Para kay Ma’am Chit

Prabster — Thu, 19 May 2011 08:43:01 +0000

“Your paper was okay, but it was too formal. We’re not that formal dito sa Mass Comm.” Ito ang kauna-unahang constructive criticism na nakuha ko kay Ma’am Chit Estella-Simbulan. Pinagawa kasi niya kami ng papel/review noon, tungkol sa ginawa namin over the weekend. Nag DVD marathon ako noong linggong ‘yon, kaya tungkol sa pinanood ko ang ginawa ko. At dahil hindi pa naman ganoon ka-demanding sa klase dahil kakaumpisa pa lamang ng semestre, hindi naging mahirap para sa akin ang gumawa ng review. Ang problema, hindi naman ako taga-Mass Comm, at dahil sanay ako na nagsa-cite ng iba’t ibang mga reference sa mga papel ko, medyo pormal nga ang dating nito, dahil mayroon pa akong footnotes at endnotes.

Noong ipinasa na namin ng mga kaklase ko ang mga papel namin, nakaramdam na ‘ko ng kaba noong makita kong hindi naman ganoon kakapal ang mga papel na pinasa nila. Nabahala ako, dahil baka magmukha akong katawa-tawa. Nilapitan ko tuloy si Ma’am pagkatapos ng klase, at sinabi ko ang misgivings ko. “Don’t worry. I’ll read it first, then I’ll let you know,” sabi ni Ma’am, sabay ngiti sa akin. Na at-ease ako, lalo na noong makita kong pati mga mata niya ay nakangiti.

Unang salang ko noon sa Journalism, na siyang panlabas na disiplina ko. Unang subject ko ang Interpretative Writing Class (J103), sa ilalim ni Ma’am Chit sa College of Mass Communication sa UP. Wala akong background sa Journalism, kaya kung anu-ano lang ang kinuha ko. Nagandahan ako sa tunog ng “interpretative writing,” kaya nag-enlist ako sa klase. Sabay kong kinukuha ang J103 at J101 (Introduction to Journalism), kahit na alam kong baka mapasubo ako dahil wala pa akong introductory course. Dahil kinailangan na agad na magproduce ng results (marami kasi kaming mga papel na ginagawa noon sa klase), kinailangan kong matuto agad, at hindi puwedeng hintayin ko muna nag resulta ng mga matututunan ko sa 101. Crash course, ika nga, kaya maraming pagkakataon na nagpapaiwan ako sa klase ng mga ilang minuto upang magtanong ng kung anu-anong bagay tungkol sa pagsusulat (at least, sa standard ng Journalism) kay Ma’am.

Hindi ko naman kinakitaan ng pagkayamot si Ma’am. Sa tingin ko nga eh natutuwa pa siya na may kagustuhan akong matuto. Siguro rin ay natuwa siya na kahit na returning student ako sa UP, at mas matanda kumpara sa mga kaklase ko, ay willing pa rin akong mag-improve. Hindi rin naging condescending o mayabang si Ma’am, kahit na impressive ang kanyang résumé (nalaman ko na lang ito noong patapos na ang semestre).

Di nagtagal, unti-unting naging maayos ang resulta ng mga ipinapasa kong papel kay Ma’am. Iba’t-ibang papel ang ginawa namin sa klase. Nandoon ang food review, letter to the editor, feature story, movie review at marami pang iba. Marami man, hindi naman “mabigat” ang mga papel, dahil may target number of words lang kami. Importante daw ‘yon, dahil kapag sobrang dami na ng mga words mo, mawawala na ang interes ng mambabasa. At kamakailan ko na lang napagtatanto na marami pa la akong natutunan sa klase naming iyon, pero ni minsan ay hindi ko naramdaman na “mabigat” ang klase. At napagtanto ko rin na napamahal na pala sakin ang Journalism.

Noong matapos ang semestreng iyon, napagpasyahan kong kumuha ulit ng dalawang subject sa ilalim ni Ma’am Chit. Kaso, minabuti kong kuhanin na lang ang dalawang iyon sa huling semestre ko, para maging “break” ko ang mga subject na iyon, dahil magiging kasabay ng mga iyon ang thesis ko. Sigurado naman akong mag-e-enjoy ako sa mga iyon, kaya magiging “break” iyon mula sa monotony ng paggawa ko ng thesis.

