‘Florante at Laura’ exhibition at 1/Of Gallery

Florante at Laura, an exhibition inspired by the epic poem of Francisco Baltazar (also known as Balagtas) of the same title, will be shown at 1/Of Gallery in Shops at Serendra, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, from July 20 to 31, 2008.

Celebrating the visual arts and literature, the exhibition features 22 figurative paintings inspired by different sections of the literary masterpiece and a sculptural introductory piece, all based on the edition edited by National Artist for Literature Virgilio Almario.

The artworks, reflecting a variety of styles, were made by Mark Arcamo, Buen Calubayan, Caña, Salvador J. Ching, Convocar, Marc Cosico, Cris Cruz, Leonilo Doloricon, Egai Talusan Fernandez, Alfred Galvez, Juan Sajid Imao, Jon Jaylo, Jerome Malic, Wilfredo Offemaria Jr., Vincent Padilla, Jonathan Rañola, Laya Roman, Don Salubayba, Fernando Sena, Rex Tatlonghari, Roger “Rishab” Tibon, Inna Vitasa and Janice Liuson Young.

The exhibit was first staged during the Komedya Fiesta 2008 1^st National Festival in February at the University of the Philippines Jorge B. Vargas Museum.

Meanwhile, the UP Diliman Chancellor’s Office, under Chancellor Sergio S. Cao, has just published a UP Centennial edition of Florante at Laura which will be available at 1/Of Gallery. The full-color, softbound book features a reconstruction of the Balagtas text by Almario, an English translation by poet Marne Kilates and all the artworks featured in the exhibition.

In the book’s introduction, Cao says that the UP Centennial edition of Florante at Laura is not only a tribute to its acclaimed author, but is also an offering meant to broaden the appreciation for a Filipino classic.

“Indeed, there is no better way to mark a university’s one hundred years of history in molding young minds than by honoring one of the country’s most enduring literary legacies. This book will certainly help us rediscover Balagtas. It is sure to deepen our interest in a celebrated masterpiece and make us realize how one man’s work can transcend the ages and inspire people of another lifetime,” notes Cao.

Almario, who is also the dean of the UP College of Arts and Letters, calls Balagtas the “First Filipino Poet”, claiming that the latter – through Florante at Laura – demonstrated a  poet’s power. For the first time, notes Almario, a poet dared to challenge his readers (in the exhortation “Sa Babasa Nito”) to carefully consider his written words because these would be of immense use to them. “In a way, Balagtas broke free from the shackles of colonialism and paved the way towards freedom for the likes of Rizal, Bonifacio and many generations of contemporary poets,” Almario points out.

            For more details, call 901-3152.

Happy Mondays Poetry Nights XXII @ mag:net cafe Katips

Happy Mondays Poetry Nights XXII @ mag:net cafe Katips Start:     
    Jul 21, ‘08 7:00p
Location:      
mag:net cafe katipunan

featured readers for the 32nd installment of the Happy Mondays Poetry Nights @ mag:net cafe Katipunan are as follows:

1. Emong De Borja
2. Kris Lacaba
3. Waps San Diego
4. Karen Capco
5. Enuh Iglesias
6. Marie La Viña
7. Adam David
8. Pocholo Goitia
9. Mia Tijam
10. Drey Teran
11. Jonar Sabilano
12. Keith Cortez
13. Chingbee Cruz
14. Khavn Dela Cruz
15. Angelo Suarez

plus other guest poets and regulars. please bring your stuff for the open mic.

rakenrol begins at 10pm with the music of (dyandyararannn! )

Carnival
Taggu Ndios
Chongkeys
Dissent

FREE ADMISSION the whole evening. This Happy Mondays installment with be hosted by Gabe Mercado.

