Sunday, July 29, 2007

Aug 5 on Rock Ed Radio: EarthCare 101 :

Let's talk about our daily habits like driving, cellphone use, disposing of our trash, water we drink etc etc.And see how it affects our environment. We have someone from the Center for Environmental Awareness and Education, Mr. Jukka Holopainen and Prof CP David of the National Institute for Geological Sciences as resource persons.

Abigal Jabines of Greenpeace and Anya Santos of Haribon will also talk to us--- about us! (hala...) Kasama si Cathy Untalan, Ms. Earth 2006! (Isa siyang tunay na environmental activist, by the way..)
An overview of environmental care. And what the real fuss is about.
Walang jargon dito. Just straight up facts and tips on how we can alter some of our habits so we become activists for the earth as well.

Toss in your questions now on global warming, environmental care, water, air, and land pollution. Laws that protect the earth. Or the lack thereof. Powerhouse guests tayo ngayong gabi.

Game.

photos: Sagada Road trip to Session Road, Baguio. Gang Badoy copyright 2007

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Children, parents, rock and roll and reading.

Pinaluhod ka ba sa asin? Piningot, pinalo at pinahiya sa harap ng barkada? Nanood naman ba ng spelling contest mo ang parents mo? Paano ka kaya magiging parent? Waw.

Paano ka pinalaki ng magulang mo? I-a-apply mo ba sa iyong mga anak at mga magiging anak ang parehong methods of parenting?

School administrators of the RAYA SCHOOL Ani Almario and CP David will talk to us and musician Dan Gil (keyboards, Chillitees) about kids and rock and roll. Perhaps the dying and resurrecting interest in reading. Honey Sacro-Libao, a US-based teacher and young mother of five (ages ranging from 18-2) will talk to us also.

All guests will discuss the perils and perks of parenthood and teaching in this era of extreme media freedom. In this era of music and films that range from gothic to vulgar to divine. Effects of parenting on our disposition towards reading and learning. O puro lang ba rakenrol ang mga cool na magulang... hmmmmm at ang pinaka magandang tanong...

Kailangan bang mawala ang pagka-cool para maging mabuting magulang?

Ngeh. Makinig na kayo, baka mangyari sa inyo 'to soon. Hala.... AT dadaan si Sir Ramon Bautista para mag share ng kanyang sariling kwento bilang anak at future (sana) na tatay. Kwela to.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

July 22 Topic >> Negosyo Tayo!

Preview

Kung gusto n'yong mag-negosyo, magtanong dito.

Let's talk to the Filipino entrepreneurs who started and run their own businesses and in the process, provide jobs and livelihood for other Filipinos. Whee.
Guests will be the people behind BINALOT, FIGARO, ROYAL CARRIBEAN, and SACRED HEART SCHOOL.
I read somewhere that when jobs are provided, THAT'S when a concrete nation is built.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

July 15 >> Gangstas in the Home of NURock

TEXT EXCHANGE:

3 July 2007/1023am
LOURD: Gang! may topic na ba tayo sa Jul 15 episode?
GANG: Meron, dapat 101 on Global Warming, sina CP ang guest. Pero di pa confirmed.
LOURD: Kung wala, gusto mo yung mga tondo tribes? Mga totoong street gangs at rappers
GANG: Hmm. Teka cancel ko lang sila CP, move natin ang Envi topic to another date...
LOURD: Saya nito! Ang gagaling ng mga bata. Pwedeng mag-freestyle MC battle on air. Wasakan to
GANG: okey game. hindi ko sila kilala so pakitext sakin ang info para malagay sa website....

9 July 2007/829pm
GANG: Lourd, may website ba sila sa movie? Paki send info, names etc etc, ilang days na lang kasi hindi ko pa napopost para ma accomodate mga tanong ng listeners...
LOURD: jimdiamond.multiply.com (temporary site yata) di pa kasi ata tapos ang
www.tribu-themovie.com
LOURD: ang galing nito, maski walang questions, kaya nila punuin ang show, maski 2 hours! verbal jousts, pero ilagay mo na lang na sila yung actors sa film ni Jim Libiran na TRIBU...
GANG: teka, di kaya tayo ma-drive-by nito? katakot...pwede ba yung mga mababait lang ipa-guest natin sa NU? TEKA!! may mabait bang gangster?
LOURD: wasak ka no, basta... okey 'to

14 July 2007/559pm
LOURD: pa meryenda tayo sa tondo crew bukas ah
GANG: o ba, pano? dala tayong pagkain sa NU o ilabas na lang pagtapos? Mag painom na lang tayo sa Meatshop, yung dating Tribu... (uy okey ah, Tribu din)
LOURD: sandali ha, baka ibang meryenda ang ibig nilang sabihin.. baka illegal, I'm finding out, text you back.

