diary of a kmnist

Bagong Bahay

2007-06-24T15:45:00.000+08:00

Bagong Bahay!

Paki-click:

http://www.km64.wordpress.com

2006-03-10T10:35:00.000+08:00

anib
march 14 2006, martes
third year aniv ng km64
conspiracy bar and gardens, visayas ave qc
6pm - nine

Alex Remollino Richard Gappi Omeng Rodriguez Rustum Casia Tambisan sa Sining Mari Santiago Gelacio Guillermo Lei Garcia Mark Angeles Egay Samar Allan Popa Babes Alejo Len Olea Ayan dela Cruz Boyet de Mesa Kapi Capistrano Noel Barcelona Dennis Espada Gapos EarthFishFish Abet Umil Bobby Balingit CEGP
musicians4peace
siningbugkos
anino shadowplay collective

2005-12-07T13:06:00.000+08:00

DIKLAP
Plaza Rizal, Pasig City
tapat ng Simbahan ng Pasig

isang hapon ng mga tula at iba pang pagtatanghal
hatid ng km64
at ng mga artista't manunulat sa Lungsod ng Pasig

Disyembre 11, 2005
alas kwatro

2005-11-14T20:59:00.000+08:00

Inihahandog ng Kilometer64

sa Pakikipagtulungan ng ARREST Gloria at UP UGAT

ASINTADO:makata sa panahon ng krisis

Isang forum ukol sa pagtula at pagsusulat sa kasalukuyang konteksto ng ligalig na kalagayan ng bansa

Recto Hall, College of Arts and Letters

Unibersidad ng Pilipinas, Diliman

Biyernes, ika - 18 ng Nobyembre, 2:00 ng hapon

Mga Tagapagsalita:

Gelacio Guillermo

Prof. Emmanuel Dumlao

Lourd de Veyra

Allan Popa

Alex Remollino

Marjane Alejo

Mga magtatanghal:

Bobby Balingit

Kilometer 64

Tambisan sa Sining

Please come as you are. Everyone is invited.

Please repost in your own bulletins. Thanks friends.

2005-11-11T15:11:00.000+08:00

2005-11-11T12:28:00.000+08:00

km64 calendar

nov 12
bulong 7
roundeyeglass adriatico, 7pm

nov 15
extra sa set ng the wuds
conspiracy bar, 9pm?

nov 18
ASINTADO poetry forum
UP CAL, recto hall, 2-5pm

bawal isilang dito
gapos' ep launch
purplehaze bar, marikina 8pm

nov 20-22
Neo-Angono 2005
Angono, Rizal 3 slam-bang-whole day event

nov 27
DIKLAP
Pasig park, details to follow

nov 30
ARREST GLORIA multi media event
UPLB, Los Banos Laguna

2005-10-29T13:05:00.000+08:00

coming this november 30

2005-10-29T12:55:00.000+08:00

peasants day mobilization oct 21, 2005
(arkibong bayan)

2005-10-20T18:27:00.000+08:00

Sabi ng mga banyaga sa panahon ni MarcosŠ 65 million cowards and one
sonofabitch! Ngayon ang sabi nila, 85 million cowards & idiots,
against one BITCH!

GMA met Bush at the UN.
Bush: Our Filipino chef at the White House is truly great!
GMA: Yup! Magaling talaga kami sa "LUTUAN."

BF: Mam, pag na-install na ang mga BIKE LANES along EDSA, JOSE PIDAL
ang itawag natin. PGMA: Masyadong halata naman. Maganda kung BIKE
ARROYO!

HARD TIMES! A sign in a restaurant window:
**T-BONE P50
**(with meat P250)

ERAP accidentally bumps AMERICAN. E: Im sorry. Am: Im sorry 2. E:
(puzzled, replies) Im sorry 3. Am: What r u sorry 4? E: (thinks
awhile) Im sorry 5.

ENGLISH TEACHER 2 ERAP: The prefix 'bi' is used to describe things
that come in twos like - bicycle, bifocal & binary. Can u give an
example? ERAP: Ma'm, bayag!

Wat s d difrens betwn Cory, Gloria, and Erap?
ANS: Cory cannot tell a lie; Gloria cannot tell d truth; Erap dannot
tell d difrence.

GMA kidnapped by terrorist demanding 5 million ransom or will set her
on fire. Any donations appreciated. So far, 200 liters of gasoline
received.

Received in October 2005

GMA saved frm near death askd man wat reward he wnts.
M: Wheelchair po!
GMA: Bkt wheelchair dk nmn lumpo?
M: Kc pg nlaman ni itay na cnagip kta, lulumpuhin nya ako!

Mga chuchu kay GMA either daga (Rodente Marcoleta) o kaya gulay
(Pichay) o sakit (Rigoberto Tigdas & Ignacio Buni). Advisors naman
may sayad (siRaulO Gonzalez).

Her epitaph in cemetery 50 years later: HERE LIES GMA. SHE LIES STILL.

Updated ka na ba? 3 additions to 10 comandmnts. 11th huwag pahuhuli.
12th pag nahuli, wag aaminin. 13th pag nabuking, WAG MAGRERESIGN!

What a difference a comma can make is illustrated in d telegram sent
by GMA to Mike.. "Not getting any, better come home at once."

Republika ng Peke
Peke nga produkto
Peke mga basketbolista
Peke mga gamot
Peke mga dokumento
Peke mga suso
at syempre
PEKE ANG PRESIDENTE :-m

2005-10-15T18:21:00.000+08:00

PAGYAKAP SA LUPA, isang gabi ng tula

Inihahandog ng Kilometer 64 sa pakikipagtulungan ng Artists for the Removal of Gloria (ARREST)

"Pagyakap sa Lupa" isang gabi ng tula

Ika-18 ng Oktubre, 7-10 pm, purple haze bar, marikina city

kasama ang tambisan, mga makata mula sa Akdang_Bayan, tata raul funilas, gelacio guillermo, at iba pang makata't artista

2005-10-13T18:32:00.000+08:00

CPR
-medel

sige!
busalan mo
ang mga bibig
ng tunay na kalayaan.
buwagin mo
ang mga katawan
na puno
ng latay ng iyong kasinungalingan
at patayin mo
ang sinimulan nila Bonifacio.
dahil
kung hindi mo sila uunahan
ay bubusalan nila
ang iyong bibig
nang di ka na makahinga.
bubuwagin nila
ang mga katawang pumuprotekta
sa kasinungalingan mo
at papatayin nila
ang mga lahi
ng umahas kay Bonifacio.

sige,
unahan mo na sila.
dahil lalo mo lamang
pinaiikli ang oras mo.

