There is a growing clamor for a modern-day hero to lead the Filipino people through these challenging times. We live in an age when political divisions no longer serve progress but instead deepen our distractions. Responding to the call of the times, Philippine Ballet Theatre (PBT), the National Performing Arts Company for Dance, revives Gener Caringal's Andres KKK. Through this timely revival, PBT hopes to cultivate nationalism, empower the common man, and awaken the spirit of what it means to be a nation.
Premiered in 1996 to commemorate the centennial of the Philippine Revolution, Andres KKK, with a libretto by Lilia Quindoza Santiago and an original score by Jesse Lucas, has become one of Gener Caringal's enduring masterpieces. It remains one of Philippine Ballet Theatre's most widely toured productions and a rite of passage for generations of PBT dancers.
When Artistic Director Ronilo Jaynario was asked why he thinks this ballet has survived the test of time, he says, "PBT's version of history is not just pages of history in dance. It is a touching tribute to the struggles of the Filipino."
Jaynario himself portrayed Andres Bonifacio when the ballet premiered in 1996, and he still remembers how Caringal framed the hero. Rather than portraying Bonifacio as an untouchable icon or an invincible warrior, Caringal reveals the man behind the monument. His Bonifacio struggles, questions, sacrifices, and perseveres. He is not defined by superhuman strength but by an unwavering belief in his people and their shared dream of freedom.
Gener Caringal explains his Andres Bonifacio as a product of poverty, suffering, and love for his country. A hero was born because Bonifacio cared deeply for this land and its people. Moreover, in Caringal's vision, Bonifacio's greatest power does not come from standing above the people—it comes from standing among them. They were all heroes of their time, with Bonifacio serving as the symbol of their resolve.
In revisiting Bonifacio's story, Philippine Ballet Theatre invites audiences to reflect on a question that remains as urgent today as it was more than a century ago: What kind of hero does our nation need—and what kind of people must we become to stand behind one? What would it take to make heroes of all of us?
Stepping into the title roles are Mathew Davo and Dominador Delmo as Andres Bonifacio, with Jessa Tangalin and Sophia Tiangco alternating as Gregoria "Oryang" de Jesus.
Andres KKK will have a limited run at the Rockwell Proscenium Theater on August 22 and 23, 2026. Tickets are available through TicketWorld. For ticket inquiries, call 0968-870-8887.
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