Spelling Tuesday

Miss Representation

2011-10-15T09:39:00.000+08:00

Miss Representation is a documentary written and directed by Stanford University graduate Jennifer Siebel Newsom about how women are portrayed by the media. It premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival under the Documentary competition on January 22, 2011 and was shown at the Athena Film Festival in New York City on February 12, 2011.

Its broadcast rights was bought by Oprah Winfrey's OWN to premiere on October 20 9/8c in the United States.

From its official website:

...the film exposes how mainstream media contribute to the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence in America. The film challenges the media’s limited and often disparaging portrayals of women and girls, which make it difficult for women to achieve leadership positions and for the average woman to feel powerful herself.

An interesting documentary this is. We've had two female presidents in the Philippines, have voted for female senators, Congress representatives and provincial governors, appointed female judges and Ombudsman and such but media still plays a strong role in packaging women in molds that place them on pedestals or re-create stereotypes that make them "desirable" and unreal.

In other words, we do have our own mis[s]-representations of women's issues that aren't fully addressed or handled exhaustively despite more women significantly visible in media as media practitioners themselves. Having more women in this field does not mean more women (in general) have become fully aware of their rights as citizens or of their roles in nation-building. One only has to note young girls' role models (mostly female celebrities on covers of the glossies) or the rising incidents of violence against women and children.^[1]

More details on Missrepresentation.org

^[1] "...From January through November, the (Philippine National Police) PNP reported 9,225 cases of domestic violence against women and their children, a 91 percent increase over the same period last year. This number likely underreported significantly the level of violence against women and children." / 2010 Human Rights Report: Philippines / Download the PDF

Inspire: Makeshift Magazine and Newspapers in Education

2011-09-14T10:42:00.000+08:00

MAKESHIFT MAGAZINE
Launching on 30 September 2011 at the A Better World By Design conference is Makeshift Magazine, a Kickstarter.com-funded project. It is a

"...quarterly magazine and multimedia website about creativity in unlikely places, from the favelas of Rio to the alleys of Delhi. These are environments where resources may be scarce, but where ingenuity is used incessantly for survival, enterprise, and a self-expression. Makeshift is about people, the things they make, and the context they make them in."

Makeshift Magazine is co-founded by Making Do author Steve Daniels who also co-founded A Better World By Design. Wishing Makeshift Magazine the best. (Also watch Steve Daniels' TEDx-Brooklyn 2010 talk "ICT in Emerging Markets" here.)

Makeshift from Makeshift on Vimeo.
Video credits: Editing: Zach Caldwell / Footage: What Took You So Long and Steve Daniels
Voiceover: Jerri Chou /Music: "Generator ^ Second Floor" by the Freelance Whales

NEWSPAPERS IN EDUCATION
Also sharing something closer to personal experience which happens to also be an advocacy (my mother is a journalist; we grew up eating news for breakfast, lunch and dinner, so to speak, and her newspaper work sent us to school) is Newspapers in Education (NIE)'s video of a case study in Colombia.

It is a well-made video that speaks a lot of what I believe our education thrust should take inspiration from considering how television has taken over households as "news sources" but that televised news sources, especially on free channels, intersperse their broadcast with more showbiz gossip than necessary just to get viewers hooked.

While the fate of newspaper publishing in the Internet age is slowing being shut, the benefits of reading the news ON paper (and of reading in general) is irreplaceable. The video clearly features more advantages to reading than watching, particularly when educational institutions use such programs in the proper context.

The video is from the WAN-IFRA Newspapers in Education site.

Aug 2 2011

2011-08-02T23:01:00.007+08:00

Typhoon "Kabayan"

To "enjoy" a full day of downpour my brother-in-law calls "torrential rain" when he texted a greeting; classes were suspended and public and private workers were asked to take the rest of the afternoon off. My sister called.

Some Metro Manila main streets were flooded since this morning (a car was captured on lunchtime news floating in flood waters and Marikina River had overflowed to above street level by late afternoon).

Then a 3-way business-and-pleasure Skype session with a good friend from the old campus-theater days, now based in Penang.

And Nora Aunor arrived today. For real, finally.

Nora Aunor in "Himala"

Somebody posted an hour ago:

"Si Ate Guy?" RT "Overheard: Bakit kasi pinapayagang makapasok sa (why was [it] ever allowed to enter the) Philippine Area of Responsibility!" "panalo" ("Winner!")

Funny. This is Pinoy humor that's amusing even to a "Noranian" like myself. Say what? This is the first time I have ever written that: Noranian.

It's another August 2 day today that has generated other random thoughts:

About the alleged Election fraud hearings, etc.: If it is proven that FPJ won in 2004, what would declaring him a winner do besides correct history books? Will it invalidate all decrees, laws, contracts, etc. signed by GMA? Will it invalidate the election processes that succeeded it, like who he may have chosen fielded instead? I feel inadequate not knowing the answers, knowing that those who opened the can of worms have no idea themselves what vermi types they are.
Have the authorities learned from real climate change — and its effects — beyond just lip service?
Do we really need another TV game show that caters to the masses, give out houses and lots and other money prizes because there's just too much of it in the pocket? And after the winners cry tears of joy on air, are they equipped to handle the responsibilities of being real homeowners and instant millionaires?
Cultivating a culture of mendicancy. Everyone's on it.
Encouraging a culture of gossip through trial by publicity, disinformation, abuse of social networks, irresponsible reporting and such. Wring it on!
A bungling rescue effort in a historic location by The Bay is nearing its 1st anniversary. It's the one that caused an erosion in leadership confidence, unfortunately. "Heads will roll" said he in the headlines. One year hence, not one has.
The elite Philippine football team has taken attention away from honest-to-goodness sports development program/s that should have benefitted other local sports and athletes. Seriously. And the local rugby team should have been called AZPEENS instead in honor of the brown boys.
Oh, a fugitive elected official resurfaces, then makes a subtle public entrance by riding on, literally, the bandwagon. For reference, check a Cavite event the President attended this year.
Ad nauseum.

Our Manila-Penang Skype afternoon session was a mix of stats and data, requirements, opinions, touching base with global and national issues and such — yes — and, like a pendulum, swung from good times past to harsh realizations of the present. Has anything changed?

Sometimes, days like these makes one vulnerable because the grey, swollen skies bring with it mementos of unpreparedness and fragility (just that, minus the mori, haha).

We may need an authentic Himala without the political color. So, make it neutral tone. Or brown — it's better. (Oh, did I mention how much I love that Bernal movie? And Mario O'hara's "Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos"?)

Or perhaps something as unexpected as Oprah Winfrey springing a Charice Pempengco surprise. Come to think of it, this little girl may well be the 21st century Nora Aunor of her generation though they fulfill two different entertainment values. (Then again, there's Eugene Domingo who may aptly be the new-gen Nora. I love them who goes against the grain of industry-prescribed "beauty.")

Yet there's a lot to be thankful for in the past 365 days, and in days coming. Like that 12 year old girl named Janelia Lelis from Albay who saved the flag, solid and upright in the middle of a raging flood last week during typhoon "Juaning."

Frank Lorzano via @cesarAPOLINARIO / http://twitpic.com/5zsoil/

Or hoping that the sun will come out tomorrow.

- 02082011

When Nature acts, no one is ever prepared. #HelpJapan

2011-03-15T12:17:00.003+08:00

Japan earthquake 11 March 2011, 8.9M upgraded to 9.0M

(Image via Boston Globe's The Big Picture. Click to view entire post.)

Read about Japan's EXPLOSIVE GEOLOGY from OurAmazingPlanet.com

NTS: Installed the red Hello Bar above which goes to the Japanese Red Cross Society's donation details. Go to The Hello Bars and use code: helpjapan to get yours, too.

ideas for good

2011-02-24T19:59:00.004+08:00

We are in the latter stages, hopefully, of getting what I've since referred to as the "new entity," from a formless yet vivid concept, to a structured, albeit challenging, organization.

This "new entity" is something I had wanted to get into for some time — specifically, for many years now, really. More appropriately, it is some thing, among many things, that had played out in my mind so many times that not only have I lost count, I had, in alternate moments, believed it to be lived.

Through circumstances that have brought me to cross paths with like-minded souls, events I have chosen to take part in, people and work that have helped open up new ideas or affirmed the tried and tested ones, and, yes, the oversights and shortcomings that were charged to experience, and, with my friend and colleague with whom I share these experiences, I face an important transition with optimism. And prudence.

gung-ho

Time was when I imbibed the gung-ho disposition of the youth — I sure hope I still have some it left — and embraced any and all propositions that came my way boldly and with gusto. Not that I have since become jaded, god forbid I've transformed into someone as inured as a seasoned politician, many of whom populate our hallowed institutions, but I now approach such important involvements not only with care but with enough cards to draw from my bag of experience. Of course I hope that the cards be the ones that trump when called for.

And so, on with what was formerly the formless concept, this "new entity."

The path towards getting it structured was wrought with many questioning and scenarios, mostly to myself, calling up certain entries in my memory databank to see what suitable matches fit. Some weren't always exact matches which therefore needed external help; some, perfect re-enactments of past incidents that typically still occur, it has left me wondering why people, perhaps even myself, never seem to get past them. Maybe it is a "Filipino thing," say, to be acting on intuition way too much for comfort to the point of disregarding established processes and standards. And to these typical scenarios, I would then propose, in my mind, un-typical solutions, say, had I the chance to do things differently when those occured.

action

My colleague-friend had nagged me time and again for action regarding this "new entity," but since I would always be immersed in two or more other projects, I refused to make definite commitments until I had fully gotten hold of what, to me, was devoted quality time towards thinking things over.

Along the way, we had connected with a few more friends whose ideals ran parallel to ours, and whose enthusiasm rubbed off on, in some instances, adding to, ours, that seeing a form that would make this "new entity" more solid and graspable became less of a task and more of a shorter, lighter journey.

As they say, it is not the destination that counts but getting there, and that includes overcoming the official businesses one must go through to have a legal personality. So, with the help of the least techie among would-be partners (e.g. a lawyer), whose idea was getting around data systems and turning-over computerese linear thinking upside down, we erupted in a joint Eureka! moment when we finally got our choice name registered online — I mean, getting both preferred names, at that, after so many tries.

We were then in sort of a dilemma because we had to settle with just one name and, after minor deliberations, we have come to the conclusion that to embody what we truly would be, our new endeavor is to be Ideas for Good.

good ideas for ideas for good

Ideas for Good is a social enterprise engaged in creative communications and design consultancy. It is, however, driven by advocacy. Our new enterprise officially makes past volunteer involvements a part of what we do and I am not the least excited for the 4 or more self-initiated projects we hope would come to fruition because these are intended to truly help communities and become the means by which my partners and I are able to pursue sharing our experiences and expertise to others.

Ideas for Good is a for-profit social enterprise. After all, much as our hearts desire to reach out and help — needles to say, we are bursting with good ideas and solutions which we know and are certain will help — we acknowledge that we cannot be as effective if we go by our hunger for social change on a just handful of sustenance to get us through.

Therefore, I, in my state of shedding as Creative Partner, doer and task-er of design solutions for more than 15 years under Sadidaya Disenyo and, currently, East Axis Creative, Inc., along with my old and new colleagues, embark on what we hope would make us even more effective agents of change and make good ideas matter on a deeper, wider level.

Good ideas pertaining not just to design and harnessing collective creativity but also about sensible marketing, an equitable application and awareness of laws in order to empower and the thoughtful usage of words and writing to best communicate.

I've finally stepped onto a lane that I feel is familiar yet this transitioning is bittersweet. Though I am undeniably undergoing separation anxieties — yeah, pretty much a common phase, I guess — I am very positive.

EDIT: The domain and hosting for Ideas for Good has been activated on Feb. 21, 2011 courtesy of our friend and valued provider edsahosting.com. Thanks, Mon!

A new theme, 23 October 2010

2010-10-23T00:47:00.129+08:00

I'll end a long day with a belated response to what many viewers have said about how (some find) my entries a little difficult to read because of the colors or contrast—or the lack thereof—of the old theme. So I've decided to try out Blogger's new theme offers and change the look of this blog to the current one.

I post to this blog from an Apple machine and I admit to not having tried reading and posting much to here from displays and operating systems other than my own.

This new look is based on Blogger's Watermark theme (with a few tweaks) by Joshua Peterson, whose other theme, Minima, was what I previously used. My header is retained but slightly revised. The main post column of Watermark, meaning, this box with a lighter shade which serves as background to what you are reading, is also slightly wider at 518px than the old one, and the styles are more up to date. I wasn't able to make an image grab of the old look, unfortunately, because of my instantaneous decision.

Anyhow, I notice that the page also loads faster than the old one.The over-all [new] look is somewhat still muted; in fact, it looks more subdued than the old one but hopefully more readable, especially to users on other machines and OS'es.

I haven't gone far enough, in terms of entries, to re-edit image positions and other such customized, manual styling done, which were all based on the previous theme, but I hope to get to that when more time allows for it.

I don't know, but i hope it looks more inviting or easier to read. Currently, I kind of find it too hushed and tame. However, a small change in look wouldn't hurt. I would also just like to make it easy for some readers, who happen to venture to here, to at least stay longer and read, especially since a majority of entries are longer than usual blogs.

This would be the third revision in terms of style and theme used on this blog since I started it three years ago.

Maybe I might find other parts of the blog theme boring tomorrow when the light's better, or when the sun's out. That means I might still do some tweaking here and there.

23 october 2010

EDIT: Activated the "Tabs" function. | 26 October 2010
EDIT: Moved the "popular tags" cloud and other gadget elements to the footer | 01 November 2010

Unboxing Charice and our traditional archetypes (a 3-part post)

2010-09-30T18:50:00.400+08:00

[PART I of III]

IN JULY 2009, THERE WAS MUCH ADO in the entertainment scene that stemmed from a statement on TV by OPM legend Freddie Aguilar about Charice, Arnel Pineda and other Filipino talents making a name abroad (although specifically addressing a question about Charice), on being famous by imitating—like monkeys...because we don't hold our own,¹said he—Western singers and their styles.

The issue lasted for about a month and has since died a natural death. At its peak, however, the issue dragged other Filipino singers into the scene. Needless to say, it drew all sorts of reactions especially online, and created a real-world gap between followers of the performers mentioned and those who agreed with Aguilar.

It also added a degree of stigma already attached to talents like Charice and Arnel and their respective fan bases and pouring fire into existing heated rivalry specifically between Charice’s fans and of other female singers older than she and whom she'd often been compared with.

To some extent, the issue above was aggravated by online activities participated in by fans across sectors as a consequence of technologies we currently have.

Our preoccupation with fast information and viral issues, and of the marketing and appreciation of talents we see and hear about, has in fact taken a much different approach to the traditional, even if the so-called “traditional” modes still exist, for example, through sleek local talent-search TV productions instantly available with just a click on the remote and a lot of free viewing time, but with minimal focus on the search for real talents.

These technologies, along with the current "traditional" ones like TV and radio, have also changed the way we interact with or react to issues whether they be real or perceived, and have become the defining influences in our choices.

A trichotomy | Like in most developing countries, our reality is living in a world of wide and rigid differences in terms of preferences and prorities.

For instance, we have, on one hand, premium-rate entertainment services and its selective, privileged market, and, on the other, shows on free TV that, like in murky public markets, dispense what its producers think the masses deserve. There simply isn't room for options.

Between both is the broad middle class sector, many of whom help expand the trichotomy having advanced from near-destitution to affording things on demand (thanks to remittances by relatives abroad) and have become consistent spenders on middle-class pleasures.

Charice, who comes from the masses, has made dream-like success look easy and fluid because of YouTube and her undeniable talent to sing cover songs — the big, difficult ones at that, from as early as 7 years old if we take into account her publicized starting age at joining contests.

It is interesting that, having come from a family of modest means herself, many of her detractors whom she actually represents and whose ideals she lives up to are themselves the first to put her down.

This circumstance may have to do with not just the perpetual rich-vs-poor rationale against a third world background but also with complex factors that have to do with the entertainment industry in general in which marketing and sales rule, packaging matters.

On the other hand, if popular belief is to be pursued, events related to Charice may have to fall back to status conflict because it seemed to have happened to her when she, having been a clear choice in the last singing contest she joined on television five years ago, was edged out through what many believed were unfair systems not once but twice, probably even more, of what may have been her only ticket out of poverty in her early teens.

An example is the recent admission of singer-songwriter Jim Paredes on his blog about his judging a special segment of the contest Charice was in and to whom he and his fellow judges apparently gave high scores. He disclosed that they were asked by the contest staff to reconsider their tallies which appeared to have given Charice the score advantage over all the other contestants.

I, in fact, came across a YouTube video of a segment some years ago in which a wide-grinned and visibly amused head-bobbing Jim Paredes was clapping behind the judges’ table to Charice's song-and-dance performance of I Wanna Dance With Somebody. He may have been referring to that particular special segment in which Charice won.

And then there is the legendary grand finals of the same contest in which Charice, having been called back as a "wildcard" contestant, lost.

Charice revealed to TV host Boy Abunda in a TV interview in 2009 that she held back tears on stage upon losing, only to pour out tears of pain backstage after her mother granted her permission to finally release pent-up emotions. Apparently, Charice had thought hard about re-joining it as a "wildcard" contestant after being eliminated in an earlier round, but to which she gave her all, she said, when she did agree.

A class conflict? | Charice's defeat was generally attributed to having been the result of some kind of a class conflict. Paredes, who, he says, was not among the finals judges, however suggests belatedly that Charice could have just had a bad grand finals day, was not in her best element and someone else deserved to win for she was up against male contestants by then, one of whom was soft-spoken and fluent in English, tall for his age and good-looking, fair-skinned as he was most likely of mixed heritage, had proper song-and-dance training and such. Good-looking male entertainers are most likely easier to market anyhow. He ended up winning.

There, too, is the now classic line “she does not posses enough 'star quality'” allegedly spoken of her by a female judge during the finals despite Charice outperforming all others consistently. Some, who followed this contest whom I’ve spoken to recently, attest to hearing it said on air. Whatever that “star quality” was was something only the judge knew for she was not a known star-maker or talent manager but an entertainer for laughs.

All these may seem like reading too much between Charice's timeline but allegations of preference based on superficial, albeit "marketable," qualities do fulfill a consumerist society's needs which, like ours, are largely based on colonial legacies and commercial consumption.

And there is her back-story of poverty. She embodied many singing hopefuls, many as young as pre-school age, whose families more than encouraged them to sing or act, join contests and win so they, stage-managed still wet behind the ears by their parents, could help pitch in and make their families' lives a little better.

In Charice’s case, it would be heartless for anyone to not be moved by her story. As a child whose outlet was in the joy of singing—and became fiercely competitive at it, she says—music was what uplifted her spirit to help get her through periods of hunger and scenes of domestic violence.

While touching, almost melodramatic, the kind that telenovellas are often based upon, her background is what has made her vulnerable in the eyes of her admirers and detractors, and special to her American benefactors.

Hers was the kind of story that affluent, open societies relish because its reward is like finding a priceless gem out of (third world) trash carelessly thrown away; they didn’t need appraisal as they instinctly knew of its value and returns even in its rough, unpolished state.

Delicate, gifted and under-appreciated | Charice is a petite girl and was a frail-looking child in contests in younger years. Yet she is all of fragile, accessible, approachable and of boundless energy; she is funny, awkward and street smart. She speaks loud, she talks fast and her spiels on stage, like the ones I heard her say in a concert in 2009 and on many other live performances viewable online, are of the everyday, like that of many ordinary teenagers wont to absorb the behaviors of their peers at street corners.

She surrounds herself, as I've seen, with her core family and her "barkada" (gang) from her neighborhood, the likes of whom whom we’d regularly see texting on their mobile phones while hanging out in popular malls, in public transportation terminals or fast-food joints. In fact, she could disappear in a crowd had it not been for the recent life-changing events that have now made her one of the most recognizable faces.

Yet even in her early career, she has attracted the mothers and matrons (surprisingly, even the fatherly) because she looks vulnerable and knew their songs by heart.

When she moves or dances, she does it in a snappy and almost restless way. In rare interviews where she gives longer-than-her-usual answers in the vernacular — it’s Tagalog with strong intonation to best articulate her views — she does so proudly, unconsciously of the fact that she'd inherited the dialect of heroes from Laguna and Batangas in Southern Luzon from where she hails.

Urbanized Filipinos would call it being “probinsiyana,” from the provinces. In other words, unsophisticated.

Yet so much of Charice is under-appreciated for what she’s worth, especially from the same economic strata she’s from and represents because she certainly is gifted.

Not your typical underdog | The seeming lack of approval could be because of how Charice had been treated on national television as contestant a few years back in which she came out the perennial feisty underdog. Charice was simply the antithesis to everything that they would rather have represent them because she is plain-looking and small and had eyes that revealed her tiniest, innermost emotions.

The masses usually want their female underdog-saviors demure, ala-Maria Clara, and picture-perfect despite disheveled hair in their most cunning, vengeful moments. In other words, they preferred someone else to symbolize their aspirations, which at that time, and maybe to this day, Charice perhaps hasn’t become yet to them.

It could also be because she was subject of a controversy, one which involved her age as under-declared, i.e. just the cut-off age, because the contest representatives and majority of the audience could not reconcile the fact that a mature voice was coming out of an early teen’s mouth. Surely there's something surreal about a mother who demands that the radio be toned down believing that the music coming from it was of popular singer Celine Dion's and not her 4-year old daughter.

How could it be possible that, even at the tender age of 9, Charice had complete control of her ad lib (as in 0:40 in the sample video below) when she encored her entry after winning in one of her early TV singing competitions? She sounded like a vet which, by this age, she probably already was.

Video courtesy of pixie0904

It didn’t help that, like many girls overly dolled up by their parents, her on-stage appearance in all other televised competitions belied her age.

From the series of videos of the last contest she joined which are viewable on YouTube and other video sites, Charice may be seen performing made up a tad too much for her age, or sometimes looked overdressed like in a fiesta singing contest or adult night club than on daytime national TV whereas her stiffest competitor towards the end was appropriately garbed and dapper.

The masses who followed the singing competition she last joined, and the fans of the other contestants, believed in the misplaced controversy this contest generated and used it as basis of their prejudice against her. It seemed that the contest’s network-producer did little to correct this defect and instead fed on the masses’ lust for blood for how else could they make the show more interesting without it?

Off-camera, she'd not be just subject of ridicule whenever she lost, she said; off-hand, a rivalry among fans of contest favorites had begun to brew.

