THE Storywriting School of the Sunshine Place: Senior Recreation Center is inviting aspiring writers to participate in its workshop on writing stories for children next month.

Sunshine Place describes the Storywriting School as a learning community for people who dream of writing great stories, but end up experincing writer’s block. It aims to give participants the tools to get their stories written and see their ideas through.

The workshop offers participants a six-hour crash course on writing stories for a young audience. They will receive lectures about the audiences covered by children’s literature, and learn story design principles and exercises that will help them write children’s stories in no time.

Participants are expected to leave the workshop with guidelines on dealing with both children and adult readers, tools to help in determining what language is right for children, and a method that will help them write despite their busy schedules.

The workshop will be conducted by Palanca award-winning children’s book author Joachim Emilio “Joem” Antonio. His stories, Ang Ampalaya sa Pinggan ni Peepo (The Bitter Gourd on Peepo’s Plate) and Sa Tapat ng Tindahan ni Mang Teban (In Front of Mr. Teban’s Store), both won second prize in the Maikling Kuwentong Pambata (Short Story for Children) category of the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature in 2007 and 2011, respectively, and were subsequently published under Lampara Books.

Antonio is a believer in the “writing by design” approach, in which the writer is trained to anticipate and predict a reader’s probable response to the text based on the writer’s understanding of reality and language. The goal of his workshop is for participants to be able to put their ideas on paper and see how the choice and organization of language fulfills their objective. THE TIMES

Interested parties may register and enroll online at www.Storywritingschool.com/courses/enroll. For inquiries, call (632) 856-4162 or 0917-5155656 or email seniorhubjupiter@gmail.com.

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But I am at a loss where to begin.
With a yen for a bullet-proof heart.
To begin in the face of revulsion,

in the face of the one who leaves.
What shards of truth bounce back
from a double-sided mirror

of betrayal? The sharpness of knives:
my erstwhile lover whose whittle
flits in me like an afterthought,

still naked and formidable
and smoking like a machine gun.
I lift its veils one by one.

I have plucked my doggerel
from the ground, Rimbauding
what once was vacant.

Words, sway me like before!
You were supple as glow-worms.
But I am at a loss where to begin.

The post Aporia appeared first on The Manila Times Online.

LONDON: Ian McEwan is fascinated by artificial intelligence. His new novel, Machines Like Me, features a lifelike android with access to all human knowledge who writes haiku poetry.

In real life, the Booker Prize-winning author is conflicted. He would be wary of owning a driverless car — “I don’t even like cruise control,” he said — and he has grown suspicious of his household digital assistant since the revelation that staff at Amazon listened to recordings of people speaking to their Alexa devices.

“Actual humans transcribing, and some lady singing in the shower being laughed at,” he said, shuddering. “I think we’re going to unplug it.”

The messy relationship between human minds and artificial ones is the focus of Machines Like Me, published in the United States by Doubleday on Tuesday.

Narrator Charlie Friend, a smart but directionless thirtysomething, spends his inheritance on Adam, one of the first “truly viable manufactured human(s) with plausible intelligence and looks.”

Adam, Charlie and Charlie’s neighbor-girlfriend Miranda form an unorthodox household. They soon confront profound questions: Can a machine feel emotions? Is Adam a lodger, a servant or a highly intelligent household appliance? Does cheating on your partner with a robot count as adultery?

“I wanted the reader to be in Charlie’s situation half the time, at least at first, thinking he’s just playing a computer game — an elaborate, rather spooky computer game — but then feeling very upset when Adam goes and has a night of shame with his girlfriend,” McEwan said.

“It’s really only a betrayal if we regard Adam as a kind of human, and (Charlie) can’t help himself but feel that,” he added.

The author describes the novel as a sort of anti-”Frankenstein.” In Mary Shelley’s story, a scientist’s creation becomes a killer.

“I’m writing somewhat against that grain, wanting to think about, what if we gave our new cousins our best selves, or we tried to?” McEwan said during an interview at his sun-filled London mews house.

In the novel, Adam is a moral paragon. It’s the humans who are compromised.

McEwan’s ménage à trois unfolds in a divided Britain: roiled by protests, uncertain about its place in Europe and the world.

That sounds a lot like the present, but it’s the past — an alternative version of the 1980s.

The novel opens as Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher takes Britain to war against Argentina over the Falkland Islands. In real life, the United Kingdom won the war and Thatcher spent a tumultuous decade in office. In McEwan’s version, the war is lost and Thatcher faces a crisis that brings a left-wing Labor government to the verge of power.

In McEwan’s alternate 1980s, the internet is long-established and work on artificial intelligence is advanced, thanks to Alan Turing, a real-life World War 2 codebreaker and computing pioneer.

After the war, Turing was prosecuted for having sex with a man, forcibly treated with female hormones and died in 1954 at age 41.

McEwan gives Turing the life he deserved. In the novel he lives into old age, honored and revered, and his work has created technological wonders.

It has not cured society’s ills, though. The 250-mph (400-kph) bullet trains are grubby and the streets littered with garbage. Mass unemployment fuels anti-immigrant anger, although automation is the bigger culprit.

McEwan said he had often been struck by how quickly new technology becomes mundane. He recalled, a few years ago, seeing a line of people snaking down a street in Manhattan.

“I thought it was maybe some kind of rock concert,” the novelist said. “And they said no, people are sleeping out on the pavement to be first with an iPhone 5.

“Where are those 5s now? I think they’re in the nation’s sock drawers or being used by grandchildren. The speed with which something that people are prepared and sleep out on the pavement before becomes two years later just a piece of outmoded junk — that interests me,” he added.

At 70, McEwan is one of Britain’s most critically and commercially successful novelists. He has been a finalist for the prestigious Booker Prize five times and won in 1998 for Amsterdam.

