Category Archive for: ibang boses

komentaryo

going to the dogs

two weeks since the discussion that had most everyone ganging up on UST and Lito Zulueta and siding with Marites Danguilan Vitug ang rappler.com, where is the discourse on media (online and otherwise) at this point? rappler has quietly revealed itself to be about helping out government instead of being a critical voice that at the very least asks: how much was paid BBDO for this campaign and is it worth it? i guess no questions like that for “uncompromised journalism” now tagging itself as “citizen journalism.”

and i guess it’s not surprising. if there’s anything the lynch mob that was the middle class / educated online world revealed then, it was that a love affair exists among those who are holding the fort of “new media” | “online media” — self-proclaimed and otherwise. if anything i am reminded that in media, as with the literary world, and maybe every aspect of this Pinoy culture, what keeps the status quo are friendships: ones that run deep, ones that are unquestioned from within. the question for Ressa and Teodoro really is whether or not they could have at any point disagreed with Vitug on this and any story? the question for all of us who blindly want to be invited into the bubble of middle class media and sort-of-NGO work is how many questions will we then fail to ask?

(more…)

kultura

on Asiong Salonga, from one of the few Tunay na Lalakes i love

while i try and wrap my head around the mere existence of this movie, here’s a male voice i trust and love because it is consistent and self-conscious and always intelligent, even as it is Pinoy male macho.

Ang tunay na lalake ay walang abs (At iba pang komento sa pelikulang Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story) ni Yol Jamendang

Eto ang lagay – matagal na, matagal na matagal na akong hindi nakakakita ng trailer ng pelikulang Pilipino na may barilan, may tino-torture, at umuulan pero walang nag-iiyakan. Ang huli kong napanood na Pinoy action film sa sinehan mismo e yung Anak ng Kumander na starring, directed by, co-written by, theme song performed by at produced by Manny Pacquiao. Ang masasabi ko lang ay…magaling, napakagaling na boksingero ni Pacquiao. Yun lang. Di rin ako makarelate sa lalake sa mga recent na pelikulang Pinoy – lalakeng pinag-aagawan nina Christine Reyes at Anne Curtis dahil ang guwapo niya lang, o lalakeng kabisote na nakaengkanto ng babaeng nasa kalahati ng kanyang edad, o kaya lalakeng nagkaka-amnesia sa isang pelikulang pinamagatang My Amnesia Girl.

Idagdag pa na sina Ely Buendia at Gloc9 ang gumawa ng theme song ng Asiong, tapos may awayan portion pa tungkol sa director’s cut at producer’s cut at may A rating mula sa Cinema Ratings Board – e di game, tara, panoorin natin ang Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story.

Busy ka ba? Kung oo, sasabihin ko na lang sa yo na panget ang Asiong, pero pangako, magugustuhan mo siya. Kung hindi ka busy, upo ka muna. Ipapaliwanag ko sa yo kung bakit.

Maganda ang timing ng Asiong. Entry siya sa Metro Manila Film Festival, tapos ang mga kasabayan niya e same old same old – UnliShake Rattle and Roll, pelikulang may Kris Aquino at salitang “Mano” sa pamagat, pelikulang may Juday at Ryan Agoncillo, Panday of the Titans, pelikulang may “Enteng” at “Ina Mo” sa pamagat, at kung anu-ano pang shit. Tapos, isipin mo yung mga nagdaang lima, sampung taon. May naaalala ka bang Pinoy action film? May naaalala ka bang pelikulang Pinoy na trailer pa lang e alam mo nang panlalake siya?

Panlalakeng pelikula. Huwag na nating pag-usapan ang pene films nung 70s at ang titilating films gaya ng Talong, Anakan mo Ako at Tag-ulan Noon, Ang Bukid ay Basa. Wag ganun, baka masabihan pa tayong sexist. Isipin mo na lang si Derek Ramsey.

Oo, isipin mo si Derek Ramsey. Nasa tabing dagat siya, tinatanaw si Angelica Panganiban. Tapos tututok kay Derek yung camera, lalapit, malapit na malapit, parang hinihimas ang kanyang balikat, dibdib, abs. Hindi ka sigurado pero parang may nakita kang bumabakat sa suot niyang short.

O isipin mo si Gerald Anderson. Kausap niya si Sarah Geronimo. Sabi ni Sarah, bakit ka ganyan makatingin? Tapos sasabihin ni Gerald, ang ganda mo kasi e. Tapos ngingiti siya, parang biglang nag-slow mo ang camera, tapos tatambling sa kilig si Sarah Geronimo.

