ARTS PRODUCTIVITY (December 21, 2009)

The University of the Philippines' College of Arts and Letters (CAL) Week began last December 8, a week after the much-awaited Oblation Run, and ended December 18 when the annual Lantern Parade celebrated its 75th birthday as an institutionalized university tradition, though it really took off in 1922!

Last Friday, too, the U.P. Board of Regents approved the appointment of U.P. Artists 2009 to 2011 -- counterpart of the U.P. Scientific Productivity System (SPS) that rewards outstanding achievement in the arts by faculty members with the rank of Artist I, II, or III, with corresponding honoraria – upon Pres. Emerlinda Roman's the recommendation.

Among the so-called Artists III are National Artist Virgilio Almario with U.P. Institute of Creative Writing director Jose Dalisay, former Dean Nicanor Tiongson, and Josefino Chino Toledo while Artists II are Janet Aracama, former Dean Leonilo Doloricon, Josefina Estrella, Eugene Evasco, J. Neil Garcia, Vice President Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo, Gerardo Rey Lico, Dean Rolando Tolentino, former Dean Rosario Torres-Yu, Basilio Esteban Villaruz, and Patrick Flores, the Jorge Vargas Museum and Filipiniana Research Center's current curator.

We got lucky to be chosen with other Artists I such as Dean Ramon Maria Acoymo, U.P. Open University Chancellor Grace Javier Alfonso, Fernando Austria, Jonas Baes, Yason Banal, Alexander Cortez, Ruben Defeo, former UP Mindanao Chancellor Ricardo de Ungria, Cesar Hernando, Raymundo Maigue, and Raul Navarro.

U.P. B.O.R. approved the proposed U.P. Arts Productivity System (APS) -- during its 1239th meeting on December 17, 2008 -- to motivate outstanding productivity in the creative arts or in arts scholarship for national development.

Based on the S.P.S., the U.P. Artist rank has monetary awards -- P120,000, P144,000, and P180,000 yearly for U.P. Artist I, II, and III respectively -- from a U.P. A.P.S. Endowment Fund!Earlier that day, CAL had its first Christmas party with the new dean, Dr. Elena Mirano, from the Department of Arts Studies, now enjoying its 50th year anniversary via such festivities as Divination: Brenda Fajardo Retells History which will run until 10 January 2010 at the Vargas Museum's Lobby and West Wing Galleries.

As visual historian, Dr. Brenda Villanueva Fajardo recounts our collective past, more often than not, from a female perspective, or “herstory,” as proven by her collectives on specific subjects or narratives, say, in The Baraha ng Babaylan Series, The Babayi Series, The Babaylan Series, The Gininutuan Series, The Sangandaan Series, The Labaw Donggon Series, The Baraha ng Buhay Pilipino Series, The Mitong Filipino Series, The Filipina Migrant Workers Series, The Philippine History Series, The Apocalypse Series, and The Ynang Bayan Series (Philippine Centennial works) that included her design for our U.P. Press-declared Centennial Literary Title -- Mujer Indigena -- four stanzas of which were performed by the Dulaang UP during its opening last December 10.

Our artistic collaboration with Dr. Fajardo dated back a decade ago when she agreed to do the cover for our said epic that placed second during the Philippine Centennial Literary Prize in 1998, the year when she received the CCP's Centennial Award for the Arts honoring 100 outstanding Filipinos who have contributed to building the Filipino nation through art and culture in the last 100 years.

A Ph.D. Philippine Studies holder, she planned to take up agriculture at U.P. Los Baños, but she changed her mind to study art seriously until she got her M.A. Art Education at the University of Wisconsin in 1967, after obtaining a painting certificate in 1962 and before training during 70s under Manuel Rodriguez, Sr. whose retro at U.P. Bulwagan ng Dangal called Re-viewing Rodriguez runs until December 31.

Dr. Fajardo's star was noticed in her exhibits: Baraha ng Buhay Pilipino (CCP: 1989); Mitolohiya (Casa San Miguel, Pundaquit, Zambales:1993); and Buhay Pilipino (Galerie du Rond Pointe, Paris, France: Small Gellery: 1994).

And it continued to shine through Ang Epiko ni Labaw Donggon (Hiraya Gallery, Manila:1995); Recent Works (LIVE: International Art Festival, Tachikawa, Japan: 2000); Daloy (West Gallery, Quezon City: 2001); Recent Works (Atelier Haus, Munchen, Germany: 2004); Padayon (Nineveh Artspace, Sta. Cruz, Laguna: 2005); Lawas, Kalag, Ispiritu (CCP: 2005); Pagitan, Nineveh Artspace, Sta. Cruz, Laguna:2007) to this day.

Aside from Professor Emeritus, U.P.'s lifetime conferment in 2006, her other achievements include Artist-in-Residence (Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore: 2005); Gatpuno Antonio Villegas Award (City of Manila:2004); CCP Outreach PILAK Award (CCP, 2004); Philippine Representative (The 2nd Women’s Art Festival, Seoul, South Korea:2002); Artist-in-Residence (Foundation of Gold, Melbourne, Australia: 2001); Lifetime Achievement Award in the Humanities (National Research Council of the Philippines: 2000); Philippine Representative (Kwang-Ju Biennial, South Korea: 2000); Philippine Representative (LIVE International Arts Festival, Tachikawa, Japan: 2000); Artist-in-Residence (Vermont Studio Center, USA: March-April, 1999); Philippine Representative (ART DOCUMENT 99, Kanazawa, Japan: 1999); Gawad Chancellor Award (UP Diliman: 1997); Outstanding Women in the Arts (Quezon City government:1995); CAPA Award (Diamond Legatee, Philippine Women’s University: 1995); Philippine Representative (Fete Philippines, Galerie La Rond Pointe, Paris, France: 1994); Philippine Representative (1st Asia-Pacific Triennial, Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, Australia: 1993); Thirteen Artists Award, CCP: 1992); Women of Distinction Award (YWCA Quezon City Chapter: 1991); Philippine Representative (Tercera Bienal de la Habana 89, Havana, Cuba: 1989); Philippine Representative (IX International Art Biennale, Valparaiso, Chile: 1989); First Place, Intaglio Print / Third Place, Intaglio Print (PAP Annual Graphic Arts Competition & Exhibition: 1975); Philippine Representative (2nd International Biennial of Prints, Seoul, Korea: 1972); Philippine Representative (2nd Triennial of Prints, New Delhi, India: 1971); Philippine Representative (International Biennial, Tokyo, Japan: 1970); and Fulbright-Hays Grantee (University of Wisconsin: 1964-1967).