Several of his novels have been made into movies, including the multimillion-selling Atonement” and “On Chesil Beach.”

Not everyone is a fan. McEwan angered some science-fiction readers and writers by insisting that Machines Like Me is not a sci-fi book. He called it “an old-fashioned novel about an ethical problem pushed on us by technology” — a phrase that could, arguably, describe many avowedly sci-fi works.

McEwan said the leaps in artificial intelligence that were surely coming filled him with “fascination and dread.”

“Even technologies that we fear, we can’t collectively stop ourselves,” he added. “And nor can we guess the consequences of our inventions.”

Already, he said, we are giving driverless automobiles the power to make ethical decisions: “Do I swerve to avoid this car, but risk hitting that child?

“It is a strange moment when we are letting a machine, a computer, take a split second-decision on our behalf,” the author added.

McEwan said he’s not an “issues novelist,” although his books often touch on major social problems: climate change in Solar, the Iraq War in Saturday.

These days, like many in Britain, McEwan is obsessed with the political psychodrama of Brexit. But he’s not planning a Brexit novel.

“For a novel, I think you have to let things settle,” he said. “We’re still too much in the middle of the story, and I don’t fully understand it. I read masses on it, but it’s a bit like reading about quantum mechanics: However many books you read on it, you sneeze and it’s all gone.”

“Now, my mind’s a complete blank, which is quite agreeable. It’s like a smooth piece of wax waiting for the next thing to come along,” he added.

The post McEwan tells android tale in Machines Like Me appeared first on The Manila Times Online.

“Feeling ko ako yung embodiment of ‘love is blind’,” chuckled Fatima “Timi” Gomez-Aquino, the better half of Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino 4th.

This girlish confession came about when The Sunday Times Magazine asked the highly accomplished lady if she had any inkling of the kind of life the wife of an Aquino in politics would entail.

“I had no appreciation of the weight that would come with bearing the Aquino name nor how demanding a life in politics would be,” Timi went on as she pondered the question and harked back to 2012 when she married the nephew and namesake of the late freedom fighter Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., and first cousin of the 15th president of the republic Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino 3rd.

“Actually, Bam and I had been together for seven years before we got married and I would say if there was anyone at that time who had some idea of what my life might be like, it was actually my father.”

According to Timi, her dad worried she may have to sacrifice a great deal if and when her husband decides to go into politics to help him succeed. It was a legitimate concern of any father in the same situation but more so for a daughter like Timi who determinedly shattered the proverbial glass ceiling and climbed to the top of three of the biggest consumer goods companies in the country.

And indeed, as the youngest Aquino in public service today faces his toughest battle as a sophomore reelectionist to the Senate, Timi’s father’s fears have come true as his daughter officially bid the corporate world goodbye going into the year’s midterm elections.

To be clear, her father is neither mad nor is Timi still blinded by love in deciding to sacrifice her career for her husband’s campaign. The former vice president and head of marketing for such companies like Unilever Philippines, Jollibee and Chowking — her dad, mom and the rest of her family now included too — believe it is the right thing to do because of the man they have come to know and what he stands for.

And for the record, by no means does Timi feel she has surrendered what her professional career has advocated from the beginning — that men and women deserve equal opportunities for growth — because her husband shares her very principles.

“[The Canadian prime minister] Justin Trudeau once said he is a feminist. But for me, even before he said that, I already knew Bam Aquino as the ultimate feminist. In fact, the first leader Bam ever campaigned for was a woman and she became president in the ‘80s. The last leader he also campaigned for was also a woman and she became vice president in 2016,” she averred.

“Kaya matagal na po si Bam naniniwala sa lakas ng kababaihan at bago pa man siya naging senador, babad na babad po siya sa micro-finance communities. Alam niya talaga yung kahalagahan ng mga babae na may kakayanan na tulungan yung mga asawa nila para itaguyod yung pamilya nila.

“And in our marriage, even when we were just boyfriend-girlfriend — a part of which we had to do via long distance relationship because I wanted to work abroad — I never felt I was bumped down by Bam. Every single day since then, sobra-sobra ang support na ibinibigay niya sa akin at yung paniniwala niya sa akin to succeed.

“And given what I’ve been able to do with him as my partner, I told myself na kung dumating man yung panahon na it’s my turn to take a backseat and support him then so be it. It’s a very small sacrifice to make, especially with his ability and sincerity to serve the country.”

Today, as a mother of two young children, it has become more apparent to Timi that she needs to give her hundred percent to her husband — the person whom she happens to believe can truly help build a better future for the next generation.

“My role today is very clear to me and that is ipakilala si Bam Aquino nang buong-buo sa Pilipino. Because naniniwala ako na hindi magiging buo ang pagkakakilala ng botante sa isang kandidato hangga’t hindi nila nakikilala ang pamilya niya. And I’m not talking about the brand name Aquino — although that’s important too — but what I’m talking about is si Bam bilang asawa at bilang tatay. And siguro if only for that, sulit yung pag-iwan ko sa career ko for now, kasi itong relationship ni Bam with the voters is so much more than a professional relationship. Yung mismong pagkatao niya as a husband, as a father are all part of the package for everyone to know na magiging matino siyang public servant. And to get that message out — that truth out — maliit na bagay lang to put my career on hold.”

And at this crossroads, as Timi Gomez-Aquino fully embraces a role she realizes to be more urgent for the greater good, allow the good wife of Sen. Bam Aquino — a critical thinker, an independent woman, a concerned citizen and a loving mother — join The Sunday Times Magazine in giving her the opportunity to fulfill her noble intention with the following Q&A.

When you were still dating in those seven years, Sen. Bam wasn’t in politics yet. The fact that he is an Aquino, did he ever tell you then he had plans of pursuing politics?

