“Let’s ride our Tigers and face present, coming challenges this Year of the Tiger!”

“Let’s ride our Tigers and face present, coming challenges 

this Year of the Tiger!”

Despite the tumultuous times brought by the COVID19 pandemic, people from all walks of life are still hoping for  good luck, better health, and long life this Chinese New Year. 

Even without the traditional noisy, colorful, and joyful dragon and dragon dances, life goes with the selling of trinkets, fruits (especially that of oranges and apples), cakes like the famous “Tikoy” rice cake and mungbean cake “Hopia”, Chinese restaurants like “Waying” and “YingYing” that’s full of life with customers, to that of temples both private and public bustling with well-wishers seeking good luck in front of their gods and ancestors. Even the Longos cross is also filled with wellwishers as joss sticks and prayers been offered to the cross known for fusing Chinese folk religion and that of Roman Catholicism.And to think that life is thriving this Chinese New Year, then of course the government is trying their best to control the situation especially after Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso has forbidden the traditional dragon and lion dances in the district in order to guard against the quick spread of the Omicron variant. 

“They can do the festivities in their respective homes. But no public activities for now… It can be a regular day but a special one in their hearts and in their minds,” Moreno said.
But this doesn't stop people from bustling over the streets of Binondo seeking for well wishes, gifts, or even a bite of Chinese food that's mouthwatering.

To be honest, regardless of the situation would say that people will always seek for well wishes, and there's nothing new in it. Except that in a time when health and safety became an outmost priority, people added those desires in their prayers aside from good luck in this year of the tiger. Again, it is not surprising for the fact that as these people enjoying the festivities be it from their homes or in the street,  That courage, confidence, and determination to see the future has taken its place with people trying their best not just to survive COVID19 but also to recover from the losses brought by this recent catastrophe. For sure by those times everyone checks their schedule for an upcoming vaccination if not walking straight to the vaccination site just to get a jab in order to get back into their jobs, in school, and in life. 

Need not to write further, but perhaps praying for luck nor adorning things to dispel misfortune is not enough these days, but instead "to ride the tiger" as everyone prepares for potential dangers, to have a long term view of things, and that even in this calm times, keeping a homeland to forge, learn, plough further means not just to recover from the crisis nor to become “rich and strong” as its neighbours, but also to rejuvenate a nation.

Now the piano is silent

Now the piano is silent

Now the piano is silent

As the player passed away

And no one likes to play it

Unless someone like to play

To rekindle forgotten melodies

Memories of yesterday

That few would dare to remember

By playing those keys away

Soon the room will become a cellar

Filled with things of past yore

Not surprised if some be thrown out

If not left together like before

The bed now no one’s sleeping

Except someone who dare to stay

Feeling the memories meant to be forever

After its owner passed away

The kitchen will still serve the same food

This time without the owner cooking

Be it beef, chicken, or a vegetable soup

Enough for a stomach filling

But this time different as the owner left

Leaving the premise different

Maybe someone with the same heart as her’s

Will fill the same food with her love left

Hope the food will savour the same old goodness

As what she did those times

Like the piano whose music she played with gladness

Making one or another dance like mine

Now as she passed to eternity

May she guide the way to light

Especially in this time of blight

Hope her love give hope over blight

Thank you for those times oma

May your love filled my emptiness

The way stars shatter the darkness of night.

"The Point is..."

"The Point is..."

(In memory of Orlando "Ka Orly" Castillo)

Orlando "Ka Orly" Castillo, known for his social realist paintings and his activism, is truly an example of one who witnessed throughout his life the struggles of the Filipino folk both in his homeland and in the diaspora. 

Born in 1947 in Cagayan by middle class parents, Ka Orly's fondness for art and his rebel attitude had created conflict especially with his father who wanted him to take engineering. Instead, he chose to take Fine Arts in the University of Santo Tomas, where he also became known for his activism as a student leader.