Tuwang-tuwa ako ng maka-pre-enlist ako sa dalawang subject na iyon sa susunod na semestre. Kaya nga lang, sa kasamaang palad, hindi na matutupad ang pagkuha ko ng huling Journalism subjects kong iyon sa ilalim ni Ma’am Chit. Hindi ko na kailangang idetalye ang mga nangyari. Kung binabasa mo itong entri kong ito, marahil ay alam mo na ang sinapit ni Ma’am. Hanggang ngayon, parang blanko pa rin ang nararamdaman ko tuwing naiisip ko ang nangyari. Hindi ko alam kung hanggang kailan ang pakiramdam na ito. Ang alam ko lang, parang nawalan ako ng mahal sa buhay.#

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Maraming salamat po sa lahat Ma’am Chit. Hanggang magkita tayo ulit. At sa araw na iyon, ako naman po ang magpapainom sa inyo ng Kopi Luwak.

PS. Sorry po kung Taglish itong sinulat kong ito. Naisip ko kasing magkaron ng personal touch entry. Sa tingin ko kasi, masyadong “pormal” kung Ingles o Filipino lang ang gagamitin kong lengguwahe. Sana okay lang sa inyo.

Filed under: Personal Tagged: Chit Estella, Journalism, UP Diliman

Aldaw Kordilyera 2011

Prabster — Wed, 04 May 2011 11:17:28 +0000

First of two parts.

The Cordillera is a row of great mountain ranges occupying half of Northern Luzon in the Philippines. Its rugged mountainous backbone contains many peaks exceeding 2,000 meters in height, with rolling hills and stretches of river valleys along its flanks. Around 230 km long and 120 km wide, with an irregular shape, the mountainous region’s estimated total area is about 17,500 square km. It’s composed of the six provinces of Apayao, Kalinga, Abra, Mountain Province, Ifugao, and Benguet, plus the chartered city of Baguio. These provinces have a total land area of almost 18,300 square km.

Especially famed for its huge gold deposits, pure stands of pine forest, and rich soils and water sources that have enabled its people to sustain agriculture on mountainside rice terraces, the great majority of the region’s population are peasants engaged in farming and other small-scale production and side occupations.

This year’s Cordillera Day was held on April 26 – 27. After years of trying to find the time to witness the event, festivities and other whatnot that happens during the celebration, I found myself excitedly heading for Barangay Buneg, in the municipality of Lacub, in the province of Abra.

From Manila, we traveled for around 7 hours by bus to reach the municipality of Bangued, in Abra. From there, we took a jeepney ride through different terrain until we got to Buneg. I estimated that the smooth, paved road was only good for a third of the way, and the rest was all rough road through the rugged Abra mountainside. There were also instances where we had to cross rivers, with the widest one just before Buneg. It was common for people to ride on top of the jeepney, or “top-loading” because there were not that many jeepneys plying the 4 to 5 hour route. (Pro-tip: If riding top-load, make sure that you have a scarf to cover you, because it can get really hot during the day. Bring something to drink too, so that you won’t get dehydrated.)

A 4×4 pickup pulls a jeepney through a river near Lacub. Residents in the area made a makeshift road by putting stones and detachable steel tracks. If a 4×4 vehicle is not available, passengers normally help out in pulling and pushing their jeepney through.

It was raining by the time we got to the outskirts of Buneg, so we had to hike/trek the rest of the way as the jeepneys couldn’t get up the slippery slope. It took us about an hour to get to Buneg proper, and we immediately looked for the place where we could set up our tent. The organizers had a map of the barangay prepared, and we saw that the main camping area was on a flat, open field that was between three houses. We immediately set up, then asked the residents where we could find the river. It had stopped raining then, and someone told us that the rain was a blessing that marked the start of the Cordillera day the next morning.

The tent area, surrounded by the Cordillera mountains all around.

