#CommuterProblems

Last Wednesday I saw this photo circulating online featuring a guy seated inside the LRT. The Facebook user who posted this is a girl who was utterly disappointed that he did not offer her a seat despite being, well, tired too.

She said, "One of the reasons why ladies keep on saying that Chivalry is dead. Unattractive na nga di pa gentleman. Sorry but I'm just being honest. At hindi ako grabe. I don't mean to offend anyone of you boys, I have friends na gentleman. This is just my opinion, respect it. Mind your own business." ("One of the reasons why ladies keep on saying that Chivalry is dead. [This guy] is unattractive and worse, not a gentleman. Sorry but I'm just being honest. And I'm not exaggerating. I don't mean to offend anyone of you boys [because] I have friends who are [gentlemen.] This is just my opinion, respect it. Mind your own business.")

I chose to simply share the post on my wall and ignore the girl's claim that "chivalry is dead". Besides, "Should a guy offer his seat to a girl?" remains one of the most argued (and brought up) propositions about gender equality. At some point, one just gets tired of answering "yes" or "no" while the truth is "it depends on the situation".

I also did not contribute to the discussion because I thought that the guy defended himself well when he saw his photo online. He said, "Wag lang magpakita 'tong Paola Kristal Shane Gardon na 'to sakin a. Hindi na nga attractive, ang taba pa ng utak. May pwesto naman na puro babae lang e bat nakikipagsiksikan ka para sa lahat? Aba hindi lang ikaw ang pagod na kelangan umupo!" ("I wish my path wouldn't cross with Paola Kristal Shane Gardon, an unattractive and ill-informed [woman.] There are available [seats] in the girl's [trains], why did you get inside the shared genders' trains? You are not the only tired [commuter] who wants to have a seat!")

Until...a friend from the ministry commented on my post. She said, "Gusto ko magcomment pero wag na lang. Hahaha! Anong opinion mo, Ross?" (I would have wanted to comment but I would rather not do so. What do you think, Ross?)

This made me rethink the situation, put my self in the guy's position, and write what I've always wanted to. I said, "I don't think women should feel automatically entitled to have a seat inside the men's (or shared genders') designated trains unless they are old, pregnant, disabled, with a child or someone who physically carries a heavy load.

As a society, we have high respect for women (especially compared with other countries) but this does not give women the right to embarrass men if they didn't get what they think is rightfully theirs - well in fact, they are inside our (or the shared genders') assigned trains.

Besides, people, like this guy, get tired and gender has nothing to do with it. At the end of the day we all just want to feel comfortable when commuting. If the girl really thinks she can get that feeling from our public transport system, she should've reached the station earlier - or just hired a cab."

I honestly felt relieved to share my thoughts on this sensitive issue (Yes, any issue where gender equality, or the lack of it, is involved, is sensitive).

I also want to tell the lady who posted in Facebook that the worse thing that can ever happen to chivalry being dead is feminism stepping back a million miles because of overly self-righteous and entitled girls. Like her. 

Restroom Warrior

Last Thursday I had an event for my new client in a fast food restaurant in Quezon City.

Before the program started, I went inside the restroom to pee then got out of the toilet to check my shirt and hair. There was a guy standing in front of the mirror washing his hands. I tried looking at myself in the mirror but I got conscious after just two seconds because he was obviously occupying the view.

Suddenly the guy asked, "Naggi-GA ka ba?"

"Huh?" I was confused.

"GA Tower?" He said, smiling.

"Ano po yun?" I replied.

While he continued talking to me through the mirror, "GA Tower. Condominium."

I remained speechless as he turned around and stepped closer.

"You look familiar," he continued as he closed the door.

I was starting to shake at this point.

"Ahm, no sorry," I said while twisting my hands.

Then he moved my bangs sideways as if trying to fix it as he closed, "You're cute."

I didn't know what to say except, "Thanks...ahm, I'm sorry, I actually don't know the place."

I got out of the restroom and he followed.

I was hoping that he was just one of the customers downstairs and not among the event personnel. Surprisingly, he was our client's make-up artist!

My body was still shaking so I quickly went downstairs to get water. Between the time that this guy asked me through the mirror and when I was holding my cup of water, I was only thinking of one thing: "So that's how it feels like to be picked up by a stranger?!"

Huh! Thank God I survived the challenge!

P.S. I found out later on that G.A. Tower is located in Sierra Madre, Mandaluyong. Hmm...learning new things every day right?

