"Amoy Pwit" Revisited
Last time, this writer went to the archives of the University of the East just to read some old issues of the campus newspaper DAWN. And while reading the 1971 issue of the paper, he read a poem that seemingly corresponds to the realities happened over our Cultural Center and even our society itself:
"Amoy Pwit ang Cultural Center"
(The Cultural Center smells like ass)
According to that poem, it alludes to the Marcoses's disregard over the masses whilst glorifying the country through the Cultural Center, obviously the building reminds of a toilet, complete with a flush that as if a giant can have a pee or a poop in it. Same goes in the reality that our culture, going degenerated, also ridden by controversy such as those of Mideo Cruz's Kulo to the billboards around EDSA.
Yes, out culture, not just the Cultural Center itself smells like ass as more and more stink coming from the bureaucracy rises up unevenly and its people thinking of it as if a plague that is difficult to rid out-as evidenced by rampant corruption, disenfranchisement, repression, everything all for the goddamn sake of Malacanang and its White House overlord.
Sorry to say so, but as this writer continue reading it, complete with looking at a drawing featuring the main theatre surrounding with squatters, he would say that the culture prevailing nowadays, of a type belonging to the upper class elites, being corrupt, degenerative and unliberating, doesn't make much sense at all and it needs to be dismantled away, same goes as the rotten system who benefits from it. After all, behind the grandeur, the flowing dresses of the socialites, the champagne and tuxedo or barong clad gentlemen, lies the rotten truth-of a degenerated society full of masses scrambling for crumbs despite working 24 hours a day, worse? given a "spiritual anaesthesia" to ease their temper against the system.
Speaking of "Spiritual anesthesia", even the clergy had disguist in overtly dose of that kind that they wanted "action" over mere sentiment such as sermons in the pulpit. In assessing Cruz's Kulo? Obviously it mirrors the materialistic tendencies of an average Pilipino faithful: Praying to win for the sweepstakes? Lottery? Horse Racing? Cockfighting? For a candidate in the elections? Or even cursing using the names of the holy family? Or in regards to the politicos to act like messiahs and continue its rotting legacy with a modern day facade?
After all, it makes sense what mr. Alfredo Hernandez said so in this one-of-a-kind poem. A culture dominated by a rotten social order doesn't inculcate change, that the media even reinterprets everything including Cruz's works that end up getting assailed by the Conservative wing of the clergy. Critical thinking, freedom of speech is to Cruz whilst narrow subjectivism (like blasphemy) is to the church as what expected from their discussions side by side, and what we would expect from media? To look upon the people's ideas? Or to the status quo?
Sheesh, no matter what it is, the system makes everything rotten, that makes the cultural center or the entire complex smells like ass, shit as the poem said so. Anyway, here's the poem. Sorry for that poem is in Pilipino, but despite the language, it mirrors the reality, and despite being made in the year 1971, it creeps until the present day.
