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A Handful Of Germs
- Hits: 3485
- Category: Culture And Arts
(By: Nonoy L. Lauzon )
For Film Year 2002, the Film Desk of the Young Critics Circle reviewed a total of 94 films that comprised the full output of local cinema in the given period. It was no less a daunting task. Dying it may seem, Philippine cinema remains one of the most prolific motion picture industries in the world. Sadly, what it delivers in quantity, it cannot in quality. Out of scores of homegrown productions last year, YCC found just a handful that could be considered meritorious and deserving of the critics' honors.
The local film industry has patents for plenty hoaxes and they cloud the truthful pursuit for recognizing cinematic excellence. Luckily in its incessant commitment to foster an alternative and emergent articulation of the practice of criticism, YCC-never falling prey-is not to be duped. For the 13th Annual Circle Citations for Distinguished Achievement in Film, YCC had to overturn the decisions of two festival juries and uphold the integrity of certain films whose worth the industry with its twisted standards and through its coterie of apologists and paid hacks would readily dismiss.
Getting Our Heritage To Survive The Ages
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- Category: Culture And Arts
(By: Augusto F. Villalon)
The year 2001 was when heritage conservationists flexed their muscles, forged partnerships with environmentalists to protect heritage, and tested the effectiveness of Philippine law in preserving the nation's cultural heritage. It was a positive year for heritage. The National Museum declared 26 churches as National Treasures, starting a major restoration program by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.
Nielson Tower in Makati received an honorable mention in the prestigious UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards. The UNESCO-Arirang Prize donated by the Republic of Korea was bestowed on the Hudhud, the traditional Ifugao harvest chant, as one of 10 examples of "Masterpieces of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.” The year ended with the inscription of the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras on the World Heritage in Danger List by UNESCO. It was also the year when the Ramon Magsaysay Award was given for the first time in recognition of cultural heritage: for lifelong efforts of Ikuo Hirayama who traveled from Japan along the Silk Road to preserve its treasures.
The Filipino Sense Of Rhythm
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- Category: Culture And Arts
Notions on Motions The Filipino sense of rhythm sways to the tempo of the beast and the machine (By Dong Ampil de los Reyes)
At a reforestation site in Siera Madre foothills, my three children chanced upon a fat pugo (quail) in the cogon grass. Startled, the bird took flight, pumping its wings madly and rising barely more than a meter above the ground. "Habol! (Get him)" I thundered, darting after the fugitive. The kids squealed in glee as they broke into a run. The pugo covered abou 70 meters, then plopped into the bushes. But the children were at the drop site almost at once and startled him for another leg of the marry chase. Again, the furious pumping of the wings, the sudden dive for another cover after some 50 meters. The youngster wouldn't be shaken off and shooed the bird off with their joyous threats, not pausing to catch their breaths. After another 50-meter flight the poor pugo dropped, froze, but was promptly scooped out of a knot of grass by my boy as he yelled in triumph. Sheer delight dictated the adrenaline-charge pace of the chase and the children unwittingly learned rhythm therefore.
Bakit Kailangan Ng Filipino Ang Filipino
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- Category: Culture And Arts
(By Virgilio S. Almario)
Ang unang dapat usisain: Bakit ba ipinasiya ng 1935 Kumbensiyong Konstitusyonal na isang wikang batay sa isa sa mga katutubong wika ng Filipinas ang ating maging wikang pambansa?
Nakapagtataka ito kapag inisipa na ang mga delegado sa naturang kumbensiyon ay pawang mga edukado at kabilang sa mataas na uri ng lipunang Filipino. Bilang mga edukado, mayorya sa kanila ang mahusay sa Espanyol. Iyon ang dahilan kaya ang una nating republika, ang Republikang Malolos ay Espanyol ang wikang opisyal sa pamahalaan. Ang medyo nakababata sa mga delegado ay nagdaan sa edukasyong pinalaganap ng mga Amerikano o naging pensiyonado kaya't bihasa sa wikang Ingles. Nasa ilalim pa tayo noong 1935 ng mga Amerikano kaya't siguradong may malakas na saloobin sa kumbensiyon na Ingles ang hiranging wikang pambansa. Alam ng mga delegado ang realidad ng politika at ang magandang mga posibilidad para sa paggamit ng wika ng kanilang bagong Mananakop.
Filipinas Ng Ating Haraya
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- Category: Culture And Arts
(By Virgilio S.Almario)
Hinahanap ko ang orihinal na kahulugan ng "kulit"(mabilis ang bigkas) sa diksiyonaryo nang makaengkuwentro ko sa Vocabulario de la lengua tagala nina Fray Juan de Noceda at Fray Pedro de Sanlucar ang isang salawikain sa loob ng lahok na "kulit" (malumay ang bigkas):
Nagmamatandang colit nagmumurang calumpit.
At ipinaliwanag pagkatapos sa pagsasabing "El mozo se hace viejo, y el viejo se hace mozo."Nagpipilit magmukhang matanda ang bata, at nagsisikap magmukhang bata ang matanda. Isang sinaunang leksiyon ito hinggil sa pagkukunwari. Hinggil sa mga peke't plastik. Ngunit agad kong naisip ang sawikain ngayong "nagmumurang kamatis" o kaya'y "nagmumurang kamyas" upang tudyuhin ang isang medyo gurang na ngunit nagsisikap magmukhang tin-edyer, lalo pa't nanliligaw sa isang babaeng hamak bata kaysa kaniya.