Like him

Note: This short story is a product of our 10 minute writing exercise in Writing Boot Camp with Jessica Zafra. We were asked to write about our childhood best friend and since I don't have one, I invented him.

My surname is Manicad and his is Manlapas. We were seatmates since first grade and we remained as close as our armchairs until second grade.

Ian was okay; not good nor bad. He was not the best student in the class but he consistently passed our exams.

I remember that our first talk was about his crush Jaina who happened to be my close friend. At first I thought he was really keen on being friends with me but then I found out that he was more interested in Jaina. It's okay, I told myself. Come second grade, Ian's infatuation for Jaina faded and we started to bond like brothers.

He would bring cards to school and we would play them during recess. Sometimes he would ask me to go with him to the rest room but we will just end up in the hallways - walking to the museum, canteen, and rows of classrooms.

Ian was definitely fun to be around with. It was nice knowing him for two years.

Two years only because in third grade, his parents transferred him to a better school in the district. If Facebook and Twitter were available then, or if we had mobile phones, I wouldn't be writing about him today.

I didn't get to say goodbye to Ian formally because he was gone before the school year 1999-2000 opened. I had Ian's pencil from Grade 2 until I graduated in grade school.

I didn't know how I lost it.

Perhaps because Ian owned it.

Victory Party

Note to readers: This short story is a product of a 10-minute writing exercise for our Writing Boot Camp with Jessica Zafra. We were asked to write a back story/history of this strangely looking creature from the movie "Donnie Darko."

Ines was known as the best seamstress in her town. She was the Captain's most trusted and longest-serving dressmaker.

The town Captain asked Ines to come to his house at least once a month for a new order - a polo barong, slacks, semi-casual ensemble, and sometimes even handkerchiefs given to the devotees of their Parish. 

It was an open secret among townspeople that the Captain and Ines were having an affair. Every time Ines walked out of the Captain's house, people stared at her with judgement. 

This affair went on for more than a year. It stopped - or it had to stop - when Ines revealed to the Captain that she was pregnant. 

The Captain, anxious of a potential scandal and its grave effects on his reelection bid, forcefully convinced Ines to discontinue the pregnancy.  

Helpless Ines was assisted by the Captain's men to the 'clinic' where the 'medical check-up' was done - or so what her family and neighbors believed it to be. 

A week after, Ines went back to her house in a debilitated state. She did not have the energy to greet, much so socialize, with her closest kin. 

Ines locked herself in the sewing room and no one could talk to her for months. Her isolation forced customers to place orders in lesser known seamstresses in and around town.

Election time has come and the votes have been tallied. The Captain was reelected as the town leader for another three years, an announcement which only a few considered news.  

Ines found out about it through the tarpaulins on electrical posts which were hanged as prelude to a free-for-all party.

That moment, Ines figured she had to share in the celebration but in her own special way - in a way that will capture the Captain's attention. 

Feeling so much energy she never thought she could regain, Ines turned on her sewing machine, sat on her three-generation chair, and held a needle and a thread. 

It took a while before Ines familiarized herself again with the process. She stitched a huge amount of rags and ended up with a doll akin to a bunny. The difference was that this bunny had a sinister smile and plenty of loose stitches in its arms, legs, and mouth. 

There was no room for improvements, Ines thought. The bunny was as perfect as any memorable present should be.

On a night when everyone gathered in the town hall for the Captain's oath-taking, Ines walked straight to the Captain's house hugging the bunny on her chest. 

She hung the bunny at the gate and tied it with a sash that said: "Congratulations, Captain." It easily overshadowed election posters bearing the Captain's face, name and slogan "Tapat Dapat."

Ines walked back to her house without an effort to conceal her identity from passersby who saw her climbing the gate.  

She did not care whether people found out about what she did. She raised her head, angled it properly to see the Captain through the cheering crowd and smiled.

"I knew the Captain would love it," she thought as she walked away. 

The shot that gained 21 likes

The story behind my profile picture

Day 1 of Pam Pastor's 30-Day "Writing My Life" Challenge

I went to BenCab Museum in Baguio City last April and took some interesting shots in and around the galleries.

I saw this painting of five children seemingly hiding or peeking inside what appears to be a cloth and I thought it would make a good shot.  

The painting is entitled "The Bemused," a word that isn't typically part of my vocabulary. I was pleasantly surprised to see my shadow through the glass frame so I took the shot regardless. Like any other millennial, I found the shot as artistic, hip, and pa-deep.