Not at all, actually. Si Bam kasi ever since high school and college, talagang marami na siyang extra-curricular activities with charity work. Even if he finished school with the highest Latin honors [from the Ateneo de Manila University], yung trabaho niya nasa NGO, nasa gobyerno, nasa mahirap na communities.

So I always knew he was already in public service and would always remain in public service, pero yung tatakbo ka talaga, let alone for a national position, was different.

It was actually only in January in 2012 na seryoso siyang kinausap ni Tito Tony Meloto, who is the founder of Gawad Kalinga. At that time, he and Tito Tony partnered for many years already sa pagtulong sa mahirap na communities, helping them with livelihood. Ang sabi ni Tito Tony sa kanya is marami na tayong natulungang mga nanay at tatay, pero someone needs to do it at a national level. Kailangan talaga ma-institutionalize because hindi enough yung NGO work.

Si Tito Tony yung naglagay sa isip niya to actually run for national congress. Like I said that was only in January 2012 and we were married only nine months later. It was a completely new idea at that time.

Earlier, you asked me if I had any inkling what a life in politics would be like and what I said was true. Kung akong-ako lang, hindi ko talaga siya naisip at that time. Siguro patay na patay lang talaga ako kay Bam noon. [Laughs]

You and Sen. Bam both seem so calm and level headed. Six years married now, do you disagree on anything?

Siguro yung lagi naming pinag-uusapan is yung tamang pag-papalaki sa mga anak. We have two daughters—a four-year-old named Rory who was born on Christmas Day, and Coco who’s one and born Valentine’s Day so ka-birthday and ninang po niya si Ate Kris [Aquino, her husband’s first cousin].

Yun yung No. 1 topic namin na dine-debate talaga, which is how strict and how lenient to be with the kids. Dapat ba mag-aral sa malaking school na medyo jungle, o dapat ba mag-aral sa maliit na paaralan para ma-shelter? Yung mga ganun usually ang pinapag-usapan namin and all for the good of the girls.

Besides wanting to return the support your husband has always given your career and more importantly your conviction that he is a worthy candidate to bring back to the Senate, what was the actual turning point when you decided to leave the corporate world?

We broke the news [I resigned] late last year in an interview with Tito Boy Abunda. I related then however since Bam and I were dating, I was already working. I started as a management trainee with Unilever in the Philippines and around Asia.

Si Bam was very supportive of me building my career and as I mentioned, umabot na kami sa long-distance relationship na nauwi sa kasal.

But in both of his campaigns actually, I was available to him 100 percent. The first time, I left my work with Unilever and now with this campaign, I left my work as well. I was vice president for marketing of Chowking and I think the turning point is nung nakita ko yung scenario na mahirap talaga itong laban na ‘to and it was important for us to be solid as a team.

What makes this campaign particularly difficult for you and your husband?

Bam and I first became parents in 2014 — I think one and a half years pa lang si Bam na senador at that time. Dun pa lang po nagsisimula yung mga himala sa Facebook na fake news. So feeling ko kung mahirap po maging magulang, 20 to 30 years ago, feeling ko 100 times mas mahirap maging magulang today, and baka 10,000 times pa po mas mahirap pag senador ang asawa n’yo at tumatakbo.

Yung fake news parang every minute may bagong lumalabas. Pero nung bago pa lang yung fake news at laganap talaga siya sa Facebook, ang sakit-sakit talaga niya kasi parang ang laki na nga ng sinacrifice ng pamilya namin and yet yun yung kapalit.

Pero siguro after a few months and years, na-realize ko na part na talaga siya ng laro sa pulitika sa 2019 at kailangan mo lang siyang tanggapin as a reality and work to correct it.

Ang bashing kasi, para sa akin, kaya nga tayo democracy—welcome na welcome yung pag-bash kasi yun yung pinaniniwalaan ng isang tao. But yung hindi welcome is fake news—yun yung unfair.

Marami na pong fake news na umiikot not just about Bam or any candidate in particular because every candidate has their fair share of fake news today. Sa totoo lang, sayang yung effort ng bawat candidate to try and correct fake news but I don’t think it’s unique to Bam—unfortunately every candidate has to deal with it.

Even if a number of her endorsement contracts stipulate she cannot endorse any candidate, Sen. Bam’s cousin, multi-media personality Kris Aquino, had her lawyers find a way for her to skirt those clauses so she can express her support for you and your husband. Practically an expert in campaigns, and a very effective one, for both her mom and brother [former Presidents Cory and Nonoy Aquino] what has she taught you in fulfilling your new role?

Si Ate Kris malakas talaga magparamdam sa akin sa WhatsApp o kaya sa Viber. Sa tanong n’yo po, tatlo po yung masasagot ko.

Yung una sa lahat, si Ate Kris kahit hindi niya sinasabi, dun pa lang sa example niya nakikita ko na lahat nakukuha talaga sa sipag. Kasi grabe magtrabaho si Ate Kris. Kaming mag-asawa, kahit ano man yung pagod sa sortie, kahit ano man yung pagod sa pag-strategize sa kampanya, parang with Ate Kris as our example, yung feeling mo bawal matulog. Si Ate Kris parang di natutulog eh, parang 24/7 umiikot talaga utak niya, nag-iisip talaga. For me, yun talaga yung No. 1 na napulot ko talaga sa kanya.

Yung pangalawa siguro is talagang sinasabi niya dapat positive lagi yung k’wento kasi hindi naman maganda yung bangayan, siraan. At sa hirap na ng buhay ng mga Pilipino mas gusto siguro nila makarinig ng magagandang kwento, ng kung ano ba talaga yung magandang nagawa ng report card ni Bam. Yun yung advice ni Ate Kris palagi—stick to a positive story. Ikwento kung ano yung mga benepisyo ng mga batas ni Bam.