2005-10-08T18:31:00.000+08:00

Batas ng mga Kriminal ang Nilalabag Natin
by Alexander Martin Remollino Saturday, Oct. 08, 2005 at 8:34 AM

Panahon itong inalis sa atin ang karapatang kumilos
nang ayon sa ating mga karapatan.
Ang patakaran ng panahong ito
ay nag-uutos na tayo'y tumulad sa mga tupa,
at ang lumabag
ay hinahagkan ng mga batuta
at kinakanlong ng mga sasakyan ng pulisya
at doo'y pinatitikim ng dagdag na romansa ng mga kamao
bago lunukin ng mga selda sa presinto.

Ganito ang kaloob sa atin
ng pamahalaan,
ng pamahalaang ang nilalamon
ay ang pinapagsama-samang isusubo na lang natin
na gatingang ulam at ilang mumong kanin
na hindi natin isinubo
upang may maipalaman sana sa kani-kanilang sikmura
ang mga nakababatang kapatid.

Ang mga hinihingi natin ay atin.
Wala tayong nilabag na batas
liban sa mga patakaran nilang iilang kriminal.
Atin ang karapatang suwayin
ang kautusang tayo'y maging mga tupa
sapagkat tayo'y mga tao,
hindi tulad nila
hindi tulad nila.

Ang ating pananggalang sa kanilang batas ng dahas
ay nasa pagiging apoy sa dayami
na habang hinihipa'y lalong lumalawak.
At kung magpasya silang hindi na itigil kailanman
ang pagbobomba ng tubig sa apoy ng pagtutol sa lansangan,
pakatandaan natin
na hindi lang mga lansangan ang lunsaran ng ating pagkapoot.

2005-10-07T18:20:00.000+08:00

We, artists, support the “Walk for Democracy” held today by civil libertarians and other human rights defenders.

Lawyer Vicky Avena, former commissioner of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), was right on the mark when she said that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is building a “de facto dictatorship.” It is the height of bitter irony that just days after the country commemorated the 33rd anniversary of the declaration of martial law, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo would come up with two consecutive declarations undermining the civil liberties in the advancement and defense of which so many of our best and brightest compatriots gave their lives.

The first is the enforcement of the so-called “calibrated preemptive response” policy, which entails a strict implementation of the no permit, no rally policy provided for by Batas Pambansa Blg. 880 – a measure enacted during the days of dictatorship.

The second is Executive Order No. 464, preventing public officers from testifying in congressional investigations in aid of legislation without the President’s permission. This measure effectively bars the few principled or conscienticized among our public officers from divulging information on government activities that may be detrimental to the national interest.

To top off all of these, Arroyo is pushing for an anti-terrorism bill which, by the broadness of its definition of “terrorism,” could be construed to include even legal protest actions in its list of “terroristic activities” and makes people legally liable for simply being neighbors to suspected “terrorists.”

All this is happening in an atmosphere of unceasing political killings. The past month alone saw the killings of four activists. More than 400 persons critical of the policies of the Arroyo administration have been killed since 2001: the list includes priests, lawyers, journalists and even local government officials aside from grassroots activist leaders.

This creeping curtailment of civil liberties by a President who won in the last election by fraudulent means and has long been under fire for her imposition of anti-national and anti-people policies, corruption, and human rights violations has grave implications for artists. In an atmosphere of increasing suppression of civil liberties, a clampdown on the freedom of expression as practiced by artists cannot be far behind.

We support this activity, and commit contributions to other forthcoming efforts, for the defense of democratic rights – in the tradition of our fellow artists Amado V. Hernandez and Lino Brocka.

Artists for the Removal of Gloria (ARREST Gloria)
October 4, 2005

2005-09-22T12:59:00.000+08:00

2005-09-09T18:16:00.000+08:00

STATEMENT OF UNITY

BUKLURAN PARA SA KATOTOHANAN

We come from all walks of life, from different political, cultural, and economic persuasions, different points of view. But in diversity, we find a cause for unity. That cause for unity is our common objective to secure the truth.

We all seek the truth.

We want the truth to come out. And yet every means for seeking the truth has been frustrated; every avenue for arriving at the truth has been blocked; and every opportunity to find the truth is being closed.Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's response to our call for the truth has been to suppress evidence, hide her accomplices, engage in a grand cover-up, sow fear, foment distrust and use every instrument at her disposal to encourage division among our people.

We will not be divided in these critical times.We say with one voice, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo must go. For the good of the country, she must go. For the sake of our nation's future, she must go. For the preservation of hope as a motive force in our national life, she must go.We are united by the belief that this crisis must be resolved in a manner that is peaceful and democratic.

Without the truth, there cannot be peace; without the truth, there is no genuine democracy.
The truth must set our nation free.

Unite for the truth.

Demand the truth.

Defend the truth.

Action for Economic Reforms
AKBAYAN
Citizen's Action Party
Ateneo Concerned Faculty and Youth
Bangon Pilipinas
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN)
Be Not Afraid
Black & White Movement
Citizens for TRUTH (Transparency, Responsibility, Unity, Trust, Hope)
Citizens for Truth, Resignation, Impeachment, or Ouster (C4T)
Coalition for National SolidarityCounsels for the Defense of Civil Liberties (CODAL)
De La Salle
FPJP Movement
Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC)
Interfaith Movement for Truth, Justice and Genuine Change (IFM)
Kilusan ng Makabansang Ekonomiya (KME)
Laban ng Masa
Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF)
People's Assembly for Genuine Alternatives to Social Apathy (PAG-ASA)
Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP)
Reporma
Union of Muslims for Morality and Truth (UMMAT)
United Opposition (UNO)
Unity for Truth and Justice
UP AWAREUP
Diliman Student Council (UPD USC)
White Ribbon Movement
Women March
Youth DARE
--

2005-07-27T18:09:00.000+08:00

Writers for Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's Resignation or Ouster

To: Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
We are poets and other writers who fully agree with National Artist Napoleon Abueva’s recent declaration calling on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to resign from her post. Her fraudulent victory in the May 2004 election – together with her record of economic and political maladministration, subservience to foreign vested interests and suppression of the most basic human freedoms – have rendered her totally unfit to stay in Malacañang a day more.