For the next two days, I was able to get to know the Cordillera people a little more. I was able to get a glimpse of their culture, their way of life, and most of all, what their problems were. For now, I’ll share some of the pictures I took. In my next post, I’ll write about what I learned from the experience.

A sacrifice is made in a ritual that marked the start of the Cordillera Day. This was before the interfaith mass for peace began.

There are two “circles” that surrounds the ceremonial fire. The men elders sit in the inner circle while the women elders sit in the outer one. I was told that the women sitting here belonged to the different provinces of the region.

One of the elders join in on the interfaith mass for peace.

Children from the Kalinga area (at least, I think it’s the Kalinga area. I was told that the designs on the skirt and bahag or loincloth for the males, vary, depending on what region in the Cordillera the person comes from) give a presentation after the mass.

Every morning, a slight mist covers the entire area. It makes taking a bath in the river a bit more dangerous than usual, because the rocks become really slippery, including the ones not in the immediate vicinity of the river.

Large boulders such as these make you wonder how they got to the middle of the river in the first place. They almost look like gatekeepers.

At a different part of the river, the water becomes calmer, however, it becomes muddy too.

Children find time to play while the different programs are going on.

This is how people top-load on the jeepneys. This was taken just before we left.

When we left, and as the jeepneys were being pushed and pulled to get to the other side of the river (the same one as in the second picture), some people opted to take the hanging bridge rather than wade into waist-deep waters.

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Next: History of the Cordillera Day, some of the problems the Cordillera people, and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and National Democratic Front of the Philippines Joint Peace Consultation.

Filed under: Festival, Travel Tagged: Abra, Buneg, Cordillera Day, Lacub, Philippines

Honda Bay

Prabster — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 16:31:41 +0000

We spent the our last day in Puerto Princesa with the Honda Bay tour. The bay, which is closer to the Puerto Princesa city proper than the Subterranean River is, is situated in Sta. Lourdes Tagbanua, Puerto Princesa City. About 12 kilometers east of Puerto Princesa City is Sta. Lourdes wharf where pump boats could be hired to take tourists to the island of their choice. Some islands require an entrance fee; others are privately owned, thus, authorization from the owners is required. Sta. Lourdes wharf is 25 minutes away by hired tricycle or jeepney. A pump boat ride from the wharf to the different islands is from 15 to 50 minutes.

The fastest way to reach Honda Bay is via Barrio Tagburos is a mercury slag heap; one should not eat fish there. A dozen small islets with wonderful beaches and good sites for diving lie along the bay. Boats to the islands can be rented in Tagburos.

This is the third part of my Puerto Princesa series. The first is here while the second is here.

We were wondering if the tour would push through. It rained the previous day and throughout the night. The rain had stopped before sunrise, but it was still cloudy all throughout the morning. At least the waves weren’t as high compared to the previous day. The tour van picked us up at around 7:30 in the morning, and we were due to arrive at the honda bay wharf at 9.

The beach area near the wharf was made of a hard, clay-like substance that almost seemed like a huge coral reef. There was just enough break in the clouds to see the sun’s light and give us a hint that it was time to go back to the inn to wait for the van

Mining is one of the problems of Palawan. Even if places like Puerto Princesa have campaigns against mining, the southern part of the province have mining companies that destroy the environment. Early this year, Dr. Gerry Ortega, a veterinarian and environmental advocate, was shot and killed as he shopped at a used-clothes store in Puerto Princesa

We got to the Honda Bay wharf at 9. Like the previous day, we had to wait for our turn on the outrigger. The guide said that Honda Bay was famous for fish-feeding and snorkeling. Our guide had snorkels to rent for P100, and there were people at the wharf who have fins and underwater camera cases to rent. We rented fins, but we were unable to rent the waterproof cases, because they only fit small digital cameras.

Vendors offer lots of equipment for rent/sale. Some sell souvenirs, while some, like these vendors here, offer underwater camera cases for rent

We were scheduled for three stops. The first, which was at Snake Island, was where we would be having lunch. The island does not have snakes, but it was called Snake Island because it was shaped like one. Here, visitors could snorkel and feed fish from bread bought at the island’s sari-sari store. The second stop was at Pandan Island. It’s called Pandan Island because the whole island was dotted by Pandan trees. It’s privately owned, but the owner allows tourists into the island. The third stop was at a coral reef area located in the middle of the ocean.