And third is yung actual support niya. Si Ate Kris definitely nandito siya bilang isang ate namin, bilang ninang ng anak namin na si Coco. Pero feeling ko hindi kasi siya yung tipo ng tao na just because related kayo, susuportahan ka niya. With her, na-feel ko talaga na talagang alam niya kung ano yung ginawa ni Bam sa Senado.

Kilala rin niya ako bilang isang professional kasi nagkatrabaho kami. Na-shock pa ako the other day and sobra akong kinilig na sinabi niya sa Instagram na ako daw yung favorite cousin-in-law niya. Ito na, di ba. [Laughs]. Parang hindi lang ako asawa ni Sen. Bam, favorite cousin-in-law ako ni Kris Aquino! And as a marketing professional, I know yung power talaga ng isang Kris Aquino is wala siyang kinakatakutan at hindi siya yung sunod-sunuran lang. Lahat ng ine-endorse niya whether brand yan or tao or family member, sincere talaga. So hindi po siya yung nagsasalita ng wala lang, that’s why I’m so grateful to Ate Kris kasi parang meron talaga siyang tiwala sa akin and more importantly kay Bam.

So siguro kahit papano, nakuha na namin yung loob niya kaya all-out yung support niya sa amin.

So far, do you see the hard work you’ve put into the campaign with the rest of Sen. Bam’s team making headway?

I think matindi po talaga yung election na ito but Bam is actually in the Magic 12 now from the SWS Survey that was done in March. We’re very thankful kasi across parties, nandun talaga yung support for Bam. Whether it’s the different senators that have endorsed him, the different party lists, I think we’re at a point na yung support talaga natin kinikilala kung ano yung magandang ginawa ng mga candidates. And thankfully yung track record ni Bam has been so good that it’s seeing him through despite how difficult this election is.

I’m proud to talk about what he’s done tuwing haharap sa mga botante. In a way, ang mahirap nung 2013 [her husband’s maiden run for the Senate] kasi puro pangako pa lang ang maibibigay mo. Thank God po ngayon, pag nangangampanya po ako, madaling balikan yung mga batas na naipasa niya. Siguro by now, memorize na po natin lahat yung libreng kolehiyo, yung Go Negosyo app, yung Philippine Competition app. Lahat po yan klarong ipinapakita yung prinsipyo ni Bam na matulungan ang kapos sa buhay nang lubos-lubos sa batas.

The post For love of Bam and country appeared first on The Manila Times Online.

Over 60 international and local graffiti artists gathered for the International Meeting of Styles (MOS) at the parking grounds of the Anonas LRT City Center in Quezon City on April 26 to 28 showcasing their own individual styles and ideas.

With origins in Germany dating back to 2002, the event has been held annually in more than 25 countries around Europe, various parts of America and Asia.

This marks the sixth year that MOS was held in the Philippines.

Street art has become widely spread in the Philippines through different social media platforms and the graffiti often leaves a message for the viewer to decipher.

The post Graffiti artists gather in QC appeared first on The Manila Times Online.

– a house of period art collections

A grand showcase of Filipino artistry developed from merging indigenous and foreign craftsmnaship

Literally meaning “within the walls” in Spanish, Intramuros or the Walled City was synonymous to the City of Manila, the capital of the Philippines, at the time of the Spanish colonial period. It was then the seat of government and political power as well as the center of religion, education and commerce.

The defensive walls were constructed to protect the city from foreign invasions in the 16th century by the colonial government – like the attack of Chinese pirates led by Limahong in 1574. The standard way of life within the Walled City became the standard of life throughout the archipelago. Suburbs or arrabales and other towns were referred to as “extramuros” or “outside the walls.”

It was from Intramuros that Manila galleons sailed the Pacific Ocean for centuries carrying goods to and from Acapulco, Mexico. A landmark by the Pasig River attests to the 400 years trade exchange in 1964 between the two countries.

Intramuros was destroyed during the Battle of Manila in 1945, damaging and obliterating some of the churches, universities, heritage houses and government buildings. It was where the Japanese Imperial Army made their last stand against Allied forces and Filipino guerrillas during World War 2. Only the San Agustin Church remained standing.

Presidential Decree 1616 signed on April 10, 1979 created the Intramuros Administration (IA), tasked to rebuild, redevelop, administer and preserve the remaining pre-war buildings, structures and fortifications of the Walled City. Since then, IA had been successful in restoring the walls, the sub-features of the fortification and the city within.

Ayuntamiento de Manila was rebuilt in 2013, and the San Ignacio Church and Convent has been reconstructed as the Museo de Intramuros.

Intramuros Administration House of Period Art

As the Philippines celebrate National Heritage Month this May, the Department of Tourism (DOT) invites the public to explore and learn about Philippine culture and history by visiting Museo de Intramuros in Manila.

Managed by the Intramuros Administration (IA), which is an attached agency of the Department of Tourism (DOT), Museo de Intramuros is located in two important reconstructions inside the walled city — the San Ignacio Church and Convent and the Mission House of the Society of Jesus.

Designed to house the period art collections of IA that includes ecclesiastical art, furniture, vestments, and textiles and other artifacts, the museum opened to the public on May 2. Admission is free.

Museo de Intramuros’ official opening on April 29 was among the highlights of the Intramuros Administration’s 40th anniversary as an institution.

The current in-house exhibition presents the story of the evangelization of the Philippines from the perspective of the Filipinos. It explores changes in the Filipino psyche as colonization introduced a new religion and culture to the natives.

With the display of religious images belonging to the IA collection, the exhibition highlights Filipino artistry that developed from the merging of indigenous and foreign craftsmanship.