A big-voiced dilemma | During the contest, Charice would be labeled a "young diva" but because of her big voice at an awkward age the network probably wasn’t prepared to package her as a singer other than a real “diva” had she won. However, Charice didn’t fit the “diva” mold Filipinos have become familiar with since the term evolved into their consciousness.

Perhaps the network needed her and the other contestants to remain as kids and sing in 4/4 beat for its juvenile shows until it knew what to do with them later on. If it didn't, however, they could just be dropped from its roster of talents.

If Charice had won, there’d be no available songs or fitting program segments in their network they could offer her that could showcase her abilities. Besides, there was a dearth of anything significant on Philippine television at that time, anyway, outside of over-stretched game shows, imported dramas, series that fulfilled fantasies, gossip programs and noontime song-and-dance variety shows which were already overflowing with contract talents who also sang covers, never mind if only less than half of its cast could actually sing and dance. The Philippine recording industry² was barely breathing³, too, a casualty of piracy⁴ and an industry’s slow action.

The network, some say, belittled the little girl with the big voice it didn't know what to do with. It propped up the contestant who fit the formula of a potential “next star” who they could easily make money out of without having to exert further effort; someone who, eventually, would blend in the variety show background should things go another way.

Luckily, being eliminated from the contest meant periodic appearances for Charice on some of the network's shows but little else. She did not have a definite singing career in show business to speak of, however, as she chose school over TV after losing in the contest, avoiding further disappointments as she may have developed a wariness with the industry.

Comparisons | All this makes up Charice’s brief experience in the local entertainment business that, even after she lost and was nearly out of the limelight when the contest ended, Charice seemed to still harbor hatred and endless comparisons from fans of other singers.

A point of interest is how she evolved to be the perceived rival of not the contest winners she lost to, but female singers older than she: the reigning "pop divas" and veteran belters who had established careers well ahead of hers and were, of course, definitely more popular with the masses.

Charice would be compared to them even before her appearance on the Ellen Show in America in 2007, or two years after she lost in the contest when she was still practically an unknown outside of the pool of talents of the network that produced it.

At that time, her appearance on Ellen would be seen only by those who could afford cable TV subscription. Charice describes that moment honestly in many interviews as “(my) mom not knowing who Ellen DeGeneres was” when they received the invitation to guest, and "not knowing who Oprah was" when it was Oprah’s turn to invite.

It therefore seemed incredulous to many who knew of "Ellen" and "Oprah" how someone living very ordinary circumstances would be extended such extra-ordinary requests and be given special treatment especially since it could have been the kind of career break any local producer would wish for the singers they’d have spent fortunes on building up for years. It was also alleged Charice had to sing to the network executives when she got invited to Ellen, perhaps to convince them more that she deserved to fly to America for the first time with their backing.

Imaging a generation, a virtual war map |

If one were to gauge the development of word wars amongst fans in the past four years, the war map was the entire YouTube website, the new battleground of the "masa" (masses) that seemed to have nothing better to do with their spare time—and loose change—than go to the back-alley internet shops and spend idle time heaping praises on their favorites or writing invectives on video pages of singers they despised as was in Charice's case.

Charice had to eventually learn to bear the unsolicited insults from fans of these other female singers especially of comments made on many uploaded videos of her performances on YouTube, a majority of which were user-generated and which she had nothing to do with in the first place.

When videos of hers started becoming more popular, the comments became more rabid to say the least, even if these were written in the street “jejemon” language comprehensible only to her generation at the time, and to a sector of society aimed at by cellphone companies for their “sari-sari” store pre-paid reloading services; the slime slung forthwith and back on these pages could be overwhelming.

Still, Charice seemed publicly oblivious of it all. After all, she had her own platoon of followers to defend her and she had gotten used to rudeness, she’d say.

The online word wars became the equivalent of a similar rivalry a generation ago when Nora was versus Vilma when each of their sets of fans pulled hairs and clawed at each others’ faces inside jeepneys and studio backyard lots. The present generation of the “bakya” crowd of old, those forever shodden in wooden clogs, had moved its venomous action online.

Throughout all this, the Pinoy teens driven to school in chauffeured cars, chilled out in Starbucks and went to front-row concert seats of foreign acts, and the yuppies who landed the right jobs, simply didn’t care. They were too busy fiddling with their new gadgets most of the time. Those who were neither "masa" nor the regular Starbucks habitué were closeted within the comfort of their cubicles pounding away at their computer keyboards or were in the streets screaming their lungs out at institutions clamoring for change.

=====
¹ From Spot.ph entry; another reference can be read from its PEP.ph news source here.
²The Recording Industry at a Glance, PARI, with entry on music piracy (par. 33, line 980);
³ The Business of Making Music, 17 April 2008, PCIJ;
⁴ State of Piracy in the Philippines, 24 Oct. 2007

PART 1, p1 | [Next p2 >] [ Go to p3 > ]

p.2 Unboxing Charice and our traditional archetypes (a 3-part post)

2010-09-30T18:49:00.015+08:00

PART 1, p2 | [ Previous p1 ] [ Next p3 ]

The Oprah effect | Perhaps the one significant moment that Charice suddenly became more present in the consciousness of the local cable TV market, i.e. the middle and upper-middle classes — and the general public — was her “Oprah moment” (May 2008) despite her being flown to the US to debut on American television by Ellen DeGeneres for her self-titled show the year before.

Charice, then an awed, over-zealous, US TV greenhorn, appeared fumbling for the right words in English in replying to Ellen in her interview. Her performance, however, merited a standing ovation from the audience and Ellen was still taken over by Charice the next day that she couldn’t help but mention and replay a portion of Charice’s previous-day performance. "It's something to be sitting next to that and you could just smell the star on her," she said back in 2007. "You could just smell it."

For the locals, the Ellen Show appearance came and went despite it being one of the most-watched day-time shows not only in America, in part because it was televised months delayed in the Philippines on cable channels, and partly because Oprah is the more motherly, more affectionate host Filipinos are more aware of and had closely identified with; even local talk show celebrities Sharon Cuneta and Kris Aquino were fans of hers and patterned their earlier show formats after hers.

In between the two American shows was another little-known invitation to perform in London at the Paul O’Grady show. Charice’s passport was stolen just before leaving for London, and poor girl made an appeal on TV about it. She was lucky to have been given a replacement and performed on Paul O’Grady flawlessly albeit nervous and seemingly uneasy conversing in English in interviews with him. His audience let the interview pass but noticed her performances enough to give her another standing ovation.

In her Oprah debut, Charice was more candid. Having just arrived in Chicago straight from the Philippines hours into her number, she sang with the same confidence as in Ellen’s, Paul O’Grady’s, StarKing in Korea in 2007 and all other singing contests she had joined in the Philippines. Her audience gave her an ovation midway through her song and Oprah was stunned. "That was fantastic! Who are you!?," she asked and said, "Thank you so much for flying, all day all night, fifteen hours, and come here in such perfect form...".

Charice would later guest four more times on the show.

Do you see what I see? | Surely there was something in Charice that the seasoned entertainment celebrities in the West saw, their audiences felt the first time they laid their eyes on her but which we, the locals, seem to have missed.

Having been unfairly pitted locally against older, more established belters not by marketing or strategy but by catfights among fanatical followers, and having limited solos or very little local appearances, and exclusively to just one network at that—even if it was alleged that she never really had an exclusive contract with it save for an album hastily put together by its recording company which Charice recently revealed took only a month to put together after her debut on Oprah, and to which she had obligation to promote—Charice was never really given enough exposure to be recognized for what she really possesses.

When foreign audiences took notice, Charice became more visible on the network's shows. However, she still hadn't a real career in the Philippines and only took what came. She hadn't even a compleat management team, one which should’ve had a strong publicist, or a stylist, at least, and, more importantly, an industry-recognized music trainer. Anyway, so did many singers, many of international calibre, save for a select few, for that is how Philippine showbiz is: an industry with a surplus of talents but without a workable blueprint on how to deal with them.

Occasionally, she'd be a wedding singer to help make ends meet. Whatever career path she thought she may have had in show business was still so unsure at this point that she admitted to Boy Abunda of resigning to being an OFW’s child as her family had almost put Plan B in place — until Oprah’s unexpected call to guest in her show came, that is — meaning, for her factory-worker mother to give up mothering and work abroad.

After Oprah and with a new local CD release to her name — finally — were the occasional, obligatory album promo tours in Metro Manila and sub-urban malls which were announced on short notice that Charice fulfilled. In most of those tours, she’d be given a small stage and puny PA systems that, more often than not, were driven beyond its threshold whenever she hit the powerful notes.

On the side, she would, by this time, appear on the oft-maligned but popular Wowowee, a show in the same network which even the middle-class considered “uncool” and by the elite as uncouth.

If she ever guested on the network’s big Sunday show — an upgrade in status, in that case, as it was a showcase of the network’s premium talents — she was in a tandem or trio. Until recently, she and other singers only sung parts of a medley, most of which, like in contests she joined, would be of difficult cover songs aimed at out-belting fellow singers because it was what the program thought the audience lapped up.

Glossing over Hollywood | What is more known of Charice today is how Oprah — the self-made Forbes Magazine’s most-powerful-people-in-American-entertainment-and-business list favorite Oprah Winfrey, if you hadn’t have heard — put her career on the line for this little known and often misunderstood Filipina singer.

To the masses, this fact seems trivial even today for Oprah Winfrey, as they may have later discovered, is just another black American TV host, if they ever got to watch her shows at all.

To the yuppies, she’s their mother’s favorite after-lunch cable TV companion. To the students closer to Charice’s age, Oprah was simply not in their zone. Meanwhile, those who had the capacity to understand Charice's success or might have had appreciated her talent early on without falling into academic or philosophical rhetoric were just too busy to notice.

To the rest of the working classes, the self-appointed geeks, the machos and their mates, the recently financially-empowered fashionistas and the iPod-toting crowd enveloped in multi-media stimuli, it was beneath them to even know of Charice as they would rather be seen and heard immersed in technical or esoteric jargon, grooving to the latest dance mixes, be wining and dining at talk-about-town bars and bistros.

They believed, and still do, that the mere mention of her name or affirmation of anything remotely connected to Charice is the death knell of their careers. In other words, they allowed a perceived social stigma to infect them even before they could grab at the chance of rising above it by looking on her phenomenon with an open mind.

A passive reaction | On the other hand, it seemed odd that the local entertainement industry was mostly quiet when then-16-year-old Charice, who, after she appeared on Oprah a second time, shared stage with and was given the limelight by Celine Dion herself, “The Diva” whose songs were covered much on big Sunday variety show productions or in glitzy concerts of the celebrated local divas, and whom the New York Times said of Charice as "impressive...explored the song’s heretofore unheard rougher edges" and The New York Post as the "brightest moment" of Celine's concert.

The industry, for the past three years, seemed rather uninterested that David Foster, a multiple Grammy winner and discoverer of talents that command pricey concert seats, composer of many songs in the repertoire of local productions, would be not just Charice's mentor and producer but her pianist on many events and promotional tours. Could it have even occurred to the hordes of bejeweled, spa-pampered Filipina followers of Josh Groban, Michael Bublé and Andrea Boccelli, talents who Foster discovered, that Foster had lost his mind for agreeing to take this "little upstart" and unsophisticated child-woman Charice into his wings?

It also seemed incidental, his decisions questioned by a public suddenly more aware of Charice that television producer Ryan Murphy, the co-creator/director of smart and successful TV shows and movies of late, picked Charice from among thousands of hopefuls worldwide to finally make her musical series TV debut on Glee as rightful opponent to its Broadway-trained star Lea Michele.

They, the local industry and the general public, were suspicious of his choice and the circumstances around it, even as far as suggesting that Oprah may have tapped Murphy’s shoulders to take a look at her protégé and by-pass all other online auditionees that included two Filipinos identified with Charice’s local network-producer.

Assuming there was any truth to the latter speculation about Charice on Glee, I'd have to say it IS something to even be hand-picked by Oprah Winfrey from among thousands of talented Filipinos for her to twist the arms of a Hollywood colleague and forcibly do her a favor.

I couldn't even start to comprehend how a public would agree to such an anomaly had it been another Filipino singer chosen instead. Could the Filipino from across classes have fallen to such low self-regard as to actually entertain the idea of "making it" — no matter what — by holding on hard to coattails of power and not because of talent or hard work, dedication and commitment? How sad.

Ok, so Charice could sing but could she act, many asked. She hadn’t even done a movie nor credit a box-office hit to her name in the Philippines.

Could she dance? She certainly could, some say, but hip-hop style if not an awkward imitation of Michael Jackson. The audience and judges of the popular Korean StarKing show knew she had the moves when she sang there three years ago, however. The older, more veteran judges of that show even wanted to “learn [to sing like that] from her” after thrilling them with a flawless rendition of the technically difficult And I Am Telling You (I’m Not Going), a song usually reserved for older or more mature performers but which Charice sang like she was simply having a good time with.

Charice is spontaneous and does not mind moving with the music, sometimes gracefully, other times times awkwardly, as if the spirit of the notes and rhythms of intricate arrangements had entered her body pressed to possess.

Indeed one of the things I find interesting in Charice is her knack for rendering difficult songs, many not even in my sphere of interest, and make it look like she was enjoying herself throughout.

original video upload by smee | chasters.us
(Album promo, Robinson's Dasmarinas, 08/08/09)

PART 1, p2 | [< Previous p1 ] [ Next p3 >]

p.3 Unboxing Charice and our traditional archetypes (a 3-part post)

2010-09-30T18:48:00.022+08:00

PART 1, p3 | [ p1 ] [ Previous p2 ]

“Glee” | Since confirming speculations about her being cast in the Emmy-awarded Glee series in June this year, and up until the recent airing of its second season premiere in which she appeared, Charice was once again attacked from all fronts by Filipinos even as young as 13 on the Internet.

By this time, Facebook and Twitter had taken over the lives of billions and it was easy to use the cloak of anonymity to vent out ire on someone they did not know personally, had not experienced or seen perform live and hadn't done them direct harm.

For the teens, it may be a case of envy because someone like Charice whom they thought they had the right to verbally bully online looked like one of them. They disliked her because they thought she was cocky, which, really, sometimes Charice may unconsciously, unintentionally come across on stage as being.

Maybe she even looks like their arch-nemesis in school for Charice could put on all expressions on her face when singing and this looked weirdly funny it piqued them. Her movements annoyed them, her songs were old-fashioned. Worse, she sang their parents' cheesy, monumental songs like a grown-up.

At 18, Charice hadn’t grown any taller and developed into a svelte enough young lady since she lost in that singing contest to even come physically close to their preferred local or foreign idols.

A local male DJ and gossip show host known for his sweet but curt jabs at people, in a rare, polite moment on TV just a few days ago, voiced out preference for another Filipina (female) singer to be on Glee in Charice’s stead but did not state why. It sounded like a reflection of an industry that sat out through most of Charice's accomplishments in silent envy, a victim of its self-imposed sanctimony.

Perhaps the DJ's preference might have impressed him as more deserving because she had sex appeal that excited him besides her having certified box-office hits to her name. It didn’t matter how his choice sang, or, to many, how Charice could outsing most every one else with ease. In fact, it didn’t occur to many of Charice’s detractors what Glee’s co-creator was looking out for in the first place.

Their role was to get into the kind of prejudice they knew of that has existed in the consciousness of Filipinos for generations. Meanwhile, most everyone else with little or no access to news about Charice, save for mentions on local gossip shows and magazines, rendered quick judgment on her and they judged superficially they failed to even see the unique nuances of her versions of songs of others.

A well-managed lung power | Thank god for authoritative Hollywood godmothers and godfathers, Charice was taken seriously as a singer.

She was given a manager she shares with Andrea Bocceli and her acknowledged mentor, David Foster. She was taken in by the influential publicist Liz Rosenberg who has spoken for and defended Madonna and other high-profile celebrity clients through public statements, and who, while accompanying Charice to the offices of US magazines in July of this year, was said to have mentioned of her as meriting a “slot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 25 years.” A big, meaningful prediction that is if Rosenberg would own it.

They also put her under the guidance of an industry-accredited professional vocal coach named Eric Vetro as added support to David Foster in helping her not only preserve her voice for the long haul, hopefully, but further refine her talent and free her from mannerist tendencies acquired from singing on town plaza stages in years past.

And they, her American management team, seemed to have freed her from the local network Charice practically grew up in so she could promote her album everywhere. In response, other networks, particularly the acknowledged rival of Charice’s erstwhile home network, took her in with open arms.

Left: Charice and GMA 7 News' Jessica Soho in her first long interview on Soho's Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho (May 2010) [Image from Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho] | Right: Video grab of her debut on Eat Bulaga (June 2010)

A different kind of soprano | And Charice was given a vocal category, too, by many music enthusiasts abroad; somewhere, some say, between a mezzo soprano and that of a dark or dramatic soprano ("budding", if I may add). This was nearly unheard of while she was an occasional singer in the Philippines.

Charice is not in Lea Salonga's league, as Charice herself admitted, simply because their backgrounds and training, their genres, are different. Charice is certainly no nightingale the likes of Regine Velasquez and it is but correct for Regine to bestow her "pop diva" title to the younger Sarah Geronimo or Rachel Ann Go simply to end fans' debate on who her bona fide successor is because they sound like they are at least in the same vocal range.

I have to agree with the fans of these singers that Charice isn't "the next Regine" because Charice's voice is different. I actually have to submit that, thus far, she is no successor to anyone's title because it looks like she has started making her own.

At her age, Charice’s voice is thicker, deeper and more dense; it always had a higher register, in my opinion, and is more colorful, something I'd describe, even in its early and yet unpolished current vocal quality, as multi-dimensional and engaging. Her lung capacity is stronger even when jumping literally to the crowd and back up on stage again in the middle of a song, while sustaining a note or sliding from one musical bar to another.

Lea Salonga, in a session with young artists in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in May of this year, said of Charice,

"...If you look at her versus other 17, 18, 19-year old so-called singers in the United Sates... [who] fit the Disney mold...she's different...she's tiny and petite but what sets her apart is that she's just so insanely talented.

And she has this voice, you know? And I'm really hoping for the best because...if you're just so insanely talented you cannot be ignored.

The world will be stupid to ignore you." ~ Lea Salonga

Celine Dion said her voice "could blow the roof off of Madison Square Garden in New York." Americans call her bearing “the pipes,” but where those came from or were it was located was itself a wonder. Charice might just have developed a diaphragm as deep as her emotions and painful experiences.

If Charice, who never had classical voice training and whose early mentoring can be said to be a product of radio and show bands, truly belongs to the mezzo-to-dark soprano range as some claim—which probably explains why she has a voice so powerful it soared above full-piece orchestras and roars of applause—it’s no wonder that she seems to scathe the typical Filipino listener’s ears used to lilting shrills, a type of singing she herself had once fallen into.

There may even be truth to what some, upon hearing Charice hit the power ballads for the first time, say of her voice: mabigat (heavy), for even in the classical sense, it takes a different kind of timbre and voice character to fit demanding roles of sopranos that tackle the more difficult, heavy works of Rossini or Wagner.

2010 Tours: Bangkok, Thailand (carlodelarosa.wordpress.com);
Inset Japan, New York, Canada (isbertophoto.com)

And unlike the hit-and-miss chances of many Filipino entertainers trying their luck for years at cracking into the American market, all Charice had to do was show up at countless radio promos and tours across America, Canada, Europe and Asia when her US self-titled debut album came out in May 2010. With the proper guidance and careful planning her U.S. management team seems to have laid out for her, I believe Charice is poised to continue doing all that in the coming years.

Deserving | It’s admirable that Charice, who says would still ask herself how she could have had this much success so fast and so early, is able stay level-headed with handling luck, fame and fortune.

In contrast, a recent talk about a very talented child actor the industry was in danger of losing after he fell ill with a life-threatening infection, purported that his condition was nearly unattended by his single mother who concerned herself more with splurging his earnings on small-time gambling. Only the timely intervention and financial help of a popular TV actress saved his life.

It is praiseworthy that Charice could travel from one American state to the next, crossing timezones and oceans, even likening the airplane to a hotel in the past two years alone, while she took off-campus classes as a college student, send her brother to school, ably managing her time between trans-atlantic shores.

She does all these while choosing not to give up her Filipino citizenship for convenience which is something of a deal for it is a matter among Filipinos that invites distrust and various levels of misgivings on successful compatriots who make it abroad.

Her American management team will have to put up with her coming home at least twice or thrice to catch up with her life back in the Philippines.

Charice's current status puts her in the jet-set level of what she was once was: a traveling child singer, on foot or in hired vehicles, in search of and catching the next town fiesta stage on which to perform. In fact, her story as a student of international veterans and mentors and of the world's stages has just begun.

Without doubt, it takes fortitude to handle fame and fortune sensibly when it does come, especially when dreams do immediately turn to reality. Where all these will take Charice will be the true measure of her success or failure.

So, what’s not to like? | Charice will probably be best remembered by a majority as suddenly having undergone Botox much too early in preparation for her Glee appearances and many will choose to get stuck with that idea for as long as they don't get past what is skin-deep.

Given all the acknowledgment and admiration she has already received from powerful personalities abroad, her acceptance by more Filipinos from all walks of life probably lies not in her singing, voice quality or efforless performances but in our perceptions of what is good — or “great” — and “okay” based on influences.

It’s trickier with Charice because she is in the pop genre, where “pop” means “popular” and where being a celebrity is a result of continuous publicity, whether this be good or bad, and acquiring referent power on commodities and causes.

She is not in the fussy theatre or classical genre which is generally what Filipinos consider to be a measure of excellence as it means a sure shot at a legitimate singing career abroad. Yet even genuine accomplishments of our very own talents in these genres, more often than not, are nevertheless unheard of.

Too bad, fewer than few among the population can actually name a successful soprano or theater personality besides top-of-mind Tony Awardee Lea Salonga for both categories and that is because Lea still enjoys the benefit of being seen on local TV. However, Lea’s true status in theatre and contributions to the local entertainment industry has largely been relegated to trivia by the masses whose only memories of her long TV exposure is in the 80s teen show That’s Entertainment and not her strict theater tutelage and professionalism.