At 69, she garnered almost all major awards an artist could get but what sets her apart from others was her ability -- as visual artist, painter, printmaker, graphic artist, art scholar, educator, production designer, even actor and director in theatre – that has been paralleled by her active involvement in community work and cultural organizations.

“Fajardo’s life work would be hard to categorize by specific phases or ‘artistic periods’ to define the order of her varied vocations. The fact is that she thrived in these fields of interest, always and inseparably as artist, teacher and organizer, and most often in collaboration with others, having co-founded the Philippine Art Educators Association (PAEA) in 1967 and being an active exponent of Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) since 1970.” CCP's Visual Arts and Museo Division head Karen Flores once wrote: “Beyond her artistic production, Fajardo is a cultural leader who has contributed immensely to the development and organization of Philippine art, most potently by way of workshops and conferences throughout the regions with her involvement in the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). She is also a nurturer of artists and cultural workers, focusing specifically on women by co-founding the Kababaihan sa Sining at Bagong Sibol na Kamalayan (KASIBULAN) in 1987, and on the active sustenance of culture by establishing Baglan Arts and Culture Initiatives with other cultural activists in 1993.”Divination features works of Brenda Fajardo in her own collection consisting of early prints and tarot-inspired paintings. For inquiries during the holiday break, you may contact them at (0927) 497 3528 or send an e-mail to vargasmuseum@gmail.com. The Museum’s official website may be viewed at www.vargasmuseum.org.

TEXT SUPPORT:
The most common name in the world is not Jesus but Mohammed.

CONSIDER THIS:
God does not disappoint, but He surprises us because He gives us gifts that are not exactly what we expect but are greater than our expectations.

BUNGA IN BALER (December 14, 2009)

The moment Baler governor, Hon. Bellaflor Angara Castillo, joined us last December 10 at Bay's Inn after coming all the way from China, she asked what any captive audience would ask us: “What is performance art?”

During that opening ceremonies for the Tupada Action and Media Art (TAMA) International Performance Art Festival delegates she was seated fortunately next to Israel's Adina Bar-On so we passed the query to her.

Why?

Why not.

After performing in 1973 as a junior student of Bezalel Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Jerusalem, she was labelled scandalous.

Mind you, there was no Hebrew term for her or for what she did when she was just 21 years old!
Eventually, after 36 years, she was recognized by the American Israeli Cultural Foundation for her contribution to Israeli art in 2001.

Idit Porat -- one of the most respected curators and writers in Israel who did her biography entitled Adina Bar-on Performance Artist – considered her as the grand dame of performance art in her country.

“Performance art to me is all about spaces,” she almost whispered to our host, “trying to reveal, to unravel that which is not necessarily seen, attempting to be vivid or intimate that will make people connect.”

While the good governor was trying to figure out who Vito Acconci is – or Buňuel, Godard, Fellini as Adina's influences – we seized the night as if by doing a survey or sorts.

“For me, performance art is a reaction, a body movement,” Aye Ko, the director of New Zero Art Space in Myanmar, admitted, “I am fond of expressing my emotion through it.”

“I love it too,” Singapore-based Chinese installation and video artist Cai Qing seconded, “because it is the most strange of all mediums.”

“We can't express ourselves well by using language, music, or painting alone,” Japan's Midori Kadokura, while consulting her Obunsha's Study English-Japanese Japanese-English Dictionary, added, “performance art is purer, stronger, more direct and dangerous.”
Her fellowman, Tanaka Teruyuki who is no columnist: “I feel that performance art is my opinion, my editorial.”

“Yes,” smiled Thai photographer Aor Nopawan, “performance art is an alternative way of telling my story.”

Before she stormed towards the piano on stage to sing Streisand, Luzern- and Zurich-educated Barbara Sturm was her usual wildwoman self when she concluded: “I do it to let others share my thoughts.”

Hongkong's Sally Ng, a choirmaster who uses music to empower kids, does not limit to her ideas only: “By chance, I started as a performance artist by healing my personal pain. Then I see it as a platform to show something and get connection to my audience.”

All in all, performance art allows them to show the public their concern.

They stimulate people to think about certain issues, private or otherwise.

For his part, Yuan Mor' O's finale number appeared to side the former through his mantra: “Life is hard. Not here. Not for me.”

While Ateneo de Manila High School in commemorating Ateneo’s sesquicentennial year was presenting the eclectic multimedia show IGKAS last December 11, we were busy conducting a workshop before around 70 participants, including our local and foreign delegates, who served as facilitators, in a learning-by-doing activity at the Aurora State College of Technology (ASCOT) where we also performed in between Adina and the trio of Yuan with Patrick and Sherry Chong.
Aurora National Science High School how a Jewish professor teach performance art on December 12 when almost everybody performed by the Baler Bay.

Solidarity Night took place in the house of their TAMA Baler leg coordinator, Rommel Espinosa, who led them to nature tour, after their performances at the Museo ng Baler and Ermita Park.
Looking back, Bunga or Fruition was the most perfect word for their 6th TAMA International Performance Art Festival that formally kicked off as early as December 7 at the Samba-Likhaan followed by jamming at the Ateneo Art Gallery, Ayala Museum, and the University of the Philippines' Jorge Vargas Museum.

