Hagbayon

I can still feel it. It’s still in me, throbbing and kicking. Call it ectatics or writers’ kuryente. It was March 8, 2002 in the University of Santo Tomas Center for Creative Writing and Studies. Rebecca T. Añonuevo called my name and so it was revealed: I was a new member of Linangan sa Imahen, Retorika at Anyo (LIRA).

LIRA is a special writers’ group for me. Attending the palihan was a poetic experience. I think every writer in Filipino should try it. And it does not matter really if you become a member.

LIRA was also a personal experience.

I got a message from Bebang Siy and here it is:

Dec 5, 2005 sa Galleria 2 ng Faculty Center UP Diliman 4pm opening/ribbon cutting para sa LIRA exhibit. Dec 5-9 iyon kaya ang hindi makakarating sa dec 5 ng 4pm puwedeng bumisita anytime. Dec 7, 2005 Plungang Claro M. Recto sa Faculty Center UP Diliman 1-3pm LIRA forum. “Kelangan p ba ang LIRA?” Dec 13, 2005 LIRA night 6-9pm Conspiracy Café. Anong gagawin? LIRA Fellows Night, magpapakitang gilas ang mga fellows ng batch na ito at ila-launch ang kanilang literary folio. Tapos mag-iinuman dahil 20th anniv tapos xmas party rin kaya magpapalitan ng regalo (at muhi kung meron man) sa isa’t isa. Open ito sa lahat. Nakatapos ng LIRA workshop o hindi. Kahit hindi kilala ang LIRA imbitado rin (para makapagpakilala kami sa inyo) Mas marami, mas masaya. Kitakits! Para sa katanungan pakitext ako 09193175708 o mag-email sa lira_makata@yahoo.com (mula kay Bebang)

So there you have it.

Have read the sign above? Sure we have to follow it. But I learned lately that its grammar or ‘balarila’ is supposedly wrong. We should have ‘Bawal Magtapon ng Basura Rito!’ But what is more important, accepted usage or academic rules?

The Filipino ‘language’ is still on the works. Rules are okay, but sometimes they are meant to be broken. Or should it matter? We litter anyway.

Almost always, our natural knowledge of the Greeks would come as a realization of how practicality is superior to ideology. We are reminded of them as the ‘geeks’ beaten by the Romans because they spent more time philosophizing and debating rather than preparing for war. Not that we are saying that they were a bunch of weaklings capable only of putting up a pretty army, because they were not, but rather we are reasserting their value for culture. It is something we can learn from and apply to ourselves as Filipinos because in my view, the Greeks actually won over the Romans. Culture is the most potent weapon in warfare, and the Romans did all the trouble just to become Greeks.

But in the film Alexander (2004), we see another side of the Greeks. Of course Macedonia was never really counted as part of Greece. She was seen as a backward country, wild and unprogressive, and often menaced by Illyrian tribes from the northwest. She was also cut from the Aegean by proud Greek cities including the much superior Athenian army. But how culture molded a nation’s soul—for her people believed that they were the descendants of no less than Achilles. And the young Alexander the Great, in identifying himself with the great warrior, changed Macedonian and even world history.

But it was never easy for Alexander. Even his father, King Philip II had to do the usual rounds of family assassination before he could claim the throne (later, he himself was assassinated). This was not shown in the film but Alexander was also disfavored by many since he was not the king’s heir. But for some nebulous turn of events, he prevailed.

The Macedonians then were known for their ‘Macedonian Phalanx’, a military tactic devised by King Philip. They also had ample man power, gold mines and autocrats—leaders that had the ability for secrecy, speed and also dishonesty. They proved valuable in effecting treacherous relations in order to read the moves of their unsuspecting targets.

Alexander was one of those autocrats. In the film, it was figuratively shown that he had Athena’s owl as channel of his powers. Athena, being the armed protectress of Olympus and giver of social freedom. That is why we can even compare him with Xenophon, the so-called ‘Chairman-General’. For as an autocrat, he was surprisingly just as skilled as a warrior as he was a statesman. And he made for himself a fine orator and charismatic leader who valued the views of many.

