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REVIEW: ‘KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON’ Pure cinematic delight
The plot of Killers of the Flower Moon is rather simple: the shocking true story of the series of mysterious deaths of Native Americans from 1910s to 1930s in the oil-rich Osage Nation in Oklahoma. Called the “Reign of Terror,” this horrific period in American history is marked by the uninvestigated murders of the Osage tribe — the richest people in the world per capita at the time due to the vast deposits of oil found in their reservation. As black gold richly flows in their land, white men descend into the territory and begin to systematically murder the Osage tribe to steal their oil money, or headrights. Greed takes the form of grisly, nonchalant murders, compounded by racial injustice. Director Martin Scorsese takes us to Fairfax 1920s, where one such greedy white man, Ernest Buckhart (Leonardo DiCaprio) arrives in the Osage county from a non-combatant role in World War I. His guts destroyed in the war, he seeks a job from his uncle, King Bill (Robert de Niro), the powerful boss in the area and the mastermind behind the Osage killings but pretending to be a “friend to the Osage.” King Bill tells his nephew to marry a beautiful Osage woman, Mollie (Lily Gladstone) in a scheme to get her headrights. The movie focuses on the “love story” of Ernest and Mollie, and how Mollie is slowly poisoned to death. The colossal running time (3.5 hours) is barely felt. This epic revisionist Western drama is a visual spectacle and should be seen on the big screen to experience Scorsese’s glorious cinematic vision. Scorsese adapted David Grann’s 2017 bestselling non-fiction book on this grim chapter in American history. I haven’t read Grann’s book, but research revealed that it’s chiefly a detective story, with the murders viewed from the lens of the newly formed Bureau of Investigation (now the FBI) headed by Tim White. In The Irish Times interview with Scorsese, the director shared that he and co-writer Eric Roth initially wrote a script that was faithful to the book, with Scorsese’s muse, Leonardo DiCaprio, set to play White. But two years into the writing process, DiCaprio made a suggestion that completely overhauled the script, shifting the focus to Ernest (DiCaprio’s modified role) and Mollie. Lacking momentum The script often feels like it lacks momentum and depth, reducing Ernest and King Bill, and even Jesse Plemons as White, to stock characters. Roth is known for overhyped shallow films such as The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Forrest Gump and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, so he’s partly to blame for the lack of insight into the psychology of the film’s fascinating characters. Plemons came in too late into the show, nearly in the third hour. The film feels like it took its leisurely time to establish the greed and the machinations of the non-threatening King Bill, then realized it is getting too long and finally crammed the investigations into the last hour. Punctuated with dark humor, the movie is crafted to entertain rather than to appeal to our sympathy. This feels rather conflicting and mildly disturbing, as the Osage, victims of greedy white men, and whose story is just now spreading into public consciousness, are merely the sideshow. If they were robbed back then, this film also robs them of central attention, choosing to focus instead on their killers, particularly DiCaprio, with a strong supporting role from Gladstone’s Mollie. The Osage are also depicted as gullible and helpless, and we often crave to understand what goes on in their minds, which the movie does not really provide us. But Scorsese’s films have always been from the POV of the criminals, and the title says it all — so perhaps it is unfair to expect a different narrative. Compelling vision Thankfully, Scorsese, despite the oftentimes frustrating script, manages to redeem the entire film with his compelling vision, orchestrating pure cinematic delight with the film’s stunning cinematography, production design and costume. Despite the focus on the killers, he still redeems the Osage by showcasing, with reverence, their culture and pantheistic religion — their belief in the invisible world of Wah-kon-tah and eventual blend with Christianity. The era’s racism and greed are also profoundly felt in the movie — from the white guardians that controlled the Osage money, to the insurance frauds they were subjected to and, most chilling of all, the calm way the whites murdered the Native Americans, as if these people were mere nuisances. Di Caprio, with his fake sordid teeth, delivers, as always, a competent performance. But it is Gladstone, with her regal beauty and intelligent eyes, that truly shines in the film. Killers of the Flower Moon, despite its imperfections, triumphs in fully immersing the viewer in its story and putting the spotlight on an important chapter in American history. It reminds us that theaters are still a necessity for this kind of epic movie experience. 3.5 out of 5 stars/ In cinemas The post REVIEW: ‘KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON’ Pure cinematic delight appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Pure cinematic delight
The plot of Killers of the Flower Moon is rather simple: the shocking true story of the series of mysterious deaths of Native Americans from 1910s to 1930s in the oil-rich Osage Nation in Oklahoma. Called the “Reign of Terror,” this horrific period in American history is marked by the uninvestigated murders of the Osage tribe — the richest people in the world per capita at the time due to the vast deposits of oil found in their reservation. As black gold richly flows in their land, white men descend into the territory and begin to systematically murder the Osage tribe to steal their oil money, or headrights. Greed takes the form of grisly, nonchalant murders, compounded by racial injustice. Director Martin Scorsese takes us to Fairfax 1920s, where one such greedy white man, Ernest Buckhart (Leonardo DiCaprio) arrives in the Osage county from a non-combatant role in World War I. His guts destroyed in the war, he seeks a job from his uncle, King Bill (Robert de Niro), the powerful boss in the area and the mastermind behind the Osage killings but pretending to be a “friend to the Osage.” King Bill tells his nephew to marry a beautiful Osage woman, Mollie (Lily Gladstone) in a scheme to get her headrights. The movie focuses on the “love story” of Ernest and Mollie, and how Mollie is slowly poisoned to death. The colossal running time (3.5 hours) is barely felt. This epic revisionist Western drama is a visual spectacle and should be seen on the big screen to experience Scorsese’s glorious cinematic vision. Scorsese adapted David Grann’s 2017 bestselling non-fiction book on this grim chapter in American history. I haven’t read Grann’s book, but research revealed that it’s chiefly a detective story, with the murders viewed from the lens of the newly formed Bureau of Investigation (now the FBI) headed by Tim White. In The Irish Times interview with Scorsese, the director shared that he and co-writer Eric Roth initially wrote a script that was faithful to the book, with Scorsese’s muse, Leonardo DiCaprio, set to play White. But two years into the writing process, DiCaprio made a suggestion that completely overhauled the script, shifting the focus to Ernest (DiCaprio’s modified role) and Mollie. Lacking momentum The script often feels like it lacks momentum and depth, reducing Ernest and King Bill, and even Jesse Plemons as White, to stock characters. Roth is known for overhyped shallow films such as The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Forrest Gump and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, so he’s partly to blame for the lack of insight into the psychology of the film’s fascinating characters. Plemons came in too late into the show, nearly in the third hour. The film feels like it took its leisurely time to establish the greed and the machinations of the non-threatening King Bill, then realized it is getting too long and finally crammed the investigations into the last hour. Punctuated with dark humor, the movie is crafted to entertain rather than to appeal to our sympathy. This feels rather conflicting and mildly disturbing, as the Osage, victims of greedy white men, and whose story is just now spreading into public consciousness, are merely the sideshow. If they were robbed back then, this film also robs them of central attention, choosing to focus instead on their killers, particularly DiCaprio, with a strong supporting role from Gladstone’s Mollie. The Osage are also depicted as gullible and helpless, and we often crave to understand what goes on in their minds, which the movie does not really provide us. But Scorsese’s films have always been from the POV of the criminals, and the title says it all — so perhaps it is unfair to expect a different narrative. Compelling vision Thankfully, Scorsese, despite the oftentimes frustrating script, manages to redeem the entire film with his compelling vision, orchestrating pure cinematic delight with the film’s stunning cinematography, production design and costume. Despite the focus on the killers, he still redeems the Osage by showcasing, with reverence, their culture and pantheistic religion — their belief in the invisible world of Wah-kon-tah and eventual blend with Christianity. The era’s racism and greed are also profoundly felt in the movie — from the white guardians that controlled the Osage money, to the insurance frauds they were subjected to and, most chilling of all, the calm way the whites murdered the Native Americans, as if these people were mere nuisances. Di Caprio, with his fake sordid teeth, delivers, as always, a competent performance. But it is Gladstone, with her regal beauty and intelligent eyes, that truly shines in the film. Killers of the Flower Moon, despite its imperfections, triumphs in fully immersing the viewer in its story and putting the spotlight on an important chapter in American history. It reminds us that theaters are still a necessity for this kind of epic movie experience. 3.5 out of 5 stars/ In cinemas The post Pure cinematic delight appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Not a fan of Donald
With a parting shot at his former boss Donald Trump, General Mark Milley resigned as the top US military official on Friday. He said that no soldier had ever taken an oath to serve a “wannabe dictator.” On his final day as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Milley delivered a shocking reprimand that perfectly exemplified how the US military has been drawn into the increasingly combustible political landscape since the Trump administration. Milley did not specifically mention Trump during a lavish military ceremony for his leaving, but it was clear who he was criticizing. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and President Joe Biden were both present. Milley remarked of American soldiers “We don’t take an oath to a king, or queen, or a tyrant, or a dictator.” And we don’t swear an oath to a would-be autocrat. Air Force General Charles “CQ” Brown, the second African American to hold the position of chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will take Milley’s place. Milley, a barrel-chested army veteran with four decades of service, has held numerous high-level leadership positions and numerous foreign deployments. But he had his most difficult task when Trump gave him the career apex position of senior military advisor to the president in 2019. Milley oversaw the daunting withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, special operations in Syria, and a sizable program to support Ukraine in its valiant struggle against Russian invasion during a four-year term that will continue under Biden starting in 2021. Crisis after crisis Milley told AFP last month that during his tenure as chairman, “it was one crisis after another.” However, under Milley’s tenure at the head, the military became embroiled in an unusually high number of politicized incidents. Senior Republicans have regularly attacked what they allege are “woke” leftist practices inside the ranks, even as the Biden administration has pushed for measures such as renaming bases named after Confederate generals in the Civil War. And even that was not as dangerous as the delicate predicament Milley was in before and after the 2020 presidential election, when Trump, in a first-ever political nightmare for the United States, refused to concede loss. According to the book “Peril” by Bob Woodward, at the height of the crisis following the invasion of the US Capitol by Trump supporters on 6 January 2021, Milley discreetly called his Chinese counterpart to reassure Beijing that the US was “stable” and had no intention of attacking China. With AFP The post Not a fan of Donald appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
BARGE RAMOS: Exponent of modern Barong Tagalog
