Vlad Bunoan

Veteran actors Nonie and Shamaine Buencamino. Handout

Article (news)

Jude Cartalaba

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:655px;display:block" width="655"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1787700301098The Buencaminos.jpeg" style="width:655px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="655" alt="Veteran actors Nonie and Shamaine Buencamino. Handout"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Veteran actors Nonie and Shamaine Buencamino. <em>Handout</em></span></span></span>MALOLOS CITY, Bulacan — In an era where regional theater continues to serve as a vital anchor for cultural preservation, the provincial stage rises once more to honor the discipline, lived experience, and artistic legacy of Filipino icons.</div><p>As part of the annual Singkaban Festival 2026, Dulaang Filipino Sining Bulakenyo — presented by the Provincial Government of Bulacan through the Provincial History, Arts, Culture and Tourism Office (PHACTO) — will re-stage the acclaimed theatrical masterpiece, Floy Quintos’ &quot;Atang.&quot; </p><p>Running across six dates this September at the Nicanor Abelardo Auditorium at the Hiyas ng Bulacan Cultural Center, the production offers a profound meditation on memory, artistic integrity, and the narratives that shape national identity.</p><p>At the helm of this cultural movement are two of Philippine theater’s most revered figures: veteran actors Nonie and Shamaine Buencamino.</p><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1787700232097775183721_1553481416955607_7571541869560436155_n.jpg" style="width:655px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><br/></div><p>The Buencaminos&#x27; journey as artistic consultants for Bulacan began when Governor Daniel Fernando directly reached out, extending a personal invitation to leverage their pedigree for the province&#x27;s cultural development. The governor’s mandate was clear: elevate the artistic caliber of the annual Singkaban Festival by staging productions of high artistic value that honor local heritage.</p><p>Drawing from their deep roots in classical performance — Nonie’s foundational work with Tanghalang Ateneo and Repertory Philippines, Shamaine’s academic training at UP Diliman, and their shared pioneer years with the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Pilipino — the couple established a clear curatorial compass. They chose to bring classical masterworks to Bulacan, thoughtfully adapted to resonate with local audiences.</p><div><strong>Building a sustainable regional ensemble</strong></div><p>Establishing a professional theater company within provincial budget constraints presented early hurdles, but it also opened doors for organic community growth.</p><p>“We hoped to form a company, but the budget cannot sustain a professional group,” Nonie explains. “Fortunately, since the cast members are almost always from Bulacan, the same people have been coming back to audition, making progressive training possible.”</p><p>Rather than relying on outside talent, the couple focused on mentoring local Bulakenyo artists through active ensemble work and rigorous stage discipline.</p><p>&quot;Both of us believe in leaving a legacy by teaching. The best way to learn theater is by doing. So, whether as a director or as a co-actor, we teach by setting a good example onstage,&quot; says Shamaine.</p><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1787700268356att.Zv6ih68_HcUi--UrAcd18afdUSegQHlNilX6eiGVIBQ.JPG" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><p>Under the Buencaminos&#x27; guidance, Dulaang Filipino has quietly built an impressive repertoire of local history and classic adaptations</p><p>Its post-pandemic return included a multimedia production honoring the life of Guiguinto-born composer Constancio De Guzman, combining documentary footage with live performance.</p><p>The company has also localized classics, including “Doon Po Sa Amin,” dramaturg Flor Katrina Capadusa’s Bulacan adaptation of Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town.” Its heritage productions include a re-staging of Andrew Estacio’s “Awit ng Dalagang Marmol,” which explores the origins of the Jocelynang Baliwag kundiman and was directed by Nazer Degayo Salcedo.</p><p>More recently, in 2025, Dulaang Filipino staged Layeta Bucoy’s “Ruminations (Pagninilay)” and Nonie Buencamino’s directorial production of Floy Quintos’ “Atang.”</p><p>Back by popular demand for Singkaban Festival 2026, &quot;Atang&quot; explores the life and complex humanity of Honorata &quot;Atang&quot; de la Rama, dubbed the Queen of Kundiman and Sarsuwela, and the first National Artist for Theater and Music. Quintos&#x27; narrative bridges generational divides, examining how historical memory is preserved, contested, and passed down to contemporary artists.</p><p>To ensure culture remains accessible to all, every performance by Dulaang Filipino is mounted free of charge for the public. Its upcoming performances are scheduled for September 4-6 and 11-13, with shows at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.</p>

<p>As part of the annual Singkaban Festival 2026, Dulaang Filipino Sining Bulakenyo will re-stage the acclaimed theatrical masterpiece, Floy Quintos’ "Atang."</p>

As part of the annual Singkaban Festival 2026, Dulaang Filipino Sining Bulakenyo will re-stage the acclaimed theatrical masterpiece, Floy Quintos’ "Atang."

How Nonie and Shamaine Buencamino are shaping Bulacan’s theater revival

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How Nonie and Shamaine Buencamino are shaping Bulacan’s theater revival

Jude Cartalaba

Published August 26, 2026 05:26 PM PHT

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Updated August 27, 2026 04:28 PM PHT

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Nonie Buencamino

Shamaine Buencamino

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Atang

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