With Lea Salonga, "Heal the World" number, ASAP Michael Jackson tribute, 2009

And even if Charice is now living out her dream all so suddenly, the very same dream millions of Filipinos would want for themselves one day, she is often misconstrued as just another threat to other pop singers or someone extremely lucky to have made it America and elsewhere because of her popularity on the Internet. To quote Billboard.com,

“...thousands of unknown musicians drop their music on the internet, praying to get discovered. Not all of them wind up cracking the Billboard Top 20 three years later...” ~Billboard.com

and Charice happens to be the only local-grown solo musician to have put the Philippines on the U.S. Billboard charts thus far in just under three years since being introduced to the tough international market. She is listed No. 4 and the only solo Asian in its "21 Under 21" 2010 article from where the quote above was lifted. Not a mean feat.

Well, in fact, Charice must be doing something right on top of all that. Her achievements, after all, are not because she has not run out of luck, cheated her way to success or stepped on someone’s reputation for her own gain. As far as her public life story is concerned, she didn’t have the influence to command the holders of strings attached to the rich and mighty for these to be pulled to help her get to where she is now. She simply can be seen holding a microphone and letting out a song.

On hindsight, Jim Paredes might be right after all when he wrote: “That’s showbiz!” If Charice had won the local TV contest five years ago, she’d be in another place right here and now and not giving many Filipinos, especially those eking out a living abroad, a sense of pride.

It's also the wheel of life, something everybody from all types of calling, from all walks of life will have to recognize, accept and make the most out of in a positive, forward-thinking way; something more tangible and with impact, beneficial not just to the an industry in the Philippines that wields so much power, but to all.

PART 1, p3 | [< p1 ] [< Previous p2 ]
Go to [Next: PART II ] | [ PART III POSTSCRIPT: It's not just all about "Glee" ]

Some references to PART I:
> Ten Thousand Things, Jim Paredes' blog, 2010
> SNN Online interview with Boy Abunda; [1] [2] 2009 (8-part YouTube video upload)
> Headstart with Karen davila (ANC Channel) 2010, complete 5-part upload via YouTube user/tmgtworld; also on YouTube video
> Lea Salonga Session with Artists at the Borneo Rainforest Cafe, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 2010 videos
> Billboard.com, "21 Under 21" 2010
> Oprah.com Teen Singing Sensation
> Freddie Aguilar Statement references on p. 1: Pep.ph, Spot.ph
> PARI, The Recording Industry at a Glance
> PCIJ The Business of Making Music, 17 April 2008
> State of Piracy in the Philippines, 24 October 2007
> Philippine Daily Inquirer, Charice's Botox Apocalypse, 22 July 2010
> Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho 2-part translated and subtitled videos c/o YouTube user/tmtgw

08-09-10, anyone?

2010-08-09T11:57:00.001+08:00

Not for anything special, phenomenal or otherwise, but just a note and an homage to today, August 9, 2010, otherwise known as:

and to the awesome but hefty (download size is a mere 130mb+), power-hungry DropClock screensaver created by SCR, a "creative label of" interactive designers tha ltd. I came upon in April 2008.

DropClock is free to try—or US$15 for the license—and also available for Windows (power Windows users, rejoice!) and Mac's Snow Leopard.

Had fun doing today's calendar version of DropClock that I am cross-posting this to my other blogs.

a personal passage

2010-08-02T17:54:00.000+08:00

Five Sundays in August 2010 and other finds in the birthday month

2010-08-01T12:07:00.011+08:00

First of August Sunday morning blog.

My mother read to me an SMS message the other day which said something about August 2010 as having "...5 Sundays, 5 Mondays and 5 Tuesdays" and that "this won't happen again in another 823 years".

I checked the wall calendar and fired up my calendar in the Dashboard, scrolled through all the months of 2010 out of curiosity and found out three other 5-day combinations-in-a-month. These are:

May 2010 with 5 Saturdays, 5 Sundays and 5 Mondays
July 2010 with 5 Thursdays, 5 Fridays and 5 Saturdays, and
December with 5 Wednesdays, 5 Thursdays and 5 Fridays

So I guess August and May 2010 are special to others because it has 5 Sundays, Sunday being a sacred day to most Christians as it is a "day of obligation," meaning, the Christian world takes a rest from all worldly obligations to give of themselves to THAT day of Obligation—to worship, ask for forgiveness and give thanks.

While looking for more information on this supposed phenomenon, I came upon entries about August 2009, which, on the other hand, had 5 Saturdays, 5 Sundays and 5 Mondays just like what May 2010 had (both occurrences escaped my attention).

In 1187, or 823 years ago, the Gregorian calendar hadn't existed yet (it was introduced in 1582) so there was no ado about this strange happenstance.

I haven't come across any other reference about it happening in 823 years interval, but I guess it means the next Sunday-Monday-Tuesday combination in 2833¹ will be referencing this year's, unless the Gregorian calendar is changed to something else that befits the future. I don't know.

It's something to think about over late-morning breakfast coffee.

¹The year should have been 2832 as pointed out by reader Matt in the comments below. Thanks, Matt.
Image, top: Georges Seurat, A Sunday on La Grande Jatte mug from zazzle.com
Calendar images grabbed from my Dashboard, added 04 August 2010

K-pop, etc.: A coolsmurf Q&A

2010-07-28T15:57:00.454+08:00

"coolsmurf" is someone's internet alias that has quite a following among Asian pop music enthusiasts, specifically of contemporary Korean music known as K-pop. As a university student, his turf was YouTube and, as avid blogger, was often credited as source of information, photos and even of videos of K-pop related matters, by users of online forums since about 2007.

"coolsmurf" is one of two people who were key to the spread of videos that became very popular, of teen singer Charice Pempengco's, particularly of her translated and subtitled first appearance in Korea's Star King variety show in 2007 which "coolsmurf" uploaded to his YouTube channel in the same year. (The other key person being Filipino "FalseVoice," whose name appears on the liner notes of Charice's eponymous debut album¹ and who uploaded videos of her Little Big Star competition videos, among others.)

"coolsmurf"'s video upload of Charice's first appearance in Star King eventually got the attention of American talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, who, in turn, extended the momentous invitation on television for Charice to guest and sing live on the Ellen show and, subsequently, of Oprah Winfrey's staff in their search for talents for her program's recurring World's Most Talented Kids segment. Because of "coolsmurf's" and "FalseVoice's" videos, the rest, as they say, is pop music history.

A bit more of "coolsmurf"

"coolsmurf" is Alvin Lim, out of university and now, fittingly, Content Editor of the popular site AllKpop.com. It was a pleasure exchanging emails with "coolsmurf," and I would like to thank him for his permission to share our Q and A below:

...

K: What country are you from?

Alvin Lim (coolsmurf): Singapore.

K: When did you start getting interested in K-pop and why?

AL: I was exposed to K-Pop earlier on with Lee Jung Hyun because Hong Kong singer Sammi Cheng used her songs to sing in Cantonese. But it was not until when I watched Princess Hours starring Yoon Eun Hye and that led to me watching her variety show, Xman, which in turn led me to discover Kim Jong Kook and from then on, I was hooked onto K-pop.

K: What was in the Star King segment where Charice appeared that appealed to you enough to sub it and upload (or, was this something you regularly did with all other K-pop related videos in your free time back then)?

AL: I did regular subbing of shows back then. Primarily for Xman and interesting clips. Then a Super Junior fan suggested for me to take a look at this young girl belting out tunes. I didn't think much at first, but when I saw her singing And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going, it just felt like I was there in person even if I wasn't. It was just sensational.

Charice's entrance on Star King episode (2007) singing "And I Am Telling You (I'm Not Going)". Note coolsmurf's English subtitle (bottom of image) and chicklet below the TV station ID "SBS" (right-hand corner).

Duet with Super Junior's Kyu Hyun in the same episode from coolsmurf's defunct YouTube channel.

K: Would you still remember exactly when you uploaded that segment?

AL: It was two weeks after it had aired in Korea.

K: What was your process like, i.e., did you upload as soon as the show was over or did it take days/weeks?

AL: I got the request about a week after the show. Then it took me half a day to complete and upload. Pity it got killed by YouTube at 5million hits and counting due to SBS strict copyright laws (which it had the right to do, of course).

K: I read that you are with Allkpop.com as Content Editor, and I am wondering if that's correct. (I did read in your last entries at the "coolsmurf" blog that you were scouting for a job last year, and I am curious as to what came of that.)

AL: Yes. No one offered me a job other than that.

K: I read about your videos as being popular on a "UCC" channel but I am lost in my search concerning that. Is it still active and to what market does it cater?

AL: UCC channel refers to user-created content. It's just a common term to coin video sharing websites in Korea like Daum, Naver, Tagstory, Egloos, etc. YouTube is of course the No.1 website of this kind in the world.

K: Were you aware of the impact your uploads would have given Charice back then?

AL: I wasn't aware. I just did the request for a Super Junior fan who wanted to understand the whole segment. But I guess the Super Junior factor + Charice can really sing + English subs just made it popular in the world.

K: How big do you think is K-pop as a music influence in Southeast Asia? [i.e. Korean drama series are big here in the Philippines and a few groups...do make it on radio (i.e. Wonder Girls, Super Junior) but not any bigger than Korean TV actors and actresses, in my opinion, because of their daily exposure...]

AL: It's hard for music to become a big influence outside of their fans because of the short attention span of people these days. Dramas play longer than 3-5 mins of a single song, so that's why people can identify with them more easily. It's also easier to market dramas, movies than music. It's more of selling the image over music these days in Korea even though the latter is still crucial.

K: Who were the Filipino musicians who you were aware of before Charice, and who do you know today? How about [musicians] in your country [who you follow]?

AL: My knowledge is strictly limited in this area. The only one I knew of, and [still know] now is Regine Velasquez because she sang a duet with Hong Kong singer Jacky Cheung before. There isn't much of a following for me in Singapore because of the lack of interest.

K: Charice returned to Star King, as you know, which will be aired in Korea in 3 days². Do you think that in those years since she appeared, that she had a good following among Koreans before this latest guesting on the show again?

AL: Yes, she has a good following because of her talent and she didn't just come back for the 3rd time on Star King for nothing!

K: With her US career building up, would you say those who follow her in Korea took her seriously as a musician (before today, that is)?

AL: Yes, because she is recognized for her vocals.

K: How do you feel about her as an Asian making it in America, and do you think she really helps in giving other Asians the opportunity she has?

AL: It's great to see that happening and it just gives people hope that dreams do come true in some cases.

Alvin Lim, aka "coolsmurf," (second from left, standing) with Charice (seated, left) and her followers. [Used with permission]

K: I saw that you and Charice did meet in Singapore [in December 2009³]. Other than that, though, did you ever get to see her in person before?

AL: That was the one and only time. And it might just stay that way.

¹"Charice," the album, peaked at #8 on the Billboard charts when it was released in May 2010.

²The Star King episode was telecast on SBS channel in Korea on 24 July 2010.

³At the finals night of Singapore Idol in which Charice was special guest.

...

Some notes on subbed YouTube videos, YouTube phenomena

coolsmurf—Alvin, rather—mentioned in the Q & A above that besides the presence of [members of] Super Junior and Charice's singing, that his translation and subbed videos helped make this particular segment popular among viewers outside the K-pop environment since it first appeared on his YouTube channel.

Since then, many of Charice's appearances in many countries, particularly of those in the Philippines that have been recorded and uploaded to YouTube, continue to be translated and subbed specifically targeting English-speaking viewers such as those seen on the channels tmgtw, tmgtwASIA and tmgtworld. These channels are maintained and operated by a loose but dedicated subb'ing group of YouTube users from Asia (the Philippines/Southeast Asia, Japan, Korea), the U.S. and Canada, and Europe (i.e. Germany) collectively known as the "CTV Crew"^a.

Similar to what "coolsmurf" and other music/celebrity aficionados had started on sites like YouTube, and with newer, faster technologies that provide users the chance to communicate and exchange notes and information across boundaries, translated videos continue to thrive on YouTube and in many other video sharing sites as well. Most of these types of videos are without the prodding of the featured musicians or celebrities, but were created out of personal or group interest, or from a fan request, or as alternative way of promotion by interest-specific groups. Not all of these types of videos have become as popular as that of "coolsmurf"'s , nor taken on a true viral status as videos with funny or unusual subjects.

It's a perpetual cat-and-mouse game that these subbed "uploaders" continually dodge, specially with regards copyright complaints and such, as what also happened to "FalseVoice"'s YouTube accounts when the Philippine network ABS-CBN appealed to have his channels banned despite soaring viewership count, or they—the "uploaders" and channel owners—being collectively instrumental in even more doubling the number of YouTube viewers and users daily.

Where it once once the playground of unknown film and video enthusiasts consisting of casual viewers, video addicts, musicians and amateur and professional film creators, today, part of what makes up the phenomenon of YouTube being well ahead of all other sites of similar nature is hosting the entertainment industry's biggest networks, celebrity shows and film outfits which use it as a public repository of their video catalogues.

It's amusing how, in the continuous evolution of these sites, particularly of YouTube, the very entities that were sources of uploads and who appealed for the banning of YouTube's anonymous users for copyright infringement are themselves very active YouTube account holders today, and, as I have observed in some cases in the Philippines, ironically use YouTube clips in network news or feature segments, albeit not all of them giving the video or channel owners due credit.

Anyhow, Charice is just one of many talents who have come out and became success stories in themselves because of YouTube (Arnel Pineda is another Filipino singer who credits the site for his success; and, not to forget, Justin Bieber and Susan Boyle). Because of this, many more, from non-English speaking countries, even, will wish to follow in their footsteps by doing it on the internet, one viewer click, one translated and subbed video at a time.

^a"...collectively known as CTV Crew." is an updated entry, 01 Aug 2010.

Cats in Manila

2010-06-26T22:02:00.018+08:00

I AM MORE OF A MUSIC ENTHUSIAST and do not consider myself much of a film collector as much as I am of audio titles and books. I do own a few film titles, the ratio probably being 1 film/video for every 25 audio discs, a few of these musical and film soundtracks.

Embarrassing as it may sound, one of the first original videos I ever bought was when the short-lived Blockbuster video store on Matalino Street near our old dojo made the double-disc, 2-hour Cats, The Musical VCD available, something I considered quite pricey at the time, but well worth the purchase. (The video, directed by David Mallet, was shot "over 18 days" at the Adelphi Theatre in London's West End; the play, accompanied by a 70-piece orchestra.)

By its very genre, Cats, being a musical, fulfilled me both aurally and visually and fit right into my other collection of soundtracks and videos.

VCD, book and Mouser captured on Moleskine

When Cats, The Musical opened in Broadway in the early 80s, the buzz surrounding it reached Manila and developed somewhat of a cult following among some of my peers in college who were in theater. When the production was given due recognition after winning both the Laurence Olivier (1981) and Tony (1983) Awards for Best Musical, we had spent many a downtime chats about mounting our own version of it at some point (something, I am sure, we shared with several other campus theater groups at the time and with many other theater companies since Cats, The Musical came into being). We had no idea what the costs were like and we didn't care. Just thinking of who was cast and who were perfect for certain roles from among friends and familiar theater names stirred our imagination no end.

Owing to reviews of the musical I had read at some point back in college and listening to a friend's original cast recording of the Broadway soundtrack on CD (Grammy-Best Musical Show Album/1984), and the video I purchased much later, I did dream of being able to actually watch it live either in Broadway or West End. It was one of those "must do" activities I would have done as a visitor had I the chance to go to either of those places.

Original Cats West End window card (Dewynters/1981)

And the poster, yes! The first time I saw a reproduction of its poster in a magazine, I was completely gripped by the minimalist layout, and, in particular, the cat's eyes with dancers' silhouettes as pupils. Designed in 1981 by Dewynters, now First Artist Corporation PLC which also did Les Miserable, Phantom of the Opera and many other West End production advertising, the poster imagery was so strong that it remains fresh and timeless even to this day and is, no doubt, one of the most iconic visual images of the 20th century.

T.S. Eliot and cats

In my book-hunting escapades in the early 90s, I came across a copy of T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats [Illustrated Edition-Harvest/HBJ Books, 1982], the book on which the musical was based. Profusely illustrated by the great Edward Gorey [1], it was a real treat to have the sole copy priced at P2.50.

I love T.S. Eliot's play of words and imagination, something which, if one were unfamiliar, may seem wild but are actually accurate, sometimes dark, but over-all humane and humanistic representations of feline characteristics; also, of the funny descriptions of perceived cat inter-actions. The book was an even better read with the pen-and-ink drawings of the very imaginative Edward Gorey.

Needless to say, T.S. Eliot, since being introduced through a book from the high school library, is a favorite, one of the few poets I actually read. Like many excellent works of literature, my appreciation of his works deepened over time and was made even more special when a very good friend wrote The Hollow Men on a poster she gave me as a gift years ago. The Hollow Men still stands as one of my favorite pieces.

Chinx

It also happens that we have lived with generations of feline companions almost all our lives. Each of our cats had a back story (the ones we have still do), a name they respond to, and a distinct identity—we have a mental family tree of all our cats, by the way—that my sister and I have learned "cat psychology" (we coined that for fun) to explain certain cat behaviors and identities to friends and acquaintances who were constantly curious about them.

We did have our Rum Tum Tigers, Our Grizabellas (Derby, JaJa, Mysteriously Mystifying Ms. T, and her kit, Ms. M), our Bustopher Joneses and our Deuteronomys, Black Cat and George. Yes, our cats were all well represented in T.S. Eliot's feline world.

But above and beyond there's still one name left over,
And that is the name that you never will guess;
The name that no human research can discover—
But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess.
When you notice a cat in profound meditation,
The reason, I tell you, is always the same:
His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation
Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name:
His ineffable effable
Effanineffable
Deep and inscrutable singular Name

~ The Naming of Cats, T.S. Eliot

Near Impossible

Cats, The Musical sadly ended its run at the turn of this century—it closed in Broadway in 2000 after 18 years; London in 2002 after 21—dashing my hope of ever seeing it live in either of those venues and as they were originally staged.

Because of the cost of mounting a production like Cats, The Musical, a major, professional staging in the Philippines as Webber and Mackintosh had intended it was near impossible at that time, or since. It's been quoted that Andrew Lloyd Weber's Really Useful Group spent $5M to mount the Broadway production in 1982.

(If I recall correctly, the costliest Philippine musical production ever staged locally was S.K. Productions' Rama at Sita in 1999 at the UP Diliman Theater. It was said S.K. Productions' generosity resulted in spending for necessary upgrades of many of the venue's facilities for the first time since its construction, i.e. the orchestra pit, hydraulic lift and dressing rooms, among others.)

Anyhow, of all the re-staged hit plays and musicals in Broadway or West End that were ever mounted in full in the Philippines, it was Cats that was missing big time.

Cats in Manila: at last

Fast forward to 2010 and Manila will finally be able to experience Cats (Now and Forever)-The Musical with no less than Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awardee Lea Salonga as Grizabella (done originally by the great Elaine Paige/London and Betty Buckley/Broadway).
[Watch Elaine Paige's rendition of the song "Memory" here and about the character here (starting at 1:17).]

Lea Salonga sings Memory at the Cats (Now and Forever) launch, Nov09
[courtesy of Cats in Manila]

First announced in November 2009, Cats (Now and Forever)-The Musical, Manila will start its limited run on 24 July 2010 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP). And since Cats (Now and Forever) is basically an ensemble production, Lea will be supported by an international cast, notably theater actors from the UK and Australia, as well as select Filipino thespians. I didn't catch what orchestra will be accompanying the production, though, or who the other cast members will be.

TICKET PRICES
(inclusive of 3% service charge)
Matinees
SAT (3:00 pm) / SUN (2:30 pm)
PhP 7,210/ 5,150/ 3,605/ 2,060/ 1,030
-
Evenings
TUE (8:00 pm) / WED (8:00 pm)
THU (8:00PM) / SUN (7:30PM)
PhP 6,180/ 4,635/ 3,090/ 1,545/ 772.50
-
Evenings
FRI (8:00 pm) / SAT (8:00 pm)
PhP 7,210/ 5,150/ 3,605/ 2,060/ 1,030
-
NO CHILDREN UNDER 3 YEARS OF AGE WILL BE ADMITTED

The last time I saw Lea on stage was in Miss Saigon also at the CCP in 2000—yes, that long ago yet. Before that, I caught Grease at the UP Theater (1994) in which she played "Sandy". I remember her playing that role perfectly despite the venue being ill-equipped acoustically that, on the night I saw it, the rain outside almost upstaged the audio in the theater several times.

In recent years, I'd caught her briefly and occasionally on TV in noontime variety shows or televised specials.

It is, therefore, interesting to watch Lea on stage again, definitely more mature this time, and in the footsteps of legends. Quite a contrast to when she played "Kim" as a teenager, the role which won for her the Tony and other awards and set the standard by which all other "Kim"s are expected to uphold in the succeeding runs of Miss Saigon.

And to see the costumes, the junkyard set, the lighting, music and choreography—I am looking forward to seeing all those. Finally, in Manila. At last.

Cats (Now and Forever) the Musical will run at the CCP Main Theater until 15 August, 2010.
Presented by Lunchbox Theatrical Productions Ltd. and David Atkins Enterprises
Produced by Citi in association with The Really Useful Group.
More details can be read at its Facebook page and at its official Tumblr blog.
Tickets at Ticketworld, and from its outlets: NBS Shangri-La Plaza, Market Market Extension, North Edsa, Harrison Plaza, Glorietta 5 / Robinsons Department Stores / Ayala Malls Greenbelt 1, Glorietta 5, TriNoma 4th Floor / CCP Box Office / Music Museum, Teatrino Promenade (Greenhills) / GRAND SQUARE STADIUM, Sta. Rosa, Laguna / TicketWorld Head, Suite 701, V. Madrigal Bldg. 6793 Ayala Ave., 1226 Makati City Telephone: 891-9999 TicketWorld Website
Online purchase using your VISA, JCB or Master Card credit cards.

Conciliation

2010-05-22T23:55:00.068+08:00

TONIGHT, I CAN SAY THAT I FINALLY HEARD what I can genuinely call music to my ears.

Earlier, a little past 10 p.m. I'd say, in the middle of a late-night, weekend project discussion, came a few bars of the chorus of "Pyramid" coming from the living room. Curious as to what channel the TV set was on, I stood up from where I sat to check.

To my surprise, it was a promotional clip of mostly GMA-7's prime time shows. For a split second there I thought my mother had shifted channels. Throughout what looked like a 30-second video was the chorus of "Pyramid" as sound bed.

An OTA War
You might be wondering why this 30-second experience is a most welcome breath of fresh over-the-air air.

