Culture Shop: A cheapskate fashionista's guide to shopping in Bangkok
It is mind-blowing and yet strangely fitting that the words “bang” and “buck” (or in this case, “bak) could easily pass off as lexigrams* of the name Bangkok. This certainly vindicates the practitioners of the psychic wordplay as “bang for your buck” aptly describes the whole Bangkok experience. That is… if you have the cheapskate spirit.
Shop at every stop
This river city takes shopping to a whole new playing field with stores, malls, department stores, bazaars, and markets at every street corner. This is one place where even the most hopeless of shopaholics would flatline in impulse-buying overload.
Chatuchak, its most famous shopping destination, in itself has an area that is even bigger than the whole of Intramuros and much, much bigger than the night market in Suan Lum. It is, thus, not at all strange that no one, who has ever gone through its labyrinth of about 5000 stalls, has managed to finish it in one go. Yet despite the apparent chaos, more than 150,000 people brave the market each day.
Chatuchak is a merry mix of fashion items, books, antiques and home furnishing, plants, food, handicrafts, artworks and ceramics at dirt cheap prices compared to malls and department stores. Many people attest that prices in Chatuchak are the best in Thailand. Never leave the market without going to the section dedicated to young Thai designers who want to showcase their work. Standouts are Cupcake Design, Bambino, Pang Leather, Apil Chic, and Teen Uthai Custom knives.
Tourists will find anything and everything in Chatuchak except maybe… their way. With a crazy maze-like layout and stalls teeming with shoppers, getting lost is a guarantee. Although the map at the information center in Gate 1 helps, navigating the crisscrossing aisles is confusing, frustrating and did I mention, hot?
Bangkok’s version of “Divisoria” and “168” is probably Bobe and Platinum Mall. The Bobe wholesale street market that biyaheras swear by is a long stretch of cheap finds that are not necessarily cheap-looking. Unlike Chatuchak, it is open everyday from morning until late at night. Those who want cheap prices at mall (read: air-conditioned) convenience can go to Platinum Mall and the other two malls near the area. This is, purportedly, the go-to mall of Bangkok’s fashionista set. Suan Lum, the popular night market is also a must-see although most items sold there can already be found in Chatuchak. From the price perspective, it is best to go to Chatuchak, Platinum and Bobe to check the base price before heading off to the other shopping spots.
Fresh Blood
Malls like Gaysorn, Paragon and Siam Discovery, all conveniently located in Siam Square, offer a less chaotic shopping experience. The atmosphere is upscale and yet, not intimidating. Shopping is leisurely done, even static as if the quality of the product can speak for itself and yet, the air is also surprisingly, quite young. Think Greenbelt and Glorietta where designer boutiques, high-street brands and the local retail giants play house with the young professionals and urbanites.
Boutiques of Bangkok’s up and coming brands may be the attraction. FlyNow, for one, impresses right from its window display to the smallest neckpiece in its display case inside. Window dressing is kick ass. Designs are the right combo of rocker chic and boho. There are some unique, bordering on the odd, cuts that strangely work, even complementing the figure, when worn. Other local brands worth checking out are Lofty Bamboo in MBK; Senada Theory and Kloset in Gaysorn; EQ:IQ, Baking Soda, and 5 CM in Siam Discovery; and Jaspal in Paragon. At the outskirts of the Siam Center, there are a host of local boutiques and specialty shops that cater to the younger and hipper clientele. This area has earned for Siam Square an artsy reputation, much like the SoHo of New York.
Tricks of the “Train”
What is great (or worse depending on who's paying) about the markets and malls in Bangkok is their proximity to public transportation. All are within walking distances from the sky train (BTS) or the subway. Although fare is not exactly cheap, ranging from about 40 to 60 baht per ride— about P80 to P120— it is already a bargain if you factor in Bangkok’s traffic problem. A definite money saver if you are planning to tour the city on foot is BTS’s ride-all-you-can card, which is just 120 baht (P240) for one day. And get this, the train closes at 12 midnight, so you can even take it when shopping at the night markets. So plan your trips wisely.
Naturally, it is preferable to stay in a hotel that is close to the skytrains as opposed to mall proximity. While being near a mall is convenient, check the access first because you may have to actually go through the mall from the train or subway. This is not anymore convenient when getting back late at night. Shangri-La Hotel Bangkok easily comes to mind as most convenient since the hotel is just several steps away from the Saphan Taksin station and the pier. This gives tourists greater mobility even when sightseeing since a lot of the great sights in Bangkok can be seen (and accessed) from the Chao Phraya river. There are also cruises like the Shangri-La Horizon, which take tourists groups to the sights.
Money… Matters!
Maybe it’s the math but most tourists wouldn’t delve in the business of forex beyond the actual exchange of currency. But those looking for great bargains should brush up their conversion skills because currency can make a difference between cheap and expensive in Bangkok. Without going through a long diatribe of equations and numbers, the long and short of it is this: Between Philippine Peso and US Dollar, exchange the dollar. Just this October, peso was valued at 0.5 baht while a dollar’s value was 30 baht. That puts the peso-dollar exchange of P43 to just 21.50 baht. If there is no service tax, it might even be better if you convert peso to dollar and then have it converted to baht in Bangkok. This, of course, is not permanent advice. Exchange rates are erratic so the best thing to do is be aware and work those calculators!
Use cash sparingly if you can. When shopping abroad, credit cards are best because bank rates are generally better and more stable, plus you get points for using the card. Be careful though with hidden charges and service fees especially when withdrawing money from ATMs abroad. Clarify with the bank on their out-of-the-country purchase policies. Or better yet, go for credit cards with features meant for travelers. The Allied Bank Mabuhay Miles World MasterCard, for instance, gives separate peso and dollar billings, allowing their clients to pay in either currency plus a 1 mile/P33 mile conversion in Philippine Airlines (PAL). That’s on top of the doubled points earned when the card is used to purchase PAL tickets.
Here's another cheapskate secret in Bangkok: tourist discount cards. Tourists can get their cards when they present their passports in booths in malls like Siam Paragon, Emporium, Zen, Robinsons and MBK, where the card is honored. The card entitles tourists to a 5% discount. There is also a 7% refund with stores that have the “VAT Refund for Tourists” signage.
Nirvana for the cheapskate
Bangkok may be a haven for the spendaholics of the world but it is nirvana to the cheapskate. The “best bang for your buck”— endless selection, shopping convenience, excellent workmanship and reasonable prices— is the least that one can expect from the city that may have spawned the term “biyaheras.” For any cheapskate, that is just orgasmic!
For more information on Allied Bank Mabuhay Miles Mastercard, call 818-9-818 or log on to www.mabuhaymilesmastercard.com. For bookings in Shangri-La Hotel Bangkok and flight schedules to Bangkok, log on to kbsbookingonline.com or kbsthailand.com.
What you need to know when shopping in Chatuchak
1. Shopkeepers are more inclined to give the lowest price early in the morning. It opens on Saturday and Sunday at 7 AM.
2. Wear comfy clothes and shoes.
3. Start haggling at 50% of the price.
4. Hongnam is Thai for comfort room! Memorize the word. You’ll need it.
5. Maps are available in the information office in Gate 1. Or better yet, buy the Nancy Chandler Maps. She color-coded and illustrated the whole market.
Labels: Bangkok, Bazaar, budget buying, budget shopping, Chatuchak, cheapskate, commuting, fashionista, Paragon Mall, Thailand, Tiangge
A Taste of Royalty
Bangkok is one city that can make gluttons of everyone.
While it is not popularly known to be an art and architecture capital like the great cities of Europe, its stunning architecture, grand palaces, exotic temples, and scrumptious street fares are opiates to the senses. Every square inch of Bangkok gorges the mind, drawing people in to take a closer look and leaving them wanting more. There are just too many sites to visit, a whole lot of shopping to do, and a great many exotic street foods to forage on that a three-day trip would not even begin to cover half of what Bangkok has to offer, unless you plan to follow a hop-in-hop-off itinerary a la Amazing Race.
By the River of Kings
A perfect solution for the “fly-by-tonight” tourists is a cruise along Chao Phraya, which literally means the "River of Kings.” Sailing through all piers, the river trip is the perfect side sampler to an all-city tour of Bangkok. From the boat, tourists can enjoy the sites and take pictures. One can even sample some of Thailand’s specialty dishes onboard or have a fill of its famed street foods.
Morning trips stop by each pier, giving tourists the chance to explore a number of historical and renowned sites by the river in record time. Most river cruises already have packaged lunch and a fixed itinerary but those wanting to travel to all the piers at their own pace can hire long-tailed boats for the day. Some boatmen can even serve as a personal tourist guide. The trick here is to have a well-planned itinerary. Hotel staff can help you with this as there are free maps available to tourists.
Most Bangkok landmarks are also accessible by taxis or tuktuks if tourists want to go farther into the city. For this, tourists should take the local express boats, which run on a precise schedule like a bus line. This is especially true for those who just want to stop at one or two piers. Fare ranges from 10 to 34 baht. This gives tourists great savings considering the cost of taxi fares in the city, not to mention the traffic. There are also romantic dinner cruises that provide a sumptuous feast juxtaposed with equally sumptuous eye candies.
Sights Sampler
Chao Phraya at night is a must-see with city lights showing off Bangkok’s many landmarks to their detailed glory. Temple of the Dawn is especially stunning at night as it glows against the black velvetine skyline. Its seemingly endless tiers are like golden steps that touch heaven, making it one of Thailand’s greatest cultural heritage.
Another majestic site that can be seen from the river is the Grand Palace. Towering over Chao Phraya, the royal grounds are formerly home to the royal family until King Rama VIII’s mysterious death inside the complex. His successor and the current King, Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), moved to Chitralada Palace. The Palace is only used now for ceremonial events.
Fortunately for tourists, the Palace’s yaksha-guarded gate is open to the public. Those thinking to only see its sweeping verdant gardens and plush exteriors are in for a greater treat as the Palace interiors, including the Chakri Throne Hall and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha are open for viewing. The Chakri Throne Hall is where the Kings of Thailand receive foreign envoys and hold banquets for foreign monarchs. The hall’s centerpiece is the Coronation Throne, which sits on a marbled dais at the center flanked by white canopies and statues. This marvelous piece of historical art is still being used in royal weddings and coronations.
