In honor of our National Hero’s 160th birthday, we take a closer look into our national hero Jose Rizal’s life in Wilhelmsfeld, Germany. A two-month stay in the town brought forth a friendship that transcended time and geography. It continuously gives birth to extraordinary connections between Germans and Filipinos up to this very day.

During the centennial of Dr. Rizal, the Philippine Government received a Rizaliana Collection consisting of letters, drawing and a first edition of the Noli Me Tangere from Dr. Fritz and Hans Hack. In 1961, the town of Wilhelmsfeld donated a small water fountain where Rizal drank from, this is now at the Luneta park.

The Rizal in Wilhelmsfeld exhibit opens on June 19, 2021 at 10 AM at the Museo ni Jose Rizal Fort Santiago, Intramuros, Manila. At the same time the German translation of Mi Ultimo Adios will also be unveiled. The exhibit highlights the donation of a table and a bed used by Dr. Rizal during his stay at Wilhelmsfeld from Dr. Fritz and Hans Hack, great grandsons of Pastor Ullmer. The author of the classic biography “Lolo Jose: An Intimate Portrait of Rizal“ Asuncion Lopez Bantug’s daughter Bea Bantug Tan, of the Narcisa Rizal branch will deliver a message.

Thanks to the National Historical Commission of the Philippines in cooperation with the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in the Philippines, the Department of Tourism, and the Intramuros Administration, we will get to know more about Jose Rizal and the impressions he left in Wilhelmsfeld.

To know more about NHCP’s activities for Rizal’s 160th Birth anniversary, click the link below:
https://nhcp.gov.ph/nhcp-shares-activities-for-rizals-160th-birth-anniversary/

-Joan Garcia

With this alarming question, the De La Salle-College of St. Benilde embarked on a mission to find an answer that led them to produce an award-winning documentary, “ALON”, written and directed by celebrated filmmaker Gabriel Fernandez.

(“ALON” A Documentary on Plastic Waste: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKTdKpNWmr4&t=777s)

As we mark the 159th birth anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal, we share with you this eye-opener as our own homage to our national hero’s devoted but often unrecognized contributions to improving community health and the environment.

From 1892 to 1896, Rizal had a vibrant life as a political exile in the town of Dapitan. He carried out community projects on health, sanitation and the ecology, including the installation of a water system and pipeline to give residents access to clean water, the draining of swamps to control the breeding of malaria-carrying mosquitoes, the provision of the street lighting system using coconut oil lamps, and the beautification of the town plaza. While in Dapitan, Rizal discovered three new species of animals which have been named after him: Abogonia Rizalie, a type of small beetle; Drago Rizalie, a specie of dragonfly and Racoforus Rizalie, a specie of toad.

For more on Rizal’s water system and pipeline, click here: “Grandson of Rizal’s Dapitan student: Let’s restore historic water system”

On this historic day, may the memory of Dr. Jose Rizal’s love for nature serve as a wake-up call for our youth and the entire nation. According to the World Bank, 60% of Filipinos live on the coast and most depend on the sea. But tragically, 97% of reefs in the Philippines are under threat (United Nations Environment Program). With that frightening statistic, it is high time we stop the wave of plastic, ride the wave of change, and become eco-warriors ourselves. If he were alive today, Dr. Jose Rizal would do no less.

The Americans tagged Apolinario Mabini as the “Insurgent’s Brains,” [The Wichita Eagle, Kansas, December 14, 1899], and believed that “nearly all proclamations and state papers bearing Aguinaldo’s name were really the work of Mabini” [The Washington Times, May 17, 1903]. In the same vein, Dr. Paul Dumol, a Filipino historian echoed his thoughts: “…Hindi natin maikokompara yung pagsangguni ni Aguinaldo kay [Felipe] Buencamino dun sa kanyang pagdedepende kay Mabini. Kaya halos lahat ng mga polisiya ni Aguinaldo nanggaling kay Mabini. Siyempre noong meron ng Malolos Congress dumadaan din ito sa Congress pero mula sa Congress magbibigay ng opinyon si Mabini, at madalas yung opinyon ni Mabini ang sinusunod ni Aguinaldo….["…we cannot compare Aguinaldo conferring with Buencamino with his dependence on Mabini, so almost all of Aguinaldo's policies came from Mabini. Of course, when the Malolos Congress came about, these would pass through Congress but from Congress Mabini would give his opinion, and usually it was Mabini's opinion that Aguinaldo would follow."]