Tourists make it a point to snorkel at Snake Island. Life vests are required, even if the person knows how to swim

Fish already know what to expect when they see people holding plastic bags. They know that the bag contains food, and they rush to bite off pieces of the bread once you hold it out to them

There are also fishermen who make Honda Bay the source of their livelihood. We found this fisherman headed back home for the day

By the time we got to our last stop, which was at the coral reef, it was already raining, so I opted not to take any more pictures. The place was awesome, and even if it was raining really hard, we could still see lots of fishes hanging around the huge reef. It was so cold though, and it was good that the floating stop thing were we were had had coffee for sale. The day was not as tiring was the previous day, but it was more fun. In fact, we still had time to go to a bar when we got back, and we bought souvenirs too.

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There you have it, the last part of my Puerto Princesa series. I hope you liked it, and I hope that I would have the opportunity to come back here in the future, as there are some much more in store. Thanks for reading!

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You can visit my Flickr account for other pictures of Puerto Princesa that I opted not to include in this blog post.

Filed under: Travel Tagged: Honda Bay, Palawan, Philippines, Puerto Princesa, Underground River

Lenten thoughts

Prabster — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 21:08:15 +0000

It seems that our neighbors have taken the news that the pabasa could be rendered in rap seriously. While I’m happy that the tune by which they’re reading the pasyon sounds upbeat, I’m not happy that they’ve woken me up at 3 in the morning. Oh well, at least I can update the blog.

The “Pabasa” is the singing or reading of the “pasyon” (Wikipedia defines it as a narrative of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ woven into an epic poetry standard elements colorful dramatic theme with stanzas of five lines with each line having eight syllables) by the devotees. The pasyon, which is based from the bible, can be “sung” in tune with old or new music tunes. Sometimes, the musical instruments are used, so that boredom could be lessened. It is usually started during Wednesday, and finishes on Good Friday.

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Our final class activity last month brought us to the town of Mogpog, in the province of Marinduque. There, we found out how the townspeople were preparing for the Moriones Festival. Mask makers were already busy at work, because masks are always in demand. The masks don’t come cheap, and a mask with horse hair in it being the most expensive one. Here’s to hoping that I get to see the actual festival in the future.

The front part of the Moriones mask is made of wood, and is custom made. I put a finished one on, and found out that it was very hot inside, and you can barely see or breathe

I find it weird that during the lent season here in the Philippines, a lot of families choose to go on vacation rather than contemplate. But then again, I remember that as a kid, my “contemplation” would be watching reruns of biblical stories on TV. Then, as I grew older, it became reruns of Seventh Heaven. Oh, and I’m not really a devout catholic, nor am I an atheist.

Lei and I went to the Intramuros area earlier, and saw a huge banner by the Manila Cathedral which was against the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill. I won’t go into detail now as to why I’m for the RH Bill, but it just irritates me that the church is trying to make the whole RH thing an issue of who’s pro-life or anti-life. Being for the RH Bill doesn’t mean I’m for abortion. There’s a difference.

Anyway, I don’t believe that the RH Bill will be the answer to the country’s poverty problems. I believe that (for now at least), the country has enough resources for every Filipino out there. It’s more an issue of the big chunk of the country’s resources being in the hands of a few people.

The Manila Cathedral. Click the picture for a larger image

So it’s now past 5 in the morning, and our neighbors have rested for the day. I guess I better get some shut-eye before they start up again later. Happy easter, everyone!

Filed under: Opinion, Personal Tagged: Church, Intramuros, Lent, Manila Cathedral, Moriones, Pabasa, Pasyon

N10 10 0 E118 55 0

Prabster — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 05:11:56 +0000

For those who don’t know, Puerto Princesa is the capital of the province of Palawan. It lies at the mid-section of the long strip of the Palawan Island province and is bordered at the west by the South China Sea, and at the east by the Sulu sea. With a total land area of 253,982 hectares, it’s the largest City in the country.