Though built for function, Bangkok’s bridges are in themselves works of art. The Rama VIII Memorial Bridge, for instance, is like a steel sculpture caught in mid-air tableau. Clean golden lines jut out from a central post, creating an interesting linear pattern that is awe-inspiring.
Thailand temples may number in the thousands, about 30,000, but each holds a different piece of Thai history and culture inside and gives off an old-world charm that is distinctly unique. Wat Kalayanamit, for instance, houses the biggest bronze bell in Thailand. It is here that tourists will find a very old stone pagoda from China. Wat Rakhang, on the other hand, is where tourists will find the former home of King Rama I before he was crowned. Lacquer and gilt cabinets adorn it and the walls have life-like murals of scenes from the country’s national epic, Ramakien. There are also two Catholic Churches built by the Portuguese that can be seen from the river, Santa Cruz Church and Holy Rosary Church.
Tour Degustation
Worth trying out is Shangri-La Bangkok’s Horizon Cruise, which combines a leisurely trip through the river with a lunch/dinner buffet that serves Thailand’s statement dishes. Here, the international chain takes its famed luxurious brand to the river with al fresco dining against the most memorable sights in Bangkok. There is no scrimping or dieting onboard as plates and plates of fresh giant prawns, mussels, oysters, and crabs await guests. Starters consist of slices of salmon, squid, tuna, and a variety of cold cuts. There is also the Spicy Grass Noodle Salad with Seafood and the sushi.
For the entrees, the “Pan-fried Red Snapper on Creamed Leeks with Red Wine Sauce” gets five stars. Fried just right, the fish is tender and juicy, letting off the creamy and intoxicating taste of the wine with every bite. “Gaeng Ka-ree Gai” (yellow curry with chicken) is another definite standout in the buffet line. Creamy-delicious, this traditional Thai dish titillates the taste buds with a barrage of tastes: sweet, peppery, spicy, and milky.
Lovers of spicy dishes would find nirvana in “Gaeng Kiew Waan Jae” (Green curry with vegetable and beancurd). The bitterness of the veggies and blandness of the beancurd blends well with spicy-sweet tang of the curry. Its only letdown is perhaps the lack of meat, although vegetarians in the cruise would have probably rejoiced. Another hit in the buffet lines is the Tom Yum. The classic Thai soup didn’t disappoint with overflowing ingredients and a spicy-sour taste.
Of course, a tour of gluttony would not be complete without sinful chocolate desserts, pastries, and homemade ice creams. The Horizon has a variety laid out but a definite standout is the Khanom Sa-rim (soya bean threads in chilled coconut milk) and their homemade coconut ice cream.
Sights, sounds, food, and fanfare, a cruise along the River of Kings is a tour fit for royalty. And while gluttony may be a mortal sin, surely traveling to an exotic country like Bangkok deserves some exemptions. After all, it is not every day that people can play Kings for a day.
Horizon Cruise is run by Shangri-La Bangkok. For reservations, check with your local tour operator or book online at www.shangri-la.com/Bangkok.
Labels: Bangkok, Chao Phraya, cruise, Grand Palace, King Rama VIII Bridge, Shangri-La Bangkok, Sta Cruz Church, temple of the dawn, Thailand, vacation
Heal-Bound
One mom finds life after HIV
Text by Amyline Quien Ching
Photo by Pinggot Zulueta
(Her story is truly inspiring. Here is someone who managed to turn a 'disability' into something that can make a difference in other people's lives.)If Corazon* expected to hear “I love you” on her husband’s deathbed, she would have waited in vain. What she got from him was a different set of words, one that changed her life for(n)ever: “May AIDS ako!”
Whispered mere minutes before he flatlined, her initial shock and rage drowned in the scuffle of medical doctors in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). She wanted so much to lash out right there, to cry and beg him to take his words back.
He never did. And after his cremation, two pieces of paper made it evident that he never would. One was a lab exam result that told her she was positive for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV+). HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a virus that can lead to AIDS. It suppresses the immune system and infects the blood vessels and the nervous system. The other was a letter detailing the secret that her husband kept for six years, including the events that led to his illness.
Despite having four kids all dependent on her, she wanted to die that day. People may not understand but death, was for her at that time, the closest she can get to even making it through the ordeal in one piece.
“Gustuhin ko mang magalit, wala na akong ilalabas. Wala na rin namang oras. At saka sa sobrang sakit, hindi mo na kaya na may maramdaman pa. Gusto mo na lang matapos na para hindi mo na pagdaanan… o matulog, baka sakali na bangungot lang.”
Nagging feelings
An OFW, Corazon’s* husband got sick while doing mission work in South Africa. It was when he renewed his contract and took lab tests that he found out he was HIV+ . He told no one. Even when he got so sick, he did not let on. He even went to albularyos in far-flung cities and provinces as if he had not quite accepted yet his condition.
“Naubos ang pera namin nun dahil sa pagpapagamot at pagpapaospital niya. Wala naman kasing pagkakaiba ang symptoms ng HIV sa mga usual na sakit. Pag may HIV kasi, mas madali kang kapitan ng sakit. Sinisira niya yung immune system. So ang mga sakit mo, trangkaso, pneumonia, hepa, palagnat-lagnat lang, rashes. Kung wala kang alam tungkol sa HIV, hindi mo maiisip na yun ang sakit. Kahit nga yung mga doctor na tumingin sa kanya, hindi nakita,” she explains.
On hindsight, she recalled situations that nagged at her, inconsistencies that should have pushed her internal alarm system. A former pastor, her husband didn’t have any vice. When he came back, he started drinking. His usual cheerful self became dark and moody. Although he remained kind and gentle with the kids, he underwent a massive character shift.
Another telling point was when he asked Corazon* to immediately stop breastfeeding their bunsoy, Mario*. He reasoned that it might ruin her figure but now, she knew that it was because of the possibility that she might infect the baby.
But as much as she wanted to get mad, being in the same shoes made her realize that divulging was not as easy as it seems. Hers was just a secondary infection but it took her years before she had the nerve to tell her kids. What more her husband, who along with the disease, also had to own up to an indiscretion?
“Hindi ko siya masisisi. Sa iba ko ngang mga anak, yung counselor pa yung nagdivulge. Natakot din kasi ako dahil iba yung naging effect sa panganay ko.”
Thinking that her oldest is mature enough, she told him about his father’s death and her condition. But instead of inspiring him to work harder, he rebelled and started flunking in class. He even got mad at her and for a long time, she thought he would never be able to accept her. It was then that she realized, not all people can handle the truth and that sharing a secret as devastating as that was could have repercussions.
“Hindi lahat ng tao kayang dalhin yung katotohanan. Yung pag-divulge, hindi ganun kasimple. Dapat may counseling, may seminar. Dapat alam na nila kung ano yung sakit at ano ang ma-eexpect nila. Dun sa mga sumunod, okay naman yung naging resulta. Yung huli kong pinagsabihan, yung bunso, lalong nagsipag simula ng malaman niya.”
Hard work is something that she always reminds her kids to do. She knows that she is breathing on borrowed time and the only thing that she can leave them with are, their education and the lessons in life that they learned from her struggles. Right now, she is working on securing for them college scholarships.
“Madaming nagbago mula ng magkasakit si Daddy. Dati nakakalabas kami at nakakabili ng mga bagong damit pero ngayon hindi na. Nung simula ang hirap talaga tanggapin. Si mama parang sirang plaka yan, paulit-ulit. Magaral daw kami at magsipag. Kahit minsan nakukulitan na kami, alam naman namin na tama siya. Pag nawala siya, sarili na lang namin ang pwede naming asahan. Walang iba,” says one of her girls, Elisa*
Food for her soul
HIV kills. You only need to read the statistics and the remaining millions, all quaking in fear to know that fact. But as Corazon* realized through her experience, HIV is a virus that can only bury your body but not your spirit. In the end, HIV even saved her life.
“Hindi ko sasabihin na hindi ako nahihirapan. Ang plastic ko naman. Ngayong taon, nararamdaman ko na yung mga sakit. Nandun yung takot na anytime mamamatay ka na. Nandun yung pandidirihan ka ng mga tao. Hindi ka tatangapin sa trabaho dahil may HIV ka. Siyempre, iniisip ko yung mga anak ko. Kung paano sila pag nawala na ako. Pero pag iniisip ko yung mga natutulungan ko araw-araw, yung mga pasyente na napapagaan ko ang loob at yung mga nagawa ko para sa mga anak ko, nawawala yung takot at yung hirap. Kung ikaw ba naman yung sabihan na kung hindi dahil sa iyo, patay na sila, hindi din ba gagaan yung loob mo? Ngayon mas gusto mong mabuhay kasi maraming may gusto na mabuhay ka.”
A few years after she was diagnosed, Corazon* joined Pinoy Plus, an association of HIV+ patients who take care of other HIV+s. It was there that she found friends and a purpose. It was there that she started to live again.
She started with hospital rounds and basically took care of them, from feeding to changing their lampins. Now, she tours the country and spreads information through seminars in hospitals and schools. Her speaking engagements and volunteer work provide food for the table and her flagging spirit as well.
“Maliit lang ang kita. Minsan nga kapos pa. Pero yung pagtulong kasi, di mo matatawaran e pati yung knowledge na marami kang nadamayan, natulungan. Ako kasi yung nanay ng mga positive e,” she relates.
Different kind of mom
Playing mom to HIV+ patients is a role that she may have reluctantly took on but now a vocation that she learned to love. Perhaps it was because it reminded her of her own ordeals, the first few years. She saw herself in their eyes, lost, depressed, and without hope. There were times back then when she wanted to give up. Confused and scared, she even left her two girls in charitable institutions.
