Entry 136

Manuel Arguilla’s “A Story for These Times”

Many Filipino students know Manuel E. Arguilla as as an Ilocano writer of short stories in English. His works, such as “How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife” and “Midsummer,” have been read in high school textbooks for decades.

His portrayal of the rustic life of the early 20th century Philippines was endearing to the readers, having been published in literary magazines of his time. From these he produced his only book, a collection of 19 stories, in 1940.

Then came the Japanese occupation of the Philippines December 1941. Arguilla still managed to write during this time until he was executed in August 1944 by the Japanese.

Ironically a mere two years ago, Arguilla was present at a symposium of Japanese and Filipino scholars on 11 September 1942 at the Manila Hotel to discuss the strengthening of the cultural movement of the so-called New Philippines, with Claro M. Recto and Eulogio Rodriguez also participating. But his “collaboration” with the enemy forces was a facade because he was secretly organizing a guerilla intelligence unit.

The short story “A Story for These Times” was written for an issue of the Shin Seiki propaganda magazine in November 1942. This was one of his final works, the last one being “Rendezvous at Banzai Bridge” published in April 1943 in the Philippine Review.

I chanced to see a copy of this while looking through the scanned magazines of the Filipinas Heritage Library available online. “A Story for These Times” is about a town judge who chooses to become a collaborator to save his family and the townspeople.

It could be Arguilla’s way of attenuating the public’s fear during wartime conditions. To a careful reader, the story was by no means a complete subjugation to the occupiers.

Here is a copy of the story.

A Story for These TimesDownload

Entry 135

Sculpture 17: Macario Sakay

Macario Sakay was perhaps one of the least appreciated historical figures of the Philippine revolution. He fought against the Spanish forces almost a decade into American occupation. A friend to Katipunan founder Andres Bonifacio, he went to the fringes firghing in guerilla warfare when the Filipino politicians and intellectuals turned to the new colonizers. In the end, Sakay was branded a mere bandit, this despite serving as a self-styled president of the Tagalog republic that he established in southern Luzon.

He was born in Tondo in 1870. The only statue of his to date, sculpted by Benjamin Mendoza, stands inside the fenced Plaza Morga in Manila. It was erected in 2008 by the Manila Historical Heritage Commission.

His most iconic feature perhaps was his long hair. Sakay and his men wore their hair long to illustrate the length of their struggle for independence while in the mountains.

Unknown to many, Sakay used to be a stage actor together with Andres Bonifacio and Aurelio Tolentino in El Teatro Porvenir, which literally means the “theatre of the future”.

He was executed by hanging in 1907, some time after surrendering on condition of amnesty, which obviously was not honoured.

Entry 134

Sculpture 16: Andres Bonifacio in Tutuban

At a plaza that lies opposite the former train terminal in Tutuban stands a monument to a great figure of the Philippine struggle for independence.

Andres Bonifacio lived a short life, but it was a life dedicated to an awakening and a harsh call to action. He learned of the social ills and did not remain silent nor passive. He was among  the people, experiencing firsthand the injustices done with impunity by a waning colonial power. 

Many of his monuments are scattered across Manila, perhaps reminding the forgetful citizenry of his heroism that could have done more had he not been unfairly executed by a political rival.

He was born in Tondo, a district just outside the old city boundaries of Manila (meaning Intramuros).

Many thanks to Google Translate, the English text would thus be the following. The Filipino translation is my own doing.

The children of the Filipino people erected this monument for the eternal consecration of the site where the popular hero Andres Bonifacio, father of the Katipunan and arm of the liberating movement of 1896, was born on November 30, 1863.

Itinayô ng mga anak ng bayang Filipino itong bantayog para sa walang-hanggang paghahandog ng lugar na ito kung saan ipinanganak noong 30 Nobyembre 1863 ang tanyag na bayaning si Andres Bonifacio, ang ama ng Katipunan at ang bisig ng mapagpaláyang pagkilos ng 1896.

Here, Bonifacio is portrayed as a revolutionary and as a writer (probably a poet). The quill and paper are made more potent than the use of force as his revolver stays in its holster and his iták (a native machete) rests in its scabbard.

