Upsilon Sigma Phi to stage 'Bintao' as centennial offering

The Upsilon Sigma Phi of U.P. is celebrating its Centennial this year with a host of activities including cultural offerings and events on and off campus. Over the years, the fraternity has staged various shows including original musicals, plays and jazz concerts on campus.

Foremost among its Centennial cultural offerings is the play “Bintao: Ang Buhay at Kabayanihan ni Wenceslao Q. Vinzons” written by Efren Yambot and directed by Tony Mabesa and Alex Cortez. It will be staged at the U.P. Theater in Diliman on November 23 at 7pm and on November 24, at 3pm and 7pm.

The play depicts the life of Vinzons, from his years as Collegian editor and Student Council president in UP before the Second World War and through the years when he was the youngest delegate to the 1934 Constitutional Convention and then governor of Camarines Norte. From the time when the Japanese invaded Bicol and the Philippines in 1941, Vinzons and his guerrillas fought them from their mountain base, inflicting heavy losses on the enemy in ambuscades and attacks on their garrisons. But eventually, after the fall of Bataan, Vinzons was captured and killed by the Japanese after he refused to cooperate with the enemy. His wife and two children as well as his father, were also killed by the Japanese.  

U.P. Professor Emeritus Antonio Mabesa, who is also Artistic Director Emeritus of Dulaang U.P., has acted in and directed scores of plays that have earned critical acclaim. He has also mentored and directed many actors who have achieved fame in theater and film. His co-director is Prof. Alex Cortez, former Artistic Director of Dulaang U.P., who has likewise directed numerous plays, including Efren Yambot’s “Macario Sakay”, staged by the Upsilon Sigma Phi in U.P. Los Banos early this year.