Bu-lat-lat (boo-lat-lat) verb: to search, probe, investigate, inquire; to unearth facts Volume 3, Number 30 August 31 - September 6, 2003 Quezon City, Philippines |
Culture
It’s
F4 vs. Ka Amado
On
Sept. 13, friends and supporters of nationalist and literary icon Amado V.
Hernandez will celebrate his 100th birthday by holding a poetry night
featuring his works at the Folk Arts Theater in Manila. On the same day, the
famous Taiwanese boy band F4 will be having their concert in the country.
Doubtless, the latter, despite the exorbitant ticket prices, will get
more attendance and bigger media mileage than the more meaningful Hernandez
affair. BY
AUBREY SC MAKILAN Nanding
Josef, Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) vice president and artistic
director and Concerned Artists of the Philippines (CAP) president, was saddened
when only a small number of media reporters attended the press conference for
the centennial birth of national artist Amado “Ka Amado” V. Hernandez held
Aug. 29 at the Silangan Hall of the CCP. This,
Josef said, only shows what kind of orientation Philippine media has ľ
lacking in appreciation of Ka Amado, and of Philippine literature. This will
result in generations uncritical to their society, he said. But
even with the four reporters from Today, Manila Standard, Manila
Tribune and Bulatlat.com, Josef still expressed hope that Ka
Amado’s legacy will reach the big chunk of uninformed audience. Josef
added that it is a great loss for the Filipinos who did not read Ka Amado’s
works. Ka Amado's birth centenary poster designed by Boy Dominguez A night of poetryAside
from the poetry night, there will also be “roving theaters” where the shows
are free. These “roving theaters” aim to reach the lower class audience, who
were actually the subject of Ka Amado‘s literary pieces. CAP
secretary general Juli Po explained that popularizing these works entails hard
work. Big publishers do not publish
the writings of Ka Amado because these contradict their own interests, Po said. Po,
however, inspired by Ka Amado, believes that they should succeed in the struggle
to popularize outstanding works in Philippine literature including that of Ka
Amado’s. Adversities
In
the same press conference, playwright and director Bonifacio Ilagan shared the
surveillance and harassment the production cast experienced. On
Aug. 1, Ilagan was on his way home from a rehearsal at the National Council of
Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) when he noticed that a taxi that has no other
passenger than the driver was following him. Again on Aug. 22 in Pasay, he
noticed two men following him. He played hide-and-seek with them until they lost
track of him. The
next day, the chairperson of the cultural group Sinagbayan was harassed by an
unidentified man. He was asked what his group was doing at the NCCP. Meanwhile,
a member of the Solidarity of the Cavite Workers was charged with carnapping and
detained by the local police. The group helps in the production of Ka Amado’s
plays in the province. The workers give up two to three days of work weekly to
rehearse, even if it means salary deduction. Jimmy,
one of the Cavite workers who will perform in the province’s production,
stressed that it will be an eye-opener not only for the workers, but to the
residents as well, on the rampant harassments that occur primarily in the
province. Ilagan
fears that these incidents will restrict them not only from performing the plays
but also from enjoying their right to free speech. Despite lack of
funds
Despite
the limited funds, Jennifer Padilla, executive director of the Amado V.
Hernandez Resource Center (AVHRC), is proud of the high-powered cast of readers
for the commemorative activity on Sept. 13. They
include veteran actors Ronnie Lazaro, Roy Alvarez, Josef, the folk group Asin,
the Andres Bonifacio choir and musician Jerry Dadap, and the Pinoy rock-band
Pan. The
poetry night also features Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo and urban poor leader
Carmen “Mameng” Deunida. Ilagan
stressed that cast members who actually belong to the lower class play the most
effective part since the roles they perform are the same ones they do in real
life. Moreover,
Ilagan asserted that the plays are not only historical but are about actual
political, economic and cultural issues that remain relevant today. In
finding resources, Ilagan said, he, with other organizers, pleaded for help from
the first lady of Manila. Although Mrs. Atienza (the mayor’s wife)
expressed her interest in the beginning, they did not get any support from her. Ilagan
lamented that the Cultural Affairs Office of Manila preferred to prioritize the
beauty pageant in Chinatown. Padilla,
however, thanked CCP, National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA), CAP,
Manila Cultural and Tourism Office, and Sinagbayan for their support. RecognitionCongressman
Ocampo, who also attended the media affair, also discussed the Bayan Muna-sponsored
House Resolution that expresses recognition for Ka Amado’s outstanding legacy
and lifework as a national artist and as an “internationally-reknowned giant
of the Philippine Letters.” The resolution also seeks to call the attention of
government agencies and state universities and schools to “mark his centenary
by propagating his outstanding literary works through multifarious prominent
cultural activities and productions across the country.” The Party-list representative said the resolution will be followed through by a proposed bill making Sept. 13 as Amado V. Hernandez Day. Bulatlat.com We want to know what you think of this article.
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