Catch Happy Mondays every 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month.  Mag:Net Katipunan is located at  335 Agcor Building, Katipunan Avenue, Loyola Heights, Quezon City (in front of Miriam College.) For details or inquiries, visit http://happymondays poetry.multiply. com/  or 929-31-91 or email magnetgalleries@ gmail.com or bien@bannedmoviespilipinas.com

East Asia Congress Photo Contest- "The Coast, The Ocean, My Community"

PEMSEA and HP Philippines presentthe East Asia Congress 2009 Regional Photo Contest. The Contest theme is “The
Coast, The Ocean, My Community,” which can be photographs that demonstrate local
actions/implementat ion and good practices in sustainable coastal and ocean
protection, development and management. The Contest aims to generate awareness
on local and national ocean-, coastal-, environment- related initiatives of each
country and increase participation of the communities with these
activities.

The Contest has three categories:
Youth, Hobbyist and Professional. One grand prizewinner will be chosen from each
category who will each receive an HP F4185 Printer and a complimentary
registration to attend the EAS Congress 2009 with airfare and accommodation. .
Winning entries will be published in the 2010 PEMSEA Calendar together with
other entries.

The contest is open to nationals of
the East Asian region. Photos must be high-quality prints or digital files and
can be in color or black & white. There is no limit on the number of entries
an entrant can send in. Entries must include the entrant’s name, contact
details, and the date and location of the
photograph.

Entries may either be submitted
online through http://www.pemsea. org/eascongress, or sent
to:

The EAS Congress 2009
Secretariat
P.O. Box
2502 Quezon City 1165
Philippines
Telephone: +63 (2)
9292992
Fax: +63 (2) 9269712
Email: congress@pemsea. org

Deadline: All entries must be
received by 31 December 2008.

For more information, please visit
www.pemsea.org/ eascongress

Your support and participation will
make the EAS Congress 2009 Regional Photo Contest a successful event - have fun
and click away!

Warm
regards,

The EAS Congress 2009
Secretariat

Details of the contest can be downloaded here: http://www.pemsea. org/eascongress/ section-support- files/contest_ form.pd

AGIMAT - a Website for Filipino Artists

The Philippines takes pride in its enormously talented and artistic people. Artists in the Philippines are everywhere; they also excel in
their fields of existence but only few are known to the general
public. There are those who are marketed by big studios and media
networks and there are also independent artists who despite being new
to the scene possess great talent and potential. Mainstream or
independent, these artists lack the support that would showcase their
talent and works to the broad general public here and abroad through
the new media – the internet.

Even the well known Filipino talents have limited information both in
the internet and printed publications, one need to search intensely
to find the information that you need. Overwhelmed by the talents
that surround us, Anino Design with the help of DAKILA - Philippine
Collective for Modern Heroism started to create an advocacy project
that will support, market and promote the talents and art works of
Filipinos.

For the past 3 years, the “Agimat Project” focused on freely helping
independent artists (indie musicians, indie filmmakers, indie visual
artists, etc.) promote their works online. On our 3rd Anniversary, we
would broaden our reach to all kinds of artists, either mainstream or
independent artists in the different fields of art.

“Agimat: Sining at Kulturang Pinoy” pledges to create a rich content
artist’s database and ultimate resource material for artist
information.

The “Agimat Project” envisions educating Filipinos on our rich
cultural heritage and introducing them to the bountiful Filipinos
artists of the new millennium. Thus, “Agimat Project” shall provide a
rich content artist’s database and make it as the ultimate resource
material for artist information.

Ushering a new phase in the development of Filipino art and culture,
the Agimat Project dubbed as Agimat: Sining at Kulturang Pinoy
Website will be launched on July 31, 2008, Thursday at the Access
Point Bar, Scout Borromeo, Quezon City.

The Launch will kick off with a press conference of Anino Design, its
partner organizations for the project and artists supporting the
initiative. The Launch will also feature various artistic
performances. At the same time, the Launch will also serve as a fund
raising campaign for the medical needs of talented musician and well-
loved colleague, Susan Fernandez, who is battling cancer. Another
highlight of the launch will be the showing of the 46-artist
collaborative anthem Kaya Mong Maging DAKILA music video.

A computer will be set up during the event to store portfolios,
images and works that artists may submit for their database
information.