GANG: uy waw, okey ...
LOURD: Ok, chibog lang pala...pre or post show... di pala sila umiinom.....

____________________________________________________________________

And so it came to pass, hip hop gangsta rap artists got their 15 minutes (1 hour or so, in fact) on the airwaves usually dominated by rock and roll. Rock Ed Radio invited the gangstas in the context of their life as poets and artists, life as Filipinos in the front and center of an impoverished state (sometimes) .... I suppose in the end hiphop is not so much a genre of music... let's see...
There lies a proverbial blue-flame line between those who live by gangsta rap and the one who adheres by rock and roll. A silent hot, cold divide that's always been there, supposedly.

Last night, the rock listeners of NU107 listened to four real-life gang members who are starring in Jim Libiran's much-awaited film called TRIBU. Libiran, a finalist in this year's Cinemalaya festival, created more than a film, so they say. He also got real life gangsters together to enflesh his Palanca winning script. If the statistical norm Filipino won't even walk within the same block as a hiphop mob because of all the violent misconceptions about this underworldly people, we gotta hand Libiran the trophy just because he dove right into it. Film making, I learned, is really about courage and a steady stance on things.
Shilbert. Poet with bling. He is a father now and hardly looks like the mob leader I had in my narrowmind.
Raynoa and Lloyd. Poets both. Living beatboxes, too. Terse, sharpshooting verses, wrapped in rhythm and moving in rhyme. Ang huhusay nitong mga 'to ... Shown in photo above is Lloyd. He narrates the loss of his friend during the recent fiesta. His friend got separated from their group and was gunned down. When I asked Lloyd if approaching the authorities (say, the police) was an option for something like this, he says sometimes it's useless to do so. My first instinct was to think that gangstas have their own justice system, but on closer scrutiny .... this sentiment echoes even to those who don't have gangs. The gang collective just magnifies what we all go through. Reacting to poverty, searching for identity, respect, discipline, livelihood and love. That is what we all do. They just make the search more obvious.

Billy is the funny one. His manner of rap is lighter than the rest. His poetry shines through when we asked him to freestyle a reaction to the present national situation. I always believed that sense of humor is intellect dancing. There is no doubt that these young men are sharp and quick on their feet. Most of us stay staring at the cursor on a blank white space, they are merely asked a question and poetry spews out. Poetry drawn from the life in the streets. Every rap piece is a celebration that they are still alive and that they manage to win some, despite the cards they hold.
Jim Libiran breaks ground on this film. With every chance to have a Sam Milby type to sell his docu on street gangs, he chose the better route. Get the actors who know the drill best. Not much internalization here, just depiction of a life they already know. I suppose in the end that's a better decision than to make a powder-puffed matinee face be on board for this one.

I prefer the French word for Director, (Realisateur) because it indicates, not someone who orchestrates all the elements of a film, but someone who "makes real" onto film something that is real in real-life. (huh?)) With all the plastic components around us, figuratively and literally, we sometimes don't know when we're real. We all have projected lives in the photos of our blogs and Friendsters and we multiply that audio-text depiction of our lives on Multiply. Some fakes are abound the Friendster realm, I know. But this movie is real life. This movie is contemporary Tondo history, organized for our consumption. Written by the unbiased and those who know the societal movements best. A good analogy for us, Filipinos. After all, the Philippines is one big figurative Tondo. Mas maayos pa nga ata ang totoong Tondo, sa atin, in general.
Rock Ed Radio thanks the rap artists, Raynoa, Shilbert, Billy, Lloyd for taking the time out to be guests on a rock station. For crossing that cold line of fire between them and us. (it's always that, huh, US and THEM and them and us....) Salamat at nabanat ulit ang pinupulikat na naming mga utak at pananaw.

On a personal note: Salamat kay Shilbert na kino-correct ang aking Tagalog grammar. Haha. I also want to thank the gentlemen for breaking my image of what a gangsta is. I was always teased for my name before (even if its roots are in the Visayan term of endearment "pangga.") May nagsabi sakin minsan na lola ng barkada ko nung high school, "Ay, hija, ang sama naman ng pangalan mo!! " So pwede ko na i-text yung lolang yon...

16July2007/622am (maaga ako nag text kasi nga lola yun eh)
GANG: Lola, okey lang na Gang ang pangalan ko, kasi mahuhusay at mababait ang mga nakilala kong totoong gangster sa Tondo. tulog ka ng mabuti at mag efficascent oil, ha. Good night po.