Yet it is said that democracy is a form of government that the modern world does not and cannot know. For the ancient Greek governed himself, had rights and was treated as a member and not as subject by the state. There were assemblies and debates in relation to an impending war (pros and cons type) as seen in the film and also in the accounts of Thucydides on parliamentary debates.

And so here was Alexander, all of 20; young, swift and unfathomable, doing a whirlwind conquest that took only 15 months. At this rate, he insurrected Thessaly, marched into Greece, secured his rear in Danube and destroyed the Persian aided Thebes. And according to some literature, he tore everything in his path except one edifice: the House of Pindarus.

The film chose to present the more dramatic account of his death. That he died of poisoning with the help of his treacherous friends. But he could have died while in battle, perhaps due to an injury or malaria. He was too young to die at 33. But perhaps his officers wanted no more of his conquests and imperialist ambitions. He Hellenized everybody that even some of the Hebrews forgot their language and wrote the Scriptures in Greek. When he died, Greece already had the whole Persian Empire to her name, plus Punjab (which the Persians never touched). In all, the expanse of the entire Greek Empire covered the Adriatic, Indus, Caspian, up to the upper regions of Egypt and some parts of India.

But this came with a price. Alexander’s military enterprises somehow weakened the city-state (which was not much of a city but more of a state). Most of his soldiers were actually citizens and farmers who had to earn for a living and contribute to the polis. Prolonged campaigns must have rendered his people unable to perform their functions for the city-state. As Aristotle (one of Alexander’s mentors) once said: “Man is a political animal,” and his purpose was “to live and work for the city-state.”

Yet one great contribution of the Greeks to mankind is that of intellectualism, whether in art, literature, philosophy and science. In fact during their time, it seemed difficult to distinguish these disciplines from each other. For apparently, everybody had much to say about everything. The artist was oftentimes also a philosopher and a scientist. Certainly we can deduce that they were so preoccupied with thought and valued wisdom above all else.

It was also as if they had found the best way to live. After all, they had the noble Socrates who kept on asking: “How do we live?” They also perfected literature in all its initial genres, because today we have seen it evolve into various forms such as the novel, prose poetry, teleplay and science fiction. And like all great civilizations, they also had epics such as the Iliad and Odyssey by the poet Homer. It is considered as the Greek bible. That is why even the Bikols should be proud of their literary heritage for having the Ibalong epic and avoid being convinced that it is nothing but fakelore.

Yet we are astounded by Greek fighting tactics: their Achilles style high jumps, the Trojan horse, heavy and light armed infantry and tactics. The idea was light-armed men who knew how to strike, run away and strike again were far more effective than slow moving heavily armed and armored men. This explains why most of Alexander’s men were shown in the film as carrying only thin but long spears. Their sword could also pass as daggers.

If they could wound, they could also heal. They had the encyclopedic mind of Hippocrates, the father of medicine. Even then he had done extensive research on pathologic basis of disease, and even biology and taxonomy.

A mosaic from Pompeii depicted the battle between Alexander and Darius, the Persian emperor. The Macedonian was seen charging from the left, his spear piercing a Persian soldier trying to protect his king. Here Darius was about to flee and the two rulers had a chance to have an eye contact—a perfect image of Hegelian dialectic. This was also shown in the film and the actor who played Darius had a striking resemblance with the one in the mosaic.

We cannot blame Alexander for dreaming of a world under Greece. For indeed they were a great people who thought of the term “barbarian” not as derogatory but simply—one who speaks “bar bar” language, meaning non-Greek, but his plans of Hellenizing the world simply could not be. Sure, it would fit Hegelian dialectics, same with Hitler’s imperial army composed of egocentric Nazi’s. But imperialism, even in its present form is simply not right (although we have to live with it). What we have to keep in mind as Filipinos that we have a long task ahead. And it involves cultural reclamation, for everybody has a right to his cultural identity and culture is one of the things that is compromised in an imperialist era.

–Jose Jason L. Chancoco
January 14, 2005
Naga City

When I was still living in Imus, Cavite I used to frequent the Children’s Library in Robinson’s owned by the Gokongwei Foundation. We are happy to note that it is still alive ang kicking. I got a mail from them regarding their upcoming activities and here it is:

Dear friends,

The Children’s Library (TCL), a project of the Gokongwei Brothers
Foundation,
will hold its 2nd Annual Family Festival on December 10, 2005 at the
Robinsons
Galleria Fountain Area.

