"In the dark times, will there also be singing? Yes, there will be singing about the dark times." - Brecht

i n s t i s

Aklat ng Bayan

Arkibong Bayan

Sinewaya

Pinoy Weekly

Digging up a half-burnt body in Labrador, Pangasinan

Just came back from the exhumation of an unidentified cadaver of a female in Labrador, Pangasinan. It is the same body that Linda Cadapan, mother of missing student activist Sherlyn, suspects may be that of her missing daughter’s. The trip lasted for four hours from Manila to Labrador, a small town north of Lingayen. It is one of those rows of houses you may pass by in Pangasinan on your way to Baguio. The folks were certainly surprised at the sudden attention given to their small town today. As our convoy of vehicles rolled onto their streets, the Labrador people lined up the sidewalks, curiously delighted, as if some sudden good fortune had befallen their sleepy town. Vehicles from two television stations followed, piquing the locals’ interest even further.

Read further:

Reportage etc.

Posted by: kr.guda at 16:27 | link | comments (1)

What Comes To Your Mind When You Hear The Word "Woman"?

What a way to celebrate Women's Month.

I received a rather indignant email from Karl recently regarding a film premiere in the UP Film Institute in celebration of the Women's Month. On March 8, which is the International Women's Day, and the very day the women under Gabriela march from Welcome Rotonda to Plaza Miranda to denounce fellow-woman President Arroyo's supposed anti-women policies, the UP Film Institute is scheduled to premiere "Seksing Pinay."

The film, which is a montage of deleted / censored film splices of sex scenes from various films, is labeled a "welcome twist" to the Women's Month celebration, says the institute's media release. It says further:

"Narrated by Roy Alvarez, the unique big-screen engagement weaves together deleted footage from films topbilled by bold stars spanning three decades to examine the phenomenon of sex in the movies and the depiction of women in sex-oriented roles. Project director is Armando Reyes with consultant Cesar Aquino and editing supervisor Jeff de Vera. Screening is strictly for mature audiences. "

Karl, who is also a fledging filmmaker and was once at odds with some of the Film Institute's officials over his thesis defense (it had nothing to do with the Institute; the officials were panelists in his thesis defense), likened "Seksing Pinay" to "Sex in Philippine Cinemas", which came out commercially on DVD sometime last year. I saw bits of the latter myself (a copy of it was lying around in a place I was staying around last year) -- "Sex in Philippine Cinemas" is likewise a montage of sex scenes from various films. They were not deleted or sensored scenes; just sex scenes.

Although its title sounds a bit like that of an academic paper (I half-expected a subtitle that reads: "A scholarly look at sex in cinema..." or something), the DVD is obviously made to titillate. Bold flicks during the 70s and the TF (Titillating films) during the 90s did just that, but at least they bothered to lace the sex with corny plots (e.g., a film called "Itlog" had an egg factory as its setting). "Sex in Philippine Cinema", as well as "Seksing Pinay", I presume gets rid of the plots and gets down to the business of titillating.

TFs and bold flicks were said to have thrived during repressive periods -- horny people were less likely to be involved in politics and activism than sexually-mature ones. "Seksing Pinay" seems to be right along that grand old tradition of selling sex in movies. I do not have to say what an insult it is to women that such a film -- if that indeed is what I assume it to be, for there is a slim chance it might really be an academic treatise on sex in cinema after all  -- will be shown on Women's Day itself.

Posted by: kr.guda at 13:30 | link | comments (1)

Support for Jerrie Abella

Here is our statement of support for Jerrie Abella, current Collegian editor-in-chief and candidate for USC Chairperson in the University of the Philippines-Diliman. Tomorrow is the election.


One Tough Editor

Running the Philippine Collegian is one thankless job. Aside from the nerve-wracking, pressure-packed pressworks that writers and artists deal with on a weekly basis, its editors are burdened with almost impossible, inhuman expectations. The least that they have to be worried about are the rules of grammar (in both languages), which they are assumed to have firm grasp of. They are required by the job to have extraordinary acuity and keenness in analyzing social, political and cultural events. Equally as important, of course, editors have to have a fully developed creative imagination, not to mention, impeccable taste.

It is undeniably one of the most demanding jobs on campus, where mere mortals fear to tread.

It does not surprise us, therefore, that one of Collegian’s editors – current editor-in-chief, no less – has decided to tread the path of campus politics. He is on familiar ground, for sure. He is vying for one job where his wit and intelligence, superior leadership skills, creative imagination and, well, impeccable taste, can be put to best use.

We are talking, of course, about Jerrie Abella.

As an astute observer of campus politics for many years, Jerrie has acquired an encyclopedic knowledge of its ins and outs. Trained as a news reporter, he has interviewed and conversed with university administrators and professors, instructors and employees, residents and students – stakeholders all in the business of running a student council.

Anyone familiar with how a usual Collegian presswork grinds out knows how tough one must be to be able to go through the entire process with his or her sanity intact. From planning the issue to going through the rigorous editing to the painstaking laying out of the pages, Jerrie has successfully led one of the best Collegian pool of editors, writers and artists in years. This feat is due in no small measure to Jerrie’s leadership.

Make no mistake, too: Jerrie is also an impassioned activist. His heart has always been in the right place – the Collegian’s advocacies are testament to that. During the last school year, Jerrie was among the editors who assiduously fought administration intervention in the paper’s fiscal affairs while coming up with creative ways to deliver the news to the students. The Collegian’s past term and the current one were also most valiant in exposing and criticizing the utter underhandedless with which the UP administration passed the tuition hike. Jerrie’s term has also kept vigil of updates on the whereabouts of missing UP students Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño, as well as other disappeared victims of state fascism.