After their experience with Philippine International Performance Festival in 2000, Jeff Carnay, Mideo Cruz, Thomas Daquioag, Kleng de Loyola, Boyet de Mesa, Ronaldo Ruiz, Jevijoe Vitug, and Sam Penaso founded the group called Tupada or “illegal cockfight.”

TAMA, as it is more correctly christened today, will never survive without the sacrifices of its active members like Daquioag, de Mesa, Ruiz, and Vitug who opened doors to Maki Calilung, Espinosa, Mitch Garcia, Ian Madrigal, Kaye O'yek, Sam Penaso, and Mannet Villariba, who designed all their souvenir programs and posters since 2006.

Since then they had been letting us in with such Filipino artists as Patrick Bacolor, Sherwin Carrillo, Jhay Colis, Bunch Garcia, Ceej Gomera, Marlon Magbanua, Trix Syjuco, Wire Tuazon, Bumbo Villanueva, and the likes of EXIST Sound Art Group (Erick Calilan, P.J. Soliven, Cris Garcimo and Roger Lopez) and SORO Performance Unit.

As expected, they had been sponsored by the Artists Helping Artists Collective, Aurora Provincial Governor’s Office, Center for Community and Cultural Development, Center for Community and Cultural Development, Japan Foundation Manila, Embassy of Israel, Embassy of Switzerland, Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Heinrich Boell Stiftung, and Tourism Department of Baler that is presently celebrating its 400th birthday!

Yesterday, we celebrated the 4th death anniversary of our son, Awit.

Without any fanfare, we launched the certain projects of our Foundation AWIT (or Advancing Wellness, Instructions, and Talents) that included our collaboration with singer/songwriter, Joey Ayala, via a compact disc production of Palay, Bigas, Kanin which will hopefully have concert component come National Arts Month on February 2010.

All of a sudden, while we were planning for our wife's partial nephrectomy with our children, Adina Bar-On's words resounded from nowhere: “Family is the nucleus of humanity that we have to sustain.”

By then, she should have been in Israel taking care of her husband, Daniel Davis, suffering from brain tumor, which he got during his training days with their Navy's Special Unit from a polluted river.

Adina, aside from the support of their son Shahar and daughter Yasmin, will surely be assisted by her kasambahay, Emily Tomelden, from the Philippines, whose ability to give is said to be formidable and whose family watched her perform in Manila!

Before we parted ways in Baler, we with Yuan gave her a tubao and a Philippine flag pin, and she declared: “I am the most Jewish-looking Filipina in the world.” Was she performing?
No, she was not wearing any costume and makeup and mask.

TEXT SUPPORT:
Each king in a deck of playing cards represents great king from history :- Spades - King David, Clubs - Alexander the Great, Hearts – Charlemagne, Diamonds - Julius Caesar.

CONSIDER THIS:
Prayer teaches us to wait.
It clears our vision.
It calms our heart.
And it activates our faith.
Grow like the sunrise and be humble like the sunset.

HALAD (December 07, 2009)

Since we already succeeded in bringing home our five living National Artist for Literature – Francisco Sionil Jose in Rosales, Pangasinan and Bienvenido Lumbera in Lipa, Batangas in 2007; Alejandro Roces in Makati, in 2008; and Edith Tiempo in Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya and Virgilio Almario in San Miguel, Bulacan in 2009 -- this could be the last Pagpupugay sa mga Pambansang Alagad ng Sining.

Composer Lutgardo Labad had us with an offering.

Or, halad!

For Dr. Sionil Jose and his wife Tessie, Gardy was able to welcome them home more than Bohol's long-lost child, say, in Pinoy Big Brother housemate Cathy Remperas.

At the Tagbilaran Airport last December 2, we were greeted with a tarsier necklace and a Your Guide to Bohol by Queenie Sanchez-Bronce, et al.

We checked in and out we went for our Visita Iglesia during the birthmonth of Jesus!

Our first stop was Nuestra Seňora de la Luz Church made of coral by Domingo Escondrillas in 1853 in Loon with our guide, Reigh Monreal, who was the co-founder with Rene Ponte of Bol-anong Arte Halad Alang sa Namat ang Dagang (BAHANDI) or “treasure.”
We failed to finish the snacks Annie Jabines gave us when we entered the 213-year old Punta Cruz Watchtower the moment their play with a pangalay, Tawag sa Bantayan, opened.
Watching Geraldine Pancho chant was enough for us to drop our jaws.

After our Aup-Aup Restaurant's seafood trip, we could not help but fall asleep in the van.

Our siesta was interrupted by a “fiesta.”

Elderly kuratsa and kuradang dancers gyrated to the music of a banjo-led rondalla.

Smiling Balilihan mayor -- Victoria Chatto, mom of Bohol's first district Rep. Edgar Chatto -- compensated for it, though, when she showed us – not only their budbod and moron -- but their 174-year old Mt. Carmel Hill belfry and the shortcut to Antequera whose leader is also a lady in Mayor Cecilia Rebosura.

At the aforementioned basket capital's municipal hall facade, 20 or more actors, dancing and singing, told us the 1621 uprising of babaylan Tamblot, played by Frex Tongco and penned by Rey Chiu, who also wrote Abatan ni Wadji, that introduced us to the graciousness of their prehispanic princess and the gracefulness of Dianne Baliog and Leonardo Planas at the Cortes Central Elementary School.

Witnessing their creative industry's success via the Abatan River Tour that will formally run in 2010 was a prelude to the Writers' Symposium.

There, we met Dr. Cecilio Putong High School's Necitas Ibarra, our Special Program in the Arts trainee at the Teachers' Camp in Baguio City.