The Family Festival will be highlighted by the Grand Finals of the
Interschool
Quiz Bee Contest where 10 students from various schools will engage in
a
battle of wits. The Interschool contest will be held from 2-430 pm.

Other fun activities will include storytelling sessions, theatre
production
and fun and games for the whole family. Even Ronald McDonald will be
there to
help spread the fun! Detailed schedule of activities are as follows:

10 am- 8 pm Book fair
11 am- 12 nn Theatre production by Entablado
(one of Ateneo University’s most promising theatre groups)
12 nn- 1230 Storytelling session with Ate Noodles
1230 pm- 1 pm Fun and Learning with Ronald McDonald
1 pm- 130 pm Storytelling session with Kuya Boom
130 pm- 2 pm Fun and games for the family
2 pm- 330 pm Part I: Interschool Contest Grand Finals
330 pm- 345 pmIt’s Booklat Time
345 pm- 430 pmPart II: Interschool Contest Grand Finals
500 pm- 530 pmFun and Games for the family

Publisher/ distributor friends of the Children’s Library will have
booths at
the Book fair which will be held all day. The book fair will offer
great books
at discounted price. Books make perfect gifts for kids this Christmas!
Plus, a
portion of the sales from the book fair will be donated to TCL’s
library
enrichment program (where we get additional funds to buy books for the
libraries).

This event is made possible through the generous support of the
Gokongwei
Brother’s Foundation, Handyman, Hot Loops, Ministop, Robinsons
Department
Store, Robinsons Malls, Robinsons Supermarket, Summit Media Publishing,
Universal Robina Corporation, Guess, McDonalds and Unilever.

The Children’s Library is a FREE access multi-media resource center for
children ages 6 to 12 years old. The library aims to contribute to the
transformation of the growing child into a socially responsible person
of the
new millennium by seeding good values,
enhancing the child’s natural creativity and by stimulating and
supporting the
child’s thirst for knowledge.

The library offers a wide range of reference books, story books,
comics, audio
books, videos and CD ROMs from Filipino and international publishers
along
with the facilities necessary for the children to enjoy them. Internet
use
and educational computer games are also available and are free of
charge.

The Children’s Libraries are located at Robinsons Place Novaliches and
Robinsons Place Imus while the Children’s Library Corners are housed
inside
the Pasig Public Library and the San Juan Municipal Library.

For inquiries on the Family Festival or on TCL, please do not hesitate
to call
Ethel Villafranca at 6337631 local 166 or 3952112.

Please feel free to pass this e-mail to friends. To join the TCL e-mail
list,
please send request to ethel_childrenslib@yahoo.com.

Bring the whole family and have a worthwhile day with us on December
10!

Sincerely,

ETHEL VILLAFRANCA
Project Development Officer
Robinsons Children’s Library
42F Robinsons Equitable Tower
ADB Ave. cor. Poveda Road, ortigas Center, Pasig City
Tel #: 6337631 local 166
Telefax #: 3952112

Thank you Ethel for the information!

We also got a mail from Mykel Andrada of Quezon City inviting us to a poetry reading in Conspiracy Bar aimed at metaphorically and literally ousting President GMA from office. Here it is:

Mga Makata Para sa Pagpapatalsik kay Gloria

Inaanyayahan ang lahat na pumunta sa isang gabi ng pagbabasa ng tula at malayang pagpapahayag hinggil sa pagpapatalsik kay Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Gaganapin ito sa Martes, Nobyembre 29, 2005, 7-9pm sa Conspiracy, Visayas Avenue.

Ang poetry night ay pinasisimunuan ng UP AWARE o UP Alliance Working for Arroyo’s Removal. Ang mga nakatakdang magbasa ng mga tula mula sa antolohiyang Truth and Consequence: Poems for the Removal of Arroyo ay sina Dr. Bienvenido Lumbera, Dr. Joi Barrios, Prop. Romulo Baquiran, Prop. Danton Remoto, Prop. Adelaida Lucero, Prop. Duke Bagulaya, at marami pang iba.”

