In ‘Mabining Mandirigma,’ revolutionary wisdom refuses to stay in the past

Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!

Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.

Visit Suniway.ph to learn

March 29, 2026 | 5:34pm

MANILA, Philippines — Apolinario Mabini is a hero most of us only half-know. We know the titles “Utak ng Himagsikan” and “Dakilang Lumpo,” the adviser and the man in the chair, but rarely the mind itself: sharp, restless, always asking what more could be done. 

Tanghalang Pilipino’s 2026 restaging of "Mabining Mandirigma: A Steampunk Musical" finally brought that mind to life.

Set in the fragile months after the 1898 declaration of independence in Kawit, Cavite, the musical places us in a republic-in-formation struggling to define itself, draft a constitution and turn revolutionary ideals into governance — all while facing the Americans, who offer tutelage and autonomy instead of full independence. This clash of aspiration and imposed order sharpens Mabini’s clarity.

Shaira Opsimar carries the role of Mabini with the presence it demands. Mabini’s polio is central, shaping how he moves and interacts, but his mind never rests. Seated for most of the performance, Opsimar nonetheless sings and belts notes with remarkable power, turning limitations into an expression of brilliance. 

The show’s long-standing tradition of cross-gender casting where women play the role of Mabini, and even as soldiers and American leaders bring an added texture to the performance, giving familiar historical figures a new dynamism without feeling forced.

‘Utak, Puso, Bayan’

The play not only presents Mabini as a historical figure but also interrogates the nature of “utak”or intellect itself. 

Mabini’s knowledge is revolutionary: principled, rigorous, devoted to aspirations of a free, independent nation. Yet the same intellect, when wielded by the ilustrados — the educated Filipino elite — is often bent toward personal advantage, colonial compromise, or the protection of personal and factional interests. 

The show then asks: what is wisdom worth if it is untethered from principle?

One of the musical’s most powerful songs, “Mahirap Ba Mag-isip Bilang Pilipino?,” captures this frustration vividly. 

Mabini sings of the burden of thinking as a Filipino — of wrestling with principle in a society weighed down by compromise, loyalty to factions and self-interest. It is sharp, urgent and almost accusatory, forcing the audience to feel the strain of moral and intellectual labor that Mabini and our other heroes carried throughout the revolution.

David Ezra and Arman Ferrer alternate as Emilio Aguinaldo, delivering vocally impressive and convincing performances. They portray a leader caught between principle and political pressure from an ilustrado-led congress, with the tension between Mabini’s uncompromising intellect and Aguinaldo’s pragmatism driving the drama.

But despite its serious questions, humor also runs through the musical, often at the ilustrados’ expense, as they scheme and bend principles like the clowns they are. The Americans are also portrayed comedically, messianic, English-speaking, and pompous, which makes the telling of history both entertaining and sharp.

Mabini and the wisdom that refuses to die

The title of the play serves as a character cue. In Tagalog, “mabini” suggests gentleness, and paired with "mandirigma" (warrior), it forms a paradox: a gentle warrior, a duality brought to life on stage.

Tex Ordoñez-De Leon brings this presence and warmth to Dionisia, Mabini’s mother, while Gelo Molina embodies Pepe, Mabini’s loyal assistant and a stand-in for the common Filipino, uneducated yet sharpened by loyalty and experience. 

Through these relationships, the musical shows Mabini not only as a brilliant mind and revolutionary strategist but also as a deeply human figure who reflects, seeks guidance from his mother in flashbacks, and values the loyalty and insight of those around him, even amid the pressures of nation-building.

The final act of the play leans into a rhetorical flourish that, at times, feels unsubtle. The cast eulogizes Mabini and repeatedly frames the question: “If Mabini were alive today, he would…” — spelling out the answer instead of letting the audience wrestle with it. 

It might border on overkill, but there’s also bravery in the boldness, a daring insistence that forces you to confront the weight of the question. The musical doesn’t let you admire Mabini from afar but makes his wisdom a challenge we have to meet.

Tanghalang Pilipino’s staging of "Mabining Mandirigma: A Steampunk Musical" closes today, March 29, with sold-out shows.

Originally staged in 2015, the production continues to resonate, a reminder that Mabini’s mind, moral urgency, and question — “Is it difficult to think as a Filipino?” — remain alive, and will only grow more relevant in future restagings.

The musical does more than honor Mabini with its rich visuals and stirring music. It also compels us to grapple with Mabini's wisdom and the weight of a nation that, more than a century after independence, is still bound by elite rule, colonized ideals, fractured loyalties and the lingering threats of foreign and imperialist powers.

Leaving the theater, you’re left to wonder: If Mabini were alive today, what would he do — and would we, as a nation, even listen?

RELATED: Tanghalang Pilipino restages musical on ‘Sublime Paralytic’