Cinemalaya in a nutshell

 

I first  saw the film “Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros” when it premiered in 2005 at the First Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).

 Set in the slums of Manila, the coming-of-age comedy-drama film  by fellow UP alumnus Auraeus Solito is about a gay teen (Nathan Lopez) who is torn between his love for a young cop ( JR Valentin) and his loyalty to his family.

Although it did not won the Best film award in 2005,  it became one of the icons of indie films and  has been included in various lists of best gay  films.  It was the Philippines’ official entry to the 79th Academy Awards.

Nineteen  years since Maximo was shown, this year’s Cinemalaya will be held at  the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) instead of CCP  from  August 4 to 13, 2023 with the theme “Iluminasyon”.

The so- called “indie films” embody Cinemalaya’s vision: “the creation of new cinematic works by Filipino filmmakers that boldly articulate and freely interpret the Filipino experience with fresh insight and artistic integrity.”

This year’s  ten (10)  full-length films  include  Ang Duyan ng Magiting  by Dustin Celestino; As If It's True by John Rogers; Bulawan Nga Usa (Golden Deer) by Kenneth De La Cruz; Gitling by Jopy Arnaldo; Huling Palabas by Ryan Machado; Iti Mapupukaw (The Missing)” by Carl Joseph Papa; Maria by Sheryl Rose Andes; Rookie  by Samantha Lee; Tether by Gian Arre; and When This is All Over by Kevin Mikhail Mayuga. The short film section  also has ten  competing entries.

 The full length section has  only one set of films  from 2005 to 2009  called New Breed with  another section  added from 2010 to 2014 called Director’s Showcase. It reverted back to one set  since  2016 as  the Main Competition .

 The past winning films in New Breed  included Pepot Artista (2005), Tulad ng Dati (2006), Tribu (2007), Jay (2008), Last Supper No. 3 (2009), Halaw (2010), Ang Babae sa Septic Tank (2011), Diablo (2012), Transit (2013), and Bwaya (2014).

 The winners in the Directors’ showcase included Donor (2010), Bisperas (2011), Posas (2012), Sana Dati (2013) and Kasal (2014).

 The winners in the Main competition included Pamilya Ordinaryo (2016), Respeto (2017), Kung Paano Hinihintay ang Dapithapon (2018), John Denver Trending (2019), and The Baseball Player (2022). There were no winners for two years (2020 – 2021) due to the pandemic.

 Eddie Garcia won Best Actor thrice for ICU Bed#7 (2005), Bwakaw (2012), and ML (2018)  while Baron Geisler twice for Jay (2008) and Donor (2010).

 Two actresses won Best Actress twice: Merylle Soriano for Room Boy (2005) and Donor (2010) and Ina Feleo for Endo (2007) and Sanglaan (2009).

 Best Actress awards In the New Breed also went to Angel Aquino  for Donsol (2006), Mylene Dizon  for 100 (2008), Lovi Poe  for Mayohan (2010), Eugene Domingo for Ang Babae sa Septic Tank (2011) Ama Quiambao  for Diablo (2012), Irma Adlawan  for Transit (2013) and Eula Valdez  for Dagitab (2014).

 The other Best Actors in New Breed include  Alchris Galura  for Batad (2006), Lou Veloso  for Colorum (2009),  John Arcilla for Halaw (2010), Edgar Allan Guzman  for Ligo na, Lapit na Me (2011), and Dante Rivero for 1st ko si 3rd (2014).

 

Winners in the Main  also include Hasmine Killip  for Pamilya Ordinaryo (2016), Angeli Bayani for Bagahe (2017),  Ai-Ai Delas Alas for School Service (2018) Ruby Ruiz for Iska (2019) and Max Eigenmann for 12 Weeks (2022) for Best Actresses while Tommy Abuel for Dagsin (2016), and Tommy Alejandrino for Baseball Player (2022) for Best Actors.

 Two persons won the Best Director award twice: Aureus Solito for Pisay (2007) and Busong (2011) while the late Eduardo Roy Jr. for Pamilya Ordinaryo (2011) and Fuccbois (2019).

 Roy also directed Quick Change where transgender Mimi Juareza won as Best Actor in the 2013 New Breed.

 In the Directors’ showcase, Vilma Santos won Best Actress in Ekstra (2013) while Nora Aunor won the following year for Hustisya (2014). There was no winner for Best Actor in 2013.

 In 2012, the best actress award was given in the Director’s showcase to an ensemble – Judy Ann Santos, Iza Calzado, Agot Isidro, and Janice de Belen of Mga Mumunting Lihim.  The Tribu cast  grabbed the  best actor award   also as an ensemble in New Breed in 2007.

