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MANILA, Philippines — "Papet Pasyon," a puppet show retelling the Passion of Jesus Christ, will have an online rerun after sold-out shows in Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (Black Box Theater) of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).
In the Facebook page of Teatrong Mulat ng Pilipinas, the theater group behind “Papet Pasyon,” the group announced that the show “will return again” on April 13, Palm Sunday, 7 p.m. via the CCP’s Facebook page and Youtube channel, as well as on the group’s Facebook page.
Written by National Artist for Theater Amelia Lapeña-Bonifacio, “Papet Pasyon” marks its 40th anniversary this year, featuring and exploring in its storytelling the important moments during the Holy Week. It begins with Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, followed by His outburst at the Temple; miracles; agony in the garden of Gethsemane; Final Supper with 12 disciples; Judas’ betrayal; and Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection on Easter Sunday. A young boy who received a miracle from Jesus acts as a central storyteller in this play based on Biblical passages and Filipino tradition during Holy Week.
In an archival video of Lapeña-Bonifacio shown before the show last Sunday, the late National Artist explained that she chose to tell Christ’s Passion through puppets since studies show puppetry is an effective way to introduce kids to theater because puppetry includes dolls associated with childhood.
“Ang goal is isang teatrong pambata na magpapalabas ng mga dula na maiintindihan nila,” she said in the video. “Kasi dati-rati, nakiki-share lang sila sa kung anong palabas pangmatanda. Kaya kailangan mo ng pang-attract sa mga bata na manood ng teatro.”
A children’s theater, she said, should not only be entertaining, but also educational.
“Nagkakaro’n ng identification ‘yung mga bata sa mga figures ng mga dolls. Napaka-close sa kanila ng mga dolls.”
Besides its serious religious theme, what sets “Papet Pasyon” apart from other puppetry shows, she noted, is that it shows the puppeteers, a puppetry style unique to Asia called “Wayang Golek” from Indonesia, the National Artist’s daughter, Amihan Bonifacio-Ramolete, told the audience before last Sunday’s evening performance.
“Sa ‘Sesame Street’ hindi mo naman nakikita ‘yung puppeteer. Kasi sa Asia, ipinapakita ‘yung mga taong nagpapagalaw. Importante ‘yun eh. Kasi inspirationally, we should realize na kaya tayo gumagalaw, gumagawa, nag-crecreate, mayroong gumagabay sa ating likuran,” Lapeña-Bonifacio further explained in the video.
Prior to the show, Bonifacio-Ramolete, who serves as the show’s director and Teatrong Mulat Artistic Director, led her puppeteers or “Mulateers” in a prayer based on a Malaysian tradition to guide and protect the puppeteers and the audience before the performance.
Bonifacio-Ramolete and Teatrong Mulat continue the “panata” of her mother to stage the show annually for free every Lenten season since Lapeña-Bonifacio initiated it in 1985 as a celebration and a feast of traditions and heritage of Filipinos.
First staged at the CCP, “Papet Pasyon” has been performed annually in various venues such as churches, schools, and other performing spaces in Metro Manila and Bulacan, until it found its permanent home at the Amelia Lapeña-Bonifacio Teatro Papet Museo in Teacher’s Village, Quezon City, in 2006.
At the height of the pandemic in 2021 and 2022, Teatrong Mulat produced two stage-to-film versions, which were live-streamed on the official Facebook page of Teatrong Mulat. In 2023, “Papet Pasyon” was staged at the recently renovated Metropolitan Theater of Manila.
To mark its 40th anniversary this year, the show returns to where it all began – at the CCP – welcoming both seasoned and new generations of Mulateers, including Bonifacio-Ramolete, Raymund Ramolete, Roel Ramolete, siglo, Arvy Dimaculangan, Shenn Apilado, Khen Del Prado, Nour Hooshmand, Mina Camacho, Janno Castillo, Hazelle Catena, Ayeesha Cuerpo, Anna Dalet, Ravelyn Dar Juan, Vinzar Rubi, Harvey Sallador, and V Soriano.
Sharing their vocal talents to sing in authentic “Pasyon” style are Esteban Mara Fulay, Jr., Greg de Leon, Jessamae Gabon, Carlito Camahalan Amalla, Pau Benitez, Fitz Edward Torres Bitana, Darwin Desoacido, Kenneth del Prado, Jules dela Paz, Arvy Flores Dimaculangan, Rej Duka, Marynor Madamesila, Christelle Manuel, Jessette Gonzales Namin, Marvin Olaes, Vincent Kevin Pajara, Aina Ramolete, Katte Sabate, Gabo Tolentino, and Jamee Stevana Vega.
The artistic and production team of “Papet Pasyon 2025” include playwright and puppet designer NA Amelia Lapeña-Bonifacio, director Amihan Bonifacio-Ramolete, music director Rodolfo de Leon, puppet designers Bernadette Solina-Wolf, Maurice Carvajal, Joji Pamintuan, Carol Castro, Romerico Romero, and Carlito Amalla, puppet sculptors Paloy Cagayat and Jeriel Madrigal, set designer Ohm David, costume designer Darwin Desoacido, shadow play designer siglo, sound designer and editor Arvy Dimaculangan, audio engineer Jessamae Gabon, light designer and technical director Satya Edilo, video designer/editor Steven Tansiongco, poster designer and assistant stage manager V Soriano, stage manager Shania Lee Cuerpo, production manager Janno Castillo, and production assistant Malvin Abadinas.
“Papet Pasyon 2025” has undergone many updates over the years, from the length of the texts and the wooden rod puppets, to the incorporation of shadow play elements and voice-over recordings.
“Papet Pasyon” 2025 is a “senakulo,” a folk-religious and theatrical retelling of the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ. It features wooden puppets, smithed by master woodcarvers of the woodcarving town of Paete in Laguna. The 2025 show features many puppets from the very first show from 40 years ago.