Legend has it that the name “Puerto Princesa” was attributed to a princess-like maiden who in the early days is said to have roamed around the place on certain nights of the year. On the other hand, practical people attribute the name to the geographical advantages of the place as a seaport – naturally protected the whole year round and endowed with a depth that can accommodate any size of shipping – a royal heaven for vessels or a virtual princess of ports as thus indicated by Spanish Colonizers on the country’s map.

Historically, the place was named after Princess Eulalia of Spain, born in 1864 to Queen Isabel II and her consort, Dr. Francisco de Asis. When the princess suffered an untimely death, the Queen changed the name to Puerto de la Princesa. Eventually, the name was reduced to Puerto Princesa as it is known today.

This is the second part of my Puerto Princesa series. The first part can be found here.

We opted to go and visit the Subterranean River in our first day. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site and is said to be one of the finalists for the new 7 wonders of nature. This 8.2 kilometer river is the longest navigable underground river and said to be one of, if not the most, beautiful in the world. Because of the number of tourists who visit the place, the local government enforced a tight schedule, and shortened the trip to only around 45 minutes. This is why during the journey to the underground river, we stopped by a lot of places to catch a glimpse of Puerto Princesa’s grandeur.

Our guide said that halfway rest area is really “half way” to the underground river. Here, you can have coffee (we woke up at 5 in the morning and needed something to wake us up), buy souvenirs (we bought a rainmaker), and stretch your legs

The rest area had a couple of bats that were about to be turned over to the local government. Residents there were nursing the bats back to health, after they were found injured

The Buenavista view deck was situated on top of a ridge, and overlooks a very nice view of the nearby bay. A project of Palawan Mayor Edward Hagedorn, the place is a popular photo-op area for tourists on their way to the underground river

Our group was scheduled to go to the underground river at 1 in the afternoon. To get to the site of the river, we had to take an outrigger from the main wharf area. While waiting for their turn on the outrigger, tourists can swim at the beach, play volleyball, or eat lunch. Swimmers just have to be careful, as the waves are huge, and there are signs all over the place that warns of the undertow. It’s good that our guide arranged everything beforehand, and all we had to do once we got to the wharf was to eat, walk around, and wait for our turn on the outrigger.

Local kids play patintero at the beach. Patintero is a children’s game usually played on empty streets, schoolyards and beaches. It involes a grid drawn on the ground where one team will try to pass through while the opposing team tries to catch them without leaving the grid’s lines at all times

The Subterranean River National Park features a spectacular limestone karst landscape with its underground river. A distinguishing feature of the river is that it flows directly into the sea, and the lower portion of the river is subject to tidal influences. The area also represents a significant habitat for biodiversity conservation. The site contains a full mountain to the sea ecosystem and protects forests, which are among the most significant in Asia. One of the river’s distinguishing features is that it emerges directly into the sea, and its lower portion is subject to tidal influences. The area also represents a significant habitat for biodiversity conservation and the site contains a full ‘mountain-to-sea’ ecosystem.

We take the outrigger for a 30-minute ride to the underground river site. The huge waves that rock the outrigger make it seem like you’re riding on a roller coaster. It’s not unusual to get wet, so make sure that you have waterproof containers for your equipment

It was very cloudy by the time we got to the site of the underground river. We didn’t really care if it rained, and we couldn’t go back if we wanted to anyway

We still had to wait for 15 minutes or so before it was our turn. We were lucky to find a seat at the front of the canoe. I chose not to include any pictures of the inside of the cave, lest I spoil it for people reading this blog

It was raining by the time we finished with the tour. We had time for a quick souvenir picture before taking the outrigger back to the wharf

It rained really bad when we got back. It was a good thing that we were already in the van, otherwise, it was going to be a miserable afternoon. The trip back took longer, but we didn’t mind, and Lei and I were already talking of where we’ll be going when we find time to go back to Palawan.

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This is the second of a three-part series. Stay tuned for the last part.

