Lyndee Prieto has been a director, playwright, lead performer, stage manager, and production manager since her days with Kulturang Atin Foundation, Inc. (KAFI). She directed six major plays and a host of one-act plays from 1983 to 1996, and directed the "Re-build East Timor" Concert (Davao City, 1997). Lyndee co-founded the now defunct BAYI Theatre Collective, a group that focused on portraying women's stories and issues in 1993. She currently heads the global education program of the Initiatives for International Dialogue where she facilitated and organized the Children's Art Camp (1999), Children's Peace Camps—stress debriefing workshops for children of war (2000), and Caregivers Trainings for those engaged in psycho-social rehabilitation in Mindanao's war zones (2000). Lyndee has also trained participants of the United Nations Organization of Youth (UNOY) 2nd International Conference held in Vught, Netherlands in 1999. In early 2002, Lyndee organized Peaceweavers: A Cross-Cultural Dialogue aimed at discussing indigenous ways in conflict resolution and grassroots peacebuilding. Lyndee conducts workshops and trainings on theatre, participatory action research, development plans, global education, peacebuilding, international solidarity, stress debriefing, and biodiversity and conservation. Lyndee also does promotions and advertising work and has written and directed commercial TV ads, and radio and slides productions. Lyndee is mother to Elan Diwa and Iqqui Sky Phoenix.

Geejay Arriola has worked in youth organizing (1983-86), development education and media (1986-89), cultural arts work (1988-present) and international solidarity work (1996-98). She is a peace educator, theatre artist, popular educator, actor, music composer, movement artist, cultural researcher, writer, publicist, webweaver, and desktop publisher. Geejay set up the women's program of Kaliwat Performing Artists' Cooperative (KPAC) in 1995, was global education trainor at Initiatives for International Dialogue (1996-98), and set up and managed Puslan Man Art Pub in 1998. She is a member of the National Performing Team of Asian Council for Peoples Culture-Theatre for the Environment Network (ACPC-Tent). Geejay is currently Vice-Chairperson of the Committee on Dramatic Arts of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and Treasurer of the network of Mindanao culture and theatre arts practitioners MINDULANI, Inc..She is mother to Soliloquy Amanda, Ra Chaim, and Enlil Ferran. More of her works may be found at: http://geejay.mebuyanpeaceproject.org

Gauss Obenza took Mathematics in university and ended up with a robust 14-year career in music. In 1987 she joined Kulturang Atin Foundation, Inc. (KAFI) as music artist for several of KAFI's plays. In 1993, Gauss joined Kaliwat Theatre Collective as on-call performer. She then joined Kathara Theatre Collective in 1994. At about the same time, Gauss toured Davao City's prestigious folkhouses singing cover songs. She soon became a local household name—the only woman singing solo, playing the guitar with amazing deft. She helped set up Bagaylan Women Quartet, an all-women music theatre group in 1996, and Seventh Heaven, now one of the most prestigious local jazz bands in Davao. Gauss was musical director for the International Women's Day Concerts in Davao City in 1996 and 1997. In 1998 Bagaylan Women Quartet was reinvented to become 4Elements, an all-women's band. Gauss, mother of Andress Havens, has performed in Malaysia, Japan, Hongkong, Australia, U.S.A., Belgium, and Switzerland. Gauss is mother to Andress Havens and Mayumi.

Bayang Barrios is erstwhile vocalist of Joey Ayala at ang Bagong Lumad. Bayang has toured several countries abroad-in the United States, Europe, and Asia as a singer-performer. After Bayang left Joey Ayala at ang Bagong Lumad, she produced her first album, entitled "Bayang Makulay" in 1996 under Universal Records. Since launching the album she has won several awards including: Best World Music, Best Arrangement, Best Song and Best Folk Vocalist for "Bagong Umaga", Best Folk Song for "Saan Nanggagaling ang Himig", and Best Folk Album for "Bayang Makulay" in the 1997 Katha Music Awards. She was also the 1997 Catholic Mass Media Awards (CMMA) Lorenzo Ruiz Awardee for Music for "Bayang Makulay." In 1996, the song "Bagong Umaga" was a finalist at the Metropop Song Festival. In 1998, Bayang represented the country in the Hanoi Music Festival where she grabbed the Best Vocalist Award. In 2001, Bayang produced the second album "Harinawa" under an independent label. Her song, "Ngansi Ba?" has recently been nominated for Best World Music Award at the 2002 Katha Music Awards. Bayang is mother to Mayoomi. http://www.bayangbarrios.com

Maan Chua is a young 18-year-old folk singer in Davao City who sings and strums her own guitar in various bars and pubs. She is the youngest member of the group. While a prolific performing artist with a promising career in music, this theatre production with Mebuyan Peace Project is her first initiation into the world of theatre. Maan is mother of Rei Ki Mudjahid (Kubing).