Barge Ramos was an Atenean who wanted to pursue a career in mass communication, for which he had ample academic preparation. An initial foray into media was an engagement at ABS-CBN with its studio located on Roxas Boulevard, a few strides away from the Ramos home in the old, genteel part of Pasay. Fate, however, took him to a different path. As a college student, he encouraged his female gangmates to have their dresses made in the shop of the then young and mod designer Christian Espiritu. “We would patronize him because we admired his approach to fashion. We would save our allowance to be able to go to him and order our outfits.” From patron-client relationship, Christian and Barge would become friends, and the designer who was very busy designing the ternos and gowns of then First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos, asked Barge if he was interested in joining his atelier as an apprentice. Barge accepted the offer and never looked back. A few weeks ago, Barge and I had dinner at Malate’s famed original Spanish restaurant, Casa Armas, where he gamely acquiesced to my unscheduled “interview” as I had realized that the Linggo ng Kasuotang Pilipino was forthcoming. This week then, as we celebrate Philippine costume, I am sharing with you my conversation with the gentleman couturier who dedicated his professional designing life to the preservation and continuous elevation of the Barong Tagalog as our national gentleman’s attire. Our conversation follows: DAILY TRIBUNE (DT): Coming from your apprenticeship with Christian Espiritu, tell me about how you got started on your own. BARGE RAMOS (BR): It was actually my friends who prodded me to open my first shop on Leon Guinto St. in Malate, several blocks away from Christian Espiritu’s atelier. Friends supported me as they were my first clients, plus a wedding job all at once. Being young and hopeful, I tried doing a few ready-to-wear lines for SM Makati and Cinderella, while maintaining a made-to-order client base. [caption id="attachment_190034" align="aligncenter" width="719"] BARGE Ramos[/caption] DT: What were your early projects involving indigenous Filipino costume? BR: In 1981, my fellow designers and I formed the Fashion Designers Association of the Philippines (FDAP), and for the two gala shows that year, we focused on Philippine-inspired fashion. I designed Barong-inspired tunics for women, photo silkscreened with t’nalak patterns and real t’nalak hip belts tied with gold like obi belts. Our honorary chairperson Imee Marcos bought a few of my pieces. Chairman of the board Ernest Santiago called me the next day, saying, “Barge, you’ve arrived.” DT: It’s interesting that you forged a creative path different from the other young designers. BR: That’s how I chose the path in my career, by finding new and newer ways of re-inventing the Barong Tagalog. As Joey Espino would tell in later years, “That’s your DNA.” I even did some cotton Barong Tunics for women, with matching loose cotton pants, an all-white collection, followed by a pastel-colored collection for SM Makati. DT: But you did not only focus on your designing. You also led some industry projects. You have done many things that other designers have not tried or even attempted to try. BR: The ‘80s and the ‘90s were my very active years in fashion. I became the third president of the FDAP and created “Bodyshots Modeling Competition,” originally an all-male competition in two levels, amateur and professional divisions. It was a big hit and it continued for several years with the FDAP at the helm. In 2008 I wrote a coffee table book, Pinoy Dressing Weaving Culture into Fashion, which was a condensed version of the fashion column I wrote for a Malaya newspaper, Pinoy Dressing, which ran for about three to four years. Anvil, the sister company of National Bookstore, published the book, which won a “Gintong Aklat” Award for the publisher. DT: How does one recognize a barong Tagalog by Barge Ramos? BR: I don’t have a signature Barge Ramos barong design, as my aesthetics have evolved through the years. A few years ago, Christian Espiritu told me, “You’re a good designer but you’re a late bloomer.” I really didn’t understand what he meant since Christian was always opinionated on everything. Perhaps he liked my later designs, comparing me to this and that designer. DT: Does designing run in your family? BR: There were two other designers among the Ramoses. One was Danilo Franco, whose father was a first cousin of my Dad. The second one was the late Boying Eustaquio, whose mother was my father’s sibling. DT: What has been your forte? What do you love creating? BR: We’ve made ternos and Barong tunics for women. As I’ve mentioned earlier, I did a line of ready-to-wear cotton Barong tunics and pants for SM Boutique Square in the ‘80s. DT: Any celebrity and VIP clients you are proud of? BR: We did several shirt jacks for the late President Ferdinand Marcos during the ‘80s. Imee Marcos, then an assemblywoman, bought a few of our barong tunics and skirts. We’ve done several barongs for Manny Pangilinan and former President Joseph Estrada, and then, when she was vice president, Gloria Arroyo. But most of our clients are very private persons, many of them businessmen, balikbayans and doctors. DT: How would you describe the evolution of the Filipiniana attire? BR: Filipiniana has always been there, but people mostly associated it with the rich and powerful in society. Nowadays, Filipiniana has seeped down to all levels of society and younger people are getting the hang of it and have interpreted it to fit their sub-culture. I’ve also observed that Filipinos living abroad appreciate it more, probably to assert their identity more in the face of other nationalities. DT: Finally, what can you say about the bolder, more imaginative interpretations of Filipiniana? BR: Fashion always has its quirks and oddities. Designers tend to push the limits and boundaries of Filipiniana in the attempt of creating contemporary looks and trends. One doesn’t have to “like” them but simply look at them and appreciate the designer’s creativity that went into them. Style is a matter of taste. But good taste can sometimes be difficult to ingrain in young minds. The post BARGE RAMOS: Exponent of modern Barong Tagalog appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Stitched in time: Likhang Habi Market Fair returns to weave through cultures
The 13th edition of the annual Likhang HABI Market Fair, organized by HABI: The Philippine Textile Council, is set to take place from 13 to 15 October at the Glorietta and Palm Drive Activity Center. This celebration, themed “Web of Woven Wonders,” promotes the Philippines’ rich textile legacy while embracing technology. [caption id="attachment_186369" align="aligncenter" width="1418"] A MASTER weaver from the Tagolwanen Women Weavers Association Inc.[/caption] Tradition and innovation “Web of Woven Wonders” pays homage to the World Wide Web, symbolizing the interconnectedness of people, places and textiles. The community is brought together via traditional fabrics and inventive weaves, Adelaida Lim, the former president of HABI, stressed, demonstrating their diversity and expert craftsmanship. “The way textiles tie and bind us to each other,” Lim said. “The country’s traditional textiles and the innovative weaves various groups of Filipinos have come up with are truly wonderful,” she added. “The diversity and beauty of finished products, and the consummate skill it took to make them are something we can all be proud of!” Designer Len Cabili, a strong advocate for traditional textiles and the woman behind Filip+Inna, praised HABI’s efforts in “pushing weaving into the forefront of Philippine culture.” Cabili highlighted how these textiles are a profound expression of the country’s culture and a testament to the “true value of handcrafted textiles and the unique processes” of its artisans. Following the challenges posed by the pandemic, the fair will host an impressive 72 vendors, including Creative Definitions, Ditta Sandico, Gifts and Graces and Ruyag PH, who represent numerous regional and cultural groups around the Philippines. The vendors will display a wide array of hand-woven products, including textiles, ready-to-wear clothes, bags, shoes, home accessories and furniture made from materials like piña, abaca and cotton. This year’s fair will occupy a bigger area, extending from the Glorietta Activity Center to the area in front of Palm Drive, to accommodate the expanding number of attendees. The current president of HABI, Mia Villanueva, emphasized the growth in participants and the association with local government organizations to promote their goods. [gallery columns="2" size="full" ids="186371,186372"] Embracing global threads As the nation’s de facto textile council, HABI encourages cooperation not only within the Philippines but also the ASEAN neighborhood. Since ASEAN nations are seen as vital sources of inspiration and ideas rather than rivals, the exhibition encourages exhibitors from their nations. Local designers have more options to this collaborative approach, which also allows them to absorb international best practices and experiences. Likhang HABI Market Fair is the climax of the year-round work that HABI has been doing since its founding in 2009. The show, which is sponsored by Ayala Land and the Ayala Foundation, gathers the finest handcrafted textiles, generating respectable employment possibilities and boosting sales for weavers across the Philippines. The fair is more than just a place to sell things; it’s also an opportunity to learn. HABI’s efforts include making documentaries called “The Threaded Traditions Series” about textiles from Panay Island, the Cordillera’s ikat and the Bagobo Tagabawa’s inabal. They’ve also published a book called Piña Futures: Weaving Memories and Innovations by Dr. Randy M. Madrid, edited by Felice Prudente Sta. Maria, which celebrates and explains the Philippines’ rich hand-weaving tradition. Paul Jatayna, an artist, will present a textile display this year that will focus on fresh and imaginative uses of textiles in an effort to draw in a younger audience. Weaving a sustainable future For the purpose of recognizing and developing the craft of hand-weaving, the fair also holds two weaving competitions: the second Eloisa Hizon Gomez Abaca Weaving Competition and the sixth annual Lourdes Montinola Pia Weaving Competition. Such events not only honor the best weavings but also promote creativity and the return of lost styles and techniques. HABI sets its sights on sustaining and advancing heritage fabrics made of locally grown natural fibers. As the 13th Likhang HABI Market Fair draws near, it stands as a celebration of history and creativity and ensures that hand-weaving and its place in the Philippines’ cultural fabric have a bright future. The post Stitched in time: Likhang Habi Market Fair returns to weave through cultures appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Rama, Hari’ gala is a cultural feast
Rama, Hari (Rama the King) returns to live stage, becoming one of the most anticipated cultural events of the year. Produced by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, in partnership with the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the ballet and musical had its gala at the rehabilitated Manila Metropolitan Theater on 15 September. Aside from the show itself, there were a lecture and a small tiangge (bazaar), affording the audience a fuller experience and a deeper appreciation of the ballet, as well as the source material, the Sanskrit epic Ramayana. Also an initiative in line with the recently signed Philippines-Indonesia Memorandum of Understanding on Cultural Cooperation and the Philippines-India Cultural Exchange Program, the lecture, “Perspectives: Understanding Ramayana, The Great Epic of Asia,” was held in the early afternoon at the Metropolitan Theater Ballroom, tackling the impacts and different interpretations of Ramayana not only in India but also in Southeast Asia. Speakers were Agus Widjojo, ambassador of Indonesia to the Philippines; Shambu Kumaran, ambassador of India to the Philippines; and Dr. Marilyn Canta, retired professor from the University of the Philippines in Diliman. [caption id="attachment_185911" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Indian Ambassador Shambu Kumaran, Dr. Marilyn Canta, NCCA chairman Ino Manalo and Indonesian Ambassador Agus Widjojo. | Photograph by Roel Hoang Manipon[/caption] The Hindu epic, said to date back as early as the mid-eighth century BCE, is a much beloved work and has many versions in Southeast Asia. Its influence is very much evident in Indonesia, where the epic has a version written in old Javanese, called the Kakawin Ramayana. The Prambanan, the ninth-century Hindu temple compound, has bas-reliefs depicting scenes from the epic, and the Ramayana Ballet is regularly performed up to this day. In the Philippines, the Meranaw people of Mindanao has a folk story derived from Ramayana, “Maharadia Lawana,” which was adapted into an hours-long, modern theatrical showcase for the Budayaw: The BIMP-EAGA Festival of Cultures in 2017. On the other hand, the tiangge, at the Hardin ng Ekspresyon, the west courtyard of the theater, had booths offering Indian food, spices and home decors. Fashion brand Plains & Prints also set up a corner featuring their latest collection featuring heritage sites in collaboration with photographer Mark Nicdao. On the other hand, the tiangge, at the Hardin ng Ekspresyon, the west courtyard of the theater, had booths offering Indian food, spices and home decors. Fashion brand Plains & Prints also set up a corner featuring their latest collection featuring heritage sites in collaboration with photographer Mark Nicdao. Audience members started arriving at six. The first-timers to the theater explored and took photographs of the different corners. Illustrious guests were led by National Artists Virgilio S. Almario, Benedicto “BenCab” Cabrera, Ricky Lee and Agnes Locsin, as well as cultural agency heads, National Archives of the Philippines executive director and NCCA chairman Victorino Mapa Manalo, National Museum of the Philippines director Jeremy R. Barns and Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino chairman Arthur P. Casanova. Also in the audience were theater and cinema scholar Nicanor Tiongson, professor and researcher Galileo Zafra, actor and satirist Mae Paner, actor Menchu Lauchengco Yulo, talent manager Noel Ferrer, theater critic Amadis Maria Guerrero, Manila Vice Mayor Yul Servo, chef Gelo Guison and designer Barge Ramos. Aika Robredo, the eldest daughter of former Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo, also enjoyed the show. [caption id="attachment_185913" align="aligncenter" width="525"] The wedding of Rama and Sita.