“Dumating ako sa point na hindi ko alam yung gagawin ko. Sa sobrang takot ko, iniwan ko yung dalawa kong anak na babae sa pangangalaga ng iba. Ang isip ko, wala naman akong ipapakain sa kanila kaya mabuti pa na iwan sila dun kesa naman magutom kaming lahat. Doon, makakapagaral pa sila, bagay na hindi ko maibibigay”
But seeing some of her HIV+ friends die during her stint in Pinoy Plus made her see time in a completely different light. Losing people she loved made her realize that she can’t waste time being apart from her kids. No hardship is insurmountable when faced as a family. She got her kids back and they are now together. Yes, they do starve sometimes especially during lean months but never will she gave them up or give up on them, again.
She may not be the perfect person and in her own words, not the perfect mom… maybe not even the perfect woman but she knows that when she dies, she will not be ashamed or regretful to say “May AIDS ako.” She would have already lived her life in full and that’s all that matters.
*not their real names
Finding LIght Amidst the Darkness of Life
Words by Amyline Quien Ching
(This piece is memorable to me because this gave me my first writing award. Finding Light amidst the Darkness of Life won in 2004 in the La Sallian Scholarum Awards for Best Feature Story on Youth and Education. It felt nice to be recognized for something that you put your heart and soul into.)
Fate may have taken their sight but it could never wrest away their ability to see. For while they live in relative darkness and ambiguity, they see more than they could, understand life far more than most have. Handicapped they may be, they are no more disabled than some of us, people who are complete yet leading incomplete lives.
For people whose candles have been doused forever, Roselle Ambubuyog and Dianne Rose Rivera have not let circumstances get the better of them. Instead of drowning in the sea of doubts and self-pity, they took the helm of their destiny and steered their lives towards something great and noble.
“There is no handicapping condition, only handicapping mentality. In a sense, we are all equal. We are all disabled in a way… financial, emotional, mental. One needs only to find a way to rise above their disabilities,” says Roselle, who despite her blindness, graduated summa cum laude at Ateneo De Manila University (ADMU) and is now pursuing her master’s degree in Applied Math at the University of the Philippines Diliman while holding a part-time job in Freedom Scientific Line, Florida firm.
Having lived so carefree for the first six years of her life, she was not prepared for what life had in store for her on December 1987. Unable to contain her bout of asthma, her parents consulted a doctor, who prescribed four kinds of over-the-counter medicines. Little did she knew that taking each of them would result into an allergic reaction that would cost her, her eyes. “No one knew what was happening to me. Suddenly, I had blisters all over, which developed into some sort of third degree burns. Even my internal organs, my mucous membrane burned. My eyes were bleeding. It took doctors three days to finally pinpoint the problem. I had Steven Johnson’s Syndrome. They quickly gave me steroids but it was much too late for my eyes,” she relates. Steven Johnson’s may not be in most Filipinos’ medical vocabulary but it is quite prevalent abroad, being the sixth killer in the United States. What is more, anybody can be its victim.
For the six-year-old Roselle, it was the start of the end of her life. “I had so many dreams. I wanted so bad to become a doctor. I loved going to school. I loved reading books and the thought of not being able to do both really broke my heart. That was when I really cried.”
For a time, her parents tried hard to find a way to restore her eyesight. She underwent an operation and consulted with specialists abroad. All they could give her is a five percent chance. It was only when a doctor advised them to stop wasting their time and resources and just concentrate on rehabilitation that they realized that accepting the truth does not necessarily mean giving up. Her parents started taking turns reading her books, describing in detail the cartoon shows that she loved watching before.
It was that love and support that gave her the strength to rise above the dead embers that surround her life. She started to live again, to smile, clinging onto its normalcy but it just wasn’t enough. “Something was still missing. No matter how much they try to give me the normal life, I was still not normal and it felt bad to realize that,” Roselle discloses.
Studying was one of the things that she felt she had to do. Unable to find any schools nearby that accept the blind, her parents initially planned to hire private tutors. Roselle however, did not want that nor did she want to go to a school especially for the blind. “I missed the regular school environment. I want to go to a normal school.”
SEEING FOR THE FIRST TIME
Studying in an elementary school was not the rosy path that she had envisioned. Reality set in and it bites, hard. Her teachers and classmates opened her eyes to the truth that society thrives in stereotype. Not all people would accept her the way she was accepted by her family.
“When I became number one in my class, I would hear talks. Mothers of my classmates would come to my parents and tell them na naka-tsamba ako, na naawa lang sa akin. That really bothered me because I never expected that people could be so cruel,” she confides.
Though her spirit was hurting, she mustered all her will and persevered. Painful as it was, she used it to find the courage to fight, to achieve far more than she is capable of. “Before, I was content to just have good grades. The experience however taught me that it is not enough to be good, you have to be the best.” She graduated at the top of her class.
It was however not enough proof of her worth. In high school, she was initially placed in a lower section even though she was a valedictorian. It was unfair but she accepted it with grace, working even harder than before. Her teachers saw her potentials and quickly petitioned her transfer to the star sections. Teachers and students in the star sections protested but she was eventually allowed to transfer. She was just too good.
“Learning for me is not that you have to see, but that you have to understand.” Whatever their reservations, she quickly dispelled. She once again took the top honors with no special considerations. “I wanted to prove to them that I could do it, that I deserve to be there. I asked for no exceptions. I did not complain. I even attended PE classes and learned the dance just like the rest of them,” she reminisced, saying that the problem with people is that they harbor prejudices. “Just because they had a not so good experience with some blind students, they generalize it to all of us. Even with the sighted, there are people who are always late, who do not come to school.”
In no time, she was not only representing her school in Math and Science competitions but she was also winning left and right. People could not believe it that there came a time when she even had to compute mentally because schools were protesting her use of the abacus. There were even talks of cheating. One contest even refused to award her the medal. “That was a point in my life that I really got fed up. No matter what I do, I could not get pass their pre-conceived notions. Why try? During my fourth year, I lied low from the competitions and concentrated more on organizations.” Still, she graduated Valedictorian.
Ateneo was an entirely different environment. For the first time, she felt important. The university even purchased special equipments for her. “Ateneo never had any blind enrollees before. I was the first. For them to go all that way and take a big leap for me was something that I could never forget,” she reveals. Studying in the school was also an opportunity to pave the way for other blind students. “After I graduate, nobody would remember my name. What they would remember though was a blind student who graduated in Ateneo. I could open doors for others like me.” And she did.
FIGHTING HER OWN BATTLES
For Dianne Rose Rivera, to lose her eyes at that point when she was so near to realizing her dream was both heart-wrenching and life-altering. “I was so down. I reached that point that I even questioned why it had to happen to me. I was fast losing hope. When I heard of this blind student who graduated at the top of her class in Ateneo, it was like something inside me lighted up. For the first time, I saw my way,” Dianne relates.
She contacted Roselle, who helped her to see that nothing has been lost. “With the her help and the Resources for the Blind, I quickly learned to function like a normal person. I learned to read Braille and to use it in writing. I even learned to use the computer to my advantage.” Now she is able to do virtually everything with her computer. She surfs the net and types her manuscripts. She even has a friendster account. Unwilling to give up her dream… to finish college, she enrolled in Philippine Christian University, a school that accepts blind students.
After one semester, she tried to enroll in San Sebastian College-Recoletos, where she spent her first two years in college before she became blind. “Sayang yung two years that I have spent in school. PCU wanted me to start from scratch.” While Baste may have been initially reticent in admitting her, the school quickly saw her potential. Like Roselle, she never asked for any special treatment and she never gave half measures. And it was hard. She had to work twice as much as everybody else. She records classroom lectures and then transcribes it at home in Braille.
"Sometimes, I can keep up with lectures using Braille but you cannot always get all of it,” says Dianne. The hardest part for her was to accept that she could never be independent. Having fended for herself for years, she finds it a bother to have someone with her all the time. In school, she is assisted by a lady, her classmates and faculty members fondly call manang.
Though she experienced some discrimination, she is not so much bothered by it. “You can never escape discrimination. There will always be people who will treat you like are less of a person than they are.” Instead of pulling her down, it has further strengthened her resolve to do her best. Her condition not a hindrance to her social life, she also attends parties and goes out with friends while still finishing her schoolwork in time.
This year, all her hard work had paid off. She will graduate and at the same time conferred with a special citation. “I am so happy and proud that I was able to get here. Blindness should never be a hindrance. I guess I proved that to myself and to others,” she says.
THE LIGHT THAT GUIDES
For someone who has lived in the darkness, there is enough light in her to inspire everyone she meets. More than the awards that she has received, it is the fact that she has been able to guide others in their paths that validates her as a person. “What’s the point in doing something well if others could not learn from your example,” she asks.
During her graduation, a few of her classmates came up to her and mentioned how she has helped them realize what life should be about. “They were all living comfortable lives, complete lives and yet, they haven’t done anything remotely significant. Seeing me, someone who is blind, achieving what I have achieved inspired them to make something of their lives.” Having done so much, Roselle feels that it is still not enough.
For a while half of her was happy to have made a difference, the other half of her is hungry to do more. This has lead her to start Project Roselle with the Rotary Club, which donates computers and scanners for the blind. “There are many ways to rise above their disabilities but they need our help. Instead of zeroing in on their weaknesses, we must teach them to focus and develop their strengths,” she discloses, stressing the importance of education. “Education compensated for what is lacking in me. I would have been more blind had I not gone to school. No I realized how lucky I am. I just lost my sight but I didn’t lose more than that.”
FINDING THEMSELVES
Both Roselle and Dianne feels that everything that has happened in her life has been in fulfillment of this mission— to serve as an inspiration. “All my life has been according to a master plan. Back then, I was looking for a reason why God sought to blind me. Now I know,” Roselle reveals.
While others search a lifetime for their purpose, Roselle and Dianne found theirs when they lost their eyesight. Their blindness made them see the road beyond what people call Life and the kind of life beyond the road they are traversing. It made them realize that it inside themselves lie everything that they are capable of being. Their eyes may have allowed them to see the world but they it could never make them see the spirit that brings life to it. And they are lucky for though they have lost part of themselves, they have regained their whole life in the process.