Aileen Fermalino was with the Sining Kabpapagariya Ensemble before she moved to Davao City and became a member of both Kaliwat Theatre Collective and Kathara Dance Theatre Collective performing and assisting the groups' production managers. Aileen was secretariat in the 2000 Sambayan-Davao Culture and Arts Festival, and facilitated Gender Sensitivity, Scriptwriting, and Theatre Workshops for various communities. Aileen is currently Mebuyan Peace Project's Production Manager while working full time as research and advocacy assistant for the Mindanao Coalition of Development NGO Networks (MINCODE). She is also currently Program Coordinator of the Brother's of Sacred Heart Community Program.

Maree Contaoi took fine arts in college and continues to be a prolific visual artist even as she hops around Davao City's art pubs as a solo folk singer strumming her own guitar. She was, however, first a drummer of an all-women band in college. Maree is mother to Amir Reeos.

Kaikai Lamanilao has been a performer (dancer, musician, actor) since the early 90s as member of the Education Discipline in Culture and Arts and Development, Inc. (EDCADS, Inc.) where she was also Coop project staff. She performed in Butuan's biggest theatre production "Balanghai" in 1994. In 1996-1997 she became support staff in charge of databank for PANAGTAGBO, a forum for Mindanao indigenous peoples, and later joined Kaliwat Theatre Collective as full-time administrative staff. Kaikai trained in Lights Design under Naomi Matsumoto in 1999 and 2003. She has also trained under Misujou in improvisation theatre, and has trained in gender and development, community action organizing, rapid community appraisal, and disaster management. She is currently on-call artist of Kaliwat and is Stage Manager of the long-running theatre production, "Mindasilang". As trainor, Kaikai facilitates workshops in children's theatre, theatre in education, integrated arts, and gender awareness. She has been to Korea, Jordan, Baghdad, and Iraq performing for Kaliwat, and will assist Naomi Matsumoto in lighting Ballet Philippines' "Darna" production at CCP Main Theatre in July. Kaikai is mother to Raja.

Kristy Austero-Lim is a dancer, actor and percussionist (indigenous instruments). She trained under Kathara Theatre Collective for four years and is currently an on-call artist of Kaliwat Theatre Collective. In 1998, she was one of a chosen few who collaborated with Taiwan People's Cultural Workshop (TPCW) in the play "Dancing Land". Christine trained in Asian dance, gender and development, acting, and indigenous music and dance. Christine has performed in Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Belgium, Switzerland and participated in the Babylon Festival in Iraq in 2000. Kristy is mother to Maki.

Sheila Labos is a nurse and health worker. She was researcher, trainor, community organizer, and services coordinator for Kalusugan Alang sa Bayan, Inc. (KAABAY) in Davao City for two years. Shiela studied traditional and oriental medicine and has conducted several women's health and reproduction workshops, mother's classes, gender trainings, and basic health trainings for urban poor, indigenous, and peasant women. As a full-time music and theatre artist for Kaliwat Theatre Collective, Shiela has performed in Singapore, Iraq, Korea, and Taiwan. She is currently rehearsing for "Danaw", a Kaliwat production that will tour Belgium and Switzerland at the end of the year. Shiela also facilitates workshops in theatre and gender awareness.

Maya Tampoy is a pop singer and keyboardist doing the rounds of hotels and bars in Davao City.

Dotai Aquino is a choreographer-dancer-percussionist-vocalist for Kathara Dance Theatre Collective. Her nimble body and youthful grace has brought her to festival performances in Asia and Canada. She choreographed a winning dance performance for Kathara at the 2004 Mindanao Indigenous Dance Festival. She recently launched a career in singing, playing a major role in Earthmusic Foundation, Inc.'s multi-media concert-theatre production Salima.