The youngest  best actor awardee was 13-year old Noel Comia Jr. for Kiko Boksingero (2017) followed by 15-year old Jansen Magpusao for John Denver Trending (2019).  

Only short films competed in 2015, 2020 and 2021.

Decades before  “indie films” became a trend, I had the opportunity see the works of alternative filmmakers during my college years in the late ‘80s and ‘90s at UP Diliman.

Some of the films  included Lino Brocka’s “Maynila, Sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag”  and “Bayan Ko: Kapit sa Patalim” , Ishmael Bernal’s “Himala” (1982), Mike de Leon’s “Sister Stella L.” , and Marilou Diaz-Abaya’s “Karnal”  whose daring works portrayed revolt, labor unionism, social ostracism, and class division. Even “pene” films that had grown more pornographic and taboo were also screened.

(Peyups is the moniker of the University of the Philippines. Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho heads the seafarers’ division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan law offices. For comments, e-mail info@sapalovelez.com, or call 09175025808 or 09088665786.)

 

Gay and lesbian films dominate 19th Cinemalaya

"Gusto kong ibigay ito sa lahat ng mga 'Eric' na inalisan ng bibig at hindi nakapagsalita, para sa inyo 'to. Nandito kami, nakikinig," says Director  Carl Papa  of “ITI MAPUKPUKAW” (The Missing) that won Best Film at  the  2023 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival.

“Iti Mapukpukaw” is one of the three films  on gay and lesbian issues that   bagged major awards in the 19^th Cinemalaya  held from August 4 to 13, 2023 at the PICC.

Aside from Best Film (Full-Length), “Iti Mapukpukaw received the  NETPAC Award while Dolly de Leon   won as Best  Supporting Actress.

"HULING PALABAS" won Best Director for  Ryan Machado while Bon Andrew Lentejas won  Best Supporting Actor.

“ROOKIE” by Samantha Lee won Best Actress for Pat Tingjuy as well as Audience Choice Awards and Best Editing.

“Iti Mapukpukaw” was awarded best film  “for boldly taking on the challenges of technology in crafting a very engaging narrative of a young man confronting the demons of his past, and for its overall cinematic experience.”

It is the first full-length rotoscope animation film in  Cinemalaya that follows Eric’s life   as a mouthless young animator at the intersections of grief and trauma.

Rotoscope is  a method of animation that’s created by tracing over frame by frame of live-action footage.

Eric   untangles memories from his childhood in the wake of his uncle’s death. An alien abducted him from Earth which  left to him power  as the destined ruler of the planet.

The death triggered  Eric to remember his past as a child  victim of sexual abuse by his uncle. He stopped talking as his uncle told him to remain silent.   His co-worker Carlo (Gio Gahol) is his love interest and   his shock-absorber.

Dolly de Leon  was recognized for her “pellucid performance of an affectionate mother helping her son confront the demons of his past.”  She said that the  film is a way of healing ,  embracing trauma and getting over it as a young individual.

Machado won Best Director  for “Huling Palabas” as he effectively summoned “the resources of art to come up with a deeply personal film that evokes fond memories of pre-digital cinema while paying homage to one’s small-town roots, and how all of this contributes to fashioning self-respect and self-identity.”

“Huling Palabas”  is a coming-of-age movie that  tackled themes of identity formation, abandonment, friendship and folklore.

Like the transition of entertainment technology from VHS to VCD, the sexual orientation of  Andoy (Shun Mark Gomez) also transformed.

In search for his long-lost father, a young boy’s reality becomes mystified when two movie-like characters appear in his hometown in Romblon - — Ariel, a hairdresser and Isidro, a mysterious, long-haired man who owns a VCD player.

Lentejas got the award for his “engaging portrayal of a young man trying to understand his best friend’s difficult ways as the latter comes of age”.

 Tingjuy  of “Rookie” won the Best Actress award   for "her refreshing portrayal of a young girl coming to terms with her sexual identity as she comes of age in the exciting world of volleyball."

“Rookie” is a romantic comedy about young queer love and volleyball. An awkward 6-footer teen Ace (Tingjuy)  is forced to learn and play volleyball half-heartedly in  the Catholic school she transferred. Everything changes when she meets their star player Janna (Aya Fernandez).

 Lee said that  queerness in sports is rarely explored:  the film  deals with the sensitive yet timely issues of gender inequality and objectification of women in male-dominated spaces.

