Sentro Rizal Ottawa Highlights Philippine Indigenous Tales Through Storytelling, Shadow Puppet Show, and Art Workshop in Celebration of the Philippine National Indigenous Month

Ms. Denise Orosa in her storytelling and processing of The Comb, Crown, and Necklace.

OTTAWA 30 October 2024 – In celebration of the 2024 Philippine National IndigenousPeoples Month, the Embassy’s Sentro Rizal Ottawa successfully hosted a shadow puppet show and storytelling, Once Upon the Sun and Sea: Explore Philippine Indigenous Tales, on 19 October 2024, held at Sentro Rizal Ottawa - Mindanao Hall of the Embassy. The event was composed of three activities, namely, storytelling, shadow puppet show, and art workshop. It was attended by approximately 40 participants composed of young and adult members of the Filipino-Canadian community in Ottawa.

The event commenced with the singing of the Philippine National Anthem, followed by the welcome remarks by Philippine Ambassador to Canada Maria Andrelita S. Austria.

In her remarks, Ambassador Austria mentioned that Indigenous peoples are the bearers of culture and the custodians of stories passed down through generations. These stories and folktales reflect the values, beliefs, and deep connection to the natural world that have shaped the identity of our indigenous brothers and sisters. Ambassador Austria also reminded the participants to reflect on the values taught by the indigenous peoples of the Philippines — respect for nature, community, and the enduring power of stories to unite and inspire.

The event was facilitated by Ms. Denise Orosa, an award-winning educator and the co-author of Once Upon the Sun and Sea. Born and raised in the Philippines, Ms. Orosa has worked with children for over 20 years as a teacher, artist and storyteller. Featuring traditional tales from different indigenous groups, the event aimed to raise awareness among Filipino-Canadian communities and foster appreciation for the unique traditions of the Philippines' IPs by rediscovering their stories featured in the book Once Upon the Sun and Sea.

Ms. Orosa shared three stories from the said book - The Carabao and the Shell, Silalak and Sibabay, and The Comb, Crown, and Necklace. After each story, she informed the audience about the tribe from which the story originated. The second part of the activity was the shadow puppet presentation featuring the story of The Heron and the Eagle.

Ms. Orosa shared an excerpt from the Manobo epic of Tulalang, adjusted from the adapted English-language version in the book to better suit the wide range of ages in the audience. Shadow puppets honoring the paper-cut artwork of Tin Javier, illustrator of Once Upon the Sun and Sea, which captured the exciting story of Tulalang's battle with Banug, the giant eagle.

As a culminating activity, Ms. Orosa divided the participants into two groups and engaged them in an art workshop creating Philippine eagle masks inspired by the story of “Tulalang” and the making of a shadow puppet character based on the participant’s preference.

“Thanks for today’s Shadow Puppet and Storytelling day. My family really enjoyed their time with the author, and especially the food. Thank you for opening up the Embassy for these types of events! I am so grateful to have the opportunity to show my family our rich culture, and to have amazing people like Denise to teach them.” wrote Jamela Austria, one of the participants, in her letter to the Embassy.

The event was capped by the awarding of certificate and token of appreciation to Ms. Denise Orosa and everyone enjoyed a sumptuous lunch. END

Philippine Ambassador to Canada, H.E. Maria Andrelita S. Austria, addressing the participants

Ms. Denise Orosa shared information about the indigenous people on where the story originated.

For more information, visit https://www.ottawape.dfa.gov.ph, https://www.philembassy.ca, https://www.facebook.com/PHinCanada/  or https://twitter.com/PHinCanada.