As writers, we remember that one of Macapagal-Arroyo’s first – and gravest – offenses was against the freedom of expression, a basic right enshrined in no less than the Philippine Constitution and much treasured by literary and other cultural workers. Her banning of Live Show, a well-researched film about how extreme poverty forces many of our countrymen into the darkest depths of self-degradation in exchange for food on the table – one of the President’s oft-repeated promises – was one of the very first issues against her.

In contrast, she has not even lifted a finger against the most brazen displays of obscenity by noontime show hosts and so-called “singers” and “actors” who have lent their names to her various propaganda gimmicks.

Macapagal-Arroyo’s total absence of even the slightest respect for freedom of expression would be further shown not only by her administration’s various attempts to gag the media and the cultural sector, but also by her government’s bestowing of significant national awards to, among others, self-appointed literary mentors who have made a living out of discouraging novice writers from taking the path of social concern – thus severely limiting the possibilities of development for literature in the Philippines, a country plagued by ages-old societal ills that clamor to be written about.

Clearly, Macapagal-Arroyo views the act of luring beginning writers into taking the road of apathy to the nation’s plight – in contrast to the sterling traditions of Dr. Jose Rizal, our National Hero; and Amado V. Hernandez, himself a National Artist for Literature – and deceptively leading them along the path of treachery to the people, as a significant contribution to the development of Philippine literature and culture.

Macapagal-Arroyo asks that we sing hosannas to those who sell us the most dangerous hallucinogens amid an over-all national condition that calls for the most sober thoughts and actions.

On top of all these, Macapagal-Arroyo would even attempt to conscript writers and other cultural workers for her government’s hypocritical campaign to propagate an “anti-corruption” culture. The current occupant of Malacañang, whose name has figured in more than ten large-scale corruption scandals, is in absolutely no position to instill anti-corruption values in the minds and hearts of the people.

Her brand of anti-corruption culture is one that punishes those who blow the whistle on the big fish – like former Public Estates Authority (PEA) director Sulficio Tagud, Jr., Rear Admiral Guillermo Wong of the Philippine Navy, and Landbank teller Acsa Ramirez – while keeping the guns trained on the small fry. It is an anti-corruption culture that will only teach the people – particularly the young – that petty crime does not pay but high crime pays big time.

For these, we demand that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo step out of Malacañang, and we commit to either joining or supporting all actions aimed at her ouster as a prerequisite to building a transition council that would pave the way for reforms that would go beyond the scope of a mere regime change.

Enough is enough, Mrs. President. It is time to finish the final chapter of your book.

Sincerely,

the undersigned

sign the petition

2005-07-25T18:20:00.000+08:00

On Respect for the Presidential Office

(A reply to Sec. Mike Defensor)

Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Mike Defensor, asked by media late last week to comment on a music video which we in the Artists for the Removal of Gloria (ARREST Gloria) produced, said that creating and distributing such works is "okay" but the Office of the President must be respected.

We perfectly agree with Secretary Defensor that the presidential office should be accorded due respect. It is in fact due to our respect for the presidential office that we have come up with the music video.

Secretary Defensor, who was once an activist, should know that a president is worthy of his or her office only for so long as he or she is able to act in accordance with the best interests of the people.

The right of the people to revolt against a tyrannical, corrupt and ineffectual leader is recognized not only by the United Nations Convention on Civil and Political Rights which in turn is recognized by the Philippine Constitution, but also by the greatest political thinkers in history – among them St. Thomas Aquinas, John Locke, Jean Jacques Rousseau, and our very own Emilio Jacinto and Apolinario Mabini.

It is President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo whom Secretary Defensor should be telling to respect the presidential office. Her fraudulent victory in the 2004 election – together with her record of imposing anti-national and anti-people policies, corruption, and disrespect for the most basic human rights – have defiled the presidential office at a scale that few of her predecessors could match.

With all that President Arroyo has brought upon the country, we would surely have fared better without a President for the last four and a half years.

By acting against the best interests of the people at such an unimaginable level, President Arroyo has proven herself totally unworthy of governing the nation. With that, she does more disgrace to the presidential office than anyone else in the country could do today by continuing to hold on to the reins of power.

If she has even an ounce of respect for the office she now holds, the least that President Arroyo could do is to vacate Malacañang. Secretary Defensor should tell her to do this if he really believes in what he says about respecting the presidential office.

Artists for the Removal of Gloria (ARREST Gloria)
July 24, 2005

Southern Tagalog Exposure
KASIBULAN Women Visual Artists' Collective
KUMASA (Kulturang Ugnayan ng Manggagawa at Uring Anakpawis sa Timog
Katagalugan)
ARTIST, Inc. (Arts Research and Training Institute in Southern Tagalog)
Kilometer 64 Poetry Group
Tambisan sa Sining

Paolo Martinez
Andrea Muñoz
Gian Paolo Mayuga
Jeffrey Ferrer
Onin Tagaro
Bobby Balingit
Winnie Balingit
Lourd de Veyra
Dong Abay
Ninj Abay
Con Cabrera

2005-07-17T18:19:00.000+08:00

TUPARIN NATIN ANG BANTA NG ATING PANAHON
Alexander Martin Remollino

Matapos na babuyin ang mga balota
At baliin ang susing magbubukas sana
Sa mga kahong nagkakanlong sa tunay na pasya ng bayan,
Ang panipis na nang panipis na bituka ng mamamayan
Ay binutas,
Binutas ng rehimen.
At ang kalikasang noon pa’y nilamas-lamas
Ng mga dayuhan
Ay tuluyang sa kanila’y ipinagahasa.

Dumalas ang pagbaha ng mga paa sa lansangan,
Ang pagpinta ng mga bandila
At pagtuldok ng mga kamao
Sa himpapawid.
At bakit hindi?
Ang mga mamamaya’y mga tao,
Di tulad ng mga namumuno sa bansa.

