Staged before a live audience at Ricarte Hall inside the Philippine Army's headquarters complex in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, an original one-act musical produced by the 7th Infantry "Kaugnay" Division's homegrown theatre company drew institutional praise and public attention as it prepared for its closing night on May 26, 2026. The production, titled Liyab, was mounted as part of the country's observance of National Heritage Month.
A Military Theatre Company With a Cultural Mission
Teatro Kaugnay, the theatrical arm of the 7th Infantry "Kaugnay" Division, is the creative force behind Liyab — a production that blends Philippine history, cultural memory, and national identity into a single, uninterrupted dramatic arc. The group was established under the vision of Kaugnay Division Commander Major General Joseph Norwin D. Pasamonte, who, according to official Philippine Army records, conceptualized the theatre company with the specific goal of centering Philippine history and culture as the foundational pillars of national identity.
Maj. Gen. Pasamonte serves not only as division commander but also as the executive producer of Liyab, placing him at the intersection of military leadership and cultural stewardship. The production was co-produced alongside private stakeholder KreativExpo Inc., a collaboration that merges military institutional resources with civilian creative expertise — an arrangement that remains relatively uncommon within Philippine institutional theatre.
The Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Civil-Military Operations, OG7, partnered with the 7th Infantry Division to facilitate the Fort Bonifacio run, the Philippine Army's Office of the Chief of Public Affairs reported. This support signals that the production falls squarely within the military's broader civil-military operations mandate — using cultural programming as a tool for public engagement and community trust-building.
What "Liyab" Is About
The title Liyab translates roughly to "flame" or "blaze" in Filipino — an apt metaphor for a production designed to rekindle awareness of the nation's past. Written and directed by Captain Ralph Andy L. Ranario, the musical presents nationalism not as an abstract or distant concept, but as a living, inherited responsibility that each generation of Filipinos must actively carry forward.
Captain Ranario shaped the narrative to function as a reflective mirror for contemporary Filipino audiences, prompting them to ask whether the lessons embedded in the country's historical experience are still being honored and transmitted. The production features original music — a distinguishing characteristic that elevates Liyab beyond a curated or adapted performance and firmly establishes it as a fully original artistic work.
The one-act format was a deliberate creative choice, concentrating the storytelling into a focused, emotionally immediate experience without interruption. This structure allows the theatrical team to sustain dramatic momentum and deliver a cohesive intellectual and emotional impact throughout the performance.
Army Chief Commends Cast and Crew at Matinee Showing
Philippine Army Chief Lieutenant General Nafarrete personally attended the May 25, 2026 matinee performance of Liyab at Ricarte Hall. According to the Philippine Army's Office of the Chief of Public Affairs, Lt. Gen. Nafarrete publicly commended both the actors and the production team, delivering his remarks in Filipino.
Lt. Gen. Nafarrete highlighted the Philippine Army's commitment to supporting and funding creative endeavors as a means of contributing to national consciousness, the public affairs office reported. He noted that Teatro Kaugnay had successfully translated the lessons of Philippine history into a performance capable of igniting a genuine sense of fraternity and nationalism among its viewers.
The Army chief's decision to personally attend a theatrical performance carries institutional weight. It underscores the Armed Forces of the Philippines' growing recognition of the arts as a legitimate and effective medium for reinforcing civic values — not only among military personnel but also among members of the civilian public who attend these productions.
From Camp Aguinaldo to Fort Bonifacio
The Fort Bonifacio performances were not Liyab's first public outing. The musical made its debut on March 30, 2026, at Tejeros Hall inside the Armed Forces of the Philippines Commission Officers Clubhouse at Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo in Quezon City. That premiere introduced Teatro Kaugnay's work to an AFP-wide audience at one of the country's most significant military installations.
The May 2026 run at Fort Bonifacio represents the deliberate expansion of the production's reach, bringing Liyab to new audiences within the Philippine Army's headquarters complex. The progression from Camp Aguinaldo to Fort Bonifacio reflects a calculated effort to widen the musical's visibility across military and institutional circles in the National Capital Region.
National Heritage Month as the Fitting Context
The scheduling of the Fort Bonifacio performances during May was intentional. National Heritage Month, observed annually throughout the Philippines each May, is a nationally designated period for encouraging Filipinos to engage with the country's historical and cultural patrimony. By aligning Liyab's run with this observance, the Philippine Army and Teatro Kaugnay positioned the production at the center of a broader national conversation about memory, identity, and cultural continuity.
Theatre, as a live and communal art form, offers one of the most direct vehicles for the kind of intergenerational cultural transmission that National Heritage Month seeks to promote. Liyab was designed with precisely this function in mind — to serve not only as entertainment, but as an experience that reconnects audiences with the weight of their shared history.
The final performance on May 26, 2026 falls just days before the close of National Heritage Month, placing Liyab's closing night at a symbolically meaningful point in the commemorative calendar.
Teatro Kaugnay as an Emerging Model for Institutional Arts
Beyond the run of a single musical, Teatro Kaugnay represents something broader: an emerging model for how Philippine military institutions can use original cultural programming to engage the public, reinforce national values, and build bridges between the armed forces and civilian society. The 7th Infantry Division's decision to fund, produce, and stage an entirely original theatrical work — rather than simply sponsoring an existing production — reflects a serious institutional investment in the arts.
The partnership with KreativExpo Inc. demonstrates how this model can harness private-sector creative talent while keeping the production grounded in the military's core values and civic mission. Public-private partnerships of this kind in the realm of original Filipino theatre remain relatively rare, making Liyab a noteworthy case study in institutional arts programming.
OG7's involvement further ties the theatre group's activities directly to the Philippine Army's civil-military operations framework — reinforcing the idea that culture, storytelling, and shared artistic experience can serve as effective instruments of community engagement and national cohesion.
Closing Night at Ricarte Hall
The final performance of Liyab was scheduled for May 26, 2026, at Ricarte Hall, Headquarters Philippine Army, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. As of the time of the Philippine Army's official release, no announcement had been made regarding future stagings of the production, whether during subsequent National Heritage Month observances or at other venues.
The production was documented by SSg. Cesar P. Lopez I of the Philippine Army's Office of the Chief of Public Affairs. The official release was issued under the authority of Colonel Louie G. Dema-ala, Chief of Public Affairs of the Philippine Army.
Photo credit: SSg. Cesar P. Lopez I PA/OCPA
Originally reported by: Philippine Army Office of the Chief of Public Affairs