I searched for the meaning of "bemuse" after taking the shot and to my surprise, it is a verb that means "puzzle, confuse, or bewilder (somebody)." No wonder I found the painting interesting enough - most of the time, I am a puzzled, confused, and bewildered individual.

That time, I was bemused with the painting, at myself, and in my environment.

Perhaps I'm not the only one who feels instant connection with a particular artwork. I've been to a number of museums and there were pieces that stood out from my peripheral and invited me to their direction - like Juan Luna's bust and the "Spolarium" in the National Museum and "Republika ng Pilipinas" in Pinto Art Museum. 

"The Bemused" attracted me with its subtle colors, placement in the gallery, and the five children who were, again, either hiding inside or peeking through the cloth. I couldn't decide if I want them to do the former or the latter.

In a way, I felt that they wanted to show me something but at the same time they couldn't do so; they wanted to lead me somewhere but they were confined within the cloth; and they wanted to reveal a secret - perhaps my secret - but they remained silent because I was in front of them.

Meanwhile, take a look at the red line at the center going down on the children. Doesn't it make the painting all the more bemusing?

The Zzzs of an evening person

There are so many things I want to accomplish and most of them come at night. 

I want to read books that make me laugh, cry and be grateful. I want to read new books from 'renowned,' 'bestseller,' and 'literary protege' authors. I want to reread books that are worth revisiting and catch up with characters who are worth talking to.

I want to watch films that are light, funny, and sincere. I want to watch comedies, romcoms or biopics that make staying up late worth it. I enjoy suppressing an LOL at hard-hitting punchlines from bigtime comedies like Bridesmaids, The Hangover, Skeleton Twins and recently, Trainwreck, because my family is already asleep. I feel lighter after crying as I sympathize with characters from emotionally-biting dramas like A Beautiful Life, The Theory of Everything, The Imitation Game, and romcoms like Jesse and Celeste Forever.

I like to watch great actors pour their emotions as they play the role of ordinary people. I like to hear words that I wish I wrote and admire talented screenwriters who actually did.

I want to prepare for my work the following day or weekday to achieve more and leave the office early. I want to think of more efficient ways to balance work and life so I can have more daydreaming time.

I like to workout again to see some physical improvements and feel emotional and mental lightness. I want to practice a healthy mindset and hear people say, "you look healthier" the next time I see them.

I like to think of ways on how to achieve my goals, but first identify what they are.

I want to talk to dear friends and find out their whereabouts without relying on social media. I want to not 'like' their recent activity and tolerate the way we're nonverbally updating each other.

I want to think of my next travel or escape plan from my restless schedule (read: millennial). I want to revisit places I've been to and also imagine the places I know I will be in someday. 

Most of the time I want to do all these things between 10 PM to 4 AM which is a challenging task.

I also want to rest my weary head and stop thinking of all my aforementioned wants. I know I am robbing myself of energy when I think of all those things instead of sleeping. Yes, this is the life and loss of an 'evening person.'

I have written my best essays and a play during these times and the results were encouraging. I know the process of 'wanting' and 'liking' to do more and be more is effective during midnight but I know that at some point I have to (ironically) wake up from dreaming and actually sleep.

Take this blog for instance. I know I'm on to a good direction but then it's already 5 AM and I can feel my head aching from too much screen exposure.

On Writing, On Dreaming

The Feast PICC taught me to visualize my dreams. The Novena to God’s Love trained me to set specific goals with feasible timelines.

In 2014 I decided I want to become a published writer. I was serious with the dream but not yet with the corresponding investments (physical, financial, and social) to make it happen.

Baby steps

I found the Internet as a great space to share my thoughts and experiences so I created a blog where I post anything that interests and affects me.

In May 2014, I joined the Feat PICC Print Media Ministry as a writer. I diligently covered my assigned talks and homilies and submitted my articles on time. The sacrifice paid off when, for the first time in a long time, I saw my byline in a publication. It brought back great energy to my insecure hands.

Bolder aspirations

I also wrote in my Novena that I aspire to be published in Philippine Daily Inquirer’s Young Blood column, a section that accepts contributions from young writers who have relevant opinion about basically any topic under the sun.

Fast forward to September 2014 and my first essay “Papa, Don’tPreach” was published. As the year turned, my second article “Pope of ManyQuestions” was also accommodated by the editors.

