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)
