Alikabok the Musical
Though the last storm "Milenyo" severely crippled my almost daily blogging activity (hehe), it nevertheless gave me the opportunity to kill boredom by listening to the rare collection of tapes I’ve collected during my pre-mp3 and pre-CD years.
One of the tapes I’m most proud about is the celebrated soundtrack of a Filipino musical specifically produced by Ryan Cayabyab, Girlie Rodis and Celeste Legapi, Philippine theater and music giants, in time for the 1996 to 1998 Philippine independence series of centennial celebrations.
"Alikabok" (1995) originally had Filipina pop singer Rachel Alejandro playing the lead role of Visitacion "Bising" Vallejo, along with others in the lead such as Raul Roxas for the character of Bising’s lover Ignacio, Imelda delos Reyes for the Fil-Am balikbayan Anna, Joel Trinidad, son of comedian Noel Trinidad, for Greg, Anna’s husband and descendant of Bising, and China Cojuangco, younger sister of equestrienne Mikee Cojuangco, as the cousin of Bising.
The musical revolves around the diary of Bising, a late 1800s colegiala who goes back from Manila to her hometown in San Rafael, Bulacan and subsequently falls for her childhood friend Ignacio, an ilustrado who’s also a Katipunero. As to be expected, Bising, coming from a well-off family, is prevented from pursuing the said affair and is instead bethrothed by her father to a neutral ilustrado, Salvador.
Fast-forward to a hundred years later, Bising’s descendant, balikbayan Greg Vallejo, arrives with his wife, Anna, for their honeymoon in the Philippines. The trip had an accompanying purpose and that is to find his "pamana", an ancestral home somewhere in, yep, to be guessed correctly, San Rafael, Bulacan. Upon finding said ancestral home in dilapidated condition, the couple is tempted to sell it cheap to a real estate agent. In the midst of confusion, Anna finds Bising’s old diary in a dusty area in the house and learns of its historic past that subsequently becomes the reason why the couple eventually decides to keep it.
The musical’s promotion was handled by GMA 7 and it was on the said channel where I saw its "the making" episode.
Below are the lyrics to the songs that I still can’t scratch off my head even after all these years that I know I could almost swear I’m singing these even when I sleep. 
Alikabok
Alikabok, alikabok
Mamumuti ang ‘yong buhok
Sa aaalikabok
Ang alikabok ay dapat pantayin
Pakintabin siyang parang salamin
Sa labas, loob, tuktok o ilalim
Wala siyang maitagong lihim.
Paano maiiwasan, na hindi malaman
Sikreto at lihim
Misteryo at lagim
Misteryo at lagim
Misteryo at lagim
Sisihin ninyo ang alikabok
Alikabok
Natuklasan ko ang liham sa alikabok
Alikabok, alikabok
Natuklasan ko ang lihim sa alikabok.
May Isang Pag-ibig
May isang pag-ibig hanap-hanap ko
Sa mapagbirong tadhana ng buhay ko
Nais kong makita’t makilala na
Mayakap, makalinga sa panandaling ito
May isang pag-ibig alay-alay ko
Sa mapagtuksong tadhana ng buhay ko
Nais kong matiyak at malaman na
Sundan at harapin sa sandaling ito
May isang pag-ibig
Dinig ko ang kanyang tinig
May isang umiibig
Ngunit puso’y naliligalig
May pusong pumipintig
Ngunit ‘di magtatagal
May ibang naririnig
Higit kong minamahal
Sa mapagbirong tadhana
Sa mapagtuksong tadhana
Ngayo’y kaharap ko na
Sa sandaling ito
Sa panandaling ito
Ng buhay ko.