These are excerpts from PULE: UTAK NG REBOLUSYON, an educational documentary on the life of Apolinario Mabini [1864-1903], Chief Adviser of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, First President of the Philippine Republic, and the First Secretary of Foreign Affairs.

Primarily intended for Deaf Filipinos, Filipino Sign Language [FSL] interpretation and/or insets were used to provide them access to information on Mabini. However, the target viewers are not limited to them. It has narration in Filipino, and is fully subtitled in English. A global audience was in mind.

PULE is one of the very few video documentaries made on Mabini. What makes it significant, distinct and “special” is the inclusion of Persons with Disability [PWD] in the making of the film. In fact, there were more PWDs who participated in it than the so-called “abled” individuals.

Envisioning a segment with Deaf interpretation of Mabini’s El Verdadero Decalogo [The True Decalogue / Ang Tunay na 10 Utos] in Filipino Sign Language, I have asked Myra Medrana, Deaf choreographer of the SILENT STEPS for their participation. With the help of several hearing interpreters and teaching staff of the DLS-CSB School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies, the Decalogo was for the first time presented in visual-gestural form. Written more than 100 years ago in 1898 by Mabini, the Decalogo has taken a new form. Simultaneous with the interpretation, I have asked a wheel-chaired Person with Disability to read the Decalogo in Filipino. He has become the Mabini character. With subtitles in English, I came up with a multi-track presentation. As a reaction to it, one of the Department of Foreign Affairs directors who viewed it, Ms. Lenna Sison remarked: “…your presentation [treatment] of Decalogo is beautiful…I felt more its significance. It was touching! I fully appreciated how Mabini’s mind and heart worked.”

In addition, twice-exceptional Person with Autism [PWA], Thristan Mendoza music scored the film, making PULE and The Sublime Paralytic, [a variation narrated in English], the very first Filipino films music scored by a PWA. The risk was there when I got him to do the job knowing that he had no experience in music scoring. However, it was confidence in his ability, and the rock-strong belief in God that I am being led to the right persons that comforted and assured me with regards my decision to try him despite his mother’s fear and anxiety over the outcome of Thristan’s music scoring work. I was actually quite excited while waiting for his music composition as nobody knew what he would come up with. Finally, when I heard his music, I was so delighted. I thought that they were awesome for a first-timer. It might have taken me longer time to work with him because of processes I had to do which are not necessary when working with the usual scorers. But it was all worth it.

In the observance of the 2016 National Arts Month, it is just apt to celebrate the talents of people classified as “Disabled” like any other. Let’s celebrate their ABILITY not DIS-ability. By showcasing their talents, we make them shine and prove to the society that they can be as good as anyone.
Above anything else, it is my hope that through this film, viewers could actually learn more who Apolinario Mabini was, and what he did for our country. The way the youth perceived Mabini when they viewed “Heneral Luna” last year in 2015 when it was shown was quite appalling. Questions and reactions such as: “Why was Mabini seated throughout the movie?”, “Maybe tired?”, “Perhaps lazy!” I cannot imagine how our future leaders would be without knowledge, sense, concern and love of history.

It is no wonder perhaps why our current political leaders act the way they do, or why graft and corruption persist. Could that be an outcome of their failure to look back? Ignorant of the past, they seem unaware of our great heroes’ lives who placed God and Country first Above Self! Too bad and sad that for most of our leaders now, Self comes above all else.

Notes by Mirana Medina
Independent Advocacy Filmmaker
February 8, 2016

In celebration of National Heroes Day 2015 and closing of Apolinario Mabini’s 150^th Birth Anniversary, and in promotion of use and recognition of FSL in the Philippines, Miryad Vision in collaboration with De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies, and National Commission for Culture and the Arts present APOLINARIO MABINI, THE SUBLIME PARALYTIC.  A 50-minute digital documentary by Mirana Medina with subtitles in English and Filipino Sign Language Interpretations / Inserts.  Featuring the first ever deaf interpretation of Mabini’s “El Verdadero Decalogo” and the first music score for a film by a Filipino with Autism.

