Showing posts with label em gacad. Show all posts

Feature: Devour: A Gallery Walk through Man’s Avarice



To eat greedily is to devour.

Katti Sta. Ana, through her ceramics and stone wares, illustrated how people consume flora and fauna, in her exhibit fittingly entitled “Devour.” She highlighted humanity’s relationship to flora and fauna, especially man’s greed, and eventually, abuse. She emphasized that these will lead to the diminishing number of flora and fauna, specifically in the Philippines.

SENOR KALAW. This sculpture of a Kalaw, an endangered species of a bird that can be found in the Philippines that symbolizes him as a hunter’s prize, is found on the 2nd floor landing of the UP Vargas Museum. Photo credit: Rachel Siringan
In the beginning of the gallery, an unglazed stone sculpture stands atop two stacked metal cages. The stone sculpture shows a kalaw wearing a business suit and a watch. The kalaw, an endangered species of forest-dwelling birds in the Philippines, is said to be a natural timekeeper of the farmers, as associated with the wrist watch on the sculpture. Due to deforestation and hunting, their numbers have diminished. The metal cages and the sculptures’ position relative to the cages symbolize how kalaws are hunted to be prized possessions, as well as a source of income. The metal cages can also be seen as an image of a skyscraper that symbolizes modernization and leads to deforestation in many parts of the country. The human phallus suggests a kalaw owner’s pride. The kalaw’s business attire also signifies how they are servants to businessmen.

MAN’S BEST FRIEND. Sculptures of three dogs in different positions show their different emotions towards each of their situations. Photo Credit: Hazel Romero

As you enter the second floor, you will be greeted with sculptures of three dogs in varying positions. One of the dogs lies on its back, waiting for someone to scratch its belly. This exemplifies a dog’s role as a pet and a family member in a household. Another dog is poised for an attack which indicates its role as a guard in Filipino homes. The last and most disturbing dog hangs on the wall like meat seen in markets. This hints on dog-eating culture in some parts of the Philippines and the festival in China called the Yulin festival where thousands of kidnapped, stolen, and captured dogs are eaten.

BON APPETIT. A dining set includes three different chairs and a glass table that exhibits “live” fish on the table similar to those in Chinese restaurants. Photo Credit: Hazel Romero


To the left of the second floor, you will find a simple dining set with a table and three chairs. Looking closely at the table, you will find ceramic fishes trapped in a maze-like aquarium. This artwork brings to life the atmosphere in a Chinese restaurant where diners can pick live fish to be cooked and served to their tables. This exposes the poisonous cyanide fishing technique used to catch these fishes alive, which causes a decrease in the population of fishes and the destruction of corals. The aquarium symbolizes a human’s small intestines where digested fish go through. Not only does it mirror the danger caused by cyanide fishing, but also the slavery that aquatic animals experience in the hands of humans.

Paintings and photographs of farm animals from Jorge B. Vargas’ collection hang as you stroll around the hall. This gives the feeling of being surrounded by animals and flowers used only for human consumption. Aside from being used as sources of food, farm animals, like chickens, pigs, and horses, also serve different purposes. Chickens are used for cockfights and horses are used in kalesas. This symbolizes the use of animals as mere objects for mankind’s convenience.

Lastly, as you enter the room at the end of the hall, you will feel intimidated by the peculiarity of Queen Devour, a life-sized sculpture sitting at the end of the room. She is made of ceramic and crowned with a reptile. She sits blankly on her throne surrounded by leaves. Her upper body is covered with roots and her skirt is made of peacock feathers. Upon her feet lies a dead sow. As you walk through the room, you will see her collection of elegant lady slippers. By looking closely, you will be able to observe ceramic orchids of different species in the form of slippers.

THE QUEEN. A life-sized sculpture of a “Royal Highness” made out of a ceramic that represents an avaricious queen. Photo Credit: Hazel Romero

Queen Devour is a representation of Imelda Marcos as implied by the collection of shoes. It vivifies how humans get a hold of flora and fauna to use as commodities. Soon, these species become endangered due to the exploitation of their commercial value.