[/caption] Her mother graced a rehearsal on 6 September, especially invited by Rama, Hari choreographer and director, National Artist Alice Reyes and composer, National Artist Ryan Cayabyab. On 7 September, Robredo enthused on Facebook: “Yesterday, we, together with some local artists from Naga, trooped to the Metropolitan Theater in Manila to watch their first full stage rehearsal and we were stunned. They were not in costumes yet and the stage design was not even mounted yet but the entire production left us breathless and speechless!! It is the best of Philippine Dance and Music.” She encouraged everyone not to miss “the only collaboration that features the masterful works of five National Artists.” Aside from Reyes and Cayabyab, the other National Artists involved in the production are the late Bienvenido Lumbera, who wrote the lyrics and libretto; Salvador Bernal, who designed the stage and costumes; and Rolando Tinio, who translated it to English. They were not yet declared National Artists when the production by Ballet Philippines premiered on 8 February 1980 at CCP’s Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo. The original staging featured Nonoy Froilan, Basil Valdez, Kuh Ledesma, Leo Valdez and Edna Vida. Rama, Hari was not restaged until 2012, starring Christian Bautista, Karylle Tatlonghari, Richardson Yadao and Katherine Trofeo. It won 14 Philstage Gawad Buhay awards. An adaptation was mounted in 1999, called Rama, Hari, Rama at Sita, The Musical, featuring Ariel Rivera and Lani Misalucha as performers, directed by Leo Rialp and choreographed by Locsin. The music was composed by Cayabyab and Danny Tan, and the lyrics written by Roy Iglesias and Dodjie Simon, based on Lumbera’s book. Rama, Hari was planned to be the closing production of Ballet Philippines’ 50th season in March 2020, but was canceled when lockdowns were imposed because of the coronavirus pandemic. When Reyes established her own dance company in 2022, the Alice Reyes Dance Philippines, Rama, Hari became one of its cherished projects. [caption id="attachment_185909" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Energetic dancing by Alice Reyes Dance Philippines. | Photographs courtesy of Teddy Pelaez[/caption] Reyes put both dancers and singers on the same stage, interpreting scenes and emotions in both words and movements. The cast is led by Arman Ferrer as Rama with alternate Vien King and dancer versions Ronelson Yadao and Ejay Arisola. Sita is portrayed by singers Karylle Tatlonghari, Shiela Valderrama-Martinez and neophyhte Nica Tupas and dancers Monica Gana and Katrene San Miguel. [caption id="attachment_185910" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Erl Sorilla as Lakshmana and Monica Gana as Sita. | Photograph courtesy of Teddy Pelaez[/caption] Singers Poppert Bernadas, Matthew San Jose and Jonel Mojica and dancers Richardson Yadao (also dancer for King Janaka) and Tim Cabrera take on the villain role, the demon king of Lanka, Ravana. Other performers are Audie Gemora (singer, King Dasaratha), Lester Reguindin and John Ababon (dancers, King Dasaratha); Miah Canton and Raflesia Bravo (singers, Kooni and Soorpanakha); Ma. Celina Dofitas and Sarah Alejandro (dancers, Soorpanakha); Michaella Carreon and Dofitas (dancers, Kooni); Katrine Sunga and Maron Rozelle Mabana (singers, Kaikeyi and the Golden Deer); Janine Arisola and Karla Santos (dancers, Kaikeyi); Erl Sorilla and Renzen Arboleda (dancers, Lakshmana and King Sagreeva); Paw Castillo and Jon Abella (singers, Hanuman and Lakshmana); and Dan Dayo and Ricmar Bayoneta (dancers, Hanuman); Alejandro and Krislynne Buri (Golden Deer); Dayo and James Galarpe (Bharata). Aside from ARDP and CCP’s Professional Artist Support Program, other performers come from Guang Ming College Artist Residency Program, Philippine High School for the Arts, De La Salle College of Saint Benilde and the Ryan Cayabyab Singers. Music is performed by Orchestra of the Filipino Youth with Antonio Maria P. Cayabyab as conductor. After the two-night gala on 15 and 16 September at the Manila Metropolitan Theater, the production moves to the Samsung Performing Arts Theater of Circuit Makati in Makati City on 22 and 23 September. The post ‘Rama, Hari’ gala is a cultural feast appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Chinese FM Wang Yi to visit Russia on 18-21 September — foreign ministry
China's top diplomat Wang Yi will begin a four-day visit to Russia for security talks on Monday, his foreign ministry said, the latest in a series of high-level visits and phone calls between the two sides. China and Russia are strategic allies, with both countries frequently touting their "no limits" partnership and economic and military cooperation. Their ties became even closer after Russia invaded Ukraine in February last year, which China has refused to criticize. China's foreign ministry said in a statement Monday that Wang "will go to Russia to hold the 18th round of the China-Russian Strategic Security Consultations (SSCC) from 18 to 21 September" at the invitation of Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of Moscow's security council. In an earlier briefing, the Russian foreign ministry said Wang would meet with his counterpart Sergei Lavrov, and the two planned to "focus on efforts to strengthen collaboration on the international scene". "There will be a detailed exchange of views on issues related to a settlement in Ukraine, as well as ways of ensuring stability and security in the Asia-Pacific region," a spokesperson said. China has sought to position itself as a neutral party in the Ukraine war while offering Moscow a vital diplomatic and financial lifeline as its international isolation deepens. But it has stopped short of overt military involvement or sending lethal arms to Moscow. Last month, Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu visited Russia and Belarus and called for closer military cooperation. In recent months the two countries have carried out joint sea and air patrols, the latter of which caused South Korea to deploy fighter jets as a precaution. The high-level contact looks set to ramp up, with an aide to Vladimir Putin saying in July that the Russian president was planning to visit China in October. In March, President Xi Jinping made a state visit to Moscow and declared relations between the two countries were entering a new era. The post Chinese FM Wang Yi to visit Russia on 18-21 September — foreign ministry appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Thousands of Freddie Mercury’s personal items go on sale
A sale of thousands of items belonging to the charismatic Queen frontman Freddie Mercury got under way Wednesday in London, with the graffiti-covered green door of Mercury's home first to go under the hammer. The door of his Garden Lodge home in west London sold for £412,750 ($516,000) including buyer's premium and fees -- far in excess of the £15,000-25,000 estimate. Other items up for grabs at the Sotheby's auction range from manuscripts of Queen's biggest hits to furniture, paintings and knick-knacks. Among the highlights of Wednesday's "evening sale", which will be followed by two other live auctions and three online sales over the next week, is Mercury's piano. The Yamaha quarter-tail piano was bought by Mercury in 1975 and was used to create almost all of his greatest songs. It is expected to sell for £2 million-£3 million ($2.5 million-$3.75 million). Also on sale is the original manuscript for epic hit "Bohemian Rhapsody", whose 15 pages of pencil and ballpoint pen remarks reveal the different directions Mercury envisaged for the track. It also reveals that it was originally going to be called "Mongolian Rhapsody". Part of the proceeds will be donated to the Mercury Phoenix Trust and the Elton John Aids Foundation, two organisations involved in the fight against AIDS. In a message read out before the auction began by auctioneer Oliver Barker, John paid tribute to his friend. "I miss Freddie to this day. He was a wonderful friend more full of love and life than anyone I've ever met, as well as a brilliant performer whose music has inspired and thrilled millions," he said. "He was kind, generous and funny and it is a tragedy that AIDS took him from the world much too soon," he added. Auction fan Paintings by Chagall, Dali and Picasso that adorned Mercury's home, as well as the last painting he bought a month before his death from AIDS in 1991 -- an oil on canvas by James Jacques Joseph Tissot -- are also going under the hammer. The entire collection is being offered for sale by Mary Austin, a close friend and one-time fiancee of Mercury's. "Mary Austin has lived with the collection and has cared for the collection for more than three decades," Gabriel Heaton, a books and manuscripts specialist at Sotheby's, told AFP. Mercury "was not interested in having a museum of his life but he loved auctions", to the point of being a regular at Sotheby's sales, said Heaton. Austin believes the artist -- who was 45 when he died -- would have "loved" this sale, he added. Some 1,469 lots are going under the hammer at the famous London auction house, whose facade has been decorated with a huge moustache for the occasion. Many reveal another side of Mercury, including his passion for cats and for Japan -- as evidenced by his collection of kimonos and prints. Moustache comb Mercury's most flamboyant stage costumes, Hawaiian shirt and Superman tank top will also find new homes along with his personal polaroids and legendary snapper Mick Rock's shots. The finest bottles from his cellar, such as Dom Perignon champagne, are up for grabs alongside more intimate items, such as a book of personally annotated poetry and a moustache comb. Among the more playful items are a set of games including travel Scrabble, at which Mercury excelled. Before the sale, the auction house hosted the collection at a month-long exhibition, open to the public free of charge. Sotheby's estimated when the auction was announced in April that the lots would fetch at least £6 million. The auction house says it is the largest collection, by volume, of a cultural icon to go to auction since the Elton John sale in 1988, when 2,000 lots sold for a total of £4.8 million. The post Thousands of Freddie Mercury’s personal items go on sale appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Menchu Katigbak: The splendid life of a society swan
Hers is a story anyone would love to tell and retell, or hear and hear again. Chances are, as in the book of Menchu, so many things are left unsaid because if these were all said, a single book would not be enough. Carmencita “Menchu” Katigbak’s story is one of love, passion, hurts and disappointments, social triumphs and power in its subtle workings, but mostly the good life and the people who live it and make it happen. She is a woman of the world in the sense of one who has lived in, explored and enjoyed New York, Bangkok, Lausanne, Paris and, her current love, Singapore. Of course, her turf is in Manila with a Capital S and Capital P (as in Power), and Lipa the hometown of her roots. [caption id="attachment_180060" align="aligncenter" width="958"] MENCHU with best friend Susie and her daughter Marivic.[/caption] At a time when the term “socialite” can come cheap, trite or even undeserved, Menchu gives the appellation dignity, respect and the awe it once inspired. Her social credentials are, of course, impeccable. For starters, she attended the Chateau Mont-Choisi, a Swiss finishing school for debutantes and pre-debs belonging to royalty and the world’s upper crust. A socialite today, in loose modern parlance, is perceived as being frivolous, one who attends parties because these men and women are party animals, or party people, as one columnist has named her weekly jottings about the social events of the day. The enjoyment of life is what defines this breed and set, and yet, while Menchu, too, knows how to enjoy, and enjoy life with gusto, there is more to her and that differentiates her from the herd. No, she does not top her charmed life with an icing of well-publicized good deeds and philanthropic beneficence, even if she actually shares her bounty with those in need. Menchu is of a different mold. She is a society swan in the manner of Truman Capote’s chums — Babe Paley, Gloria Guinness, Lee Radziwill. In our part of the world, think Chona, think Minnie, think Chito. She may well be cast in the same crème de la creme mold, glamorous denizens of the inner circles of society, at the same time, ladies who have transcended the vagaries of time. Just recently, Menchu was referred to by a diplomat friend as a global influencer, a 21st-century appellation that only a few are accorded. This one is applied to one who was once a señorita, colegiala and, yes, society girl, again in the tradition of Chona, Baby, Nelly, Chito and Ising. ‘The Katigbaks talk only to the Kalaws’ They don’t need family names, each as important as the other and of the same significance in society. Still, it’s one thing to say that she is Baby Fores, and another if she is Baby Arenas. There were two Vickys, one of national import and memory being the lovely teenager who stood as her father’s First Lady in the early 1950s, and there was the Madrigal matron, Vicky nee Abad Santos, who was low-key and the daughter of the World War II patriot, Jose Abad Santos, who refused to pledge allegiance to the flag of the enemies. Menchu shares first name distinction with Menchu delas Alas Concepcion, also of Batangueña parentage, being the daughter of banker and finance guy and public servant Don Antonio de las Alas. Both aristocrats from Batangas, the two Menchus share many distinctions beauty for one, pedigree, for the other—but that’s as far as I would say, the aforementioned traits being obvious. But to drive his point, Joe Guevarra, the humorous and well-placed columnist known for his tongue-in-cheek pronouncements, once said of the olden times, when the genealogical boundaries were well-defined, “In Lipa, the Katigbaks talk only to the Kalaws, and the Kalaws talk only to the Katigbaks.” [caption id="attachment_180057" align="aligncenter" width="998"] DINNER in Pili with Fernando and Zobel, Tessie Sy-Coson, Guilly Luchangco, Federico ‘Piki’ Lopez | photograph courtesy of MENCHU KATIGBAK[/caption] This self-confessed social climber, as his 8-to-5-and-beyond job would require him to be, admits to not having met (okay, having been introduced to…) the ebullient society hostess, traveler, culinary maven and friend-to-the-powerful Menchu Katigbak. Everything that I am writing here, I learned from the lady’s biography, Menchu, authored by lifestyle journalism icon Thelma Sioson San Juan, the two being decades-old friends. Menchu, one finds out toward the end of the book, is the inspiration for her granddaughter Isabelle’s first tome, Abu, the Sad Princess. I look back on the pages I have read, the memories of Menchu’s lifetime so far, in all its seven glorious and electrifying decades, and I dare say, the description is most apt and is true as well in real life as Menchu today is “living happily ever after” having come to terms with the many issues that confronted her at various times, but more importantly, she is today a fulfilled mother and grandmother and a believer in Jesus Christ. But that is getting ahead of the story. ‘White Matter’ by Lao Lianben Jaime Ponce de Leon, dear Jaime, the man of the hour of Philippine arts for as long as Juan Luna’s missing masterpiece, remains ensconced at the Ayala Museum – gaining for the discoverer more than a foothold in our cultural history – asked me if I was interested in writing about the socially formidable Menchu Katigbak, and I readily said yes, having seen her photographs in the select and more discriminating society pages and columns. I thought to myself it would be an opportunity to meet the lady face to face and add her to my glossary of so-called newfound friends, but that was not meant to be. I was, oh, I was treated to the next best thing – a copy of Menchu which, to someone who aspires to be a bibliophile, is all that matters in the world, except that I am first a social climber. And since I have not been allowed an audience, I take solace in the book and, as my honeyed revenge, will tell you what I feel about the lady who, I understand, could be frank and outspoken. Abrasive is too strong a word, and unfair for I am not sure if I will ever meet her in my lifetime, but I am told the lady will never mince words, that’s probably why she has legions of true friends who probably can give as much as take, or so I am imagining. [caption id="attachment_180055" align="aligncenter" width="1475"] Lunch in the kitchen in Pili with Patty Araneta (left) and Monet Recio-Schem.