Caparas is National Artist for Film…GOD Save Us!

I was listening to the Startalk interview with Carlo J. Caparas and his wife Donna, and I got so angry that I blogged.

For those unaware of what’s been happening, artists are protesting PGMA’s decision to confer the award to an official of the agency that screens the nominees of the said award (Cecille-Guidote-Alvarez), and a movie director (Caparas) whose nomination for the award has been rejected twice. (Read full article here.)

I hate that Caparas is making this into a class fight because it’s not. He is taking this so personally that he feels he has to prove that he deserves the award. What he seems to fail to understand is that people are clamoring against the abuse of power perpetuated yet again by Malacañang.

Caparas says that what’s going on is a “protest syndrome”–that people will protest against anything our president is doing. Mr. Caparas, hindi kami bobo at tanga para tumahimik lang sa isang tabi habang lantaran kaming niloloko at inaabuso ng mga taong nasa kapangyarihan. Ang iyong paghirang bilang isang National Artist ay pinoprotesta namin dahil ito ay isang lantarang pag-abuso ng kapangyarihan ni Gloria bilang presidente. Kahit ano man ang sabihin mo, wala ka sa listahan ng mga nominado ng NCCA na ipinasa nila sa Malacañang. Mismong ang mga miyembro ng panel na nag-deliberate sa listahan na ito ay di malaman kung saan napulot ang pangalan mo.

This really isn’t personal Mr. Caparas but you’re making it as if it was. You may have been an unlucky victim of circumstance but your attempt to prove that you deserve to be a National Artist makes me less empathic. Since you’re standing your ground, no matter how shaky its foundation, I think you deserve the criticisms. The truth is, you don’t deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as Brocka, Bernal, Romero and de Leon.

Caparas referred to his massacre films as justice films–to this I say “bullshit”. His films were poorly executed (yes, I watched some of them on cable) and were obvious acts of exploitation. He says that millions of people watched his movies and that in itself is proof that he deserves the award. If that’s the case then Michael Bay should have already won an Oscar.

Donna says that “award lang naman ito” which obviously showed her ignorance about the kind of undeserved honor her husband has received. Being named as National Artist is way more than that–as a layman, I would like to think that the works of my National Artists represent me as a Filipino to the world. I don’t know about you but I certainly don’t want to be represented by Kris Aquino massacre films.

As a comic novelist, Caparas doesn’t even illustrate his own comics. So technically and unarguably, the honor is undeserved.

He says that he will give part of the monthly stipend he will get as National Artist to streetchildren…he has helped a lot of people in the industry…he has 400 scholars…he sees himself as an inspiration to people since he used to be poor and is now rich because of hard work…

All these prove that Caparas is probably a generous, hard working person but these do not qualify him as a National Artist for Film and Visual Arts.

We are not elitists Mr. Caparas. We say you don’t deserve to be called a National Artist because it’s the truth. No amount of dull, illogical argument can change that.

At this point, I’d like to quote a paragraph from the official statement made by Leo Martinez, Director General of the Film Academy of the Philippines, about the selection of Carlo J. Caparas as National Artist for Visual Arts and Film:

Conferring the highest award on someone who was never in the running makes a travesty of the National Artist Awards, an institution that has been looked up to, venerated even for the recognition it gives to Filipinos whose body of works or whose contribution to the Filipino people is of the highest order. We have as this year’s awardees Manuel Conde for Film and Frederico Alcuaz for Visual Arts. Both are commendable, both beyond question. It has never been done before but had the Organizers wanted to give the same award to more than one person, why not consider the other most deserving nominees. Instead, in our utter disgust, a new category was coined and the two most prestigious awards for Film and Visual Arts were conferred Carlo Caparas.

It is a pity that the National Artist Award has been reduced to a joke.

I don’t feel like laughing.

Point the gun at the right person: my thoughts on the Hayden Kho scandal

A lot has been said about the Hayden Kho scandal. This is my point of view on the matter but let me make it short.

So Hayden likes to record himself on video when he has sex. Although it seems perverse to me, I don’t condemn him for that. I don’t understand his reasons but I don’t think he’s evil personified either.

So Katrina had sex with another woman’s boyfriend. It was wrong. We all know that. Both her and Hayden should have known better. You just don’t steal another woman’s man.

Hayden, Katrina and his two other partners are victims because their privacy was violated by the person who posted the sex videos on the internet. I really believe that the senate is after the wrong guy unless the doctor himself uploaded those videos on the net.

This isn’t a women’s rights issue as the senate wants us to believe. This is a privacy issue. I’m thinking that they probably slanted it that way because of how the charges may be filed. Since there’s no existing law on the publication of private videos/photos on the internet, the doctor might be charged with violating provisions of Republic Act 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004. What’s ironic is that this isn’t the first time something like this has happened. There have been a lot of sex video scandals before but this is the first time that a senator “felt strongly enough” to mention it in the Senate. So how come, until now, there’s still no law to address these kinds of things? Ginagawa ba ng senado ang trabaho nila? I heard that a number of bills have been drawn since 2004(?) but not one has been passed yet.

