Philippine Martial Art Troupe
(Cultural performing arm of the NARAPHIL)




Brief Background

When NARAPHIL was organized in January 1975, its main thrust was for the promotion and propagation of the art through series of demonstration and teaching of arnis on the different school levels and regions of the country.

On August of the same year, NARAPHIL sponsored for the first time a unique kind of festival dubbed as “Festival of Asian Martial Arts” held at the Folk Arts Theatre. It was participated by 11 different top martial art clubs in Metro-Manila. The highlight of which is the introduction of the NARAPHIL Cultural Troupe, performed by the different schools in Metro-Manila and adjacent provinces.

The success of the affair eventually leads to the formation of the NARAPHIL Cultural Troupe. It’s a 40-man troupe compose of students coming from the different schools, colleges and universities in Manila and Cavite. It was headed by the NARAPHIL Executive Director – Romeo C. Mascardo, with the assistance from a Filipino Anthropologist Consultant – Ramon Obusan.

They regular practice at the Rizal Park Post Office ground every Saturdays. During Tuesdays and Thursdays at the University of the East gym and perform weekly at the Nayong Pilipino Park every Sunday afternoon. All training activities were held at the Rizal Memorial Gymnastic Gymnasium when the NARAPHIL Central Office was established in 1977. Still regularly performs at Nayong Pilipino every Sunday afternoon and maintain an extension office for the PHILMAT.

They have performed from different universities, colleges, towns, cities and regions from Tuguegarao to Jolo for the past two years including the visit of US President Ford, Chinese Premier Li and Papal visit Pope John Paul II. They often perform in Malacañang ground for foreign visitors during the Marcos era.

In 1977, the troupe changed its name into “Philippine Martial Art Troupe” (PHILMAT) – The cultural performing arm of the NARAPHIL. Two foreign trips were scheduled for them, Jakarta and Bangkok, but to no avail. They also performed in 1978 together with the Chinese Wushu group at the Araneta Coliseum.

Their last performance was in 1988 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex during the “Asian Martial Arts Festival/Competition” where they garner second over-all in exhibition among 16 martial arts group from local and foreign participants – awarded by Sen. Freddie Web. They officially exited in 1988 and all the members became the pillars of the Liping Maharlika.

Today, this people are successful young professionals, businessmen and career officers of the government service and most of them working abroad as immigrants but actively supporting the NARAPHIL endeavors. From them it gave birth to the “Liping Maharlika”, where most of them are active members.