The film also showed how   officials  of  all-female schools  normally address   sexual harassment issues involving male teachers, professors, and coaches.  In order to protect the school’s  reputation, the culprits are just  transferred from one school to another without legal cases filed against them or without public statements made  condemning their actions.

I saw several Cinemalaya films revolving on the LGBT   issues including  “Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros” when it premiered at the First Cinemalaya in 2005.

Set in the slums of Manila, the coming-of-age comedy-drama film  by fellow UP alumnus Auraeus Solito is about a gay teen (Nathan Lopez) who is torn between his love for a young cop ( JR Valentin) and his loyalty to his family.

Although it did not won the Best film award in 2005,  it became one of the icons of indie films and  has been included in various lists of best gay  films.  It was the Philippines’ official entry to the 79th Academy Awards.

Transgender Mimi Juareza won as Best Actor  for Quick Change in the 2013 New Breed.

De Leon is also part of “Ang Duyan Ng Magiting”  that received Special Award for  Best Ensemble   and Special Jury Award.

The other films with citations  in the full length section include “Tether” for Mikoy Morales  as Best Actor and  Sound Design;  “When This Is All Over”  for Cinematography, Production Design and  Original Music Score;  and “Gitling” for  Screenplay.

(Peyups is the moniker of University of the Philippines. Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho heads the seafarers’ division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan law offices. For comments, e-mail info@sapalovelez.com, or call 09175025808 or 09088665786.)

Lantern parade of hope and love

I celebrated my birthday last December 21  by joining  the “People’s Lantern Parade” which is  an  informal lantern parade at the Diliman campus of  University of the Philippines (UP).

The two hour parade, which  lasted until six in the evening, began at the UP College of Social Work and Community Development,  went around the Academic Oval and ended at  the University Ave fronting the Administration Building.  The College of Engineering and School of Economics (my home college as well as that of Vice President Leni Robredo)  were the co-organizers of the event.

With the theme “Parada ng Pag-ibig at Pag-asa”, most participants  carried  pink parols of various sizes as the parade aims to symbolize calls to end corruption and its adherents, and to fight for democracy, human rights, and the welfare of Filipinos. 

It also  aimed to raise funds for the areas recently affected by typhoon Odette.

Pink  is considered  “the color of hope and love.”  

The pink parol movement coincided with the Christmas season that  became  not merely initiatives to raise funds but also  for voters’ education activities.

Pink parols   not only give hope but also enlightenment to voters on who they  should vote for in the upcoming 2022 elections.

UP  likewise  launched on the same day a virtual campus map  that live-streamed the lantern parade  via UPD’s Facebook and YouTube channels.

Due to the pandemic, the traditional face-t0-face  lantern parades were not celebrated in the various UP campuses for two years in a row.  

UP normally celebrate the most festive of seasons the best way we  can imagine with a parade of lights, floats and every single extravaganza UP students could practically think of.

The Lantern Parade started  in 1922, inspired by the folk practice of carrying lanterns of various shapes and sizes to light the way to the early morning December masses or misa de gallo during the Spanish period.

It was institutionalized in 1934 by UP President Jorge C. BOcobo “so that students can have a frolicsome activity before the year ends.” 

“From its beginnings as a simple homage to an old Christmas tradition to the elegant, colorful, sometimes controversial creations that strut (or sometimes sputter) around the UPD academic oval each Yuletide, the Lantern Parade has evolved into an event that reflects both the people and milieu of its time, depicting the changing social and political landscape of the University and indeed, the country,” according to the UP website.

UP is known to be  a sanctuary of  advocates of civil rights and academic freedom, especially in times of uncertainty and social turmoil.

Lantern parades are held in all UP constituent universities, with administrative offices, academic units, organizations, and community groups getting creative on their lanterns and presentations.

I remember my first lantern parade in 1987 lasted for six to eight hours  during my freshman year when six wheeler trucks were still allowed.

Lanterns are basically a light source (candle, wick in a fuel or mantle) enclosed in a container that protects the flame so the wind would not put it out but light can pass through. It can be made from variety of materials from non-flammable to flammable.

It was also during my birthday last year when the so called Christmas Star or Star of Bethlehem appeared, which is symbolized by the parol.  

On this day, Jupiter and Saturn appeared closer to each other.

It is called a “great conjunction” because Jupiter and Saturn are the two largest planets in the Solar System, and to the naked eye they will look like a single bright star during this “celestial summit meeting.”

One of the more popular theories for the “Christmas Star” was that it was part of a series of conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn in 7 BC wherein these planets met not once but three times that year (in May, September and December). 