These artworks do not have mere aesthetic value but also feed our minds with knowledge. They also serve as an advocacy or visual representation of what is happening around us. Aside from appreciating these works, let us never forget the message behind it.

Katti Sta. Ana’s Devour ran from November 3 to December 1, 2017 at the 3rd floor of the UP Vargas Museum.

Visit the UP Vargas Museum for future exhibits. //Aldous dela Pena, LM Gacad, Zach Jugo, Hazel Romero, Rachel Siringan

Opinion: Why Filipinos are Fascinated with Beauty Pageants





On December 20, 2015, 42 years after the last time a Filipina ever won the title, Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach brought home the Miss Universe crown to the Philippines. This moment brought a lot of joy and pride to the Filipino people, so much so that when she returned to the country she received a hero’s welcome. Since winning, Wurtzbach has been a steady figure in mainstream media has received strong support from the Filipinos.

Two years before that, Megan Young became the first ever Filipina to win the title of Miss World. She was also well received by the Filipino communities all over the world. Bringing home honor to the Philippines has always been an easy token for one to win the hearts of her fellow countrymen.

Just recently, Rachel Peters joined the Miss Universe pageant to represent our country. As expected, she received a great deal of attention. However, this attention was then directed to the statements she gave regarding her political views. This led to a negative response from many especially on social media. Not unlike Peters’ experience, Maxine Medina, as Miss Universe Philippines 2016 was heavily criticized for her apparent poor communication skills, especially in the English language.

It all seemed as if it was a huge deal at the time because to the viewers and supporters, a candidate must be as close to perfect as possible. As shown in the previous examples, when the Philippines wins in any international beauty pageant, it’s greeted with great astonishment and happiness. Yet, when one sees a flaw in someone they thought was flawless, and since normally there isn’t any sort of obligation between the audience and the beauty queens, it’s easy for one to withdraw his/her support.

Filipinos have always had a strong affinity for beauty pageants. This can be seen not only in the overwhelming encouragement and assistance given to representatives of the country in international competitions, but in local pageants as well. It’s not only about Miss International, Miss Earth, Miss World, or Miss Universe; it’s also about local beauty pageants, such as Ms. Gay Philippines or other barangay competitions. Almost every barangay in the country has hosted their own beauty pageant, for all kinds of people.

According to University of the Philippines Diliman Professor Wendell Capili, the appeal of beauty pageants to the Filipinos stems from Philippine carnivals hosted by the Americans in the 1900s. These carnivals were made to promote the products from different regions of the country. There would also be a Carnival Queen, and this simple event in which people voted for eventually grew popular. You can observe its immense impact on the people today, with the overwhelming amount of various beauty competitions in the country.

There are even boot camps for beauty queens such as Aces & Queens and Kagandahang Flores. These are groups of people dedicated to mentoring those aspiring for the pageant crowns. Some of the mentors do not even charge for their services, they are just that devoted to making sure a Filipina gets on the pageant stage and bags that crown.

Maybe the greater reason why Filipinos are fond of beauty pageants is because they also take pride in the victory of the candidate. Even if they are not related to the candidate, it seems as if they are also the ones who won. To some, the crown isn’t just an object worn on the winner’s head, but a symbol of victory for everyone involved. It could be for the family, for the barangay, for the region, or even for the whole nation, as in international competitions the representative competes for the country.

Supporting Filipino candidates in beauty pageants locally or internationally is a good thing because it shows how supportive people can be and how in some ways, people can form friendships with others through a unifying goal. However, sometimes the enthusiasm may go overboard, as can be seen in what happened to the previous Miss Universe delegates. There’s no reason for one to go to the point of despising a candidate because she can’t speak English properly, or that she had opposing political views. It’s alright for one to have contradicting views; shout out your opinion, that’s fine. Yet perhaps one should try to understand them a little more; they are representing the nation for us. They’re the ones taking all the pressure and the heat of the competition while everybody else sits on their couch and watches. //by Em Gacad and Hillary Fajutagana

Opinion: Medalya o Diploma?



