KODAO: Bidyong ‘River of Tears and Rage’, walang pagtatanging pagkampi sa inaapi.
Muling inilunsad at kasalukuyang isinasagawa ang Gawad Alternatibo ng Sentrong Pangkultura ng Pilipinas (o Cultural Center of the Philippines) dalawang taon simula nang mag-umpisa ang pandemya ng COVID 19. Ngayon ang ika-34 na taon ng kompetisyon.
Isinagawa ito sa paglalabas ng sampung finalist ng Documentary Section ng patimpalak sa Tanghalang Manuel Conde ng CCP noong Sabado, ika-anim ng Agosto.
Huling ipinalabas ang mga bidyong “Bayi: Stories of Women Human Rights Defenders” ng Tanggol Bayi at Karapatan at “River of Tears and Rage”ng Kodao Productions bago ang talkback ng alas sais ng gabi.
Dumalo rin sa palabas si Aling Marites Nasino, nanay ng detenidong politikal na si Reina Mae, ang paksa ng bidyong “River of Tears and Rage.”
Apat sa sampung finalist ang gawa ng mga kagawad ng Altermidya Network, kabilang ang dalawa mula sa MayDay Productions na “Palengke Day” at “See Us Come Together.”
Sa talkback, sinabi ni Raymund Villanueva, writer-producer ng “River”, responsibilidad ng filmmaker na maging tinig ng mga binubusalan, “dahil kundi para sa mahihirap at api, para saan ang ating sining?”
“May mga kasamaan sa ating lipunan. Umaabot tayo sa punto na kailangang mamili ng artista kung hahayaan na lang ba niya ang mga ito o yakapin kung ano ang tama at nararapat,” ani Villanueva.
Dagdag niya, ang bidyong “River” ay buong-buong pagkampi kina Reina Mae at ang kanyang namatay na sanggol laban sa kawalanghiyaang ginawa ng Estado sa mag-ina. “Walang kailangang pang ipaliwanag ang aming bidyo sa anyo at tema nito,” ayon kay Villanueva.
Ang “River of Tears and Rage”ay nauna nang nanalo ng “Best Short Documentary” sa ika-2 Dokyu Awards ng Society of Filipino Film Reviewers sa Marso nitong taon.
Ang bidyo ay naka-sentro sa coverage ng buong team ng Kodao sa araw libing ng sanggol na si River Emmanuel Nasino at ang kahindik-hindik na ginawa ng pulisya at mga tauhan ng Bureau of Jail Management and Penology. Ang kalakhan ng mga footage ay kuha nina Sanaf Marcelo, Jek Alcaraz, Jola Mamangun, Joseph Cuevas at iba pa sa Altermidya Network. Katuwang naman sa produksiyon nito sina Jo Maline Mamangun, Karlo Francisco, Reggie Mamangun, at Luis Clarin.
Si Jhoc Jacob ang nag-alay ng musical scoring.
Ang pelikula ay idinirihe ni Maricon Montajes.
Ang Gawad Alternatibo ang pinaka-matandang independent film competition sa buong Timog-Silangang Asya. Isinabay ito sa Cinemalaya ngayong taon, ang kapatid nitong filmfest.
Muling mapapanood ang lahat ng sampung finalist sa ika-13 ng Agosto ng hapon sa Tanghalang Manuel Conde ng CCP bago ang awarding ceremony ng nanalo ng alas sais ng gabi. #
https://kodao.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/k2.jpg15362048Kodao Productionshttps://kodao.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/kodao.pngKodao Productions2022-08-07 10:22:142022-08-07 16:48:03'Kung hindi para sa binubusalan, bakit pa?'
https://kodao.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/45250384_2347745378572490_7819056054779510784_n-e1658041248371.jpg871720Kodao Productionshttps://kodao.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/kodao.pngKodao Productions2022-07-17 14:59:182022-07-17 15:01:06POEMS FOR RICHARD GAPPI
Na batid natin lahat sa bawat kuro-kuro na inusal,
Ay hindi sapantaha ng naghahangad pumiglas.
May nagngingitngit sa aking kaliwang dibdib,
Dahil hindi man lang nasambit laman ng isip.
Minamahal kong Maria, Juan, Pedro at Iska,
Paumanhin sa mga naudlot na pagpapakilala.
Bakit nga kaya inalayan ka ng labis na pagsinta,
Gayong nakatuon sa iba ang ‘yong mga paghanga,
Sa naunsyaming hibik ng bigong mangingibig,
Ipagpaumahin sinta nabigong panata ng pag-ibig.
Wag sanang ihambing ang tula sa isang retorika,
O laos na makatang nanghiram ng mga salita,
Sa tuwing inaasam na makadaupang palad,
Tila ba umiiwas at tinatangkang tumakas.
Marahil sa hinaharap muli kita’y magkikita,
At hangad na sulyapan ang namuong pagsinta
Ngunit ang duda na mauwi na lang sa wala,
Ang maraming kwentong naumid yaring dila.
Ako’y naninimdim at naninibugho sa iba,
Pagkat hanggang ngayon ay tangan ang sandata,
At sa mga martir na humimlay sa iyong kandungan,
Paghangang tataglayin sa huling hantungan.
Walang panunumbat ni walang paninimdim,
Kahit anong bigat ay handa na kikimkimin,
Sukdang katahimikan ay hindi na maangkin,
Ay hindi magsasawa bingi man ang langit.
