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HuniNay Premieres to Critical Acclaim: A Lullaby for the Nation’s Soul

Oct 05 2025

On September 17–18, 2025, the MSU-IIT Gym became a cradle of memory, music, and meaning as HuniNay: Songs of Mothers and Cradles made its world premiere. Directed by Amado C. Guinto, Jr., the production brought together two of MSU-IIT’s most beloved performing groups—the Integrated Performing Arts Guild (IPAG) and the Octava Choral Society—for a concert that was anything but ordinary. What unfolded was a deeply moving tribute to the Filipino lullaby, reimagined as a theatrical experience that stirred hearts and sparked conversations.

A Premiere Rooted in Cultural Memory

“HuniNay was born from a moment of artistic resonance shared between myself, Bajo Zaldua of Octava, and Michael Lagura of IPAG,” Guinto shared. The show drew inspiration from the Himig Himbing collection of Philippine lullabies, weaving together songs both old and new into a tapestry of sound, movement, and story. “At the heart of HuniNay is the mother. Her lullabies are our first experience of love, care, and comfort,” he added.

From the mystical Meranao Arimaonga to the haunting Tagalog Sa Ugoy ng Duyan, and the iconic Anak by Freddie Aguilar, each piece carried the weight of generations. These weren’t just songs—they were emotional landscapes, reminders of the tenderness, resilience, and quiet strength that define Filipino caregiving.

A Literary Luminary’s Praise

Among the most glowing reviews came from Prof. Jose Wendell P. Capili—an acclaimed author, Professor 12 at the University of the Philippines Diliman, and current Head of the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) Technical Panel in Literature. In his review of HuniNay’s Resounding Lullaby, Capili described the show as “a dramatic event that defies easy classification, surpassing the usual concert format.”

He called it “a potent form of cultural intervention and activism—a decolonizing act that reclaims and re-centers the Philippine lullaby as a text of national identity.” Capili praised the show’s “breathtaking ambition” and its ability to “navigate the complex terrains of history with grace,” asserting that HuniNay exemplifies “what Theatre of the Global South can achieve.”

He also highlighted the Octava Choral Society’s harmonies as “the lifeblood of each piece,” and IPAG’s choreography as “a canvas illustrating shared human experiences.” Monaliza Escudero’s performance of Anak was described as “a tour de force,” while Adrian Rey Agosto’s rendition of Sa Ugoy ng Duyan was “a haunting portrait of longing and memory.”

Symbolism and Synergy

Prof. Elio Garcia, full professor of literary and cultural studies at MSU-IIT, offered his own heartfelt reflections in Pag-uli ug panag-uli. He was especially struck by the show’s central visual motif—the umbilical cord. “Its minimalism reduced the image to its most basic and core power,” he wrote. “Our mothers never really stop protecting and loving us… the umbilical cord never severs.”

Garcia praised the production’s emotional clarity and restraint, noting how it “sustained a good energy flowing in the entire duration of the concert.” He commended the “beauty and harmony in the voices of Octava conducted by Bajo Zaldua and Frank Englis,” the “clean and excellent music from the IPAG musicians,” and the “strong and nuanced micronarratives” brought to life by IPAG dancers under Michael Lagura’s choreography.

He also lauded Guinto’s direction for its “delicate curation and balance,” saying the show “remained intimate and true to the core of its intention—the celebration of the fortitude and humanity of our mothers.” It was, in Garcia’s words, a performance that whispered rather than shouted, and in doing so, reached deeper.

Art as Advocacy

Beyond its artistry, HuniNay made a powerful statement about care, gender, and the invisible labor of parenting. Its partnership with MSU-IIT’s Gender and Development Office gave the show a social edge, aligning its creative spirit with advocacy. Capili noted how it “actively challenges traditional notions of care work and gender roles,” using lullabies as a lens to explore the emotional and physical toll of caregiving—especially the burdens mothers carry, often in silence.

Garcia affirmed this, describing how the performance “built up slowly inside the audience’s heart… the quiet gratitude that we hold for life.” He pointed to the show’s subtle gestures—“the lilting notes, the soft fading lights, a tiny expression in the face”—as moments that reminded us of our own mothers, and of the mothering acts we perform, whether we are parents or not. In this way, HuniNay became more than a concert. It was a meditation on love, connection, and the quiet heroism of everyday care.

A Cultural Milestone

The world premiere of HuniNay marked a turning point in Philippine performing arts. It showed how traditional music and contemporary theatre could come together to tell stories that are both personal and political. Capili underscored the production’s ability to speak to both local and global audiences, using the lullaby—a form often dismissed as simple—as a vessel for complex narratives of identity, resistance, and belonging.

For MSU-IIT, HuniNay was more than a showcase of talent—it was a declaration of purpose. The synergy between IPAG and Octava, the ingenuity of its student artists, and the visionary leadership of Guinto proved that even with modest resources, a production could achieve emotional grandeur and intellectual depth. As Garcia reflected, “All the little things… reminded us of our own mothers, the motherings that we do, the uncomfortable realizations of our shortcomings as sons and daughters.” In its quiet power and sweeping ambition, HuniNay invited us to return to the cradle—not just of childhood, but of culture, memory, and hope.

Photos by Sophia Castillon

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