Magdaragat: Celebrating 50 years

by Levy Abad

Magdaragat Philippines Inc. (Voyager of the Seas or Seafarer) will be celebrating 50 years of Magic on May 16, 2026, at Petrus Hall on Inkster Boulevard, as advertised on its Facebook page. Magdaragat Inc. is a cultural organization founded by Dante C. Buenaventura in 1976 to promote Philippine culture through dance, song, and drama. They’ve been involved with Folklorama for many years, performing and celebrating Philippine culture, and have even represented Folklorama and Canada at festivals in Mexico, Peru, Costa Rica, and Chile (Source: Folklorama website).

Magdaragat during

Dante Buenaventura’s leadership

In retrospect, Magdaragat, during Dante’s time, also performed plays for community solidarity organizations that advanced the struggle of the Filipino people in the diaspora, particularly in the field of arts and culture between 1978 and 1988. Magdaragat, under the leadership of Dante Buenaventura, was a blessing to the Filipino community of Winnipeg in the early years. It has launched numerous cultural performances. For instance, Dante staged plays such as Sisa, Kasaysayan ng Isang Ina, 1978, Larawan ng Buhay, 1980, Hanggang dito na lamang, bukas naman ulit, and in 1988, Dante staged a significant play titled People Power. (L. Abad, Rhythms and Resistance, p. 116). All these events and plays either promoted culture and heritage or advanced the struggle of the people for independence and democracy during the time of the dictatorship from 1972 to 1981, which culminated in 1986 during the Edsa Uprising.

Culture and community activism

Nowadays, Magdaragat is known by some members of the community for its cultural fusion. Goldie Garcia of Magdaragat shared Caroline Calitis’ precise description of Magdaragat’s cultural approach as “incorporating artistic impression, which, though not always strictly authentic in form, draws inspiration from the cultural diversity and spirit of the Philippines to create our presentations made for the stage.” Caroline has been a member of Magdaragat since 1983.

There was a time when Magdaragat performed nationalistic plays in community gatherings organized by the Philippine Solidarity Group (PSG). This activism can be traced to the roots of its founder, Dante Buenaventura, a professor at the Philippine College of Commerce (PCC). He was a pioneer of Theatro Kamanyang, the cultural arm of Kabataang Makabayan during the First Quarter Storm of the 70s (L. Abad, Rhythms and Resistance, p. 113).

A student of Dante in PCC, Baby Rivera, shared that, “Dante attended the Philippine Educational Theater Association or PETA, which is known up to this day for creating issue-based performances that mirror and reflect the times. He did workshops on theatre and was a classmate of Lino Brocka (a Filipino director), who is widely regarded as one of the most influential and significant Filipino filmmakers in history of Philippine cinema (Source, Lino Brocka, The Philippines Greatest Director); and Ricky Lee, a writer of Paksa (Pen for People’s Progress) and a Filipino multi-awarded author stage and screen playwright and journalist.” (See also “L. Abad, Dante Buenaevtura-PAM, Magdaragat and Beyond,” Pilipino Express, 16 May 2025). Knowing the friends and contemporaries of Dante Buenaventura lends clarity on the school of arts and culture that influenced Magdaragat in the 70s through the late 80s.

I asked activist-journalist Teodoro “Ted” Alcuitas, founder of Silangan newspaper of Winnipeg that published from 1977 to the 1990s, what he could share about Dante Buenaventura. According to Ted, “Dante and I always had a healthy collaboration as we were both activists. So, I helped Magdaragat promote their activities through the pages of my paper, Silangan. One memory I had was when Ninoy Aquino was assassinated, and some of us were meeting at my house to react and oppose Marcos, which led to the formation of the August Twenty-One Movement or ATOM-Winnipeg. I called Dante if he would be willing to lead it, but he declined.” Ted sadly recalls, “I was one of the few people allowed to visit him when he was dying at St Boniface Hospital.”

Raising the banner of Filipino culture

As a cultural activist myself, songwriter and author, this article is my tribute to Dante Buenaventura and Magdaragat, whom I came to know through Dante’s friends, Felino de Jesus, Ted Alcuitas, Neri Dimacali, and Mario Cueto, and through my research in the Manitoba Archives. I am grateful to Dante and Magdaragat for their contributions to the field of Filipino diaspora culture and heritage. Long live the memory of Dante C. Buenaventura, and mabuhay to Magdaragat at 50!