Hindi ganyan ang panlalakeng pelikula. Yang mga ganyang pelikula ay yung tipo ng pelikulang napanood mo kasi monthsary niyo ng girlfriend mo at gusto niyang manood ng sine tapos pumayag kang yun na lang ang panoorin kasi mahal mo siya and all that shit. Tapos after a few months, maghihiwalay kayo kasi nagalit siya dahil ayaw mong gamiting profile pic sa Facebook yung picture niyong dalawa na magkayakap nung minsang nagpunta kayo sa Enchanted Kingdom.

Ano na nga bang pinag-uusapan natin?

Sa Asiong, walang Derek Ramsey. Yung mga main characters, malaki ang tiyan. Pati nga si Carla Abellana, malaki ang tiyan dahil buntis. Alam mo na nilagay yung mga artistang yun sa Asiong hindi dahil sa kanilang good looks kundi dahil sa kanilang personality. Dahil dun, pag sinabi mo sa mga kaibigan mo na “Maganda ang Asiong!”, meron kang credibility, di tulad ng mga nagsasabing “Maganda ang Twilight kasi ang guwapo ni Edward Cullen! Like niyo to if you agree!”. Tanginang yan.

Totoo rin yung sinasabi ng ibang reviewers na ang gulo ng kuwento ng Asiong, na parang tumira ng katol yung nag-edit, ganun. Pero okey lang yun. Nagpunta ka sa sinehan para magtext, dumukot sa malalim na lalagyan ng popcorn, lumingon sa magsyotang naghahalikan, magdikit ng bubble gum sa upuan at tumingin sa screen paminsan-minsan kapag lumalakas ang volume kasi may nagbabarilan. Hindi ka nagsine para mabago ang buhay mo. Walang graded recitation pagkatapos ng pelikula. Gusto mo lang maging ikaw at alam mong hindi ikaw si Gerald Anderson at si Coco Martin.

Kaya okey lang kahit sa simula ng pelikula sinuntok ni Roi Vinzon nang 48 times sa mukha si Jorge Ejercito (Asiong) tapos sa susunod na eksena listong-listo na siya at isinama ang tropa para rumesbak. Okey lang na kahit tirador at kutsilyo ang ipinantutok nila bago magsimula ang laban, naratrat ng bala ang mga kalaban nung pumalag sila. Wala tayong problema kahit na nung magkatutukan ng baril, walang hawak na baril yung isang tambay at kamao niya ang ipinantutok niya. Yaan mo na kung bakit hindi pa rin nakakalabas ng Bilibid si Jay Manalo kahit tropa niya lahat ng pulis. Pakelam ba natin kung bakit lumusob sa libing sina Totoy Golem tapos handa sa barilan ang buong pamilya tapos biglang may nakikipagbarilan habang nagbibisekleta.

Magandang panoorin ang Asiong sa sinehan kase maraming nanonood na tunay na lalake. Yun bang nakacargo pants at itim na t-shirt tapos maya’t maya sumisigaw ng “Asioooong!”. Tapos pag may tumunog na cellphone sisigawan nila ng “Pakisagot naman yung telepono o. Busy ako e.” Kapag sinabi ni Asiong na “Simple lang naman ang buhay mo, Fidela e. Alagaan mo ang anak natin, magpaganda ka pa lalo, lagi kang maging malambing…at hintayin mo akong umuwi,” papalakpak sila, tapos papalakpak ka rin, magpapalakpakan kayong lahat, tapos magmamadali kayong umuwi dahil kailangan niyo pang magsaing.

Maraming eksenang beri gud sa Asiong. Kung magaling lang umarte si Jorge at hindi timang yung pagka-edit, pang-first honor yung pelikula e. Halimbawa, ang gandang tingnan ng mga namamatay kapag may aksiyon. Di kagaya ng ibang Pinoy action films na muntanga lang yung mga nababaril (usually nasa mataas na lugar, mangingisay, tapos mahuhulog). Pinakagusto kong namatay yung driver ng kalesa. Bale ang nangyayari, binabaril nina Totoy Golem yung dati nilang tropa na kaaway na nila ngayon. Nakatago siya sa likod nung driver ng kalesa, tapos dahil kontrabida sina Totoy Golem, bumaril pa rin sila kahit may inosenteng matatamaan. E di nasapul yung driver ng kalesa. Tapos ang ganda niyang mamatay. Lumiyad siya nang nakapikit, parang nilalabasan, saka siya humandusay. Tangina, ganun mamatay, mehn. Kung may gagawa ng bagong pelikula tungkol kay Rizal, siya dapat ang kuning artista para maganda yung death scene.