Photo Credit: Jem Torrecampo 


Ang makatapos ng hayskul— 'yan ang isa sa mga pinapangarap ng lahat ng estudyante, saanmang paaralan sila magmula. Hindi lamang ito nagbibigay ng karangalan sa kanila, bilang katibayan ng kanilang kakayahang pang-akademiko, kundi nagsisilbi rin itong simula ng pagkamit nila ng tagumpay sa buhay.

Pagdating sa mithiing ito, hindi naiiba ang student-athletes, sapagkat gayong ehemplo sila ng kahusayan sa napili nilang isport, kailangang magaling at ehemplo rin sila sa pagbabalanse ng oras sa paglalaro at pag-aaral.

Hindi isang perpektong tao ang student-athletes. May mga pagkakataong kinakailangang nilang pumili sa pagitan ng pag-aaral at ng pagiging atleta. May mga pagkakataon na may naisasakripisyo ang isang manlalarong mag-aaral.

Ano nga ba ang mas karapat-dapat na pagtuunan ng pansin? Ang pagiging huwaran sa pang-akademikong larangan o ang pagiging magaling sa napiling isport?

Kung ang pagkakaroon ng medalya ang pag-uusapan, hindi maikakaila na bilang mga atleta ay mahalagang bagay ito’t malaki ang maitutulong sa kanilang athletic career. Ang pagsali nila sa iba’t ibang kompetisyon ay isang oportunidad, sa halip na obligasyon, na kanilang nakukuha bilang student-athletes. Ito ang nagbibigay sa kanila ng pagkakataong mahasa sa pinili nilang isport at nagsisilbing ambag nila sa karangalan ng kanilang paaralan.

Isang halimbawa na lamang ng mga ganitong pagkakataon ay ang paglahok taun-taon ng iba’t ibang varsity teams sa University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP). Dito nila naipapakita ang kanilang talento sa napiling sport sa pamamagitan ng paglaban sa iba pang paaralan para mag-uwi ng mga medalya. Sumasali sa mga kompetisyon sa loob at labas ng bansa ang ibang student-athletes upang ipamalas ang kanilang hindi matatawarang galing. Gayundin, sa pamamagitan nito’y nabibigyang- karangalan nila, hindi lamang ang paaralan kundi ang buong bansa. Marami rin sa kanila ang nabibigyan ng pagkakataon mula sa iba’t ibang unibersidad upang ipagpatuloy ang paglalaro sa kolehiyo kahit na hindi pa sila nakatatapos ng hayskul. Talagang hindi na nakapagtataka kung ang student-athletes ngayon ay nakakatanggap ng ganitong mga oportunidad. Sa kanilang husay at determinasyon sa napiling isport, marapat lamang na matanggap nila ang mga ito. Ginagamit nila ito upang mapabuti pa lalo ang kanilang mga kakayahan sa paglalaro ng kanilang isport.

Subalit dahil paminsan-minsan lang ang paglalaro sa ibang bansa, karamihan sa mapapalad na nakakatanggap nito’y hindi na ito pinapalampas. Sa kabila nito’y hindi rin dapat itangging bahagi ng kanilang pagiging atleta ang pagka-estudyante. Sa katunaya’y nagkaroon sila ng pagkakataong maglaro dahil sa institusyong kanilang kinabibilangan. Sa gayon, inaasahang magtatapos sila ng kanilang hayskul sa kanilang paaralan.