Filed under: Travel Tagged: Honda Bay, Palawan, Philippines, Puerto Princesa, Underground River

Weekend getaway: Puerto Princesa

Prabster — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 01:09:49 +0000

Lei and I have been wanting to go on a vacation for some time now, but we haven’t really had the chance to do so because of work. Fortunately, last February, we found a window of opportunity in a botched field trip that I was supposed to go to with my photojournalism class. The field trip was cancelled, but because I already booked round-trip tickets for two, Lei and I decided to push through with the trip.

Welcome to the first travel-related post in this blog.

Getting to Puerto Princesa
If you’re after the cheapest flights to Puerto Princesa, book the morning flights. Zest Air usually has the earliest flight, which is at 7 to 8 in the morning. Afterwards, it’s mostly Cebu Pacific. The flights start to get expensive at around 3 in the afternoon. For example, the 1:45 pm flight that I booked for us was only around half of what the 3:45pm flight cost.

If you have no idea on what to do there, it would be better if you would look online for different tour packages. Decide early if you want great accommodation or a great tour, or both. In our case, we decided that we didn’t need a really great-looking place to stay. As long as the place was clean, had new sheets, and had clean rooms, we were okay with it. After all, we figured that we would be pretty much out the whole day anyway, and we just needed a place to rest once we get back from the day’s activities.

There are a lot of tour packages out there, so make sure that you don’t take too long to decide on what to pick. Some require you to deposit your payment through a bank transfer, usually at Banco de Oro (BDO). If you can help it, try to avoid doing this, because there’s always a risk that you will get scammed out of your money. You may have the receipt from the BDO, but you won’t have the receipt from the travel agency that you’re booking the tour with. It was a good thing that we weren’t scammed. Otherwise, it would have been a big waste of almost a month’s paycheck.

Make sure that you leave early. If you only have carry-on luggage, you can take the MRT to the Taft station, and get a cab once you’re there. Make sure you get to the airport at least an hour and a half before your travel time. Lei and I got there with an hour to spare, but it took us 18 minutes to get to the check-in counter, and by then, we weren’t allowed to board anymore. Up to now, I’m still pissed at Cebu Pacific for not allowing us to get on board. I know that their last call is 45 minutes before the travel time, but c’mon. Some friends were able to board other Cebu Pacific flights to other places even if they were more tardy than Lei and I were. Besides, we were only 3 minutes late!

So anyway, if you don’t want to end up re-booking for the next flight, which means waiting time on top of a more expensive ticket and on top of having a spat with the airline people and the ticketing office, make sure that you don’t take too long in deciding what travel company to choose. You better have a good book with you because for two hours in a crowded room with your stress level already at a high isn’t the proper way to start a trip.

A crowded waiting area at the airport

Flight time and arrival
Flight time is less than an hour, and if you’re seated at the left side of the plane by the window, you just might catch a glimpse of the Dos Palmas resort. And no, we didn’t stay there. I wouldn’t mind it if we did. though.

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The Dos Palmas Resort from the air

Once you get inside the terminal area, you can book tours with the different travel agencies that have set up booths there. I think there were 3 or 4 of them in the already-cramped space of the Puerto Princesa airport. I didn’t get the chance to find out how much booking at the airport would cost, but I overheard one passenger telling her companion that they should have booked a tour while they were in Manila. I’m assuming they found out that booking at the airport was more expensive.

When you’re outside the airport, you’re automatically greeted by the transportation services of the different hotels and resorts in the area. They hold up signs with your names written there, so be sure to know what place you’re booked into. Lei and I forgot the name of the place that we would be staying in, and if she didn’t have the presence of mind to take pictures of the different people holding up different signs using the zoom lens, we would not have been able to see my name written on the sign. It didn’t help that the sign was small, or that my name was written in hard-to-see-and-read ink.

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The view from the tarmac of the Puerto Princesa Airport

While Lei was taking pictures, I called up the travel agent in Manila, complaining that we couldn’t see our driver. It was a good thing that the agent was helpful enough, and he told me to look for the sign for the “D’ Lucky Garden Inn.” Lei then pointed at the man holding the D’ Lucky Garden Inn sign and we hurried over. The man then pointed to the huge van behind him, and helped us carry our luggage.