The Filipino public has been subject to a war waged OTA for a couple of decades now, considering that the television industry is dominated by just two—TWO—networks vying for the viewership of 13 million or so households.

Like any war, the broadcast version is not at all pretty. The Filipinos' obsession with watching television average about 200 minutes daily, second only to the Japanese*. This results in a live spectacle of nasty word wars, say, between program hosts on television, which can be ugly especially on each network's other talents who, by choice or circumstance, simply report for work to do their job properly and without prejudice, yet get caught in the middle of the crossfire, later to discover their reputations besmirched in public without their knowing it.

Otherwise, when talents are identified with one network, the other network will simply refuse to give (or choose to ignore) any sort of recognition due that talent no matter the achievement he or she may have brought not just to their persons but to society.

There are exceptions, of course, like the boxer Manny Pacquiao who once allowed himself to get caught in the middle of the conflict between the top two networks (with regards to contract and airtime), nearly disrupting his preparations for a major fight; or Kris Aquino who, anyway, seems to be untouchable and "un"-criticizable despite her erratic public behavior and presumptuous ways.

The other exception is when talents, in general, are the meat of scandals, thereby making them open to unwanted airtime and unnecessary babble on both networks.

That 30-second audio clip

Why, then, does this 30-second clip smell like some kind of victory?

Charice (Charice Pempengco), the talent behind the current pop and catchy song "Pyramid", has been so synonymous with ABS-CBN particularly in the past 3 years—the equivalent amount of time she has since logged in flying from time zone to time zone to sing in venues no Filipino artist has gone to before—that the rival network, GMA-7 has chosen to simply squeak news about her. Rare is a better term for it, and in those rare moments, she merits about 30 seconds of mention (perhaps even lesser) that when you blink, you miss the story altogether.

I guess the fault does not always lie with the announcer but with management.

Anyhow, I've always wondered why that was when either networks easily stretch time in the form of entertainment news (good and bad), gossip, or both—all in the guise of some kind of enlightened talk—about other talents from both sides anyway.

Not to sound naive about how networks engage in a war over ratings and viewership, but when it comes to Charice, I have so far observed that one network drumbeats, the other almost zips its mouth shut.

I guess because the purported "mother network," ABS-CBN, drumbeats, the other is inclined to simply ignore good news only to be chatty when it comes to unfounded negative topics, like alleged issues about Charice's mother or family and such.

Her triumphs as a Filipino talent invited to grace international venues, sing and collaborate with distinguished artists abroad and bestowed with support she never really had to pull strings for, all within a short period of time, is a feat never been accomplished by anyone at her age. (She just turned 18.)

Haven't we been all looking for the next Lea Salonga or similar other artists of calibre before her like the jazz singer Marlene de la Peña, she of superstar status in Japan since the late 70's with about 30 albums to her name, and Pilita Corrales, "Asia's Queen of Songs" and first Filipino artist to sing at the Ceasar's Palace in Las Vegas Nevada?

We've heard about how Filipinos through the years have tried, with a lot of heartbreak and misfortunes, to break into the western music industry, and not many of them making it quite successfully as the names above have. There have been sad stories of how fellow Filipinos in the US have taken advantage of homegrown talents, thereafter crushing their hopes of even opening a show as a result of deceit or mismanagement.

What's admirable about Charice is how she, at pre-legal age, has maintained composure and propriety throughout what can be considered more than a big deal: she has kept the trust and confidence of the very influential Oprah Winfrey who, just by her guts, gambled on a talent—at that time unknown and, more seriously, foreign and not very articulate in English—and helped open up opportunities only dreamt of by any other artist, both established and unknown.

Contrast this to what may have been an earlier manifestation of a Charice in the person of Jocelyn "Banig" Roberto, so far the only homegrown singer to have ever won the International Star Search contest in the US and got the whole local industry excited in the 80s when her talent was recognized in the US and actually made several appearances on American television, sang the American anthem in the NBA and recorded an album.

While their early career paths are strikingly similar, their personal lives are lived differently. For one, "Banig" has stayed in the US for good (she now writes songs for other artists), while Charice has chosen to keep her Philippine passport and call her country of origin her home and instead travel abroad for commitments. She is not any different from other overseas Filipino workers in that sense except that she is, so far, the youngest of them.

Handling "luck" in a tug-of-war
Charice has handled her "luck" very well so far despite what is an apparent wait-and-see attitude among her own fellowmen back home, particularly in the industry she's from: "wait" for what comes next, and "see" how well she handles her rising fame, perhaps even to the point of wishing her some degree of failure. It is an unpleasant thought, but it's a fact.

Even Charice's most loyal followers, those who have supported her from her contest days as a child, are of the opinion that she gets the raw deal even from the very network she is attached with, ABS-CBN: bad make-up, bad wardrobe, bad audio, or that she simply gets cut off in the middle of a phrase or line while singing. She was also once labeled bratty for coming in late to the very noontime show she comes home to after arriving from abroad just hours before, and in the process attracting all kinds of unsolicited advise from talents across networks, on radio and in the papers about being "professional" and "staying humble".

Probably the worse accusation this young singer got, along with another artist who has had an international break, Arnel Pineda, is being labeled nothing but copycats and likened to monkeys (perhaps a circus monkey is what was meant) by no less than Freddie Aguilar on television. Another is when Charice was insinuated to have lied through her teeth in a newspaper column by a noontime host on GMA-7 when she said in a taped interview aired on ABS-CBN that she would have been part of the Michael Jackson UK tour had it not been for his untimely death. Both these incidents happened in 2009 just weeks from each other.

Still, Charice has taken these negative comments and prejudgment all in stride. Surely she must have hurt but never once did show it publicly. I suppose there is never a bigger ball thrown around the network gossip mills than the diminutive Charice particularly in the past 3 years.

Conciliation is music to the ears
Sometime in the last quarter of 2009, I thought heard the strains of Charice's earlier US-release single, "Note To God", played briefly on GMA-7's Eat Bulaga just before commercial break. A singing contest for kids in said the program was being held at that time, and surely my ears were not mistaken about getting the somg right. Perhaps the show's spinner got the chance to sneak in the audio in the hope of getting away with it. After all, the single had just been released in the US and merited Charice a slot at the top 10 on the iTunes store, a first for a Filipino artist. Had the spinner gotten the green light from management to play the song, however, would have been a sign of a good sport.

Therefore, when I heard the chorus of "Pyramid" played on GMA-7's program promo clip last night, I thought it was, at last, an extended hand of conciliation. It did not matter that it was but a snippet of the song. What matters is that petty rivalries are set aside, even for brief moments.

Thing is, I do not expect Charice to even be allowed (by her network) or be invited to promote her first international album live on other networks other than that which she calls her home (ABS-CBN may just be too possessive to share the talent it once wrote off as "not having enough star power". Her consolation is that she happens to have very sincere supporters in her home network, even in the times when her star power was still dormant), though to be proven wrong would be the best sign of "unity" the broadcast industry would ever show publicly. That would be such sweet music to the ears.

Postscript: Grateful and a wild album launch grind
Charice had just turned 18 on May 10. In the 3 years she's been flying in and out of the Philippines, she has worked her lungs out in engagements and schedules that do not even come close to a diplomat's. She'll sing and give it her all in spite of a bad cold; she'll dance to please despite fatigue. She deserves to be recognized for her hard work at her age and, more importantly, congratulated for standing in as the other parent-provider of her family while maintaining the time to savor teenage life and just be herself.

Filipinos are wont to handle rags-to-riches situations badly. Charice is the type of singer whom many will love AND hate, yet how many can lay claim to the achievements she has had so far? How many can genuinely say that they have taken care of their good luck and fame to not let these slip away too soon? How many can really handle their dreams coming true in such a short time?

Charice celebrating her 18th with kids from World Vision in lieu of a debut party.
[IMAGE: Michael Varcas from manila_bulletin account/twitpic]

Charice's self-titled album was released worldwide a few days ago, and has since established records that put the Philippines on the international music map: landing at no. 8 on Billboard's top 200 in the week ending May 16, 2010. Before that, the carrier single's "Pyramid" remixed versions have topped the UK dance charts in late April and scored high rankings in Europe as well.

Prior to coming home to celebrate her birthday with underprivileged children belatedly on May 22nd, she was in about 5 key US states to promote her album, opening with a 5th appearance on the Oprah show in Chicago on May 11, a day after her birthday, and ending on a high, profound note with performances for the annual Power Of A Dream gala in Washington D.C., where influential members of the entertainment, civic and political arenas in America were in attendance.

In Manila, she launches her album tomorrow, May 23rd, then flies to Japan to record for Warner (Japan), after which she goes back to the US and Canada to do more promotions and fulfill commitments in June and July.

Charice is fortunate to have all of these coming at a young age when her active body can hack upside-down weather conditions and killer schedules and still get to experience being celebrated by fellow Asians in Asia, Filipinos abroad and by foreign audience for her successes.

We were given one chance at giving Charice a break when she sought for it but we missed, and I guess all we can do to give back is wish her all the best, as we should do each other every time.

I see her always being grateful for our support and doesn't seem to demand for much more.

It's not too much to ask, is it?

"CHARICE" the album is now available in music Philippine stores (CDs) and online.
The "Pyramid" remixes are available from iTunes as downloads

*data from the Nationwide Urban Television Audience Measurement (NUTAM) and the Asia Television Advertising Coalition (ATAC)

2010-05-11T10:55:00.000+08:00

Just the second time in 4 elections since 1986
that my index finger was stained with
indelible ink. Let's see how long it will stay.

Change?

As of 10 pm today, May 10, 2010, the "partial, unofficial" results reported by networks show Benigno Aquino III leading the presidential race, followed by former president Joseph Estrada, once ousted for plunder, judged guilty not by the Senate tasked to look into his alleged wrong doings (e.g. coddling family and favored friends, for instance) but by a popular uprising he refers to as a revolt of the rich and the few.

For vice president, Jejomar Binay leads. Coming into power as the late Pres. Cory Aquino's appointed officer-in-charge of Makati immeditalely after EDSA, Binay had since been running the city alternately with his wife for the past 20 years.

The 12 slots for the Senate are filled by actors and politicians whose names and faces had done the rounds once before, not all of whom did anything significant and meaningful towards the upliftment of the lives of the 50 million or so Filipinos in terms of laws that firmly put in place their rights and privileges, strengthen institutions and benefit society at large.

Change, "pagbabago", is the most used, most abused word throughout the campaign season. All candidates wore a badge that screamed "pagbabago!", short of having this badge enlarged such as to make it look like a speech bubble stuck to their heads wherever they went, in case anybody missed it.

Change! they screamed. Change from our current situation, they say, of widespread poverty and corruption. How that would be, however, was lost on many of them because it did not matter how change could be achieved. It mattered more that they said it the loudest, the most frequent, the angriest. "Change" became, to me, the promise that weighed the most, yet, little by little, transformed into the most hollow.

Change! For a Filipino public that they say has matured, grown tired of corruption. Change! For the Filipino hungry for new leadership! Change! Towards a path of a better tomorrow.

In the weeks before election day, surveys upon surveys showed that, for the Senatorial slots for instance, the popular names were constantly topping the lists; popular names of actors and scions of politicians who themselves were not [known to be] agents of change. Back then were glimmers of hope, however, albeit hidden in the pockets and linings of robes that, on the outside looked crisp and untainted but were actually reused or recycled rags sewn together haphazardly.

As election results are becoming apparent, the face of what will become the next Philippine government is slowly revealing itself as being too familiar for comfort. The surprise in all of this is not that our collective hopes for real change was to be realized promptly, with a little help from technology, but that the nightmares of the past we thought we had buried are coming together taking a life of its own.

Change? Wait, where are the agents of change? They're there, midway down in the list of candidates as voted by the "mature" Filipino voters hungry for a new leadership that will lead them to the path of a "better tomorrow". Yes, the "mature" Filipino voter slung by mud or thrown into the slime with the candidates throughout the campaign, no thanks to the power of media and its mouthpieces.

Anyway, who did they kid?

The "only" mature thing the Filipino voter did in the last 24 hours was to trust an unknown system, prepare their journey to the polls armed with a lot of patience and brave the unforgiving heat, some goons and a lot of glitches. For that, they, and all election volunteers and workers, are to be commended.

(continue reading here)

[This topic is related to the Philippine elections. All my election-related posts can be read on my other blog, pedikabpolitics.blogspot.com]

2010-05-09T08:49:00.001+08:00

IN ILOCANO, AS IN MANY PHILIPPINE LANGUAGES, "trapo" means rag. And, like many words integrated into the myriad of Philippine languages, its origin is Spanish, meaning cloth, dust cloth, cleaning cloth, rag. In the local context, "trapo" sometimes means a very dirty, almost useless piece of cloth not even fit for cleaning: a throw-away.

Hence, during the Marcos era, politicians subservient to the dictator and his cronies, who consented to suppression and chose to keep their mouths shut for fear of reprisal, or simply coasted along, with similar-minded politicians, to live life comfortably and without risk despite widespread repression and lack of freedom for the general public, were called "trapo" by their critics, the media and citizens who saw things and led life differently. A traditional politician, in other words.

"Trapo" is a shorter form for the earlier name-call "tradpol" like tadpole, i.e. legless, mindless baby amphibians squiggling aimlessly in murky waters. My guess is, those who later coined the word "trapo" saw the term more appropriate for the traditional (and "traditionally corrupt") politico, and in deference to the aquatic larvae, which, in later stages of its development, are actually helpful to our survival as humans.

Trapo, the political name-call, has outlived Marcos and is very much in use today. It not only includes politicians identified with Marcos but politicians of all ages and affiliations who belong or are perceived to condone the status quo.

The trapo is not expected to have an open mind or risk their social and ideological positions. They are believed to be exclusive (as opposed to being inclusive), are neither adaptive nor progressive. They are the "same old-same old", "been there done that" bench-warming, grandstanding public servants content with the "old ways" of doing things. They are the political godfathers and patriarchs who bequeath their positions in government to their descendants or whose progeny audaciously await such inheritance.
(continue reading here)

[This topic is related to the Philippine elections. All my election-related posts can be read on my other blog, pedikabpolitics.blogspot.com]

Blogger/Blogspot [still] has backend image upload problems (5 days after report)

2010-04-03T18:07:00.001+08:00

I posted (to my Blogspot blog a few minutes ago), of an entry that took all day to finish only to discover that Blogger/Blogspot had been having troubles with uploaded images in what it calls "image backend problems" since late March 2010.

[NOTE: if you do not see the image below, it's probably because the problem still is still unresolved as of this post]

No, it hasn't been resolved and I did post to Blogger's support forum just before this [Posterous] Blogspot entry, thus:

"Posted an entry a few minutes ago and did a work-around:

uploading the image to a 3rd-party image hosting site from Blogspot's image source, then linking the image from the 3rd-party site into the post in the hope of circumventing Blogspot's "backend" problem but I still got a blank space where the image is supposed to be.

Otherwise, all other images and videos in older posts appear fine.

Hope the problem is resolved very soon."

FYI.

[cross-posted]

Good Friday

2010-04-03T01:49:00.005+08:00

It's sunny and quiet this afternoon.

"Quiet" is relative. Occasionally, the sound of a tricycle's motor breaks the lazy, afternoon peace. The second hum of a plane above is fading away, a car passes at intervals. The only consistent noise is from the chirping of the birds above me in the yard, about three types of birds busy chattering the day away. I wonder, I've been missing the mockingbirds swooping down our cats. They've been absent, to my knowledge, for some two weeks now. And yes, the cats--Poochoot and Chingkwit are talking to each other just moments ago, wondering why I am where I am, between the Marcos mango and MJB lanzones trees.

I'm hoping by changing my location this afternoon, I am able to savor the peace, be one with birds chirping and, like them, catch some breeze. I'm using Writeroom for this, too. I haven't used this app for some time and today seems to be the best time for it. There's some getting used to writing on Writeroom, like the cursor placement, for instance. Otherwise, it's fine for days like these.

Unlike most people, like my relatives in the compound, we pretty much spend the Holy Week at home. It's actually something I look forward to. In the past years, though, the anticipation was mixed with anxiety especially because we had very little neighbors nearby and theft was prevalent on these types of breaks (the others being All Saints' Day and Christmas breaks).

This time of year, we would usually have Rudy, the extra hand, come around to help clean the garden. Rudy is now employed by the chapel a block away and can only spare time very rarely. If he wasn't around, the garden activity would be shared by my mother and I. This time, there's very little room for even a decent home clean-up because of deadlines that have piled up which I hope to tackle soon.

Vow/Pledge

When I turned off the computer at 1 a.m. today (Good Friday), the last thought I had was to not turn it on and just try to spend all Friday doing the usual stuff. Well, to "try to stay away from the computer", at least. Guess again.

Anyhow, it was an unbearable heat as 3pm approached. I maxed out what's left of the single-digit battery life and put the computer to sleep about an hour ago.

My grandmother always said that it will always be hottest at 3pm of Good Friday and she is almost always correct. ([Folk] Catholic) traditionalists equate this to a mortal's sacrifice which, by comparison, is miniscule to Christ's crucifixion.

For some reason or other, 3pm on Good Friday really is HOT, apparently more so because everywhere — whether in the city or in the provinces — is still. It's somewhat of a magic hour and the heat that envelopes around 3pm becomes mystical in that way.

In about an hour from now, I anticipate the neighborhood to 'come to life' as it were, and everywhere else within my radius will be back to business. Proof of this is the chatter emanating from our adjacent lot neighbor, newly moved-in and excited with what my 'hood has to offer.

Last night, Maundy Thursday, was like another ordinary evening for them. Anyway, I gave them that as I saw no reason to be grouchy on Holy Week and be the unwelcoming neighbor.

Changes

The changes in my neighborhood are not at all gradual.

We'd normally hear the faint, fleeting pabasa (the chanting of the Passion of Christ by devotees) from somewhere on cooler, still evenings like last night's. Last night, the local cheap bar a few blocks away was in operation and their patrons, torch singing their lungs out to the heavens, seem to have vowed to be the counterpart of Christ's scourges.

Another seeming unbeliever was the night guard on duty just by our gate, he with his radio and copious singing confidence who thought the quiet neighborhood he was tasked to watch over was his stage. Perhaps he was encouraged by the racket of my new neighbors. Perhaps he thought everyone else had escaped the city. Whatever it was, it sure was not entertainment. In the spirit of Holy Week, though, I thought of giving him a 'deadline', beyond which I sure would have stormed out of my gate in my jammies like I once did. Fortunately (for him), he turned the radio down and did shut up at 11pm.

Holy Week channel surfing treat: OnSet

Maundy Thursday and Good Friday early evening provided me with a bit more "self" time to channel surf local television stations.

I remember during the pre-cable days when all local stations were off (as in "offline", in computerese) and almost all stations were static that the only choices were black-and-white re-runs of Moses, El Cid, Cecil B. DeMille's The 10 Commandments or live telecast of church service of the Seven Last Words.

With cable services in the early '90s came 24/7 broadcasts of all sorts of programs.

Thursday and Friday this year, however, gave me a different treat. Since unplugging years of subscription to a local cable provider after a tragic event identified with its mother network (and availing of internet service anyway), we have had to content ourselves with shows on free channels.

The Holy Week (re)treat was by way of an information-rich program on Net25 called OnSet: The World Class Filipino Artist. The one-hour interview program features Filipino world-class artists hosted by Eunice Mariños and is recorded at the CCP's Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino.

I'm not sure whether what I saw were re-runs but I pretty much didn't mind. I caught mezzo-soprano Clarissa Ocampo on Maundy Thursday's segment and Coke Bolipata earlier this evening, Good Friday. In between interviews were live performances ("impromptu," as the host said of one of Ocampo's performance), with piano accompaniment.

The show ends with the guests being asked about the artists' contribution or role to society.

I find OnSet very refreshing in the midst of the predictable telenovelas, repetitive game show formats, shallow gossip programs and party-themed screaming competitions that purport to be variety entertainment shows on both major networks.

In fact, I thought these major networks would be the ones supporting the arts in a big way by coming up with something like Net25's OnSet, even if it meant hard selling the idea to sponsors to make it viable, but no.

Eunice Mariños at least gives its guests time to answer good questions no matter how formatted. In comparison, many hosts of interview shows, especially celebrity hosts, are always self conscious and draw attention back to themselves instead of giving their their guests the limelight or allowing them to finish their statements.

Mariños could, however, do with a little more mature way of handling her interviews by sounding less like a high school student — sometimes flustered, sometimes excitable — and more like a poised, generous host (a fine example is Boots Anson-Roa). If Mariños does find the chance to enroll at Clarissa Ocampo's voice seminars as she said she would, I believe it would do her a lot of good.

Too bad OnSet ends without the usual closing billboard as I wanted to catch the pianist's name, the show's director, set and lights designers, writer, and other credits.

Otherwise, the early evenings of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday spent watching the two artists on OnSet was kind of spiritual in a self-respecting kind of way. I came back to the computer writing this with renewed Filipino pride.

this is the end of publishing

2010-03-18T00:47:00.001+08:00

This video link was posted as a re-Tweet by designmeme (/designmeme), aka Stuart Robertson an hour ago while I was offline.

The Future of Publishing from PenguinGroup UK.

From the Penguin blog, credit goes to Zoe Uffindell of Khaki Films, for coming up with Penguin's own advocacy video as inspired by other effective short films with a similar message and treatment.

Penguin Group: How difficult was it to achieve this effect?

Zoe Uffindell: It takes a creative professional writer, patience, and several days to achieve something like this - a bit like a huge jigsaw that you have to paint as well as put together! The voice-recording and editing of the text was a case of finding just the right voice, and pacing it right. (from here)

As always, the best way to get a message across, really, is by telling it simply — something I continue to learn and would wish to master.

The message of the video resounds with so much clarity and, coming from a print and publishing design background plus a love for imparting the value of and respect for the printed matter, it is something that touches a deep chord within me.

Great video!

Impact

2010-02-28T08:36:00.000+08:00

This is an amazing image lifted from my other blog. Pretty amazing.

Image from The West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center

plot

2010-02-21T16:54:00.003+08:00

The plot to this 2-week saga somehow reminds of de Maupassant's Piece of String, the "string", in this case, being shards of broken glass.

I believe, though, that there will be no protestations of innocence until the encounter with the death bed. It's just one of those episodes. Onerous.

it's about time: MyPilipinas Moleskine from C2

2010-02-18T19:28:00.021+08:00

The Philippines finally gets a limited edition Moleskine notebook called MyPilipinas Moleskine in both pocket and large sizes: a result of the collaboration between iconic Philippine shirt brand Collezione, under its Collezione-C2 line headed by its Creative Director Rhett Eala, and Moleskine.