During his lifetime, he wrote several poems and articles. The poem “Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Bayan” was a reproduction of Jose Rizal’s essay “El amor patrio”. “Pahimakas” was his translation of Rizal’s untitled swansong poem later known to be “Mi ultimo adios”. He also used to be a theatre actor with Macario Sakay and Aurelio Tolentino.

Bonifacio was an artist and a revolutionary.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Entry 133

Kung Hindi Man (Translated)

Nicanor Abelardo may have lived a short life but he has contributed much to the formation of artful Philippine music, intertwining the local and Western. He is perhaps famous for his kundiman art songs, one of which is “Kung Hindi Man”, composed in 1920. For the PDF of the music sheet, click here → Kung Hindi Man.

And as a bonus, I made a singable translation of the song into English. Aptly titled “If I’m Not Worthy,” the translation mirrors the same dejected feeling of the song’s persona in the original Tagalog. I think the translation was close to the original in terms of imagery and story. I also followed the rhyme scheme ABAB, which is easier than the AAAA of the original. I am providing a vocal music sheet of the translation after the table. Take note that my work is not the official translation of the song. I am not aware if there exists one. I pray I did not commit sacrilege to this Abelardo canon.

Kung Hindi Man Musika at titik ni Nicanor Abelardo Irog sandaling dinggin ang aking pagtangis Irog sandaling tunghan ang humihibik Kung di man nararapat sa iyong dikit Isang sulyap mo lámang, aliw na ng dibdib Kung sa ’ki’y wala nang inilaang paglingap At ang pagdurusa ko ang siya mong pangarap Sa isang ngiti mong sa aki’y igawad Libo mang kamatayan aking tinatanggap

If I’m Not Worthy English translation by I.R. Arenas My beloved, hear me out, my request for pity My beloved, take a look at my tear-filled eyes If I am not worthy of staring at your beauty A glance from you is blissful still, enough to be my prize If indeed I will receive not any regard from you And this pain and anguish of mine are your source of pleasure Just one smile I so desire, grant me take a good view Should I die a thousand times, I rest with my treasure

Entry 132

Lambíngan

Recently I got hold of a compilation of old Filipino music sheets. The book was Diwa at Himig ng Pilipinas which was set in two volumes. In my past blog entries, I provided a digitally transcribed copy of some music sheets.

From this book that I acquired, I will try to reproduce some of the music sheets that catch my attention, hoping that some interested soul will find my effort delightful.

For my first venture this year, here is the dansa “Lambíngan”, with words by Jose Corazon de Jesus and music by Leon Ignacio. The words to the song below contain diacritics that are not present in the original music sheet. I only supplied them for ease of reading and pronunciation according to the melody.

Check the link to the PDF (Lambingan). For an audio file, check this YouTube upload by pianist Andrei Hadap.

Lambíngan
Tugtugin ni Leon Ignacio
Titik ni Jose Corazon de Jesus

Ay kay tamis hirang
Ng pagsintang tunay
Ang lahat ay búhay
Lalo’t ikaw kapíling

Kung sa iyo’y mawalay
Palad ko’y libíngan
At kung walang lambingan
Mabuti pa, mabuti pang táyo’y pumanaw

Sa píling mo, sinta ko, napapawi ang lungkot
Napaparam, nagbabago ang lahat ng himutok
At sa t’wî kong hahagkan ang pisngi mong mabango
Ay tuluyang napaparam ang hirap ko

Kung táyo’y magkasayaw, magkayakap sa galak
Ang langit ng bagong búhay ay maliwanag
Sa suyuang matimyas nalilímot ang lumbay
At patuluyang sarap ng matamis na lambingan

 

Entry 131

Ilang Pagmumunì sa Dokumentaryong The Kingmaker

Kinailangan pa natin ng isang banyaga upang ipaalaala sa atin ang kalabisan at kabuktutan ng pamilya Marcos.

Gamit ang “pangkayó” at “pansiláng pananaw”, inilahad ni Lauren Greenfield ang isang interesanteng kasaysayan ng pamilya na pinalayas at tinanggap muli kalaunan sa bansa. Ngayon, nagtatagumpay muli ang pamilya Marcos, kahit paunti-unti, na maangkin ang Malacañang.