Booths, Boons, and Booty
A Boracay summer for the hydrophobic and the insomniac
Text and photos by Amyline Quien Ching
[I, too, don't know how to swim. But it didn't matter because I enjoyed Boracay just the same. The products there are just amazing. If you want unique items that you can brag about in Manila, check out the Mariit stall and the Django Leathershop. By the way, the word 'booty' here meant 'loot' and not 'buttocks.' A lot of people were pretty surprised to see the word because I don't seem the type to use words like that ;-)]
With its clear waters and white sands, you’d expect people in Boracay to be in their wet suits all the time or strapped by the string to a speedboat. But during summer, this island paradise offers the hydrophobics and the swimming class dropouts some solace besides a life jacket and a 4-feet kiddie pool. Believe it or not, you can keep yourself entertained for three straight days without necessarily getting your feet wet!
Booths for the bored
From sun-up to sundown, Bora has activities lined up (literally!) for the inexhaustible tourist. From inspiring photo exhibits to exciting sports competitions, the beach is brimming with booths and pocket events both brandished about, on and off the island.
“Because of the number of people vacationing in Bora, companies have used the island as a launch pad for their summer marketing campaigns and new products. They hold events, special promotions and parties,” says Zero-in Concept and Production managing director Jennifer Maliwanag, who recently spearheaded Beached: The Summer Adventure and Party Series at the La Carmela de Boracay Hotel beachfront.
What’s great about these events: you get to win prizes, even by doing something as inane as lifting a surfboard or singing a one-liner from a jingle. Freebies and product discounts also abound. So irresistible are they that you won’t even realize that you bought things that you don’t really need.
Most talked about at that time were the free Havaiana floaters that were bigger and taller than most people. They were colorful and comfy enough to make some wish they shelled out that extra hundreds for an original pair. Some even went as far as buying a pair right there on the beach. Ditto with the free printing of pictures at the Canon booth along with the chance of taking home a PIXMA iP3680 Printer for DSLRs and the SELPHY CP760 for point & shoots with their promo Capturing the Smiles of Boracay. But of course, those pale in comparison to winning cold hard cash.
Boons for the brave
It was not surprising then that everyone set camp in front of La Carmela de Boracay Hotel one night just to see who would bring home the 15k prize pot for the GSM Blue Flairtending Competition. Flying bottles and in one instance knives whizzing past their heads did not deter the crowd from staying until the awarding. Those already sleepy were sure jolted awake by the intermission, a parade of Bora’s hottest bods for the San Mig Coffee Bikini Open. In the end, Rico Paolo Cronolognia’s David Blaine trick (which up to now still mystifies this writer) triumphed over runners-up Bamboo Bar and Restaurant’s Novemar Peroja and La Carmela de Boracay’s Gerry Ubal.
Another memorable beach event was the I-ON Energy Drink Extreme Games that had eight teams kicking an egg like it was a football and doing the caterpillar walk on their butts. It was fun to watch the participants, especially the foreigners who joined, as they each ended the mini obstacle course.
There was also the San Mig Coffee Sand Castle Making Contest and the SEAIR beach volleyball tourney, where models and celebrities like IC Mendoza and DM Sevilla joined in. Their star powers were however no match to the skills of locals Francis Delan and Joel Delos Santos, who each took home two round trip tickets to Manila.
Booze and sounds
The evenings are no exception to the flurry of activities. Some nights, one, two or even three parties battle it out for sound supremacy, notwithstanding the bar music and the bands playing in restaurants. It is no wonder songs are often barely recognizable with a whole cacophony of notes competing with each other.
Just recently, a couple of beach parties opened in Bora. One of which was the much-anticipated BigFish event that featured Blake Jarell of Armada along with local turntable pros Erwin Edralin and Anton Ramos. Alexander Gotinga aka Maxspeed of Magic 89.9 also injected some spirits with his spins during the SEAIR Beach Party. There were also the Philip Morris and Marlboro parties as well as the GSM Reggae Party, where local reggae group Saling Lahi performed.
Shopaholics’ booty
With parties heating up the white sands ‘til the wee hours of the night, insomniacs and night owls certainly thrive in Bora; But the same can be said of shopaholics. Shopping time is almost on extended hours with malls and the talipapa operating until midnight. Some restos keep the same flexible hours as the bars while most stalls outside open by dusk and then close whenever, depending on foot traffic.
If you are the meticulous shopper, one day will not be enough to fill your shopping booty. Not to be missed is the D’Mall is Station 1, which houses a mixture of high and low end shopping choices. You’ll find delectable beach fashions in PJ Arañador’s boutique, Bogarte and Island Girl. There is also the Bagtas slipper shop, Funky Lighting and Langperong.
For unique local finds, go to Plazoleta in Station 2 where you will find stunning art pieces translated into everyday wear. Visit Django Leathershop which sells leather goods that would make boho-maven Sienna Miller proud and the Silver Mine, Silver Clay Workshop Studio, where you can buy silver jewelry pieces and learn how to make them at the same time.
With the outside stalls, check out Mariit, located in front of the Mandarin Island Hotel. It’s sells products done by a group of local artists in the island. Their jewelry with semi-precious stones and snake bones bracelets were just amazing. The same goes with their wood carvings and dream catchers.
Who says Bora is only for the wake-boarding-parasailing-beach-bums? Even if the last time you ever swam was in your uncompleted summer swimming class back in Grade 3, you can still enjoy the island. Just walking on its fine white sand and seeing its sunset is orgasmic enough to keep you coming back for more, next summer.
(Special thanks to local event coordinator Rory Merino, Boy So & Mon Perez of La Carmela and singer Eric Santos.)
All the Right Notes
Words and Styling by Amyline Quien Ching
Photography by Pinggot Zulueta
Assisted by Czarina Nicole Ong
(The Escuderos were such great sports especially Christine who composed a song for Chiz for this special Father's Day issue in Manila Bulletin Moms&Babies. When she sang the song, I wished so much that there was a videocam or something to capture the special moment. The kids were also great sports because they managed to sit through three fashion layouts for the issue.)“Woweee!”
It is hard to imagine the normally unflappable senator—with his proverbial double entendres, pun-chy speeches and a humor that cleverly takes a bite without as much as a toothmark—would have this word in his dictionary, much less be his lips’ constant companion for the entire day.
“It’s a long-standing joke in the family ever since my wife realized that the maids were watching Wowowee with the kids because they kept repeating the word. Ang cute nga nila when they say it. Tumawa ako ng malakas nang marinig ko. Now, I seem to have caught the habit,” explains Chiz, with a sheepish grin.
That he even knew how to look sheepish was as shocking as it was telling. Conscientious, yes… but conscious? But as many who are close to him would attest, there is more quirkiness in Chiz that his straitlaced demeanor lets on. He actually laughs a lot and is quite playful in the company of friends and loved ones. What else can you expect from someone who lets his staff call him “Quezo”?
Catch the Kiddie bug
In fact, as his wife Christine confesses, Chiz can be such a kid at home. When he’s with the twins, Chesi and Quino, both 2 years old, one can expect a rambunctious day, with the TV blaring and laughter after them.
Saying “Woweee” is only the first in the long list of kiddie activities that Chiz engage in with gusto. He watches “Babab” (Spongebob) and Hi-5 with his kids whenever he can and loves every minute of it. They will run from one room to another, chasing each other. Their lamutakan time consists of harutan, kulitan, and kilitian. They will raise such a ruckus, the noise has already become a sign that the Senator is already home, a truth that the Senator has easily owned up to.
“As a kid, I was not taught by my parents to be like that. That’s why, with my kids, I do the opposite. Nakikipagbiruan ako sa kanila. We laugh a lot. I tell them “I love you” all the time. I kiss them. Sinusulit ko na because when they grow up, they won’t be as receptive. At least by then, you can tease them, ‘I already got a million kisses from you anyway,’” he says with a naughty gleam in his eyes, followed by a big, hearty laugh.
Sometimes, they will just spend the day cooped up in the bathtub—their makeshift swimming pool—until the skins on their fingers get all wrinkly and ugly. Other times, he will just lie in bed while his kids play ‘horsie’ with his belly as saddle and his shirt’s collar as bridle.
Music from the Heart
But one of his absolute favorites is whenever he would sing to them with an impromptu set of lyrics “Usually yung last song syndrome ko, yun ang music. I just make the lyrics as I go along. They’re actually just things that I want to tell them but I sing the words instead,” he explains, proceeding to sing several lines of a song set in Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star.
“Love ka ni dada. Love ni Chesi si Dada. Love din ni dada si Chesi. Love ka ni dada. Love ni Quino si Dada. Love din ni dada si Chesi”With his love for music, it is not surprising that his wife Christine wrote a song for him and included it as part of his Father’s Day gifts. Christine even sang “Idolo” using “Beautiful in my Eyes,” a song that Chiz himself sang when he proposed to her.
IDOLO
Ikaw ang haligi ng tahanan natin
Ang lahat sa ‘min ng yong mga supling
Pagmamahal mong kay lalim
Ang tanging dalangin sa Diyos aming hiling
Ang kaligtasan mo, tatag ng iyong dibdib
Kailanman ikaw ang idolo namin
Sa pag-ikot ng mundo at pagtakbo ng mga taon
Lumingon ka lang at nariyan kami
Nakaalalay sa iyo
Pagsasaluhan natin bawat ngiti
Pagpatak ng luha, yakap naming papawi
Kailanman ikaw ang idolo namin.
CORO:
Mananatili kang idolo namin
Anuman ang mangyari
Dito sa puso naming
Kailanma’y idolo, idolo namin.
Idolo’s heartfelt lyrics tell of their gratitude and love for a dad, who has given his all (sacrificed so much) to his family. In the song, Christine and the kids promise to be there for him, no matter what happens and that together, they can surmount any challenge and beat all odds.
And for the second time that day, Chiz does something totally uncharacteristic: the normally implacable Senator melts right before one’s eyes as the last notes of Idolo fade into oblivion. And he grins, a wide wistful smile that says more, so much more than all his speeches combined.
Wry Spell
A fun and ‘pun-ful’ play takes a stab at society’s obsession over winning
By Amyline Quien Ching
(I simply loved this play, laughed right 'til the end. I would readily recommend people to watch it. I heard that their cheapest tickets are already sold out!)Sitting through a Spelling Bee competition brings you back to those ego-deflating days when your only dilemma in life is whether the word DILEMMA has two Ms and when not knowing what the heck SOMNIFACIENT means, can send you over the edge (of reason or of sleep, you choose!)