Ngunit sapagkat iginigiit ang pagiging mga tao,
Ang sagot sa kanila ay dahasin,
Pataying parang mga hayop.
Ito raw ay upang maipagsanggalang ang demokrasya.

Ang demokrasya’y ipinagtatanggol
Ng rehimeng nahalal nang di nahalal,
Rehimeng gumahasa sa demokrasya.

Kaya’t halina,
Isigaw natin nang buong lakas
Ang hatol ng ating panahon:
Nararapat na gumulong
Ang ulong may suot na koronang ninakaw.
Isigaw natin ito hanggang sa mabuwag
Ng ating mga tinig ang mga alambreng pader ng Mendiola.
Tiyakin nating matutupad ang banta ng ating panahon:
Mene thecel phares* (Bilang na ang araw mo)
Huwad na Pangulo.

========

Variations:

Mene – the days of your kingdom are numbered, it is finished;
Tekel – You have been weighed and found wanting;
Peres – Your kingdom is divided

2005-07-12T18:18:00.000+08:00

Unity Statement

The nation once again faces trying times. It is confronted by a President who cheated her way to victory in the 2004 election and continues an anti-people brand of governance begun in 2001, so soon after she was catapulted to power by a popular uprising. This President is facing calls for her removal from power.

We, artists, add our voices to the growing clamor for the ouster of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

In the short time that she has occupied the helm of Malacañang, President Arroyo has wrought more damage to Philippine arts and culture than most of her predecessors.

Her regime has been characterized, among others, by the most brazen use of the different cultural venues for deceiving the people into accepting her administration’s anti-national and anti-people agenda. She has used the various cultural avenues to project herself as a mother of the nation while inflicting upon the people the worst forms of violence, from the violence of economic hardship caused by unjust policies to the violence of state terror against those seeking a decent life.

Amid this fostering of a culture of deception, the Arroyo administration has muzzled those artistic voices who dared expose the truth.

State forces have figured in the killings and other violations of the rights of journalists and other cultural workers involved in crusades against corruption and human rights abuses, and the President has not lifted a finger to ensure that the perpetrators are punished. If any, Arroyo through her spokespersons has at times even put the blame on the messengers for the disasters that befall them in the line of duty.

Censorship of artistic works highlighting the ugly realities of Philippine society has also been a trademark of the Arroyo administration.

At the same time, the Arroyo administration’s almost non-existent budgetary allocation for legitimate cultural projects has heavily stunted the development of Philippine culture and ensured the present prevalence of escapism and inanity in the nation’s cultural scene.

On top of all these, President Arroyo – whose name has figured in more than ten large-scale corruption scandals and whose government has dealt severe punishment on whistleblowers against the big fish in several corruption cases – would work mightily to conscript artists into a hypocritical anti-corruption campaign, a campaign to propagate an anti-corruption culture which teaches the people that petty crime does not pay but high crime pays big-time.

This is the kind of anti-corruption culture promoted by a leader who promised in 2001 to practice “government by example.” What an example President Arroyo is giving us.

The illegitimate President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, in her short stay in office, has already done incalculable damage to Philippine arts and culture – and, ultimately, to the lives of the people. She has been weighed, and found wanting. There is no reason for her to continue governing the country.

=========

ARREST Gloria (Artists for the Removal of Gloria)

Southern Tagalog Exposure
KASIBULAN Women Visual Artists’ Collective
KUMASA (Kulturang Ugnayan ng Manggagawa at Uring Anakpawis sa Timog Katagalugan)
ARTIST, Inc. (Arts Research and Training Institute in Southern Tagalog)
Kilometer 64 Poetry Group
Tambisan sa Sining

Paolo Martinez
Andrea Muñoz
Gian Paolo Mayuga
Jeffrey Ferrer
Onin Tagaro
Bobby Balingit
Winnie Balingit
Lourd de Veyra
Dong Abay
Ninj Abay

2005-07-09T18:05:00.000+08:00

Concept Paper for Alliance of Artists
July 9, 2005 Draft

“The filmmaker, like his fellow artists in different media, has now realized that the artist is also a public person. He does not work in isolation from society. Instead of working alone in his ivory tower he is a citizen of the slums, of the streets, of the battlefield if need be. The artist is always a participant. He tries to be true not only to his craft but also to himself. For is is the supreme duty of the artist to investigate the truth, no matter what forces attempt to hide it. And then to report it to the people, to confront them with it, like a whiplash that will cause wounds but will free the mind from the various fantasies and escapist fare that the Establishment pollutes our minds with.

To the best of our abilities, and even if we oftentimes fail, we want to do works that will hurt, films that will disturb, films that will not make you rest. For the times are really bad, and given times like these, it is a crime to rest. We can not rest, and we should not, while there’s a fellow Filipino starving in Negros, an Aquino or Galman crying for justice, a salvage victim lying in a mountain of garbage while a corrupt family rules the country with uncontrolled power and wealth. While it is the duty of the artist to work for what is true, good, and beautiful, first we have to expose and fight for what is wrong.

In these times when most of the media hide the truth from us, when most of what we get from the media are silly gossip and petty flesh and sensationalized crimes, we go to the streets to find out what’s happening. We listen to those artists who dare risk their lives and livelihoods, who reiterate once more the utmost duty of the artist --- that the artist is a committed person, that he will always take the side of any human being who is violated, abused, oppressed, dehumanized whatever his instrument ---the pen, the brush, or the camera. “
-Lino Brocka
Artist as Citizen

Critical periods in Philippine history are replete with artists who fulfilled their roles as citizens who challenged and fought an exploitative ruling order. These artists took the side of the violated, abused, oppressed and dehumanized and created works that exposed repressed realities and shattered bourgeois illusions. These artists effectively articulated and projected the vision of the people’s struggle in the theatre of social change. They are remembered as artists who coauthored and codirected mass movements, whether these be the scenes in political upheavals, refrains of people power uprisings or the powerful crescendos of revolutions.

The artists of this alliance will continue this legacy of commitment by engaging our cameras, our pens, our brushes, our guitars, our songs---our weapons and bullets in the raging discourse and brewing movement for the imminent removal of President Macapagal-Arroyo from office.