[/caption] A painting that Menchu has kept all these years, “White Matter” by Lao Lianben, signed and dated 1997, has been featured as one of the rare pieces to be auctioned in Leon Gallery’s forthcoming magnificent September auction, with the starting bid of P2,600,000. So, there, if you’re wondering what Jaime, who moves around the best circles, has got to do with this enigmatic swan. ‘We are not rich’ But let’s stick to what the book says. While she intersperses in her narrative personal encounters with her subject, TSJ, for the most part, devotes the pages of this book to Menchu alone, and with our cosmopolitan lady, the many friends in the upper echelons whose lives she has touched and who have touched hers in turn. Menchu, once she was ready to be told, heard it straight from her mother, “Tandaan mo, baka akala mo mayaman tayo. Hindi tayo mayaman. Kung napadala ka namin sa Switzerland at si Tita at si Tony napadala naming sa America, kasi nagpawis ako ng dugo (Remember, you may think we are rich, we are not rich. If we sent you to Switzerland and Tita and Tony to America, it was because I sweated blood). If you think you’re going to inherit something from us, banish the thought. So if you don’t study well, bahala ka sa sarili mo (you’re on your own).” The perfect words for the Asuncionista (Assumptionista) who much preferred to bake food for the gods, brownies and upside-down cakes and do naughty things like hiding the bell used to signal the start and end of class periods. Her mother, the former Charing Roxas Dimayuga, who attended Assumption Convent, dealt in buying, developing and selling homes in the gated Makati villages. She also developed horizontal and vertical commercial spaces as well as imported retazos from abroad. [caption id="attachment_180056" align="aligncenter" width="696"] Wearing the Van Cleef earrings purchased before their public launch.[/caption] Her father, Enrique Luz Katigbak, on the other hand, was a top certified public accountant, an alumnus of the Northwestern University and a director on the boards of Monte de Piedad and Philtrust banks. Of his connections, none is more eminent than his friendship with His Eminence, Rufino Cardinal Santos, archbishop of Manila and the first Filipino Cardinal of the Catholic Church. It was not a happenstance that Menchu received the sacrament of confirmation from the Cardinal himself right in the Katigbak home, the first ever that was held in a private home if any other followed at all. Like most children, Menchu recalls in the book how she detested being “slapped” by the pious prelate. If she was any pleased about her family’s closeness to the holy man, it was that the Assumption sisters did not expel her for her not-too-infrequent infractions because they went to her father if they needed something from the Cardinal. Dona Aurora Recto for a ‘guardian’ Hers was a lonely childhood since her older siblings were away. They were the triple seven, which alluded to their being born seven years apart, with Menchu as the youngest. On certain days, her parents, both busy, would deposit her in the home of the statesman Claro M. Recto where she would play with his favorite granddaughter, Techie, who had all these toys, Menchu could not help realizing her parents did not buy her a toy. She played with her jackstones while Techie had a closetful of toys, including a toy “cash register.” Techie was so generous she was giving this fancy plaything to her, but Menchu refused knowing her mother would not approve. What she remembers best of that time was the sight of Dona Aurora, the first beautiful woman she beheld in her young mind and eyes, and from her, she learned her first lessons in etiquette, because the family ate with a full complement of silverware and flatware. (To be continued) The post Menchu Katigbak: The splendid life of a society swan appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Barangay chair, 6 others slapped with graft raps
A Barangay Kaligayahan kagawad (village councilor) slapped his six colleagues and their chairman with graft and falsification charges before the Office of the Ombudsman Thursday, 24 August. Barangay Kaligayahan Kagawad Allan Butch Francisco Jr. in his complaint obtained by DAILY TRIBUNE, said barangay chairman Alfredo ‘Freddy’ Roxas, kagawad Jim Mahusay, kagawad Alexander Rivera, kagawad Perla Adea Mallari, kagawad Arnel Gabito, kagawad Dionisio Gascon, kagawad Sofronio Grimaldo, and barangay secretary Josephine Penarada violated Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, Falsification of Public Documents, and Grave Misconduct for faking an approved resolution. Francisco claimed the said barangay officials made it appear that the Barangay Resolution No. 087 Series of 2023, “Interposing no objection to the application of M.M. Ledesma Laboratories Corp., located at Zabarte Ext.,” was approved on 15 April 2023. It was also certified by Penarada. However, Francisco explained that while they agreed to establish that regular session of their council shall be held every 1st and 2nd Saturdays of each month, 15 April fell on the 3rd Saturday, Roxas postponed it to give way for the Barangay Assembly Day held also on that day. “No session was actually conducted on that day,” Francisco said in his complaint referring to the date the said resolution was passed. He added that neither the supposed notice for the regular session was nor a notice for special session was issued by Roxas for the resolution to be passed. Roxas earlier was also charged of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act by Hernando Compendioa, barangay watchman, who suffered a stroke, and was told by the chieftain to stop working, but later learned that his name was still on the payroll list but not receiving a single centavo. Meanwhile, Graft and Falsification charges were also hurled against Barangay Pasong Tamo chairwoman Mae Tagle before the Office of the Ombudsman by three of her own village staff over a dozen “ghost employees.” Tagle had just been served with another six months suspension for leasing the space barangay pharmacy to private fish and meat vendor by the Special Investigation Committee of the City Council. Florence Andre Fabre, Ruvelinda dela Isla and Mary Lyne Casinos showed that Tagle hired them upon assuming her post on 1 July 2022. Tagle became the village chief because of rule of succession for being the number one kagawad (barangay councilor) when then barangay chairman Banjo Pilar won as a councilor in May 2022 polls. Fabre in their joint affidavit of complaint averred that he was a book keeper and assistant of barangay assistant treasurer Gloria Sareño who was in-charged of preparing payroll for the entire staff of their village. He said that from July to September 2022 nothing unusual happened in their payroll, until came October 2022, when there were 10 other names added to the list of their payroll, and was instructed by Tagle’s daughter Mary Jean, who acted as their admin aide IV, to also sign on behalf of the additional names on the list and be quiet about it. Fabre also found out that one of the names added was Tagle’s maid Melina Barcelo with a work item as “contact tracer” receiving a monthly salary of P6,500. To his estimate, about a million pesos has been pocketed by Tagle since that month until April 2023, as the names added in their payroll list were not really receiving their salary. Dela Isla, on the other hand, worked as an assistant trainer along with her daughter Florbhy who worked as a traffic enforcer from 1 July 2022 to 30 November, 2022. But the younger Dela Isla had resigned the following month. To her surprise, Dela Isla learned that the name of her daughter was still listed in their payroll when Tagle got her first suspension on June 2023, pocketing her daughter’s salary for six months. Casinos, on another end, who was also hired by Tagle as an Auxiliary member of the village watchmen team, also learned that even her husband’s name who was working at the nearby Himlayang Filipino was also listed as “ghost employee.” The three complainants also attached the affidavit of Daniel Tecson whose name was also listed as “ghost employees” who did not even received a single centavo from Tagle, when they filed the charges on 13 June 2023 for fear of being implicated in Tagle’s scheme. The post Barangay chair, 6 others slapped with graft raps appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Absent Trump expected to steal show at Republican debate
Eight Republican presidential candidates face off for the first primary debate of the 2024 cycle on Wednesday -- with frontrunner Donald Trump bidding to steal the spotlight despite spurning the showdown. The former president announced at the weekend that he would not be in Milwaukee for the two-hour event, depriving a chasing pack of rivals -- whom he leads by a historic margin -- of the opportunity to take shots at him. "President Trump has already won this evening's debate because everything is going to be about him," said Chris LaCivita, a senior aide on the 77-year-old billionaire's campaign. "Only President Trump has the policy ideas, the fortitude, and the polling to go head-to-head with Crooked Joe Biden in the general election." With the largest polling lead in more than 40 years of Republican presidential nominating contests, Trump has made clear he sees no benefit to standing on a debate stage and opening himself up to hits from the rest of the field. He announced Wednesday that he is planning counterprogramming that will consist of a pre-recorded interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, to be posted online just as the debate gets underway. "'SPARKS WILL FLY.' ENJOY!" he teased on his social network, Truth Social. Despite his no-show, Trump is expected to loom over the debate stage in Wisconsin's largest city, with his multiple prosecutions set to be the subject of questions from the Fox News hosts moderating the event. I can take it The former reality TV star is even planning to deprive his rivals of post-debate headlines as he surrenders to authorities in Atlanta Thursday afternoon over his fourth indictment of the year, for an alleged criminal conspiracy to steal the 2020 election. His former attorney Rudy Giuliani, who is charged with racketeering in the case alongside Trump and 17 other co-defendants, headed to Georgia's capital hours before the debate to turn himself in. "I'm a big boy. I can take it. I have fought battles much worse than this," Giuliani, a former federal prosecutor, told reporters outside his New York residence. For Trump's closest rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the name of the game will be to reverse his flagging poll numbers and demonstrate that he is a viable alternative to the frontrunner. Candidates will likely be asked about competition with China and America's foreign policy in Ukraine and Russia -- an issue that caused DeSantis to stumble early in the campaign. With a seismic shift needed to dethrone Trump, many commentators were viewing the debate as primarily a showcase for candidates angling to be Trump's running mate. Lower profile candidates like businessman Vivek Ramaswamy will see the debate as a chance to introduce themselves to the wider public -- and perhaps make their case for jobs in a future Trump administration. "Tonight's Republican undercard event really shouldn’t even be called a debate, but rather an audition to be a part of President Trump's team in his second term," LaCivita said. Not a coronation However, analysts have argued that with more than four months until the first nomination votes in Iowa and New Hampshire, it is way too early to call the race. "If the same person finishes first or second in Iowa and New Hampshire, this becomes a two-person race no matter how many other people (are) in it... Nobody's caught the wave yet but somebody's going to and when they do, Trump's going to have a race on his hands," former US senator Judd Gregg told political outlet The Hill. Trump dodged a debate in Iowa in 2016, ensuring that his closest rival Ted Cruz took all the heat, although the Texas senator went on to win the Iowa vote days later. The DeSantis team is expecting a similar dynamic on Wednesday, although US media reported that political newcomer Ramaswamy is also likely to be attacked over inconsistencies in his policy statements. Trump won't have it all his way, though, with distant underdogs Chris Christie and Asa Hutchinson both hoping for a breakout moment skewering the former president and his former vice president Mike Pence unlikely to pull his punches. Christie is also expected to go after DeSantis over his awkwardness on the campaign trail and a memo posted online by the leading political organization supporting his campaign, urging him to defend Trump. "I think it's fair when these other candidates say it's not a coronation, it's an election," debate co-moderator Bret Baier said in an interview this week with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt. The post Absent Trump expected to steal show at Republican debate appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Egypt activist Ahmed Douma freed after presidential pardon
