Kenkoy, the OG Pinoy pop culture icon, dances into the modern world

One of the Philippines’ oldest pop culture icons is getting a new life—this time through contemporary dance.

Areté at Ateneo de Manila University, in partnership with Alice Reyes Dance Philippines (ARDP), is bringing “Kenkoy” to the stage in September 2026, a new dance production inspired by Tony Velasquez’s iconic Filipino comic character.

The production will run on September 18–20 and 25–26, 2026 at Hyundai Hall, Areté, Ateneo de Manila University.

According to Areté’s announcement, the show will use dance to navigate “pop culture, digital trends and identity in this fast-changing world,” drawing inspiration from a character who was already commenting on Filipino identity nearly a century ago.

Tickets will be available online soon.

From komiks to dance

Francisco “Kenkoy” Harabas first appeared in Liwayway magazine on January 11, 1929, in the comic strip “Mga Kabalbalan ni Kenkoy.” Created by writer Romualdo Ramos and illustrator Tony Velasquez, the character became enormously popular and helped pave the way for the Philippine komiks industry.

Velasquez would eventually become known as the “Father of Philippine Komiks.”

Kenkoy was the quintessential Filipino “city slicker”—recognizable by his slicked-back hair, oversized trousers, suspenders and shiny shoes. But underneath the comedy was social commentary.

Created during the American colonial period, Kenkoy poked fun at Filipinos trying to imitate Western fashion, behavior and language. His hilariously mangled mixture of English, Spanish and Tagalog produced expressions such as “Weitaminit!” and “Bay-gali!”—an early comic precursor to the Taglish that Filipinos casually speak today.

His cultural influence was so widespread that “kenkoy” or “kengkoy” eventually became part of everyday Filipino vocabulary, describing someone funny, goofy or comically absurd.

Nearly a century later, those questions about changing trends, imported influences and Filipino identity remain surprisingly familiar—only now they play out through social media, digital culture and an increasingly interconnected world.

The creative team

The new stage interpretation is directed and choreographed by Ronelson Yadao, with music by Krina Cayabyab and a libretto by Guelan Varela Luarca.

Jerry Respeto serves as dramaturg, while D Cortezano handles production and lighting design.

Presented by Areté in partnership with Alice Reyes Dance Philippines, “Kenkoy” takes a character born in the earliest years of Philippine komiks and asks what he might still tell us about being Filipino in 2026.

Almost 100 years after he first made Filipinos laugh at themselves, Kenkoy is still keeping up with the times.

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