It was also the turn of Bohol Arts and Cultural Heritage Council (BACH)'s to show us their literary richness via Ramon Boloron's The Traditional Literature of Bohol and Socorro Revilla's Boholano Culture in Literature, How Are You?.

For one day, Dr. Sionil Jose interacted with 50 writers and 200 teachers and students .
At the Cultural Center of Bohol, too, later in the evening, we had more than just the Pagpupugay kay Francisco Sionil Jose.

Last December 3, he celebrated his 85th birthday with us!

As their halad, the world-renowned Loboc Children’s Choir sang, Diwanag Dance Theater danced, and Teatro Bol-anon staged Sionil Jose's The Rosales Saga through a review and a re-interpretation in Visayan of Balikbayan directed by Philippine Educational Theater Arts' Melvin Lee and assisted by California-based Center Theater Group's Lorely Garrote Trinidad.

BACH never ran out of halads as its Executive Director, Marianito Luspo, led us to the classic heritage tour of Baclayon Church, Loay Ancestral House, and Loboc River Cruise before we caught Bohol's pride, Cesar Montano, at the arrival area.

Dec. 5 saw the Poets Essayists Novelists (PEN)'s Philippine chapter founder, Dr. Sionil Jose, on time for the PEN Conference at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

And us, as our other baby, the Gawad Ustetika Annual Student Awards for Literature, turned 25 on the same day – with no Playwright of the Year, Sanaysayista ng Taon, and Mandudula ng Taon.

However, this year, our Poet of the Year is Jacob Dominguez; Makata ng Taon is Paul Castillo; Kuwentista ng Taon is Julie Ann de Leon; Essayist of the Year is Camille Johnson; and Fictionist of the Year: Sarah Aurelio, who also bagged the Rector's Literary Award institutionalized by Fr. Roland de la Rosa.

Dr. Sionil Jose's classmate at the UST Faculty of Philosophy and Letters, fictionist and essayist Nita Umali Berthelsen, as well as the “Hari ng Balagtasan,” poet Teo Antonio, received the highest halad from the Varsitarian, the University of Santo Tomas' official student organ, with Ang Parangal Hagbong for their contribution to literature just like Rolando Tinio and Rogelio Sicat (1997); Genoveva Edroza Matute (1998); J. Elizalde Navarro (1999); Erma Cuizon, Reynaldo Duque, and Ponciano Pineda (2000); Lilia Pablo-Amansec (2001); Bienvenido Lumbera (2002); Sr. Delia Coronel, ICM (2003); Ben Villar Condino, Nick Joaquin, and Wilfrido Nolledo (2004); Zeneida Amador, F. Sionil Jose, and Magdalena Sayas (2005); Gloria Garchitorena-Goloy and Doris Trinidad-Gamalinda (2006); Bella Angeles-Abangan and Cirilo Bautista (2007); and Ophelia Alcantara-Dimalanta (2008).

Talking of greatness, JCI Philippines has its own halad in awarding at the Malacaňang tomorrow, at 10 a.m., The Outstanding Young Men 2009: Mary Joy Abaquin (Education); Jose Roberto Alampay (Human Rights Advocacy); Ma. Anthonette Allones (Government Service); Raymond Laurel (Arts/Fashion Design); Eliseo Prisno (Maritime Health) and Victoria Morales (Broadcast Journalism).

By the way, join us in Writers' Night 2009 on December 11, 5 p.m. at the University of the Philippines' Balay Kalinaw with the Madrigal Gonzalez Best First Book Award forum and, finally, the ceremonies for its awardee -- Adam David.

Operation Libreng Libro will be launched as well as the third Likhaan Journal featuring the works of Dr. Lumbera and Palanca Hall of Famer, Edgardo Maranan, whose award-winning children's story -- Si Sibol at Si Gunaw – had been transformed by Ballet Manila into Alamat, that will run until December 12 and 13 at the CCP Complex's Aliw Theater.

TEXT SUPPORT:
See if you can figure out what these words have in common.

ANANAB
RESSERD
RAMMARG
OTATOP
EVIVER
NEVENU
SSESSA

Are you peeking or have you already given up? Give it another try. Look at each word carefully.
Answer: In all of the words listed, if you take the first letter, place it at the end of the word, and then spell The word backwards, it will be the same word. Did you figure it out? Just send it to more people and stump them.

CONSIDER THIS:
We immediately become more effective when we decide to change ourselves
rather than asking things to change for us.

NATIONAL TREASURES PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE(November 30, 2009)

As we overtake Somalia, Iraq, and Pakistan as the most dangerous place for journalists, we undertake, on the other hand, the task of paying tribute to a Roces – a name synonymous with the Philippine print media.

Finally, we can declare December 1 as the Alejandro Roces' Day at the Far Eastern University which was founded by his uncle, Nicanor Reyes.

We did it after a series of consultations with FEU President's Committee on Culture, headed by its Executive Director, Martin Lopez, who ably represented such distinguished members in Dean Adelaida Fronda, Dean Barbara Fernandez, Dr. Isagani Cruz, Dr. Jaime An Lim, and Dean Ireneo Jose.

No less than Pres. Dr. Lydia Echauz will open the Alejandro Roces Conference.

Dr. Cruz will talk about the aforementioned National Artist from the international perspective while Dr. Victor Torres will explain how important Dr. Roces is nationally.

Dr. Azucena Grajo-Uranza's sharing as a former student during the time when FEU was the largest university in Asia with 50,000 student population in the early 1950s.

Dr. Rustica Carpio and Dr. Buenaventura Medina will act as reactors while
The Earthsavers Dreams Ensemble and Tanghalang Ateneo will do the intermission number with San Pedro Manok.