Egyptian activist Ahmed Douma, a leading figure in the country's 2011 uprising who has spent the past decade behind bars, walked free from prison Saturday following a presidential pardon. Douma, now 37, was a leading activist in the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime president Hosni Mubarak. He was arrested in the sweeping crackdown that followed the army's 2013 ouster of Mohamed Morsi, the Islamist president elected after the uprising. "After 10 years in prison, I wish I could say that I am happy after being released, but I postpone any celebrations till all get freedom," Douma said after leaving Badr prison on Cairo's outskirts -- a facility that has been repeatedly criticized for its poor conditions. "I wish we can celebrate soon." Douma was originally sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2015 for clashing with security forces, but this was cut to 15 years in 2019. Later that year, Egypt's top appeals court upheld the reduced sentence, as well as a fine of six million Egyptian pounds ($372,000 at the time). In 2021, Douma published a collection of poems entitled "Curly", written while he was held in solitary confinement. The collection was displayed at that year's Cairo International Book Fair before being quickly pulled for "security reasons". In one of his poems from prison, Douma writes: "There's no time for depression, no opportunity for sadness, the flood is raging." Rising frustration Key activists from the revolution remain behind bars, including British-Egyptian pro-democracy blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah, who has spent the better part of the past decade in jail. After Morsi's overthrow, the authorities rounded up thousands of pro-democracy campaigners as well as Islamists in mass arrests that drew international condemnation. Rights activist Hossam Bahgat welcomed the pardon for Douma, but said the decision was made "without any transparency or understanding of why some people were selected and others ignored". Fellow activist Ziad el-Elaimi, who was released ahead of Egypt's hosting of the COP-27 climate summit last year, welcomed the news that Douma was finally free after having "nine and a half years of his life stolen". "The problem remains, however. Someone is using free men as hostages... People are frightened of expressing their opinions freely," he said. The president has pardoned numerous prominent figures over the past year, but critics have noted that more people have been arrested in the meantime. "President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi... has used his constitutional powers" to pardon several prisoners including Douma, said lawyer Tarek Elawady, a member of the presidential pardons committee. Since April last year, authorities have released 1,000 political prisoners, but detained almost 3,000 more, according to Egyptian rights monitors. In July, Sisi pardoned researcher Patrick Zaki a day after he received a three-year sentence, as well as rights lawyer Mohamed al-Baqer, who was arrested in 2019 while attending an interrogation of Abdel Fattah, his client at the time. According to Bahgat, founder of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, the authorities have "become well aware of rising frustration both domestically and internationally". But "the regime is showing no indication of moving towards ending the crisis of political prisoners in Egypt", Bahgat told AFP. The pardons come as Egypt conducts a so-called "national dialogue" meant to bring in an opposition that has been decimated during the decade of repression since Sisi came to power. The president announced on Wednesday he had received the first recommendations of this "dialogue", saying he had "passed them on to the competent authorities so that they can be applied within the framework granted by the legal and constitutional provisions". Next year, Egypt goes to the polls for a presidential election in which Sisi is widely expected to seek a new term. The post Egypt activist Ahmed Douma freed after presidential pardon appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
A different kind of difference
One day, a client who owns an assisted living home in the US called to ask: “Attorney, which is better for sponsorship, a caregiver or a nursing aide? You see, I have a niece in Manila who is a nursing graduate but cannot pass the US-NCLEX board exam. I want to sponsor her.” I explained to her that while a nursing aide sponsorship might be faster, her assisted living home could not sponsor a nursing aide, and that only hospitals or nursing homes were allowed to sponsor nursing aides. “But I have a friend who owns a nursing home,” she said. “I can ask if they’ll sponsor my niece.” “Well, why don’t you talk to your friend first and then we’ll talk again.” Trivial. Inconsequential. That’s what most people would think when they hear the client’s question. Caregiver? Nursing aide? What’s the difference? Both take care of people. A dumb question, some might even say. But here’s the thing: Since last year, the US Department of Labor has revised the standard classification of a nursing assistant job on their official occupational publication and raised its allowable maximum educational and/or experiential requirements to two years. Previously, only a maximum of one year’s prior work experience, education or training was allowed, similar to the Caregiver’s current requirement. However, with the recent re-classification, the nursing aide position has been dramatically transformed from being an “unskilled” job into a “skilled” one. And there lies the difference. And it is a whole lot of a difference. Why? Because for immigrant sponsorship purposes, a “skilled worker” has a historically shorter immigration timeline than that of an “unskilled worker” due to the availability of more visas for the former. As explained in a previous article, visa retrogression (or the shortage of visas due to excess demand) impacts almost all types of immigrant visa categories, but more so for the “unskilled workers” group owing to the extremely limited number of US visas available, not to mention the large number of “unskilled” people being sponsored due to the job’s minimal requirements. For example, anyone with zero (or a few months) worth of training or experience can be sponsored to work as a caregiver, babysitter, waiter, etc., which means many US workers would qualify, thereby lessening the chances of obtaining a labor certification — a prerequisite process that includes a “job market test”. Not so for “skilled” occupations. As a “skilled” job, any employer sponsoring a nursing aide can, in good faith, require at least two years of prior relevant experience or training, or even an associate degree in a relevant field of study which limits the number of qualified candidates and the pool of potential visa applicants. A note of caution, however: Not all healthcare employers are eligible to sponsor nursing aides. Because an integral part of the job’s duties is caring for people under the direct supervision of licensed nursing staff and other medical professionals, only those facilities with on-site nursing staff or medical doctors such as skilled nursing homes, hospitals, or similar facilities are allowed to sponsor nursing assistants. For all others, including assisted living homes and retirement homes, only Caregivers are allowed (although some nursing aide sponsorships from these facilities — especially those with in-house nursing staff — may occasionally escape strict scrutiny from the US Department of Labor). Under the current US visa quota backdrop, a nurse aide may now be able to migrate to the US in about two to three years, as opposed to the current three-to-seven-year timeline for caregivers. In a country where most people long for a taste of the American dream, this is a difference that is neither trivial nor inconsequential. The post A different kind of difference appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Metamorphosis: Fairy tale come true
Fairy tales are true stories, if you know what I mean. This story is inspired by a children’s book entitled, “Hope for the Flowers,” by Trina Paulus. It is a children’s book for adults. Once upon a time, there were two caterpillars, brother and sister Paul and Liz. Paul was thinking of climbing to the top of a mountain along with a pile of other caterpillars all struggling to get to the top. PAUL: I am going up there to try my luck. LIZ: What for? Do you know what’s up there? PAUL: Perhaps a rainbow or a blinding light, who knows? Why would so many other caterpillars try to climb up? Of course to achieve success, fame. LIZ: I’m not going. Tell me about it when you get back. PAUL: I may never come back. LIZ: It’s too much trouble. I will stay here and wait. PAUL: Wait for what? LIZ: I don’t know. Something to happen perhaps. PAUL: I’m bringing several coins with me as a way for me to communicate with you. When I throw down a silver coin, it means I am all right. If I throw down a lead coin, it means I’m having problems. LIZ: That’s a good plan. I will wait. And so Paul embarks on his dream to achieve success. It is hard at first. Everyone is pushing everyone. Midway, he hesitates and wants to go back. He is tired. He tosses a lead coin. But after a while he regrets it. His dream energizes him. He strengthens his resolve and tosses a silver coin. Liz understands what is happening — the hesitation followed by the ambition. She is glad he moved on. Almost at the top, there is a frenzy, everyone is stepping on each other, pushing and shoving. The situation gets violent once everyone can see the mist at the top of the mountain. Paul is inside the mist, in a trance. He decides to toss another silver coin before he reaches the very top. He is imagining a rainbow or a bright light at the very top. Instead, he found nothing. Those around him were equally disappointed and started to go down. But running into the surging caterpillars trying to go up, they simply jumped down, tumbling towards the bottom of the pile. Getting the silver coin, Liz’s heart jumps. Paul is perhaps now at the top. Just as she is celebrating with other fellow caterpillars who decided not to climb up, a lead coin drops from the sky. Everyone is stunned, staring at each other in silence. There ensues a violent debate on theories of what was really happening up there. Some said the strongest caterpillar prevailed and it was not Paul. LIZ: (Seeing the shower of caterpillars tumbling down from the sky). Guys, there is nothing up there. Zero. They are jumping down in despair and frustration. Just as Liz is speaking, she suddenly explodes into a radiant blue and silver butterfly. Metamorphosis. The others follow, in a series of explosions. They all fly up to investigate. Indeed, there is nothing at the top but caterpillars violently pushing each other. Paul decides to jump and stumble down. The butterflies descend and find Paul unconscious. Then, finally, he regains consciousness. PAUL: Why didn’t I turn into a butterfly like you? LIZ: You need energy to become a butterfly. You were too weak from struggling and fighting each other. (Paul weeps violently.) Don’t worry, when you regain your strength, you will become a butterfly. There is no choice. No one has remained a caterpillar all his life. True enough, Paul finally achieves metamorphosis. All the new butterflies fly together, led by Liz and Paul, searching for paradise. In no time, they discover a dark, cool rainforest where they all live happily ever after. *** PAUL: I will study to be a lawyer. I have this dream to be a congressman so I can help people. LIZ: Good luck. Me, I’ll just read books and work in a library. PAUL: And then what? You will rot with boredom in a library. LIZ: Not if I have dreams. PAUL: And what is your dream? LIZ: I don’t know yet. Give me time. I’m not in a hurry. I’m working on it. Paul finished law but never got to be a congressman. He worked for a while as a corporate lawyer, which he hated. Liz became a celebrity with her own TV show called “Street Food for the Gods.” She yanked Paul out of corporate life to become her chef and cameraman. They traveled around the world together, shooting street food everywhere. They discovered that street food in poor countries was way more advanced than in rich countries. They made a pile of money beyond their dreams and lived happily ever after. *** eastwindreplyctr@gmail.com The post Metamorphosis: Fairy tale come true appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Katya Angara – The journey of a woman and artist