So Manong Bien’s group has spoken. But I remember Dr. Joi Barrios appearing on T.V. much earlier, demanding Pres. GMA’s resignation.

On a lighter note, I have been going around Bicol lately. I notice that in Naga City we have the preponderance of various restaurants. I think there is a thriving culinary culture in this city. So when you are in here you will never go hungry and of course it would depend upon your budget.

We are happy to have read some nice words from various literary experts regarding our small Bikol anthology ‘Salugsog sa Sulog’. Here’s what they have to say:

In doing a comparative analysis on the history and progress of English and Filipino Children’s Literature, the slant would always be defined by the orientation of the writer. Literary history, just like any other historical work is written by political victors and much of the things they say cannot be entirely relied upon by outsiders. I shall then try to do my short and partial analysis as a Bikolano.

Let me first point out that literary progress is never linear. ‘Progress’ is a very unstable word in literary criticism. Different cultures view it in different ways. With Western/English and Philippine trends can draw these absolute comparisons: 1.) Both English and Filipino literatures are creative outputs, therefore similar. 2.) The former is Western or in English and other European languages and the latter, Asian or in various Philippine Languages, therefore they are supposedly not the same. But the main similarity is more primordial: The shift from orality to textuality. The main difference then is that the former although it had its share of being colonized has now gained prominence as colonizer. While the latter, had only been a colony, thus one capable of producing post-colonial literatures.

The orality is a given. It is part of human natural tendency. Also, I think there is a stretch of time when the human race was leveled by primitivism and the inevitability of progressing from Paleolithic, Neolithic, up to the age of civilizations. Although constantly shaped by various adversities, one group emerged as the victor to lead us, as Hegel would say, to the next stage of the dialectics. But that is another point.

Oral tradition was easier preserved in the Western milieu because they had the penchant for what is to become ‘modern printing’. Literature was then communal property but as soon as it got published, ironically, it soon became private property. In the pre-colonial Philippines, perhaps our idea of ‘privatization’ was different. Inscribing them in the heart was more important. We were very elemental, even carving poetry in wood, stone and leaves.

Another thing was, in the West, primarily in England, they themselves printed their oral tradition. William Caxton was their man. Although later on there would be Christian infusions, there were no cultural biases as in the case of Spanish friars recording Tagalog or Bikol epics and myths.

Because all races have to produce an offspring in order to propagate, the preponderance and universality of the panayokyok (lullaby) in different cultures is an articulation that literature came as a human invention first intended for children. It was only later, when various ecclesiastical, sociological, academic and other unseen ideological apparatuses transformed it into something else.

Theocentricity had much effect in England as it had in the Philippines, even dominating the Anglo-Saxon period, Feudal and Puritan Age. Education was centered on the Christian faith leading to spiritually uplifting but intellectually stunting consequences to the child and the world in general. The Dark Ages is full of stories on the Inquisition and other ecclesiastical maneuverings. But here in our country, it was indoctrination, enculturation and political subjugation. And we paid dearly for it. Only a few of the osipon, rawit-dawit, tigsik were recorded. Worse, some people are saying that we are no longer Asians but rather Europeans and Americans.

The colonial discourse of the Spaniards and the Americans came as arrows that penetrated manifold Philippine cultural and sociological orientations in different levels. Therefore it has now become a meshwork of hybridities more complicated than the original forces. Thus when Salud Parayno says: “This is how Children’s Literature in the Philippines progressed”. Sadly, we cannot be sure of its completeness and authenticity although it still can present to us a portion of the picture.

There maybe hybridities in the Western setting but it had been surpassed by the colonial discourse and has assumed a linear force. That is why it is much easier to trace the ‘progress’ of their Children’s Literature, for in doing so, we maybe using their paradigms.

–Jose Jason L. Chancoco
July 6, 2005
Naga City

Last year I forgot to lock the windows of the other room in my apartment. My housemate was also out. I remember it well. I locked myself out of that room and so I could not bolt the windows and so the spiraling wind got into my house and all hell broke loose.