After we explained what our project is all about, FEU Theater Guild will breathe life to Dr. Roces' Of Cocks and Kites. Dr. Roces is expected to reminisce on his FEU Years as a faculty member who eventually became the dean before serving as the Department of Education Secretary known for promoting local customs and traditions like feasts which he heralded in his classic book Fiesta (1980).

In her speech during the FEU's 75th Founding Anniversary on 29 January 2003, Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo recalled: “In its 75 years, FEU gave two secretaries of education to two president Macapagals -- Alejandro Roces to my late father Diosdado Macapagal, and DJ De Jesus to his daughter, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. And that is an indication of the quality of the faculty of FEU.”

As a prelude to Celebrations -- the STEPS Dance Studio and the FEU Dance Company's graceful way of thanking Dr. Roces for helping them when he was the Institute of Arts and Sciences' main man.

Then, the climax will be the unveiling of Dr. Roces' bust by sculptor Raul Funilas -- whose Neo-Angono Artists Collective's 6th Public Art Festival exhibition ends today at Maysha Hotel in Angono -- with Jovert Aguilar, Aga Francisco, Franz Java, Kim Oliveros, Meilin Ricohermoso, and Paula Regine Tantoco.

During the first Pagpupugay sa mga Pambansang Alagad ng Sining in 2007, Dr. Roces was hailed at the Capitol University in Cagayan de Oro through the Integrated Performing Arts Guild's interpretation of his Of Cocks and Roces directed by Steven Patrick Fernandez.

Last year, Makati City welcomed him home where the University of Santo Tomas Lithurgikan Choir presented his musical Something To Crow About at the University of Makati Grand Theater.

Talking about returning and returning favors, Lea Salonga, will do her concert Echoes of Dreams tonight at 7 at the Araneta Coliseum.

The future National Artist will be performing with the Manila Symphony Orchestra and other artists including Angelos, Bayang Barrios, Mike Chan, Kid Camaya, Guia Comia, Allan Dale, Dingdong Dantes, Nicole and Carla David, Julian Duque, Frenchy Dy, Stella Ignacio, ILLC Kids, Dan Lasher, Fourte, Karel, Pinky Marquez, Myrus, Peryodiko, Pilyoz, JM Rodriguez, Self-Black Theater, Fatima Soriano, Jenny Villegas, U.P. Concert Chorus, and other gifted and talented youth like Thara Santiago, Vell Baria, Tum Tum Mendoza, Clark Gamul, Samara, and the Hope for Children Choir, the world's largest children's choir!

Sponsored by the Center for Arts Foundation, Inc., Hope for Children, and Fusion Excel, Echoes of Dreams is for the benefit of Autism Society Philippines (ASP), Self Enhancement for Life Foundation (SELF), Immaculate Heart in Memoriam (IHM), and the Independent Living Learning Center (ILLC). On the New York side of Cubao, another art with a heart is set. Collaborating with the Operation Blessing Foundation Inc., the Liongoren Gallery houses the visual arts bonanza entitled Unos at Banaag for the Pepeng victims in Pangasinan. Running until December 4, it will also inaugurate the new Liongoren Gallery in Dagupan City, Pangasinan from December 7-20, 2009.

Unos at Banaag is also dedicated to the late Odette Alcantara and Cristina Castro Crisologo, Norma Liongoren's mom, a zarzuelista with a green thumb. Some 48 masters will join forces with Pangasinense artists in the Dagupan circle namely Gus Albor, Willy Alicdan, Yasmin Almonte, Remy Boquiren, Elmer Borlongan, Marina Cruz, Simkin de Pio, Norman Dreo, Marge Garcia, Manny Garibay, Renato Habulan, Winner Jumaon, Mark Justiniani, Alfredo Liongoren, Julie Lluch, Joel Mahilum, AJ Omandac, Alma Quinto, Rodel Tapaya, Nestor Vinluan, Ann Wiser, and Federico Aguilar-Alcuaz whose proclamation as National Artist remains to be seen. University of the Philippines' College of Fine Arts and the Office for Initiatives in Culture and the Arts sponsors will have an exhibit called Re-Viewing Rodriguez – a homage to the 97-year old Father of Philippine Printmaking, Manuel Rodriguez Sr., another future National Artist -- at the UP Diliman's Bulwagan ng Dangal last Friday. November 27, too, is the 77th birthday celebration of Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino -- a former Manila Times war correspondent in Korea in 1950 -- who waxed poetic with The Candle of My Life: “if someone will only gather / the melted wax, reshape it / give it a new wick-- / for another fleeting moment / my candle can once again / light the dark / be of service / one more time / and then -- / Good-bye.” Sen. Aquino finished it on 12 March 1976, but his poem appears to be dedicated to the power of the people that has liberated Mindanao and other spaces supposedly “democratic.” Last Saturday, we seemed to be extending the national day of mourning for the Maguindanao Massacre martyrs, through an afternoon of poetry and music. Though it was actually the 10th year of passing of another defender of democracy, National Artist Nestor Vicente Madali Gonzalez.

TEXT SUPPORT: It is physically impossible for pigs to look up into the sky.

CONSIDER THIS: A big jar full of water gets emptied by just a small hole. Even little anger and pride will drain all the nobility of a good heart. Stay humble.

ANAK NG PALIG! (November 23, 2009)

November 15 saw us caught in an approach-approach conflict.

After coming from our panganay Psalma's Sports Day – when her Team Ruby won – we were torn between fetching her Ina at the airport and judging for Palig 2009.

Though we missed the former, who attended the Workshop on Mental Health System Development for the Severe Mental Illness in Asian Countries in Taiwan, still we opted to heed the latter's song as if from our favorite group, Apolinario Mabini Hiking Society, that got its name from AMHS, or Ateneo de Manila High School!

Coming from a Dominican-run university, we had to consult their “Jesuitic historian,” Jonathan Balsamo, who is behind the website of the oldest school-based multimedia contest!