Exhibition components

Curated by Esperanza Gatbonton, Gino Gonzales, Cecilia dela Paz, Santiago Pilar and Martin Tinio, the exhibition has six components: The Immaculate Conception; The Religious Order; The Patronato Real and the establishment of Parishes; Religious Colonial Paintings; The establishment of a parish and sacred vessels; and The Indio Response.

In her 1981 book Philippine Religious Imagery, co-curator Gatbonton wrote, “This collection of the Intramuros Administration is extremely valuable because it represents the first real attempt to collect and preserve within the Philippines an important aspect of the country’s cultural heritage.

“The collection affords the viewer a panorama of the various styles and enables him to compare them with the artifacts done abroad in the same medium. We, Filipinos, have always tended to accept that we were the passive receiver of artistic stimuli from abroad. This collection proves that the Philippines was as much a giver.”

At the museum’s opening, DOT Secretary and Chairman of the IA Board of Administrators Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said, “IA’s dedication in ensuring that the tangible treasures that immortalize our history are now accessible to the public is commendable.”

She congratulated IA Administrator Guiller Asido and the cultural workers behind the museum and added that the project, rooted in passion and a deep love of country, must be emulated and replicated.

“The Department of Tourism will be investing in the promotion of cultural tourism in the years to come. We’re doing it not just because we need to expand our tourism products, engage a specific market and increase revenue. Cultural tourism is telling the world our narrative. It is also a platform to ensure that our heritage structures and objects such as these will be preserved and enjoyed by our progeny,” Puyat said.

The post Museo de Intramuros appeared first on The Manila Times Online.

SOX Writers, in partnership with the Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) and NCCA, conducted the SOX Summer Writing Camp from April 29 to May 2 in General Santos City.

The inaugural SOX Summer Writing Camp aims to contribute to the growing literary scene in Region 12 (SOCCSKSARGEN or SOX). It also aspires to develop and promote the writing talents of young writers in the region, encouraging them to produce literary works that represent and highlight the diversity and richness of the cultures in SOX.

The camp saw aplenty of plenary lecture, namely, introduction to writing and literature; specialized lectures on poetry, essays, and fiction; as well as a zine-making activity and zine fest.

Specifically, high school, senior high, and college students from different parts of the region underwent general and specialized creative writing workshops where thereafter they had to write creative works and publish them in zines.

For the past few years, there have been several events to help grow the literary scene in the region. Still, it is undeniable that access to bigger writing opportunities remains outside the region. As such, the SOX Summer Writing Camp also aims to encourage institutional support from concerned agencies and writing communities in the Philippines.

“We hope this inaugural event will be successful and open numerous opportunities for writers in the SOX region. We hope that this will garner the support of our local institutions towards literary efforts in the region and give SOX literature a chance to prosper,” shared says camp director Kurt Comendador.

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The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) led by Chairman and National Artist Virgilio Almario and National Committee on Dance led by Shirley Halili-Cruz once again organized “Dance Xchange: The Philippine International Dance Workshop and Festival.”

Held on April 26 to 30 in Roxas City, Capiz, the festival carried the theme “Cultural Connectivity through Dance.”

Dance Xchange is the Philippine celebration of International Dance Day every April 29. The International Dance Day (IDD) was created by the Dance Committee of the International Theatre Institute-Unesco which marks the birthdate of Jean-Georges Noverre, the creator of modern ballet.

IDD aims to promote dance in all its forms across the world, including the Philippines, to make people aware of the value of dance, share the joy of dance with others and, enable the dance community to promote their work on a broad scale, so that governments and opinion leaders are aware of the value and importance of dance and support it.

Dance Xchange is also held in accordance with Presidential Proclamation No. 154, declaring the last week of April as the “National Dance Week.” The program aims to enhance knowledge and skills of the dancers, dance teachers and choreographers on dances of the different countries as creative expression of their culture.

With the number of international participating delegates, Dance Xchange provided a venue for exchange of ideas and showcase the unique dances of each participating country.

Artists’ forum, dance workshops were conducted by dance directors from participating countries for teachers. Festival of dance performances, outreach performances, and cultural tour shall ensued.

International participants from Bangladesh, Belgium, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Russia, Taiwan and Thailand joined 21 dance troupes from across the country in the four-day dance extravaganza.

Dance Xchange is one of the banner projects of the NCCA made possible through partnerships with local government units.

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NEW YORK: “Hadestown,” singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell’s Broadway debut, earned a leading 14 Tony Award nominations followed by the jukebox musical “Ain’t Too Proud,” built around songs by the Temptations, which received a dozen nominations.

The musical Hadestown, which intertwines the myths of Orpheus and Eurydice and Hades and Persephone, bested more familiar names, including stage adaptations of the hit movies “Tootsie” and “Beetlejuice,” which both also got best musical nods. The giddy, heartwarming “The Prom” rounds out the best new musical category.

Hadestown also was the only new musical on Broadway directed by a woman, Tony Award nominee Rachel Chavkin, who earned another one.

“I’m trying not to swear, but I am so proud of the 14 nominations. There is just not a weak spot on the team. There is no place where we haven’t all been working our asses off to make this show feel as ancient and as ‘now’ as possible, simultaneously,” she said.

The best-play nominees are the Northern Irish drama “The Ferryman,” from Jez Butterworth; James Graham’s “Ink,” about Rupert Murdoch; Taylor Mac’s Broadway debut, “Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus”; Tarell Alvin McCraney’s “Choir Boy”; and Heidi Schreck’s “What the Constitution Means to Me,” a personal tour of the landmark document at the heart of so many American divisions.

Des McAnuff, who directed “Ain’t Too Proud,” pointed to the timeliness of his musical, which charts the rise, sacrifices and challenges facing the 1950s group that sang “Baby Love” and “My Girl.”

“I think when people come to the Imperial Theatre, they’ll find that the story is as pertinent now as it was when they lived it,” he said. “It applies to Black Lives Matter and what’s going on in this country in terms of the tensions today.”