The first and 'biggest' Moleskine shop-in-shop (SiS) outlet which will feature the entire line will open in April 2010 at National Bookstore's Greenbelt 3 branch.

I say it's about time. And what better company to offer it locally than Collezione, a local apparel brand known for its durability and dependabilty. Yes, that's right, "dependability". In the 80s, it was the shirt of choice one could wear for many types of informal events. Its clothes were flexible and functional. It was the quiet and comparable counterpart of the imported designer sports tops at the time: Lacoste, Fila, Polo Ralph Lauren, among others, that were the trend especially among the elite.

The Collezione line was in the classic mold. If one were to wear a shirt or skirt today dating back to the 80s, it would still be "now".

Forward to the 21st century and Collezione was re-energized by its MyPilipinas line under C2 by Rhett Eala which features the Philippine map prominently on shirts and tops. Launched sometime in 2008, C2's MyPilipinas line became the most sought-after wear and all-occasion gift item since.

Like the icon that is Collezione, C2's MyPilipinas line has helped solder its place not just in Philippine fashion but fashion as lifestyle.

It is therefore appropriate and timely that C2 collaborate with the timeless Moleskine notebooks for its Philippine edition. And what better time than now.

There are supposedly only 4,800 units available of this limited edition Moleskine.

Prices are:
MyPilipinas Moleskine pocket Php 995.00
MyPilipinas Large Php1,450.00

Available at C2 stores and National Bookstore branches
MyPilipinas Moleskine site collezione-c2.com

A couple of cool Moleskine-related sites I follow:

Moleskinerie Creative Moleskine hacks
Moleskine Cover Moleskines hacks, user-submitted, avid Tweep
Moleskine Art Moleskine hacks, accessories gallery
Avalon.ph Vendor, Filipino Moleskine fan
Moleskineus Vendor
Moleskine Asia Vendor

Image credits
MyPilipinas notebooks image courtesy of Collezione C2
MyPilipinas shirt image courtesy of Philippine Star
[cross-posted]

Campaign

2010-02-10T02:56:00.000+08:00

The starter gun to the Philippine elections was fired quietly more than 24 hours ago when the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) declared 09 February 2010 the commencement of the 90-day campaign period for those running for President, Vice President and 12 Senators of the land.

Sigh.

It's the actual campaign season once again. I am surprised at the abrupt end of what were the more sedate, more polite and proper forums the candidates were given the chance to attend which gave us, in turn, the occasion to listen so we can make informed choices.

Campaign sorties are nothing but empty rhetoric, of preaching (and ditching), mostly to the converted. Like any event related to politics, campaigns are an arena of mud and grime confined within thick, choking air. And thanks to modern-day amplification, one comes out of it near-deaf, too.

This is the culmination of years of politicians' yearning to rip one another apart; no matter how immoral, the campaign season makes it right and justified.

It's an insane season. It is costly, tiresome, and divisive.

It is contrary to what every politician and candidate have ever muttered in the days when they were wooing the public and they, in less subtle ways, wanted to be wooed into party inclusion: "peace and unity".

Sadly, there will be none of these in the next 3 months. And none in the days after election day.

[Twitter] Trending "Pyramid", WMTK, et al.

2009-12-13T11:04:00.013+08:00

THIS POST IS INSPIRED BY a recent group effort put in by ardent followers of a young singer to help promote her second international single set for release sometime after New Year 2010 in America, using Twitter as the platform of choice to create buzz.

While the group effort (it spans across all fan bases and geolocations) does not seek to undercut the marketing strategies of the young singer's record label — rather, it seeks to strengthen it independently — the flurry of suggestions from active followers on how best to use Twitter and its phenomenal trending capabilities has re-energized all of the singer's online community forums and nudged non-Twitter using fans into signing up for an account to join in the collective work.

Here, finally, is a good reason for me to share some insight based on some expanded and updated research in connection with the concerted Twitter effort which I hope will help.

As we know, there are many reasons for a topic to trend on Twitter. There are also 3 popular essential ingredients (expanded here to 7) on what makes for effective Tweets, and I hope I can help shed light:

[1] A topic has to be emotional. If any of you remember Ondoy/Ketsana — especially those who were most hit/have relatives affected by Ondoy in the Philippines — all Tweets about/related to the storm including the successful and "well-attended" performance of AJRafael on UStream.com were randomly generated. By this I mean that all types of Twitter users from various locations and time zones used Twitter as a means to shoutout a particular topic (or topics: Ondoy/Ketsana/flooding/Philippines) but which all point to "Ondoy". In fact, as I myself witnessed, "Ondoy" was trending a couple of hours even before the #hashtag for it was generated, and it was because the event was emotionally hitting almost all of Twitter that even celebrities from the West took notice.

However, emotional need not mean tragic, sad or catastrophic. It simply has to be personal and true, the aim being to tug at someone else's similar experience no matter how basic or dull.

If one is to Tweet something about an artist and/or an upcoming single, for example or, if we wish for her/"Song Name" to trend at all, the posts must have something in it to trigger interest in others, not just exclusive to her fan base.

[2] Sharing something that "feels good, it needs to be told".
Conversely, experiencing something bad seems to have the same effect on people because we tend to warn others to avoid something in the hope of sparing them a similar experience.

I believe technology-related stuff, food, freebies and events, destinations and weather, links and blogs, etc., trend — even without the #hashtag — because these make people generally feel good (or bad) that these need to be shared.

In fact, it won't hurt to request a post to be reTweeted if need be, as hardselling (or the appearance thereof) can turn many users off.

Data grab courtesy of Sysomos

[3] A "trigger" (a launch, a special appearance, an event, etc.) - taking from Emmanuel Rosen's The Anatomy of Buzz Revisited which is basically composed of being:

[3a] people-driven, and very much in need of
[3b] participation (or, is "participatory") - in other words, something that naturally creates interest and invites inquiry.

Also,
[4] Allot character spaces for ReTweets. Social media experts advise to leave at least 15 chars. for reTweeting by others.

To these, I add:

[5] Above all, a good story, a credible source.
That Twitter is limited to just 140 characters does not mean short thoughts cannot convey a good story. Twitter users are people, after all, not robots. Stories also contextualize a Tweet. More importantly, to separate a spam (or 'bot) Tweet from that of a human being's, the source must be credible. It does not mean one has to be a celebrity — though that undeniably helps — but real experiences, real thoughts and sincere emotions in real time make for very credible sources.

{ADD} Might I add that one of the measures of a "credible source" would be news organizations which, by now, have all implemented social sites, not just blogs, into their pages. By virtue of their being news organizations — because we all rely on the news for news, after all, and not simply our next-door neighbor — these organizations are first to acknowledge the newsworthiness of someone or something.

[6] Some words on scheduling posts.

I also read about the schedule of Tweeting a post and there have been several suggestions at the forums, mostly based on time zones and people's availability to Tweet. Many have suggested that Tweets have a greater chance of being noticed not so much as to when the poster has the time as to when readers are actually online or catch up to read on others' Tweets.

DigitalDigs' Best Time of Day to Tweet probably illustrates it best on when to Tweet most effectively. :p

[7] Interdependence.

Twitter, like anything on the internet, exists interdependent on other sources and live sites.

I read a couple of posts at the forum about AJ Rafael being somewhat of an influential Twitter user, especially when his #HealPhilippines made it among the top trends during the Ondoy/Ketsana storm.

It must be noted that AJ Rafael posted a request over at his Facebook account on 24 Sept 2009 to help spread the word on Twitter about his contribution to promote awareness about the typhoon. This request was picked up not just by his FB friends but by others searching for FB tags about the storm happening in the Philippines at the time.

In other words, Twitter does not exist in a vacuum and trends do not always emerge overnight. Notice how strong brands and highly popular sites such as BBC World and the New York Times have Twitter accounts and always place a link on their front pages which visitors can't miss. This simply means some link love and sharing has to be given effort to, especially if one needs to promote a good cause, a notable person or an affecting music.

As in life, the Net is always a 2-way street and to survive, everything must co-exist.

Some very useful links:

Twitter's web traffic blog, Feb. 2008
Fuel Interactive's The Life and Times of a Twitter Link, Mar 2009
Emmanuel Rosen's The Anatomy of Buzz Revisited
Dan Zarella of Mashable's The Science of ReTweets, Feb 2009 (slightly technical)
Pew Internet's Survey results on Twitter's demographics, Feb 12, 2009 (viewable online or downloadable as PDF)
Find out what's trending and why at WhatTheTrend.com
The difference between meme and viral from Julian Cole's The Difference between a Meme and Viral, Apr 30, 2009
Find out when it's best to Tweet someone at the fun and simple Tweet O'clock
To find out the profile of a Twitter user and some demographics, go to Tweeps.info and get some very interesting data.
If you're a data and visualization freak like myself, Sysomos' comprehensive 2009 survey of Twitter can be accessed here (data may actually overwhelm). [Recommended]
Twitter twivias from whendidyoujointwitter.com (which says I had been Tweeting for 1,010 days as of this post) and Twittas.com (only for public timelines)
HubSpot's TwitterGrader has comprehensive data on individual users, too.
If you're interested in other Twitter-related applications, Twitdom has a few lists to share.
Yahoo joined in the Twitter bandwagon and cooked up a fun online app to know your True Social Mojo (only for public timelines)
And, finally, to show us how many other words are trending all over the world at a given time, a visualization of Twitter trending from TrendsMap from where the graphic on top was taken. Such a cool site that is.

bloody dirty, as usual.

2009-11-23T20:26:00.006+08:00

Sad day. Not even elections yet & political violence has started. In Mindanao, but no surprise. Whoever wants to be president must uderstand it's not all church and indulgences. Not 'pogi' (handsome) points nor favors.

Is anybody really, seriously ready for true 'change'? And if so, how?

Related news:

GMA News TV: Maguindanao massacre claims at least 36 lives

The New York Times: In Philippines Strife, Uprooting Is a Constant

[NEW] NYT: 23 People reported Dead in Election Violence

a lazy november sunday

2009-11-22T14:33:00.000+08:00

223pm

Writing a post about the annoying Boxbe for my other blog.

..........
Colleague and I are to shoot some products later today. The labels have been corrected.

.........
I am bothered by the fact that I have been palpitating almost all morning all through this post. It's more that my heartbeats have been quick and somewhat irregular and having a sense of anxiety over nothing hasn't quite gone away. It is irritating me. As such, I haven't been able to do as much as I had planned since awaking. Not good.

weather weather II: Tropical Storm KETSANA (ONDOY/17W)

2009-09-27T12:47:00.016+08:00

[2:30pm, Sunday, 27 Sept. 2009/a blog-in-progress]

The Philippine map is practically obliterated in this satellite image of Ondoy's wrath 26 September 2009. As such, the highest ever recorded level of rainfall in Quezon City alone, where I am, was registered at 410mm. (16.141732 in.) over a period of 10 hours, from 8am to 5pm of Saturday, exceeding the highest rainfall record of PAGASA on June 07, 1967 at 334mm. (13.15in.) in 24 hours*.

NOTE[1] Check in with your local Barangays or Homeowners' Associations for direct help if your area is affected.
Immediately needed: clothes, blankets, towels, ready-to-eat food.

This storm, at PHI Signal No. 1 yet (the lowest storm alert advisory based on wind velocity), caused all waterways and tributaries to overflow inundating all roadways in all of Metropolitan Manila's cities and municipalities, including its neighboring districts and provinces especially Rizal province of which Cainta, Marikina, San Mateo, and many low-lying municipalities remain under water as of this writing.

NOTE[2] Coordinate with your school org, local Barangays officials, or Homeowners' Associations for organized help to other areas affected.
Immediately needed: doctor/nurse volunteers in evacuation areas, specifically Cainta and Marikina.

Metro Manila has not been declared in a state of calamity due to typhoons in a long time, and the amount of rain from Ondoy was unexpected. In my community alone in Fairview, Quezon City, a hilly suburban district northeast of the City of Manila, the water in the creek 1 km. down from our residence rose to as high as 9 ft from street level. It was almost unbelievable hearing it from the local drivers of tricycles I rode in yesterday to buy food and some provisions, as Fairview itself is on a higher location compared to the rest of Quezon City.

NOTE[3] Many areas, specifically Cainta and Marikina are still UNDER WATER.
Be aware that donors' vehicles have to be able to navigate through flood higher than 12 in. (1 foot)

When I passed by the bridge over creek this morning, the place that used to be a local market (i.e. talipapa) was being manually dredged of sludge by its tenants, the informal settlers' houses around it were surrounded by sacks of wet mud and the settlers themselves cleaning what were left of their belongings. True enough, the metal grid wall support on each side of the bridge had all sorts of trash and debris stuck to each grid space reaching halfway its full height of about 20 ft.

NOTE[4] Ondoy is NOT YET OUT OF THE PHILIPPINE AREA OF RESPONSBILTY even if it is beyond the eastern section of the Philippines off Bataan .
Rains are expected for 2-3 more days.

NOTE[5] RED CROSS needs volunteers:
Pasay 8542748/4343751
LasPinas 8734873/4689688
Pasig 6350922
Alabang 8093132
NHQ Manila 5245787/5270864

*from a televised statement of Nathaniel A. Cruz [PAGASA Officer-in-Charge Operations and Services], 12nn, 27 Sept. 09

weather weather

2009-09-17T14:28:00.005+08:00

I am listening to all of Nature's collection of drum rolls in its arsenal right now.

~ 2:29 pm, Quezon City

Post scriptum

Really, when Nature puts on a show, everybody halts to listen, watch or do some inward reflection.

After all, what else can we do when caught in a light show in the mid-afternoon, with incessant rolling and barreling and banging of the skies above, and a burst, an unstoppable flow of the skies' mighty waters that rushes our negligence away.

And then, a deafening silence. And a sigh. And then the sound of every body's routine creeping back in, slowly breaking the hush, taking over what was, for a few minutes there, a reminder of our fragility.
~ 3:27pm

*cross-posted

I am a Chaster Part 2

2009-09-06T19:51:00.011+08:00

Anciano Uno, aka Ding Flores

I cornered @AncianoUno in YellowCab at the post-concert gathering so he could tell me their stories and the history of each Chaster person and Chaster site he knew about.

@AncianoUno, or simply Uno, was gracious enough to lend me his ear and spare me his time, as there were new Chasters he lent his time to and made sure to feel welcomed that late evening. I followed each Chaster online after that, and came to know even more of them, especially those based overseas.

Online, I read how Uno would defend Charice earnestly and passionately, or write his thoughts about how she and her songs have transformed him. In the few hours I came to know Uno face-to-face, he struck me as somewhat of a real fan-anatic (as they all were), an articulate no-nonsense guy who, later I discovered, had intense interest in history and regular guy-talk subjects like military stuff, cars and gadgets. Really, a rather typical guy. I could tell he had a temperament, yet was gracious and seemed very protective of everyone.

He seemed to have been very curious about my Q&A moments with him that, at one point, he asked if I was a reporter. I always found that amusing as I never thought I'd ever give that impression.

In my eagerness to know more about these people and document them, I not only saw to it that I had the chance to sit with each and find out their thoughts, but also took photos of their interactions. I was surprised at how Uno evaded such photo sessions especially without his ubiquitous Ray-ban Aviators on. "It's near-midnight, for christsakes!," I told him. He gave a wry answer and simply said he didn't want to have his picture taken without them.

I obliged, of course, but managed to take photos of him without it. Whether he knew I was shooting with him in the frame or not did not matter, except when once I announced that I was giving out copies of these online and he requested to not include anything that may have his image in those without the shades.

I continued to have communication with the other Chasters I spent time with that evening, either by email, chat or, occasionally, SMS. I was able to meet with some of them again a week or so after (05 July) in another of Charice's gig at Greenbelt when I joined them in the post-show's tete-a-tete. I missed that Greenbelt gig but made sure I saw the group who went to watch it.

As usual, it was one of those shows that was announced on short notice, and only those who could free themselves from work or school were able to go. Uno wasn't there and there were fewer than 8 who did show up. He said later on that he would rather not be passing on whatever infection he had due to the flu-like condition he was in at the time.

Emergency

Uno had been missing in action for a few days in the final weeks of August. His last few posts were those of his prolonged coughing and muscular spasms and fever.

I remember reading a post quite hastily in the last week of August, of him planning a walk at the back of the Mall of Asia for some fresh air, and responding to that with an invitation to an exhibit in the same venue I was working on. I never got a reply to that post.

On Thursday, Sept 03, 2009, I received an SMS message from @Narita, @Love and @Tintol about Uno being rushed to the hospital and in a state of coma. I helped with re-broadcasting this message to Charice's sites so that the other Chasters would know about it.

No sooner had this been reposted than a flood of well wishes and inquiries of support were called out. It was quite a touching development.

Even years after the Chasters had "known" each other, a majority still remained clueless as to who the real people were behind each username. Unless there were chances at arranging real-life gatherings, many Chasters still knew each other only by these aliases and exchanged pleasantries online. There were few such gatherings ever arranged, some as instant as meeting up at a mall to watch Charice promote and sing, yet even those announcements are made only hours before any confirmed date and venue, as was the case in Greenbelt.

It was therefore quite extraordinary to witness a real outpouring of support from a community that really only exist in the virtual world. I can say that Charice is fortunate to have real people who not only exist online to support her — after all, what are YouTube view figures but really just virtual numbers, and chat greetings, impersonal characters transmitted through wires and cables — but luckier is she still that there are real warm bodies who truly support each other when the need arises: flesh and blood empathy that is felt across virtual channels that surprise even the uninvolved and clueless, like Uno's own family members.

I wasn't able to pay Uno a visit at the hospital. @Narita, @Tintol, @Pin, @Smee, @Love and @Bosio did in batches, as the ICU visiting hours were strict and limited.

@Narita, a died-in-the-wool Charice fanatic who listens to eternal loops of Charice's songs in her car and through her iPod, made the unconscious, unresponsive Uno listen to these while he was strapped with tubes and surrounded by machines at the ICU. Uno responded by shedding tears. It would be an experience both @Narita and @Tintol will never forget.

Thank you

For Uno, who was fighting for dear life when I started writing this, and who, at 345pm today, Sept. 6, 2009 (PHI), lost the battle, thank you for the time you shared with me and the videos you so tireless took and uploaded for everyone to see.

We know how truly freed you are now from the pains brought about by that nasty disease you thought you could out-battle, and how ecstatic you may be at being reunited with your father who arrived at Peace just weeks before. As is my silent prayer, you and those who got through earth life ahead are truly at rest, in peace.

Thank you, Uno, Nonito Raymundo "Ding" Flores. As I unmask you to the world now, I shall unmask myself as well, for there is no better time than now to say: like you, I am a Chaster.

krvilla|09

........................

Read Part 1 here.

I am a Chaster, Part 1

2009-09-06T18:02:00.005+08:00

TO BE A FAN IS TO BE bestowed a label that, on one hand, not everyone is comfortable with — as there is a stigma to being a "fan" — while on the other, as like in any social identity and group affiliation especially in today's wired societies, to take pride in wearing a badge that comes with the association; an agreement and ready acceptance because fan experiences and emotions are shared with candor and without prejudice.

However, let me add two more to these types of groups: those who neither abhor such identities, nor openly declare die-hard loyalties, e.g the fence-sitting believers who refuse to justify their identifications and simply want to be left to their private obsessions; and fourth, the downright indifferent.

There is something about fans and fan bases that is simultaneously enigmatic but at the same time invites resistance because they are almost always perceived as shallow and pretentious. This world that moves in the underlayers of showbiz and across all industries related to entertainment is what can fully make or break a product, brand or person.

I can swear by and preach about the benefits of a computer brand, for instance, yet refuse to be called being called a "fan girl" of it. I guess I can say I belong to the fence-sitting believers; I can say as much to being one of many things and people — until recently.

A Fan

After being blown away a third time watching Filipina singer Charice Pempengco rather belatedly on a recorded Oprah Show episode over at YouTube middle of this year, I unconsciously started to follow links that came up in my searches about her.

Charice's songs and those in her genre are nowhere near the periphery of my music interest nor are the regular staples of local variety shows who yell at their microphones and sing their lungs out to their hordes of followers. Yet there was something about her that drew me to spend idle moments looking up videos on YouTube, a site that feels like it has existed online forever but which I purposely stayed away from because it was, to me, the epitome of boredom and careless use of bandwidth except on occasions when I'd be provided a LOL-cat link or two (my online equivalent of the funnies), or follow some documentary or conference talk that are more in my line of interest.

In the days that progressed, I found myself clicking on more and more related searches and was surprised at the sheer number of video uploads of Charice. I watched home videos of her singing in the privacy of her room or casually in groups, of what looked like a clandestine footage of her being emotional in the airport lounge before another departure for America; of her dancing with friends, or singing to the camera in a music store in a mall, or of her plunging right into the crowd during a song number without missing a beat.

As I delved into this near-obssesion, the more I became interested to know about who the people were behind the uploaded videos (technically known as "channel owners"), and get to know more beyond the now familiar YouTube users "FalseVoice" and "Coolsmurf" who were responsible for Charice's break into the American mainstream. It cannot be denied that Charice is, after all, a product of the Internet, and YouTube her launch pad.

A whole new world

And so I came upon Charice's fan sites — yes, there isn't just one — from where I saw familiar usernames like the channel owners I came across on YouTube. By then, I was curiously drawn into a world where the people in those sites, identified by aliases, wrote like they spoke differently, almost in codes, in which words like "Labyo", "Cha", "AIWALY", "AIATY" and "crab" come up often, and who posted information and facts about Charice with some degree of authority which I relished quietly and digested. This was a whole new world I certainly wasn't familiar with: her ardent, long-time followers who spoke their own language, engrossed in their own preoccupation.

They, cloaked under usernames (as is common in Internet chat rooms and forums, e.g.) were as anonymous as anything that one could not make out their genders except when usernames are obviously male or female or when avatars, graphic representations of themselves, are a giveaway to their persons. Yet by their short and terse interactions, sometimes serious, other times just plain silly, they seemed like a tight-knit community who knew Charice enough to refer to her by her nickname, or even call her mother like their own.

I found myself a little lost wading through a sea of multi-media information about Charice that I started filling up my already bloated list of bookmarks in an attempt to put some order to the chaos. Little by little, I, too, was getting immersed into discussions and exchanges that went so fast I couldn't keep up.