In Christian belief, the Christmas star is found within the New Testament only in the Gospel of Matthew.

The Christmas Star led the three wise men (Magi) to Jesus’ home in the town in Bethlehem where they worshiped him and gave him gifts.

The wise men were then given a divine warning not to return to Herod, so they travelled back home by a different route.

“O star of wonder, star of light, Star with royal beauty bright, Westward leading, still proceeding, Guide us to thy perfect light.”

May the pink parol  be the country’s guiding  Christmas star.  

( Peyups  is the monicker of University of the Philippines. Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho heads the seafarers’ division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan law offices. For comments, email info@sapalovelez.com, or call 09175025808 or 09088665786).

To teach law in the grand manner

 

As freshies in 1992  at the  UP College of Law, the imposing words of Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. welcomed us to Malcolm Hall: “The business of a law school is not sufficiently described when you merely say that it is to teach law or make lawyers. It is to teach law in the grand manner, and to make great lawyers.”

With excitement and trepidation, we pursued THE dream of becoming (great) lawyers.

Traversing the path of legal education was hard to the exponential power, as we immersed ourselves in law books and cases, faced terror professors, pore through volumes and pages of SCRAs, lined up for photocopying at the law library, hurried through classes, reviewed and crammed through lessons, and survived recitations.

The seating arrangement was chosen purposely based on one’s affiliation with friends and casepool mates, by luck or by time of arrival during the first day of classes. The seat plan was strategically optimized to source much-needed information during recitations either through infamous television (codigos) or radio (bulong squad).  

Magic Notes   provide the psychological crutch to lean on and assures one’s sense of security. It is  a compilation of lectures, explanations, questions and answers given in a class by a professor on a particular subject.

Encounters with law professors during the dreaded recitations involved answers that range from direct lifting from the SCRAs “in the original”, for those who studied, to inventions through guess work for those who didn’t. Despite the torture, most of the memorable moments in law school were funny blunders during class recitations.

Passing the bar exams  is obviously not that easy and seems to be the crowning glory of a student’s life.

 

The bar exams is considered one of the toughest and most difficult among the professional board exams, having one of the highest mortality rate.

 

The discipline in terms of time management and patience is crucial during the review period.  But it is just a qualifying process as the greater challenges lie ahead after passing the bar.

 

It is also a yearly spectacle on the performance of law schools measured on the most number of topnotchers or scoring the highest passing rate.

 

It will essentially test the aspirant’s ability to comprehend the problem, spot the issues, identify the legal provision and its basic interpretation.

 

Eight  members of the batch  landed as topnotchers: Trina Prodigalidad (1^st, 90.6)  Recaredo Borgonia, Jr.  (4^th, 89.65), Shirley Alinea (6^th, 89.45), Yasmin Suzette   Tan (7^th, 89.4), Rosalia Bartolome (8^th,  89.3), Amor Datinguinoo (9^th 89.15)   and Edgar Bernal (10^th, 89.0) for the 1996 bar exam while Teodulo San Juan (7^th, 87.775) for the 1997 bar exam.  

 

One of the remarkable aspects of the law field is that people attend law school with a vast array of interests and experiences and go on to pursue an equally wide variety of careers.

 

Batch 1996 produced academicians,  judges.  private and public sector lawyers, government officials, politicians  and all types of business professionals across industries.

 

UP Law has its fine share in Philippine history as  it produced  four presidents namely Jose Laurel, Manuel Roxas, Elpidio Quirino,  and Ferdinand Marcos aside from at least twenty two senators.

 

Lawyers, as professionals, are expected to uphold the ethical and moral values that are said to be essential to the fabric that holds society together.

 

“Serve the people. Do not betray your humanity” says my professor and  Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen. “Discover your passion. Be patient and compassionate.”

 

Passion for the law is dedication to do what is right.

 

Indeed, it was a long road, but it was also a well-traveled and fun-filled journey.

 

We never imagined that, beyond the legal discipline, the batch proved to be a repository of undiminished talents.

 

Nostalgic thoughts are evoked down memory lane.

 

Law school years were indeed difficult moments, but the best and memorable times spent with those who shared the experience. Those years were full of vivid memories that still bring smiles and funny thoughts to each one, many years hence.

It's been a couple of decades when we left the gates of UP Law but somehow we still get the sense of continuity, a vinculum unsevered by the years we may have all been apart.

 

For batch 1996 of the UP College of Law,  “Pagbabalik”  after twenty five (25)  years is more than just reminiscing the yesteryears but imbibing that forward-looking attitude, the prospectivity of hope amidst all that we have gone through. Kaya nga tuloy pa rin.

