What Is Philippine Sarswela?

Philippine zarzuela is a type of drama that originated in Spain, and includes singing and dancing on stage. The lyrics are alternatively spoken and sung in both operatic and popular styles. Different types of zarzuelas have evolved in several countries with Spanish heritage, including the Philippines. In the Philippines, the term "zarzuela" can refer to any dramatic work from the 19th century up to the present day, which uses Spanish popular traditions to tell traditional stories or poems. This aesthetic often features colorful costumes, lively music, and dance scenes.

The sarswela in the Philippines developed from earlier forms of entertainment, such as storytellers or popular dances. Its roots can be traced back to the early 1800s, when Filipinos began to gather around storytellers to listen to their tales. Eventually, this folk entertainment evolved into theater, with storytellers turning professional and presenting plays to larger audiences. This new form of entertainment was called saynete (Tagalog for "stage"). As the sarswela developed, Spanish influence became apparent. This can be seen in the use of recitation as a form of storytelling, as well as elements such as musical accompaniment and stagedirection. Spanish theater also emphasized spectacle over narrative, setting a precedent for the elaborate stage effects that would become common in Filipino sarswela. The fusion of these two influences would ultimately result in what we today know as Philippine sarswela.

A sarswela is a play with songs and dances usually written in prose, containing from one to five acts, depicting the vagaries of romantic love among idealized Filipino characters, and often incorporating contemporary social, political, economic or cultural issues for relevance and interest.

There is no definitive answer to this question, as the two genres have various roots and influences. However, it can be said that the sarswela likely originated from the zarzuela, a popular Spanish theatrical form that originated in the 16th century. The term saynete may also have been derived from this format, as both were often performed by professional theater companies.

The Tagalog “sarswela” theater originated in 1902, when Reyes wrote and staged his play Walang Sugat (Not wounded). The sarswela became the premiere form of Filipino theater in Manila from 1902 to the 1930s.