"Justice under Martial Law"

Indeed, his life was that of struggle, both his artwork and his experience in life as an activist, cultural worker, and as a trade union organiser. Some years ago, in his lectures on culture he stressed "returning to basics"- that of direct and solid organising with mass leaders also serving as agitators exhorting people to unite and fight, and at the same time willing to assist them by any means- from making latrines, cleaning canals, to that of administering acupuncture to the sick. He even stressed the importance of studying works such as "Philippine Society and Revolution", the "Little Red Book" and various classics, as well as conducting criticism and self criticism as part of maintaining discipline within the ranks. 

Even during Martial Law when he was imprisoned, didn't stop Ka Orly from making art, but instead served as a basis of his artworks, one of which end displayed in the National Museum narrating the brutality guised as "justice" under the "new society" and the people's resistance against it. 

"The Point is..." (Ka Orly with students during a lecture)

Also in one of his lectures Ka Orly stressed the promotion of a culture that caters to the masses. Just like his artworks, this should reflect the conditions and aspirations of the people and at the same time a tool to liberate from ignorance, lies, and exaggerations promoted by the detested order.  His contemporaries as well as the younger generation would find his "hardcore" idea as "being stuck in the past"- especially when he criticised today's contemporary culture be it "hiphop", "emo", or even those who played guitar with tones Ka Orly find as disagreeable! But this didn't stop the youth from enjoying their music, their genre, what more that they use it in promoting radical change as what the veteran envisioned. 

Need not to explain further, but "the point is", in seeing the memories having him engaging in heated debates, listening to his impassioned speeches, endless sermons, and constant reminders of the necessity of "arouse, organise, and mobilise" shows how important the struggle is especially in a time the order trying to silence dissent what more of persecuting those who disagree with the order's unjust direction. 

Rest in Power Ka Orly, the young generation will continue carrying your legacy.

"IN MEMORY OF F. SIONIL JOSE"

"IN MEMORY OF F. SIONIL JOSE"

"Authors like myself choose the city as a setting for their fiction because the city itself illustrates the progress or the sophistication that a particular country has achieved. Or, on the other hand, it might also reflect the kind of decay, both social and perhaps moral, that has come upon a particular people."

— F. Sionil José, BBC.com, 30 July 2003

At first, this note is in one with the folk in mourning after the passing of National Artist and writer, Francisco Sionil Jose. 

Perhaps those who love Filipino literature and those who collect Filipiniana would know who that writer was, especially after reading his Rosales series, of awarding him the National Artist Prize, and seeing his latter years writing various commentaries and this- reading his news about his passing in Makati Medical Center. 

To be honest, his works, as well as those of his contemporaries were trying their best to show the country its human side. Driven by passion for social justice and his experiences during his youth, F. Sionil Jose wanted his work influence people in promoting social justice and radical change to uplift the lives of Filipino folk, who both then and now remains at the appendage of foreign masters and of local despots. His commentaries also expressed the same sentiment, although in recent years his support for the Duterte administration brought ire from his contemporaries, as well as readers alike. 

But despite this, this note would say that his creations may still trying to resonate the need for radical social change. his works became some sort of "bibles" to those yearning for change. At times he yearned to see a revolt against the order although end disappointed as he witnessed revolts like EDSA I and II rather a transition from one ruler to another instead of dismantling a rotting social order. In fact, when President Corazon Aquino declined to redistribute land held by the landed gentries, Mr. Jose exclaimed, “Sayang!” — then, repeating the point in English, added, “What a waste!” And yet that same order paid tribute to him regardless of the late writer's angst towards them, but, one of the things this note notice is that most people who brought his works are rather driven not by the thought of being inspired by his idea, but rather, to sell it again at an expensive price.

Sorry for the thought for just like toys and old bottles, books are also considered as collectors items, and some didn't even bother to read at all, let along being brought and sold and brought again and again. These can also end as fillers in the bookshelves, luckily if end used by some teachers in local literature, given Jose's known as a literary figure. 

