Frank Rivera's "Ambon, Ulan, Baha" Foresaw the Future

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Contemporary zarzuela ‘Ambon, Ulan, Baha’ plays at the Manila Metropolitan Theatre from Sept. 26 to 27.

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Manila, Philippines—In 1992, “Ambon, Ulan, Baha,” written by Frank Rivera, was the final show staged at the Manila Metropolitan Theatre (Met) before the Philippine Art Deco-famed venue closed its doors for decades.

This weekend, though, the restored Met reopens its doors to the same musical—an ethno-pop rock zarzuela whose core message warns of drastic climate change.

As the lights dim for “Ambon, Ulan, Baha,” the Met’s once-historic stillness will transform into the production’s raw, kinetic stagecraft, boasting immersive projections, an onstage rainfall [similar to “The Notebook”], and aerial stunts.

When Rivera first wrote its story, originally a straight play titled “Kaingin” (1976), and expanded it into a musical form two years later, climate change was not a coined term. Yet his story laid bare the exact mechanics of an ecological disaster in which the wealthy and powerful pursue false progressive initiatives, ultimately leading to massive deforestation and catastrophic floods.

Eerily, “Ambon, Ulan, Baha” steps out of the past no longer as a distant warning but as a mirror reflecting our present realities.

Set in a fictional Barrio Magubat, the story revolves around Nonoy (CJ Navato) and Inday (Thea Astley), young lovers and locals who dream of a bright future together. However, the wealthy Don Calixto (Anton Juan) and his son, Dr. Anton (Rendell Sanchez), introduce large-scale logging operations in town, promising jobs and infrastructure—an escape plan from rural poverty.

CJ Navato plays Nonoy; Thea Astley, Inday; and Rendell Sanchez, Dr. Anton.

The townspeople, including Nonoy and Inday, fall prey to Calixto’s promise of a better life. However, Calixto’s logging machinery strips the mountains bare, causing the land to erode and the ecological balance to be fractured.

In this revival production, Pipo Cifra, musical arranger and director, reimagines Rivera, Emilio Nicolasin, Jr. ("Kislap ng Iyong mga Mata”), and Philip James Tremedal’s (“Kay Hirap Mag-isa”) original compositions through an ethno-pop-rock soundscape. Its score weaves electric guitars, contemporary synth textures, and pop-rock rhythms, alongside traditional indigenous instrumentation and Mindanaoan chants, featuring Manlilikha ng Bayan Rosie Godwino Sula.

Besides Navato and Astley, its cast also features a unique, cross-generational lineup that includes seasoned alumni who participated in previous stagings of “Ambon, Ulan, Baha”—bringing the production back to its roots. These alums share the stage with the young actors from Tanghalang Bagong Sibol.

Rounding out the cast are Nazer Salcedo (Kapitan Berto), Onyl Torres (Mang Pedro), Shermaine Santiago (Nana Ilyang), and Sweet Buchanan (Nana Maring).

Director CJ Andaluz’s words cut straight to the core of why “Ambon, Ulan, Baha” hits so differently today than it did decades ago. “We are no longer standing at the water's edge. As Filipinos, we have found ourselves increasingly immersed in floods, both literal and metaphorical, that continue to devastate our communities, our livelihoods, and our everyday lives.

“’Ambon, Ulan, Baha’ reminds us that every act of progress carries a corresponding responsibility.”

Photos: Pixel Art Media Production Co.

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/philippines/article/How-AMBON-ULAN-BAHA-Returned-to-Predict-Our-Present-20260922)._