Read more on Libiran's TRIBU.
Also on http://www.tribu-themovie.com/
and my blog http://sumandali.blogspot.com/

text: Gang Badoy/ photo credit: Ispok Sy copyright2007
____________________________________________________________________


Gangsta not as you know it.

Film director Jim Libiran is neck deep into making his much-awaited film TRIBU.

Based on real-life tribes of Tondo, this film may very well be a better cultural mirror than our old and terribly biased history books.

Learn about the film. (http://jimdiamond.multiply.com/)

And listen to its reality on Sunday.

Samahan si Lourd at Gang kausapin si Jim Libiran at ang mga lider ng mga tropa't tribo ng Tondo; this Sunday on Rock Ed Radio. Your alternative Social Studies class on air.

July 15, Sunday at 8pm on NU107.






text: Gang Badoy/ photo credit: Jake Verzosa, taken in Taguig. Subject of photo is not from Tondo. Just FYI.

Sunday, July 1, 2007

July 8 Topic>>Desaparecidos: Let's take a closer look on ENFORCED or INVOLUNTARY DISAPPEARANCES.

Conversations, when true, aren't rehearsed nor staged. The beauty of a live radio show is that we get to listen to a good mix of the 'rehearsed lines' and the candid reactions to unexpected points raised. Both are true, but the latter more believable.

Before the show Rock Ed Radio hosts briefed all the guests that the primary purpose of this episode is to inform listeners of the reality of enforced disappearances. It is not to choreograph a debate to get people tuning in, but if that is the case, then this is certainly a necessary verbal duel to witness. All participants agree that the primary audience of the night is the NU107 listener. And not necessarily each other. Whew.Representing the AFP Spokesperson's Office is Lt. Jean Robles. Robles, a PMA graduate who attended BroadComm in UP Diliman, was disarming. To send a fresh face to represent what is perceived as the most lupine collective in the country was obviously not a random decision. Definitely - a wise one. We know that the military (right or wrong) has always been in the hotseat regarding the issue of enforced disappearances and abductions and to send in your typical military wolf would've been disastrous for them. Cheers to the AFP for being open to join this challenging invitation. Lt. Robles was initially very contrived. She was dishing out the FAQ answers like "...the AFP is here to protect and uphold the people's rights." And while on paper, this is true, the group certainly had reservations because of all the stories (true or otherwise) about some units within the military. The nature of this beast is harsh, I think their biggest challenge is to prove themselves gentle and truly protective of the people instead of the other way around. After a few rounds, Jean relaxed a bit and showed a human face to the AFP and I have to hand it to her. I know she came determined to do a good job in enlightening us about the subject at hand and that she came in the capacity of AFP Spokesperson's Office rep. I hope I get to talk to her off the record someday, though. Mrs. Edith Burgos's son is missing. Jonas, her eldest, was forcibly abducted last April 28. She was more graceful than I imagined, she says they are looking for Jonas with love and peace in their hearts, but with an unmistakeable fire that says, "To the listeners: regardless of what you do, you have rights. You have a right not to be forcibly taken. Even criminals have the human right to be subject to due process, innocent til proven guilty. So whatever it is that you are asking about Jonas, it was NOT RIGHT that he was just taken away without any of us knowing where or how he is. Maling-mali yung ginawa sa kaniya. Kung may ginawa man siya, i-charge ninyo, idaan sa korte. Everyone deserves to go through due process of the law..." Enough said. Mrs. Burgos also says that prayer keeps her steady about this whole thing. She narrates how life has changed for them since that day Jonas disappeared. She even says they haven't stopped knocking on doors, inquiring from people in power, even identifying corpses just to find some answer to this gnawing question. It was unnerving to hear her so calm, her voice steady as she says the phrase, "identifying corpses" -- kung ako yon....susmaryosep.
JL Burgos narrates the incident of his family's group gathering in front of Camp Aguinaldo to inquire and protest about the disappearance of Jonas. The military responded by facing large speakers onto the crowd and played grossly asinine music like "Jumbo Hotdog." (what da?!) It was an out and out slap onto their right to be heard. Lt. Jean Robles explains that the military usually plays music during rallies because it helps appease and calm the crowd. And that was their only purpose. It wasn't to suppress the family's right to be heard. I'll leave this blank. Your call on how to react to that explanation. To her credit, Robles did admit it was certainly not the best choice of music to play. (Ya think?) Mr. Joey Faustino is part of the group called FIND. (http://www.find.org.ph/) Families of the Victims of Involuntary Disappearances. He recalls his older brother Jerry, who at 21 years old, disappeared in 1977. Til today there are no leads. Joey says the military gave a total denial and since it was Martial Law at that time, they also had no means to probe further. He narrates that as a 13 year old, he would accompany exhumation trips to shallow mass graves in the hopes of finding his brother's remains, at the very least. He recalls seeing a group of bodies of young people whose skulls were all cracked and beat. He narrates this while we listen with morbid curiousity at how matter-of-fact this activity was for him. Finding his Kuya has always been and seems to always be at the forefront of Joey's life agenda. We should all hold torches for the families with similar circumstances. Joey is decided that this phenomenon is systemic. There has to be changes in other aspects of governance in order to address this. He questions the Congress for not placing laws protecting Filipinos from being subject to enforced disappearances as priority. He sighs and says that the legislative branch has strange ideas of what is most important. When human life and physical safety should be smack on top of their urgent to-do lists. What a circus, huh?
Both JL and Joey have apprehensions about the responses of the military. They stayed gentlemanly though when asking Lt. Robles about the stances of the AFP when it comes to specific movements in their investigations. (Whew, mahirap siguro yon...) The investigative reports that are not turned over to the family. Precious information withheld. The only lead they have points straight to a military camp and yet they are scoffed at as jumping the gun on this accusation. JL calls out to the people who know something about his brother's disappearance to come out and help. Lt. Robles says the AFP is doing all they can because more than any other group, the AFP is anxious to clear its name in this mess. Hmm. Joey, however agitated, was cool and steady enough to say that he appreciates the presence of Lt. Robles because at least they are extending an openness to discuss these things, at the very least. It's a much more progressive move than blaring campy music onto a crowd. (Campy music in Camp Aguinaldo)

