Dulaang Bayan Melbourne 25th anniversary

DBMI PARANGAL - an evening of artistry and recognition  

By: Manny G. Asuncion
Melbourne-Australia
September 3, 2012



In celebration of its 25 years anniversary, Dulaang Bayan Melbourne Inc. (DBMI) will honor its members and supporters who helped the organization through the years. This celebration, which is aptly called Parangal will be held on 15 September at the Luxur Reception Centre, at 6:30 pm at the corners of Sydenham Road and Melton Highway, Taylors Lake .

Willie Obien, the current president of DBMI, states that this will be an exciting event for it would bring together all the people who participated in the DBMIs projects and productions and most of all - recognizing the members salient contributions to the organization.
 
Parangalwill also feature all the original music and songs composed especially for DBMI plays to be performed by their Filipino- Australian composers like Leonie Wenden (Autumn Sonata and Kesehoda); Raul Roxas (Mga Eksena sa Airport and Summer Butterflies); Rolly Limun (Ikalawang Tag-Sibol ni Mang Florante and Bayan Mo Bayan Ko) and Anthony Crisostomo (Bayan Mo, Bayan Ko).


Dulaang Bayan Melbourne was founded in the spring of September 1987 as an offshoot of a series of development theatre workshops conducted by the Philippine Educational Theatre re Association (PETA).
The founding members were composed of housewives, social worker, nurse, artists, employees and refuge workers, whose vision was to establish a Filipino community development theatre in Victoria.

The main objectives of DBMI are to: a) serve as a forum for cultural, social and educational development for the Filipino community, and b) provide a venue for harnessing the artistic and creative potentials of the Filipino migrants in Victoria.
True to its objectives , DBMI has presented original plays with themes relevant to Filipino-Australian community like Autumn Sonata, Kesehoda, Summer Butterflies, Mga Eksena sa Airport , Ikalawang Tag-Sibol ni Mang Florante and Bayan Mo, Bayan Ko.

To reach its wider audience, DBM has produced radio plays through the cooperation of Special Broadcasting Station.


DBMI has also initiated poetry readings in English and other Filipino languages and an afternoon of folk songs, showcasing the Filipino cultural heritage and the artistic talents of the Australian- Filipino in Victoria. Through Gunita, it has shown Tagalog vintage movies like Anak Dalita, Badjaoand Nunal sa Tubig, directed by well- known Filipino directors.

Because of its community service, DBMI was the recipient of the 2012 Filipino Communities Council of Australia outstanding organization award.

With its 25 years of continued service in Victoria, DBMI has touched the lives of hundreds of people within the Filipino Australian Community in Melbourne and recognized their artistic and creative talents in the field of theatre production.

These are the achievements of DBMI which the Filipino-Community in Melbourne is truly proud of.