Thus, we call on ALL FILIPINO ARTISTS to submit their profile, their
band or artist organization’ s profile, pictures or sample works so
that we could include it in the database.

Agimat shall be the Filipino artists’ talisman to usher them to
greater heights into making Filipino artistry and talent known not
only to the international scene but also, more importantly to the
Filipino people.

For inquiries, please call Rivac Gonzales at 927-0956, send an SMS to
0921-9600352, email info@agimat. net, or visit www.agimat.net. You may
also get in touch with DAKILA at 09054292539 or email
dakila.philippines@ yahoo.com

For donations and contributions to help Susan Fernandez for her
battle against cancer, you may also get in touch with DAKILA.

Admission to the Agimat Project Launch is free!

Invitation to Una’s Unang Exhibit

UGNAYAN ng NAGKAKAISANG ARTISTA (UNA Cultural Alliance)

in cooperation with the

College of Arts and Letter Student Council

 invites you to UNA’s Relaunching Exhibit

 THE SUPERMARKET OF IDEALS

How to Package the Desires of Capital and Sell the Dramas of the State

 July 15-25, 2008

FC Galleria 1-2, UP Diliman, Quezon City

 Participating Organizations

SINAGBAYAN (Sining na Naglilingkod sa Bayan)

ASTERISK

Alay Sining

Artist’s Circle Fraternity and Sorority

SILIP (Sining at Lipunan)

Center for Nationalist Studies (CNS)

CONTEND (Congress of Teachers for National Democracy)

PHILIPPINE ART NOW - Book Launching

UNANG LETRA PUBLISHING, INC.cordially invites you to the launching of

PHILIPPINE ART NOW
 by MANUEL D. DULDULAO

Wednesday
JULY 23,2008
 6:00pm

ECCA
EXHIBITION CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY ART
Ground Floor,Chateau Verde Business Center
Valle Verde I , Gate 2 , C-5 , Pasig City

SEE YOU !

Igan D’Bayan at The Crucible Gallery

Visual artist Igan D’Bayan mounts his third solo exhibit titled “Studies in Unnatural Histories,” which opens on July 15, Tuesday, 6 p.m., at The Crucible Gallery, fourth floor, SM Megamall A, Mandaluyong City, Philippines. The show is on view until Aug. 3. The goal of the artist is to capture a sense of “nostalgia for a past that never happened.” “Unnatural Histories” deals with the weird and idiosyncratic way Filipinos approach history, science and religion — a Pre-Apocalypse look at a Post-Colonial country. The show is about Philippine history as a quirky circus and about the ringleaders of the tormented.
For information, call Chari Elinzano or Inas Amoyo of Crucible Gallery at 635-6061.

Komentaryo sa “Batang Langoy” Episode ng I-Witness

ni Rommel Delfin

(Purong opinyon lang ito ng nagsulat, matapos mapanood ang I-witness)

Ang midya ay nagsisilbing avenue ng mga bata para makamit ang oportunidad na makapag-express.  Nagiging lugar din ito para maipaabot ng mga bata ang kanilang mga hinaing sa mga kinauukulang tanggapan lalo na’t kung may kinakaharap silang mga lehitimong isyung pambatang may kaugnayan sa kanilang karapatan, o ang kawalan nito.  At dahil sa kapangyarihan ng midyang abutin ang atensyon ng pinakamalawak na bilang ng mamamayan sa isang bansa o lugar, otomatikong masasabing napakalaki ng tulong na naibibigay ng midya sa mga bata.

Kaya?

Kagyat na namuo sa isipan ko ang isang-katagang katanungang ito nang mapanood ko ang dokumentaryong “Batang Langoy” ng I-Witness na ilinabas nitong Hulyo 7 (Hulyo 8 ng madaling-araw) .

Bagamat nauunawaan kong ang layunin ng presentasyon ay maipakita ang nakalulungkot na kalagayan ng mga bata sa isang bayan ng Iloilo, hindi ko maiwasang magkamot ng ulo sa ilang mga butas na nasilip ko. (Ang dokumentaryo ay tungkol sa isang grupo ng mga bata sa isang isla sa Iloilo na nag-aaral sa isang paaralan sa mainland.  Hinahatid sila ng bangka sa umaga pero sa hapon, pag walang sundo, lumalangoy na lang sila pabalik sa kanilang isla na mahigit isang kilometro lang naman ang layo mula sa pampang ng mainland.)