The alliance aims to facilitate the crystallization of a clear, informed and common stand and commitment to action among artists in the light of the current political situation in the country. The alliance will create venues for the study and discussion of the fundamental problems in society and support a sound answer to the present political crisis.

The alliance will be composed of artists and their supporters----individuals, organizations and institutions involved in a broad range of traditional and new art media. It will be fuelled primarily by artists from the grassroots, alternative and independent sectors. It will be open to student and youth cultural and arts organizations as well as art critics, educators, administrators and enthusiasts.

The artists will partcipate in street rallies, noise barrages and political vigils and transform non-traditional art venues like protest camps, picketlines, detention centers, urban poor and peasant communities into open places for music, theatre and dance performances, video installations, shadow plays, poetry readings, exhibits and film showings. Visual artists are enjoined to create sculptural effigies, puppets, grafitti, murals and other street art forms.

The artists believe that interacting with the most marginalized and disenfranchised of Filipinos will fulfill our responsibility of making our art accessible to a broader spectrum of society and in turn transform our consciousness and enrich our art. We believe that this will be an opportunity to open art to the scrutiny and appreciation of the people and expose us to the art and culture of the sector of peasants, workers, indigenous peoples and urban poor. This will be a challenge for us produce meaningful artworks forged by our unity with the struggle of the masses and deliver performances and productions evolved by precarious conditions and fluid scenarios. This will be humble contribution to the aspiration of ultimately liberating our people from cycle of injustice and suffering.

Basis of Unity

We recognize that the calls for the President’s ouster has long been driven by a popular movement against her militarist stance and skewed economic policies that has been detrimental to the welfare of the majority of Filipinos. This includes the President’s inaction and culpability in the politically motivated human rights violations which resulted in the killings of members and leaders of progressive people’s organizations and journalists throughout the nation; unequivocal support for the unjust US imperialist war policies; condonement of the haphazard branding as “Enemies of the State” a broad spectrum of groups including the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ), Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), Philippine Educational Theatre Association (PETA), Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) and progressive-party list groups such as Bayan Muna, Gabriela, Anakpawis, Migrante, Anakbayan and other people’s organizations; implementation of the onerous fiscal reform agenda that included the expanded Value Added Tax law and approval of the Mining Act of 1995.

We support the escalating call for the resignation of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo whose illegitimacy to rule which has been bolstered by the revelation of recorded conversations that presented evidence of her direct involvement in massive and systematic fraud during the May 2004 National Elections. We regard as insincere, superficial and deficient the belated admission and apology of Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to the Filipino people. Far from being a confession done in good faith, it was a calculated political move intended to cushion and circumvent the political consequences of her involvement in massive electoral fraud by appealing the “forgiving nature” of Filipinos. The President’s statement glossed over issues of bribery, graft and corruption, violation of the constitution that involved not only herself, but the First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, along with certain members and officials of the military, police, government and commission on elections. It was a contrived, self-serving, and convoluted script designed to further confuse the people and absolve the President from the grave affront that she committed against the Filipino people and the very foundation of the democratic system and justify her vontinued rule. It was not a mere “lapse in judgement” but a serious legal and political offense that should be investigated and tried by the people.

We will join the ranks of many other Filipinos who have been demanding the president to resign. We will be vigilant against all explicit and implicit attempts of the government to censure the Filipinos freedom of expression. We will take action and battle infringements on the right of the public to develop and raise their awareness regarding matters of national concern. We will defend the liberties that the people have struggled to regain during EDSA People Power 1 in 1986. The cases of graft and corruption, culpable violation of the constitution, betrayal of public trust and bribery allegedly committed by the President are not private issues but impeachable offenses that should by all means be transparent and given the full benefit of public scrutiny and criticism. We will exhaust all the possible constitutional means to seek truth and justice but will not hesitate to support and resort to the extraconstitutional process of an ouster when compelled to do so.

rebyu ng gradwait

2005-05-02T17:18:00.000+08:00

Sa gilid ng tala ng notebuk

Sophia Tolentino
Rebyu ng 'Gradwait'

Chapbuk Blg. 7 ng kilometer 64
http://www.pinoyweekly.org/pw4-15/kult/kult_1.htm

Maraming mabubuting bagay ang inaasahan ng isang kabataan mula sa buhay na nakalatag na parang isang kalsada sa kanyang paanan. Nangunguna dito ang pagkakataong makapag-aral upang palawakin ang kaisipan at karanasan, at pagkatapos, makahanap ng trabahong nakasasapat upang makapagpatayo ng sariling pamilya at maibigay sa kanyang anak ang tiyak na hahanapin ding mga mabubuting bagay.

Pero madalas kaysa hindi, umaandar ang panahon, tumatanda ang mga kabataan nang naghihintay sa wala. Mga kabataang hindi makapag-aral dahil walang pambayad ng matrikula ang kanyang mga magulang. Mga kabataang hindi makapag-trabaho dahil walang trabahong inaalok ang gobyerno’t mga kapitalista.

Paksa ng ika-pitong chapbuk o koleksiyon ng mga tula ng Kilometer 64, grupong on-line ng mga kabataang makata, ang bugnot at dismaya ng mga kabataang estudyante na binigo ng sistema ng edukasyon at pangkalahatang kalakaran ng lipunan sa Pilipinas.

Ang “GradWait” ay inilathala ilang linggo pagkatapos ng graduation ng karamihan ng mga estudyante. Tulad ng mga naido-drowing at naisusulat sa gilid ng mga tala sa notebuk habang nakikinig sa isang nakababagot na lektyur, ito ang mga makukulay at tunay na saloobin ng mga kabataang estudyanteng kailanman hindi nakuntento sa kung ano ang nakasulat sa pisara.

Sabihin mang maligalig sa klasrum ang marami sa mga estudyante, sila ang unang makikipaglaban para makamit ang kanilang batayang karapatan sa edukasyon. Napatunayan ito ng maraming mga tula ng lantarang pagtutol sa komersiyalisasyon ng edukasyon.