The local version of the Tony Award-winning musical— the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee— pretty much relives (and at its ending relieves) those feelings: frustration over not knowing the correct spelling; insecurity that you are not smart enough; and despondency over losing. This latest stage offering from Atlantis Production however spells it F-U-N-N-Y, what with the hilarious antics of its characters, all in the throes of infantile regression.
It follows the adventures of six pubescent kids as they wrack their brains— and uhh… their toes— out for double Ps and silent Hs in ridiculously archaic words that died with the Mayans. Between stage catatonia and catharsis, these teeners will figure out not only how to spell the adolescent wor(l)d but also find the Is and the M-Es in the process.
LIGHT AND HEAVY
Sounds heavy? Don’t get it wrong. Spelling Bee is a comedy. But like many plays with great scripts, each rip-roaring scene also rips at the heart. Its characters each grapples with societal issues that are often ignored or at the very least sublimated. Perhaps, this is what makes this show worth watching: how life’s painful truths are presented in painfully funny ways, leaving the audience wiser about the world but not weary of it. Besides with kids— as opposed to adults— going through these issues, you will leave your seat jaded but hopeful that they will outgrow their idiosyncrasies and come out the victor in life, if not in the competition.
One of them Leaf Coneybear struggles for self-acceptance and opines at how he can survive the finals when his parents don’t think he’s any good in English. His soliloquy “I’m not that Smart” suggests how adults can be harsh in their judgment just because their kids do not fit the right mold.
Like Leaf, Loggainne Schwartzandgrubenierre also strives for acceptance, caught in the personal battle of her gay parents for social acceptance. Their idea of great parenting is lodged on their adopted daughter’s many accomplishments.
Some however found acceptance totally overrated like Marcy Parks whose early overachieving ways gave rise to underachievement. Her rebellion is a jibe on parental expectation and on how winning doesn’t always equate to being a winner and that losers can be winners too.
There are also characters who are just simply reflections of issues that are entrenched in society. Defending champ Chip Tolentino, for instance, is a textbook case of an adolescent taken aback by the ummm… ups and downs of adolescent lust. His exuberance merited him an early exit. And there is Olive Ostrovsky, a speller that most children with OFW parents can identify with. A poster child for neglected kids, she yearns for a mother working abroad and a father too busy to even attend the Bee.
And who can forget William Barfee, whose “magic foot” took him to the finals? He parodies the stereotypical geek whose inane social skills, weird ways and passive-aggressive behavior make him a loser despite winning competitions upon competitions.
How about the adult adjudicators who are grappling with their own adolescent issues?
WHAT SPELLS DIFFERENTLY
Like many musicals in recent years, viewers can expect a gamut of drama on and off the stage. One actor will be running through the aisles while another will point to you as if you are part of the play. This modern format allows for more audience interaction and extends the stage down to the crowd.
Spelling Bee however puts a different ‘spell’ into the format by allowing the audience to participate in the competition onstage. Take note that this will not be scripted. They will not know what words they will be asked to spell. There will even be celebrity spellers. Thus no show is the same; each run, written differently by the audience themselves.
Director Bobby Garcia is however quick to assure the audience that they will not be picking participants in random to come onstage but rather would ask for volunteers before the show starts. Usually those who are confident of not incurring their elementary teachers’ wrath bravely raise their hands.
In Spelling Bee’s run in other countries, directors have actually had to invent words just to eliminate volunteers. Some, like screen legend Julie Andrews of Sound of Music fame, are given stumping words like “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” which ironically was a word derived from a song that the actress sang in the movie, Mary Poppins.
ANYTHING BUT CHILD-LIKE
In the heart of this unpredictable script is a paradox that makes for an interesting show: adult issues seen from the eyes of its young characters, who are portrayed by adults. Balance however is crucial. Too heavy material ages the play while inappropriate portrayal can turn it into a mockery. This is, agrees stage actor Felix Rivera who plays Chip Tolentino, where the challenge lies. Actors must be careful not to cross that thin line between acting like a child and “acting out” like a child. From the looks of its first run in RCBC Plaza, it indeed struck that balance.
Despite being largely a play about kids, Spelling Bee is anything but kiddie. Behind the thin veil of a kids competition lies a core theme that takes a stab at issues disregarded as trivial and taunts at society’s jaundiced eyes. It portrays kids as strong beings, able to get past their neuroticisms, which ironically shown to be brought on by adults themselves. Even the competition itself is a parody to society’s obsession with winners and losers and how sometimes winning is seen as the Bee-all and end all.
All these are however presented in a light and playful manner that does not detract from the seriousness of its message. Dialogues are simple but pack a wallop. Its funny and brilliant script plus the outstanding performance of its cast only serve to highlight what is not said. The use of language is fun and pun-ful, leaving the audience with something to think about long after the laughter has died.
And unlike its off-stage counterpart, Spelling Bee is sure worth the two hours of sitting through DILEMMAs and a SOMNIFACIENT experience. After all you don’t just learn how to spell these words, you also realize that not knowing does not necessarily make you a loser.
(Spelling Bee will have a repeat run from July 3 to 12 at the RCBC Auditorium. For more info, log on to www.atlantisproductionsinc.com.)
Bare Essentials
In a sea of commercialized art, Bora artists prove that art can still stand out with nothing but sheer talent
By Amyline Quien Ching
The moment Peter—a Canadian who travel to Boracay several times a year—clapped his eyes on another tourist in Alaska, he immediately knew for sure that the guy went to Boracay; not because of some sixth sense as most would assume but more of a ‘fashion’ sense. The stranger, you see, was also wearing a piece of art that people can only find in Bora.
Peter is but one of the many tourists who have shared anecdotes on the unique items that they have bought from Mariit, a small stall right across Mandarin Island Hotel in Boracay. Not one to miss (or to forget) despite its relatively cramped space, the shop houses every art lover’s dream pieces: wooden Lulud sculptures depicting local mythological Gods; hand-carved wooden masks similar to traditional African Malian masks, which they call Gulgul; handmade accessories with semi-precious stones, snake bones and wild boar’s fangs; and arcane wall sculptures. The shop is managed by a group of local artists—Richie Condeza, Saude Yanoc, Ronnie Yanoc, Melsie Yanoc, and Joey Esturis—with the same name and is a haven of truly unique and eclectic finds. Only those who have been to the island can own such pieces.
From trash to treasure
Mariit is Hiligaynon (a native dialect) for ‘a place that is sacred’ and members of the group subscribe to a credo that will have eco-fiends nodding their heads in unison. They believe that things— both living and non-living— should not be harmed or destroyed. There is a sacredness inside all things that must be respected and preserved at all cost. Their battle cry: Destroy nature and you destroy yourself.
Thus each of the pieces in the shop comes from materials that are locally sourced-out, sometimes even ‘scavenged’ or recycled. Yanoc, for instance, uses nito for his bracelets and necklaces, which believe it or not, he just picks off the ground during his morning walks. The semi-precious stones on his bracelets and necklaces are shipped from Palawan, where they can be found in abundance.
His co-member Joey Esturis, on the other hand, uses branches that have fallen off from trees for his wooden masterpieces. One of his renowned works now stands across the Mandarin Island Hotel— a totem pole that depicts Filipino values and culture. According to Esturis, the pole was actually an uprooted tree that he was commissioned to carve and then implant again. The topmost layer showed a known Pinoy pastime, the sabong, as depicted by an intricate carving of a manok. The middle part had carved farmers working during harvest while the layer near the ground had Pinoys carrying a bahay kubo, representing the Filipino bayanihan spirit.
Truly rare finds
Using recycled or local materials does not, however, mean that their works are tacky. Looking at Yanoc’s quirky accessories and Esturis’ imposing wooden sculptures, it is hard to imagine that each piece is made from materials that people throw away. And the prices do not help your imagination either. A sculpture can burn a 2000-peso-hole in your pocket while the wooden masks are priced at P1500 each. One measly arm accessory can cost you about P1500 to P1800 while a Yanoc necklace is a lot more costly. Besides the semi-precious stone, what a buyer actually pays for is the rarity of the design.
“Dito lang meron niyan. Ang liit lang ng stall namin but a lot of people stop by because we sell really one-of-a-kind pieces. Most of the clients that we have are repeat customers or those referred to us by our other buyers, mostly foreigners. They love our pieces because they are really pinoy, ethnic even. Plus, you can be sure that each is unique. You might find something similar but never the same. And we are the first to come up with the design. Original siya. Kaya nga when they see our products abroad, they immediately recognize that it came from Boracay,” says Yanoc, rattling off stories that are similar to Peter’s experience, all the way from Germany and Canada.
The distinctiveness of their artworks comes from their unwillingness to commercialize their products. All items are handmade and only a few pieces are created at a given time. Yanoc, for one, even stops production altogether when he sees other artists doing the same designs or concept.
“Hindi naman talaga maiiwasan ang gayahan. We get inspired by other people’s work. Pero ako kasi, ayoko ng may kapareha. Pag may nakita na akong pareho ng ginagawa ko, I stop doing the design. That’s why I also avoid joining trade fairs even if it is one way to advertise my work and a chance to be famous.”
For the Mariit artists, doing so is far from the career and financial suicide that people often think it is. His work can speak for itself, even if he is not as well-known commercially and his ware displayed on a simple wooden table devoid of any trappings of success. As Saude had mentioned, people who truly have the eye for Art need not go to famed studios and art galleries to find masterpieces. You can find treasures in the barest of conditions, even among trash and recyclables. God, after all, made his greatest masterpiece— Man — from just dirt.
(Published in Manila Bulletin)
Utopia in a Kite
(Joy can still be found in the simplest things. This is what i learned when I covered the Bear Brand Kitefest, held recently at Rizal Park. This is my story that won in a competition organized by Nestle. Hope you like it!)
Memories of kite flying brought on images of little boys running in an open field, tugging their errant kites along as echoes of their laughter tried desperately to catch up with them.
It was a glimpse to the past of the Filipino child, of Pepe, who find such inconceivable joy in the flight of a simple paper-string ensemble— the saranggola— crafted by the loving hands of tatay and emboldened by the gentle ministrations of his naynay.