At the same time, my limited hard drive space was slowly getting filled with videos I meant to watch offline and to somehow ID chronologically but which I never, up to this day, gotten to doing.

A "Chaster"

"What's that?", you ask.

Since there is no link or page that defines the word, let me do it for you: A Chaster (ˈchäs-ter) is a follower of the young Filipina singer Charice Pempengco. She used this to identify those whom she met and had constant communication with over the internet; those who follow her and whom she follows in return.

The name was supposedly given by Charice herself to this group of followers — her online chat-mates who, over time, she too had come to know, and who provided her online company way ahead of her becoming "an international singing sensation" and a hit in the US entertainment market.

The word sounds strange enough and a little juvenile; a bit pedestrian, even. It's not that a Chaster is more chaste than the average celebrity fan, nor more religious, blindly idolizing to a fault.

While I remained the "casual" reader of each Chaster post and discussion, by then still completely the opposite of any of my interests with other people I usually interact with online and in real life, suffice it to say that I felt a little envious each day at their posts on the fan sites. Yet I held back jumping in, in part because I could have potentially blown my schedule off, then already becoming tighter and trickier to manage as a result of giving in to watching more and more videos and reading up more information about her. I also simply could not afford to be spending additional time online chatting with another group of strangers on top of the others I was used to chatting with already.

In my visits to these fan sites, I subsequently picked up a term each day from these fan discussions as it was necessary to understand the context and flow of their conversations. Furthermore, the more familiar I became of usernames, of their manners and their language, the more curious I was of them.

Who were these people? What draws them to Charice? Where are they from? What do they do other than chat, upload videos or interact with each other, or be obsessed with exchanging gig schedules and appearances and composing fan tributes and photos in their personal sites and such?

Were they the typical celebrity fan who would line up in network stations for hours than be in school or at work? Were they the fans who outscream other celebrity fans in television shows and concerts?

Were they today's rabid Noranian-vs-Vilmanian follower who would pick a fight to show how devoted they are to a celebrity without thinking of personal consequences? As far as I knew, this type exists today only with the overrated TV matinee idols because the local music industry had been on a plateau for some time now, partly as a result of its own complacency, partly a victim of the industry itself not supporting and developing real talents enough.

Beginning the Journey

My interest and searches of the Chaster world that unselfishly support her came just in time as she was scheduled to do a major concert in Manila in June after the successful debut of her single in America.

It was through them that I became more informed of details about this concert, of what others were saying about her, of her scheduled interviews and whatnot; of her public thoughts and sentiments. It was also through them that I saw an unbelievable show of support not just for her but for each other, something that, as far as I know, I had not come across in any other online community nor in any of my own online community memberships.

For they were, I came to know, mostly mothers and motherly, both working in offices or working hard at home; fathers and the fatherly, caregivers and business owners, executives and truckers, students in school and students of life . And they were all over the world.

It was through their solid and unified coordination that enabled followers and late converts to watch the concert and be up close and personal not just with Charice but with each Chaster I met and connected with on 27 June 2009 after her concert ended.

Uncloaked, unmasked

In the late post-concert hours of June 27, there I finally came to know @Narita who, like countless others, readily bought tickets for Charice's fans who otherwise could not have afforded tickets that evening; @Monkiedoggie and @Irmsmith who were patiently waiting at the lobby for the latecomers.

I met the Chaster organizers @Mitch and @Garfield at the Meet and Greet and fell in line with @Tintol and her friend.

I had a good time hearing stories at YellowCab Pizza nearby the concert venue about their being fans, unknown suporters and converts: of @Ecirol, @Lemur, @Fem_z, @Pin, @Bing, @Smee, @Love, @Ejadroba, @Scrub, @Joyze and countless others whose names escape me now.

And it was here where I met, finally, YT channel user and fansite moderator @AncianoUno, who, with @Smee, are two of a handful of local male Charice fans who tireless follow her every gig and mall tour and post videos of these online for all to watch.

All the other Chasters I met were pretty much regular people and surprisingly timid. Some came from out of town just to watch the concert. Others managed to secure an early exit from work. Based on the concert attendance, I learned that the demographics of Charice's fanbase is wide: a high school student from Bacolod, an entrepreneur from San Fernando, Pampanga, nurses and lecturers, bank employees, overseas workers from the Middle East, doctors, mothers, retirees, and even a politician.

As in any other growing community, I also came to learn that there were some personal issues among the certified Chasters, they who wear the Chaster badge proud. Yet the underlying fact of their coming together that one night, in real time and in real life, was to have a great sharing of experience and to simply be there for Charice.

Clearly, it is they for whom she tries her best to deliver and give her best in spite of Charice being under the weather that momentous concert day, for instance, and at every stage and performance hall she finds herself in overseas. In as much as each Chaster followed her, online and off, Charice made sure she followed back. I could tell that from personal experience.

........................

Read Part 2 here.

Top photo taken from "Charice: The Journey Begins", SMX | krvilla.2009

Alexis Tioseco, criticineaste

2009-09-02T13:02:00.008+08:00

Rest in Peace to you and your loved one, you who sowed seeds of thought that helped energize brain inertia numbed by the mindless intentions of the puppeteers and power players, and who helped keep the window open for light to shine upon our very own brown film industry.

Alexis Tioseco
founder and editor in chief, Criticine
film critic, lecturer and blogger
1981-2009

Nika Bohinc
Slovenian
film journalist, content provider, SEA Images

ABS-CBN news 02-09-09

older

2009-08-03T01:55:00.001+08:00

And one day and an hour older, of what was a hectic working day, save for the subdued but meaningful reminders from friends and family.

Hectic has really never applied so accurately in the 24 hours that just passed, and, though very thankful for the blessings, I wish for this to not happen again.

Chips on their shoulders

2009-07-07T14:23:00.110+08:00

COMING ON THE HEELS of an extravagant celebration in the Philippine internet-age — aptly, of Imeldific proportions replete with the illusions of past grandeur, of heaps of greetings and hallow wishes by friends-turned-foes-turned-friends again, and of fireworks that accompanied Manila's lifestyle headliners at Imelda Marcos' 80th birthday party — were reminders that she cannot be faulted for one time supporting, quote, The Arts, unquote, in the midst of corruption and third-world poverty, among others.

That Imelda bragged about her unstoppable court cases at the party — around 900 as of last public account since 1991 — and seemed to relish just that kind of achievement tells me that, while she wants to remain controversial, she seems to have made some kind of peace with the past. She does not take herself too seriously, too, and, conversely, cannot be taken so.

For good or bad, she always makes news of herself in an amusing way, and in my observation, never much faulted others for her or their family's [mis]fortunes but solely unto herself. Rather, she always says that she is either misunderstood and easily judged or is a fighter with a cause that never gets acknowledged; or that she simply is who she is, ad infinitum.

If she has any grievance of the past, at 80 years old, she certainly is carrying it out in style.

Twin quinquagenarians speak

This cannot be said of two men in the local entertainment scene also making some buzz recently. Although not as obscure as the word "quinquagenarian," these two men, Joey de Leon and Freddie Aguilar, have chosen to come out and reveal the biggest chips on their shoulders to the public. And my, are they big, burdensome and ugly.

Joey

Joey de Leon, a self-proclaimed comic whose sense of humor is scathing at best, and seems to delight in making fun of others' physical appearance, resorts to name-calling and can let loose remarks bordering on chauvinism, was one-third of the Tito, Vic and Joey comedy trio. I can say as much that I did enjoy some of their recorded humor from their "Tough Hits" days in the late 70s. Who doesn't like some moments of amusement anyway?

Joey, I think, was a good choice to host a late-afternoon weekend gossip show because he could provide a balance to some highly charged and controversial segments. I've seen him do this several times and this is where he can call upon his being a comic at best.

In most cases, however, he comes off as a know-it-all and intolerant host on his noontime show, sometimes even unforgiving, like when contestants fail to give an answer to common trivial questions and he allows his disappointments to come through.

Has he forgotten that he constantly deals with a sector of society that grew up with their shallow antics and foolery day after day for the past 30 years? Was he expecting that all of their audience picked up useful insights to add to their knowledge, quality of life or skills every lunch time? They may have picked up dated phrases of insults or rehashed jokes once in a while, and I can't take credit away from him for that.

Yeah he can be funny. He actually is, sometimes, and can be quick on the draw and witty. But a genius he is not, although I've read comments in the past about his being a misunderstood artiste, especially in personal pursuits like painting and song writing that are a little out of place in the traditional sense, especially in the norms of the entertainment world which he's been part of for decades.

Joey also likes sarcasm. A lot. And he particularly likes throwing a comment or two at competitors because he relishes being part of the network wars than being above it. Too bad, I may have been expecting much more from him.

One day in August 2008, Joey de Leon, who I wasn't aware was also columnist of a broadsheet, waged a word war against his paper because of a published report in the paper's tabloid that said their show was a flop in a US tour.

The next thing I knew he was a regular at another paper, the Philippine Star, one of the papers I subscribe to. I never did read his columns except one, I think: a year-end recap.

Unfair competition
My attention was called again to his column recently. Written in some kind of verse like that recap article, it was his Michael Jackson tribute that alluded strongly to Charice Pempengco (a "nuno na sinugaling," he wrote: a lying dwarf) as lying about being approached to guest in Michael Jackson's London shows and that she would have been rehearsing with him after her Manila concert.

While this is largely unconfirmed from Charice's US management but by her alone from a news segment, the meat of the matter is Charice is identified with the network that is in fierce competition with Joey's. And while Joey is entitled to his opinion on the recent recognition Charice has been getting abroad, I think picking on a minor like Charice is one big low blow.

Joey has already made a name for himself in entertainment. The once bad and taunting young man is now father to children much older than Charice. He, too, is a grandfather now; someone who refuses to grow up and grow old. The grandfather, therefore, picked on a young woman obviously extremely talented, lucky and barely of legal age. This is a one-sided confrontation and a much more revealing affirmation of the kind of person Joey de Leon may additionally be perceived as: a coward in using allusion, and a bully.

From what he just wrote, he looks like he is going to age green with envy, bowed and bended by his anger and vindictiveness, without once thinking that by adding fuel to the network fire fight at every opportunity, he is not at all helping the industry's redemption from mediocrity but will drag it to the level of cheap thrills and trash, an environment he seems to never want to get out of.

And Freddie....

He needs no introduction.

Freddie's recent comments on Charice, Arnel Pineda and just about every overseas Filipino entertainer abroad who sing cover songs are words of an angry man growling his way to senescence.

Does he not understand that the world turns, much like how day turns into night as he may have experienced working towards the opening of his new bar from where he made his statements?

Does he not agree that Charice, Arnel, Leah Salonga, Apl de Ap and many unnamed Filipinos abroad who have the gift of singing and are appreciated for it are in a much better position to bring a good name to the Philippines than fugitives and money launderers, self-centered politicians and citizens who filth the air?

Is it their fault, these singers, that they don't share his writing talents but make the most of what they have — plus a little luck — anyhow? Or that foreigners recognize their talents in spite of the kind of songs they sing because the local handlers and music industry moguls are too busy building up non-talents, the networks are putting all their resources to their stupid rivalry and the record labels are barely surviving?

Or was Freddie not paid royalty by Charice's producers for "Anak" when she and Kuh Ledesma sang it so well at Charice's concert two Saturdays ago?

Has "Anak"'s accomplishments been ever taken away from him at any point? No. No one has taken away the stature of "Anak" in the local Filipino music scene. It may have, however, faded from the memory of record producers, radio station owners and a generation that listened to newer sound and responded to messages that speak to it.

Has he done much, to the public's knowledge, about curbing or denouncing local music piracy? And I mean launched something so massive, given his legendary status, to call upon all music loving Filipinos across all ages and genres — including the YouTube savvy, hip-hopping, iPod-carrying youth — to strongly rally behind his name to such a cause?

What is going on with him and Joey? We're already choking from all the crabiness, engulfed in political mire that exist in all corners of our archipelago that a whiff of fresh air is enough to get us through sometimes. No one has monopoly over nationalism, especially in the age of information.

And what do they know about the shared pride these talents give our laborers in the Middle East, the domestic helpers, engineers and nurses elsewhere in the world, they who have been bestowed some kind of dignity and respect by the new crop of "international singing sensations," no matter how trivial, how occasional? A sort of recognition that Filipinos are much more than just being worthy of domestic chores or being all greased up and grimy in the deserts.

Has he overlooked the fact that they, too, Charice, Arnel, Leah Salonga (although unmentioned by Freddie), et al. have remained Filipinos not just by citizenship but by choice, and are, like any "OFW," overseas Filipino workers themselves who seized the opportunities that came knocking at their doors and continue to do their best to put food on their tables, send relatives to school, at the same time inspiring others, one way or other, with honor?

If any of them, famous or unnamed singers, bring shame to our country in any way like how dictators and opportunists once did and continue to do, by all means, these men can throw everything at them including the sink, the toilet humor and their burdens.

Freddie and Joey should get real and wake up to a different time. Freddie Aguilar has had his and no one can take that away from him. Let the others shine in theirs.

............................

REF:
Freddie's statements on PEP.ph
Joey's article

NLT, you good soul, thank you

2009-06-03T10:03:00.010+08:00

When did I first know you again? Maybe 15 years or so ago, when I was the occasional passenger-friend in the back seat hitching a ride between school and home and you, fetched in between that route from work by dear friend C.

I remember being amused at how hearing your musical voice for the first time confirms a lot about genetics, although yours, albeit soft, was distinct, instantaneously agreeable and firm. Almost always lilting, never angry or abrasive.

What I liked the most in those years of knowing you was how quick you were to laugh at some stories I thought were funny, and you shared the laughter, never holding back, yes. You weren't at all staid and strict even if you looked too upright for comfort.

You'll always be the well dressed mom who never gave as much as a big deal out of circumstances beyond your control. Those times I saw of you doing that were rare but memorable nonetheless.

I would always seek out your thoughts on things from my friend C; always asked "so what did she think? What did she say?" and the answer would almost always be "OK lang" and always nothing utterly negative or confrontational. And you were selfless.

I've always admired you. Not very many of my friends' mothers leave that much mark on me, especially because you continued to be a silent brick wall, the stabilizing leg, to our endeavors. I think you are--you were--grace under pressure personified, another genetic pass; a modest and strong woman. Best of all, you were a good listener, something I will always try to be for others while on this plane.

Have I said thank you enough in our personal encounters? I don't think so. But you may not know that in my most quiet moments, I always did, as I do your family for all the support. Always. Thank you.

Too good and a full circle tribute

2009-05-21T10:51:00.004+08:00

Posted to twitter earlier:

Though totally expected, sad that voters' trending came true. Adam Lambert, who is his own music, is too good for the general pop market

I wrote yesterday about Adam Lambert possibly being out-voted in the finals because voting trends read that for every contestant that leaves, votes of those who are left increase dramatically save for Adam's which seemed to stay consistently high enough to keep him through each week comfortably.

Voters for All-American pop molds Matt Giraud and Danny Gokey definitely went to Kris Allen.

This is the only American Idol season I watched quite regularly and I am glad I followed it somewhat.

The best part for me about the finale is the collection of iconic guests who were obviously inspired by the presence of Adam Lambert: Carlos Santana, Kiss, Rod Stewart and Queen.

It is tribute enough to Adam's artistry that the last segment was with Queen, whose song Bohemian Rhapsody Adam sang for his audition. How overwhelming it is to witness how Adam Lambert came full circle, musically, in four months.

I wonder what the next seasons will be like without him.

Note To God : Charice Pempengco [updated]

2009-05-20T10:11:00.021+08:00

If there ever was anything even more refreshing, optimistic and inspiring amidst the ever moody Manila weather and grime, the book blockade frenzy, and the slowly-rising murky Philippine political waters, than the recent performance of Charice Pempengco on Oprah of her American album debut single Note to God, I would please like to know.

Charice and her performance are a breath of fresh air.

A concert at the SMX Mall of Asia is scheduled on June 27, 2009 at 8 pm. More info here and here

Charice is the embodiment of true trans-atlantic success without it getting into her head, it seems. So far, the people who made it possible for her success — besides her tower of strength, her mother, and her most avid video poster and follower "FalseVoice" — have been the powerhouse of Western pop music and entertainment. So far, it's most unlike the local sleazy, camera-hogging characters who seem forever stuck with and stuck on Manny Pacquiao, especially post-Hatton, and the distasteful sweathogs associated with the sport and with legitimized betting.

So far, the honest-to-goodness earnings and praises heaped upon her have been from her overflowing talent, charisma and focus, and that she has kept her young head firmly in place.

After almost a month's worth of work and deadline beating, I just remembered again how good it feels to just free my mind. I consciously dedicated a well-deserved overnight of youtube-watching and tuned in to many of Charice Pempengco videos I previously indulged in more than 12 months ago after she first appeared on Ellen.

By the way, after a night's marathon, I realized that the common line thrown about since Charice's American debut on Ellen is that [a] Oprah discovered Charice on YouTube and [b] David Foster almost simultaneously with his family, after Charice appeared on Oprah, discovered her, too. It's sad that after Charice's string of successful mainstream apperances on American media, Ellen -- who flew Charice in to the US for her show for the first time in December 2007 -- is left unmentioned in the recent publicity rounds by David Foster.

Anyway, Charice looks like the best person to inspire our youth these days. She has, like Journey's Arnel Pineda, strove hard, stayed true to her craft and both maintained their dedication to performing their best. I hope Charice the best and if there was any one I'd be placing a bloody bet on with regards giving something back, and working hard with dignity and pride, it'll be on her.
..........................................

Posting the Oprah performance for archive purposes.

Credits Note To God (143/Reprise Records) Digital download | 3:59 | Diane Warren, David Foster | Originally recorded 2006 by JoJo | Release Date: 18 May 2009 | Official video page | Video above from youtube user 'winnerschoice123' | Watch on Oprah | (Currently #3 on Itunes UK, #2 on Amazon Downloads) | [Crossposted blog]

.........................................

Added 3:04pm

I had to zip in and out of this blog to squeeze in a presentation today. I'd like to add that in one of the videos I saw of Charice and David Foster (the Carousel of Hope 2008), he said Charice had only learned English three months prior to the event when "she really couldn't speak English".

I think this statement is unfair to Charice. She may not be articulate (or even talkative in front of big-name celebrities whom she comes face to face with), but almost everyone in the Philippines from all strata speaks English enough to be understood.

We are, after all, a former American colony with almost nary a trace of Spain's 400-year domination in our language. If Charice's packaging is something like an exotic tropical find, then it is no different from how the Filipinos were exhibited at the 1904 St. Louis Exposition.

How can Charice "sing from the heart" as Celine Dion remarked, if she could not understand the lyrics to her songs? She is not an Antonio Banderas who was able to learn the script for the film Philadelphia (1993) phonetically. It's too much exoticism put on Charice who certainly spoke English good enough to express her thoughts when she appeared on Ellen in 2007.

David Foster must be so overwhelmed by Charice; otherwise, he must have cracked a joke I didn't quite get. However, his every mention of "from the Philippines...Charice!" at each introduction is commendable. Because of this, Charice has become our, uhm, unsung (and unofficial) entertainment ambassador.

.........................................

AND SPEAKING OF IDOLatry...

A confession I should have posted during the Holy Week yet: Lambert/Iraheta. Allison Iraheta has been voted out and avid American Idol followers think her votes were split up between Danny Gokey and Kris Allen.

I love Adam Lambert from his Bohemian Rhapsody audition, and especially after he sang Believe. And then the other off-beat song selections in the weeks that followed showed his versatility.

I am not an American Idol show follower and so I can't say if Bohemian Rhapsody was ever sung as an audition by a finalist in the past seasons, but to choose it as an audition piece and be sung well is always a risk.

On the eve of the season's finale with only two finalists in the running — Adam Lambert and Kris Allen — the fans say that Danny Gokey's votes will most likely push Kris Allen's votes towards victory.

The idea is not remotely impossible. Adam Lambert is far too good, too independent, too risqué for the American pop music followers.

What I also like about Adam Lambert is how he so far has shown his adherence to the tenets of theatre without, as Randy Jackson always says, bordering on theatrical, meaning, perhaps, being wild and dramatic but shallow.

Although I hope he wins the competition, he surely could be out-voted.

And if Adam Lambert is out-voted, he certainly has left his mark, though not skid marks, but trails that have blazed the road and upped the ante on future auditionees, whether with theatrical background or not. I'm sure I'll see his album on the shelves as soon as the show is over.

-430 pm

form + function() + .class | Asia’s first web designers’ conference

2009-04-29T14:43:00.006+08:00

At last.

Here, now, read about the Philipines’ & Asia’s first and only web designers’ event http://www.formfunctionclass.com/

Bookmark it!

Evelien Lohbeck's Noteboek magic

2009-04-27T11:35:00.008+08:00

A project worth echoing in a web full of echoes. Evelien Lohbeck's experimental short.

Noteboek from Evelien Lohbeck on Vimeo

Awarded

Jury prize for best online film NOFF
Playgrounds Award Best Student 2008
De ijzeren haring 2008 Leids film festival
Award for best online film HAFFTube

Thank you to the Man from Manila

2009-03-06T16:06:00.025+08:00

There is something to be said about the true character of a person, man or woman.

Francis Magalona was a true-blooded showbiz personality, he the offspring of a showbiz union.

Perhaps it is that old school lineage manifests itself no matter the bumpy journey one has -- or had, as his -- that niceness, gentlemanliness, courtesy, humility and passion for one's calling seep through the superficial social stereotypes, self-vandalisms and peer pressures.

Francis was always a cut above the rest because he was articulate, artistic and intelligent and demonstrated the freest of expressions than any of his contemporaries ever did. Yet he always did things with flair, even as a noontime show host from which a live feed on its sister station broke to announce his passing today, Friday.

Rap is not Filipino, but Francis made it Pinoy. As a rap musician, he put an agreeable, friendly face to what became an angry, jaded and sometimes negative, genre. Like in person, his anger was acceptable and viral because, really, they were about concern for the Bayan (country) and for each kababayan (countrymen).

I guess Francis has said and done enough in 44 years: about his very public life, his nationalism, politics and advocacy, and his private pain and gallant battle with illness in which, finally, his physical shell could no longer handle.

FrancisM's last entry dated 14 Jan 2009

"...I look forward to the pain as I know my journey is on full speed ahead. I will not be bold to say that without asking a favor from you all. PLEASE PRAY for me as I undergo treatment. Your prayers, as always, have sustained me. And am sure the Lord will listen to all our prayers. To His will I submit myself..."