Halimbawa, sa Sentimenthesis ni Jeremy Evardone, ginawang katawa-tawa at exaggerated ang kwento ng pagkukumahog ng isang estudyante para sa kanyang thesis upang mapatampok ang abot-langit na gastusin ng pagtatapos: ‘Nay, tri-tawsan payb-handred pe’nge po/ ipapaxerox ko’y andami ho/ para magtig-i-tig-isang kopya/ ang mga panelist sa depensa. Tinira naman ni Vijae Orquia Alquisoda sa HEMA ang kabiguan ng estado na siguruhin ang Karapatan sa Edukasyon sa ilalim ng Art. 14 Sek. 1 ng Konstitusyon: Ay, ang batas pala’y nalulubid din ng buhangin. Simple man, epektibo ang mga tulang Sana may manlibre at Buti pa silang ayaw mag-aral ni Cocoy Bagunu. Ito’y dahil sinulat ang mga nasabing tula mula sa perspektibo ng laksang mga kabataang manggagawa at magsasaka na nagbabanat ng buto sa murang edad para tulungan lamang makakain tatlong beses isang araw ang pamilyang hilahod.

Tungkol naman sa kakaibang trahedyang sinapit ng isang puyat at tulirong working student ang Lorena, di tunay na pangalan ni Mark Angeles. Isinasalaysay dito ang pagkakasagasa ng tren sa riles ng Sta. Mesa sa isang bayaning hindi kinikilala: Hindi mo narinig ang kanilang babala;/ mas malakas ang sigaw ng sikmura.

Samantala, atmospera ng isang mapanupil na kampus ang tinalakay ng Ito ang inyong papasukan ni Sonny Corpuz Sendon: Ito ang mga bagong alituntunin/ Ito ang itataas ng inyong tuition/ Ito ang waiver laban sa rebelyon/ Ito ang ating tunay na debosyon. Parehong tema ng represyon, ngunit mas modernong istilo at pokus sa maliliit ngunit mahahalagang bagay ang inangkop ni Rustum Casia sa Robot, robot, paano ka ginawa?. Sa nasabing tula, nagtataka ang manunulat kung ano ang “direct correlation” o pagkaka-ugnay ng “haba ng buhok, tabas ng bigote, suot na sapatos” sa “performance ng isang estudyante sa kanyang klase.”

Kung minsa’y wala namang interes o konsentrasyon ang maraming mga estudyante sa itinuturo ng kanilang mga guro, ito’y dahil sa mababang kalidad at reaksyunaryong katangian ng edukasyon na inilalako sa kanila. Tunghayan ang pinaghalintularan sa edukasyon ni Kristian S. Cordero sa tulang Kamote: Naghukay nang naghukay si Ma’am,/ naghanap ng kamote sa loob ng ulo namin/ ipapakain niya raw kasi sa bagong dating/ na superintendent na nagbisita sa amin. Mapang-usig sa limitasyon ng mga lektyur bilang porma ng instruksiyon ang nakakaaliw na tulang Yungib ni Francis Yerro Capistrano. Nais ng persona na pumunta sa Palawan at tignan para sa kanyang sarili ang pilandok, isang hayop na pilit itinuturo ng guro: Ngunit nakasemento ang talampakan/ gayundin ang braso, gayundin ang puwit./ Bulag ang mga matang nakatali sa pisara.

Masakit na katotohanang sinasapit ng mga mahuhusay na luwal na bagong gradweyt sa panahon ng globalisasyon na nagpa-uso ng eksport ng murang paggawa ang paksa ng marami ring mga tula sa koleksiyon, tulad ng Nangangamoteng “edukasyon” ni Usman Abdurajak Sali: Upang maging “world-class” umano/ Sasanayin kang magdilang-banyaga/ Worldklas na janitor, nars, DH, drayber/ Ay! Kawawang Juan at Juana, worldklas na alila.Mas matindi naman ang banat ng Buy Pinoy, piyesang spoken-word o binibigkas ng bandang Medulla Oblongata, sa paglamon ng call centers sa mga kabataan: DI KA PINAG-ARAL AT PINAGTAPOS NG NANAY MO/ PARA LANG SIGAW-SIGAWAN, MURA-MURAHIN!/ PARA LANG SIGAW-SIGAWAN, MURA-MURAHIN!/ MAGING HUMAN ANSWERING MACHINE! Isa lamang ito sa mga paksa sa mahaba at makulit na tulang punk-ista ang tono pero tagos ang katotohanang nilalaman tungkol sa tanggalan sa trabaho, prostitusyon, dayuhang pag-aari ng mga kompanya; umuukilkil sa iyong utak ang mga linyang inuulit-ulit ng makata.

Pero hindi masasabing puro lamang tungkol sa paghihintay sa wala ang “GradWait.” Bukod-tangi sa koleksiyon ang paghahain ng “alternatibong edukasyon” ng mga kabataang estudyante, na pailalim na iminumungkahi o tuwirang niyayapos ang rebolusyon bilang ultimong sagot sa kahirapan at kawalang hustisya sa lipunan.Ibinunyag ni Mark Angeles sa tulang Deus ex Machina ang dakilang turo ni Mao Tse Tung na pagsasapraktika ng mga teorya: Kaya’t nang mabulabog ang mga kagaw na busog/ Lumang karununga’y itinapon/ Sa baga ng rebolusyon. Sa Hindi namin kailangan ng edukasyon, sang-ayon si Sadirmata kay Pink Floyd at nagpalawig sa hindi mapapantayang edukasyon na dulot na pakikasalamuha sa mga batayang masa: ang aming edukasyon ay nasa lupa/ ang aming edukasyon ay nasa luha/ ang aming edukasyon ay nasa buhay/ ang aming edukasyon ay nasa kamatayan. Nagdiwang sa pagkuha ng bagong degree na “Major in Armed Struggle” ang persona sa Marso ni Liwayway Rosales, habang binaybay naman ni Usman Abdujarak Sali ang alpabeto sa Unibersidad ng Sierra Madre: Matutunan mong “A” ay para sa armas/ at ang “B” ay maaring bakpak, bala, at bigas.

