Answering Quo Vadis

This day (April 24) marks the end of the academic life for over 200 Iskolars ng Bayan from the University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu. They are about 5% of the best students in the whole country, the cream of the crop. However ending it may seem, the commencement exercises are never the end. To commence means to begin again, leaving the past behind with a lavish ceremony. It’s like the beginning of another beginning’s end. The four-year path has been their journey, their story. They have endured the life of being zombies drinking on coffee as though it was water. Who could even forget examinations and the major extracurricular burden here and there. Oh, the typical life of being in UP.

With the survival in one of the most gruesome yet prestigious universities in the Philippines, these graduates are bound to find their niche in their chosen field after graduation. So Quo Vadis, then iskos and iskas? Quo Vadis is the Latin phrase for “Where are you headed?” The real world is a vast web of opportunities that may sometimes trick, fail or allow us to win at times with the power lying in our own choices. Would you become a call center agent after four years of intense studying? Or maybe take those proficiency tests to propel oneself into the land of milk and honey? A huge percentage of the youth think that finding money is all there is.

For UP students, we have always been taught the concept of giving back to society. The concept is what makes this university unique. Teachers, professors and even school workers encourage students never to leave the country for economic reasons. They say that while it may be help us individually, the country needs our help more. Therefore we are urged to stay. If the next generation leaves bearing all the knowledge gathered in the university, then the people’s money goes to waste. It’s like biting the hand of those who fed you.

However, it is the pang of capitalism that makes all fresh graduates confused. The gap of the rich and poor has become very wide that they have to choose between what they want and what the family needs. This may be the hardest choice they have to make by far, and the decision that may change their lives forever.

My only wish for the graduates, go back to the basics. Remember what you have heard during the first days of class, the speeches made by countless alumni, and the emphasis of every professor – don’t leave the country unless you have done your share in building it again. This goes even to those who have graduated last March. Please think twice. If we become content with all the things money can buy then this country would never move forward. Don’t also become too comfortable with the “silver dagger of entitlement” bestowed upon you, as billionaire Warren Buffet says. Those born with all the comfort may be lucky but unfortunate for not being to experience true fulfillment upon achieving all the material things for these are already given to them.

A salute also goes to all of you for enduring the tough tutelage in UP and giving a hint of hope to our dire country. The answer to the question “Quo vadis” lies in your hands. But do remember that wherever you are heading you are the image of “giting at tapang” that the country has always been bragging about. Congratulations and mabuhay ang pag-asa ng bayan!

**Published in the Freeman Newspaper on April 24, 2012

Siding with Baguio and their trees

Who isn’t familiar with the famous Joyce Kilmer poem Trees. It starts with, “I think I shall never see, a poem as lovely as a tree,” and ends with, “Poems are made by fools like me, but only God can make a tree.”

I live near a Catholic school which used to be a thick forest. Our summers back then were spent playing hide-and-seek with my cousin and neighbors. We’d even play shatong in the area because the shade from the trees made the place cooler. A few years ago, however, the trees were cut and then a huge school took their place. The sound of children playing in the area has been replaced by a solemn buzz brought about by the nuns running place.

My witnessing of turning nature’s best into commercial establishments did not stop there. A year ago, a vast corn and kangkong field became the new site of a mall. Fresh water turned into concrete, a pity on the river beside it. On the brighter side, the mall promised the Consolacioños a better life. More like the contrary.

Similarly, the SM Baguio expansion project is said to be a green solution with the corporation planting 30,000 trees in the next three years after they cut 182. It seems viable with the number difference. However, it takes 15 to 20 years to grow such trees, a span of time equivalent to a generation. SM has been urging shoppers to go green but their action on the trees of Baguio is certainly not green.

Many have joined the protests against the earth-balling of the trees in Baguio, waving the Temporary Protection Order issued by the court. But how long can this protection order protect the trees? The activists’ shouts are not just done for the sake of protesting. It’s for the love of nature, Baguio and our country. If we let this pass and be defeated by the strong front of capitalism, we are cowards. As author and historian Christine Diaz said in a personal talk, “It’s the love for our country that makes us great, rooted with our deep emotions.” I’d go there myself and shout with them, if only the City of Pines wasn’t that far.