Isang ironiya ang sirkunstansiya ng pagpapalabas ng dokumentaryo sa Sentrong Pangkultura ng Filipinas. Dalawang linggo bago ang palabas, pinangaralan pa si Imelda ng pamunuan ng Sentrong Pangkultura dahil sa pagkakatátag nito 50 taon ang nakararaan. At heto ngayon na inuusig siya ng mga tunay na artista ng bayan sa pagpapalabas ng dokumentaryo sa edipisyong siya ang nagpatayô.

Si Imelda ang kingmaker. Siya ang nása likod ng lahat. Mula pagtakbong muli ng kaniyang mga anak sa pambansang posisiyon hanggang sa pagluluklok kay Rodrigo Duterte. Ngunit hindi lahat ay umayon sa kaniyang engrandeng plano. Natalo ng isang Leni Robredo ang kaniyang anak na si Bongbong, ang Ferdinand na Ikalawa.

Sa dokumentaryong ito, kapuwa iibigin at kamumuhian si Imelda. Mayroon siyang halína at bangis bílang politiko. Humina lámang ang kaniyang katawan gawa ng katandaan ngunit matalas pa rin ang kaniyang isip. Ang kaniyang katusúhan. Ang kaniyang kasinungalingan.

Nabubúhay si Imelda sa isang mundo ng pantasya. Na siya ang ina ng bansa at sana’y ina rin ng mundo. Na siya ang engkarnasyon ng Kagandahan. Na siya ang bituing tinitingala ng mga táong nabubúhay sa dilim. Lumikha siya ng mga mito na nagsasalaysay na itinadhana siya at ang pamilya Marcos sa kadakilaan.

Sa kaniyang kakaibang paniniwala, maaaring ituring na pilosopo si Imelda. Dangan ay malilito rin ang kaniyang mga tagasunod sa kabuoang absurdong pilosopiya na kaniyang sinusunod.

Marahil masayá ang puso ni Imelda tuwing namumudmod siya ng tig-iisanlibo (at tigbebente) sa mga batang may kanser, táong-lasangan, at sa kung sino sa maraming okasyon. Para siyang idolo na pinipilahan o inaabót ng mga unat na kamay ng mahihirap na deboto. Sa ganito niya pinalalakas ang kaniyang kapangyarihan – sa paghigop sa kahinaan na mga hikahos.

Naging neutro at obhetibo ang filmmaker sa kaniyang paglalahad. Hitik ang dokumentaryo ng interbiyu kay Imelda, gayundin ng testimonya ng mga biktima ng Batas Militar, mga katutubo sa Calauit, at ilang personalidad na malapít sa kapangyarihan. Ang mga tagapanoód ay malayang tumimbang ng mga paháyag. Ngunit si Imelda rin ang sumisira ng kaniyang testimonya. Madalas siyang madulas. Tungkol sa bintang sa kaniya ng pagpapapatay kay Benigno Aquino Jnr: “I had nothing against [Ninoy], except that he talked too much anyway.”

Entry 130

Barko

Naalaala ko noong magtapós ako ng hay-iskul. Sakay ako ng barko kasáma ang aking ina dahil papunta kami ng Luzon upang doon magkolehiyo. Buong búhay ko noon ay sa Palawan ako naglagî, bagaman nakapagbabakasyon ako sa Maynila paminsan.

Mayo yata noon. Masyadong mahal noon ang sumakay sa eroplano kaya karamihan ng lumuluwas ay barko ang sinasakyan. Naroroon din pala ang ilang kaklase ko, papunta rin ng Maynila. Walang bakas sa amin ng pamamaalam dahil para sa amin, sa wari ko, ay babalik pa rin naman kami sa Palawan matapos ang pag-aaral sa kung saang unibersidad kami mapadpad. Gayon ang nasa isip ko. O mas támang sabihin na hindi sumagi sa isip ko ang komplikadong bagay ng paglisan. Luluwas ako para mag-aral at babalik pagkatapos. Gayon kapayak ang búhay.

