The Origin of Mindanao: Reviving Folklore through Puppetry and Multimedia Storytelling at Dar Amanah in Silang, Cavite

Proponent/s Name/s (Last Name, First Name, Middle Initial)

• Juliene Krista Y. Arciaga, De La Salle UniversityFollow
• Clarisse S. Garcia, De La Salle UniversityFollow
• Rhianne Ava M. Kalaw, De La Salle UniversityFollow
• Chloe Salarda, De La Salle UniversityFollow

Document Types

Arts and Design Research Presentation

Research Theme (for Paper Presentation and Poster Presentation submissions only)

Food, Nutrition, and Health (FNH)

School Name

De La Salle University - Laguna Campus

Track or Strand

Arts and Design Track (ADT)

Research Advisor (Last Name, First Name, Middle Initial)

Tolentino, Christian Gabriel

Start Date

23-6-2026 1:30 PM

End Date

23-6-2026 4:30 PM

Zoom Link/ Room Assignment

DLSU Manila Campus (In-person)-LS315 Pablo Nicolas Seminar Room

Abstract/Executive Summary

In the Philippines, political disputes have led to a growing number of displaced children, often resulting in a profound disconnect from their cultural roots and home environments. This study addresses this issue by utilizing shadow puppetry and multimedia storytelling to retell the Manuvu creation myth. The primary goal is to help the children of the Dar Amanah children’s village reconnect with their heritage while contributing to the preservation of indigenous Mindanaoan folklore. This approach explores how creative mediums can support cultural identity and emotional engagement among displaced youth, grounded in Tiatco’s theory of entanglement. The researchers developed a comprehensive short film involving shadow puppetry and original songs. Beyond the film screening, a hands-on workshop was conducted, teaching the children the art of shadow puppet making; a segment of the final film even featured the children’s own creations. To measure the project's impact, an interview was administered following the activities. The results indicated that children were significantly more engaged and emotionally responsive to the Manuvu myth when presented through multimedia storytelling compared to traditional text-based methods. Respondents demonstrated improved recall of story elements, characters, and cultural symbols following the integration of music and movement. Furthermore, many children expressed a newfound interest in indigenous Filipino folklore. Ultimately, these findings demonstrate that multimedia performances are a powerful tool for making indigenous narratives accessible, effectively strengthening cultural identity in vulnerable populations.

Keywords

Mindanaoan Folklore; Cultural Identity; Shadow Puppetry; Multimedia Storytelling

Art Category Code (for Arts and Design Research Presentation submissions only)

Photography, Film, and Animation (FLM)

Art Sub-category Code

Short Film

Initial Consent for Publication

yes

Statement of Originality

yes