Marami ring magaling umarte. Bilib na bilib ako kay Carla Abellana kasi nahalikan niya nang 48 times si Jorge Ejercito. Kalokohan kapag hindi siya nanalong Best Actress dahil dun. Solid ang supporting cast – as usual magaling si Baron Geisler as himself, mukha talagang kontrabidang masarap pagbabarilin si Jon Regala, at utang na loob naman, gawin niyo nang bida si Ronnie Lazaro. Ang galing-galing nung tao lagi na lang siyang supporting actor sa mga pelikula.

Ang bad news e R13 yung pelikula kaya hindi ka titigasan sa mga love scene. Namputsa naman, mga direktor ng sex scene sa pelikulang Pinoy, andaming nagkalat na sex scandal, panoorin niyo naman para matuto kayo kung paano bumuhay ng hibo ng kalupaan. O kaya hingi kayo ng tips kay Hayden.

Okey na siguro to. Kung di mo pa napapanood, panoorin mo na ang Asiong. “Trak trak na bigas pa ang kakainin” ng Pinoy action film, pero mabuti naman at buhay pa pala siya. Welcome back pare, long time no see.

-lil z

komentaryo

and just like that…

By Joel Santiago

I practically exhorted my Mom into writing in fairness to the president. “This is a show of force, a fierce display of political will,” I said. This is how he’ll get things done in Philippines politics — with change happening so fast it’ll make the trapos’ heads spin. And isn’t this how you’d want it? The only possible way it can happen? The only way to dig out of our entrenchment in the status quo? (Yeah, I was on something of a roll.)

And just like that — the party, the defensive sisters, deleted tweets — he shows you why he doesn’t deserve the benefit of the doubt. That, on top of flatfooted government response so sorely in need of leadership and, you know, something that gives the impression of actual conviction — never mind love for countryman.

Sure, partying with the “troops” is just good management. And inviting their families a nice touch. But these guys would have been the first to understand if he couldn’t make it. And if they didn’t, it was his job to make these civil servants understand. That’s just better management.

A large part of my defense of his show of force was that the nay-sayers were mistaken and unfair, short-sighted and clouded by political bias. But there’s no denying the impression this gives, of an uncaring, unfocused president-who-can’t-prioritize, especially to the victims for whom this is no mere impression, but something — someone — they have to live with.

kultura

the writing responsibility

because i’ve been thinking about, which is to say struggling with, writing and self-centeredness, this can only be serendipitous: a piece on poetry, but which is really about writing, from mabi david:

To write is to come to an awareness, says Carolyn Forché, which I believe wholeheartedly. I write because it is the way available to me of thinking about the world, of apprehending experience.

Thus is the self implicated in the poem. We must write with vigorous self-reflection and be accountable for every word we put on the page.

When we glorify what we write, harboring illusions of distinction or consequence, we sacrifice self-awareness for ego, and what we write is at once boring, narcissistic, and annoying. At its very least.

At its worst, we fail at our responsibility as writers to consider ourselves limited and fallible, which pushes us to be more rigorous in our analysis. We fail at our task to keep scrutinizing and interrogating all stable sets of beliefs—ours and society’s—no matter how difficult the task or how unpleasant in the service of potentiallyarriving at the Truth.

When we feel so assured of the power and respectability of what we write, what beliefs and attitudes do we preserve and what do we foreclose? Thinking our beliefs more vital and virtuous than those of others who do not share our views, how do we begin to regard differences?

To approach our task as writers with a totalizing, aggressive belief about its capacities, we border possibly on self-aggrandizement and see differences as threats.

We enter a room and light a candle. Someone we don’t know walks in to light another and how is it we think this additional fire diminishes the light in the entire room?

click here for the rest of this short but/and/therefore brilliant piece by mabi.

kultura

Cherie Gil, world class

<…> as with many women, Callas also just wanted love. And this apparently, was her failing. Seeing her teach this master class though, is a testament as well to her spirit. She was stereotype, yes, she was diva, as expected. But too, she’s a woman who knows not to rest on her laurels, and instead actually wants to share it. That soft spot is what’s startlingly overwhelming about her persona.

Cherie portrays Marie

One realizes two things in watching Master Class. First, that the struggles of woman, image and otherwise, public figure or private, are the same in many ways, and that as you empathize with Callas’ story, you realize how sisterhood lives, beyond death, across races, despite differences. Second, that you do not know a world class Filipino performance until you watch Cherie Gil do this play.

read all of it here!