Laurie Metcalf got an acting nod for Hillary and Clinton and if she wins the Tony this year, she will be the first person to win acting Tonys three years consecutively. (She won in 2018’s “Three Tall Women” and “A Doll’s House, Part 2” in 2017).

A sweet “Kiss Me, Kate” and a dark “Oklahoma!” make up the best musical revival category; they were the only eligible nominees. The best play revival nominees are “Arthur Miller’s All My Sons,” ‘’The Boys in the Band,” ‘’Burn This,” ‘’Torch Song” and “The Waverly Gallery.”

Ali Stroker, the first actress who needs a wheelchair for mobility known to have appeared on a Broadway stage, earned a Tony nomination for “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!”

André De Shields earned his third Tony nomination for playing Hermes in “Hadestown” and is gunning for his first win in a career spanning 50 years. He said he felt relief and gratitude for all the support.

“Living the dream is one thing, but if you don’t stick around long enough to enjoy the dream when it becomes a reality, then what good is the dream? So here I am. I’m living the dream for a horde of people,” he said.

Nominees for best actor in a play include Paddy Considine from “The Ferryman,” Bryan Cranston in “Network,” Jeff Daniels in “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Adam Driver from “Burn This” and Jeremy Pope in “Choir Boy.” Pope is also up for a featured role in “Ain’t Too Proud.”

The category of best actress in a play includes Annette Bening in “Arthur Miller’s All My Sons,” Laura Donnelly in “The Ferryman,” Elaine May in “The Waverly Gallery,” Janet McTeer in “Bernhardt/Hamlet,” Metcalf in “Hillary and Clinton” and Schreck from “What the Constitution Means to Me.”

Nominated for best actor in a musical are Brooks Ashmanskas from “The Prom,” Derrick Baskin in “Ain’t Too Proud,” Alex Brightman from “Beetlejuice,” Damon Daunno in “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!” and Santino Fontana in “Tootsie.”

Patrick Page, who has appeared in over a dozen Broadway shows including “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas!,” ‘’The Lion King” and “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark,” earned his first Tony nomination for playing Hades in “Hadestown.”

Nominees for best leading actress in a musical are Stephanie J. Block in “The Cher Show,” Caitlin Kinnunen and Beth Leavel both in “The Prom,” Eva Noblezada in “Hadestown” and Kelli O’Hara in “Kiss Me, Kate.”

Block, a veteran of Broadway shows such as “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” and “Falsettos,” got her third nomination for playing one of three actresses who portray the title character in “The Cher Show.”

Hollywood A-listers Cranston, Driver, May and Daniels made the cut but some of their starry colleagues did not, including Kerry Washington, Daniel Radcliffe, Armie Hammer, Ethan Hawke, Joan Allen, Michael Cera, Lucas Hedges and Keri Russell.

For a few theater veterans behind the scenes, the nominations were doubly good: Ann Roth was nominated for creating the costumes for both “Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus” and “To Kill a Mockingbird,” while William Ivey Long earned nods for both “Beetlejuice” and “Tootsie.”

The awards will be presented June 9 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. James Corden, the host of CBS’ “The Late Late Show” and a Tony winner himself, will host. AP

The post ‘Hadestown’ leads Tony Award nominations with 14 nods appeared first on The Manila Times Online.

Domestic violence is a taboo issue that most Filipinos do not discuss in the open. Although we have grown leaps and bounds from the ‘80s where women were not encouraged to work and have a life apart from their husbands, there is still a stigma connected with talking about what happens behind closed doors.

In a culture like ours, women, though revered, are also taught to conduct themselves in a specific way as to not gain unwarranted attention. When husbands cheat or mistreat their wives, the women are often told, “baka naman kasi hindi ka mabuting asawa.” Instead of asking the perpetrators to take accountability, the blame is placed on women’s clothing and actions.

This is the culture that Kyra Luthi aims to break through the #BreakingSilence Movement. Kyra, who graduated with a degree from San Beda College Alabang, has had experience as an artist and a producer in the entertainment industry before becoming an educator of public speaking, personality development, stage performance, and leadership skills.

Herself a survivor of domestic violence and sexual abuse, Kyra started sharing her story three years ago when she first realized that she was not the only one with said experiences.

“When I first started to speak up about my story, I realized there were many more stories out there. This was when I decided to become an advocate and a counselor for victims. This drove me to meet various people including my partner who is a professional therapist and counselor in Los Angeles. Together, we established a movement here in the Philippines. It is a very challenging advocacy because it is still considered a taboo issue but that’s another reason we want to push for it,” she related.

The #BreakingSilence Movement aims to “redefine and reimpose people of the gravity of the act.”

“We need to be reminded that it is an illegal, immoral, and criminal act. It has to be taken seriously because it can happen anywhere — school, work, public places, transportation, and of course, homes,” she said.

Kyra understands that while the rest of world have been more open in hearing and sympathizing with victims, the country is not quite ready for it due to the “baka naman” culture.

“It’s a culture wherein somebody opens up about being a victim and people tend to say, ‘maybe it was your fault why it happened,’ ‘maybe you we were wearing something provocative.’ These statements often give the perpetrators the benefit of the doubt instead of fully supporting the victim and often the reason why victims often remain silent leading to issues to not be completely addressed,” Kyra noted.

“Staying silent have lasting effects on the victim because being victimized has long term psychological effects such as self-harm, self-blame, depression, anxiety and post traumatic stress disorder. These are issues that need to be addressed and it begins with being brave enough to say something.”

Kyra started #BreakingSilence in the hopes of encouraging others to understand the importance of opening up about sexual abuse and harassment of any kind.