SM Baguio is already big enough, I’ve been there myself. Baguio does not need additional parking space. It does, however, need more trees. The summer capital is experiencing a decline on its temperature rate due to man’s irresponsibility with the environment. Let’s not make it any worse.

**Published in the Freeman newspaper on April 17, 2012

Iskulturang Tansan

CEBU, Philippines - Who says sculptures are only made of clay and are hand-painted?

Well, in this present era, we are moved to make the ordinary extraordinary and the usual unusual. For University of the Philippines (UP) Fine Arts student Ebenezar Lanzam “Benz” Morrok, seven thousand crowns have defined making ordinary extraordinary.

Student Artist Benz Morrok

In his sculpture which he entitled Biomorphic, Benz utilized the most ordinary object that fascinated him – soft drink crowns otherwise known as tansan. It is a seven-foot three dimensional artwork that is made out of almost seven thousand crowns, rivets and wireframe most commonly known to us as alambre.

According to his mentor and Fine Arts professor Raymund Fernandez, Biomorphic is an industrial product for he used materials that are for industrial purposes. His sculpture is a figurative abstract art form which means it does not have a definite identification.

Towering sculpture made out of almost 7,000 tansans

Benz explained that Biomorphic comes from two root words: “Bio” which means life and “morph” which means to move into a distorted form. “Akong artwork naa’y kinabuhi, murag mga mananap og porma, (My artwork has life, its form is like an animal)” he added.

Since his childhood, he has seen these crowns everywhere, in streets, in the stores and even in his own house. That is why he chose this as his primary material. “Naganahan ko sa iyang pagka ordinary… Naa diay siya’y highest point of beauty. (I liked how it is ordinary… I never thought it had a highest point of having beauty).” It took Benz five months to create this sculpture that’s taller than him.

Prior to creating the sculpture, Benz made several studies which are variations of the final one. Their forms were of existing creatures with a twist only he could explain. These forms were made from terracotta clay, one of the most readily available sculpting material in the market.

When ask what he wanted to convey, there are multiple answers designated for a specific audience. “For the art community, it is a development in progress that when making an artwork we should not be focused on one medium but must look for something that we can transform,” he said. “For the viewers, mura siyag pagtampo sa kalikupan or a call to preserve the environment.”

Benz showcased his sculpture in his first solo exhibit entitled Iskulturang Tansan last March 27, 2012 at the UP Mini Gallery. This is his thesis for his Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts. It is not an ordinary thesis because he together with another student artist have chosen to write their paper in our native Cebuano Language. Professor Raymund Fernandez commended them for that.

Iskulturang Tansan was attended by his mentors in the academe, family, friends and art enthusiasts in the community. Everyone was in awe of this towering sculpture made out of a multitude of softdrink crowns. As for Kenneth Gallardo, a product design major, his take on Morrok is that he has deep understanding with curves and lines. “The process was intricate and careful. It has uniformity,” he added.

Benz is one of the many student artists who speak special messages with their artworks. But whether or not the message has been delivered to everyone in a uniform manner, one thing is for sure. He has made the ordinary extraordinary.


**Published in the Freeman newspaper on April 15, 2012

Talking about tuki off the shore

A week has passed since the spark of the controversial butanding picture posted in some of the frequently visited social networking websites. Yes, you remember it right. It was a picture of a young lady happily trying to get on a whale shark. The photograph received numerous hits and shares; it went viral. There was an outrage from the community of animal lovers and wildlife protection organizations as well as those who uphold ethical practices. Criticisms and harsh comments were posted all over the web within days that we have even made it to the international scene.

The photo was said to have been taken in the town of Boljoon, a municipality  in southern Cebu. It is very near Oslob, which has become famous for the presence of butandings. Although officials from both places deny where the picture was taken, I’m pretty sure it was somewhere at the south of Cebu. The girl in the picture, as well as her family, defended that they didn’t know it was wrong to touch the whale shark. But it pretty much seemed more than a touch to me. They thought it was alright as long as the animals would not be harmed.