No longer a ‘virgin’

God made my first two dreams come true. I took them as signs that He wants the best for me so I wrote another bold prediction. I asked to be one of the playwrights in Virgin Labfest (VLF), a festival of untried, untested, and unstaged one-act plays in the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

I knew that achieving such goal entails bigger and bolder preparations. I took up Theater Arts and Basic Acting classes at the Philippine Education Theater Association (PETA) to immerse in theater. I bought books featuring some of the best local and international plays ever written (big credit to the ultimate bookworm haven, Book Sale), I watched several productions from different theater groups to appreciate the craft, and I wrote ideas in my phone and in my notebook to make sure that I don’t forget good dialogues and hard-hitting punch lines.

To cut the long story short, I poured a generous amount of time, money, effort, and mixed them up with bowls of creativity and courage, and flavored them to perfection with pitchers of hope and faith just to be called a writer.

Fast forward to April this year – my play “The Wedding Planners” was chosen as one of the Staged Readings for Virgin Labfest 11. The festival opened up opportunities for me including working with young actors whom I admired and developing the play to an emotional and entertaining piece of work.

It was staged last June 26 and several friends, colleagues, and loved ones (most especially my parents) were there to watch it. That was a night filled with love, support, and admiration.

***

I feel truly blessed as I look back on my VLF experience. I was calling on God to bless me from the time I dreamed of becoming a writer, to the countless days-turned-nights when I wrote my play, to the day of the announcement, until that moment when the lights turned off and the actors became my characters.  

I have a lot of people to thank for but God comes first and last. He is writing one hardworking life story and I am fortunate he is letting me contribute. I am thankful that God gave me this talent, through which I am able to bless, inspire, and entertain many. I will end this blessing blog with my favorite quotation from Mother Theresa, “I am but a little pencil in the hand of a writing God.”

Keep on writing your own story but remember you are just a contributor. He is, and always will be, the author.

Note to readers: This was originally submitted to the Bulletin of Feast Bay Area, the author's Catholic charismatic community led by Bro. Bo Sanchez. 

Wedding Feels

My one-act play The Wedding Planners was accepted in Virgin Labfest 11, a festival of untried, untested, and unstaged plays. It was produced as a staged reading last June 26 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

Synopsis: Bryan and Jane realize that their wedding would take serious planning and they would need professional help. Without him knowing, Jane invites Bryan’s close friend in college, Vic, for initial discussion. Vic is really keen on helping the couple for their Big Day but first, he wants to say ‘Hi’ to an old friend.

 I wrote the play to entertain the audience – make them laugh and relate to that feeling we call ‘love,’ or at least what we believe to be one. I also wrote it to be free from a bad experience.

Here are some reactions from the audience:

• "Witnessed The Wedding Planners the story was great, funny and full of hugots! Congratulations to the casts and kuya Tad and the writer!" – Audrey Roxette Pedrosa
• "Ganda po ng Wedding Planners! :) Makiki-FC po ako pero ang ganda ng material. Andaming pwedeng gawin. Push na po! Abangan ko yung iba niyo pang maisusulat" – Patricia SyJoven
• "Interesado na akong malaman anong kwento tungkol sa EX-penses :)" - Ces Arcilla
• "Ang witty hihi.. wafu pa ung 2 actors hahaha." – Rose Ann Estiva Tano
• "Totoo ba ang bee tart? Kasi di ba nakapunta ka na sa Bohol?" – Arianne Rodelas
• "Matutuloy ba ang kasal?" – Ariane Rodelas and Lovely Hsam Palana
• "Ang galing Ross!!! Ganda! Congrats!!!" – Cris Legaspi
• "Congrats guys...sobrang galing" - Joan Madriñan Abubo
• "Good job. Ang cute ng ending!" - Jerome Zamora, screenwriter
• "The staged reading we saw of Ross Manicad's "The Wedding Planners," starring the wonderful Topper Fabregas and Marco Viana as exes, and helmed by first-time director Jonathan Tadioan, was a way more stirring and emotionally authentic experience," Vincen Gregory Yu*
• 
  

I also received words of encouragement and compliments from industry professionals who I look up to:

