Meanderings

Stage actor Bon Vivar, one of my favorite anchormen, identifies his radio station thus: "DWBR of the Philippine Broadcasting Service 104.3 on FM, music and talk, nice and easy." Bon speaks in a clear, straightforward manner. He has no affectations, no phony accent.

The station’s special Independence Day program conveyed historical tidbits, and the music consisted entirely of Filipino songs – declarations of undying love, betrayed love, unrequited love, the pain and anguish of loving. They were sad songs and one wondered whether they ran counter to the common impression that we are a happy, easy-going people. The songs reflected the kundiman – kung hindi man – and seemed to portray Filipinos as chuckled, repressed and burdened with remembrances of age-old colonial oppression.

In any case, at station DWBR, Original Pilipino Music (OPM) is regularly featured although predominantly played, nearly throughout the day, are relaxing, entertaining old favorites — nothing far-out — mostly from Broadway, interrupted only by news broadcasts, Larry Henares’ "Make My Day" wherein he reads commentaries of his favorite columnists or makes his own, and informative discussions – all salutary, meaningful or useful.

Versatile Santi Bautista gives out news bulletins, has a fan club of mostly young people who listen to his Sunday "Request" program, and another group which listens to "Encore", an hour of classical music about which Santi is highly knowledgeable.

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Foreign diplomats at the National Artists Awards in Malacañang must have found the ceremonies – except the musical portion – rather boring because they were in Tagalog. These diplomats included the Apostolic Nuncio Fernando Feloni, Ambassadors Mario Schuff (Argentina), Saber Monsouf (Egypt), Mohammed Ebrahim (UAE), Deputy Rolf Saligmann (Germany) and Instituto Cervantes Director Javier Galvan.

CCP Chairperson Emily Abrera gave a lengthy talk in Tagalog; citations were likewise in Tagalog. Only NCCA Chairman Ambeth Ocampo spoke in English, bringing up the ever-elusive Filipino identity. Incidentally, when "Filipinescas: Philippine Life, Legend and Lore in Dance" was seen by grande dame Purita Kalaw Ledesma, founder-president of the Art Association of the Philippines, she immediately commented: "While our artists are still searching for the Filipino soul, Leonor Orosa Goquingco (Filipinescas’ choreographer) has already found it in dance." Purita made the observation in 1961 – more than 40 years ago. Visual arts critics are more qualified to comment on how painter Bencab and sculptor Abdulmari Imao – the latter the first Muslim to be named National Artist – have found the Filipino soul. There are extremely diverse aspects to it.

Bien Lumbera earned his award through his literary work in Tagalog, and this should not negate the clamor to have English reinstated as the medium of instruction in the schools, English now being the lingua franca, the key or the bridge to the world. Spanish being the second most widely used, I have repeatedly proposed its inclusion in the curriculum.

Incidentally, Fides S. Asensio who wrote the libretto (in English) of the opera Spoliarium is requesting me to translate it into Spanish. The person who can do a marvelous job is Lourdes Brillantes, professor of Spanish in the UP. She translated Nick Joaquin’s Portrait of the Artist as Filipino.

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Participants in the nonstop reading of Rizal’s Noli at Instituto Cervantes – which started yesterday and ends today – will have such perks as seeing modern dances, listening to jazz concerts, receiving free copies of the Noli in Spanish and commemorative T-shirts, and being treated to paella and chocolate con churros.

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The Goethe Institut is holding an exhibit "Made in Germany: Architecture plus Ecology", from June 22 to July 19. The exhibit is the latest in the "Made in Germany" series which brings German architecture in dialogue with various cultural and socio-political concepts, providing a context in which to present a selection of contemporary architectural projects.

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Owing to previous engagements, I missed two performances of Cesare Syjuco: "Attacked from Underground" and "The Electric Underground Collective". I presume both were characteristically intriguing, fascinating and amazing.

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Sincerest thanks to those who sent me congratulatory notes on my receiving the Spanish Isabela la Catolica award: Gilopez and Corazon Kabayao, Gilda Cordero Fernando, Ada Ledesma Mabilangan, Jenny Wallum, Tony Pastor, Alice Briones and Hazel Andrea Stuart of Iloilo’s Television Productions.