I salute a Filipino for accomplishing a lifetime in 44 years. Hopefully, your life messages will be listened to for years to come. Salamat, FrancisM.

LINKS

Photo of Francis Magalona from his official site.
Please visit http://www.magalona.com
FrancisM's AML blogumentary
Francis on Wikipedia
His clothing line and other creations can be seen here.

Watch the breaking news on QTV 11's Balingtanghali here

Image above | krvilla.09

UPDATE with a couple of links on general reading about FrancisM's cancer, 08 Mar 09

Read up on Adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia from cancer.gov
About Leukemia, AML and other types from leukemia-lymphoma.org
About Mixed-Lineage Leukemia from Howard huges Medical Institute, published Dec. 2001
Adult acute myeloid leukemia from the National Cancer Institute
Some AML FAQs from the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance

UPDATE 2
Philippine music chronicler Pocholo Concepcion's write-up (PDI: "FrancisM loses happy battle") on the breaking news as it appeared in print on 07 March 2009 said so much more than any other quick write-ups that made it to the deadline. Read it here.

A growing number of links by and about Francis Magalona can be found here.

Coffee Tripping: From Crop to Cup [update 09 Mar 09)

2009-03-05T10:57:00.062+08:00

I had the rare chance of finally heeding an invitation to join a club activity of Figaro Foundation's Coffee Harvest/Farm Tour in February 21, 2009 (a Saturday) as member of the Figaro Coffee Club.

It was a day-full of activities I confirmed attendance to at the last minute via the Foundation's efficient staff through SMS. Luckily, the planned tour was able to accommodate my associate, Isabel, and I. I must mention that the Foundation staff were graceful enough to accede to a full vegetarian lunch for my friend when I was confirming attendance, and then to update us of the group's location when we couldn't make it to the scheduled morning departure due to glitches.

We caught up with the group at Gourmet's Refreshers in Silang, Cavite from where Joyce Montalban of the Figaro Coffee Club fetched us at the entrance of Refreshers' al fresco section by the highway for [Figaro Foundation Program Officer and Head Organizer] Joed Alcid's and Gourmet's Lennard P. Reyes' Coffee 101 talk amid sacks upon jute sacks of coffee beans.

The Figaro Foundation actively participates in the propagation and planting of Philippine coffee varieties to meet local demand and consumption of 65,000 metric tons. Currently, only 30,000 metric tons are being produced. The rest are being imported at an estimated Php 3.15Bn. Figaro Foundation joins the other local coffee companies of making the Philippines a self-sufficient coffee-growing nation by 2015.

From there, we moved on to the farm's coffee processing facilities. We couldn't be accommodated inside, however, so the introduction and talk was conducted outside the facilities.

An introduction to how Gourmet's processes coffee

Dennis and club members peep through the coffee processing facilities

A refreshing gourmet lunch

Refreshers was full of hungry Club members by lunch time

Sponsor and host Refreshers Gourmet served the group their signature drink on that hot and sunny Saturday noon: a glass each of delightful chilled lemonade with pesto, basil and herbs mix. It was during this relaxing lunch break that a pleasant chat with former Collegian staff and Tropa apprentice Dennis Sabangan, in a surprise reunion earlier at the Coffee 101 session, was resumed. We each caught up with goings-on and such at a shared table after more than 15 years since we last saw each other in UP. Dennis is now with the European Pressphoto Agency (EPA) as chief photographer.

Two generations of Ka-Tropas meet for the first time in Tagaytay

The tour resumed after lunch with a trek to Gourmet's organic farm facilities after we were divided in two groups. Orientation to the farm areas included a request by the facilitators to refrain from throwing small trash and smoking.

Midday walk to the farm

Gourmet's Refreshers maintains the organic farm facilities that grow all their salad and vegetable ingredients. Gourmet's employs locals from the area as farmers, farm hands and maintenance persons that make sure the 2-hectare property is clean and manageable. It also has a fresh section at the restaurant where all its organic produce as well as Philippine coffee products and coffee-making merchandise are sold.

A Club advocacy: Support for organic farming

Gourmet's Lennard P. Reyes and Figaro Foundation's Joed Alcid* share experiences.

Figaro Coffee supports like-minded corporations that advocate organic farming which, as mentioned, help employ locals in the area and promote good farming practices that are beneficial to both the public and to the environment.

We were introduced to Gourmet's collection of greens and fruit-bearing plants and trees, the produce of which are all available and for sale at the restaurant. The stocks are always replenished in the afternoon.

The herb farm

Vegetable garden

Two of many greenhouses (above and below)

In between the farm tour was a side trip to convention and retreat facilities where there stands a modern geometric chapel, gardens around a pond and an enclosed meeting and convention area and some lodging.

Side trip to the convention facilities

After the farm tour, the group was herded back to Refreshers for afternoon snacks with more refreshing chilled dayap and herbs and three varieties of signature cookies with rosemary, basil and more herbs.

Afternoon break before distribution of certificates

This gave the Club members and guests some time to appreciate the goods at the restaurant shop and pick a few finds to bring back with them to Manila.

After the snacks came the distribution of certificates of attendance and a bag of lettuce each from Gourmet's Refreshers.

Before the tour was over, I had the chance to view some photos taken during the morning activities that I missed: the coffee harvest and harvest game at Junsy Lim's coffee farm a few kilometers off in Tagaytay.

The Figaro Coffee Club successfully pooled together about 30 members and guests for the tour that day. Together with representatives from the Foundation and the tour sponsors, the coaster was as full as when we all gathered at Refreshers for breaks. Not only did we end the tour rested and satisfied, we were gratified to have been a part of positive action from companies that accomplish to be of service to others as well. Kudos.

More photos by me here.

Morning activity photos by Dennis Sabangan of EPA can be found here: [1], [2], [3], [4], [5] >>Please note that the EPA photos are copyrighted<<

*Corrected caption

UPDATE: 09 March 2009

The official photos of the event is finally up. Check out the morning activities and the fun coffee harvest pictures at the Figaro Coffee Club's Multiply page here.

LIST OF ATTENDEES

Figaro Coffee Company - Marketing Dept.
Johanna Clavecilla - Marketing Services Manager / Head Organizer / Master of Ceremony
Joyce Montalban - FCC Coordinator / Assistant Organizer
Marvee Queg - Marketing Assistant / Marshal
Jeandell Tantiado - FCC Encoder / Marshal

Figaro Foundation Corporation
Joed G. Alcid - Program Officer / Head Organizer / Speaker
Emil Cuaresma - Program Assistant / Assistant Organizer
Julie Ann Gepielago - Foundation Consultant / Marshal

Participants & FCC Members
Beng Sikat • Annie Valdes • Peewee Guerrero • Diana Guerrero • Lea Lumbao • Myr Lim • Legaeda Zhel Lega • Mike Gozum • Justin Liu • Kelvin Gaisano • Kriskarla Yturzaeta • Claire Co and Rita Co • Joel, Amy and Isaiah Fernandez • Niko Arevalo • Ria Galit • Arno Vasquez Jr. • Philbert Cabalteja • Rachelle Orindain • Isabel Templo • Vanessa Villafuerte • Silvia Joh Sabio • Mae Caparas • Bezie Martinez • Anna Tan • Joanne Onio

Special thanks to:
Ollivence Gonzales - Event Photographer / Marshal
Nancy Troyo - Marshal (Purchasing Officer, Figaro Coffee)
Lennard Reyes, Jojo Manzano - Gourmet's Refreshers

Sponsored by
Corporate Gifts • Earle's Delicatessen • Edward Keller (Philippines), Inc. • Gourmet's Farm • Insular Life Direct

Event Sponsor Representative
Jhezl Nas, Insular Life Direct

Media
Dennis Sabangan | Judith Balea | Neil Lim

4 a.m.

2009-03-02T04:28:00.002+08:00

It's 4 in the morning, Manila time.

The beginning of the end of the first quarter. The last weeks have been a bit crazy, a bit manageable. A HD crash, server migration, a regrettable typo, a lot of night-to-dawn cross-overs which I see will continue. In the last 72 hours, a very tight deadline for an old client which then sees print when the press operators log in for work later.

A handful of local events missed, many of which I wanted to comment on in my blogs but couldn't; a few more tech-related, social and cultural stuff I'm interested in, all read hurriedly and digested just fairly recently. A "volunteer" work input for peers I hope would help with the forthcoming planned event.

There were a few unexpected silver linings to provide consolation. No, make that two outstanding life vests instead: an incredible, soft-spoken data-saver named Alvin — he, among the geek of all geeks I have ever encountered — and an assistant reconciled, trustworthy and competent as she had been, who came just in the nick of time: thank you both.

So, it's another Monday. A March Monday. Bring on the sun but let some breeze cool us off. Meantime, to bed I go for the much-needed power nap.

'night, for now.

(this blog is cross-posted)

CafeXperiment.com's Pic of the Day

2009-02-05T11:50:00.007+08:00

I received an email this morning from cafeXperiment.com, a site I enjoy looking at time and again, informing me that the photo I sent them during Holidays '08 is today's Pic of the Day. The image was taken at Figaro-Royale Place on Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City during a meeting in December 2008.

You can see the big picture here. Thank you, cafeXperiment.com.

In small things forgotten: Mang Milton's iskolar pays it back as we all should (update)

2009-01-05T01:07:00.032+08:00

(Shelving a New Year post in favor of this story which I hope will help start the year right. Thank you for reading.)

There were three 'cute guys' over at the UP Repertory Company in my time, all of them more than just acquaintances in the theater campus scene: Eugene, Mike and Bernie.

Cute they were, physically and in demeanor, but 'guys' they weren't, biologically.

Eugene is Eugenia Domingo, the spontaneous wise crack who, back then, was an underrated actress with overflowing confidence you could sense it from buildings away, and now, properly recognized for her talent. Mike is Mike Rivera — Michelle, if you will — the petite and dependable over-all production person who always had a ready, sincere smile for everyone; ~~now wife and mother~~ married to campus sweetheart Augie. And Bernie, real name: Bernadette de Castro, Aureaus' Solito's original Jaclyn Jose-look alike 'beautiful laundrette', she, not just the frank Rep and Tropa member but a level-headed, pragmatic student; erstwhile flight attendant and Vegas resident.

Like everyone in UP in my time, all three were state scholars who at some point in their UP lives have had to seek financial assistance or other to complete a course. Unlike everyone in UP, however, they enjoyed campus life differently in that extra-curricular work, theater in this case, became an alt-life they pursued with passion while maintaining above-average school standing and still managed to avoid being slapped the maximum residency rule.

A [re]connection for a hero

I got reconnected with Eugene and Mike last year at the 2008 Cinemalaya screening. Though brief, the reunion was nonetheless gratifying.

A few days ago, through mutual friend Dante Garcia, Mike and I are now virtually reconnected because of Mike's story on Meliton Zamora, or Mang Milton.

"Meet Meliton Zamora, a retired University of the Philippines janitor and my hero. For forty-five years, he swept floors, cleaned up trash, watered plants and did odd jobs at the University", Mike wrote.

It turns out that dependable Mike, always present at Rep's activities and visible at their tambayan, was much like the majority of Iskolars ng Bayan in our time: juggling studies, org activities and familial obligations.

Also, Mike's generous smile defied this multi-tasking reality so adroitly that she always came across as problem-free and relaxed.

"Back then, [Mang Milton] was just one of those characters whom you got acquainted with and left behind as soon as you earned your degree and left the university for some big job in the real world...But for many UP students like me who were hard up and had a difficult time paying their tuition fees, Mang Mel was a hero who gave them the opportunity to finish university and get a big job in the real world."

The mop and a pen

STFAP, UP's socialized tuition fee scheme, was already in effect then, and Mike was categorized under Bracket 9. That meant full payment of tuition fees and being ineligible for any financial assistance from the University.

Mike's father had lost his job three courses short of her graduation. Mike worked part-time to supplement her allowance and had to avail of a student loan on her last campus semester. However, looking for a faculty member to guarantee her turned out to be a daunting task (..."But those whom I approached either refused or were not eligible as guarantors").

Twenty-four hours into the last day of enrollment, Mike was hopeless and helpless on the steps of the AS lobby.

"Mang Mel... mop in hand, approached me and asked why I was crying. I told him I had no guarantor for my student loan and will probably not be able to enroll this semester. I had no hopes that he would be able to help me. After all, he was just a janitor. He borrowed my loan application papers and said softly. 'Puwede ako pumirma. Empleyado ako ng UP.' He borrowed my pen and signed his name. With his simple act of faith, Mang Mel not only saved my day, he also saved my future."

That was fifteen years ago. That summer, Mike settled her dues.

675 days less

Mang Mel is now retired from UP and, although given due recognition for his 45 years of service, his retirement pay was only credited 171 days of work. The University deducted about 675 days from his full retirement pay as a result of the unsettled loans Mang Mel guaranteed countless of students.

"This seems to me a cruel repayment for his kindness", Mike wrote. Even in retirement, Mang Mel still works odd jobs like "doing a little sideline gardening for a UP professor in Tandang Sora" to make ends meet.

Not the blues

Sometime in November 2008, Mike was told that Mang Mel recorded an album in a mall to sell to help with daily expenses.

I had availed of a student loan myself with a faculty as guarantor. I wonder, however, how many students in all of Mang Meliton's 45 years in UP actually had his signature on their loan forms, and how many students of the 675 days deducted to his retirement pay failed to settle loans due him.

In retirement, Mang Mel is creative. I personally think, though, that a CD at P350 each only goes a long way.

It seems Meliton Zamora is not asking for much. Forty-five silent years of service Mang Mel, or Milton, routinely cleaned away the floors and corridors of AS the best he could while students engaged themselves in on- and off-campus pursuits. Yet Mang Milton, with so much goodness in his heart, demanded nothing back, save perhaps for some appreciation for his voice this time around.

A cyber call to a real cause

"This is a cybercall to anyone who did not get to pay their student loans that were guaranteed by Mang Mel. Anytime would be a good time to show Mang Mel your gratitude." Could a recipient to Mang Milton's generosity be anyone I personally know besides Mike? Could anyone else be moved or be interested in listening to a silent hero, this time by purchasing Milton Zamora's CD from No. 16-A, Block 1, Pook Ricarte, U.P. Campus, Diliman, Quezon City (behind UP International House) or through his daughter Kit V. Zamora (0916-4058104)?

Kitakits, taumbayan! (update)

Meanwhile, Mike and a couple of friends from UP Rep, like Eugene, Dante and others are putting together something ~~soon~~ on Jan. 17, 2009, 7:30 pm at the new Taumbayan place on 40-A T. Gener Street on Kamuning. The evening will be dedicated to Mang Milton who will not only speak of stories but sing live to whoever might care to listen and share.

An invitation: A Night with Mang Mel at Taumbayan

My friends and I have invited Mang Meliton Zamora to a night of food, music and kuwentuhan at Taumbayan, a new tambayan that serves delicious grilled food. Mang Mel wil be selling his CD’s there. So if you want to buy a CD, meet Mang Mel, show your gratitude or pay your student loan back (don’t worry, you can pay it back discreetly and we won’t make a target out of you and will be thankful that you paid it back)…[Read full invite]

Do come.

Read Mike's full post and album list here.

Added 05 Jan 09: Map to Taumbayan

Credits

Palma Hall photo by ButchukoyD

Mang Milton's CD photo by Mike R.

A Return to the Native: Ifugao Chronicles 2

2008-11-21T21:23:00.039+08:00

I FOUND MUCH OF MY early November days organizing thoughts down to a Keynote presentation for a mixed audience scheduled for November 10-13, originally, but was cut short by one day: a workshop on newsletter writing and design in Banaue, Ifugao.

Day 1 session's first brave volunteer reading
news selection; trusty old MBP in the background.

Thrice postponed, this workshop was something that grew on me, as I intended my appearance mostly in support of my colleague's writing segment only; the design and layout component would be a postscript to that workshop, unless the participants relayed further interest in the design and layout aspect of publishing a newsletter, which meant I had to be prepared with something; I normally can give an impromptu talk on the publishing process, as I had done in some previous workshops anyhow.

A welcome banner is a nice touch.

This workshop later transformed into a tightly-planned, full-blown editorial and publications seminar because the organizers, the municipality of Asipulo, Ifugao, backed by funding from the UNFPA, intended a 3-day workshop to be participated in by 40 attendees from both the local government unit and selected high school students and their advisers.

Ready and attentive, the selected high school students
will be staff members of their school newsletter.
(Photo by Isabel Templo)

What transpired on Nov. 10-12, the final schedule, would be part of a series of workshops to the Ifugaos, the fourth held so this year in the province, by my colleague and I. What makes this different from the first three is that the activity was organized by the local government, with teachers and students formally attending alongside municipal employees.

The first of three batches from different national
high schools of Asipulo who made it to the first-day session.

This particular workshop's budget had to be reduced at some point: the intended 40 heads came down to about 33; the venue was moved from Isabela Province to Banaue, and the number of days reduced to two, from what would have been three straight seminar days. Having it in Banaue was probably the best decision the organizers made, especially since they also transferred the venue from Banaue town to a resort located in Aparanga-o, or 7 kms. north of the town center. There, I got to meet Doe, a female deer, yes, owned and tended by the resort owner himself, Andres Dunuan, a genteel and gentleman farmer who really was a former mayor of Hungduan. Mayor Andres married a softspoken Banaue lady and made their base there upon his retirement.

Andres Dunuan, former Hungduan mayor, farmer, resort owner

and articulate guide to the resort's living museum exhibit

Interacting with Ifugaos in formal and informal events is always fulfilling in the sense that not only are they warm and hospitable, they are also very polite and are eager learners who, in turn, share their lives through their stories.

No time wasted discussing an assignment during dinner break

From all workshops handled thus far, I found the majority of Ifugao youth inquisitive yet mostly quiet and go about tasks assigned to them without ado. They are keen observers who know how to enjoy themselves and be in the moment. The older ones are mostly quiet, too, preoccupied with physical work or wrapped in their thoughts, but answer queries in simple and direct terms.

Lunchtime chill outside of seminar venue, almost visibility

zero past the path going up to the highway.

We were billeted in a separate cottage because it is the only one equipped with hot shower. But the shower only warmed the water at best, and lasted only about 5 minutes when I used it. The heating device was a total no-match to the cold weather.

Grace, one of the resort's personnel, serves a full lunch;
our cottage by its lonesome in the background.

Even the Ifugaos themselves, the Asipulo attendees from the southern part of the province whom we expected to at least be acclimatized to the temperature, thought their protective wardrobe insufficient during the evenings. The teenagers, however, could still brave the 5 o'clock early morning chill as they wasted no time dipping in the icy pool water throughout their stay, a total of three chilly morning dips in one of the resort's amenities.

Veggie viand for us—fresh harvest from the resort's organic garden

When meal time came, we found out that one had better heed the invitation to dine because it did not take a minute to cool down newly cooked, steamy food in that weather.

❖

It is interesting that the municipality of Asipulo had thought of reviving their community newsletter and the public high schools as keen in continuing theirs. Many of the selected student-attendees live in mountain farmlands without electricity; I attribute their diligence to school work to the fact that their lives still do not revolve around the latest urban celebrity gossips, or mindless telenovellas that take up a big chunk of their time which they devote to house chores and accomplishing family tasks. Reading among students, therefore, as well as writing and being able to understand information correctly, is taken rather seriously. So unlike many youths of their age from other parts of the country.

The fourth batch of students with their adviser (seated behind), travelling from the farthest barangays of Asipulo, took all day to get to Banaue for the seminar and arrived at dinner time. Here, they still managed to listen to an overview of the sessions they missed. Right after this short session, however, the student in black (front) briefly lost consciousness due to exhaustion from the trip and the sudden Banaue chill. Mayor Andres (the resort owner) and their adviser were in command of the situation and the student was fine and participating actively the next day.

They are, however, not nescient of current events and things related to the 'now': they have cellphones because it is necessary for communications, they are aware of, and know the benefits of having a computer or television; they are knowledgeable of current music beats and do have a sense of fashion.

Teachers and advisers from three high schools in their own tête-à-tête

Their advisers, the female teachers whom their parents entrusted their children to, still bear the focus and dedication of many old school teachers I have come to know: attentive, intelligent and caring. I believe these kids are lucky to still not have to lose their teachers to some domestic work abroad.

The teachers were not only there as guardians to their students, but were active participants in the seminar, too, fielding their own questions, raising points and sharing their own experiences from other seminars.

After my segment on our last day, they wrote something on the board and instructed the students to sing along to an impromptu farewell song for us. A simple but very meaningful and warm gesture that helped ease the late afternoon parting of ways.

Members of the Asipulo local government Community
Relations group huddle during dinner break

Gabby, Janno, Satur and the rest of the hardworking guys (and girl) from the local government unit of Asipulo, thank you for listening, for the opportunity to meet more new friends and the chance to impart some thoughts on media and visual literacy, media appreciation and news values.

I always look forward to trips to Ifugao province and bring home with me lessons and stories from fellow Filipinos. This event is no exception.

....

Credits and links

Venue: Banaue Ethnic Village and Pine Forest Resort, Aparanga-o, Banaue, Ifugao

Organizers: Municipality of Asipulo Community Relations Office and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

All photos by krvilla/nov.08 except where otherwise noted.

look

2008-11-17T02:20:00.004+08:00

(Note to self)

Retiring old template to this new one with custom header.

(Nov 19)

Added Flickr slideshow to sidebar.

(Nov 20)

Revised header to include photo of my mug, notebook and pencil.

080808

2008-08-08T20:11:00.005+08:00

For good or bad, for better or worse, all eyes are on China now, this era of cable, cellphones and the internet.

Is the world order shifting faster at this hour then it ever did?

.....

Ironic how the event is a showcase of _Chinese_ culture, that which was almost erased from history. It certainly is putting on a show for all to see.
.....

Tomorrow's above the fold pic, everyone's office or cafe topic (no, not everyone; only those who watched):

Love the amazing harness work. Would also be interesting to know what the event's technical rider is like.

So, the Olympics opened, and at least the ceremonies ended without harm to anyone, except Brunei's opening events participation and possibly Sultan Bolkiah's face. Other than that, I think we really don't need more bad news than we've already been having. Or had, like in past olympics.

Tomorrow and each day of the event will be a different story. We'll see.

