'Panunuluyan' staged at PHL Center in Manhattan

The vibrant staging of the “Panunuluyan” at the Philippine Center on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan replacing the annual “Simbang Gabi” was enthusiastically embraced by a rejuvenated Fil-Am crowd, marking the beginning of the annual observance of the time-forgotten Christmas tradition. “Panunuluyan,” the search of lodging by Mary and Joseph before the night of Nativity, was reenacted for nine consecutive days (Dec. 6 to 14) at the Kalayaan Hall by different performers who took turns portraying Mary, Joseph, the innkeepers and onlookers, with bright lanterns and other colorful Filipino Yule decors as their backdrop. Even Deputy Consul General Tess Dizon de Vega played Mary on the second day, while Consul General Mario de Leon, Jr. is playing an innkeeper who will let Mary stay in a manger to give birth on the last day of the Panunuluyan series scheduled Dec. 14. Various choirs provided music and singing dialogues as Mary and Joseph approached house owners and innkeepers for a place to stay only to be rejected each time. New York-born singer and songwriter David Pomeranz added luster on the second night when he serenaded the thrilled crowd with “Pasko Na Sinta Ko” and his original smash hit “Got To Believe In Magic.” From two to five Fil-Am organizations served as co-sponsors every night. They joined forces to present distinct interpretation of the “Panunuluyan,” with matching colorful costumes and set, and afterwards host a salu-salo (get-together) at the Philippine Center lobby where everyone partake in traditional Pinoy Christmas fare like hamon, lechon, pancit, bibingka and puto bumbong. “Every day is different, but beautiful and touching,” said Vivian Talambiras-Cruz, chairman of the Coalition of Philippine Schools Alumni Associations, which co-sponsored the Dec. 6 launch in partnership with the United Nations Philippine Cultural Society and the magnificent San Lorenzo Ruiz Choir, which provided stunningly beautiful music throughout the 75-minute festivity. “If you came everyday, you’d be pleasantly surprised how the Panunuluyan has evolved artistically because it got better each passing day,” Talambiras-Cruz said. “We saw different twists in the presentation every night. May kanya-kanyang gimmick.” On Dec. 10, Talambiras-Cruz said Mary and Joseph were played by individuals who represented Filipinos affected by Hurricane Sandy in Brighton Beach. “They were wearing ordinary clothes with banig and tampipi,” she noted. “And the end of the Panunuluyan, organizers and audience just broke into songs, all spontaneous and fun. This is what this season is all about.” Cultural officer Marievic Dimaculangan and Ave Pimo, another Fil-Am leader who helped organize the event, said the response of the community is “quite overwhelming.” “Many are excited to participate in the dramatization,” said Pimo. “I’m sure we will see more impressive presentations in the years to come.” Loudette Avelino, who initiated the Simbang Gabi at the Philippine Center 26 years ago before the Archdiocese of New York ordered it stopped this year, has given her seal of approval to the Panunuluyan. “This looks more fun and more meaningful,” said Avelino shortly after the inaugural presentation. “I enjoyed it.” ‘We’re all Mary & Joseph’ De Leon said Mary and Joseph actually represent all Filipinos and other immigrants “searching for our place in this world.” “We’re all pilgrims journeying in this world like Joseph and Mary,” he said. “But the journey continues and didn’t stop that night. And they (Mary and Joseph) are asking us if we would like to be with them.” De Leon half-joking criticized the inn keepers who repeatedly turned down Mary and Joseph in their quest for lodging. “The spirit of hospitality is a prized value among Filipinos so we can’t identify with those inn keepers rejecting Joseph and Mary,” the consul general said. Prayers & thoughts De Leon also took the opportunity to ask the community to remember and pray for the victims and survivors of Typhoon Pablo in the Visayas and Mindanao. As of Dec. 11, the death toll surpassed 700, with nearly 800 people still missing and thousands of families displaced. Fr. Patrick Longalong, who represents the new breed of Fil-Am religious leaders, noted that everyone felt nervous about how the Panunuluyan, a revered tradition “celebrated less and less” in the Philippines and elsewhere, would turn out. “Many of you are probably curious what Panunuluyan is all about,” said Longalong, parochial vicar at Our Lady of the Snows Parish Church in Floral Park, Brooklyn. “It’s about you, our heritage, our unique way of expressing our faith.” But more than just a reenactment, Longalong said faithfuls must “stay with Mary and Joseph on the road to meet Jesus.” “Jesus is inviting us to accompany him to minister to people,” he said, “and there are many ways we can do it starting with a child who needs someone to guide him or her in this life.” Prayer for the Filipino migrant community A prayer for the Filipino migrant community, written by de Vega and Fil-Am leader Ilo Echevarria-Wallenstein, was also read each night in keeping with the designation by Pope Benedict XVI of 2012 as “The Year of Faith.” “As the Holy Father calls on the faithful to rediscover the journey of faith, which is often neglected in the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, we join hands in this special celebration of the Panunuluyan so as to share in the rediscovery of your great love for us — a love which made you sacrifice your own beloved son to redeem the world from sin,” the prayer reads. It continues: “We pray for each and every migrant who is commemorating the sacred season away from the company of their loved ones and the comfort of places familiar and dear. May they always, like Jesus, Mary and Joseph, find welcoming hearts wherever they may be.” - Filipino Reporter