Synopsis: Son of a peasant couple, Apolinario Mabini (1864-1903) worked and supported himself through college until he obtained his Bachelor of Laws Degree from the University of Sto. Tomas.  At first a reformist, he later turned into a revolutionary upon seeing the continuous oppression by the Spaniards and the suffering of the people.  Arrested several times because of his involvement in revolutionary activities, his fight for independence continued until the Americans took over the rein of the country from the Spaniards.  Already paralyzed by an unknown disease at the time, he became the Chief Adviser and First Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the First President of the Philippine Republic, Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo.  His strong influence on the policies and decisions of Aguinaldo earned him the title of “Black Chamber of the President.”  To this admirers however, he was “The Brains of the Revolution.” The laws and government policies he wrote for Aguinaldo helped in shaping the destiny of our nation.  As a political writer and thinker, one of his famous writings was “El Verdadero Decalogo” (1898), the preamble of his Programa Constitucionalda la Republica Filipina. Described by the Americans as the “most irreconcilable among the Filipinos,”  Mabini did not want to recognize American sovereignty over the Philippines.  He was adamant and stubborn against it.  Because of that, he was exiled to Guam.  He could not return to the Philippines unless he swears an oath of allegiance to the United States.  He died at the age of 38 less than three months after his return to the country.

Premiere Screening is on  August 27, 2015, 4 P.M. at DLS-CSB ARG Theater, 5th Floor Benilde Taft Campus, Manila.

These Ensemble Players challenge the possibilities of performance as they embark on some acrobatics of the heart in PAGE-TO-STAGE: One-Woman Performance Series featuring one-woman performances of Filipino literature classics.

These pieces are usually staged with a big cast but will now be machinated by only one performer onstage – using monodrama, puppetry, digital technology, sound art, and other media.

These one-woman performances will push the limits of performance possibilities by maximizing the artists’ skills and stretching their capacity to create and transform while making the work more accessible to more audiences. These One-Woman Performance Series will be available for nationwide school tours and art gallery performances.

Kicking off the series is Exposiciòn Dela Una Mujer an experimental one-woman performance of Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere that will push beyond the usual retelling of the novel and push on re-imagining heroes, nation, and imagined histories.

Exposiciòn Dela Una Mujer (A One-Woman Performance) features one actor’s performance on Rizal’s 1886 novel, Noli Me Tangere. This devise-work features puppetry, digital technology, sound art, and other media machinated by one Sipat Lawin Ensemble Player. The performance kicks off this October with Meila Romero-Payawal.

Romero’s collaborators include multi-disciplinary visual artist-designer and Thirteen Artist Awardee Leeroy New, composer and sound desinger for film, theater, and television Teresa Barrozo, filmmaker Brandon Relucio and resident technical director and lights designer Ninya Bedruz. Exposiciòn Dela Una Mujer is directed by Sipat Lawin’s Artistic Director Jk Anicoche with dramaturgy by Ensemble Player Ness Roque.

Going beyond the usual narrative retelling of the novel, Exposiciòn Dela Una Mujer pushes a performative reading and re-imagining of the Noli Me Tangere, as well as Jose Rizal himself, and imagined histories as structures and icons continouosly deconstructing and reconstructing nation.

NOLI ME TANGERE Exposiciòn Dela Una Mujer is part of Sipat Lawin’s Page-to-Stage mobile performances and is available for local and international touring.

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Sipat Lawin Ensemble is an edge-work, site-specific, independent performance company composed of theater artists, engaged in devising relevant new works. Changing the landscape of theater in the Philippines, the group aims to develop a contemporary community theater experience shared among artists and audiences inside and/or outside the four walls of the theater. The Ensemble’s core group of artists also manages the company and its programs alongside producing and developing performances and alternative modes of theater-making.

Stripping theater down to bare essentials of Actor, Action, and Audience, the company started independently producing works in alternative performance spaces in 2009. Since then, Sipat Lawin has produced a series of ensemble-devised anywhere-and-everywhere community collaborations.

As the country’s premiere site-specific theater company, Sipat Lawin Players have conducted performance lectures about their innovative works, alternative mode of production and evolving theater-making process, invited as speakers/performance-lecturers in Ateneo de Manila University’s Company Call 3 (2011), the Philippine Educational Theater Association’s Young Artists Forum (2012), Locus Redux International Art Conference at the Yuchengco Museum (2012), the CCP’s 13 Artists Awards Forum Series on “Collaborations and Crossing Media” (2012), as well as in two of This Is Not Art Festival’s “Critical Animals” panels in Newcastle, Australia (2013). In 2014, the Ensemble also launched Weekends with Sipat, blank-ticketed workshops where experts in different fields shared what they know through talks or workshops.

