If you do not live in Davao or were not in Davao during the day of the bombing, do not mark yourself as "safe." Let those tools be used by the affected people and their loved ones. Do not share unverified "articles" and rumors about bombings in other places. There is a need to stay… Continue reading Some Notes about the Davao Bombing Tragedy
Tag: Philippines
Questions About Heroes
Yesterday (Aug. 31) was National Heroes' Day in the Philippines. Coincidentally, I also finished the novella I've been working on since October 2014 on the same day. Hooray! Being high off the triumph and unable to keep my brain from running on ideas, I've begun to brainstorm what the next work I set in the… Continue reading Questions About Heroes
A funny thing happened while I was at Clarion: On Filipinoness in writing
So, one of the grandest adventures of my life ended a few days ago. I'm back home and my jet lag and letting everything soak in and reconsidering a lot of things. I may not have blogged during all my time there like I planned, but I think I'll be posting a series of… Continue reading A funny thing happened while I was at Clarion: On Filipinoness in writing
In which I battle with my heritage of smallness, pre-Clarion
*It is not within the scope of this post to define exactly what Filipino culture is, on the whole and overall. I will not attempt it because I do not know and because I may not be able to catch myself from thinking Tagalog-centric thoughts that will discredit the other regions, tribes, and languages. The Philippines is… Continue reading In which I battle with my heritage of smallness, pre-Clarion
Pinoy Otaku Literature
I liked a lot of things–most of them firmly rooted in pop culture–including anime. When I began to write seriously, I also began noticing how different the plots and characters between the anime serieses I loved and the works of fiction I loved. I even tried to push away the anime influence for a while; and even though I took a seven year break from watching anime, the influence has not left me. Proof of that is how I’ve attempted to alter my drawing style several times in an attempt to alter the trappings of my imagination (though my style still has solid anime-esque foundations nowadays).
Here is my friend, the good-natured, utterly polite (at least in person), and ever-controversial polemicist Karlo David, articulating more eloquently than I ever could, how this generation’s writers and artists can own something as foreign and popular as anime and transform it into art with a Filipino sensibility. 🙂
Anime can be very reaffirming
The Filipino youth of this past two decades has an imagination highly influenced, if not dominated, by Japanese animation. Fanfiction, Wattpad stories illustrated anime-style, even the music and fashion sense – the symptoms are everywhere. This younger generation is an otaku generation.
I have been particularly exposed to this fact. During my time in the Ateneo de Davao, many members of the literary org, SALEM, were practically more into anime than literature, and were in the club with writing fanfiction as their main writing background. Many of my friends there were consequently anime fans. In Dumaguete I might very well be the first and so far only graduate student of Silliman University to have been made a member of its humble otaku club, SU MAGE, and several of my students in NORSU are no strangers to anime either. Indeed, I think I can say with…
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A typhoon-aftermath plea from the frustrated powerless
But this is not about me. It's about the storm survivors weeping because of what befell them (and can anyone honestly say they wouldn't do so in their shoes?). It's also about so many of those sitting in the safety of their own homes and workplaces - so far away from what is now being called ground zero - not knowing which of the news items are false and which are true. Not knowing means such people cannot better tweak their relief efforts to the needs of the needy.
Why Mayor Estrada Is Wrong on Hong Kong
THIS.
Subtitled: Filipinos Should Not Move to the Back of the Bus
As is often the case, kindly bear with me as I wander through some facts and acts, and examine things a bit, before arriving at a conclusion.
I’m sure most of you are aware of the background of the incident commonly known as the “Bus Massacre”. Eight Hong Kong tourists were killed on August 23, 2010, when an angry Filipino, holding the tourists hostage on a bus, opened fire on the hostages as Filipino police, trying to apprehend him, charged the bus.
The case has festered for three years because Hong Kong demands apology and remuneration from the Philippines while President Aquino holds to a “no apology” position. It is about as intricate as an issue comes. It reflects cross-cultural dynamics, national sovereignty, legal issues, and a lot of human emotions.
A Quick-Study of the Situation
Here is a…
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