Ang binanggit sa itaas ay ang siyang dapat na nakapangyayari subalit hindi ito ang realidad. May mga atletang higit na pinipili ang alok ng ilang unibersidad na maging manlalaro sa kanilang paaralan kahit pa hindi pa nakapagtatapos ng hayskul sa ilalim ng K-12 program. Sa sitwasyong ito, dapat nga bang ipagpalit ang pagtatapos sa hayskul para sa pagkakataong mapalapit sa kanilang mga pangarap?

Tulad ng sports, ang pag-aaral ay hindi mapapantayan ng kahit na anuman, ngunit ang dalawa ay may malaking pagkakaiba. Para sa ilang atleta, ang pagtahak sa larangang ito ay nangangailangan ng mahabang pasensya at maraming pagsubok. Sa panahong nasa rurok ng tagumpay ang isang manlalaro, maaaring maisip nilang hindi isang pagsisisi ang pagpili sa pagiging atleta, kumpara sa kung magtapos ka ng hayskul. Pagkatapos kasi ng hayskul, mayroon pang kolehiyo, at kung hindi ma’y magtatrabaho ka— at unti-unti’y matutuklasan mong nagsisimula ka pa lamang sa tunay na buhay. Subalit sa oras na mawala na ang kinang ng iyong medalya sa pag-aatleta, marahil ay mapapaisip ka kung ano na ang susunod na maaari mong gawin.

Kung makatatapos ka ng hayskul higit na malaki ang posibilidad na makapasok ka sa kolehiyo. Sa pagtatapos, makatatanggap ka ng diploma bilang katibayan ng iyong sapat na pag-aral. Ang pagtatapos ay patunay ng ilang taong pagsusumikap ng isang mag-aaral. Higit na maraming oportunidad ang magbubukas para sa iyo kapag tinutukan mo ang iyong edukasyon, hindi ka na malilimitahan sa larangan ng sports. Ang edukasyon ay magagamit kahit na nagtratrabaho ka na sa ibang larangan. Kaya naman ang pagkamit nito’y katumbas na rin ng isang napakalaking hakbang papalapit sa iba pang mga pangarap ng isang estudyante.

Mawala man ang isport sa landas ng ating buhay, ang mga aral na natutunan sa eskwelahan ay hindi maiaalis sa ating buhay. Para sa mga atleta, importante ang kanilang larangan sapagkat ito ang nagbigay ng oportunidad papalapit sa kanilang mga pangarap, ngunit dapat tandaan na ang inyong edukasyon ay makapagbibigay ng tiyak na kinabukasan.

Hindi masamang tumanggap ng mga oportunidad na makakatulong sa pagkamit ng mga, lalo na kung ito ay magdudulot talaga ng pagbabago sa buhay ng student-athlete. Subalit sa pagkuha natin ng mga pagkakataong ito, kaakibat nito ang mga bagay na maaring hindi natin makuha. Maaaring sabihin na ang pagiging magaling sa sports ay nangangailangan ng maraming oras at sakripisyo, ngunit hindi ba’t ito rin ang inaalay ng bawat estudyante para sa kanilang pag-aaral?

Ang pagkakataong magtagumpay bilang atleta ay hindi mauubos o mawawala basta’t matiyaga mong hinahasa ang sarili sa napiling isport. Sa kabilang banda, ang pagkakataong makapagtapos ng hayskul ay hindi basta-bastang nakakamit. Ang hirap at pagsusumikap na inilalaan ng bawat estudyante nang maraming taon para sa kanyang pag-aaral ay hindi dapat ipagpalit sa mas madaling paraan ng katuparan ng pangarap.

Totoong hindi dapat palipasin ang mga oportunidad na dumating sa ating buhay lalo na kung ito ang magiging susi sa tagumpay. Gayunpaman, hindi rin dapat sayangin ang sakripisyong ibinibigay natin sa pag-aaral, dahil ang pagtatapos ng pag-aaral at pagkuha ng diploma ay hindi matutumbasan ng anumang medalya. //nina Maica Cabrera, Em Gacad at Jaggie Gregorio
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)