Lighting of the Olympic torch video grabs taken from the stream at justin.tv

nao

2008-08-06T12:54:00.001+08:00

the truth is, there is no f*cking rest for the weary. nao.

keep in mind the lessons of the lecture: randy pausch, 47

2008-07-26T02:07:00.020+08:00

Again, no one is too prepared. Image from NYTimes' Tara Parker-Pope, from among many late breaking news and blogs. American college students — and the rest of humankind — are lucky to have had an inspirational, persevering and empowered human being live the way he did, in their lifetime. Our lifetime.

"You might be surprised by how little time you spend doing things you love most"

.....

Wishlist: The Last Lecture book excerpt.

Related entry.

Outbound:

Wired entry.

His personal page is currently not accessible, probably due to high traffic. The cached page is here.

Cinemalaya 2008: continuing the "golden age" of Philippine Cinema

2008-07-15T11:00:00.019+08:00

Ongoing at the Cultural Center of the Philippines is the 2008 Cinemalaya Film Festival which, as we know, has recently been the source of many good films that's done the rounds, have been recognized for their excellence abroad and have made us proud.

Cinemalaya is the current flame bearer of its forebear, the much maligned Marcos-era ECP — the Experimental Cinema of the Philippines — and of the ECP's counterpart, at least in support of independent production, the MOWELFUND. In any case, all three entities produced unparalleled Filipino film classics outside of the mainstream.

From being one of the most prolific film producers in the 70s to the 90s, our local film industry's output has slumped, thanks in no part to the short-sightedness of many 80s film producers that made film after film that were short on depth but overflowing with mediocre acting and production values.

The counter-culture persisted nonetheless. Now, it seems that the indies are the heirs apparent to Jose Nepomuceno (left) 89 years later, much more reflective of the Filipinos and the so-called "national consciousness", but sadly still in search of the Filipino audience and of genuine patrons.

Screenings, conferences, retrospectives, best-of schedules, meet-and-greet sessions, world premieres, awards: they've got it covered. Jim Libiran's Tribu, Solito's Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Olivares and Pisay: the Movie, Dante Garcia's Ploning (another good friend, he), Joel Ruiz's Mansyon and Big Time, as well as Manuel Conde's classic films will be shown.

Download the full schedule here. (10 pp. PDF file. Schedules written as of July 7, 2008. May change without prior notice. Please check with the venue for day scheds. CCP Box Office: [63-2] 832-3704 and [63-2] 832-1125 loc. 1409 - 1410.)

Useful references:

Philippines THE FIRST GOLDEN AGE AND AFTER
Onlineessays.com History of Philippine Cinema
Video48's entry on Jose Zialcita Nepomuceno
Technorati's compilation of tags on Cinemalaya videos.
The National Historical Institute's (NHI) biography on Jose Nepomuceno.

And lots of others, if you keep your fingers busy on the keyboard and can spare some time to read and watch, that is.

So, see you at the movies.

le Prix de l'Avenir 2008: Tribung Pinoy

2008-07-11T15:09:00.044+08:00

A design colleague, a vice consul, and an invited director — ka-Tropas all — found themselves reunited at the ParisCinema 2008 rooting for the only Filipino feature-length film entry which was declared winner of le Prix de l'Avenir, the Youth Jury Award, at the 2008 Paris Cinema Festival in France on July 10, 2008.

Isabel Templo, Angela Ponce and Aureaus Solito, joined by Isabel's sister Margie Templo of Arkeo Films — an invited Festival workshop participant — were more than a happy tribe of Pinoys when Jun Libiran's Tribu was announced the worthy recipient of the jury prize.

Tribu, set in Tondo in the City of Manila, the 2007 winner of the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, is a digital film about the violence rapper gangs live through. Tondo is often featured in the news for incidents involving violence, and in many cases used as the example of slum life and urban poverty. It is also Jim Libiran's birthplace. Having two gangs in the film — fierce rivals in real life — enact their off-screen realities on screen is in itself an amazing tour de force.

Tribu is Jim Libiran's MA thesis at the University of the Philippines under Media Studies and Film and is his first feature-length work.

The Philippines is this year's Festival's country of honor represented by the largest number of Filipino independent cinema delegates so far.

This year, after Brazil, Korea and Lebanon, the Paris Cinema IFF will celebrate the notable and noted renewal of Philippine cinema in a special tribute. A chance to discover the new talents and the emerging creative energy of this Latin, Catholic island in the heart of Asia...

With a screening program of about 30 films and the presence of numerous guests, this event will showcase both young directors and great names of Philippines cinema.

Our entries, delegates and participants did our country proud, the international viewers have spoken; it's our turn to do our share by patronizing our own films.

Top graphic montage: krvilla08

Poster: ParisCinema 2008 official poster: http://www.pariscinema.org/

Links / References

Cinemalaya entry review, The International Herald Tribune, Nov. 1, 2007: In "Tribu", real life Filipino gangs collaborate on screen" by Carlos H. Conde

Tribu details, synopsis, filmmaker's bio and statement from the International Forum of New Cinema, 2007 in PDF format

Filmdeculte.com

Telos (78)

2008-06-17T15:04:00.026+08:00

"There are... things which a man is afraid to tell even to himself, and every decent man has a number of such things stored away in his mind." ~ Dostoyevsky, Notes from the Underground [1864]

RLV,Jr

Have given space to others who have passed on but who I do not know personally, except for beloved grandma (AFB), Sir Roger and Rene O., e.g., but today, I think it proper to give this space to RLV,Jr.

I do not know RLV,Jr intimately and the one chance of an encounter — kind of vague now — sits among other collections of childhood memories in my mind.

Having learned that after 78 years, his earthly existence has reached its end today (written "30", as they say), I wish to say:

Rest in peace. dismalgurl and I, or maybe mjb and you, will hopefully get the chance of another encounter, maybe a chat, someday.

Photo credits: Montage krvilla08| typebar and keys: Pawel Kryj and Jean-Pierre Ceppo / sxc.hu

Bagful of thanks

2008-05-15T19:04:00.081+08:00

“I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver." ~ Maya Angelou

On May 2, 2008, after composing a letter (and, eventually, editing it into a forum post), I sent out an email to a selected number of people who I felt comfortable with, I thought will not prejudge the contents and who I thought I might receive a reply or two from.

The long letter goes like this:
To cut the story short, I am here, now, posting out of gratitude. To those who replied, pledged and gave, it has been a humbling experience.

The kindness of strangers

Over at the forum, the threaded replies to my post have been heartwarming. Strangers (my fellow forum members) they are not, even if we "know" each other only by our nicknames — I have met one of the members in person, though — and our contacts have all been virtual discussions. Still, reading their posts made me feel that each one was sincere. Some, as per my request, have mailed me directly.

"Dr. Anonymous" of Philmug.ph, gracious donor, personally handed his 9 bags to Jod, our rep, in his office.

"FebruarySong" and "kate" have communicated privately.

"achtungbaby", "coolpix", "super_ed", "picoy", "penmanila", "treb22", "Macmon", "freelancer", "hungryalien", "rvaph", "tjgato", "assdoc", "rosea", and "bluegenes" have all been encouraging.

Thank you all.

What friends are for

Production colleague Marlette has prepared a couple of backpacks and a pair of shoes for pick-up. Marlette, thank you.

My cousin May's friend, GB, inquired about pretty much the same stuff as what Marlette has prepared to give. Friends of friends, friends of relatives have all been responsive.

To May and GB, Gerald, the recipients' organizer, said that they will welcome whatever is voluntarily and openly given.

The joys of family and hearth

An awesome response has been from cousin May dV, who decided to make her forthcoming birthday celebration a Bag Drive event.

Initially replying to say that she'll try her best to gather her collection of conference bags:

"yes, in fact i do have unused and slightly used conference bags. i will endeavour to look for them this weekend. and will ask my officemates if they would spare theirs, too."

she followed her letter immediately with an offer of not just helping with solicitations but making the drive a birthday event:

"hey manang,

i think i would like to help you with this as part of my birthday celeb this May 2008. kahit na sa pag-solicit lang ng mga bags for the schoolers..."

and eventually furnished me a copy of her birthday email:

"mga friendships & relatives,

as part of my birthday celebration this year, am helping out my 1st cousin with this BAG DONATION DRIVE. grateful if you can spare some of your (unused/slightly used) conference bags for the highschoolers/grade schoolers in Asipulo, Ifugao - click link to take a virtual trip to Asipulo.

in lieu of your birthday gifts to me (hehe), kindly give your bags to me on or before 18 May (my brithday) for forwarding to my cousin's group. they have moved their trip to Asipulo on an earlier date, on May 25, before the children get busy with their [school] pre-registration/registration activities.

warm regards,
MAYO"

Trust May to connect fast with her network, she being the clan's one-person text brigade operator for family matters such as get-togethers, crises and milestones. May took from her mother, my aunt, and took over her mom's role as the alternative cornerstone of family gatherings and goings-on when my aunt passed on.

May has been in the NGO circuit for more than a decade now. Her work has afforded her direct contact with grassroots-based communities and its members. Thus, when my letter landed in her inbox, the concept of sharing touched a chord common to both of us.

May sent my letter to her friends and the responses have been great. In particular, another cousin, Ate Candy, has sent out word, too, and pledged to include some school supplies pooled from her friends and office mates and, as of this post, has had them already delivered over to May's office: a whopping 26 bags, 54 pencils and some notepads! Wow! That's on top of the 9 bags we got from Dr. Anonymous, some bags from my colleague, and two more found inside my cabinet, and whatever else will be received on the 18th at May's party.

Ate Candy wrote:

Grabeh May! Sa bahay ko pa lang, me 12 na akong conference bags dun, pero most walang sling. I have 3 decent ones which would really be ok sa highschool student. Dalhin ko sa Kamuning.

Thanks, Ate Candy!

It takes a village

What more can I say beyond thank you to all who read and forwarded the email, read and replied to the forum post?

That I have so much to be grateful for, foremost of which is the validation that people in general are innately nurturing and caring. Second, that it takes a village to make things happen faster and in a bigger way no matter how simple the request.

Close friends and relatives can attest to the fact that solicitation is not one of my strengths. When I mentioned at the start of this post that I was worried about my email being prejudged, it was really more of a fear that my email might simply be ignored. No matter, as even when composing the mail, however, I was totally resigned to the fact that people will have one reason or other for not responding, and, whatever the reason, I would understand why.

On the the other hand, upon hitting the 'send' button, I felt some kind of liberation and sense of achievement at being able to finish the letter and actually sending it out and posting it to the forum. That both were received positively was a total bonus.

Liberation

The feeling of liberation is similar to how it felt like when I rode on the back of a motocross motorcycle last year on the descent from Pula to Lagawe on rough, narrow, steep and winding roads that turned 'round the mountain side. Dabert, of the Asipulo Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO), my knight on the not-so-shiny troublesome bike, was kind enough to accommodate my request for a ride back to the Lagawe lodge to retrieve our things so we can join the rest of the guests staying overnight in Asipulo at the JCAMPBELL Park last year.

I had fair warning that the only available ride to Lagawe was by a motorcycle in that late hour. It so happened that the only motorcycle available wasn't even Dabert's, and although he knew the bike wasn't in the best condition to make the dash to Lagawe and back, he tried. And the best of efforts he did, in spite of the fact that he felt my nervous grip around his waist a tad too tight for, like, the first 30 minutes' ride on the bike (he told me this later) and he read no real, physical sign of confidence and trust from me despite my putting up a gung-ho front. But that was just for the first 30 minutes or so, the equivalent of more or less 10 kms (or approximately the distance from the Quezon City Hall to the Manila City Hall): a coverage of just about a fourth of the entire one-way travel.

The circumstance was such that throughout this stretch, only about 12-15 percent of that initial 30-minute backride had roadside houses and pedestrians along the way. The rest of the trip was just Dabert and myself on the lonely, rough, winding and narrow downhill road with the mountainside to our right, and deep ravine to our left. No helmets and other protective gear for us both, just a tricky 2-wheel vehicle on the trickiest road there is.

After about 30 minutes and a lot of mental battle, I thought: Pirsig. Robert Pirsig. The essence of that Robert Pirsig moment: "Just let go. Whatever happens will happen, but trust that whatever happens, happens for a reason." I felt my grip around Dabert's waist loosening, slowly. When I finally let go and relaxed, only then did I feel the wind on my face and the empty space between my feet and the road (my legs were hanging from where I sat on the big bike the whole time).

The fact is, this post is not about me but about those who already were liberated ahead of me and have learned to trust.

After all, my colleagues and I are just a conduit to everyone's generosity in this effort.

Updates

We have so far received an assortment of bags. In particular, those from "Dr. Anonymous" were not just sling bags but big, sturdy, zippered tote bags. They'd be useful as personal carry-alls for those studying in other provinces and staying with relatives or in dorms.

Needless to say, we weren't prepared for the type of bags and the quantity received. May asked if we could share the other bags with others besides the kids.

Yes, we did think of other possible recipients in Asipulo: appropriate bags for the daycare center volunteers and health workers.

Our trip back to Asipulo is again moved ahead of original schedule because of the kids' participation in municipal and organizational activities. CLT, my colleague, will leave ahead of me on the evening of the 17th, bringing what she can.

I, on the other hand, have committed to be at my cousin May's birthday bag drive on the 18th, and will catch the last bus to Ifugao province right after the celebrations.

I will update this post with pictures when I come back.

To you all, thank you.

Updates-2

passages

2008-04-13T13:34:00.055+08:00

GJ dela Rosa

On April 8, 2008, GJ dela Rosa's fragile, physical shell gave up and succumbed to the call of angels in a hospital in Pasadena following a tragic accident, being critically hit by a car hours after he and his family arrived in America.

Like most Filipino children who dream of experiencing Disneyland in America first-hand, seeing their favorite super hero characters up-close, and sight-seeing with relatives, GJ's first USA trip came as a gift and a surprise reward from his parents for finishing 1st Grade.

GJ's case was brought to my attention by his uncle, a member of my Mac forum where he posted a thread requesting for prayers for GJ and his parents' recovery. GJ's dad was also seriously injured; his mom seems to be in a better condition to recover. Another unidentified pedestrian was also a victim.

There was ample coverage on the tragic accident at the corner of a busy Old Pasadena district, but of all the linked media coverage I read and watched, it was this local ABC News coverage that told most of the story.

I do not know GJ personally, except for the forum post and wishes of recovery and condolences as when I replied to his uncle's thread. The thread had reached nine pages in a short span of time and spawned an outpouring of sympathies and prayers. Subsequently, I discovered that the closest possible connection I have with this little boy is from a similar request for prayers and financial help when I received an email from my high school alumni YahooGroup: it seems GJ's dad and relatives are alumni of my high school.*

It is always a tragic event to lose a child because we hope for better prospects for the young. That is what forebears mould their children to be: productive, accomplished, caring. Parents give much of themselves so that their children will have a life ahead of them and carry on what they have learned and become better individuals than their forebears.

GJ, 8 years old, was cremated in America while his parents are still recovering. If you can spare something to help GJ's folks defray the cost of hospitalization and recovery, please go to GJ's World. There, you will know more about GJ's story and be able to leave words of comfort to his bereaved family.
..................
April 15 | *I recently found out that the family were old-time residents of the same street in San Juan where we used to live.

Julia

A year ago this month, on April 7, US Peace Corps volunteer Julia Campbell made a personal wish come true by spending her remaining R&R to visit the famed Rice Terraces of Banaue in Ifugao. Julia had read much about these natural wonders and allotted time and resources to personally experience the mountain phenomena.

Julia was at the peak of her active life. At 40 and an accomplished journalist, she chose to give two years of her life to helping the marginalized community members of Calamba, Laguna and Donsol, Sorsogon by becoming a volunteer teacher, solicitor of books for a local library, and ecology advocate.

Julia would have ended her 2-year tenure in the Philippines in June of 2007 and pursue further studies at the NYU in New York where she had been based prior to her appointment to the Philippines.

Julia, it seems, was not the typical American visitor. She had planned, among others, to set up a Tagalog-language group with fellow volunteers in the US, and, further, planned a return journey to the Philippines and Southeast Asia. Julia learned Tagalog in the US before coming here. She not only had a good command of Tagalog, but later learned and could converse in Bicolano as well, even learning how to prepare and cook Bicolano food, especially ginataan (food cooked in coconut milk).

Julia knew which of the Banaue terraces had the best vista and therefore took the route to Batad district. On the afternoon of her scheduled trek to Batad, she failed to contact friends and acquaintances whom she was with the night before. Not long after, she was reported missing by her Peace Corps family. After a few days, the unfortunate news of her brutal death stunned all of those who knew her and who kept vigil. It was later found out that a native guide, a non-Ifugao, had admitted to the killing. Her community members and adoptive families in Laguna and Sorsogon, US Peace Corp friends in the Philippines, and family members in the US were left to grieve for the loss of a caring and gracious loved one.

Julia's mother and friends were recently in Banaue, Ifugao to attend the second and last hearing of Julia's case. Juan Dontogan (or Duntugan) has confessed to and apologized for the crime, her case in court has ended and verdict will be out on June 30.

Julia's passing would have remained a low-key event. Like soldiers, their lives as volunteers were prepared for dangerous undertakings. However, Julia's death was a most unlikely circumstance. Ifugao, and Banaue in particular, had not had a record of crime of this nature considering the number of tourists, foreign and local, that the place receives annually. It is unfortunate that Julia's death seems to be the assonant contrapunto to the magnificent beauty of Banaue.

On June 2007, a symbolic peace offering by the Ifugao people, probably one of the most beneficent and peace-loving tribes of the Philippines — through another USPC volunteer of a younger batch, the energetic Dustin Butler — inaugurated the Julia Campbell Agroforest Memorial Park (JCAMPark) in Asipulo, Ifugao. Asipulo is historical, as is the whole of Ifugao Province. Asipulo's mountains are silent witnesses to the American and Japanese casualties of World War II. Today, the elder men and women of Asipulo still have stories to tell about the 'Million Dollar Hill', Yamashita's retreating troops and about the displaced mountain boulders scattered on the rice fields as a result of dynamite blasts.

Asipulo, where Dustin is assigned as a farming volunteer, is about 45 minutes south of Banaue, yet the distance is by no means a hindrance to the gratefulness of the Ifugao people in wishing to commemorate what Julia lived for: peace, love for others, care for the environment, and the initiative to reach out and understand one's fellow man.

The JCAMPark may yet be a fine example of an interstice between giving (of oneself) and the premature end of (the ability to give); a living offering of peace.

Grandma

Two years ago today, Grandma passed on from this physical plane to the immortal and peaceful.

That Grandma lived a full life is an understatement. She passed the century mark and outlived some of her children and almost all of her contemporaries: fellow war veterans, co-teachers and students. She lived long enough to see great-great-great grandchildren born to this world. She knew our birthdays and milestones by heart, whose child, spouse or in-law is who's, at whose house or venue an occasion was happening, and why.

Grandma was a widow throughout the post-war years, bringing up seven children, putting them to school, feeding each throughout college and still had energy and compassion to spare when the grandchildren — my generation — needed to be taken care of.

In her living years, Grandma was wife, mother, sister, teacher, guardian, grandmother, barrio head and counsel, financier, adviser and provider all in one. Her memory is unmatched, her experiences deep and vast.

Grandma was a petite woman, yet she cast a long and dominant shadow. In her 80s, she beat up a poor garden snake with her cane after it made the mistake of springing an early morning surprise on my mother out in the yard in Fairview. In as much as Grandma did not spare the snake, so too was my mother not spared from her scolding. In her 90s, she complained about her failing eyesight and requested to see an eye doctor. By her mid-90s, she was adamant at letting her grade school great-grand kids know the difference between sucrose and fructose. When I stayed with her to continue my elementary studies, she taught me the "right way" to pronounce monocotyledon and dicotyledon as had been taught her by the Thomasites, completely different from how we were taught by the local teachers.

That Grandma was old school is another understatement. I, with other female cousins (if there were any for company), were forbidden to play in the afternoons with the boys or spend leisure time simply looking out the windows. Instead, she would say, insistently: the woman's place is in the kitchen. She tolerated the naughtiness of the boys, yet provided them the shoulder to cry on when their (adult) lives seemed headed for the rocks.

Grandma was well versed with current events. She was so old-school, in fact, that she opined Monica Lewinsky was as much at fault (that's short of blaming her), and Bill Clinton too weak to resist seduction. I was told that she, like many Filipinos of her generation, cried when JFK was shot, followed man's landing on the moon on the radio, and, when finally bedridden, did not request for a cellphone — no! — but politely demanded to have one so she could reach people when she needed to, "just like the kakadwa (household help) who had nothing else better to do than text their friends in between work". Grandma, therefore, actually owned a cellphone, courtesy of a cousin, sometime before she succumbed three months short of 104.

When Grandma passed on, practically the whole province came to bid her goodbye. Relatives who have settled in all the three major Philippine islands and the Americas came to pay their last respects. The whole event was overwhelming and totally unexpected.

On the day that we walked Grandma's mortal remains for interment, the line was incredibly long, starting from were she lay in state in my uncle's barrio house west of town, to the church passing the National highway, then southward to the town cemetery where we occupied half the narrow Maharlika Highway holding up traffic both ways for minutes. My sister would not miss this occasion for the world, meeting up with the entourage that was coming out of the last rites from church after she alighted from the bus, her trip the equivalent of the red-eye straight from lighting an Earth Day event in Manila the night before.

I saw Grandma's life in the nameless faces who walked with us that day or who came to say goodbye: old women and men in black, local folks who, when she was alive, dropped by for one reason or other at her big house along the highway; relatives and descendants of her students and friends, my relatives' friends and extended family; relatives from other provinces, and countless nieces, nephews and grandchildren — my generation's grandchildren, that is. And the last of the living World War II fellow veterans of Grandma, the unknown war survivors and defenders of the State who fought alongside the Americans, passing on clandestine messages at the risk of life and limb: they draped the Philippine flag over Grandma's coffin, said a prayer in silence and gave a fitting salute. Two years ago today.

So goes the story of three lives who, in one way or other, intersected at a common platform: a young, wide-eyed boy in the land of plenty, an American volunteer in a former colony, and my Grandma, a product and disciple of the American educational system who, despite her acquired privilege of a life in America as a war vet, chose to remain in Sto. Domingo, Ilocos Sur, to serve her town mates and be our guiding light. At peace they are all now. My heart knows.

Photo credits: GJ composite: 1, 2 | Julia composite jccinnyc | Grandma composite (c) kvilla.08