Then was an era of simple pleasures, of laughter found in a 30-peso kite, of Utopia created in familial love and togetherness. And though time has laid the saranggola in a forgotten heap, memories of this personal Utopia remained.
Perhaps, it is this longing to reclaim once again their own brand of Utopia that spurred participants to pack up their bags, haul their kids to the next bus stop and travel the thousands of miles each year to join the Bear Brand Kitefest.
Recreating a dream
“With our schedules, it is really rare for the family to have a get-together. Ang hirap e, we had our own lives to lead. Yet ever since I brought a kite home and flew it with the kids, we have never been closer. Kite-flying has become a tradition of sorts, that rare moment when we can just be together without worrying about our work or our responsibilities. Kites have that effect,” relates Dr. Delfin Pilones, who had the whole family in tow in Luneta except for his two eldest who had summer classes.
The Pilones are familiar fixtures in the kitefest, making it a point to be there, not only in their area, Isabela but also in other legs as well. Case in point, the Manila leg.
Short of putting up p a tent under the watchful eyes of Jose Rizal, Dr. Pilones and his wife Vicky brought everything from food to the family dog… in addition of course to the kites, which the good doctor painstakingly makes for each member of the family in his spare time.
“Suddenly I had the time ano. I guess when you really enjoy what you are doing, it ceases to be a strain in your time. Pero di rin madali ha. When I started, I absolutely had no clue! Since nobody knew a thing about it, it came to a point when I had to research on the net and read encyclopedias… to no avail. I ended up buying kites in the market for our first kite fest,” he confessed with a laugh.
These memories, Pilones, claims, are the ones that make them come back year after year, leg after leg. “Di matatawaran ng kahit na magkano ang memories that you make with your family. Kahit nga hindi na manalo, just seeing them fly the kites that you made is enough. Fulfilled ka na doon.”
Breaking age gaps
Perhaps having been born in a time when skyscrapers ruled the city streets and lampposts tower over the afternoon skies, the young generation cannot imagine how in the world kites can compare to their favorite video game.
No doubt, Lolo Pilito Quintos will have a hell of a time pleading his case but at the rate he is now going, it seems verdict is at hand and it is going his way.
“Haay naku, nagawa ko yan sa anak ko, gagawin ko rin sa aking mga apo,” states the 68-year-old enthusiast with so much conviction, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the statue of Jose Rizal suddenly comes up to him with a kite in hand.
True enough even without the help of his son Boyet, who is away because of work, he had managed, single-handedly, to “coerce” 13 of his family members to gather under the scorching heat of the sun. They even brought their own tents plus a host of other paraphernalia to make their psuedo-reunion as comfy as possible.
“HAHAHA! Actually, ginawa na nga namin itong get-together ng buong angkan. Hakot talaga ang buong pamilya from Cainta plus may mga kamag-anak from Manila na pumunta. Ang sarap kasi minsan na lang kayo magkita-kita. Kakaiba nga lang kasi sa kitefest pa namin ginagawa,” he divulges after a resounding laugh, realizing how totally irregular their set-up is.
His grandson Patrick confirmed this saying that because some of his cousins are already going to college, the kitefest is their only opportunity to bond and to catch up with each other. “Ang saya. Para kasing bumabalik ka sa pagkabata e. Ni hindi ko nga nararamdaman yung init ng araw sa sobrang enjoyment ko. Ayan tuloy, nangitim ata kami.”
Quintos believes that kiteflying is one way of reaching out to his grandsons despite the colossal gap in their ages.
“Nung grade 2 or 3 si Boyet sumasali na kami. Enjoy talaga siya. Hindi mo ma-explain pero ang gaan ng feeling panoorin yung kite mong lumilipad. Limot mo yung pagod mo. Parang pati ikaw lumilipad na rin. Ngayun kasi napakakumplikado na ng buhay. Ang sarap bumalik sa mga simpleng bagay. Iyong feeling na yun ang gusto kong I-share with my apos.”
Generations of Kite-flyers
Isagani Cajulao’s love affair with kites was actually passed on to him by his lolo who shared with him and his brother the Utopia found in its simple flight.
And though he had been joining kite fests for more than 15 years, the heat of the competition has never gone to his head, preferring to rebel against present standards and joining just for the fun of it.
“Of course you’d want to win. Who doesn’t? But it was never about the competition. Ang sarap lang gumawa, magpalipad. Kahit nga sa outing ng pamilya, di nawawala ang saranggola. Talagang nagpapalipad kami kapag may pagkakataon,” he reveals, proudly showing off his creation, a three-header, which his kids and pamangkins had helped to make.
Knowing how much kite-flying made a difference in his relationship with his lolo and how it has continued to make him and his brother close, he feels that this is one thing of value that he can give to his children.
“Simple lang na activity ito pero ang value niya sa relationship ang laki. Kaming magkapatid, we share a bond. I want that for my children. I want them to have that special kind of relationship that I have with my brother. Hindi lang naman sa mga kitefests na ganito nagiging close ang mga tao. Yung mismong pagpapalipad ng saranggola, simula na yun. Iba kasi kung mayroon kayong isang bagay that you love doing. Iba yung bonding niyo, iba yung connection.”
Utopia at hand
On its 15th year, Bear Brand Kitefest has no doubt witnessed hundreds of kites, fancy and elaborate enough to make anyone’s jaw drop in awe but what is even more awe-inspiring is the number of relationships forged, memories created, distances bridged and families reunited through something as simple as flying a kite.
More than a celebration of the Filipino creative and pioneering spirit, the kitefest is a symbol of going back to the basics, to the simple things that make life worthwhile… family, friendships and flying a kite.
Little boys ran in an open field, tugging their errant kites along as echoes of their laughter tried desperately to catch up with them.
It was a glimpse to the past and hopefully to the future of Pepe, a start of another era of simple pleasures, of Utopia found in the flight of one’s kite.
TAYO 2004: Transforming the Image of Filipino Youth
The youth may be young, still novices in the way of the world. They may not yet use the back roads or know that such shortcuts exist. They may not yet be ready to take on life, may seem to care only for the pleasures and not for the pain but occasionally they surprise us with their insights, the depth of their commitment and their courage to change what most people consider unchangeable.
This year’s Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations (TAYO) prove that the Filipino youth can be more than just side show performers or spectators in the task of nation building. They have more to offer than the occasional spiels or intermission numbers. They showed that they could do more than look over the sidelines and whine; they can defy the norms and revolutionize how people think and live their lives.
NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE
Setting up an organization is one thing but making it work with such meager resources and actually touching people’s lives is an entirely different… more complex matter. But as TAYO awardees attested, it may not be easy but neither is it impossible.
“It’s hard but with the help of people in the community and our own hard work, we were able to realize our goals. I guess, when you take your God-given talents and channel them into something that would improve the lot of others, nothing is impossible for God will be there every step of the way to help you,” reveals GenRev (Generation Revival) Student Network president Lorenzo Cosio, who is currently finishing his home study program. Though primarily Internet-based, GenRev, also organizes retreats, concerts and seminars that are aimed to revive the Catholic culture among the youth. Using such “fun” media as music through their CD entitled Crazy About You and their weekly radio program, GenRev Radio on DWSS, they have gained quite a following among students.
“When you look around, there is so much spiritual poverty among the youth. We wanted to change that and instill campus revival. Little by little, we are achieving that and it fulfills us to know that we are instrumental in changing the lives of others,” shares Lorenzo, who is part of GenRev’s steering committee, adding that there are some who log on and tell them how the site helped them with their problems. Though nothing is definite yet, GenRev plans to use the money to further develop their existing service… improving the site’s bandwidth and sustaining the activities of the organization.
Another awardee, the Sugbuanong Pundok Aron Sugpuon ang Child Abuse (SUPACA) never even planned of putting up an organization, not until someone they know got abused by her father.
“It was an eye-opener. Suddenly we realized that there are a lot of thing that young students still did not know about child abuse… about enforcing their rights. We wanted to help them be informed,” explains Diana Aspiras, a secondary education student of the Cebu Normal University and president of SUPACA.
The organization, whose name is a Cebuano phrase meaning a group of young Cebuanos who eradicates child abuse, has 243 members to date. Recognizing the role of media in disseminating information on children’s rights, they have set-up a radio program aired over Angel Radio every Saturday and a Philippine Information Agency television program, Kapihan sa Kabataan, shown on SkyCable Channel 15 every Tuesday. In addition to this, they also conduct room-to-room campaign and organize street plays to step up awareness of the issue.
The Students’ Association of Management Accountants, on the other hand, provides bookkeeping and accounting assistance to cooperatives in Ilocos through their project, Volunteers for Enterprise and Cooperatives Development (VeCod). They have in fact been instrumental in the revival of a cooperative on the brink of closing down by straightening their financial records. Using their skills with numbers, these student volunteers have also served as enumerators and tabulators in several researches in their college, Mariano Marcos State University-College of Business, Economics and Accountancy (CBEA). Even Bam Aquino was impressed with their achievements saying that this is something that he himself could have done when he was still in College.
Through their Balik-Tribo project, the Tuklas Katutubo promotes community empowerment and educational exposure for indigenous people or lumad. Members conduct five-day workshops aimed at promoting the importance of peace and development, culture, environment, health and education in IP communities. This, they believe, will help these marginalized communities attain self-sufficiency.
One of the big winners, De La Salle University-Manila Student Council, not only made it to the magic 10 but also took home the United Nations Millennium Development Goals Award. The award is given for the first time this year to the organization that best embodies the ideals of the UN. Their project, H.E.L.P. (Health and Housing, Education and Environment, Livelihood and Local Governance and People’s Protection and Participation) is a five-year community development program that includes long-term and on-going projects intended to aid in the development of the community in various aspects. So far, H.E.L.P. has been established in Barangay 91 Zone 9 Libertad, Pasay City. It will be completed by SY 2005-2006.
With the intent to change prevailing stereotypes in the country on commercial sex workers, the Tingog sa Kasanag (TISAKA) in Cagayan de Oro City engages in awareness-building trainings for prostituted women to help them get out of their trade and educate themselves on how to better protect themselves.
