Dante Buenaventura PAM, Magdaragat and beyond

by Levy Abad

Dante Buenaventura from Tayuman Street, Manila, arrived in Winnipeg on May 7, 1974, and shortly became part of the Philippine Association of Manitoba (PAM).

Dante was a graduate of the Philippine College of Commerce or PCC, now known as the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), where he also became a professor. It was also during this period that he founded the Samahang Kamanyang ng Masang Pilipino or SK, which would become the Teatro Kamanyang (official theatre guild of the PCC), a contemporary of Panday Sining, the cultural arm of Kabataang Makabayan (Patriotic Youth) (Rhythms and Resistance, L. Abad, p. 107).

The professor as cultural activist

According to Felino De Jesus, also a PAM and Magdaragat pioneer, Dante was also a member and, for a time, the cultural director of Kayumanggi, a cultural group that became part of PAM that showcased Filipino heritage in Winnipeg. Perhaps this involvement led Dante to be recognized as an authority in cultural matters, which facilitated his entry into PAM. According to one of his students at the PCC, “Dante attended PETA (Philippine Educational Theater Association), which is noted for creating issue-based performances that mirror and reflect the times. Dante did theatre workshops and became classmates with the late Filipino film director Lino Brocka, who was widely regarded as one of the most influential and significant Filipino filmmakers in the history of Philippine cinema. Dante was also a classmate of Ricky Lee, a writer of Paksa(Pen for People’s Progress) and a Filipino multi-awarded author, stage and screen playwright, and journalist (p.108). No wonder that when Dante arrived in Winnipeg, he was already armed with knowledge and theatre experience.

PAM, immersion, and leadership

In 1974, Dante co-chaired PAM’s workshop on culture. It was during this time that Dante became part of a workshop where a resolution was made to establish a Philippine Centre for community use (The First Filipino Immigrants in Manitoba, Dalayoan, Enverga-Magsino and Bailon, p. 86).

In PAM’s election of 1978, Dante was elected secretary during the second term of Cris Aglugub. I could imagine how it felt for Dante to be a part of a traditional organization as a cultural activist who barely escaped the clutches of the dictatorship. He probably felt ideologically choked by not being able to express or organize events that criticize the dictatorship through cultural performances that educate and rouse the people but instead reinforce the status quo. For those who don’t know, Dante was part of the First Quarter Storm and a member of Kabataang Makabayan.

Dante resigns from PAM

According to a Silangan 1978 issue, Dante resigned as PAM Secretary on April 14, 1978. In 1976, two years before his resignation as PAM Secretary, Dante founded Magdaragat, or Voyagers of the Seas, or Seafarer (Magdaragat’s website). During the formative years of Magdaragat, Dante launched educational theatre performances that roused the Winnipeg diaspora to be critical of the dictatorship in the old country. From 1976 to 1988, Dante was a tireless organizer of different events in the community through Tanghalang Filipino (Philippine Theatre). He wrote and organized about fourteen short plays that promoted Philippine culture in the diaspora. He called for unity and compassion for the motherland (Rhythms and Resistance, L. Abad, p. 116).

Folklorama and multiculturalism pioneer

Dante became famous in Winnipeg as one of the early leaders of Folklorama and the multiculturalism representative of the Filipino community. Pablo Herrera, a pioneer from the Chilean community and an exiled activist, attests to Dante’s humility and theoretical competence. Aside from his multicultural engagements from 1976 to 1988, he helped with the anti-dictatorship struggle in the diaspora by being part of the Philippine Support Group (p. 119). Often, when the PSG had educational events or fundraisers, Dante would bring in the Magdaragat theatre group to perform a patriotic play that culminated in a revolutionary tableau.

Dante Buenaventura passed away on March 5, 1988, at the age of 42. He is survived by his community legacy and Magdaragat, which is still active in projecting Filipino culture and heritage on a global scale. In retrospect, Dante, as part of the Philippine Association of Manitoba from 1974 to 1978, had contributed in a depth that only a few can fathom ideologically, politically, and organizationally in the cultural field, the struggle against racism, and empowering the community in Winnipeg.

Levy Abad is the author of Rhythms and Resistance: Narrative of Filipino Musicians and Activists (1972-1994). He is also a singer-songwriter, poet, and migrant rights activist who has released four albums centred on the life and struggles of migrants.