Kahapon, Ngayon, at Bukas

ni Aurelio Tolentino

Aurelio Tolentino

Biography• Was born on October 13,1867 in Barrio (sub-

village) Santo Cristo, Guagua, Pampanga. • He is youngest among three children of Leonardo

Tolentino and Patrona Valenzuela.

Education• Aurelio and his brother both obtained their primera

enzeñanza (primary lessons) under the school master Pedro Serrano Laktaw.

• He then transferred to the Colegio de Latinidad, after finishing the third year of the segunda enseñanza (second lesson), he was already well-grounded in rhetoric, poetics and philosophy.

• He transferred to Manila and completed the requirements for his Bachelor of Arts degree at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran.

• Enrolled at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) to study law, but had to stop schooling when his father died.

Returned to his hometown and he taught in his old college, Colegio de Latinidad. • He was forced to leave Pampanga after an altercation with a

Spanish pharmacist. The pharmacist called him a barbaro (barbarian), which led to Tolentino striking him in the face.

• To escape from possible arrest because of his action, he went to Tondo and lived there.

• After a few years, Tolentino secured the position of oficial de mesa (desk official) at Tondo’s Court of First Instance.

• Became acquainted with Andres Bonifacio• Became the Supremo of the Kataas-taasan, Kagalang-

galangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (KKK) • He engaged in the printing and distribution of the

censored La Solidaridad and other propaganda literature. • And eventually joined the Katipunan.

• He wrote the famous Tagalog verse drama, Kahapon, Ngayon at Bukas, which was played to a packed audience at Teatro Libertad in Manila on May 14, 1903.

• He married Natividad Hilario in 1908. They had four children: Cesar, Corazon, Raquel and Leonor. Only Corazon and Raquel survived early deaths among the four siblings.

• He and his family lived in Manila until his death in July 1915. He was buried at the Manila North Cemetery. In 1921, his bones were transferred to Guagua, Pampanga where they were buried at the base of a monument erected by the townspeople to honor him.

Kahapon, Ngayon, at Bukas

• The play was written and shown 106 years ago• It is an anti-imperialist play attacking the new colonizers

(at that time), the Americans, while not forgiving the old ones – Mother Spain and Old China, who want to feast on the Philippines’ wealth.

• The play was shown at Teatro Libertad in Manila on May 14, 1903 and its focus is the triumph of Inang Bayan (Motherland) over her tormentors

Kahapon, Ngayon at Bukas: a play of struggle vs. imperialist powers

• In that particular scene, he throws the American flag to the ground and tramples upon it until it is torn, then he breaks the shackles and forces the jail open. At this point the rest of the characters shout: “Long live Freedom! Long live the Motherland!”

• This was witnessed by some Americans among the audience, who were shocked.

• The authorities turned to arrest the other actors as well as those in the audience, Tolentino saved them by declaring sole responsibility for the play as its writer and director.

• he was accused of, he was convicted of sedition, rebellion, insurrection and conspiracy and was imprisoned.

• In 1912 he was pardoned by then Governor-General W. Cameron Forbes and a US $7,000 fine was meted.

CharactersKalayaan : ama ni Walangtutol. 

Inangbayan : ang sumimbolo sa bayang Pilipinas. 

Dilat na bulag : ang sumimbolo sa espanya. 

Bagong Sibol : ang sumimbolo sa amerika. 

Masunurin : ang babaeng pilipina. 

Tagailog : bidang tauhan, na kumakatawan sa Pilipinong rebolusyonaryo. (rebeldeng tauhan) 

Matanglawin : ang gobyerno ng Espanya. 

Malaynatin : ang gobyenor Ng Amerika. 

Asalhayop : ang mapaglilong tagalog. 

HaringBata : ang haring Intsik. 

Walangtutol : ang Pilipinong pasibo, at anak ni Inang Bayan. 

Halimaw : ang Kastilang pari. 

SummaryAng kahapon ngayon at bukas ay nag-papakita di pagsang-

ayon ng pagpapalawak ng kapangyrihan na pinamumunuan ng isang bansa sa loob at labas ng kanyang teritoryo at Naka-pokus ang tagumpay ni InangBayan laban sa mga nangliliit sa kanya. Kasama na dito si Asalhayop na nakipag-sabwatan kay Haringbata upang ipagbigay alam na Sila Tagailog ay maybalak babakahin si Haringbata. Ngunit ng siya ay pawing paalis na ay napigilan siya ni Inangbayan at sinabing dakpin siya dahil ipinagbili ni Asalhayop ang kanilang kalayaan.

Sa kanilang narinig ay hinatulan nila si Asalhayop ng kamatayan at nagpatuloy na sumalakay kay Haringbata. Nang sila'y magsilusob ay mutikang mapatay ni haring bata si inag bayan kundi dumating si tagailog at sinaksak siya; nabuwal at namatay si haringbata. Nang namatay si haringbata ay may dumating sina Dilat na bulag at matanglawin na nangnanais na silay iligtas sapgkat mayroong sakuna; di lumaon sila'y na papayag at nag-sumpaan gamit ang kanilang dugo at sabay nila itong ininom.

The End