An important part of Jesuit pedagogy, theater had been empowering students and teachers in contributing to their total formation.

Ask Jose Rizal.

His play Junto al Pasig” (By the Pasig) was born in Ateneo during the Feast of the Immaculate Conception in 1880, six years after the so-called first play El Puñal del Godo (The Dagger of the Goth) was staged there in 1874.

Even since, plays were in Spanish until American Jesuits took over and took in Merchant of Venice (1910), Richard III 1917), and Julius Caesar (1921).

When they transferred from Ermita to Loyola Heights in 1952, they transformed their theater arts, too.

In 1955, the Ateneo High School Dramatics Society (AHSDS) started introducing other Shakespearean plays in English such as Macbeth and Hamlet.

It was through Onofre Pagsanghan when language shift happened in 1966 when Francisco “Soc” Rodrigo wrote Paa ng Kuwago (adapted from W. Jacobs' The Monkey’s Paw) and Sangkuwaltang Abakan (translation of Julian Cruz Balmaceda's Sino Ba Kayo? from Bicolnon in 1943).

This experiment -- that happened at the Ateneo Law School auditorium in Padre Faura in Manila – inspired AHSDS to rename itself -- Dulaang Sibol (DS).
From classroom to audio-visual room, DS blazed the trail in 1966 via adaptations until, after a year, when they wrote original plays in Filipino.

By way of a drama competition known as Palig!

After discovering landmarks, it had been re-discovering new ones after, say, Hoy Boyet Hatinggabi Na’y Gising Ka Pa Pala by Tony Perez and Puting Tigmamanukin by Paul Dumol who judged with us and whose Ang Paglilitis ni Mang Serapio was made into film by Khavn de la Cruz, another Palig alumnus.

We got lucky to witness raw yet rebellious talents.

From Timpalak-Awit that was initiated in 1975 to its present format formalized in 1991 as Timpalak sa Sabayang Pagbigkas for freshies (led by 1-O), Timpalak sa Dulang Panradyo for sophomores (headed by 2-A's Sa Hantungan ng Nazareno), Timpalak sa Dulang Pantanghalan for juniors (topped by 3C's Bangayan), and Timpalak sa Maikling Pelikula for seniors (dominated by 4L's Kapatid).

Among them, Miguel “Miggy” Azurin, who became the Best Actor (with his classmate Kevin Lopez-Vito from 3K and J.P. Tiongco and Nico Odulio from 3A) and the Best Writer who won the Best Music Award (with his tokayo Miguel Feria) for their musical Barbero de Primero.

Writers' Bloc opened its door to them for its workshop and, perhaps, for its Virgin Labfest 2010.
Speaking of the said playwrights' organization, Nick Pichay and Rody Vera served as reactors last Saturday with Glecy Atienza, Joey Baquiran, Judy Ick, Bobet Mendoza, Lulu Torres-Reyes, and Tito Valiente, in Tanghalan! sponsored by The Teatro Sambisig, Inc. and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts' Committee on Dramatic Arts.

Like the concert of Maguindanao kudyapi master Samaon Sulaiman at the Conspiracy Garden Cafe last November 19, we missed it last Saturday at the NCCA Building in Intramuros.
Another Palig 2009 judge, Ricky Abad of Tanghalang Ateneo, joined other artists Reuel Aguila, Walter Ang, Tessa Belleza, Frederick Castro, Alexander Cortez, Dennis Marasigan, Manny Pambid, Al Santos, and Corazon Villareal during this Philippine theater aesthetics discussion.
Also, characterizing the dynamics of literary and performative artistry is the Cultural Center of the Philippines' Ani Literary Journal.

On November 26, 6 p.m. at the CCP, Ramp its editor and managing editor, Herminio Beltran, Jr. and Betty Uy-Regala, will launch its latest edition.

Ani 35, or The Pinoy As Asian, features works of Mark Angeles, Lilia Antonio, Mae Aquino, Genevieve Asenjo, Abdon Balde, Jr., Janet Batuigas, Gil Beltran, Kristoffer Berse, Jimple Borlagdan, Raymond Calbay, Catherine Candano, Nonon Carandang, Christoffer Cerda, Joey Chua, Kristian Cordero, Genaro Cruz, Carlomar Daoana, Arvin Ello, Dennis Espada, Rogerick Fernandez, Reparado Galos III, Luis Gatmaitan, Joscephine Gomez, Malou Jacob, Ferdinand Jarin, Karla Javier, Phillip Kimpo, Jr., Ed Labao, Gexter Lacambra, Erwin Lareza, Jeffrey Lubang, Glenn Mas, Perry Mangilaya, Noahlyn Maranan, Francisco Monteseña, Ruth Mostrales, Jose Ogatis-I, Wilhelmina Orozco, Francisco Peñones, Jr., Scott Sabóy, Judith Balares Salamat, Edgar Samar, Louie Jon Sanchez, Soliman Santos, Dinah Roma-Sianturi, Rakki Sison-Buban, Jason Tabinas, Vincent Tan, Dolores Taylan, Rosario Torres-Yu, Camilo Villanueva, Jr., and yours truly.Similarly, ITIM ASU 1719-2009, awaits you from November 26 to 28, 8 p.m., at Dance Forum Space in Quezon City.

Directed and choreographed by Myra Beltran -- this dance and multi media production based on Virginia Moreno’s The Onyx Wolf / Itim Asu -- will highlight University of the Philippines Dance Company with Marielle Alonzo and Reagan Cornelio, videoworks by Sherad Anthony Sanchez and sound design by Teresa Barrozo.

Last Saturday, once more we were trapped in a dilemma: Psalma's Card Day at the U.P. Integrated School and her brother Wika's Family Day at Claret, plus her sister Sulat's Hinabing Haraya with her Raya School classmates at the U.P. College of Music's Abelardo Hall.