Medyo espesyal ang barkong iyon. Mayroong deck na puwedeng pagtipunan ng mga pasahero habang hinahampas ng hangin ng karagatan ang aming mga katawan at bumabakat sa aming hubog ang mga damit. Mayroon ding bar na nagtitinda ng inumin at burger. Sa loob ng isang araw na biyahe, malaking bagay ang may ganitong lugar na puwedeng mapaghalubiluhan ng mga táong sabik nang makalapag sa piyer.

Minsan nakita ko ang kaklase kong si Ramon. “Bilhan mo rin siya ng burger,” sabi ng nanay ko.

“Huwag na. Mayaman ‘yan sila,” sagot ko. Hindi ko na matandaan kung kinuha ba niya o magalang na tinanggihan ang aking inalok. Isa siya sa itinuturing na laging kulelat noon sa eskuwela, pero alam kong mabait siya. Siguro’y dahil sa mataas na estado ng kanyang búhay, malaya niyang nagagawa ang kanyang gusto at wala siyang inaalalang grado na kailangang pag-igihan. Balita ko’y naging flight steward siya, at ngayo’y negosyante at potograpo.

Madaling araw nang nag-stopover ang barko sa Coron upang magbaba ng ilang pasahero. Dala ng kuryosidad, bumabâ ko saglit upang tingnan ang lugar. Ang tanging natatandaan ko lang ay iba ang itsura ng tricycle sa kanila kompara sa amin sa Puerto Princesa. Sa Coron, maaari pang magsakay ng ilan sa likuran ng sidecar. Saka ako bumalik. At binunô ko ang kawalang-katiyakan buong umaga hanggang hápon nang kami’y makadaóng.

Hindi ko na matandaan kung sino-sino kaming nasa barkong iyon. Lahat kami ay nagsapalaran, naghanap ng ibang kalalagyan sa búhay. Nag-aral ng ibang kaalaman. Iniwan ang pagkabata sa kinalakhang lalawigang isla na mahirap alpasan. Ang barkong iyon ang naghatid sa akin papaalis sa kawalang-muáng at patungo sa sari-saring pagsuong, pagkatatuto, at pagkabigo.

Pagdatíng ng Maynila, tumuloy kami sa bus pa-Baguio. Walong oras na biyahe. Ito ang unang pagkakataong iiwan ko ang aking kinalakhang pook, maging independiyente, at malayô sa mga magulang.

Mahirap maging adulto. Napaiisip ka ng mga dáting bagay.

Entry 129

Sculpture 15: More Works of Francesco Riccardo Monti

During the Commonwealth years, one foreign artist dedicated his art in decorating many landmarks in the Philippine capital, Manila. At the heyday of constructing public infrastructures that aimed to herald the birth of an independent nation, his works adorned many landmarks and now heritage buildings.

Francesco Riccardo Monti, an Italian, produced large works that are publicly conspicuous but rarely mention his name. These works include sculptures at the Quezon Memorial, University of Santo Tomas Main Building, Metropolitan Theatre, demolished Capitol Theatre, demolished Meralco Building, and more. He also had extant works in Bacolod and Iloilo.

Surprisingly, smaller sculptures of Monti are for purchase at an arts shop in Intramuros. Selling at six-figure amounts, these sculptures, I think, are important representation of his art that can be examined up close (his works in public spaces are usually seen from afar). An expatriate who had taken a liking to the country in its years as an American vassal state.

Below are some works made from cast marble, located at the Galeria de las Islas wing of the Silahis Centre.

Apollo and Daphne

Priced at PHP220,000

Entry 128

Musings on Floy Quintos’s Laro

★★★★★

I read the script of a play as part of a collection of works. The image of the book cover was a blurred menagerie of sensual men in dark red lighting sharing the same bed, suggesting an orgy of some sort. The book provided select performance photos but I could only imagine how it was actually staged. Five years later, a purple poster popped in my Facebook news feed and I instantly recognized the title. I had to see it, finally.

