatro Zorilla on August 2,
1902, the opera was staged by the renowned Molina-
Benito Company. Overwhelmingly successful, it was
performed successively for more than a week with
Governor William H. Taft often in attendance. However,
published materials often mention that there were only
five performances of the opera (Rivera 2008).
This opera tells of the invasion of Luzon and the
exploitation of its people by the Moros or Muslims, and
how the Tagalogs fought to restore peace in their land,
with the aid of their newfound allies, the Americans.
Raymundo C. Bañas, a historical writer and music critic,
summarized the plot as follows:

A band of Muslims invades Luzon and imposes taxes or tribute

on every maiden in the towns of Pasig, Cainta and Antipolo,
Rizal. Led by Lapu, the inhabitants of these towns were unified
by way of a blood compact so as to repel the invaders. One
night while pondering his plan to conquer the Muslims, Lapu
fell asleep in a cave known as the cave of Dona Geronima. He
dreamt of having seen a rainbow with rays leading to
paradise and illuminated by a constellation of American stars.
Lapu saw an American-Pilipino alliance, which under
Bathala’s guidance could lead to prosperity and happiness of
his people… (Bañas 1969)
Written after the installation of the American Civil
Government, this opera symbolizes acceptance of
American rule in the country. It “was probably intended
to be a propaganda, based on the libretto, the score
(the super-imposition of two anthems) and the
circumstances of its performance in 1902” (Rivera
2008). Nonetheless, it is a milestone in Philippine music
history. It paved the way for the composition and
production of more Tagalog operas like Magdapio by
Alejo Carluen and Gayuma by Gavino Carluen.
Despite the lack of formal training and relying solely on
apprenticeship, Bonus was able to develop an expertise
in the opera. Inspired by local folklore, he was able to
assimilate and indigenize the European opera,
transforming this into a distinctively Filipino opera.

Sources:
De Leon, F. P. (1978). Manila welcomes the opera.
In Filipino heritage: the making of a nation (Vol.9, pp.
2340-46). Lahing Pilipino Publishing.
Rivera, G. C. (July, 2008). Ladislao Bonus and the First
Tagalog Opera. Paper presented at the 8th
International Conference on Philippine Studies, Quezon
City, Philippines.
Banas, R. C. (1969). Pilipino music and theater. Quezon
City: Manlapaz Publishing Company.