Nakatulong sa pangkalahatang tagumpay ng chapbuk ang diversity o pagkakaiba-iba ng mga makata, na nagmumula sa iba’t ibang probinsya at rehiyon ng Pilipinas katulad ng Bikol, Samar, Quezon, Pangasinan, Cagayan, at iba pa. Dahil sa antas ng pampulitikang kamulatan na naipamalas sa mga tula, hindi nakapagtataka na ilan sa mga makatang ito na mga kabataang estudyante o minsa’y naging kabataang estudyante ay aktibo sa iba’t ibang mga progresibong organisasyon.

Tila isang marahang gabay sa mga kabataang natatakot at naguguluhan sa kanyang mga nakikita sa kalyeng nakalatag sa kanyang paanan ang pinakahuling tula at sa koleksiyon, ang Hayaan mong igalaw ni Ernesto Ramos: Hayaan mong igalaw ng hangin ang pagal na katawan/ Likhain ang obra ng kalyuhing kamay/ Isatitik nang malaya ang ‘yong karanasan/ At ihatid sa mata at tenga ng sambayanan.

2005-04-28T16:30:00.000+08:00

LAGANAP ANG BULUNG-BULUNGAN
Gelacio Guillermo

Laganap ang bulung-bulungan
Tungkol sa diskontento ng mga manggagawa.
Kung anuman ang balak nilang gawin
Ay hindi pa alam, pero sila'y di matahimik.

Pagod na sila sa kanilang kalagayan
Alam nilang magbanat man nang todo
O magpakatanda sa trabaho, walang mahihintay
Na mas mabiyayang panahong kikislap sa magrasa nilang mukha.

Walang nababago sa kanilang dukhang buhay
Habang sa pabrika'y nagtataguan ang bago't malalaking gusali
At umaandar ang magagarang makina, itinataboy
Ang datihang manggagawang lalo ngayong magugutom.

Laganap ang bulung-bulungan
Tungkol sa diskontento ng mga manggagawa.
Kung anuman ang balak nilang gawin
Ay hindi pa alam, pero sila'y di matahimik.

2005-04-19T16:26:00.000+08:00

GRADWAITION
(Pambungad na talumpati ni alex remollino sa paglulunsad ng GradWait, ikapitong chapbook ng Kilometer 64 , sa Bound Bookshop noong Abril 8)

Pagbati sa ating lahat. Gusto kong bumati ng "Magandang gabi," pero parang mahirap kapag inisip natin ang tema ng inilulunsad nating chapbook ng Kilometer 64 -- sa pamagat pa lang ay naroon na ito, GradWait.

Panahon nga ngayon ng pagkuha ng mga diploma, at tuwing ganitong panahon ay umuusbong ang isang atmospera ng pagmamalaki. Ito'y dala ng pagpapalagay na ang mga tumanggap ng diploma ay napabilang na sa paliit na nang paliit na pribilehiyadong klub ng mga "may sapat na pinag-aralan."

Kapag nabibigkas ang mga katagang "may sapat na pinag-aralan," naaalala ko si Andres Bonifacio -- hindi lang dahil kinuwestiyon ang kanyang mga kredensiyal sa Tejeros Convention. Bakit, 'ka n'yo?

Kapag nagtanong ka kung sino si Andres Bonifacio, kaagad kang sasagutin ng "Siya ang Ama ng Himagsikan." Aasarin ka pa ng kausap mo kung college graduate siya: "Ang bobo mo naman! Andres Bonifacio lang, hindi mo pa alam? Siya ang Ama ng Himagsikan!" ang sasabihin sa iyo ng karaniwang college graduate na tatanungin mo kung sino si Andres Bonifacio.

Pero kapag nagtanong ka kung ano ang katuturan ng isang Andres Bonifacio sa kasaysayan ng Pilipinas, kulang ang dalawang oras para ka makakuha ng matinong sagot -- kahit na college graduate ang kausap mo.

Sa edukasyon kasing nakukuha natin sa mga paaralan, sa kalakha'y sinasanay tayong magsaulo lang at hindi magsuri sa katotohanan. Sa pinakamalabis ay alam natin kung ano ang korte ng gulong pero hindi natin alam kung para saan ang gulong.

At kaydali namang magsaulo: kahit sino'y puwedeng dumampot ng teksbuk sa kahit saang bookstore o public library at isaulo ang mga laman niyon. Kaya ano ngayon ang kaibhan ng isang karaniwang nakatapos ng pag-aaral sa maraming walang diploma? Bakit kailangan nating gumising nang maaga araw-araw at gumastos ng ilampung libong piso sa loob ng apat na taon o higit pa para lamang sa kalakha'y magsaulo -- sa isang bansa kung saan ang edukasyon ay unti-unting nagiging pribilehiyo na lamang ng mga anak ng mayayamang wala namang ginawa kundi magpalaki ng kanilang mga puwit sa kanilang pagkakaupo sa mababango at air-conditioned na opisina?

Ang mga nakatapos daw ng pag-aaral ay makakukuha ng magandang trabaho.

Naaalala ko sina Benjamin Franklin at Leo Tolstoy.

Sila'y mga henyo sa kani-kanilang mga larangan. Si Benjamin Franklin ay isang dakilang scientist na siyang nakadiskubre ng elektrisidad at bukod pa'y isa ring mahusay na philosopher. Si Leo Tolstoy naman ay isang batikang manunulat na siyang may-akda ng epikong nobelamg War and Peace; at ng isa pang bantog na nobela, ang Anna Karenina -- bukod sa ilan pang pawang mahuhusay na obra.

Pero sila'y parehong hindi nakatapos ng pag-aaral. Si Benjamin Franklin ay ni hindi nakaabot sa katumbas ng Grade VI. Si Leo Tolstoy ay nakatuntong sa kolehiyo, pero mabababa ang marka at hindi na rin nakatapos ng kurso.

Kung sila'y nabuhay sa Pilipinas at nagdaan sa karaniwang proseso ng paghahanap ng trabaho, ang pinakamadali nilang mapapasukang trabaho ay ang maging diyanitor -- diyanitor, mga kaibigan, kahit na sila'y mas marami pang alam kaysa sa mayayabang na sekretarya ng mga kumpanyang pag-aaplayan nila, at maging sa mga may-ari ng mga ito.