 

 

 

( Peyups  is the monicker of University of the Philippines. Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho heads the seafarers’ division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan law offices. For comments, email info@sapalovelez.com, or call 09175025808 or 09088665786).

An evening with Chito Gascon, Voltes V and human rights.

 International Human Rights Day in the Philippines was celebrated this year in the Philippines without the presence of  human rights icon Chito Gascon.

 December 19 each year is known as Human Rights Day, the very day when, in 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The Declaration set out a broad range of fundamental human rights and freedoms to which all of us, everywhere around the world, are entitled. It guarantees our rights without distinction of nationality, place of residence, gender, national or ethnic origin, religion, language, or any other status.

At the time of his untimely demise on October 9, 2021 due to COVID19 at the age of 57, he was the chairman of the constitutional body Commission on Human Rights (CHR)  having been appointed by President Benigno S. Aquino III in 2015 .

I entered UP in 1987 when  Chito   just served his term as  Chairperson  of the UP Diliman Student Council from 1985 to 1986.

He led his fellow students in active-non-violent protest actions, which contributed to and culminated in the People Power Revolution and the ouster of Marcos in 1986.

Chito belong to Nagkaisang Tugon (TUGON), the perennial rival of our group Sandigan Para sa Mag-aaral at Sambayanan (SAMASA) as major student political parties during my UP student days in the 1980s and 1990s.  His wife, Melissa Mercado,  is from SAMASA.

SAMASA and TUGON  were  established when students’ movement was at its peak to defend their democratic rights to organize inside and even outside campus grounds.

The campus molded us to fight for the causes we believe in; trained us for the skills we need to communicate ideas and rally others to effect changes in society.

The UP student activism has taught us the vision of service to the people, which Chito has passionately pursued until his death.

Later, Gascon represented the youth as the youngest delegate to the 1986 Constitutional Convention, which prepared the 1987 Philippine Constitution. He then  served as the youngest member of the 8th Congress from 1990 to 1992.

 

.Chito  finished his law degree from  UP College of Law in 1996, which is also my batch l  celebrating  its silver jubilee this year.

Chito   was part of the team that  won the country’s first ever Jessup International Cup in 1995 held in New York. They  were not allowed by the team coach to bring any notes with them, not even index cards, during the debates. The judges were impressed because they looked confident, and they  were the only team that argued based on knowledge

Chito faced challenges as  CHR head  ensuring the promotion, protection, and preservation of human rights enshrined in the Constitution. He endured Duterte’s threats and ridicule as the CHR monitored the government’s bloody war on drugs.

 

The last time I had a face to face encounter with Chito was during the Japanese robots exhibition in May 2018  by fellow SAMASA Toym Imao at the UP Diliman Library.

 Toym’s exhibit showed  simplistic childish grudge, the deprivation to kids born in the 1970s   of freedom to watch a show we love.

 

From June  4, 1977 to  March  25, 1978, we eagerly await the robot  cartoon series  everyday at 6:00pm:  Mekanda on Monday, Daimos on Tuesday,  Mazinger Z on Wednesday, UFO Grendizer on Thursday, and finally Voltes V on Friday.

The Japanese cartoons are inseparable from the discussion on martial law and the Marcos  regime as these  series  carry the notions  of  revolution and resistance. 

 

Voltes V was about an alien race of horned humans from the planet Boazania out to conquer Earth. It was up to Voltes V to defeat the Boazanians’ giant robots, known as beast fighters, sent to destroy the planet.

 

Boazania was also under dictatorial rule from a despotic emperor, who faced an uprising from Boazanians who were discriminated against and enslaved simply because they had no horns.

 

In 1978, shortly before the series finale, Marcos issued a directive banning Voltes V and other similarly-themed anime series due to concerns about “excessive violence.”

 

It was believed that the series were  taken off the air due to  their  revolutionary undertones.

 

In 2012, Marcos’ son Bongbong defended his father’s decision to ban Voltes V, stating that parents before were worried about the excessive violence in the show, so Marcos pulled the robot-based animated series from television to appease their demands.

 

The villain characters from Planet Boazania   symbolized  how the government tried to control the freedom of Filipinos in the past and the ensuing  human rights violations.

 

The popular line associated with Voltes V, “Let’s Volt In”, is timely and appropriate with the return of the Marcoses in Philippine politics.

(  Atty. Dennis R. Gorecho heads the seafarers’ division of the Sapalo Velez Bundang Bulilan law offices. For comments, email info@sapalovelez.com, or call 09175025808 or 09088665786).