THERE WAS NO STOPPING the excitement of orphaned young girls at the Dominican Girls? Home in Iloilo City as they attentively listened to young professionals teaching them the basics of acting, singing and dancing.

At the Center for the Care of the Mentally Ill, patients were introduced to a world far different from their own as they joined young professionals in arts-related therapeutic activities. Afterward, the thespians gave their new friends grocery items and cleaning materials.

Elsewhere in the barangays of the city, disadvantaged children called on their ?manong? (elder brothers) and ?manang? (elder sisters) to teach them more dance steps, obviously not contented with a whole day?s dance workshop.

For the members of the Iloilo Prima Galaw Inc., a new performing arts group composed of young professionals and alumni from different universities in Iloilo, theater and the arts is more than just an act of self-expression; it is the matchstick that ignites hope among the seemingly hopeless.

Dream, discover, inspire

The group revolves around three words: Dream. Discover. Inspire.
For its community esprit de corps and encouragement of the arts, the Prima Galaw was adjudged national winner of the 7th Search for the Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations (Tayo) on Oct. 24-27, 2009, in Quezon City.

It was also given the Teletech Special Award for Excellence in Youth Development and Education.

Tayo is the brainchild of Sen. Francis ?Kiko? Pangilinan, who noted that numerous awards were being given for individual accomplishments but only a few acknowledged the contributions and efforts of groups and organizations.

The search began in 2003 with the idea of recognizing the achievements of youth groups in the fields of education, livelihood, entrepreneurship, community service, technology, health, media, arts and culture, and environment.

For Romie John Delariarte, founder and stage director of the Prima Galaw, the Tayo award serves as an encouragement to soar higher for the group that was formally created only in May 2008.

Community service

?We are blessed to have found the courage to believe in our dream and really commit to it as a group. The Tayo award cements what Iloilo Prima Galaw Inc. stands for?the faith in the possibility of dreams and the power of inspiration,? says Delariarte, a multiawarded director.

?We know that we cannot anymore be just artists who are holed up in rehearsals for a production. Our Tayo experience has taught us that through sociocivic involvement, we can make the difference that makes a difference.?

Delariarte adds that the theater group is looking to a future ?where our goal now dovetails to promotion of culture and the arts in Iloilo and doing sustainable projects with our adopted communities that will improve their well-being and living conditions.?

The director?s passion for theater infected his students to such a point that even after graduation, they would return to ?Sir D? and spend hours working on theater productions, coming up with ideas for performances, or simply helping out in current projects.

Proud of Prima Galaw, Mayor Jerry Treñas cited the group for ?Outstanding Youth Achievement? in a surprise visit during a thanksgiving dinner that the group hosted for its sponsors, patrons and supporters on Nov. 19, 2009.

The mayor also gave an unexpected incentive of P10,000 for the group?s projects.

Project Dream

Clinching the Tayo nod from judges who included Pangilinan, Tayo president Bam Aquino and TV host Boy Abunda, was Prima Galaw?s entry called ?Project Dream? presented by Ma. Krizia Ledesma.

The presentation helped Prima Galaw top the regional finals and rank among the top five in the national finals.

Project Dream began in 2008 with Prima Galaw?s first production, ?Ang Sistema ni Propesor Tuko,? that jump-started the group?s sociocivic involvement with the Center for the Care of the Mentally Ill, Dominican Girls? Home and the Georgia International Academy.

The Calajunan dump children will be the beneficiaries of the production of ?Oedipus Rex? that was staged in September 2009.

Leolette Esther Hubag, vice president of Prima Galaw, is delighted that the group she had helped organize has gone beyond fulfilling its longtime dream of staging its own productions.

?Project Dream is not just Iloilo Prima Galaw?s story. We never imagined that in this journey, we will meet people whose dreams we would share and in our own way, these dreams, we are helping to fulfill. They say that the greatest gift we can give someone is the capacity to dream,? said Hubag in a speech at the thanksgiving dinner with Mayor Treñas.

Tough competition

Getting the Tayo national award is no mean feat. Prima Galaw had to go up against 83 other organizations in the Visayas finals held on Sept. 24-25, 2009, in Cebu City to determine the 10 area finalists.

The number was narrowed to five groups, which slugged it out with the top five of Luzon, Mindanao and the National Capital Region.

At the national final, Iloilo Prima Galaw was the first among equals in a glitzy awards ceremony held at Renaissance Hotel in Makati City on Oct. 27, 2009.

For sure, its beneficiaries, like Lovelyn, an orphan from the Dominican Girls? Home, is pleased with the win. After all, the young artists ignited her artistic side, enabling her to initiate her own creative theater presentation.

Most meaningful for the young thespians even before their Tayo feat was the performance of Julio from the Center for the Care of the Mentally Ill, who sang ?My Way? in thanking the group that helped him dream, discover and inspire.