“Perpetrators need to face the consequences of their actions no matter how small it is. It could be catcalling, indecent proposals at work (promotion in exchange of sexual favors), seductive touching and texting, these things may seem harmless at first but disturbing and harmful if it continues.

“It is very important to talk about domestic violence and sexual abuse openly just as we are able to talk about murder, theft, and other criminal acts. Let us open our eyes and finally admit that it exists and that it is critical for it to be discussed and addressed. People need to hear and see that there are people supporting them. This way, we are able to dissuade perpetrators from committing the act, and empower the survivors to speak up,” she stressed.

#BreakingSilence, which is composed of a network of survivors, psychologists, counselors, therapists, legal, and political firms from all over the world aims to raise awareness through events and projects that also serve as a helpline for victims.

“For anyone who is a victim, we are here to encourage you to speak up about it. I know it can be difficult at first but that’s normal. There are people who can help you, support you so please do not be afraid. You are not alone in this. You are a strong and brave individual capable of doing great things. We will help you through this, in whatever way we can. Together, we can win this fight,” Kyra concluded.

To know more about #BreakingSilence you may follow them on Facebook and Instagram @breakingsilencemvmt and @breakingsilence_mvmt.

www.carlabiancaravanes.com

The post Kyra Luthi raises awareness on abuse via #BreakingSilence appeared first on The Manila Times Online.

IT was not until she retired in April this year that I came to know her surname. Zeny and I have been colleagues in a newspaper office for 10 years (since 2009) but we seldom socialized, except during Christmas parties or anniversary celebrations of The Manila Times.

Maybe the reason was that she was with Layout and I was with Editorial as copy editor, which deployment leaves little time for lengthy conversation or even small talk.

I am older than Zeny by five years (she’s 65, and the mandatory retirement age for Filipinos like the two of us working in the private sector is 60).

Silent and efficient on the job, she told me that she did not retire when she was supposed to because she still was enjoying the work, and not the least the company of young people (reporters, correspondents, researchers) in the newsroom.

And never mind that she lived in the province of Cavite, south of Manila, meaning it was a daily commute of four hours (two-way) for her to our office in Manila’s historic Intramuros district.

Zeny also told me that when she did finally decide to leave her job for good last March, it did not take her long to do so, partly because she had longed for spending more time with her two grandchildren.

At The Manila Times, she was motherly, especially to the editorial assistants and other layout people less than half her age.

Occasionally, she would bring to the office suman and other delicious rice cakes from Cavite for all of us in Editorial.

On her last day at work one day last April, Zeny surprised female editors Tessa, Lynette, Leena, Remia and Lea and reporter Iza by giving each of them paper flowers (vases included) in mostly yellow, red, pink and white.

I was not to be left out.

Zeny gave me a beach towel, also in yellow, and I think I was the more surprised receiver of a Christmas gift in April. The cloth did not come wrapped in a box or placed inside a paper bag. Zeny handed it to me, and, well, you can say I stammered as I got it from her.

Thank you very much, Zenaida “Zeny” Erispe and I know you’ll take good care of your grandkids.

Just don’t forget to take your maintenance medicines and you’ll be alright.

The post Zenaida Erispe is her name appeared first on The Manila Times Online.

AN esteemed Filipino writers’ group formally honored this year seven creative writers — of which six are women, including a television scriptwriter— as well as a professor and literary organization from Cebu province, for their contributions to Philippine literature.

In a ceremony at the Cultural Center of the Philippines on April 27 — more than a month after their names were first announced on Facebook — the Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas (Writers’ Union in the Philippines or Umpil) bestowed the Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas (National Disciple of Balagtas Award) on poets Godehardo B. Calleja, Dinah T. Roma and Ester T. Tapia; children’s book author Grace D. Chong; fictionist and essayist Luna Sicat-Cleto; poet and essayist Alice M. Sun-Cua; and TV scribe Gina Marissa Tagasa for lifetime achievement.

It also conferred the Gawad Paz Marquez Benitez (Paz Marquez Benitez Award) for outstanding teacher of literature on University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu professor and Palanca award winner Lilia T. Tio, and the Gawad Pedro Bucaneg (Pedro Bucaneg Award) for outstanding literary organization on Bathalan-ong Halad sa Dagang Inc. (Bathalad).

The first award was named after celebrated Filipino poet laureate and Florante at Laura (Florante and Laura) author Francisco Balagtas; the second, after the fictionist and educator who penned “Dead Stars,” widely regarded as the first modern Filipino short story in English; and the third, after the Ilokano poet who reputedly wrote the first version of the epic Biag ni Lam-ang (Life of Lam-ang).

On Calleja, Umpil said the 82-year-old Albay native’s poems in Bikolnon “offer lightness and insight, illumined by meditation borne of his own adventures that may wander here and there, but will certainly return to his poetic Rawis.”

“In his poetry, the native sensibility is beautifully shaped, as well as resolute in its devotion to being a Bikolnon and a vagabond,” it added.

The literary organization praised the way La Union-born Chong, in writing stories for children, “deploys narrative as an efficacious manner of awakening and illumination.”

In her stories, it noted, she sowed “the seed of values enriched by [a] Christian perspective” and “in its growth, in every flip of her books, hope is reaped, time and again, this fruit of faith, not only in the word, but also in the Word became flesh.”

“To Umpil, you can’t imagine how honored I am for this recognition,” said the 73-year-old author of The Boy Who Had Five Lolas, The Magic of Apo Mayor and No Lipstick for Mother, who recounted how awestruck she was by the “beautifully written” Filipino words in Florante at Laura when she came upon it in high school, where the medium of instruction then was English; and how she tried — and failed — to write stories in Filipino when she concentrated on writing full-time years later.

“Please be assured that this true-blue Ilokana who writes only in English will treasure this Gawad Balagtas forever and ever,” she added.