These whale sharks are called Tuki in our own dialect, also knowno as butanding in the Filipino language with the scientific name of Rhincodon typus. They are known to be the largest fish in the world yet their population is on a decline. The Tuki is a slow swimmer with markings on its skin and a big mouth. It feeds on planktons and microscopic organisms.

Despite it being an enormous creature in the sea, they are not to be afraid of. In fact, they are very friendly, especially to humans. A testimony of which can be seen from the picture that have been circling on the internet. They are like dolphins who respond to human liking and frolic. A smile or a laugh may mean a lot to them. However, they too, are susceptive to stress and fear.

Nothing in this life is free. Same as every indication of friendliness has its boundaries and limitations. These poor creatures enjoy the food given to them by people who shove cameras up their noses. Like them, we can be friendly because we have the capacity to but sometimes it’s better to draw the line between being just friends and being with those who abuse. These poor creatures can’t say a thing. They would have been feeling worse if they knew that tourists pay the locals P300 pesos just to see them swim near the coast, as if they owned them.

We blame ignorance for what has happened. "A lot of people either don't know or they don't care. And that's a problem," stressed Lory Tan, vice president and CEO of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in the Philippines according to a news report. The tuki is protected the under RA 9147, an act for the conservation and protection of Wildlife Resources and Habitats where it is illegal to maltreat or kill this endangered species. According to the WWF, three rules were violated as shown in that photo of a girl circulating in social networking sites: One, the use of flash in taking pictures; two, the touching of the whale sharks; and three, riding on them. I bet you didn’t know that. There you go, lack of information that leads to ignorance.

I’m sure by now there are government offices trying to come up with an efficient manner on regulating those who want view the tuki. It is just sad that, just like the way we treat any other incident, the improvement comes after the disaster. It’s never too late I guess.

**Published in the Freeman newspaper on April 10, 2012

Banner Statements

In our everyday walk, we encounter people of prominence. We find them on newspapers, see them on television and hear them talk over the radio. For Julius Sagrado, these personalities made an impact in his life. Yet, it is up for you to decide whether or not they have wronged you.

            Last March 27, 2012, Sagrado debuted his first solo art exhibit which he entitled Paskin. This is a Cebuano word which means banner or billboard. This exhibit is his entry point to being a professional artist and his exit to his student life in the University of the Philippines (UP) as his thesis into finishing his Bachelor’s degree in Studio Arts.

Julius Sagrado speaks about Paskin

            This thesis however, is unlike no other. Sagrado together with his classmate Ebenezar Morrok, made their theses in our own Cebuano language. Mentor and Fine Arts professor Raymund Fernandez was proud to have his own students use their native tongue in writing their research paper. “Dili naman gani ko maka antigo og Bisaya, kay anad man kog English sa eskwelahan. (I can’t even speak Cebuano fluently because English is used in the academe),” Fernandez said noting that his students made him realize the beauty of this language.

            According to Sagrado, Paskin was guided by different kinds of observers from the society. These images are parts of our community that we always see due to good news or a controversy. But the artist leaves the decision to the viewers whether or not to judge these images on the good side. He wanted to bring back the importance of the banner or karatola which brings the public information.

Boxing Champ is his "Kampilan"

            The titles of his paintings on canvass are the objects that fascinated him during his childhood that remain in his memory until now that somehow relate to the prominent person. For instance Manny Pacquiao’s image was titled as Kampilan; Former President Gloria’s as Tugnaw; and Chief Justice Renato Corona’s as Tabon.

            According to Humanities Professor Ligaya Rabago – Visaya, Paskin is an exhibit that “needs a viewer who is very critical about society, particularly the Philippine society.” Because of the prominence of the people in these paintings, one needs to scrutinize properly their role in our society today.