• "Maraming salamat sa lahat ng nanuod kanina ng the wedding planners. Maraming salamat Rossielle Manicad sa napakagandang dula, sa mga aktor ko maraming salamat. Salamat Tuxqs Rutaquio sa tiwala. Ang saya. Deverginize na ako." – Jonathan Tadioan, my director
• "Congratulations Rossielle, Tad, Lhorvie, Topper, Marco, Toni. That was a good one. I enjoyed it. Congratulations, too, to Nikki, Rody and Tuxqs for all your hard work for VLF." – Nanding Josef, Tanghalang Pilipino artistic director
• "Congrats din sa mga bumuo ng unang Staged Reading ng taon: mula sa The Wedding Planners ni Ross Manicad: Jonathan Tad Tadioan, Marco Viaña Antonette Go, Lhorvie Ann Melendres Nuevo Topper Fabregas etc! bow!" – Rodolfo Vera, playwright and festival co-founder
• "Rossielle, magsulat muli for next year...baka makapasok ka na!!!!" – Tuxqs Rutaqio, dramaturg and festival director
• "Magsulat ulit, Rossielle Manicad for next year!" – also from Tuxqs Rutaqio

It has been a memorable experience writing The Wedding Planners and producing it alongside other creatives. I am grateful to my director Tad Tadioan of Tanghalang Pilipino for believing in the play and convincing the actors on my behalf.

My admiration for Topper Fabregas and Marco Viana as actors was affirmed when they brought Vic and Bryan to life. I was thinking of them while I was writing the play. To hear and see them play the main characters is beyond my expectations. I strongly believe they are two of the best young actors in Philippine theater now.

I also had immense fun working with my female leads Antonette Go and Lhorvie Ann Nuevo as Jane and Roxy, respectively. They are pleasant actresses with immense potential. Finally, our stage manager Bene Manaois is a highly reliable production lead.

Even though The Wedding Planners was only staged once, I could not have been more grateful to the festival organizers who selected it, my team who co-produced it, and my family and loved ones who watched it. As an aspiring writer, I simply hope that people will read my stories. For them to be published and staged is more than enough.

Going back to reality, I have to think now of what to write next. Needless to say, the only way to become a writer is to write...write...and write.  

*Virgin Labfest 11 runs from June 24- July 12. Watch awesome and affective performances from experienced and new playwrights for a minimal fee only. More information can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/thevirginlabfest?fref=ts

* Vince Gregory Yu is a contributor for Philippine Daily Inquirer - Lifestyle (Theater) column. His article appears on this link. 

First Day High

Kanina ka pa?

Musta?

Ayos lang. Kaw?

Tatango

Asan siya?

Magkikibit-balikat

May kinuha ka na?

Ito lang (Beer at mani)

Boss!

May lalapit

Isa nga rin. (Tuturo sa beer). Tsaka... (Pabulong) pengeng mani. Wag adobo a, nilaga.

Tatango si Boss

Kamusta mga bata?

Tulog na kanina pa

Anong sabi mo?

Kako iinom lang saglit, sa kaibigan ko

Naniwala naman?

Sana

Matalino pa naman yung dalawa

Tangina. Hindi ko alam anong sasabihin ko pag nagtanong uli e

Tahimik. Lilingon sa ibang direksyon

Ayos din pala to nu? Mukhang malinis

Dapat lang. Sa labas man lang e

Yan na yata ung inorder ko

Babalik si Boss, may dalang beer at isang platong mani, at isa pang mani

Hi

Hi. Ernie. Kumpare ko si Jun

Tatango

Tikang. 2 months pa lang.

Yun! Maupo ka

Jun, parang malungkot ka?

‘Di ayos lang yan

Jun, gusto mo ba? May marireto ako

(Diretso ang tingin) Hindi ayos lang

Kanina pa kayo?

Hindi naman

First time niyo dito?

Siya oo, ako hindi

Parang hindi siya nag-eenjoy

Ayos lang yan. Mamaya lang konti magsasalita na rin yan

Okay. Ano namang sinabi mo sa misis mo?

Sus. Wala ako nun.

2 months na ako dito. Lahat sila wala daw nun
Sila yun

Bolero. Itong si Jun ba? Jun!

Meron na ‘ko

Buti pa ‘to mukhang mabait

Mukha lang! Hindi... mabait talaga yang kumpare ko

Tikang, sino yun?

Titingin sila sa kanan

Ewan ko. Bago lang.

Hindi. Yung kasama niya?

Yung balyena? Si Rody, suki rito

Bakit pre?

Blanko

Naku, hindot yang hinayupak na ‘yan. Putangina ang bigat sa kama. Nakakapagod. Ang liit naman ng titi. Tagal pang labasan.

Mukhang may kaya.