For someone who has no clear advocacy, the only way Sen. Bong Revilla can run and possibly win in the next elections is to connect his name to a controversy. He picked a good one but I just don’t buy this guy’s crap. At first, I was hoping that this is probably the best way the Senate could be pushed to finally come up with a law for cases like this. But seeing how distorted the whole issue has become, I shudder to think about what kind of bill they’d come up with.

What irritates me more are the people around me who actually download, watch and share the sex videos. The rude and nasty comments made about Katrina’s lust or the women’s “kahayukan” insult me as a woman. Pag narinig mo ang ibang manghusga, akala mo hindi sila nakikipag-sex. Curiosity (and the media) has blown this thing out of proportion.

As for the news media…

There are a lot more important and relevant things to report. Do your job. This isn’t journalism anymore.

WHAT-E-VER!!!

Right now, I am extremely pissed at the following:

Mar Roxas – for being such a douche in those campaign ads of his. (No, they are not “advocacy ads” as he claims. We’re not that stupid.) I know you’re not the only “presidentiable” coming out with ads but yours is the most annoying.

Presidentiables – Binay, Lacson, Villar, Roxas, Legarda and the rest…guys, next year pa ang election! Magtrabaho muna kayo bago mangampanya!

Nicole – for being a lying whore. You just don’t file a rape case then retract AFTER your “rapist” is convicted because you suddenly got confused over what happened. Immigrating to the country of your abuser so you can “move on” is like putting salt on the wound. I supported you! I backed you up when friends and colleagues said you were asking for it.

ABS-CBN’s coverage of the Failon case – media critics agree that ABS-CBN failed the test. Their coverage on what happened was extremely one-sided and overly sensationalized.

QCPD – overacting! You’ve just shown your stupidity and ineptness all over national television with the way you handled the Failon case.

I hate it when some people think everyone else is STUPID.

WHATEVER!

For Amiel

I am literally at a loss for words. A grade 4 pupil at the Ateneo died from a freak accident in the school’s parking lot. His name was Amiel.

I heard about this earlier tonight over dinner. I finally got to read the news articles when I got home and I was just so saddened at the tragedy. My prayers go to the Alcantara family. I cannot start to imagine how it feels to lose someone so young. I pray and hope that you recover from this tragedy. It will take time but God heals all wounds.

A prayer for the mom–the driver of the van which crushed Amiel. Nobody could know the kind of burden she must feel for being part of this. May she and her family have the strength to heal from this.

Just For Today For Bereaved Parents

Just for today I will try to live through the next 24 hours
and not expect to get over my child’s death,
but instead learn to live with it, just one day at a time.
Just for today I will remember my child’s life, not just her death,
and bask in the comfort of all those treasured days
and moments we shared.

Just for today I will forgive all the family and friends
who didn’t help or comfort me the way I needed them to.
They truly did not know how.

Just for today I will smile no matter how much I hurt on the inside,
for maybe if I smile a little,
my heart will soften and I will begin to heal.

Just for today I will reach out to comfort a relative or friend of my child,
for they are hurting too,
and perhaps we can help each other.

Just for today I will free myself from my self-inflicted burden of guilt,
for deep in my heart I know if there was anything in this world
I could of done to save my child from death,
I would of done it.

Just for today I will honor my child’s memory
by doing something with another child
because I know that would make my own child proud.

Just for today I will offer my hand in friendship
to another bereaved parent
for I do know how they feel.

Just for today when my heart feels like breaking,
I will stop and remember that grief is the price we pay for loving
and the only reason I hurt is because
I had the privilege of loving so much

Just for today I will not compare myself with others.
I am fortunate to be who I am
and have had my child for as long as I did.

Just for today I will allow myself to be happy,
for I know that I am not deserting her by living on.

Just for today I will accept that I did not die when my child did,
my life did go on,
and I am the only one who can make that life worthwhile once more.
~~~~Vicki Tushingham

Getting Down and Dirty

The first International Coastal Cleanup in the Philippines (sponsored by Coca-Cola) happened today at San Dionisio, Paranaque. I joined my friends at One Chemistry Films to cover the event (for free!) so I was up by 3am this morning since we needed to be at the venue by 6am. As our cameraman, Malai said, it was all for a good cause.

My OC boys

I dressed appropriately; donning my favorite comfortable shirt, black leggings and my ever-reliable prima crocs. I had a cup of coffee and a pastry for breakfast (it was 3am! I didn’t have the energy to prepare a proper breakfast).  The boys picked me up a little before 5am and after a brief stopover at Ortigas to get something from another OC fellow, we headed for San Dionisio.

We arrived at the venue a little after 6am. The Coke tents were already set up and there were already a lot people from Coke, different schools, the navy, the police, and various government offices. It was immediately clear why the organizers chose the San Dionisio beach as the venue for the clean up. It was a long stretch of (dirty!) beach that would be able to accommodate the large number of volunteers.

We immediately went to work.