Or was it a trilemma?

But, this time, Ina was in her Caring for the Special Child class at U.P. Open University while we got back from the Forward Awareness Days 2009 at the University of San Jose Recoletos!
There in Cebu City, three nights ago, while all alone in the Talavera House of Prayer, we suddenly felt empty as a bad barber's shop, without such meaningful connectedness.

Anak ng Palig!

TEXT SUPPORT:
People say "Bless you" when you sneeze because when you sneeze, your heart stops for a millisecond.

CONSIDER THIS:
Faith is believing in something you cannot see or hear something deep inside that only you understand and only you control.

OASIS (November 16, 2009)

At 45, we tend to liken ourselves to that pistol with a hammer that allows us to always move forward.

For more than four decades, there has been an institution that seemed to share the same positive or possibility thinking with us.

That is, Mga Agos Sa Disyerto!

In Philippine fiction, the said “literary barkada” made it.

More like the Gothics or the Beats with social conscience.

On November 19, from 1p.m. Onwards, at the University of the Philippines' Pulungang Recto they will be again committed!

Social realists Efren Abueg, Rogelio Ordoňez, and Edgardo Reyes (plus or minus the departed Eduardo Ordoñez and Rogelio Sicat) have consigned to preserve their legacy via a reunion made possible by U.P. Departamento ng Filipino at Panitikan ng Pilipinas' new chair Jimmuel Naval.
The U.P. College of Arts and Letters, Cavite Young Writers' Association, and U.P. Ugnayan ng Manunulat have collaborated for this historic event called Agos@45: Mga Kuwento ng Muling Pagtatagpo in which National Artist Bienvenido Lumbera, who wrote the introduction to their book in 1964, will contextualize everything with their colleague's daughter, Luna Sicat-Cleto, and veteran fictionists Fanny Garcia, Jun Cruz Reyes, and Roland Tolentino.

Ateneo de Manila University's Corazon Lalu Santos, will let us peek into her dissertation entitled Mulang Talambuhay Tungong Antolohiya: Ang Pagbubuo ng Kasaysayan ng Grupong Agos -- ang mga Dayo sa Siyudad at ang Pagsagka sa “Disyerto” ng Panitikang Filipino: “While writing for magazines like Liwayway was a form of relief of their desert-like existence in the city, they also encountered a new form of desert in Philippine Literature in the guise of commercialism and the concept of literary canon. The group of young writer-friends went through this desert after a collective decision to push for a common literary goal.”

Last October 27, at the Tomas Pinpin Memorial Elementary School in Abucay, Bataan we experienced another oasis in the desert also known as journalism!

However, this time, we with Dr. Luis Gatmaitan spoke during their Secondary Schools Press Conference care of Bataan National High School's pride, Madame Josephine Pagaduan, and her son James, president of the Bataan Campus Paper Advisers Association, Filipino Supervisor Liwanag Santiago, and English Supervisor Dolores Taňada.

At a glance, they do not need our guidance anymore.

Region 3 is the defending champion in the national level!

Last week, after handling editorial writing and cartooning, we were tasked to speak about newswriting before the second-place winners from Region 4.

Department of Education Region IV (A)'s big boss, Dr. Paraluman Giron -- through its Regional Supervisor Yolanda Gilbuena and its Regional English Coordinator Cherrylou de Mesa -- asked us to conduct workshops for the Regional Training of School Paper Advisers and Campus Journalists.

It was supposed to be in October at La Vista Resort in Pansol but it was devastated by typhoons so it was transferred to Luisa Ridge Resort, in Bucal, Calamba in Laguna.

This year is designed as a writing camp: more systematic but less structured.

On November 9, we spoke before eight elementary pupils and eight high school students from Batangas and Batangas City, Cavite, Laguna and Calamba City, Rizal, and Quezon while on, November 12, before the youngsters from the cities of Antipolo, Cavite, Lucena, Lipa, San Pablo, Sta, Rosa, and Tanauan.

For three days, they stayed with their groups led by Dr. Tess Fortunato or Nancy Almonte or James Galvez or Celso Jaballa, for instance, who focused on a series of critiquing sessions in writing editorials, features, sports articles, as well as copyreading and headlinewriting, respectively.

In this live-in writeshop, we had the chance to train about 20+ kid reporters the whole day.
School paper advisers continued what we did on the second and third day.

What was alarming was not just the content but the form of their writing, especially their language.

Should we blame our indispensable yet humble cellular phones?

Both in English and Filipino, these Generation X-ers, or Texters, are struggling with the correct grammar, spelling, and punctuations.

In our own capacity, we imparted to them some reference materials we have been using from gradeschool to graduate school.

We owe a lot from, say, Sir Ernest Gowers' The Complete Plain Words (1954) or William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White's The Elements of Style a.k.a Strunk and White (2000) or Modern Language Association's MLA 2009 Formatting and Style Guide – which can also and always be found in The OWL at Purdue.

U.P. Sentro ng Wikang Filipino's Gabay sa Editing sa Wikang Filipino, on the other hand, is definitive and definitely a great step in standardizing our national language.

Sad to say, it is out of stock and it would take two or more weeks to reprint thousand copies of this slim and significant book valued at P90 only!

Indeed, it is a must in editing.

There ought to be a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Education (or Commission on Higher Education) to use it as our bible in balarila!

Otherwise, if we take each and every orthography as negotiable, how can we say if a word is misspelled or not?

In the light of language-is-alive alibi, we can never have a National Spelling Bee competitions for Filipino!

Ever.

Especially now that the so-called Education Highway is considered to be the new oasis?

In the meantime, we have to deal with real-life deserts like school paper advisers and campus journalists' exposure to major newspapers and other reading materials, need for internet access, or time management of talented students who are into other “extra-curricular activities.”

Not to mention, lack of funds!