Sa totoo lang, malaki naman magtip

Tatayo

Pre, san ka pupunta?

CR lang

Sige, dagdag ako ng isa pa a

Tatango

Babalik sa lamesa

Tuloy ang kwentutan... kwentuhan pala

Anong oras ka matatapos dito?

Maya maya. Mga ala singko. Hindi mo ba ‘ko papainomin?

Siyempre naman. Order ka.

Boss!

Huling lagok na. Tatayo

Jun? Pre?

Palabas

Jun? Pre?

Una na ‘ko.

Pre naman. Ni hindi mo nagalaw yung mani mo.

Papasok pa mga bata

Tangina naman pre. Kakasimula

Baka magising sila.

pa lang

Ni isa sa ‘min hindi nila makita

natin

Mga ala singko pa pala

Ako taya ngayon!

uuwi nanay nila

(378 salita)

Coincidences

I experienced three things in Baguio which were totally out of my control. 

The shutter
On Sunday afternoon, I walked all the way from the White House, to Teachers' Camp, Botanical Garden, Wright Park, and up to The Mansion with my fully-charged digital camera. Those who have been to Baguio know that these sights are far from each other and it is best to commute instead.  

After reaching The Mansion by foot, I hired a taxi to get me to Good Shepherd Convent and Mines View Park in 15 minutes. I spent three to four hours for the entire trip and I took my time taking photos of sights and scenes that interested me. Click. Click. Click. View. Next or delete.

I thought that Mines View Park was tourist-friendly but the view deck (which everyone wants to see) was not that awe-inspiring. Countless of roofs scattered in the mountain range did little to overwhelm me. I decided to take (obligatory) landscape shots to capture my last stop and after three shots, my camera died. 

I submitted to the thought of going back to my transient. I was so damn tired that at one point I even complained putang*na, pagod na 'ko."

The pen
I decided to keep a travel journal with #BiyahengBaguio as my first entry. I wrote down every place I have gone to and my experiences to make my three-day trip last. 

My trip back to Manila was scheduled on a Monday, 2 PM but I was already at Victory Liner by 1:10 PM. The security guard assured me they will announce once the bus has arrived. To kill time, I wrote my last day's journey highlighted by my trip to the Lourdes Grotto. As I was writing my final sentence, expressing gratitude to my landlords, my pen ran out of ink. 

A three-day travel in the City of Pines must be truly exhausting that my pen had to give up on me.

The ride
I weren't able to continue writing so I read The Sherlockian (a fast-paced mystery novel by Academy-award winning writer Graham Moore) instead.

The novel was thrilling and I was so close to finishing it, I didn't want to stop. My mind insisted but my tired eyes gave up. I put a bookmark on the page where I paused and helplessly yawned.  

After what I felt was a long time waiting, I looked at my watch and realized that it was already five minutes before 2 PM! My co-passengers were already boarding the bus so I ran to it. 

Victory Liner didn't announce that my time in Baguio was up. My body made me feel it.  


Whenever I remember these coincidences, I wonder: I think I met Baguio like a lady with her period on, someone who can get cold and unpredictable.  

Tags: #BiyahengBaguio #Baguio #BaguioCity

The Curious Case of Sabel

It was my first time in Baguio City last March 14 to 16. I have always wanted to visit the place but never had the chance to. So when my friends from Feast PICC invited me, I giddily said 'yes.'

Apart from tasting strawberry taho, buying the must-try Good Shepherd Ube Jam, running through Burnham Park, and walking alone on Session Road, I made sure not to leave Baguio without visiting an artist's haven - the BenCab Museum. With two friends, we spent 30 minutes on an uphill ride to see the museum of Benedicto Cabrera, our highly-spirited National Artist for Visual Arts - Painting. 

The museum features his works (I cannot say his 'best' because probably the other 'bests' have been sold in staggering prices during international auctions), along with plenty of masterpieces from local artists.

The three-floor museum houses galleries for Cordillera, the artist's collection, contemporary art, erotica, Indio, and black and white stills. There are countless of sculptures around - modern and ethnic, but not as much as there are paintings and mixed media installations. 

I was overwhelmed with the beauty and backdrop of BenCab Museum.


I didn't meet the master, but I was keen on meeting the muse

Sabel is BenCab's most recognized and perhaps successful muse. She was a bag lady or taong grasa roaming in the same neighborhood as BenCab back in the '60s. 