It goes without saying, too, that the Collegian under his term has been most passionate in bringing to the student fore national issues, from demolition of urban poor communities to the national movement to oust the sitting President.

Jerrie has also been actively involved with the College Editors Guild of the Philippines and Solidaridad, the UP System-wide Alliance of Student Publications and Writers’ Organizations – of which he is the Secretary General – organizing national conventions and meetings for skills training, building and sustaining networks for the promotion of campus press freedom and advocacy journalism.

We have to admit, though: Jerrie is biased. But only because he favors seeing social problems from the point-of-view of the majority of poor and dispossessed Filipinos. He is biased for the students, and makes sure that every ink that he pens will reflect its objective interests and aspirations. He is biased for what is true. Yes, as a journalist, he is obliged to be objective and fair, and the pages of the Collegian in many ways reflect that. But more than being an observer, Jerrie is an activist and a student leader. More than being a mere chronicler of events, he is completely engaged in the conflict of our times.

Fortunately for us, he is on our side.

This coming election, we, former Philippine Collegian editors, urge you to vote JERRIE ABELLA, for chairperson of the University Student Council.


Signed:

Jayson DP Fajarda, Editor in Chief, 2004-2005
Ellaine Rose A. Beronio, Editor in Chief, 2002-2003
Kenneth Roland A. Guda, Features Editor, 2000-2001
Lisa Cariño Ito, Associate Editor, 2000-2002
Margaret P. Yarcia, Features Editor, 2006-2007
Katrina Angela R. Macapagal, Associate Editor, 2006-2007
Joan ME Salvador, Associate Editor, 2002-2003
Kendrick T. Bautista, Graphics Editor, 2004-2005
Divina Nova Joy D. Dela Cruz, News Editor, 2003-2005
Rouelle T. Umali, Graphics Editor, 2006-2007
Jeeu Christopher A. Gonzales, Culture Editor, 2006-2007
Wendell M. Gumban, News Editor, 2004-2005

Posted by: kr.guda at 11:05 | link | comments

Celebrating Truthtellers

They were all over him, the employees, smothering him with hugs, even kisses. They were posing with him for snapshots that perhaps end up in their Friendster accounts. He willingly obliged. I think he's getting used to it, which is not a bad thing. One can only imagine how difficult his life had become since that fateful day when he did not know if he would live or go the way of more than 170 activists missing to date. He was all smiles, and all ears, as students aim their phone cams on him and chat up with him.

He is Jun Lozada, and he looked as every bit relieved as any man who went through what he went through ought to be. Sure, the limelight can take its toll on even the most hardened celebrity. The circles around his eyes are testament to that. But he is relieved nevertheless. At least he lived long enough to be mobbed.

Days before, he went through just that, courtesy of students at the St. Scholastica's College. Nothing as threatening as a pack of screaming colegialas calling your name like you were some artista. He was a rock star. A funny looking, middle-aged man who turned the country on its heels with his knowledge of scandalous government dealings and his wisecracking ways at the Senate.

That afternoon, he was even more jovial. He made the rounds of some universities, with the UP's law building Maclolm Hall as his last stop. With security considerations forcing the speaking engagement to be moved from Quezon Hall to Malcolm (a not-so-ideal place to hold a rally, truth to tell), Lozada spoke to the throng through a balcony. It was a bit comical, even slightly ridiculous, and reminded me of Madonna's Evita Peron singing "Don't Cry for Me Argentina".

But no matter. Whatever he said, the  crowd of more than a thousand warmly responded. Lozada gave his now-all-too-familiar speech about the youth being at the forefront of social change. And when time came for the students to ask questions, he was amusingly glib. Repeatedly asked to comment on President Arroyo, Lozada was circumspect, apologizing for it by saying that he did not want to taint his newfound celebrity with partisan politics. Some student, an activist for sure, sought to correct him in his views about politics, saying that what he did in the Senate was by nature "political," and that there's nothing wrong with that. He was all quiet, but a few fellow students responded with faint catcalls. Understandably, they did not want to embarrass their guest. Nevertheless, the grim-and-determined student had a point, and Lozada knew it.

It was mostly fun. Lozada deserves all the support he gets from the students and the public. It is to his credit that the middle class who had been running out of heroes in their ranks have now began to show signs of political life. Good god, it's about time. And though, I don't see those same colegialas rooting this time for new whistleblower Dante Madriaga, we can safely assume that we will be seeing more of the middle class in the days to come.

That frenetic afternoon with Lozada, however, made me think about other things. It made me think about those missing activists who were not as lucky as him. It reminded me of Lourdes "Nanay Ude" Rubrico, an urban poor activist from Cavite who was abducted by state agents while in her sleep about a year ago. She was taken to PAF Field Station Fernando Air Base, Lipa City, Batangas where she was mentally tortured and threatened with physical harm for days. She escaped after eight days. The Court of Appeals has refused to grant her and her family the protection she needs, thus she continues to live in hiding, fearing for her and her children's and grandchildren's lives.

Nanay Ude, is a whistleblower like Lozada. And so are the Manalo brothers. And the others, who amidst tremendous threat to their lives,  chose to speak the truth, about the unspeakable brutality that they had seen by their own eyes. They remain largely unknown. They are not celebrities.

I just wish one day, we can celebrate them the way we deservedly celebrate Jun Lozada.

Posted by: kr.guda at 13:33 | link | comments (1)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 ...

next page

last page