The promising artist that Katya is today is the latest phase in a lifelong journey that began at an early age when she began drawing characters from cartoon comics. All the while she was growing up in a home that nurtured her interest in the arts, as much as it prepared her for rigorous academic training. She read early in life, in a house filled with books. In this second part of our interview, Katya shares with us how she made a number of choices that would lead to where she is today. But once upon a time, for all that had been given to her on a silver platter, she was in a quandary as to what to do with her life. But when she finally decided on what she wanted, there was no stopping the talented and smart girl who, it turned out, possessed an intellectual prowess not unlike those of her parents, the lawyer, and senator Edgardo Angara, whose affinity for the land had been impressed on his daughter, and the lady educator Gloria Manalang Angara, who opened up her daughter’s eyes and minds to the wonders of world literature and the other arts. And it was in art that the young girl did not only find solace but also healing. Here is the final part of our interview: DT: After high school, did you immediately leave for London? KA: To be honest, and I don’t want filters here, I had mental health issues at that time. I was severely depressed. Before I went to London, I went through a tumultuous period of deciding where to go with my education. So, after Poveda, I went to Woldingham (boarding school). then I did half of my BA Psychology degree at UP Diliman from late 2000 to 2002. I loved my time at Diliman but it was a tumultuous transitional period for me, so I decided to revisit pursuing university in London. Central Saint Martins, to be precise, is one of the most prestigious and distinguished art and design schools in the world DT: Around what time was this? KA: It was in 2002. I was bouncing around like I couldn’t anchor myself to one thing. Like, okay, I’m here in London already. And then, okay I’m going to study Psychology in UP. So, what’s with the leap, the sudden jump, the sudden shift? I couldn’t make up my mind. And I think that frustrated my parents for the longest time. I was also being hard on myself because I ended up causing a lot of frustration for myself. And I think that depressed me. So, you know, I’ve been diagnosed with different things. I’m bipolar. And then, I had the hallmarks of ADHD. Let’s just say that my brain works differently DT: Well, one can never be sure about oneself. KA: No, you can never be sure about yourself. And I was questioning myself. For the longest time, all those years I thought, what’s wrong with me? Why am I making all these strange decisions? Why am I behaving this way? Why do I react to people this way?”. You know, parang I shouldn’t be talking or reacting to people like this in this kind of situation. And I’m not just saying with family or what. But with my classmates in school. What drew me to art was it being a place that has its own language e. It’s a place where I can express myself. Art is also a way of healing your own wounds. It’s also a way of revealing those aspects of yourself that you wouldn’t be able to otherwise. It really was a way of healing for me. And I didn’t even know that I needed it. Because again, I was a very quiet and introverted kid. I don’t know why. I couldn’t rely on people, talk to people the way I thought, or maybe people thought I should. So, you know, I kept to myself. I’d hide away in the library every recess or lunch. I didn’t want to talk to anyone. So, that carried on until my university years. Daily Tribune (DT): What did you finally take up in college? Katya Angara: Well, first I just wanted to do a purely art course. So, my foundation course to get me a degree was an Art and Design course. My first choice for this was Central Saint Martins, which continues to be ranked as one of the best art and design schools in the world. I was over the moon when I made it in. DT: What did you have to show to qualify? KA: I needed to show my work. I had some already since I was drawing a lot in my childhood and teenage years. DT: Your works are not the usual ones that use oil, watercolor, acrylic, and all that. KA: I was drawing mostly. And for some reason, I have always been more of a draftsman eh. I’m always more into drawing. I have more illustrating tendencies. DT: Like pen and paper? KA: Yes, pen and paper. Pencil, charcoal. I’ve always had a thing for dry media and pen and ink. It’s more about the control and the precision. That’s my personality. DT: That’s not easy ah. KA: It’s not easy. But you have an affinity for it. And your hands have to be steady. Which is unlikely for someone with pasmado hands like me. But that’s where I find my control eh. That’s why I like it so much. DT: So, what was it like when you showed your drawings at Central Saint Martin? KA: So, I showed my drawings because that was required during the interview. And so I went through the ropes. They asked questions like, "why do you want to do this course here?" DT: Your work must have been good to get you accepted. KA: They were fine. I think it was good enough. But there was a lot I had to improve on. I only knew that once I got into the school. Then, you told yourself, Ah, oo nga pala. There was so much I had to learn. That I could be taught. DT: How was your learning experience? KA: From the beginning, as a child, I always copied from cartoons. And they didn’t like that. They didn’t want to see any cartoons or anything like that. They wanted to see me. They wanted to see my work. My drawing from life. DT: So, how did you do that? It must have been challenging KA: So, I gave them the best of my life drawings. But when I showed them my other works, they weren’t happy with them. So, I learned from that. Being young, you got a bit crushed. But then, you realize it’s a different way of thinking. It’s a different way of doing things. Okay, there’s still so much to learn in terms of art. And it’s not the be-all and end of it all. And then, they said, “This is where you should be learning from.” And they showed me art books. They said, “Go to this gallery or this museum.” DT: How was it like living abroad? Back home, you were the daughter of a senator. KA: Which means nothing when you’re abroad. It meant nothing. Which I actually loved. It was something that I was looking for. Because I lived in a bubble back home. To my parents’ credit naman there’s a reason for that. I was very protected. They wanted to keep me safe and secure given my father’s position. So, I’d always lived in a bubble. I’d always have bodyguards and drivers and all that. And it just felt at times a little restrictive. DT: So, it was a welcome thing? KA: It was a welcome thing. Really, I felt different. I felt normal na parang my family name didn’t mean a thing. And that was refreshing. I could be anything I wanted to be. I could experiment and nobody would judge. Because in schools like that and abroad, especially in Europe, they’re so open-minded. They’re so liberal. DT: How were the teachers? KA: Oh, wonderful. Of course, you always have your favorites, right? Very varied. Depending also on what course you were taking up, whether industrial design or sculpture which I was horrible at when I tried it. I didn’t really get close to my tutors until I moved on to my actual degree. Funny enough, instead of ending up in a practical course. Which would have been like Fine Arts, Graphic Design, or even Illustration because I love drawing. You would think that I would end up in a more practical course like Fine Arts, Graphic Design, or even Illustration, I did a complete shift and I did a theoretical course. I did Curation, Art Criticism, and Art History. So, my training is as a curator and an art critic. DT: Wow, that was very intellectual. It’s good that you always read a lot. KA: Yes, I think that helped because you have to read a lot. You have to love reading. You have to like doing the research. And that served me well. Who would have known, right? But if you think about it, as long as you follow what you want to do in life, it just opens up even if you don’t intentionally seek it. Somehow it just finds you It just fell into place for me in that sense. This is not what I initially set out to do. But I think you have to allow yourself to change your mind. Parang whatever happens at the time, you change with it. You adjust to it. And it worked out beautifully for me. DT: So, were the teachers terrors? KA: Mabait naman sila. But they have very different personalities. My course leader was a lovely older lady who was really into Victorian arts and culture. As in, Victoriana lahat. She would tell you everything about English Victorian history. And she was very passionate about it. And you know, it involved a lot of writing and research. But my favorite tutor was someone who was writing about comic books. Comic books and Pop culture. So, for me, that was a revelation because I didn’t think you could take comics books and put them in the academe. You know, academic level like intellectual. Pwede pala e. Because he showed me a way. He took me under his wing and he showed me his work and from there I learned to write. And because I love comic books. I’m actually a huge geek. I’m a nerd, I’m a dork. DT: What was your thesis? [caption id="attachment_165427" align="aligncenter" width="463"] Roger Sabin was Katya's pop culture mentor at Central Saint Martins in London.[/caption] KA: Because I wanted Roger Sabin, my pop culture tutor, as my professor for my thesis, it was about a 1990s Japanese animated film called Ghost in the Shell 101. It was an animated film based on a very heavy graphic novel, a manga or Japanese comics, by Masamune Shirow. And for me, his work is revelatory. It wasn’t just the style of the Ghost in the Shell. And to think just one man could draw like this. I mean it was a very thick graphic novel. He could draw like that. And he wrote the story too. And to think you had the mental stamina to be able to write something like that and to draw. DT: You must enjoy doing comics. KA: Since I was a kid, I’ve made my own comic books. You know, I would sell my own comic books and people would actually buy them. I taught myself to draw in the comic book style. I learned them all. You know, there’s like Stan Lee of Marvel. DT: You really had it in you. KA: I had it in me. My love for comic books started by reading the ones my brother had collected over the years. He had a stash of them, so, I just devoured them. It was all very amazing to me. Kasi the drawings, the stories, these are worlds written by someone else. So, you have Marvel comics, DC comics, Dark Horse comics. [caption id="attachment_165417" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] With brother, Senator Sonny Angara, whose comic books she devoured for their cartoon figures.[/caption] Q: You didn’t idolize anybody? A: Well, I wasn’t particularly huge on the American comics. I think it was until I stumbled upon the Japanese comics or manga. That really piqued my interest to a degree I never felt before. Kasi it wasn’t just the style, which at first for me was very girly. I mean, I love the romantic comics. But I also felt myself leaning toward the darker stuff. DT: What did you like about Ghost in the Shell? KA: It’s a cyberpunk graphic novel. So, ang galing, ang ganda ng style. It was like, wow. You know, the sheer amount of detail that he puts into the drawings. I said I want to draw like this. I want to tell a story like this. But I don’t know if I was capable of telling if I had the stamina to tell something so intricate and complex. DT: When did you graduate? KA: In 2008. The BA in the UK is only three years. That’s why you take a foundation course. There’s a BA in Curation, and Communication, and criticism in Arts and Design. DT: I am told that you graduated at the top of your class. But you’re not telling me. KA: It sounds so funny kasi eh. Anyway, I graduated with first-class honors for my degree. So, basically, I was Suma Cum Laude in my batch in my year. So, that was what sealed the deal for me and my dad. Kasi for the longest time, I was kind of meandering. I was kind of flip-flopping. My mom knows this eh She goes, “You know Katya you have a tendency to be whimsical.” I am an artist eh, what can I do? Besides, I was young and I wasn’t sure. I knew what I wanted to do, which was to be in the arts but not where I wanted to go. I was asking myself if I had the stamina, the commitment, the fortitude to see it through. [caption id="attachment_165415" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Katya and mom Gloria Angara, who first ignited her interest in the arts.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_165419" align="aligncenter" width="854"] Katya with her dad, the late Senate President Edgardo Angara from whom she learned to apply the principles of nature to her art[/caption] DT: College made you really bloom. KA: Yes. It was the environment. it was the people I was with. Because I was able to go into something I really enjoyed. I wasn’t just doing homework because I was told to do homework. I loved what I was doing. I was invested in it. DT: What did you do after you graduated? KA: Apart from community work, I also worked for some small galleries. I did some work for the Victoria and Albert Museum. I tried to have experiences in bigger institutions, bigger museums, and small independent galleries. I thought that experience would hone me and make me well-rounded. With the smaller galleries, I was able to practice my curatorial background. I was able to help a lot of young artists. They don’t know how to talk about their work or they’re not confident enough to do so. So anyhow, apart from helping them put together shows, I help them speak about their work. Or offer them a perspective they have never seen or thought about. And I feel that that was helping them and I think that’s where I have been able to engage with them. It was fulfilling to help them find their voice as an artist. DT: All the while, you were all alone in London? KA: I was married actually. To a Filipino who was born in the UK, in London. He’s an Englishman, for all purposes. It didn’t work out. We have a daughter. I had a beautiful little girl with him. She lives in London with her father. She’s been here. She lived here in her early years. After she was born in 2010, I decided to move back here. Then, after four years, we went back to London because it was what my husband wanted. He and my dad had a falling out. DT: When was your first exhibit? KA: Last year. Earlier, I did a group show at the Lethaby Gallery at Central Saint Martins. So, I did it with other emerging artists. My next group show was at The Crucible. But it was for a book that Sari Ortiga had commissioned me to do. He wanted to do a series of children’s books about Philippine artists. I did mine. Mine was about Anita Magsaysay-Ho. I did the illustration. It wasn’t new to me because I had been making my own books. I would staple them myself. Although up until that point I didn’t know how to really do it professionally. I found out it could be lucrative and fulfilling. This was in 2008 when I didn’t have a daughter yet. DT: Tell me about your forthcoming show. (The current show had yet to be opened). What paintings are you showing? KA: They’re not paintings, they’re not just drawings. They’re an amalgamation. They’re what you call a compendium of everything I’ve ever done as an artist. The book illustration, and then I dabbled a bit in black-and-white photography. I like the look of black and white photography. So, I do it with my phone or a simple camera. It’s also good for taking reference photos for my work. Because if you can’t sit in the park drawing people or objects, or subjects, the next best thing is you take pictures. And you can draw from those pictures. Kaya maganda siya for reference. So, my work is that, actually. DT: So, what about your subjects? KA: Well, I’m a very central person. We live in a very conservative culture. And I have subjects that would make people say ay, you know, you shouldn’t talk about that. So, there’s no filter, it’s very raw, very natural. In London, I was able to talk to people about things like BDSM or Bondage Sado-Masochism. And you know, that can get a bad rap. Because if you do it wrong, it would look strange to anyone who is not familiar with it. Among the Japanese, there is a subculture that does that. DT: Do they consider BDSM an art form? KA: There’s a particular Japanese artist whose work I used to admire. He’s a photographer. And