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kynaswhereabouts · 2 years

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SARI SAYSAY’S TITSER, TITSER: A DETAILED AND IN-DEPTH REVIEW ON CHARACTERS AND THE PHILIPPINE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

“Napapagod din ako! Minsan gusto na ring sumuko. Pero pinili ko ito. Pinili ko maging titser.” Those are the words of Teacher Emily that struck me the most until the end as I watched the last rerun show of Sari Saysay’s Titser, Titser.

Indeed, being a teacher is the noblest profession. The role of being a teacher does not end within the four corners of the classroom, there is a weight in being a teacher as they also serve as second parents as well as role models. They play a pivotal role in nation-building. Kaya hindi ka, “teacher lang”.

Just in time as we celebrate World Teacher’s Month, the rerun show of Titser, Titser, not only did it brought together the local theater enthusiasts but also the academe as we honor the sacrifices of teachers through this form of art. Through Sangre de Naga Theater Company Group, an adaptation of Sari Saysay’s Titser, Titser was made possible and the local theater scene in Naga is finally back after two years under pandemic, arousing intense emotions through the accurate portrayal of poverty and realities in our Philippine educational system, especially in public schools.

Titser, Titser centers its story on the life of Emily, a public school arts teacher and a first-time mom, who returns to teach in a limited face-to-face class after two years of being in a flexible learning set-up due to the pandemic. As she adapts to the changes, her students are also about to embrace something new in their lives.

The character of Teacher Emily was brought to life by Bel Borja as she genuinely showed us through her flawless acting, making us all moved by her internalization of the character she portrayed- a very passionate and dedicated public school teacher, an understanding wife, and a loving mother. Teacher Emily’s compassion for her students and her concern for each one of them was well reflected in the play as she is open to helping her students not just in passing the subject but also as someone that the students can rely on. She treats all her students as if they were her own child. We were able to see that in her interaction with her students Almira and Emman. The complexity of her character was well portrayed and realistically showed us the struggles of being a public school teacher while also juggling her role as a mother and wife at home.

“Titser ka lang! Hindi ka magaling! Ni hindi mo nga magampanan ang mga tungkulin mo rito sa bahay dahil nauubos ka na sa mga gawain sa paaralan!” Those are the words of Jonel to Emily that really stung the most. It was like an arrow pierced into our hearts. We were the ones hurting for Emily as they fought about it every day. The character of Jonel portrayed by Marky Puso also made our bloods boil as he effectively portrayed the hot-headed and unsupportive husband of Emily. Seeing how he complains a lot about Emily being a teacher is a manifestation of a husband whose ego was badly hurt because of his wife’s dedication to her profession. I think that this one was accurately portrayed because there are really those kind of husbands who do not want their wives to outshine them and the typical mindset of setting gender roles in fulfilling duties at home. Jonel is stuck with the ideology that if you are the wife, it is your duty to take care of the child, your husband, and the house. If you are the husband, it is your duty to work as the head of the household.

Another notable acting performance that we cannot seem to ignore is the character of Almira who was portrayed by Ann Padin, also broke our hearts and brought tears to our eyes because of her tragic fate. Almira is a student of Teacher Emily who was inspired and dreamed of becoming a teacher someday. She is a smart and diligent student. However, her dream of becoming a teacher fell apart as it was later revealed in the play that Almira was molested and raped by her father. In the end, Almira decided to end her life due to shame and knowing that she carries the child of his father. Her perspective of teachers as perfect role models made her give up on her dream of becoming a teacher. “Hindi ako pwede maging teacher. Kasi diba ang teacher perfect?” These were the words of Almira during her conversation with Emman before she decided to reveal her traumatic experience to Teacher Emily. We can all agree that this is something that happens in reality. Almira’s character represents all those in poverty whose dreams are crushed because of family traumas inflicted on them.

Teacher Michelle who was portrayed by Melody Ramos was also an entertaining performance that brought balance to the setting. Teacher Michelle brought some laughs into the air with her witty remarks and a production number before convincing Teacher Emily to sign the loan papers for their promotion. Overdressed with a scarf and borloloys, Teacher Michelle is the typical Marites and fashionista type of teacher with her make-up always on fleek. Although we do not get to see what kind of teacher she is in the classroom, we get to see a glimpse of her character through her interactions with Emily. She also portrayed the aspect of being “madiskarte”, the teacher who also seeks another source of income because of the inadequacies and inconsistencies in practicing the profession of teaching in public schools. I think we can all agree that we have also encountered these kinds of teachers too.

And lastly, Emman who was portrayed by Kenneth Galvante, seemed to be a minor role but actually played a significant role in bringing into light the struggle of students living in remote areas. I can clearly remember when Emman said this to Almira, “Paano matin ipipinta ang mga bagay na hindi naman natin natikman or nararanasan?” Emman is also a dreamer. He is one of the students of Teacher Emily and is friends with Almira. He is always late for class because he had to cross the river to get to school. Emman is the kind of student who misses his classes and fails to submit projects on time because he would rather help his father and work instead of going to school. There are also a lot of Emman in real life because of poverty. It was poverty that pushed them to either continue reaching for their dreams or bury them- telling us that sometimes to fulfill one’s dream will never be a privilege but rather just a choice for the poor.

I was left in awe as the story was concluded. To my dismay, it was an open-ended story but that actually made an impression too because we wanted more. We wanted to know more about what happened after they all went out to find Almira, Emily leaving Jonel, handling the case of Almira, and how it has affected all of them. I was dumbfounded as we are left pondering what happens next. I was at the height of my emotions and then it ended just like that. We are left to marvel at how the story really ended or create our own version of the ending to our liking. We can never be truly certain. Were they able to save Almira as she drowns herself in the river? Will there be redemption for Jonel? Can Emily save her marriage and family that has seemed to have fallen apart?

I am deeply moved by each character as they are real people that we actually know and exist. Although this is a work of fiction but through this form of art, it makes us appreciate even more the dedication and sacrifices of our public school teachers. This is also an eye opener of how much public school teacher struggle in practicing their profession and how flawed our educational system is in the Philippines. Our teachers are not well compensated but they continue to serve willingly in the name of teaching. How I wish that we and our government could do more for them. It takes a village to raise a child.

The showing of this play is very timely. As someone who just took the recent Licensure Exam for Teachers (LET), this actually made me realize a lot of things. Whether I get to practice the profession or not, I know that what makes a great teacher is their passion and dedication to serve- to inspire and educate young minds to dream big and hope for a better future.

Isang malaking pagpupugay sa lahat ng ating mga magiting na guro, mga makabagong bayani sa modernong panahon. Happy World Teacher’s Day!

Also before I end this review, I would like to congratulate the Sangre de Naga Theater Company Group and kudos to te entire cast and crew for a successful rerun of Titser, Titser. This is definitely worth watching. Let’s support local artists and local theater groups. Let’s bring back the theater and art scene in the city of Naga. Let’s continue to spark awareness on social issues by taking our broken hearts and turn it into art. According to Cesar A. Cruz, “Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable”.

Mabuhay ang Teatrong Bicolnon! Here’s to more shows to come.

Meet and greet with the cast of Titser, Titser.

Our tickets will serve us our souvenir along with the feels, learnings and insights from watching the play.

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