Boots Dumlao founded Kathara Dance Theatre Collective, Inc.—Davao City's premier youth theatre company—in 1984 during which time she also sang and played folk music at a local pub, sold paintings and taught Humanities and Arts in a private high school. Boots directs, choreographs and writes scripts for Kathara focusing on Bagobo myths, legends, rituals, dance and music. Her wealth of knowledge in ethnic culture includes traditional artistic traditions of the Maranao, Maguindanao, Tiruray, Manobo, Mandaya, T'boli, and B'laan tribes. A cultural researcher who annotates dance and music, Boots manually creates her company's costumes, sets, props, and some music instruments. Boots presented a paper on "The Bagobo Guiangan/Bagobo Matigsalog Dances, Music and Related Material Culture" with dance and music annotation at the Philippine Folk Dance Society National Dance Workshop in April 1996. Her most recent theatre works include "Malaki t'Olu K'waig" and "Lumabat, Ang Bagobong Naging Diwata". In 1993, Boots performed in "Yutang Saad" and "Lem'afeu sa Habagatan" with Kaliwat Theatre Collective and designed Kaliwat's "Danaw" in 2001. Boots recently came back from Canada where she produced three song albums of her original compositions.

Malou Tiangco possesses master's diplomas in social work and development administration. She started theatre and healing work in the early 70s participating in church-led community theatre plays. She proceeded to become Community Theatre Regional Training Coordinator for the Mindanao-Sulu Pastoral Conference Secretariate (MSPCS) in 1975-79. Utilizing integrated arts (theatre, music, dance, poetry, visual arts) in her holistic approach to counselling and healing, Malou today counsels violence/rape survivors at the Bathaluman Crisis Center, and trains caregivers in psychosocial therapy. For three years, Malou worked as Senior Social Welfare Analyst of the national office of Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and as the agency's Regional Social Welfare Specialist in Family and Children Programs for 11 years. In 1999-2000, Malou trained East Timorese caregivers in Psychosocial Help for Children in Armed Conflict, a UNICEF Project. Malou also wrote TV and radio scripts for Channel 4 and Communication Foundation for Asia in Manila (1981-82) and wrote several short plays including a script on the stories of prostituted women for an organization helping prostituted women in Davao City. As director, Malou directed a vignette for a production on Comfort Women in 1993, "Delia", a short monologue, and the IWD Concert in Davao in 1997. She has done cultural research among the T'boli of Lake Sebu (1977), and among the Subanens of Migsali, Misamis Occidental (1999). Malou is Mebuyan Peace Project's Vice-President, and is mother to Adiw Alban (Diwa).

Donnabelle Celebrado taught Physical Education in Iligan City for two years during which time she trained as musician and production manager under Kariala Ethniko Center for Music Traditions, Inc., a music ensemble dedicated to Mindanao indigenous music. Donna has since become Marketing and Projects Coordinator for Kaliwat Theatre Collective from 1996. She trained in Lights Design under Naomi Matsumoto in 1999 and is also a documentation specialist. Donna has performed at the Singapore Theatre Festival (1997), Gwa-chon International Theatre Festival (Seoul, Korea, 1998) and Theatre Expo 2000 (Darwin, 2000), and in Belgium and Switzerland (2001). Donna is currently in Canada.

Hidita Villas is Projects Director of CRUST Foundation, Inc. where she also supervises the organization's community-based resource management program. Possessing a Masters Degree in Education, Ditz was also Executive Director of KABIBA Alliance for Children's Concerns (1997-2000) while teaching graduate and undergraduate students in Early Childhood Education. She also worked as project evaluator, researcher, trainor, and technical consultant for Proponents' Technical Assistance and Management Services (PROTEAM, 1994-97). As trainor, she developed training designs and modules in gender sensitivity, policy framework and gender analysis for POs and NGOs, program management, participatory rural appraisal and community organizing-community development. Ditz has also conducted research on The Marginalization of Tribal Filipinos in Mindanao (1995), and Popular Education in Mindanao (1995). She is a specialist in Family Life and Child Development, facilitates a host of trainings in human resource development, and is a music teacher and soprano vocalist. Ditz performed in the dance-drama "Lem'afeu sa Habagatan" and in the musical "Yutang Saad" where she played the lead. Ditz is mother to Kahinam, Karisma Flor, and Karlo Gerren.

JULY ONAS

NONA BOTOHAN

GINA BRINGAS-SUELTO

IVY JOY HERRERO