Seeing her on canvas and on sculpture, I couldn't help but wonder where is she now. Did BenCab help her in any way? Was she aware of her impact to the artist and his followers? How about the next generation of artists and art aficionados? Does she agree with BenCab's interpretation of her condition? I hope the answers to these questions and more are all pleasant. I trust that what I don't know is good enough. 


Sabel on spotlight

This is another thought that bugged me when I 'met' Sabel. I first knew about her because of BenCab's partnership with Swatch for the latter's 25th anniversary. A non-numbered Sabel Swatch watch costs P3,500 while the limited edition numbered watch, which comes with a special case and a six-inch golden sculpture cum paperweight, costs P10,000 a piece. 

I tried the watch on my wrist and thought: she must be a very special lady. I gave back the watch to the staff and again told myself: I have to know her more. 

Back in the museum, Sabel can be felt and found in most corners. In fact, the cafe at the ground floor was even named after her. I hope it is the artist's way of showing gratitude to his muse, and reiterating his interpretation of Sabel's condition vis-a-vis that of the Filipinos. I don't want to entertain any other possible thought. 

Besides, quoting the National Commission for the Culture and Arts:
"For Bencab, Sabel is a melancholic symbol of dislocation, despair and isolation--the personification of human dignity threatened by life's vicissitudes, and the vast inequities of Philippine society"  

Also, quoting the artist himself:
"She was just going around our area on Yakal Street, and I’d see her from my window. Parang abstract eh — ‘yung mga balot-balot niya na plastic. I did drawings; then I started photographing her. I saw a lot of things in her — not only the human side, but also the abstract side.”

I know I may be over thinking things here but after seeing Sabel in the museum, and thinking of the countless Sabels in today's society, I think that reflecting on art and its purpose is the main reason why I endured the long ride going to the museum. 


Giving BenCab the benefit of the doubt (or, in the first place, who am I to judge?)

Perhaps BenCab built Sabel from just the woman to the muse, the brand, and the art, in the same way that Sabel probably helped BenCab seal his name in Philippine arts and culture landscape unintentionally. I think BenCab genuinely transformed from being 'an' artist to 'the' artist by seeing through Sabel, in a way no one else can and did.

Nevertheless, if mainstreaming art is an issue of an artist's ethics, authenticity and commitment, I can say that BenCab disproved it. BenCab showed me that art can definitely serve both the artist and his audience, in a way that the art does not lose its life and essence. 

Gallery

Him

Sabel in sculpture

Note to readers: This was originally an entry in my travel journal, written on the night of March 15 while having dinner at La Azotea's Cafe 108 along Session Road. The lights were dim, the music was inviting, the food was good, but not as good as 'that' moment. 

Tags: #BiyahengBaguio #Baguio #BaguioCity #BenCab

The Pope of many questions

Note to readers: This article was published in Philippine Daily Inquirer's Young Blood column in January 29, 2015. You can read the edited version on this link: http://opinion.inquirer.net/82109/pope-of-many-questions

Glyzelle Palomar, 12 years old, a former street kid who is now with Tulay ng Kabataan Foundation, asked Pope Francis in his encounter with the youth at UST about being homeless and being exposed to drugs and prostitution at an early age: “Bakit po pinapayagan ito ng Diyos na mangyari, at bakit po kaunti lang ang tumutulong sa amin?” (“Why does God allow this to happen and why are there only few people who help us?”). Hers was the shortest speech I heard from the entire Papal visit, and hers was the question that left Filipinos speechless, guilty, and sorry for. 

I wasn't able to hold back tears when Glyzelle asked Pope Francis, "Why does God allow this (streetchildren's exposure to prostitution, drugs) to happen and why are there only few people who help us?”

In the morning of November 8, 2013, the mother of Irene Pedrosa was busy cooking breakfast for the evacuees in the Barangay shelter in Palo, Leyte. That would be the last meal she prepared. Irene, 24 years old, told Lourd de Veyra in his Yolanda anniversary feature for Esquire Magazine, “I’m just asking, of all places... why this one? Why us?”

And then there is, or to be more accurate, was, Kristel Mae Padasas, a 27 year old church volunteer during Pope Francis’ visit to Tacloban who died when a piece of scaffolding fell, signaling the entrance of a new typhoon. In 2013, Kristel survived the typhoon which prompted the Pope to go to the Philippines. After 14 months, she died because of another one, ironically when the Pope was finally here. 

Knowing there is another typhoon with another casualty, leaving another father without a daughter makes me think, “Did Leyte not have enough suffering already?” 