An active player in the social media platform, Sipat Lawin has been featured in local and international blogs, papers and programs by various networks and news agencies including GMA, Yahoo Philippines, Al-Jazeera and Reuters, among others.

The Ensemble aims to create and develop new forms of inter-action, social functions and modes of communication. Crossing and blurring boundaries among different performance media, SLE collaborates with top artists from different fields.

To the edge of consciousness, edge of theater-making.

Sipat Lawin Ensemble: Contemporary Community Theater, Contemporary Theater Community.

Modern Take on Philippine Culture

Slim’s Fashion and Arts School students were challenged to explore what could make them truly Filipino designers. Turning to all things Philippine for ideas, they tapped into everything from history, culture and literature to run-of-the-mill things like local delicacies and flowers.

While historic garments and tribal costumes were a natural resource, most of the creations are not literal interpretations. The pieces offer a fresh, totally modern take on traditional influences; a far cry from the often cliché renditions that have become synonymous with this theme.

Roald Sena left, Ivan Ruiz right

Many students took everyday objects, incorporating them into the contemporary garments. Ivan Ruiz’s red carpet gown features satin that’s subtly woven like ‘palaspas’, as seen during Palm Sunday rituals. Strong Catholic influences were undeniably present: in Rum Corvera’s fashion sketch inspired by stained glass windows.

Sketch of Rum Corvera

In Stephanie Estanislao’s design ideas sparked by ecclesiastical garments and in garments that incorporate Christian icons into their sleek designs, almost like ‘badges’ of our country’s faith.

Justine Wayne

Some went as far as creating ‘statement’ pieces that verge on conceptual art. Like Justin Nalangan’s piece, which takes a tragic literary figure (Maria Clara) and transforms her into a ‘kawaii’ character, bringing to mind works of Jeffrey Koons and Andy Warhol.  And Roald Sena’s bold hand-painted statement about colonial mentality, transposed on a flamboyant gown. Others used non-visual sources of inspiration, like Marc Carcillar who created handwritten pages from ‘Noli Me Tangere’ on silk organza, his source of inspiration.

Marc John Carcillar with his Noli dress

Marc recounts “dying Filipino soldiers fought and sacrificed their lives for freedom, the design I  created is modern, with the working woman in mind. She is modern, assertive, fighting for who she is.”  The skirt features a custom print blood splatter design; the collar is a take off from the Maria Clara dress. The accent on the white peplum top are “pages” of text from the Dr Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere.  The garment’ s enclosure resembles an embossed leather bookmark.

The depth of conceptual thinking in some of this year’s work is a heartening break for anyone who believes fashion is purely superficial.

Novel ideas aside, the garments boast of superior construction; many feature extremely complex techniques.  This has come to be expected from Slim’s students, given the school is widely known for in-depth technical training. Every garment on display was designed, cut and sewn by the student. In their pattern-making course, each student produces roughly 20 full garments over an average of 12 months. Surprisingly, many of the pieces on display were created by students who are only halfway through their course with ASEAN integration just around the corner, the school’s directors have encouraged students to get to know their own culture, and to develop a distinctive identity that could potentially set them apart from designers of other nations.

Slim’s Fashion & Arts School: The Best of Student Work 2014  is on exhibit  at the 2^nd floor of Greenbelt 5 from October 15-21,2014

Photos courtesy of Slims Fashion School 

Jose Rizal in Luneta Park (photo courtesy of Phil. Daily Inquirer)

Volunteer Patricza Torio produced this video for MyRizal to commemorate Dr. Jose Rizal’s martyrdom. Thank you Patricza for celebrating the Rizal in you!

Rizal in Wilhemsfeld, Germany

Rizal is positioned in the center of the ideological spectrum of the 19th century which makes him a Liberal.

First, believed in the thrust of Liberalism that instead of a revolution, the society needs reform, and it should come from above because they are the learned people who have the knowledge in politics and governance, as well as liberation coming from being educated. In Rizal’s letter to his countrymen dated December 15, 1896, he insisted that revolution should not be tolerated because it is absurd and it dishonors Filipinos, and instead, reforms should be made and it must come from above to become beneficial to everyone. Also, like the Liberals, Rizal believed that everyone has the capability to become rational, and it can be achieved through education. Like the Liberals who believe that a person is who he or she thinks, Rizal believed in the primacy of thought…

Read more from this article.

An article on Rizal’s last Noche Buena in Dapitan based on a letter written to his sister, Trinidad in 1891.

Rizal Shrine in Dapitan

Click here to read the whole article.