We got to the Inn after only 10 minutes or so. At first glance it looked like a house that was made into a makeshift hotel (we found out later that it was a compound, and there were bungalow-type accommodations groups could check into). The receptionists were very helpful. They already had a copy of the receipt from the Manila travel agency, and all we had to do was to fill out a form. The guy told us that the rooms they were supposed to give us were all rented out, so they took the liberty of booking us into a larger room, free of charge. It was already around 5:30 in the afternoon then, and we were already exhausted. So we gratefully took the keys and walked to our room that could fit 3 people comfortably. We then had dinner, cleaned up, and called it a day.

This Lion-something sculpture greets guests at the entrance of the D’ Lucky Garden Inn

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This is the first of a three-part series. The next two posts of the series will have more pictures and less text. Stay tuned.

Filed under: Travel Tagged: Honda Bay, Palawan, Philippines, Puerto Princesa, Underground River

25 years and counting

Prabster — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 04:04:49 +0000

So it’s the 25th anniversary of the EDSA People Power uprising that paved the way for former Philippine President Corazon Aquino to succeed then-President Ferdinand Marcos.

I figure that there would be countless articles out there talking about how “EDSA 1″ as Filipinos like to refer to the event was a revolution, or how it is not. I’m also sure a lot of people would talk about the successes and failures of EDSA 1. Then some haters from both points of view would rant on and on. Well, I don’t want to just be another statistic, so I’m making this post different, or at least, I’ll try to.

That’s why I’m going to make this a post about photojournalists. I remember being asked by a friend if I had any photos during EDSA 1, because he remembered that I once showed him a picture of me, as a baby, during a rally condemning the assassination of opposition figure Ninoy Aquino. I told him that I wasn’t sure, but I was quite certain that my parents brought me there in ’86. After all, I was there in ’83, so why not ’86? He told me to look, so that I can be included in the documentary that was being done by Pulitzer Prize winner Kim Komenich. To make the long story short, no picture = no feature. Heh.

Then I saw this article today talking about photojournalist Joe Galvez’s experience.

Pure adrenalin kept him and many others going. “Wala nang ligo-ligo noon. Walang tulog, walang kain (No one took baths, slept or ate),” he said, adding that most photographers hopped from one place to the next, only stopping to deliver their exposed film rolls to their respective news desks.

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I came across this blog, Shit Photojournalists Like. You might want to check it out for some nice laughs. Some posts make fun of how it’s forbidden (at least, as far as I know) for photoj’s to manipulate photos in editing software beyond levels.

While some make fun about photo contests and amateurs:

Check the other posts out, you won’t regret it.

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Final thoughts of the day. It’s been 25 years, but nothing much has changed. The Philippines is still a poor country. The gap between the rich and the poor is as big as ever. And I’ve heard that on the eve of EDSA 1, the government just approved the LRT and MRT (rail transit systems in Metro Manila) fare hike. What a way to commemorate the event (There are a lot of things I could add to this, but I don’t want to get started now, because I might end up ranting and this post becomes that of something else).

Instead, I’ll just end this post with what Chickoy Pura of the band “The Jerks” said in the song “Sayaw sa Bubog,”

EDSA ng pagbabago, (EDSA that brought change,)
Saan? (Where?)
Kailan? (When?)
Kanino? (For whom?)

Filed under: photojournalism, Politics Tagged: EDSA, EDSA 1, EDSA 25, EDSA revolution

Light-filled sky

Prabster — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 04:00:22 +0000

My photojournalism professor told us last week that we were going to cover the second Pyromusical competition at the SM Mall of Asia for our next assignment. I only know how to go about doing fireworks photography in theory, so I was a bit nervous.

Fortunately, I found what I think, is the perfect spot to take pictures from. So, with Lei in tow, we watched and took pictures. I’m posting the 6 best pictures here:

Starting off with a bang

My best shot of the evening

A little bit of symmetry here, almost looks like a flower too

Painting the sky red

Flower power

Getting close to the final firework salvo for the evening

Filed under: Festival, Photography Tagged: 2nd pyromusical 2011, Fireworks, Second pyromusical, SM Mall of Asia

First-timers: Feast of the Black Nazarene

Prabster — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 13:42:06 +0000

I only see the Feast of the Black Nazarene on TV, so this time, I decided to try and see the event for my own. I was happy that Lei decided to accompany me, as the prospect of getting swamped by thousands of people can be scary.

