En’core! Koro Bangkal!

CITY of BALANGA, Bataan – Last Sunday, November 13, our very own Koro Bangkal-Magbikin joined other Bataan home grown talents at the Luneta Open Auditorium as they performed at one of the country’s oldest running cultural show, Concert at the Park.

Together with the Jose de Piro Kabataan Orkestra from Pagalanggang, Dinalupihan; Mikaela “Mikay” Puzon and the Bataan National High School Special Program for the Arts Dance Troupe, seventeen youngsters from the Magbikin Aeta Tribe from upland Bangkal in Abucay town rendered songs to the delight of the audience.

Way back in 2009, Mrs. Victoria S. Garcia, wife of the late Hon. Enrique “Tet” Garcia and chairperson of the Bataan Peninsula Tourism Council Foundation Inc. found a way to translate her earnest desire to help our less fortunate indigenous brothers uplift their lives into reality.

With the help of the dedicated staff of the Provincial Tourism Office, they started screening children from the said Magbikin tribe to become members of the Koro Bangkal choir. Mr. Nesty Enriquez was hired to be their trainor-conductor who proved to be more than just a trainor but a dedicated mentor who doesn’t mind the long and grueling trips to the upland village of Bangkal to teach the children.  

Since then, the Koro has gone places, performing with celebrities like the Bossa Nova singer Sitti Navarro at ABS-CBN’s Showtime. They even joined the Pilipinas Got Talent contest. Mrs. Cristina Reyes of the BNHS was hired to train the choir members on stage presence and personality development. Such exposures and trainings paid off for during their recent stint at Luneta Park, all 17 children were focused, composed and maintained their poise all throughout their superb performance.

According to Mrs. Thelma Dominguez, a Provincial Tourism Staff, all members of the choir belong to the indigenous group, the eldest is aged 21 and the youngest is 10. Once they pass the audition, they become members of the choir and enjoy privileges such as free education, school uniforms, school supplies and monthly allowance. However, there are two conditions: one is that they should be in school and study well; second is they will religiously attend choir rehearsals. Failure to comply will terminate their membership to the choir.

One of the elder members of the Koro, Eliezer Ligayu, is an Agriculture student of BPSU Abucay Campus. He had to leave the group for he is currently having his On the Job Training in India.

These children are really going places, literally and figuratively!