The rights of indigenous people to use their ancestral land and the issues of mining and its harmful effects on the natural environment are at the center of Mulat: Ang Hindi Sinukuan sa Arayat, a dance directed and choreographed by Justin Ray Diolazo.

Written by Nicko de Guzman, with music by Paulo Estero, the team behind the scene includes Jay Lorenz Conanan for set design, Sandro De la Pena for costume design, while the duo of Kyle Dionisio and James Stephen Lavariaz collaborated on graphic design.

Mulat stars Angela Sison, Alyana Tolentino, Cheska Vasallo, Christian Cusi, Doori Chin, Gianina David, Inah Abrasaldo, Khylle Paulino, Kyle Confessor, Neil John Casagan, Ruthame Hurtado, Yella Carlos, and Zyra Verastique.

The ballet follows Liway and her spirit guardian, Maria Sinukuan, the divinity of Mt. Arayat, as they act to protect their community from the encroachment of mining companies.

Born to a family of musicians, director and choreographer Diolazo studied at the Agoo School of Ballet in 2006, before transferring to the Philippine High School for the Arts in Mt. Makiling on a full scholarship.

He was likewise a scholar of the CCP Dance School (now known as Ballet Philippines Dance School) from 2011 to 2014, and was part of its various productions, such as Starzan Gubatman, A Forest Tale, A Christmas Carol, Cinderella, and Giselle, among others.

He is in his last term as a student of the Bachelor of Performing Arts in Dance program at De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB), with this production being his theater thesis.

He is at present a company artist of Saint Benilde Romançon Dance Company, the college’s resident dance company.

Mulat is a production by the DLS-CSB Bachelor of Performing Arts in Dance program in collaboration with the Benilde Arts Management Program, the Office of Culture and Arts-Saint Benilde Romançon Dance Company, and spot.ph.

For inquiries and ticket reservation, contact Patricia Bautista at 0917-8425013, Chesca Bernardo at 0917-6656339, or visit the Mulat booth at the ninth floor hallway of the School of Design and Art Campus.

Performances will be on July 28, 7 p.m., and July 29, 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., at the Black Box Theater, Sixth Floor, of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School of Design and Arts Campus, located at 950 Pablo Ocampo Street, Malate, Manila.