We arrived at the Quirino Grandstand at around 5:30 in the morning, and there were already a lot of people there. I had originally planned to shoot from the top of the grandstand, where my photojournalism professor was, but it was already too late. Besides, it wasn’t a guarantee anyway, since we didn’t have a permit. After scouting the area, Lei and I looked for a place to hang out while the mass was going on, and we talked about where we could go afterward. We needed a place that had a good vantage point of the event, but we weren’t sure where the procession would pass.

After about an hour or so, we approached a police officer who seemed to know what was going on, and sure enough, he pointed us to the right direction. We reached Padre Burgos Avenue, and we found an empty spot at a fence post. We climbed the fence and waited. There were people waiting for the procession, and there were replicas of the Black Nazarene all around. Barefooted devotees took the time to mingle with friends, have breakfast, or catch up on sleep. At around this time, it started to rain a bit. I was happy that there we were under some trees. We didn’t bring any umbrellas, and we were worried about the camera getting wet.

It was a good thing that it didn’t the rain wasn’t that bad, and that my baseball cap would suffice as a makeshift camera cover. The procession started with the different replicas being brought toward the Manila City hall. Even though they were only replicas, people still threw their towels towards the images. We saw some kids on beside the images wiping the towels and they would throw them back to the owners. It’s amazing how they could tell which towel belonged to whom. Then the street started to get jam-packed with people as the gilded carriage bearing the Nazarene waited its way to get through the street. There were some “casualties” already, such as a girl who fainted, and an old man who had a nasty cut in his eyebrow. At around this time, you could already feel the “air” coming from the mass of people. A warm, musky combination of sweat, smoke, and who knows what else. It was a good thing that we were on the fence, and we had some breathing room. I was half wishing that I should have sat beside Lei, who was sitting comfortably atop a fence column and was taking picture after picture.

It grew worse as the Nazarene reached us. The crowd was already pressing by the fence. I got scared when they pressed by my knees. The whole mass felt like it was pulsating. Another lady was brought near our area. She was close to fainting, and she couldn’t breath. An observer and I tried to bring her up our area, but by then, the fence was too crowded and she couldn’t use anything as a foothold. We tried lifting her up, but she was too heavy. In the end, she just turned her back to the procession so she could face the side of Rizal Park and get some air. I felt relieved when I saw some color return to her face.

I was happy when I saw a lady scramble up the shoulders and heads of the men pulling the rope of the carriage. By tradition, I don’t think women are allowed to pull on the rope, so seeing her make her way to the Nazarene was a welcome sight. She succeeded in touching the Nazarene, and other people soon followed her lead. It soon became chaotic when people started to do so. It was like a rock concert, only it was not. People were diving on top of other people. The musky smell became even more musky. I could only imagine how hot it would’ve been if there wasn’t a drizzle earlier in the day. We couldn’t see any police officers or ambulances nearby. I could already see some injured people.

Finally, at around 10:30, we found enough room to get down from the fence. The main body of the procession had already passed, and we had more than enough material. We were tired, and we decided that we wouldn’t go to the Quiapo area as we had originally planned. Besides, we didn’t want to risk getting sick. After all, we already had a miracle: we didn’t lose any valuables and we didn’t sustain any injuries.

Filed under: Festival Tagged: Black Nazarene, Black Nazarene 2011, Feast of the Black Nazarene, Philippines, Quirino Grandstand, Rizal Park

Getting started

Prabster — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 14:00:42 +0000

Just before last semester ended, Lei had a team building with her MA classmates at Tagaytay. I took the opportunity to go there the next day (I didn’t want to sit through a team building session with people I barely know) and see if I can take some pictures. Having just bought a tripod, I was eager to try it out.

We found ourselves at a place called the People’s Park in the Sky, said to be the highest area in Tagaytay. As we were walking to the summit, I saw a lot of these structures that looked old and worn out. Pretty interesting for a first picture of the area.

Filed under: Photography Tagged: People's Park in the Sky, Philippines, Tagaytay