his subject is BDSM. There were pictures of women tied up and then there were flowers and reptiles. So it was very sexual. I found myself drawn to that because there’s the element of the dark side. Carl Jung, the psychoanalyst, talked about how we have to make our unconscious conscious. The darkness in us is unconscious. And if you don’t make your darkness conscious, it’s going to come out in other ways at some point. Meaning to say, you shouldn’t repress those sides of you. I think it is a side that’s intertwined with the creative side of me. I can’t be an artist without being sensual. Without that aspect, all that would be macabre. Which brings me to my mom again. She used to chide me for reading Stephen King when I was a kid. I’m a huge Stephen King fan. She was like, “It’s so macabre, so dark.” And I’m like, “I like it, I like his work.” He’s such a skilled writer. And I like how he could take something so mundane and make it terrifying and frightening on all levels. Stephen King said that he writes two thousand words every morning. I’m not sure if I can do that. I wanted to write na rin eh because the natural partner of my art is my writing. Because as a curator, I didn’t just read. I had to write a lot. And that’s where I honed my skills. Kasi siyempre, it’s a sword that you have to sharpen every now and then. So, for the show. I did a lot of writing. I did my own writing. DT: While we're on the talk of artists, what about the Filipino artists? Who among them do you admire? Do you have any mentors and idols? KA: Among Philippine artists, Junyee is my second father and my first artistic mentor. He is my OG sage and shaman of Philippine art, the Father of Philippine Installation Art. I'm actively lobbying for him to become National Artist soon, as no one deserves it more than he does, with his magnificent oeuvre. I'll always remember how, in a fleeing moment of impostor syndrome, he consoled me by saying that making art for myself always comes first. Love the process and the rest follows. The maverick attitude is very Junyee! And yet, he lives a modest life in the forest-like setting of his home in Los Banos, echoing the nature-loving ethos of our favorite Japanese animator, Hayao Miyazaki, creator of Toroto, Nausicaa, Spirited Away, among many other magical films. Since I was a child, Junyee saw my potential and continued to push me to have my own gallery shows, as did his longtime friend and one of my other mentors, Sari Ortiga. Sari's daughter Yasmin is a good friend and batchmate of mine from Poveda. Sari owns and runs the distinguished Crucible Gallery, and he hired me to illustrate one of the children's books for his series "Growing up with Philippine art" in 2009. It's thanks to Sari that I pushed myself to evolve as an artist, to grow outside of my comfort zone. The acclaimed visual artist and sculptor Jinggoy Buensuceso is something of a bad boy du jour of the Philippine art scene, and his dissident attitude is something I can identify with. I love the unorthodox, the sensual, the macabre, the dark stuff that delves deep into the psyche. I'm so bored of the "covers" or "riffs" of the countless Amorsolo, Basquiat, Picasso, or Rothko-type artworks that I see so much of in the local art scene. As wtih Junyee and Sari, Jinggoy has taught me how to navigate the perilous seas of art and life, echoing Junyee's advice to remain myself, in a world that often pushes us to be someone else. My three mentors, by example, taught me how to be original. DT: How many are you exhibiting? How many works? KA: Now, I have 9 complete pieces. I’d like to add another one. Honestly, medyo cramming ito because I only had two months to do the show. Normally for this kind of work - especially with the big piece I am doing - it’s a seven-foot piece. I would need, preferably to be comfortable, at least four to six months to do all this work. Kasi, there is so much nicer when you give it time to compost. To come together, to become fertile. DT: Is there enough time for one more work? A: Yes. I have one more work that I want. Because I feel that it rounds it up eh. If I do ten, I love the work that I’ve already done. Again, it’s not a painting, it’s a collage. So, I’d call it a photographic collage with paper cuttings on canvas. I wanted to treat canvas in a way that is not painting DT: Shouldn’t someone curate for you? KA: For now, I’m happy to have to do it myself. Because I feel that I’m the only one who can portray myself in a way that I feel I should be portrayed. Kasi it’s art eh. You’re trying not so much to explain yourself as you’re trying to convey who you are to somebody without being obvious. That’s art. DT: Where does Stephen, your partner, come in? [caption id="attachment_165418" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] With her partner and anchor, Stephen Lu.[/caption] KA: Stephen is somewhat of an anchor for me. So, I feel comfortable, I feel more confident when he’s around. But I guess I’m okay. DT: Now, as we wind up, let’s talk about how you are like your parents and not like them. You said that your interest in the arts came from the exposure that you received from your mother, and of course, the presence of books at home. Tell me more about your father’s role in your becoming the person that you are. KA: One of my fondest memories of my father was his love of nature, gardening, and farming, which I learned from him. He was at his best and calmest when he was at his farm in Nasugbu and Baler. Whilst my father was a “man of the soil”, I learned to be an “artist of the soil”, a gardener who applies the principles of nature to my art. Hence the overlying themes of nature in my oeuvre of artwork. And the most resonant themes of philosophy (which my father also studied and applied in his life) are the themes relating to lessons learned from nature: patience, fortitude, temperance. From this I’ve become more acutely aware of life’s transience, making our time all the more precious, being grateful for small and simple pleasures, and the opportunities that come my way. The naïveté of my younger years meant that I didn’t have a complete grasp of the opportunities presented to me by my father, I took much for granted. Now I see why he did what he did, he gave me the tools to be able to achieve my full potential. Only now that I’m embracing that fire and heading in a direction that makes the most of my talents. I had impostor syndrome for the longest time. Always questioning and doubting myself. Now I can fully embrace who I am and it is cathartic. DT: In what way are you like them? KA: I have the different strengths of my parents. I’ve inherited their academic minds and cultured tastes, with an eye for detail and beauty. I have many mannerisms and behavious in common with my mum, in terms of poise and self-possession. But, she is like Audrey Hepburn and I am infinitely more of a Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn was also a very private person and something of a poet and writer. I guess it’s no surprise that I am drawn to art and writing; I am highly introspective, painfully self-aware and attuned to my moods and to the moods of others; like my Dad, I’m intuitive and know how to read people. DT: My last question is, how has art influenced you in your direction in life? And where are you going from here? KA: Being an introvert, I don’t always translate into easy social interactions with most people. So I channel it all into my art. It’s a language that best expresses my psyche, thoughts, and emotions. Working with my hands is healing and consolation for the isolation, depression, and anxiety attacks that grip me on bad days. That’s why as an artist of the soil, gardening and art go hand in hand. In the future, I can see myself tending to the land and becoming a farmer as my father was. It’s like coming home. The post Katya Angara – The journey of a woman and artist appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
AI conundrum
Just taking on this topic is giving me the chills. Not for fear of an unknown future, but for sheer nervousness over what I would find should I decide to dig deeper into a topic I had previously chosen to ignore. But artificial intelligence is here — it’s already in our lives and maybe you don’t even know it. It’s the way forward, we are told, the unimaginable that had only ever been pictured in works of the imagination. In science fiction and the world of George Lucas, in visions of life-saving robots and destructive machines that cannot die. Fiction, of course. AI? It’s artificial. It’s intelligence. It’s a simulation of human intelligence. The natural assumption is that because it is created and programmed by humans, it’s under human control. But maybe such an assumption isn’t the smartest one to make. We, being human, often transmute ourselves into things of our creation. Our egos cannot help it. Humans are flawed, and while there is both beauty and ugliness in that, what we make often reflects a part of us. Therefore, it can be argued that AI will go in that same direction, though perhaps without the complexity of emotions. To understand AI, we must look at all its permutations. AI has been applied in various industries, manufacturing mostly, where tasks are programmed into non-living, moving machines created primarily to make life easier for humans. In recent years, however, AI has provided more “services” to man, such as predicting outcomes based on historical data so that fields like medicine and publishing can have results or outputs provided in much less time and resources spent. Apparently, what has gotten some people worried is a type of AI called “machine learning.” We’ve heard of “algorithms” and “robotics,” and how these have impacted many industries today. These are but two kinds of machine learning. Essentially, it is an aspect of AI that poses danger in terms of “foreseen unforeseens,” as a line in a Netflix series goes. It is said that machine learning, which makes a machine “trainable” based on previous data it analyzed to make predictions, can one day make AI so advanced that humans will have trouble catching up. Think Frankenstein — or all the other monsters the voting public put in positions of power. One day, some believe, humans will be oppressed by machines, but sad to say a heroic Jedi or Iron Man won’t be coming to the rescue. Man-created machines to provide ease and speed and convenience. But man also made machines to “think” for them, thereby creating new generations of humans who are run by machines. Think mobile phones and the internet. Everything is connected. The world was blissfully unaware of the progress in AI until the top brains at global tech giants started balking at the concept. We were then all provoked into thinking about it. Three views are currently in play when it comes to AI. Michael Shermer, publisher of Skeptic Magazine, book author, and columnist at Scientific American, discusses in his Edge article how it may be possible to think of AI as neither “benevolent” nor “malevolent.” Those thoughts, he posits, are based on a false analogy. And instead of imagining computers and robots existing in either a utopian or dystopian future, why not a protopian one? The term was coined by the futurist Kevin Kelly, who in another Edge piece explained it this way: “I call myself a protopian, not a utopian. I believe in progress in an incremental way where every year it’s better than the year before but not by very much — just a micro amount.” In other words, in these times of apocalyptic plots and general discourse on a planet dying, living “incrementally,” or in the present, perhaps, is the only way to keep sane. The post AI conundrum appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Denmark seeks limits on protests involving Koran burnings
The Danish government said Sunday it would explore legal means of stopping protests involving the burning of holy texts in certain circumstances, citing security concerns following backlash over such incidents that saw the Koran desecrated in Denmark and Sweden. Noting that such protests played into the hands of extremists, the government wants to "explore" intervening in situations where "other countries, cultures, and religions are being insulted, and where this could have significant negative consequences for Denmark, not least with regard to security," it said in a statement from the foreign ministry. "This must of course be done within the framework of the constitutionally protected freedom of expression and in a manner that does not change the fact that freedom of expression in Denmark has very broad scope," it added, stressing it is one of the country's most important values. Several recent protests involving desecrations of the Muslim holy book have raised diplomatic tensions throughout the Middle East and the two Nordic countries. The Danish government noted that the protests have "reached a level where Denmark, in many parts of the world across continents, is being viewed as a country that facilitates insult and denigration of the cultures, religions, and traditions of other countries." It added that the "primary purpose" of some of the actions had been to provoke and "could have significant consequences." Both Danish and Swedish envoys have been summoned to a slew of Middle Eastern nations. In a separate statement, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said he had been in close contact with his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen, and that a similar process was already underway in Sweden. "We have also started to analyze the legal situation already... in order to consider measures to strengthen our national security and the security of Swedes in Sweden and around the world," Kristersson said in a post to Instagram. On Thursday, Sweden's government ordered 15 government agencies -- including Sweden's armed forces, several law enforcement agencies, and the Swedish tax agency -- to strengthen the country's ability to prevent terrorism in response to a worsened security situation. The announcement came a day after the government said the country had become the target of disinformation campaigns. Saudi Arabia and Iraq have called for a meeting, expected to be held on Monday, of the Jeddah-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to address Koran desecration in both Sweden and Denmark. The post Denmark seeks limits on protests involving Koran burnings appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
BATO DARES ICC ‘I am here, arrest me!’