“We wanted to show them that there is still hope. We believe that we can do something to change our communities and ourselves and that social change could be best achieved through a unified effort,” says TISAKA chairperson Marydel Gaid, adding that members of the organization include freelancers, boat climbers, dancers, GRO’s and masseurs.
According to her, they are planning to launch a gathering for all the members in October. When asked how they would use their prize, she discloses, “We are actually planning to use the Php50,000 prize money to put up this laundry shop but we are still discussing it. It’s a lot of money and we want to make sure that we make the most out of it.”
Though relatively small in terms of membership, the Conservation and Restoration Exercise (CORE) has taken great strides in the rehabilitation of caves in Bukidnon through their Linis-Kweba Project. Spending their days cleaning the walls of caverns may seem simple but their efforts have resulted in cleaner water supply and more livelihood opportunities for the surrounding communities by promoting tourism in the area. What started as a hobby became a full-pledged crusade to protect the environment.
Sta. Ana National High School Musical Dramatics Society has spearheaded several theatrical presentations aimed at addressing various issues in the family as well as in the community. Through their artistic productions, members believe that they can espouse values to the audience and at the same time enhance the multiple intelligences of their members who are mostly problem students, gangsters, buntogs, druggists, dropouts and slow learners.
More than your average environmentalists, the Watershed Management Youth Council (WMYC) does more than planting trees. They are also heavily involved in trainings, eco-camps and tours, and awareness campaigns, believing that information is key to development and change. They sponsor the yearly Environmental Eco-Camp and organize the WMYC, which serve as venues for the enrichment of awareness on watershed issues and the start of dialogues among Davao City youths. Moreover, they have also lobbied for several policies made to protect Davao City Forests to pass legislation.
Based in Cagayan de Oro City, the Philippine Rescue 2000 responds to the needs of victims of natural calamities in Visayas and Mindanao through search and rescue operations and disaster management. What is even more remarkable with this organization is that it is composed of youth volunteers who often have to shell out money from their pockets to get to emergency areas.
DEFY THE ODDS
“The youth can be part of the solution and not just the problem. They truly have so much to offer our country and that nation building happens one cement block at a time. When they join forces, they could do a lot for their community,” says National Youth Commission chairperson, Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV.
Conceptualized two years ago by Senate Majority Leader Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, TAYO aims to recognize the efforts of youth organizations to improve and reform the lives of people in their communities. In partnership with NYC, the first competition was launched in 2002, granting project money for several organizations in the country.
For its second year, TAYO conducted area finals to seek out deserving organizations in far away provinces.
“Next year, if there are enough funds, we plan to do regionals. We believe that the more localized the search, the more we are spreading the word and the more people will know about it,” notes Aquino.
THE YOUNG CAN DO IT
Young people, according to GenRev’s Lorenzo, may be limited in a lot of ways but never in creativity and passion. “You don’t need so much money or influence to make an impact. Like what God had shown in the multiplication of the loaves, you can start small and God will find a way to turn it into something big.”
If given the right tools and opportunities, the Filipino youth can achieve great things for the country. The TAYO awardees are living testaments of this.
“TAYO shows that there are a lot of young people who are doing so much in their communities. This presents a counter image of what is usually seen in media, of young people na walang magawa sa buhay, gimik ng gimik. We are showing that yes, things are tough, that these things are true but there is more to young people than just that,” points out Aquino.
Yes. They are young. And yes. They don’t have much in terms of resources… but they survived, turning their dreams into reality, instituting community renewal and building, brick by brick the future of the country.
Neither age nor circumstance is a hindrance to a person who desires to make a difference. Nothing matters… except taking that first step.
LITTLE VOICES THAT CAN CHANGE THE WORLD
Each soft utterance from a child’s lips may drown against the voices of the world but together their words can change the world.
Believing in the power that rests in the hands of the young, Plan Philippines launched for the first time the biggest celebration of arts and advocacy for children, “Wow Bata- Bida sa Sining at Adbokasya.” Working with more than 42,000 rural-based Filipino children and their families for 40 years now, the international humanitarian and child-focused development organization thought to come up with something that would help children voice out their issues and concerns and at the same time foster friendships between children from different communities. “Wow Bata represents Plan’s recognition of the children’s role and the importance of performing arts as a powerful tool in educating the public about the pressing issues faced by Filipino children today,” says Plan Philippines Country Director Supriyanto. He also hopes that the event, carrying the theme “Bata Tayo’y Magsaya, Ipagdiwang Galing sa Sining at Adbokasya” will become a venue to advocate their cause and to educate the public about the pressing issues that affect them.
MOBILIZING LITTLE VOICES
Seeing their little bodies and their eyes filled with youthful idealism and child-like innocence, nobody would have guessed the extent of their understanding of the issues that hound the country… that is, until they open their mouths.
“Child labor is probably the most serious problem in our community. This is something that we seek to address,” maintains Jonathan Otic, outgoing director of the National Coalition of Children’s Associations of the Philippines (NACCAP). If given a million pesos as project funding, he will build reading centers for young children. According to him, this will help increase the quality of education in his province, San Jose.
Karen Bigay of Bicol agreed to this, saying that one of the primary needs of their community is quality education. Most of the delegates also revealed the lack of child services, the prevalence of child labor and the worsening issue of child abuse inside the homes are problems that people should attend to.
EFFORT WELL SPENT
In preparation for the Wow Bata Festival, these child leaders from different Plan communities went on a three-day training workshop aimed to help them mobilize their groups to solicit funds and other resources for the festival. The seminar called “Resource Mobilization Workshop for Young People” equipped participants with the proper tools of sourcing and managing funds strategically to sustain their organizations. With knowledge in tow, they then embarked on unique and creative schemes of raising funds for their production through solicitations, product selling, benefit shows, stage plays, mini concerts and talent search.
Wow Bata truly lived up to its name. Large-scale productions, a grand parade, and an educational tour that featured in its itinerary some of the must-see places in Manila made the event a true WOW!
Kicking off the event is a parade that saw children from across the country garbed in the colorful costumes of their respective regions. Participants from as far as Southern Leyte and Cebu danced in abandon with the ati-atihan to the amusement of onlookers. Children from Cagayan, Benguet, Pangasinan, Mindoro, Camotes, Masbate, West Samar, and East Samar also joined in on the fun.
Recreational workshops like craft’s painting, paper mache’ junks recycling, mass media broadcasting, photography, indoor landscaping and reflexology were also conducted. Interactive games, trade booths, photo exhibit guaranteed a steady flow of interest and excitement.
CULTURAL PRESENTATION LIKE NO OTHER
Each night promised to be an evening that emphasized how truly gifted and talented Filipino children are. Belonging from various theater groups from across the regions, young actors and actresses gave stunning performances that would sometimes tug the heart and reduce the audience to tears or in other times induce laughter and child-like fun.
Every movement was well thought of, every dialogue delivered with such emotion that even the people who are already used to seeing such acting gifts are overwhelmed with the depth of understanding that they have displayed.
“They were all so good. Whenever children perform, you know that they have put everything in the performance. So what I’m looking for is something extra. For this, I focused more in the appropriateness of the presentation to the age of the child and the artistry that they have displayed,” reveals Museo Pambata Programs Director Desiree Lleno, who served as one of the judges.
She, together with Alvin Morales, Project Officer at the National Commission for Culture and the Arts; Amalia Cullarin Rosales, head of the committee on Cultural Education of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and Dean of the College of Arts of Polytechnic University of the Philippines; Verni Severo, senior artist-teacher at the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA); Angel Tatlonghari, a social development specialist trainer and cultural worker for stage; and Mie Takaki, grants manager of Plan Asia regional office, took possession of the score sheets for that night.
Each group was judged according to the way they communicated their ideologies in promoting children’s rights, tackling children’s concerns in their own communities and contributing in the issues through active participation; the creativeness of the techniques employed as well as the timing and control of effects and lights; and the impact that they have made to the audience. These made up half of their scores. The other half was placed on artistry, which includes the creative use of space, acting and performance, music and setting, movements, creative innovation, integration of local culture and the appropriateness of piece for actors and venues.
AN AVENUE FOR THEIR ADVOCACIES
Whether comedy or tragedy, each presentation discussed the issues and problems of child abuse, poverty, and child labor at the community level, something which all of the judges applaud.
“It is heartening to know that children as young as they are, are already aware of the issues that they face everyday. They alone know how to pass on the message to other kids, to create presentations where other children could relate to,” shares Desiree Lleno of Museo Pambata.
Showing their prowess in all aspects of presentation, Bicol claimed the top honors, winning the Best in Over-all performance (Bida sa Kabuuang Kahusayan ng pagsasadula). Camotes, on the other hand, wowed the judges with the way they conveyed their message for the young. They grabbed the Best in Orientation (Bida sa pagkukuwento at mahusay na pagpapahayag ng mensahe) plum. Funny lines and entertaining tunes paved the way for West Samar to bag the Best in Music and Songs (Bida sa paggamit ng Musika at Awit) while East Samar took the Best in Organization (Bida sa kaisahan at pagiging organisado ng samahan) prize. The Best in Cheering (Bida sa awit-galaw-hiyaw ng pagpapakilala sa samahan) went to San Jose while Southern Leyte took home two awards, the Best in Artistry (Bida sa Mataas na antas ng kasiningan o estetika ng pagsasadula) and the Best in Resource Mobilization (Bida sa paglikom at pagpapaunlad ng Rekurso) awards.
Their eyes brimming with triumph and excitement, all of the contestants professed their happiness at being recognized. Months of hard work, memorizing lines, creating props and practicing their scenes did not go to waste.
“We are so happy. When all of the awards were given, we lost hope. For sure one of those teams will eventually get the Best in Overall Performance. When we heard our team called, we really jumped for joy. Sulit yung pagod namin. In addition to the hard work that we put in, what really made us win is the solidity of our group. Everyone really pulled his weight. Everybody did their part,” exclaims Karen Bigay of Bicol. Group cooperation, according to Angel Duran of East Samar
Still win or lose, what is foremost in their minds are the things that they have learned from the experience.