1.       ‘Scripted’ na pagpapalangoy sa mga bata.  Sa set-up pa lang, halata na ang ‘scripted’ na pagpapalangoy sa mga bata.  Habang pinapanood ko ang bahaging lumangoy na ang mga bata pauwi, di ko maiwasang magtanong kung bakit naatim ng mga taga-GMA na palanguyin pa ang mga bata gayong pwede naman silang pasakayin.  Ang ganitong aksyon ay masasabing isang porma rin ng eksploytasyon.  Hindi rin naman nila pwedeng sabihin na pinasakay nila sa kanilang bangka ang mga bata pagkatapos nilang makakuha ng ilang shots, dahil wala silang explicit  claim ng ganito sa buong takbo ng dokumentaryo.  Ang ganitong porma ng presentasyon ay nauna nang ginawa ng lokal na tim ng GMA sa Iloilo City, kung saan ang naging narrator/presentor naman ay si Bb. Charlene Belvis.  Halos walang pinagka-iba ang presentasyon ng tim ni Jay Taruc.

Kung gagawa rin lang naman sila ng “presentasyon” sana eh yun yung opening nila.  Inabangan sana nila sa gitna ng dagat ang mga bata na lumalangoy, dun sila nanguha ng shots at pagkalapit ng mga bata sa kanilang bangka eh saka nila pinasakay at sabay na silang umuwi sa lugar ng mga bata para pormal na makipag-usap sa mga tao sa kanila, at sa mga magulang ng mga bata, at pormal na umpisahan ang kanilang pananaliksik para sa kanilang dokumentaryo.  Magiging katanggap-tanggap pa ang ganito dahil masasabing lehitimo ang mga kuha, at ang mga aksyon ng mga bata, at kung gayo’y hindi ‘scripted’ na kuha lamang(bagamat totoo namang ginagawa ito ng mga bata, tinatawag ko pa ring scripted ang shots na nakuha nila Taruc dahil wala na sa katangiang “natural/normal” (in a sense na regular itong ginagawa ng mga bata kung walang sundo)).  Mapapangibabawan na ito ng ideya na, lumangoy ang mga bata nung hapong iyon dahil kukunan sila ng video ng tim ni Taruc(at ni Belvis noon).

2.       Ang claim ng narrator (Taruc) na “… agad kaming naki-angkas…”  Ang mga katagang ito ay namutawi sa bibig ni Taruc nung ipinapakita na niya sa mga manonood na may nasalubong na masamang kalagayan ng panahon ang mga bata sa kanilang “paglangoy” pauwi.  Pinasakay nila ang mga bata.  Mabuti. Pero.

Ang claim ni Taruc na “kami” ay hindi nasuportahan ng mga kasunod nilang video clips.  Matapos niyang banggitin ang mga naturang kataga, makikita sa mga susunod na clip si Taruc (sa pampang na) na nakasuot ng jacket at may back-pack pang naka-suknong sa kanyang likod na walang indikasyon ng pagkabasang dulot ng paglangoy sa dagat.

Bakit may lumabas na “kami”?  Dahil ba sa nagawang sumabay ni Taruc sa mga gawain ng kanyang mga unang subject sa mga una niyang dokumentaryo eh, papalabasin nila sa “Batang Langoy” na sumabay ding lumangoy si Taruc?

Napakalaking paglabag ito sa etika ng pamamahayag.  Masasabi ngang isa itong attempt na makapanloko.  At sa kalibre ni Taruc, imposible ring sabihing di niya napansin ang error na yun.