Diyanitor nga ang unang naging trabaho ng kaibigan nating si Abet Umil bago siya nakilala bilang isang manunulat, sapagkat siya'y hindi rin nakatapos ng pag-aaral. Diyanitor. Samantalang pag kausap mo siya'y malamang na mapag-uusapan ninyo sina T.S. Eliot, Bienvenido Santos, at Manuel Arguilla -- at ilan sa mga college graduate ang makikita ninyong may kakayahang makipagtalakayan nang matino tungkol sa nabanggit na mga manunulat?

Bibihira ang college graduate na nakikita kong may ganitong kakayahan, maski roon sa mga nag-Ph.D. sa Panitikan sa ilang malaking unibersidad, na bagama't nag-Ph.D. sa Panitikan ay lubhang limitado ang perspektiba sa literatura, kaya naman sa mga signipikanteng proyektong pampanitikan ay kung sinu-sino ang binibigyan ng mahahalagang papel -- maging yaong mga taong ang nakaraan at maging kasalukuyan ay punung-puno ng mga butas na amoy-patay na daga.

Pero ang mga may diploma ay makakukuha raw ng magandang trabaho. Siyanga kaya?

Dalawa lamang ang landas na karaniwang pinupuntahan ng mga college graduate sa panahong ito. Maaaring sila'y mapunta sa mga call center, kung saan sa wika nga ng ating ka-Kilometrong si Lecter ay magigi silang mga "human answering machine" -- pasintabi sa mga nakapagtrabaho at nagtatrabaho sa mga call center. Kundi man sila mapunta sa mga call center, sila'y mapupunta sa ibang bansa upang maging mga caregiver, kundi man domestic helper -- sa wika nga ni Ave Perez Jacob ay "mga tsimoy at tsimay ng mundo."

Malalim ang ugat ng ganitong kalagayan: kulang ang dalawang oras upang talakayin ito nang buo. Pero masasabi nating ito'y nagmula pa roon sa ipinunla ng mga Thomasite noong 1900s.

Ang iba't ibang aspeto ng sistemang pang-edukasyon ay ipinakikita ng mga tula sa GradWait, at ang ilan sa mga tulang ito ay itatanghal ng mga ka-Kilometro at ng mga inimbitahang panauhin. Muli, mahirap bumati ng "Magandang gabi" kaya pagbati na lang sa ating lahat, at sana'y maibigan natin ang mga pagtatanghal. Maraming salamat.

kmnist manifesto

2005-03-23T16:55:00.000+08:00

Tuwing mapag-uusapan ang tula, mahirap na hindi magunita ang ngayo’y maalamat nang pangungusap mula sa makatang Ingles na si Percy Bysshe Shelley: “Ang makata ay siyang di-kinikilalang mambabatas ng daigdig.”

At bakit naman hindi magkakagayon? Ang tula, sa taas ng kapangyarihan nito, ay nakalilikha ng matibay na bantayog mula sa abo at, sa kabilang dako naman, nailalantad ang kastilyong buhanging nagpapanggap na marmol. Kaya’t nakatalagang gumanap ng mahalagang papel sa kasaysayan ang makata. Nasa kanyang mga taludtod ang isang sandatang may mataas na kakayahang dumurog sa pader ng kabulaanan.

Taong 1992 nang unang ibandila ng noo’y Pangulong Fidel V. Ramos ang kanyang Philippines 2000, na aniya’y siyang eroplanong magdadala sa bansa sa pinakamataas na ulap ng kaunlaran. Bilang bahagi ng programang ito, isa niyang kaalyado – ang noo’y Sen. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo – ang noong 1994 ay namuno sa pagraratipika ng Senado sa General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), na nang sumunod na taon ay siyang naging batayan ng pagpasok ng Pilipinas sa World Trade Organization (WTO).

Tampok sa mga programa ng WTO ang pagsusulong ng mga patakaran ng liberalisasyon at deregulasyon sa ekonomiya, at pribatisasyon ng mga serbisyo sa sektor publiko. Ang mga patakarang ito, ayon sa Kambal ng Bretton Woods – ang International Monetary Fund (IMF) at ang World Bank (WB) – ang mga gamot sa malawakang kawalang-kaunlaran at kahirapan sa ating bansa at sa iba pang bansa ng Ikatlong Daigdig.

Mahigit sa isang dekada mula noong 1992, nananatiling malatuberkulosis na mga sakit ng Pilipinas ang laganap na kawalang-kaunlaran at kahirapan, at mga utak-uod na lamang ang mangangahas na magsabing ang pangkalahatang kalagaya’y hindi tuluy-tuloy na sumasama kaysa rati. Na dapat lang namang asahang mangyari, sapagkat ang mga patakarang ipinataw ng WTO sa ating bansa ay wala namang pakay na baguhin ang balangkas ng isang lipunang malaon nang pumapasan sa bigat ng isang kolonyal na hulma ng ekonomiya, pulitika at kultura; kawalan ng katarungang panlipunan, at kalat na katiwalian sa lingkurang-bayan.

Nananatili kung gayon ang mga sakit ng lipunang Pilipino na noon pa ma’y hinahagkis na ng mga dakilang makata ng ating bansa, magmula kay Francisco Balagtas (1788-1862) hanggang kay Andres Bonifacio (1863-1897), magmula kay Amado Hernandez (1903-1970) hanggang kay Romulo Sandoval (1950-1997). Kinakailangan ang pagpapatuloy ng panulaang kanilang nilikha at isinulong.

Minsa’y nawika ng bantog na makata ng protesta na si Gelacio Guillermo ang ganito: “Noon lang ikalawang bahagi ng dekada sisenta natutunang itanong ng mga makata sa sarili sa paraang publiko: Ano ang silbi? Sino ang pagsisilbihan? Paano? Mainam ngayong ulitin ang tanong.”

Sa aming mga makata ng Kilometer 64, malinaw na ang sagot. Ang tulang Pilipino’y nararapat na ilaan, una sa lahat, sa sambayanang Pilipino. Hindi biro ang magiging
kapakinabangan nito sa ating pagtitindig ng kasarinlan, kalayaan, katarungan, mabuting pamamahala, at tunay na demokrasya sa ating bansa.

-ikalabing-apat ng marso, 2005