Ibarra Banaag
Hulyo 2, 2022
https://kodao.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Untitled-design-e1656906643816.png4591200Kodao Productionshttps://kodao.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/kodao.pngKodao Productions2022-07-04 11:48:312022-07-04 11:50:50'DI MO MAN AKO KINANDILI
https://kodao.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/IMG_2439-scaled.jpg14122560Kodao Productionshttps://kodao.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/kodao.pngKodao Productions2022-06-23 08:07:472022-06-23 08:07:48Ang dyip ni Gorio at buhay sa kalsada
Biriterang Makata’s release has 136 award-winning poems she wrote during the pandemic
By Angel L. Tesorero
Dubai: Ester Vargas-Castillo, 50, is known among her peers and in the online world as ‘Biriterang Makata’. It’s a Filipino phrase that loosely means ‘Diva Poet’ in English. ‘Biriterang Makata’ is also the title of her first book of poetry — published recently — containing 136 award-winning poems she wrote at the height of the pandemic.
Castillo also got the name ‘Biriterang Makata’ because she is a soprano and an active member of FilSoc Chorale, which is under the Filipino Social Club that performed last year at Expo 2020 Dubai. She’s both a singer and a poetess.
Speaking to Gulf News, Castillo said: “When you say that you work as a nanny or maid, people would sometimes look down upon you, thinking you’re illiterate and uneducated, that you’re only good at household chores. Thanks to my friends who helped me publish my book, a nanny like me has shown that we have every right and the ability to also shine and make a mark in society. Given the opportunity, we can eloquently express ourselves and write our own poetry and stories,” she underscored.
Poignant and poetic
Castillo’s recently published 206-page book contains her feelings, triumphs and tribulations. She said: “There is comedy, women empowerment, romance and erotic poetry. I’ve also written a morbid/dark poem. I penned a verse on patriotism and wrote two poems in Baybayin, an ancient writing system native to the Philippines.” She added: “My book has 47 English poems and 89 odes written in Filipino because I also want to share with my kababayans (countrymen) the love for our own language and country,” she added.
Castillo continued: “Most of my poems, however, are about my own emotions — the pains hidden in rhymes told through a third person. I’ve also let go my feelings that have bottled up. But more importantly, I’ve written about melancholy — the sadness of being away for too long from my family — as well as my long aspiration of going back home for good, though I have to stay and work here for the sake of my children.”
Ageing hand
Castillo said her book was inspired by and dedicated to her four children — Christopher Lester, Christine Abegail, Chloe Felixia and Gideon Chris.
A poem, titled ‘Ageing Hand’, is addressed to her son:
‘Used to hear that laughter/ To and fro, you wanted it to go higher’/ “More, more, mommy,/ swing it farther!”/ I hope you can still remember.
Now you’re a fine young man./ I wanted to hold you as long as I can./ Someday you’ll venture into a faraway land./ But please don’t forget mama’s ageing hand.’
Pandemic poems and praises
Castillo, who was born in Cebu, a province in central Philippines, started writing poetry late in her life. “It was actually during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when most people struggled with isolation and depression due to lockdowns, that I seriously began scribbling down my thoughts and feelings in verses, which I posted on different online poetry sites,” she added.
“My first poems focused on love, friendship and most importantly, my work as a domestic help,” noted Castillo, adding: “I caught the attention of online readers and my poems were also recognized in various online competitions in the Philippines and abroad. That gave me the boost to write more poems. So far, I have written around 500 poems,” she said.
Awards aplenty
Some of the awards won by her include Hall of Fame, Poet of the Year 2021, given by Philippine-based Bigkis ng Panitik; Reyna ng Balagtasan 2022, awarded by Horizons, an organization of talented migrant workers based in Hong Kong; Poet of the Week (Passion of Poetry), for her poems ‘Sound of Silence’, ‘When Rain Reigns’ and ‘St Basil’s Cathedral’; Platinum Award (for various poems in Filipino); Excellence Award for ‘Outcry of Valor’; Gold Award for ‘Figures of (Love) Speech’ and ‘Healing Ray’; Silver Award for Ode/Rhyme Mnemonics, and more. It was in February, when she tested positive for COVID-19, that Castillo decided to collate her winning poems into a book. She got support from Manila-based McKinley Publishing Hub, that helped her with the design and layout of her book as well as making it available on Amazon. Her friends and supporters pooled money and printed 200 copies for distribution in the UAE.
Literary journey
Castillo’s book launch was recently attended by friends and her employers. She first came to Dubai in 2017 and settled as a household service worker because the previous job she had — where she worked as a teaching assistant and accounting clerk — paid her a Dh2,300 monthly salary. “Thankfully, I found an employer who was ready to pay better,” she added.
Castillo said she was also thankful that her employers gave her an opportunity to pursue her literary journey. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science degree. She had previously worked as an assembler, operator, marketing assistant and accounting clerk in the Philippines. She is an avid reader and a keen student of literature. She said: “I carefully studied literary styles of various writers and my works were edited and polished by my mentors.”
Castillo said she has no plans to change her job after the release of the book. “I value loyalty and gratitude to my employers,” she said.
Castillo also serves as a volunteer editor and proofreader to help budding writers get their works published.
She is now busy working on her next literary project — OFW Diaries — a compilation of short stories written for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). #
https://kodao.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/makata.jpg575720Kodao Productionshttps://kodao.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/kodao.pngKodao Productions2022-05-23 14:24:062022-05-23 14:24:07Filipina nanny in Dubai wows readers by publishing her own book of poems
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https://kodao.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/babae-ako.jpg720960Kodao Productionshttps://kodao.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/kodao.pngKodao Productions2022-03-08 16:15:102022-03-08 16:23:59Dalawang tula sa Araw ng Kababaihan