***

The anticipated calamity forced the papal entourage to leave the province by 1 PM, or four hours earlier than scheduled. With that short amount of time, let me rephrase my question, “Did Leyte have enough of the Pope already?”

***

Pope Francis’ much anticipated and highly celebrated papal visit in our country has been full of questions. Sure there were millions of faithful waiting for him in the streets which probably pleased the worldwide audience but I am left wondering: amid all the celebrations, social media spectacle, and security concerns, did Filipinos really listen to the voices that need to be heard? Of course, I am not simply referring to his eminence’s voice. 

The Pope, as humble and as human as he is, tried his best to answer these questions and more by saying that we should learn how to weep again, take care of the needy and the poor, and protect our families and children, among other quotable quotes. He also challenged Filipinos to be the foremost missionaries of God’s love in Asia and in the world – a challenge we eagerly accepted both out of faith and sheer hospitality to foreign dignitaries. 

The closest I got to Pope Francis

But before we even dwell on the Pope’s ‘Chicken Soup for Faithful Filipinos,’ I believe we must first recall that he said in Tacloban he did not know how to address the crowd because of the pain and loss they have gone through. He also said in UST that Glyzelle’s question left us all clueless. He, the Vicar of Christ on earth, acknowledged that sometimes words are not enough solutions to our situation but instead love, mercy and compassion. These values transcend through languages, religions, and races. 

As Catholics, we are lucky to have a ‘human’ pope; a man whose humility, humor, energy and spontaneity have inspired millions to revisit their faith and standards of living. He is a pope who challenges status quos and adjusts his beliefs with the times. And for these reasons and more, I am honestly sad that Filipinos in Metro Manila had way more time with him than those in Leyte.

Surely the capital region is a center of urban poverty and a materialistic, secular society but I would want my Pope to spend more time with the people who suffered worse and are still suffering from the grave damages of typhoon Yolanda. I definitely wanted to see him with the victims in Leyte for more than 12 hours. If I had my way, they can have him for the rest of his visit while we take care of his arrival and departure, not necessarily because we want to, but because they need to. I would want my pope to go around in his mobile in the dirtiest and poorest streets of Palo and Tacloban so he can have a clearer picture of what to pray for because I know that he is closer to God than any of us. 

While the Visayas needs the help of the government, civic groups, and the lay to fully recover from the catastrophe, I also vouch that it needs a backer in heaven so God can put it among its ‘urgent deliverables.’ 

I know I can’t blame anyone for the Pope’s suspended time in Leyte except the weather, and to that I say ‘fine.’ But what I will always feel sorry for is that Pope Francis went here for the poor, most especially for the Yolanda victims but sadly he only had one morning and lunchtime to spend. 

I believe our kababayans in Visayas needed to see the Pope more and he also needed to hear more of their stories and answer their questions. I am not confident that people in Metro Manila cared enough for this but I will not dictate it upon them. After all, every Filipino wants a second of Pope’s presence because they may be undergoing difficulties on varying degrees and they hold on to him to make them lighter. Besides, as the Pope himself said, “Who am I to judge?”

Don’t get me wrong, I felt genuinely joyful and fulfilled when I saw him in person. That is a story I will endlessly share to my posterity. Perhaps this is just the effect of the Papal visit on me – to cut short the overwhelming feeling of seeing him in person and reflect on the reason for the season. I can’t help but think: Was the Pope smiling because of the magnitude of the spectators or because he believed that in some ways, thousands among these millions can help him in his mission: to tell the world of God’s love?

Surely it is the latter. Huge is such responsibility for people like me, like us, to tell the world of His love. It’s overpowering enough for a theme song, what more for a life purpose? 

As long as I know my Pope is a human pope who does not demand perfection but instead heartfelt compassion, I can probably be one of his mission aides. For now I will take baby steps. Perhaps praying for the victims of calamities, reading more news and updates about them, scheduling a future visit to Leyte, or visiting Glyzelle in Tulay ng Kabataan with some gifts to cheer her up will do – or cry as I witness the beauty of humanity and all good things that hope gives us. Why not?

The Pontifex's arrival at SM MOA for the encounter with the families. I was fortunate to have a ticket to witness the event even from outside the Arena. A monobloc chair was good enough.

Note to readers: This essay was originally written on the morning of January 19, Pope Francis' departure to Rome. 

#PopeFrancisPH #PapalVisit2015 @Pontifex