And since he's widely respected as a literary figure, does it mean he is not prone for criticism? His reputation as a writer was radically dragged down by his eccentric views on today's politics, especially that with his support for Duterte and his blood-soiled regime would see him as an out and out apologetic- way far from his contemporary Nick Joaquin and his tirades against the Marcoses and the "new society". It is not even surprising that becuase of his apologia for Duterte comes the kids who shared memes calling him "Jabba the Hutt" because of his appearance- especially after reading his red tagging to that of his angst toward Ressa especially after her gaining the Nobel Prize- and this made some think "was he envious after her" despite himself having the National Artist Prize, the Ramon Magsaysay Award, and other citations? Even his rant against ABSCBN being an oligarch entity also brought ire from his colleagues knowing that the reason to remove ABSCBN's broadcast frequency is politically-motivated and therefore against freedom of speech, press, and expression! 

Sorry for the thought, for after all he was not shy about voicing strong opinions- that sometimes made some disappointed at him. His support for the Duterte administration almost outweigh his "rebellion against the order" making him almost dismissable and a really target for criticism. Calling him "CIA agent", e Perhaps, in reading his rants and commentaries, to those of having his works reduced to some "collectors items" being brought and sold and vice versa, then right was he in showing his frustrations, that according to one of his writeups, was “my seeming incapacity to influence people, to see at least some visible and creative result of my pleading, my editorializing.” 

To cut this note short, his death created mixed reactions by many. They did mourn while at the same time lament for his support for the administration people detested for its profanity and bloodlust. But regardless of what most saw his creations as just collectors items being brought just to sold for a "better price", the thought behind his works continue to resonate- especially to a generation yearning for change. And not surprising that Jose's thoughts of rebellion in his works did really inspire especially those who take protest against the ruling order and its tyranny. 

Sources:

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/07/world/asia/f-sionil-jose-dead.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/07/world/asia/f-sionil-jose-dead.html

IN MEMORIAM: SIGFREID BARROS-SANCHEZ

IN MEMORIAM: SIGFREID BARROS-SANCHEZ

At first, this note extends sympathies to the family and friends after the passing of independent filmmaker, writer, and cultural worker Sigfreid Barros-Sanchez.

Died in the young age of 45 after his battle with illness at the Philippine Heart Center last January 3, "Sig", as his friends called him, was a pioneer in the independent film scene, and has an outpouring imagination leading his best creations like "Lasponggols", "Ang mga Kidnapper ni Ronnie Lazaro", "Tsardyer", and "Magtanggol." These even became nominees for various film festivals like Cinemalaya, Cine Totoo, and even the European-Philippine Film Festival in Italy with "Magtanggol" won the Special Jury Prize for Social Change. 

He also served as writer for a number of episodes of some of ABSCBN's shows, and also directed shows for GMA Channel 7, Channel V, and TV5. He also did music videos for various bands and artists, one of which was Sugarfree's "Hari ng Sablay" that won an Awit Award for Best Music Video in 2005. 

However, his immense outpour of creation started during his student days at the University of the East (UE), taking political science as his course in the College of Arts and Sciences. Originally destined to be a basketball player in the UE Red Warriors given his stature, his creativity rather changed his direction, serving as a writer at then-campus weekly newspaper "Dawn", an active member of cultural group "Pinsel Sining", as well as the political party "Kapit Bisig Party Alliance". He also worked as a writer for magazine "Rock & Rhythm" during his student days, making his creative prowess, as well as his rebellious appeal paved way to his role as a cultural worker in both mainstream and independent filmmaking scenes. 

Outside filmmaking, he also written songs like "Gallaga", "Toilet Humor", "Enter Stuntman", and "Childstar" through his blog "Bigredbakulaw".

TO cut this note short, Direk Sig truly loved his craft that his outpouring imagination and creation is itself a contribution to Philippine cinema. Be it as humorous as "Mga Kidnapper ni Ronnie Lazaro" or patriotic as "Magtanggol", Sig's works showcase his lifelong learning and love for the arts, that somehow outweighs his passing as a mortal and into immortality. Hopefully, there will be more Sigfreids to follow his footsteps, to follow his "imagination at work", to create new concepts, new ideas, and new lessons in the realm of the arts.