Meanwhile, we have been tracing the trail of our professional fee for judging in one Regional Schools Press Conference.

Was it a year or two ago?

And written on the sand too?

TEXT SUPPORT: It is impossible to lick your elbow.

CONSIDER THIS: Old friends are gold. New friends are diamonds. If you get a diamond don't forget the gold.Only gold can hold a diamond.

CONFLUENCE/CONFERENCE (November 09, 2009)

You have exactly a week to catch one of the most successful National Commission for Culture and the Arts projects, in terms of “impact or effect on the community and the number of people who will benefit from it.”

are referring to Sungdu-an, a Waray word for “confluence,” the legacy of NCCA Committee on Visual Arts that started as a “supplement “ to the first National Visual Arts Congress at the University of the Philippine in Diliman, Quezon City from November 30 to December 3, 1995.
Formally, “Sungdu-an 1” was born after a year -- subtitled Pagtatagpo -- to nurture more than 100 works from all over the country at the NCCA building.

Then in 2000, Sungdu-an 2 evolved into traveling show of sorts to 11 sites in the Philippines from February to December 2000 when it became a major component of the Sambayan: Philippine Culture and Arts Festival 2000, an NCCA-initiated multi-disciplinary endeavor, featuring 40 artists with 10 artists from each major island group.

From 2002 to 2004, the longest and the most extensive Sungdu-an 3 was implemented under its theme Making the Local, with three significant components -- namely curatorial research, regional exhibition and national traveling exhibition -- visiting 12 sites and featuring five artists from Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao and NCR for a total of 20!

Two years ago in Cagayan de Oro City, Sungdu-an 4 was scaled down to just one national exhibition known as ExTensions – extending to 12 projects (three each from the four regions) that were encapsulated inside the Museum of Three Cultures at Capitol University from August 17 to September 18, 2007.

Now, on its 14th year, Sungdu-an 5 is participated in by 20 artists (five from each region) at the North Wing, 4th floor of the Museum of the Filipino People , National Art Gallery of the National Museum of the Philippines until this coming Sunday!

Called Current: Daloy ng Dunong, it features a dynamic mix of installation, mixed media (including soil as pigment from Bukidnon), painting, video, and sound art on current issues such as poverty and the environment.

Aiming to develop artists and curators on a long-term basis, the series – that was a product of research and consultations with artists from the different regions -- has provided a platform for trailblazing works of young artists across the islands.

It is curated by the crème de la crème in art studies namely Dennis Ascalon (Visayas), Irma Lacorte (Luzon), Cris Rollo (Mindanao) Claro Ramirez (National Capital Region), and U.P. Vargas Museum's new curator Patrick Flores, who will be with us in an Asian art conference on Public Art that dreams of Angono, Rizal to become one of the creative cities in the world!

Yes, a Multi-lateral Country Conference and Feasibility Workshop on Public Art as a Step towards Creative City Development will be held on 17-24 November.

The Neo-Angono Artists Collective and Japan Foundation-Tokyo will sponsor a three-day art seminar/conference in cooperation with the University of Rizal System-Angono and the Office of the Municipal Mayor Hon. Aurora Villamayor.

According to poet Richard Gappi, first and founding president of Neo-Angono as well as its project director, the conference -- that revolves around the theme “Ciudad/Pueblo: Beyond Folklore and Surface Painting” -- is open to scholars and academicians, artists, delegates and speakers from Asian countries and the Philippines.

Cultural Center of the Philippines' 13 Artists awardee Rommel “Wire” Tuazon, this year’s director of the art festival, added: “The public art festival, meanwhile, presents various art performances, painting exhibits, poetry and music, and theater and film showing usually done in public spaces such as national road, bridge, river, public market and town plaza where the town “perya” or Ferris Wheel is located.”

We, as practitioner of expressive arts therapy, got an invitation talk about “Tapping the Human Artistry and Creativity” with National Artist Bienvenido Lumbera, art critic Alice Guillermo, poet Roberto Anonuevo, artist Nemesio Miranda Jr., playwright/lawyer Nicolas Pichay singer/songwriter Jesus Manuel Santiago, and NCCA Bids and Awards Committee chair Marichu Tellano.

Expected to arrive, too, are Cultural Conservation architect Vijaya Amujure from India; media reporter Than Htike Oo and Nyunt Win from Myanmar; artist Iani Arahmaiani from Indonesia; scholar Dr. Mayasuki Sasaki and music scholar Shimoda Nobuhisa from Japan; artist, curator, and scholar Jang Un Kim and writer Kim Jang Un from South Korea.

The Neo-Angono Artists Collective Inc. was established in November 2004. It is both a movement and an organization founded by visual artists, writers, poets, musicians, theater people, film makers, cultural workers, art enthusiasts, critics, and researchers
totalling to 60, not exclusively from Angono but from other parts of the world, like Japan and the United States.

Ramon Zapata, its Chairman of the Board, stressed: “As a movement, Neo-Angono strives to render modernist visual and artistic language responsive to the times by articulating and invigorating contemporary Angono experience, sensibility and consciousness. It observes the intricate engagement and interplay of various creative art forms wedded in the local community and people.”

His vice chair, Carlos “Totong” Francisco II, grandson of National Artist Carlos “Botong” Francisco, did not simply second: “As an organization, Neo-Angono has been consistent in its annual Public Art Festival for the past five years. It is non-profit, artist-centered, committed to experimentation. It recognizes the need to contribute to art research and education so we give free art workshops. It was commissioned in 2007 to paint a mural on press freedom, which gained national prominence and controversial because it was altered and defaced.”
By supposedly freedom fighters?

TEXT SUPPORT:
You can't kill yourself by holding your breath.

CONSIDER THIS:
Daily blessings are daily reminders of God. Worry ends where faith in God begins. In prayer, God hears more than words, He listens to your heart.