            Sagrado used subtle colors on the subject such as grey, lavender and beige which he blended very carefully to create a slightly distorted image. For the background, he used bright pastel colors to let the subject stand out. He said that this is a pop art technique which he learned from the artist which made this movement famous, Andy Warhol.

             The set of paintings were not done with ordinary paint. Sagrado integrated his love for printing t-shirts on the canvass by using silk screen techniques. He also used galvanized iron roof, automotive paint and newspapers to create a single image. Talk about the diversity in medium!

His Favorite in his set entitled "Bol"

            When asked of his favorite work in his set, he pointed to his own rendition of the former president Erap Estrada. “Ang slogan ni Erap kay Erap para sa mahirap. Daghan man daw siya’g nabuhat pero para nako wala gyud kaayo. (Erap’s slogan was Erap para sa mahirap. They said he did a lot of things for our country but for me, there was none). He also explained that out of the eight paintings, Erap’s face was the one closest to the real Erap. It was also unique because it was not a rectangular canvass but a circular one, a rare in paintings.

            Vienne Fortalejo, a product design major in the same university, said that the paintings look simple at first glance. “However, the process is hard that due to the different layers of paint used it becomes real to me and I guess to the rest of the viewers as well,” she added.

Who says she's only in the Senate?

**Published in the Sun.Star Newspaper last April 3, 2012

            

Simple as it may seem, all that Sagrado wants is to raise the banner higher for people to see the reality amidst the controversies going on. 

It's Holy Week, not something else

When this generation was a bit younger, the days of the lent used to speak for its true meaning – repentance, prayers, fasting and the like. I used to remember the times when we would wake up early, bring a plastic bag or two, and scout for binignit ingredients at the marketplace. If not this, the old-fashioned biko with latik was always an option.  These were the replacement for the usual meal any family would have, as opposed to the meat ban for the week. We would stay at home, have a quiet time and reflect on our sins.

This year and the previous years may have been a bit different. Instead of bringing children to the different churches, they are brought to the beach or the park. Families spread out their best table cloth on the ground weighted by the food that is enough for everyone to share. The sound of laughter, loud shouts and even out of context songs are heard from every direction. No more the atmosphere of solemn days to reflect, not even the sound of prayers from next door. There are promotions of places to go for the holy days, not minding the cost as long as it offers fun and relaxation.

With the rise of commercial establishments and nature getaways, holy week has now been equated with relaxation. This is due to the lure of capitalism at its peak coated with a “you’ll have a great time” packaging. Who could say no to merrymaking? This makes it harder for us to remember why a couple of days were turned into national holidays.

For the holy week, a couple of our own local traditions include the visitation of the different churches and following the station of the cross. Other denominations prefer an alternative custom with the common denominator of sacrifice. And sacrifice is the total opposite of relax. The decadence on the value of this week by the Filipino families has been dropping to an alarming rate that the children of today no longer know what penetensiya or what puasa mean.

This is generation Y, the digital age. This is the era where everything is done in a click thus, fast paced. Does this excuse this generation of reflection and a quiet moment? According to a study by AC Nielsen, 60% of Filipino youths do not own a bible. Check their smart phones; they might have a bible app in it. Then again, what makes you think they would? When all they care about are the social networking sites that make them feel safe and belonged. Wow, so much for being the only catholic country in Asia.

There has a wide gap between the generations, a lack of discipline and proper training; the latter having failed to pass the baton to the next. This has caused the apathy among the youth of today. What could have been an avenue for strengthening ties, culture, tradition and religion has been exchanged with a lie of luxury. Now that all these facilities are readily available (noting that they are open on these holidays), they eradicate the essence of the holy week.

It’s time to change gears and return to the true meaning of the lent. Confess, pray, and meditate on the suffering, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Do your part in bringing back this season’s essence to the next generation. If you are a parent or an elder, introduce the children to these practices that may have been outdated. It’s never too late to refresh once in a while in the presence of God. While a day in the beach may be fun, let us not forget the reason why it was made a holiday. For this reason, it was labeled as holy week and not as it’s-time-for-the-beach week.

**Published in the Freeman newspaper on April 3, 2011