3.       Hinggil sa “health and welfare” ng mga bata.  Kung ang pagpapabaya ng mga magulang ng mga bata na palanguyin silang mag-isa pabalik, kahit pa may dahilan sila (wala silang bangkang pag-aaari na magagamit), ay napakalaking paglabag na sa karapatan ng mga bata sa kalusugan at sa ligtas na pamumuhay, paano pa kaya ang pagpapalangoy ng mga taga-GMA sa mga ito para lang makakuha ng materyal na gagamitin sa dokumentaryo( kaya ko nasabing “pinalangoy” ng GMA ang mga bata, kahit pa walang ganitong lantad na panghihikayat mula sa panig ng tim ni Taruc, kasi, present ang motibo, swak din ang oras sa paglangoy ng mga bata, ibig sabihin sa punto de bista ng mga bata, alam na nilang lalangoy sila dahil kukunan sila.  Kapansin-pansin din na sa araw ng shoot, hindi sinundo ang mga bata ng kanilang magulang, samantalang ang natural na gagawin ng mga magulang, para kahit papaano e mapagtakpan ang kanilang kapabayaan sa harap ng kamera, e susunduin ang mga bata at iiiwas sila sa kamera dahil silang mga magulang din naman ang mapapahiya.) ?  Kahit pa sabihing may medical tim na nakaantabay o sasakyang naka-antabay, kwestyunable pa rin para sa akin ang naging porma ng tim ni Taruc sa pagkalap ng mga kakailanganin niyang materyal para sa naturang dokumentaryo. 

4.       Objective ng dokumentaryo.  Bitin ang dokumentaryo, lalo na sa bahagi ng paghahanap na ng solusyon sa  naipresenta nilang kalagayan ng mga bata.  Nabigo ang dokumentaryong katukin ang mga nararapat na tanggapan para mapabilis ang solusyong kinakailangan ng kanilang subject.  Sa puntong ito(sa punto de bista ng mga manonood), di na masyadong mahalaga ang behind the scene na pangakong suporta ng tim ni Taruc o ng GMA mismo sa mga pamilya ng bata.  Ang importante ay kung ano ang nakikita ng manonood na direksyon ng naturang presentasyon.  (After all, ang dokumentaryo e ginawa para sa mga manonood, para abutin ang mga manonood, para engganyuhin ang mga manonood na makibahagi at maging bahagi.)  Kung pamilyar kayo sa mga dokumentaryo ni Michael Moore (Bowling with Columbine, Sicko atbpa), ganun ang kanyang ginagawa.

Nabigo ang tim ni Taruc na maipakita sa publiko (viewers) kung ano ang kongkreto at pangmatagalang sagot ng mga pambansang tanggapan ng pamahalaan sa kalagayan ng mga bata.  Ang tangi nilang nainterbyu ay ang mga guro at ang tagapamahala ng pamahalaang bayan na halos wala namang nai-sugest na maganda at posibleng solusyon.  Hindi ko rin tuloy maiwasang mag-isip na baka may tinatarget lang na emosyon ang presentasyon ni Taruc.  Kung kaninong emosyon, hindi na rin nasabi ng kanyang dokumentaryo.

Dahil sa tumitinding krisis, tila baga tumitindi na rin ang komersyalisasyon ng dati nang komersyalisadong midya.  Naway hindi magamit ang mga bata para lang sa mga gawaing profiteering ng iilang nakikinabang, na maaaring magresulta sa pagkabaluktot ng mga balita o ng mga tagapag-balita.

Sana’y di na ito maulit pang muli.

 (3:09am)

VOLUNTEERS.MOV08

   Got Skills? Got Time? Come Join The Revolution!It’s the 3rd .MOV International Digital Film Festival!
This year, .MOV the first digital film festival in the Philippines , will run simultaneously in Bacolod and Manila , with satellites in Dumaguete, Iloilo and Cebu .

Watch out this September to October 2008!
 
If you are interested in helping out in the festival, send your resume to dotMov@gmail. com and we will call back within the week for interviews.

Open to full time and part time shifts.

 Thank you very much.
.MOV05

http://www.movfest. com/old_index. htm

 .MOV02

http://members. tripod.com/ indieyo/mov/ mov.htm