For many, the gay community is a burst of colour. Funny, drag, camp, bold, intellectual, gym-built, provoking, you name it. Now the talk of equality, acceptance, tolerance, and marriage has surfaced more evidently. But I also see the opposite side – the mystery, struggle, torment, and uncertainty. Such dimensions compose the general life of gay people in most part of the world.

Manggagamit assuages Drag Queen.

The play Laro by Floy Quintos was adapted from Arthur Schnitzler’s La Ronde (or Reigen in German) seeks to unravel the Filipino gay reality, and ultimately bares the struggles within and without. The sexual themes are integral, as any human necessity, but I see the play in its entirety as a struggle for power and domination over the other. The gay community is also mired in different intentions or, should I say, schools of thought.

Gone are the days that gay people are defined by those who cross-dress, those who work in salons, those who are blabbermouth, those who flourish in campy extravagant. The spectrum has widen and we see different hues and shades. The adaptation tries to show a representative of that spectrum in its ten characters.

Ideal Lover disdains banality.

Entry 127

The Kundiman Party as a Prophecy

★★★★★

In a time of heightened online activity but passivity in actual and real engagement, how do you incite the people to act?

Playwright Floy Quintos chooses to rethink the kundiman, the classic Tagalog art song, and presents it as a song of protest, persuading the viewers to ponder on the romance and symbols of the lyrics to make them significant in our times.

The reprise run of The Kundiman Party at the PETA Theatre Centre (the first in 2018 as a university production) opens the play to a wider audience, tapping the middle class and millennials.

The story is set in the home of Maestra Adela (Shamaine Centenera-Buencamino), a retired opera singer, as she teaches the eager music student Antoinette (Miah Canton) the art of kundiman singing. They are joined by the three society-concerned, rally-going titas of Manila – Mitch, Helen, and Mayen (Missy Maramara alternating with Jenny Jamora, Stella Cañete-Mendoza, and Frances Makil-Ignacio). Soon they meet Bobby (Boo Gabunada), the social media specialist lover of Antoinette and who is later revealed to be the youngest son of a senator. With Bobby convincing the apolitical Adela, they produce socmed videos about kundiman highlighted with social issues of the day (ranging from extrajudicial killings to Chinese incursions). As their campaign becomes popular, Senator Juancho (Nonie Buencamino) drops by and coaxes Bobby of a better life assuring that he keeps his ideals. Bobby now decides what to become of his little project.

Adela with the society-concerned Titas: Mitch, Helen, and Mayen

Adela during her interview with Bobby

Songs

Though not a musical, the play extensively used many notable kundiman songs like “Pakiusap”, “Bituing Marikit”, and “Kundiman ng Luha” which all celebrate the suitor wooing the beloved. In the second half of the play, Quintos craftily contextualizes other kundiman songs with pressing political issues, giving them alternative sense. The songs are highly reinterpreted that the great kundiman musicians Nicanor Abelardo and Francisco Santiago would have been amused at the thought, and lyricist Jose Corazon de Jesus would have been delighted because of his nationalist stance.

Antoinette and Ludwig

Originally a song of a forlorn lover, “Nasaan Ka, Irog?” becomes an emotional plea to a loved one lost to extrajudicial killing. “Pilipinas Kong Mahal” tells the citizens to love the country even more than ever. And “Mutya ng Pasig”, once a song of the muse of the river, is construed as a call to fight against Chinese incursions into our waters, islands, and even labour resources.

Also interesting to note is how the first act ended with the piano introduction of the kundiman “Pahimakas”, which sets the funereal mood (after one is revealed to have been executed). And the second act starts with, I later learned upon reading a newspaper column, F. Chopin’s “Revolutionary Étude”. These choices are not mere coincidences or are taken for artistic references. These deliberately tell a path. After the mourning comes the movement, the action.

Melissa performing “Mutya ng Pasig”

Audience

The setting, Adela’s living room, exudes things middle class – a large portrait, opera posters, stained glass windows, antique religious figures, flower vases, wine bottles, capiz chandelier, and a grand piano. All the comfort for a grand dame who used to be a recipient of the patronage of Imelda Marcos. Such is a sight that middle class viewers – the intended audience – are familiar with.