There is still so much to this episode, but I decided to keep my summary sanitized. (Sa lagay na 'to ha...sanitized na yan.) Having a brother who is a desaparecido is something I cannot even begin to imagine. Aso nga lang na nawawala nakakabuwal na ng buhay, utol pa kaya o anak.

Much as we try to stay non-partisan in our politics, Rock Ed Radio decided to tackle issues that are real, pressing, and oftentimes ignored. And if names of people with rank and power come up in the process of the discussion, then so be it. It is more important for us to talk about this than to stay paranoid about the consequences. Besides, if these controversial events are depriving people of their rights are TRUE, then it shouldn't even take courage to talk about it. In a democracy, this should be matter of fact. Sa isang tunay na demokrasya, hindi nga kailangan ng kakaibang tapang para magsalita ng katotohanan, dahil sa tunay na malayang bansa, normal lang ang pag usapan itong mga 'to --nang walang takot.

Tibak man o konyo, lahat tayo may kinagagawan dito. Ang tanga na natin kung hahayaan lang natin ang mga nawawala, manatiling nawawala.

Sana may natutunan kayo kagabi. Dahil kami, madami.

-Gang Badoy


_____________________________________________________________________



This Sunday-July 8, 2007- will be a day of great learning for all of us on Rock Ed Radio. The hosts, listeners, researchers and the NU staff on-board will listen to stories of real people who are enduring the enforced disappearances of members of their family.

Guesting that night will be JL Burgos, younger brother of Agriculturalist, Jonas Burgos. Jonas is a member of the peasant organization, Alyansang Magbubukid ng Bulacan. Jonas, according to witnesses, was forcibly taken by a group of 6 males and 1 female while he was having lunch at the Hapag Kainan Restaurant in Ever Gotesco Mall, Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City, on April 28, 2007 at about 1.30 p.m. As he was being forcibly taken, he was shouting “Aktibista lang po ako!” If schedule permits, Edith Burgos-the mother of both Jonas and JL, will join us during the show.


Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearances (FIND) will be represented by Mr. Joey Faustino.


An enforced disappearance occurs when persons are arrested, detained or abducted against their will or otherwise deprived of their liberty. This is usually followed by a refusal to disclose the whereabouts of the abducted person and therefore puts that individual outside the protection of the law.

"Some men arrive. They force their way into a family's home, rich or poor, house, hovel or hut, in a city or in a village, anywhere. They come at any time of the day or night, usually in plain clothes, sometimes in uniform, always carrying weapons. Giving no reasons, producing no arrest warrant, frequently without saying who they are or on whose authority they are acting, they drag off one or more members of the family towards a car, using violence in the process if necessary." *

We all agree that this should end.

Subukan natin pag usapan ito. When we stay silent, it is almost as bad as saying this rabid violation is okay or that it is acceptable. Clearly, it is not.

Mag post ng mga tanong at comment dito, para maisama sa programa ngayong Linggo.




*quote taken from the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights website.
Read more about the Free Jonas Burgos Movement
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