By: Ann JEnireene Gomez and Alvin Murcia With GLEN JACOB JOSE, Tiziana Celine Piatos AND JOM GARNER, Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa warned of “big trouble” if the International Criminal Court comes to the Philippines to arrest him or anyone else. “I already expected that, their insistence on meddling in our domestic affairs. Let them, let them do what they want,” Dela Rosa said in Filipino in an interview with Frontline Tonight. “I’ll be here, I am not hiding. If they have a warrant of arrest, let them serve the warrant,” Dela Rosa said, with one caveat — that he’ll only allow himself to be arrested by Philippine authorities and not by any foreigner ordered to do so by the ICC. Dela Rosa was responding to a statement of Senate President Miguel Zubiri that the government will have no choice but to turn over anyone to the ICC if the arrest warrant will be coursed through local courts and will be served by local authorities. “We are still a sovereign country, and they (accused) are still citizens of this country. They do that with many other countries. However, the danger there is if Senator Bato dela Rosa goes to a country that is friendly to the ICC, then they will arrest him. Here in the Philippines, the process is they must coordinate with the local courts,” Zubiri said. The ICC’s Appeals Chamber voted 3-2 on Tuesday to deny the Philippines’ appeal to stop the ICC Office of the Prosecutor from resuming its investigation. “There’s no problem if the Philippine government would be the one to arrest me, but not the foreigners,” he said. “If it’s the government of the Philippines that would decide to arrest me, what can I do? But if they (ICC) would come here to take me, our government would have none of that.” “There’s going to be big trouble if they would insist on coming here against our government’s expressed will. That would be too blatant an interference and they would be treating us like fools,” he added. Chill Meanwhile, Senator Francis Tolentino, who offered to stand as legal counsel for a fellow lawmaker in the ICC probe, advised Dela Rosa to “Just chill”. “I accept the proposal of Sen. Dela Rosa to a lawyer for him. I am now speaking as the counsel for Senator Dela Rosa,” said Tolentino, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, in an online press conference yesterday. He said nothing has changed in the Philippines’ position on the dismissal of the ICC Pre-Chamber in the country’s appeal regarding the probe of the “war on drugs.” The ICC, he added, has no jurisdiction in the Philippines. Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Wednesday advised former president Rodrigo Duterte and Dela Rosa to stay away from countries where the ICC has influence. Dela Rosa is accused of implementing the alleged iron-fist policy of Duterte as a Davao regional police official and later as Duterte’s first Philippine National Police chief in 2016. “They are citizens of the republic who also need our protection,” Remulla said, adding that Duterte and Dela Rosa should refrain from going to countries in Europe. Why Sara? But even before Remulla came out with his advice, Dela Rosa had already said he would not deliver himself to the ICC. “I will make sure not to go to those countries that are friendly with the ICC,” he said. He also brushed aside efforts to involve Vice President Sara Duterte in the ICC probe, calling the move politically motivated against one who could become the country’s next president. He reiterated that the Vice President’s name was never mentioned in proceedings that looked into the alleged activities of the so-called Davao Death Squad. On Wednesday, the Department of Justice maintained that the ICC has no jurisdiction to investigate the extrajudicial killings allegedly committed during the Duterte administration’s so-called war on drugs. The DoJ expressed deep disappointment and strong disagreement with the denial by the ICC of the Office of the Solicitor General’s appeal to stop the probe on account of the Philippines having withdrawn from the ICC, and its having a fully functioning justice system. It said the rejection of the appeal was based on the ICC’s flawed interpretation of its jurisdiction as a court of last resort — that it could only assume jurisdiction when a member country showed it was not capable of investigating and prosecuting crimes within its borders. The DoJ pointed out that the principle of complementarity, enshrined in the Rome Statute that created the ICC, recognizes the jurisdiction of local courts to try crimes within their respective countries. “The dissenting opinions of two esteemed justices out of the five-judge panel highlight the grave errors in the majority decision,” the DoJ said in a statement. “These dissenting justices rightly recognized the Philippines’ commitment to upholding the rule of law and maintaining an independent and effective legal system.” “Their dissenting opinions underscore the existence of a legitimate difference of legal interpretation, casting doubt on the majority’s ruling,” it added. Remulla had lambasted the ICC for meddling in Philippine affairs and said the government would not honor any arrest warrant issued by the ICC. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his predecessor, Duterte, had been firm in saying the ICC had no jurisdiction over events that transpired in the Philippines. PNP no ICC lackey Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police said it would not be dictated to by the ICC as it recognizes the stance of the government that the international tribunal has no jurisdiction over the conduct of the drug war probe. “The PNP is under the executive department and we will follow the lead of the national government that there is a question with respect to sovereignty and jurisdiction of the ICC,” PNP spokesperson P/Col. Jean Fajardo said. Duterte, as Davao City mayor from 2011 to 2016 and as the country’s president from 2016 to 2022, is seen as the ICC prosecutor’s primary target, along with his former police chief, Dela Rosa. Government data showed that about 6,200 people died in “legitimate” anti-drug operations during the Duterte presidency, including law enforcement officers killed in action. Government critics claim as many as 15,000 to 30,000 were killed. Meanwhile, Vice President Duterte appeared to have been included in the complaints filed with the ICC prosecutor, along with her father’s long-time aide, the now Senator Christopher “Bong” Go. “No comment,” was the terse reply of the Vice President’s camp on her alleged inclusion in the ICC complaints. Go, on the other hand, said the ICC had no “business meddling in our internal affairs, where our courts remain fully functional and free from political interference.” “Probes into the war on drugs are presently being conducted by the competent authorities. Filipinos should be judged by fellow Filipinos before Philippine courts operating under Philippine laws,” Go said. With the ICC ruling, the DoJ vowed to continue to defend the sovereignty and integrity of the nation’s legal system and strongly urged the ICC to reconsider its decision and recognize the Philippines’ unwavering commitment to the rule of law and the pursuit of justice. “Furthermore, we would like to take this opportunity to reiterate our commitment to the well-being and support of all victims affected by the drug war,” Remulla’s department said. “The DoJ, in collaboration with other relevant agencies, is willing and able to assist those who had suffered harm or loss during this challenging period. We encourage all individuals with evidence and witnesses to come forward and share their testimonies with us,” it added. Former president Duterte, through his former spokesperson Harry Roque, shrugged off the ICC decision. In a Facebook post, Roque said Duterte has always maintained that as an independent and sovereign state, only Philippine courts can try any crime committed in Philippine territory. “He has time and again said that because of this, he will face all his accusers anytime but before Philippine courts and before Filipino judges only,” Roque said. In a television interview, Zubiri said the upper chamber would “not give up” Dela Rosa should the ICC issue a warrant of arrest against the latter. “Without the local warrant of arrest issued by the courts, then as far as I’m concerned, he is still a working member of the Senate and accorded of course that respect, similar to Senator De Lima and Senator [Antonio] Trillanes,” he said. “Only when the warrant of arrest was issued, then we allowed or we agreed that he may be taken in custody,” he added. The post BATO DARES ICC ‘I am here, arrest me!’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
China still intractable
On the seventh anniversary of the Philippines’ historic 12 July 2016 arbitration victory in which the Permanent Court of Arbitration or PCA in The Hague that voided China’s sweeping claims, including over the West Philippine Sea which covers the exclusive economic zone stretching 200 nautical miles from Philippine shores, the words of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. strike an uplifting chord in the hearts of all patriotic Filipinos. “I will not preside over any process that will abandon even one square inch of territory of the Republic of the Philippines to any foreign power,” he said with conviction to thunderous applause as he stood before members of Congress in joint session for his first SONA on 25 July 2022. The words of the President serve as the title to the microsite recently launched by the Department of Foreign Affairs, which marks the seventh year of Manila’s victory against China at the PCA. That victory, the DFA said on the site, “authoritatively ruled that the claim of historic rights to resources within the sea areas falling within the ‘nine-dash’ line had no basis in law and is without any legal effect.” Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo describes the site as a central resource of information regarding the award and its contribution to the rule of law and peaceful settlement of disputes through the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS and international law. China, ironically, was among the first to ratify UNCLOS in 1992. Said Manalo, “Anniversaries remind us of the trajectory we have taken as a nation and as a people. In the decision (by the Philippine government, under then President Benigno C. Aquino III) to file an arbitration case, the Philippines opted to take the path of principle, the rule of law, and the peaceful settlement of disputes. The Tribunal’s decision affirmed the correctness of that course of action.” It took three years from the Philippines’ filing of its case against China until 12 July 2016 for the PCA to issue its ruling that crushed China’s claims over the SCS, including its nine-dash line, denouncing the encroachment in and harassment by armed Chinese maritime elements of Filipino fishermen in the WPS. China has long argued that its claim over the South China Sea is historical in nature, with Chinese scholars and analysts contending that islands in the South China Sea were first discovered by China’s Han dynasty over two millennia ago. In his book Asia’s Cauldron, US scholar and strategist Robert D. Kaplan says that between the 10th and 14th centuries, during the Song and Yuan dynasties, many official and unofficial Chinese accounts show the South China Sea to be within China’s national boundaries. He, however, argued that this “historical rights” argument has been challenged on several fronts. First, there is scant proof that China had controlled the South China Sea after the mid-17th century. “Indeed, after a burst of seafaring exploration during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), China’s emperors largely shut their empire off from the seas,” said Chinese marine geographer Wang Ying who contends that, consequently, there is scarce cartographic proof of China’s rights over the SCS. While the nine-dash line concept has been around since 1947, Chinese maps — for the longest time — hardly gave it any prominence. This changed in 2009 when a map marking the nine-dash line was included in the documents submitted by China to the UN during a dispute with Vietnam. Today, Chinese passports are emblazoned with a map with nine dashes through the South China Sea as well as a 10th dash that counts Taiwan as part of Chinese territory. Still, there exists vagueness over what China’s nine-dash line implies. Wang says the dash lines mean that “the ocean, islands, and reefs all belong to China and that China has sovereign right over them. But it’s discontinuous, meaning other countries can pass through the lines freely.” Notwithstanding the ambiguities over its nine-dash line concept and the quashing by the PCA of its claim over the SCS, China, to this day, refuses to recognize the 2016 arbitral ruling even as nations, including the US, Germany, Canada, Japan, Australia, and the European Union have expressed strong support for the landmark decision that recognized Philippine sovereign rights over its EEZ in the WPS. For the US, the 2016 ruling of the tribunal constituted under UNCLOS is “final and legally binding.” The EU called the ruling a “significant milestone” and a “useful basis for the peaceful resolution of disputes…” even as Canadian Ambassador David Hartman said, “We have always been strong in our position; we have been an active vocal proponent on the enforcement of it, encouraging all parties involved to respect the ruling.” Speaking for President Marcos, DFA Secretary Manalo welcomed “the growing number of partners that have expressed support for the Award. We are honored that the Award stands as a beacon whose guiding light serves all nations. It is a settled landmark and a definitive contribution to the progressive development of international law. It is ours, as much as it is the world’s.” A world, that is, that an obdurate China doesn’t seem to want to be part of nor care for unless it can be bent to its will. 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India announces new French fighter jet deal as Modi visits Paris
India announced a new multi-billion-dollar deal for French fighter jets on Thursday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Paris for a two-day trip that will see him feted as the guest of honor during France's national day celebrations. India's defense ministry said that the country intended to order 26 more Rafale jets as well as another three Scorpene-class submarines, with the price and other terms still being worked out. India is one of the biggest buyers of French arms, and Modi announced a landmark deal for 36 Rafale fighter jets during a 2015 trip to Paris that was worth around 4.0 billion euros at the time. Some of those Indian-piloted Rafales will take part in a flypast on Friday during France's Bastille Day military parade where Modi will sit alongside French President Emmanuel Macron as guest of honour. "This closeness is not limited to just the leaders of two countries, it is in fact a reflection of the unwavering friendship between India and France," Modi told an enthusiastic crowd of Indians living in France on Thursday evening. Despite differences over the war in Ukraine and tensions over human rights in India, Western democracies are courting Modi and India as a counterweight to China in Asia. Macron's red carpet welcome comes weeks after Modi was given the rare honor of a White House state dinner in Washington -- a city he was once banned from visiting. "India is one of the pillars of our Indo-Pacific strategy," an aide to Macron told reporters this week on condition of anonymity. Human rights But amid the pomp and diplomatic courting in France, a resolution from the European Parliament on Thursday served as a reminder of Modi's controversial leadership style and Hindu nationalist agenda that has critics at home and abroad. Sitting in Strasbourg in eastern France, EU parliamentarians approved a motion that urged India to end violence in the country's restive northeastern Manipur state and to protect minorities there. Clashes between the majority Meitei, who are mostly Hindus, and the mainly Christian Kuki tribe have left at least 120 people dead, 50,000 displaced and over 1,700 houses destroyed, the parliament said. It criticized the "nationalistic rhetoric" of the local state government, run by Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party. Modi's role during Bastille Day in France was "an affront not only to India's minority communities, journalists and human rights defenders but also to India as a democracy," the text's chief negotiator, Pierre Larrouturou, said. A protest called against Modi drew only a few dozen people in central Paris on Thursday. Strategic partnership Modi has visited France four times since Macron came to power in 2017, while Macron was honored with a state visit to New Delhi in 2018. Aides on both sides have talked up the personal chemistry between the two leaders and pointed to cooperation on climate change, space technology, and nuclear power as part of a 25-year-old "strategic partnership" between France and India. Modi told the French newspaper Les Echos that bilateral trade had doubled in the last nine years and Macron's "thinking really matches ours". India and France "are naturally compatible" and "we see France as one of our foremost global partners," Modi added. Few observers expect Macron to raise rights concerns with Modi publicly. "The fact that explains France's relative success in this relationship is that unlike the US, the UK, Canada, Germany and a few other European countries, you've hardly seen France commenting on the internal affairs of India," Constantino Xavier from the Centre for Social and Economic Progress, a New Delhi-based think tank, said this week. "That has been appreciated on the Indian side." Modi has been dogged by allegations he was complicit in religious violence during his tenure as chief minister of the western state of Gujarat in 2002 when around 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed in sectarian riots. The Indian government and judicial probes have cleared him of culpability. Since his first crushing electoral victory in 2014, he has also been denounced by rights groups for increased discrimination and violence towards the country's Muslims, as well as stifling independent media. "Diversity is the biggest strength of our democracy," he told the meeting on Thursday evening that also lauded the country's economic growth. Many European and American businesses, including US tech giant Apple, are ramping up production there to mitigate the threat of supply chain disruptions from China. The war in Ukraine has heightened concerns in the West about the risk of conflicts disrupting the flow of key raw materials and technology from China, but it has also exposed a rift with India. New Delhi, which has long sought to balance its ties with Moscow and the West, has declined to condemn Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine and has emerged as a top buyer of discounted Russian oil during the biggest conflict in Europe since World War II. The post India announces new French fighter jet deal as Modi visits Paris appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»