‘Hope is the actual enemy’: Why waiting for change won’t save us in “Climate in Crazies”

April 11, 2025 , 09:47 AM

By Bea Rollo

(April 11, 2025) – For generations, we were taught that the Earth is the only planet that could sustain life—or maybe, as it is today, like a mother, we are children being cradled in its care.

Art is one thing that makes life more meaningful and one way to share the tale of reality is through it, like the performing arts. Dulaang Unibersidad ng Pilipinas (Dulaang UP) had weaved a twin bill theatrical play called “Mga Anak ng Unos.”

A captive emotion that shall spark not just ones’ awareness in the rampant climate crisis is a wordplay and spin off to its nature, the play—”Climate in Crazies” directed by Issa Manalo Lopez and Tess Jamias, also crafted inspiration from David Finnigan’s “Climate Era.”

‘MGA ANAK NG UNOS’

Itinanghal ng Dulaang Unibersidad ng Pilipinas (Dulaang UP) ang dalawang dula ng “Mga Anak ng Unos” hinggil sa danas ng krisis pang-klima sa IBG-KAL Theater sa University of the Philippines Diliman nitong Sabado, April 6. pic.twitter.com/XCTbjVx8NV
— News5 (@News5PH) April 6, 2025

Recall of reality

Tess Jamias, one of the play’s directors shared how she came up with crafting her masterpiece saying it is a due diligence to do her part, not just raising awareness to the audience but also leaving an impact.

“I think that it is very important that even seeing we assume people know about the climate crisis—but they don’t,” Jamias shared in an interview with News5.

“They think it is an act of God but is actually done by man that’s why it is very urgent for us to say the need to call for action. That’s why we did this play,” she added.

Given the rich cultural diversity of Philippine mythology, “Climate in Crazies’” made it possible to connect stories of mythological creatures from: alamat, pabula, to name a few, had brought life to raise awareness in climate crisis terms of the performing arts as it defines the identity of Filipinos.

One of the lead actors for the play, Herbie Go opened up his insight of the story and the character he plays.

“Ngayon, itong nangyayaring crisis sa climate natin, pinaglaruan lang namin ‘yung title ng ‘climate in crisis’ naging ‘climate in crazies.’ Minsan talaga, mga siraulo ba talaga tayo? Bakit natin sinisira (ang environment natin). Wala tayong tatakbuhan,” he emphasized.

“Sabi nga nila walang planet B, ito lang ‘yung planet natin. Kung masira ito, hindi tayo makakatira sa Mars, sa moon, sa Venus, [at] sa outer space.”

Filipi-knows in climate challenges

One way of looking into the bigger picture is the collective understanding of Filipinos when it comes to the climate crisis, one thing that binds Pinoy culture. For the directors of “Climate in Crazies” is a double-headed sword. Since sometimes, Filipino traits such as the ‘bahala na’ and survival of the fittest becomes negative resiliency.

“So ‘yun, we might need to change that outlook in life na hindi pwedeng ‘bahala na ang Diyos.’ Tayo ang bahala, tayo ang gumawa ng paraan,” Go said.

“The need to survive is very inherent in every Filipino. Sometimes, it’s also abused—[it] is very strong enough and lumalaban tayo para mabuhay kasi importante ang buhay sa’tin,” Jamias, also shared.

The start of the end

Creating the play, all the audience are ought to leave with dread and call to act are only some points the directors wanted them to take home.

Issa Manalo Lopez, one of the directors, wants everyone to feel disturbed leaving the theater.

“Gusto ko sanang mabahala ang mga manonood dahil amtindi na ang dagok sa atin ng climate emergency—oras na para umaksyon tayo at wala ng iba pang makakasagip sa’tin kung ‘di tayo,” Lopez said.

“Hope is the actual enemy; it means that blind hope is also not useful for us. We have to know that we are already in a different world. We have to be actively doing something instead of just hoping na may magbabago sa’tin,” Jamias, meanwhile, added.

With a touch of the mythical world and a dash of today’s reality the “Climate Crazies” play gave justice to one shared agony and responsibility, that .Hope is the actual enemy—we have to act now.

Catch the “Mga Anak ng Unos” now in its final week at the IBG-KAL Theater in the University of the Philippines Diliman.

The twin bill also includes the first play, “”Sa Gitna ng Digmaan ng Mahiwagang Nilalang Laban sa Sangkatauhan,”— another daring take on ecological chaos, an alliance between bathalas and mythological creatures in their move to punish the sangkatauhan.

ALSO READ: ‘Resilient or reckless?’: Dulaang UP’s myth-inspired play explores divine alliances amid climate crisis

The show runs until April 13. For tickets, visit bit.ly/MgaAnakNgUnosTickets.

(AAD)

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