MOTHER OF PHILIPPINE FOLK DANCES

NATIONAL ARTIST: FRANCISCA REYES-AQUINO

Popularly known as the Mother of Philippine Folk Dancing, Francisca Aquino-Reyes was born in Lolomboy, Bocaue, in the province of Bulacan, on March 9, 1899. She was the eldest of three children of Felipe Reyes and Juliana Santos Reyes of Manila.

Although born in Bulacan, she received her early education in Manila: the Meisic Elementary School, Tondo Intermediate School and Manila High School in Tondo, Manila. She obtained her High School Teacher's Certificate (H.S.T.C.) in 1923 and her Bachelor of Science in Education degree in 1924 from the University of the Philippines (U.P.). The Master of Arts in Education degree was soon to follow from the same state university.

She worked as instructor of physical education in UP wherein her great interest in folk songs and dances were noted by the university president Jorge Bocobo, who sent her throughout the Philippines to undertake research on folk songs and dances. And together with Antonino Buenaventura, and Ramon Tolentino (her first husband who died in 1939), she was tasked to collect and record native songs, dances, music and costumes.

It has become a tradition for the three to travel to the remotest barrios every summer to gather materials from various indigenous groups. As she took notes of the dance steps and movements, Buenaventura recorded the music, while Tolentino took still and moving pictures.

She had documented about 50 basic steps and 200 folk dances of various modes and colors. Her research indicated interesting patterns: people near the sea danced about fishing and rowing; those in the coconut regions made use of coconut shells in their dances; and those in the rice-producing provinces depicted various steps in planting and harvesting. She also observed that people from economically self-sufficient regions produced lively dances and music, while those in the provinces were livelihood was a constant struggle created slow, melancholy and mournful dances and music.

Francisca Reyes-Aquino also took graduate studies in physical education in the college of Physical Education at Boston University. She also attended a summer session at Harvard University.

When Jorge Bocobo became Secretary of Public Instruction, he appointed Aquino to the Bureau of Education. In her new post, she actively promoted the revival of of folk dances through the public schools. She organized the bureau's Folk Song and Dance Club. The other organizations she founded were the Philippine Folk Dance Society and theFilipiniana Dance Troupe (as part of the US Special Service during the liberation). She also served as consultant to the Bayanihan Dance Company.

As a prolific writer, she authored 15 books and many articles on folk dances. In 1959, she was elected as representative to the World Conference of Teaching Profession in Washington, DC. And in 1962, she received the much coveted Ramon Magsaysay Award for her valuable role in recording and preserving Philippine folk dances.

When she died at age 84 on November 21, 1983, she was honored with a state funeral. She was buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.