Musikwela brings Filipino values to life through music, puppetry 

Musikwela, a Filipino children's educational entertainment program that uses music, storytelling, puppetry and animation to teach values, will release five new episodes in November covering respect for elders, indigenous culture, autism awareness, disaster preparedness and environmental care.  The five 30-minute episodes, co-produced by Ideasquest Inc. and the National Council for Children's Television (NCCT), an attached agency of the Department of Education, aim to make learning more engaging while helping children understand social issues and appreciate Filipino traditions.  During a media launch, Musikwela founder and executive director Ellen Estrada said the program draws from personal experiences and real-life encounters to create stories that children can relate to and learn from.  “Most of the things you see are made by us. We made all the puppets and all the songs. Even the costumes were sewn in a small community in Las Piñas,” Estrada said, explaining how her team handled much of the creative work behind the production despite limited resources.  The new episodes feature the Musikscouts, composed of Estrada's daughter, Yumi Sansano, and three furry puppet characters, Potpot, Lala and Biboy. Through their adventures, the characters demonstrate how children can respond to problems by helping others and practicing values such as empathy, respect and responsibility.    Estrada said...