“We really enjoyed ourselves. We had fun and at the same time we learned things that we would be able to use in the future. Nothing could replace an experience like this,” responds Nicole Rena Delantar of Western Samar.
THE POWER OF THE YOUTH
Young they may be, each of them displayed the dedication and commitment that characterize mature individuals.
“The youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow. Whatever we have learned through this experience will surely help us, even in a small way, change the country for the better,” enthuses Karen Bigay.
They may just be kids but they are already capable of doing something worthwhile. If the voice of every child will collectively call out for reforms in the community, changes can be initiated not only in the grassroots level but in the whole of the Philippines as well.
Flight to greater heights
His appointment may have raised a couple of eyebrows and caused a number of mouths to stand agape. Yet to see his relaxed easy smile and unaffected ways, preferring to bond with students, teachers, and the so-called “little people” instead of joining the higher echelons in a social tete-a-tete, is enough to turn those puckers into smile, the doubts into confidence.
It would then be easy to see why he has gained the love and respect of the De La Salle community.
On the shoulder of giants
As the 20th president of the DLSU System Schools, the youngest ever to assume the post, Brother Armin Altamirano Luistro may seem young and inexperienced to man the helm of one of the greatest educational institutions in the country. But age and experience, though factors in leading an institution, does not necessarily make a great leader. More than that, it takes will, dedication and genuine unconditional love for those he serves.
Luistro, humbly citing his apparent inexperience in his inaugural address at the Presidential Investiture Ceremony held recently at DLSU-Manila, believes that instead of these limitations hindering him, these further behoove him to work with even greater dedication and zeal to build and develop on what others have started and achieved in the past and to bear the burden of responsibility as best as he could, knowing full well that though “there had been a glorious history to remember and recount, there is also a great history still to be accomplished.”
“I am painfully aware of my own inadequacies and limitations, my inexperience and lack of academic qualifications. But I do take comfort in the words of John Salisbury, who said that ‘we are like dwarfs sitting on the shoulders of giants. We see more and things that are far more distant, than they did, not because our sight is superior or because we are taller than they, but because they raise us up and by their great stature add to ours.’”
Departing from the standard protocol of acknowledging first the presence of guests that belong to the higher echelons of the industry, president Luistro chose instead to recognize what for him are the vital power behind any organization, the ordinary people in the University System whose work have for so many times, gone unnoticed or taken for granted.
“We are what we are today because of those who have come before us. Our accomplishments cannot be traced back to the work and vision of one person or one unit. We work and struggle together and by association,” he discloses.
Perfecting Perfection
The DLSU System, now on its 94th year, may have become one of the driving forces in the realm of education but years at being at the top is not a reason to rest on its laurels and drown in its own sea of pride.
According to Luistro, institutions that are 93 year-old or so “tend to become victims of their own successes and they begin to stagnate.” Wise organizations should continue to adapt, learn and change. And with the current situation that the country is facing, schools and teachers at that should more than ever take note of the transformative roles that they play in bringing forth genuine social development, not just transforming others but also transforming the nation.
“We cannot deny that the heart of La Sallian education resides in the heart of the teacher. The single most important activity that determines the success and failure of any educational venture can be observed in the classroom. We should focus then on the special role of the faculty in ensuring that the battle against poverty, exclusion and ignorance is fought daily in class.”
Issuing a challenge not only to faculty members but also to the co-academic staff, Luistro emphasizes the need to constantly improve the quality of service.
“None of us must pass the opportunity to give ourselves without reserve to those who come to our halls.”
Serving the young
President Luistro, who unofficially began his work on the first day of April this year, succeeding Dr. Carmelita Quebengco, who served as interim president, views his appointment as yet another challenge and another avenue for him to serve the young, which is closest to his heart. In fact, knowing full well the significance of his investiture, he made sure that a big number of the attendees would be the students for it is for them that he offers all his talents, energies and love, ensuring a better and brighter future for them.
“If there is any sector in the academic community that I do not wish to fail, it is definitely the young entrusted to our care. I can fail in many things except in my role as a Brother who makes his own ‘the joys and the hopes, the grief and the anxieties’ of the young. In them, I find the reason to make real Ninoy Aquino’s conviction that the Filipino is worth dying for.”
He may be young and yes, he may have yet to prove himself but newly appointed president Armin Luistro does not need much to show that he is indeed a man of consequence, a man of dignity and principle, a man capable of achieving great things and reaching greater heights.
The face of the educated
Amidst the roaring storm that threatened to put her little make-shift classroom to its grave, she sat there, eyes transfixed at the rickety blackboard while her notebook dripped with droplets from the dilapidated pawid ceiling. With her mud-sludge shoes squeaking with each step, perhaps protesting from having to cross kilometers of flooded rice fields that morning, she stood in front of her classmates and recited with such eagerness and lilt to her voice that it managed to drown the howls of the winds.
It was the face of the educated.
And though she, in her eight years of life, may not yet know what education is nor be able to spell it out all by herself she defines what the learned man should be— dedicated, eager to learn and diligent in her strivings. She may not be able to say “educated” with that special twang that students of privileged schools are so used to nor could she read or write as fast as she may want to, but she could if she tried hard enough… if she were only given the chance.
A SERIES OF CHANCES
When Coca-Cola executives first chanced upon a multi-grade school in Masbate, the scene that greeted them was of utmost desolation that the experience wrought a mark in their hearts.
“It was really poor, poorer than what we have seen in Malasa and in Catigaacan,” relates Cecilia Alcantara, president of the Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines, Inc. (CCFPI). The classrooms, she added, were in pretty bad shape and the students, though already advanced in years, still have difficulty reading.
Moved by what they have witnessed, CCFPI wasted no time in giving a semblance of hope for students in the rural areas.
“If you want to make a difference in the long term, you must give your people quality education. Education empowers people to think for themselves and make sound decisions. It also gives them the capabilities for livelihood opportunities,” she says.
Elementary education is especially important because only a small percentage of the students continue on to high school. The number of dropouts, in fact, starts increasing by fourth grade.
“Rather than send them to school, parents prefer them to help at the farm and at home,” comments Jocelyn Granadozo, mother of a seven-year-old studying in Catigaacan Primary School in Brgy. Aglipay, San Jose, Tarlac, the 53rd Little Red Schoolhouse turned over to DepEd.
And who could blame them? Sending a kid to school is not something that you could achieve in a flick of a hand.
“Imbes na kainin namin o ibenta, nagbibigay kami ng tatlong kaing ng palay bilang pambayad sa mga sumusundo sa mga anak namin. Ang layo ng susunod na paaralan dito. Masaya nga kami at sa wakas nagkaroon na rin dito ng Grade 5 and 6. Ngayon, puede na naming pandagdag sa aming kakainin yung tatlong kaing na iyon,” she reveals.
And those who do not have 1,250 pesos worth of rice will have to travel several kilometers everyday just to learn a few letters of the alphabet and some mathematical operations.
“Ang haba talaga ng nilalakad nila lalo na yung mga batang nakatira sa mga lugar na hindi nadadaanan ng sasakyan. Yung iba bumababa pa galing sa mga bundok,” discloses Fe Lumboy, a mother of a grade five pupil studying in Malasa Elementary School, another recipient of the Little Red Schoolhouse Project.
It is even harder during the rainy season as some of the students have to cross rice fields, risking life and limb just to get to their classes on time.
“Mahalaga sa amin ang mapag-aral namin ang aming mga anak. Mahirap lang kami. Siyempre, gusto namin na magkaroon sila ng magandang kinabukasan. Iyan lang maibibigay naming sa kanila. Wala na,” she maintains.
THE PLIGHT OF THE TEACHERS
Perhaps no one could greatly affect the lives of these children than the one that serves as a role model and a second parent in those six years of tutelage. And if there is anyone who so richly deserves to be called hero, it is these teachers, who slaved the whole day, dedicating their whole lives in building a future not only for the children, not only for the community but for the whole country.
The multi-grade system brings a new definition to the word slave. Not only are they in charge of teaching the three basic subjects, they are also tasked to teach two or more grade levels and take care of the day to day school operations. In Malasa, only two teachers are in charge for all the six grade levels. They go from one class to another, sometimes holding them simultaneously just to teach these children to read and to write.
“Ang hirap. Magtuturo ako sa grade one tapos bibigyan ko sila ng seatwork. Lilipat naman ako sa kabila at doon naman ako magtuturo. Noon, iisa lang yung gamit naming blackboard kaya lalong mas magulo,” expresses Lisa, the teacher in Catigaacan.
Seeing this need for additional teachers, CCFPI has already requested the DepEd to assign teachers in the Little Red Schoolhouses that they have constructed.
“Achieving quality education does not only rest on the structure or the equipment. We also need to develop the teachers,” enthuses Alcantara.
In addition to the building, the desks and chairs and the school supplies, CCFPI also provides seminars for the teachers to train them in the multi-grade system.
“A lot of these teachers have no in-depth training in the system. They only learn as they go along,” she affirms.
TRANSFORMING PEOPLE, TRANSFORMING COMMUNITIES
More than the bricked walls that hold the school upright or the roof that offers shelter from the coming storms, the Little Red Schoolhouse, more than anything else, opens the door to possibilities that were previously under lock and key. It offers a quality education that most have thought was out of reach.
“Hindi mo talaga matatawaran yung saya ng mga magulang, lalo na ng mga bata. Excited na sila na gamitin yung bago nilang mga gamit,” relates Cecilia Tayug, one of the teachers in Malasa. The children, according to her, are more motivated to study. They have a joie de vivre that was not there before.
It is probably not the structure itself that is important, but what each brick, each desk stands for— a second chance.
“These people, all they need is someone to believe in them. You will marvel at what hope could do to people and to communities. If you believe in yourself, you are able to do more,” ends Alcantara.
And perhaps that iota of a chance is what differentiates that beggar on the streets from those behind their desks in Makati and Ortigas. Who is the educated then? Is it Rizal? Is it the man begging in front of the Quiapo Church? Is it you? Is it this writer? Education, in its truest sense, could not be defined in just a piece of paper. It springs from the heart, from the soul. We are all educated. All we need is a chance.
