'Toy napigket nga daga
Pitpitenmi nga umuna
Danggayanmi't kankanta
Takkiagmi a napigsa
Kettang ken bannogmi
dikam igingina 

     Mannamili
     Ilokano Folk Song

ABSTRACT

            This paper will introduce the Iloko zarzuela, a literary medium in Northern Luzon, Philippines which, to a large extent, is a reflection of Philippine Society.  The zarzuela, with a distinct character of “musical comedy,” is derived from the Spanish lyrical theater introduced by the Spanish colonizers in the 16^th century.

            In the Ilocos region, the medium of film is patronized only by the English and Tagalog speaking people, hence there is still a captive audience of zarzuela among the Ilokanos themselves.  The demand for zarzuelas increases during the annual town fiestas in the provinces. Politics and the nationalist spirit played a major role in the creation of the zarzuelistas.

            This study banks on the theory of reflection.  From the time of Plato and Aristotle the concept of literature as a fundamental reflection of peoples’ day-to-day activities was already in place.  However, the concepts of aesthetics and semiotics will likewise be utilized in this study.  These concepts come together in theater wherein an individual/actor plays the role of another.

            The foregrounding of the Iloko zarzuela allows for the long overdue recognition of the “hidden” art of the Ilokanos.

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