After a couple years hiatus, the creators of “Rizal, ATBP.” are pleased to announce a new production – “12 Million”, to be shown in Los Angeles and the Bay Area on October 20 & 27 respectively. Whereas Rizal ATBP. dealt with the Filipino identity by digging deep into their cultural roots and history through the life of Jose Rizal, “12 Million” seeks to build awareness of the realities that Filipinos abroad face in the many different countries they live in. There are approximately 12 Million Filipinos living outside of the country, all with unique stories barely heard and pressing issues rarely addressed.
Through artistic expressions of music and drama, the show will offer a glimpse into the real-life experiences of Filipinos from across the globe. Written and directed by Jed Fillarca, one of the scriptwriters for Rizal ATBP., and with original songs and compositions, including those of noted composer/producer Victor Nino Salazar, “12 Million” is an artistic collaboration of songwriters, actors, and musicians from the Filipino Diaspora.
One of its main goals is to give awareness to Filipinos living in the US of the plight of the rest of their countrymen in the other parts of the world. The producers hope that this will in turn bring a sense of solidarity and mission among the Filipinos abroad to become positive contributions to the countries they reside in, and build a movement that will benefit the motherland.
Building up to “12 Million”, the creators of “Rizal, ATBP” have partnered with Pinnacle Village (Bread of Life USA) a non-profit organization in creating workshops throughout this summer called Anglahi Exploits. Tapping into the Filipino's creative nature, the featured workshops were – Songwriting with music producer Nino Salazar, Theater Performance by artist and director Raymond Lauchengco, and Screenwriting by ABS-CBN’s executive producer Henry Quitain. Last July, the first ever B3 Summit (B3 stands for Beyond the Balikbayan Box) was held at the Pinnacle Village in Glendale CA, and among its special guest entrepreneurs was Raquel Choa, the Cacao Queen of the Philippines. Its aim is to jumpstart successful entrepreneurship among Filipinos that will go beyond just sending balikbayan boxes home.
Proceeds of the “12 Million” production will be for the renovation of Pinnacle Village’s Multi-Purpose Events Hall, a creative space to hold programs, activities and events that encourage creativity and community for the advancement of the Filipino Diaspora.
“12 Million” will be shown in Los Angeles’ Aratani Theater at Little Tokyo on October 20, 2018 and in the Bay Area at Terra Nova Theater, Pacifica on October 27, 2018.