‘Brilliant voice’

The writers’ group called Western Samar-born Roma “a brilliant voice,” and honored her for “her poetry woven by myriad sojourns to the self and to the world, made more vibrant by an almost entire life of being a vagabond and pilgrim in various lands and shrines of the poetic.”

In accepting her prize, the 51-year-old author of A Feast of Origins and Geographies of Light recalled the days she spent alone writing in the pink room of her childhood home, preparing her for a “lifelong vocation of writing of poetry,” which has, over the decades, become “like praying” for her, allowing her to enter “a zone of mindfulness.”

“Poetry, many say, is the genre of the moment, as writing or reading it allows us to slow down, savor what is said of human experiences that pass by so quickly. It freezes us to relive with fresh insight what we have often been quick to forget in our pursuit of debilitating productivity. It makes us more engaged witnesses to life,” Roma said.

Umpil hailed the 52-year-old Sicat-Cleto’s fiction in Filipino as embodying “a distinct female voice, one that embodies courage and daring, emerging in the field of stories and truth-telling, unburdened by marginality nor woundedness, with no other desire but to capture in words the Filipino struggle and values.”

In her speech, the Makinilyang Altar (Typewriter Altar) and Mga Prodigal (The Prodigals) novelist used the image of the “practice house” of the School of Home Economics in UP Diliman — where students learn about housework, including taking care of dolls that they pretend are real babies — in saying that in many aspects, “ang panulat ay parang gaya ng practice house na iyon. Malingat ka lang ay makakabagsak ka talaga na batang buhay na nasobrahan sa sabon (writing is like that practice house. One careless move and you could really drop a live baby bathed with too much soap).”

“May bahagi sa fiction-writing na alam mo, bilang manunulat, na tumatawid ka lang talaga sa alambre ng totoo at gawa-gawa lang, at kailangang dahan-dahanin ang pagtapak at baka bumulusok sa ere (There is a part in fiction-writing that you know, as a writer, that you’re crossing on a wire between what’s real and make-believe, and you must tread carefully or else you’ll plunge in the air).”

The organization recognized 64-year-old Sun-Cua “for weaving exquisite travel narratives that invite readers to inhabit in their imagination the places visited by her body and soul.”

It also praised “her writings that celebrate her Filipino, Chinese and Ilonggo heritage, wherever life would bring her; [and her giving] giving a beautiful voice to a humanist cosmopolitan sentiment that could only come from a pilgrim with an open mind and heart.”

“Struggling both writing and being a practicing obstetrician-gynecologist have its particular challenges,” Sun-Cua said in her speech. “Both activities are exciting and exhilarating, although many times it can become very physically demanding as one matures and ages.”

“The arts certainly give the science a human face, making one realize time and again that patients are not only gravidocardiacs, who are pretty clumpy, or women in severe hypotension because of acute blood loss after a delivery, but also human beings with their own pecularities, their own hopes and dreams. Human beings to be loved,” the travel essayist behind Riding Towards the Sunrise and Autumn in Madrid and Other Travel Tales added.

‘Tireless desire’

The union paid tribute to Tagasa “for her many decades of rendering various dramas that not only offer morals, but more so, mirror the many colors and complexities of Filipino life, and of ferrying these in the predominant media of radio, television and film.”

It said her scripts “manifest the tireless desire of the Filipino to transcend his every struggle through time,” and “her eye and care for character, restraint in dramatic encounters and narrative tightening have become hallmarks and models for many who follow her footsteps.”

The Lovingly Yours, Helen scripwriter regarded the recognition from Umpil as among the highest she has received in her more-than-three-decade career as a TV writer. This, she said, was not only given by her colleagues in the industry, but also by her fellow writers in literature and the academe.

Receiving the award, she added, made it clear to her “na ang sining at panitikan ay hindi lamang dapat para sa iilan, kundi sa pangkahalatang masa din. Na ang mga antolohiya at soap operas at seryeng ito ay patuloy pa ring inaakap ng pangkaraniwang manonood na Pilipino [at] nagsasalarawan din po ng kanilang sakit ng buhay, ligaya, lahat po (that the arts and literature are not only for a few, but also for the masses. That TV anthologies, soap operas and series continue to be embraced by ordinary Filipino viewers, and depict their pains in life, joy, everything),” she added.

As for Cebu province-born Tapia, Umpil described her as a “powerful and lyrical voice” whose poems in Cebuano “bloom surreal beauty that challenges the reader’s imagination to assert freedom to define what is woman, what is human and what is just to create and recreate the self.”

The 61-year-old co-author of Sinug-ang and Duhawit, an urban development adviser currently based in Nepal, expressed happiness over the honor accorded to her, noting that she is only the third Cebuano poet to receive it, after Melchor U. Yburan and Marjorie Evasco, whom she acknowledged in the audience.

The group applauded Tio’s “intelligence, fortitude and devotion to championing the cause of the teaching of Cebuano and Philippine literature to many generations of students in Cebu, and her peerless writing of scholarly articles on literature and Cebuano culture.”

“This, for me, is a validation for my decision to become a literature teacher, because when my father was still alive, he would have wanted me to go into business. But I pleaded with him until he said yes,” the 63-year-old Tio said.

And the organization praised Cebu-based Bathalad’s tirelessness “in launching the careers of young writers in the Cebuano language” for five decades, and called the contribution of this “guardian and nurturer of dreams and aspirations” in “sharing and enriching” Cebuano literature today “is beyond compare.”

Richellet Chan, Bathalad secretary for budget and finance, accepted the Bucaneg award on her group’s behalf, admitting that it was enough for them to be able to write their stories and poems and die content with that knowledge.

But receiving this honor, she said, is “something that a writer or writers are happy about, kasi binabasa tayo (because it means we are being read).”

Umpil held the awarding ceremony as part of its 45th national writers’ congress, which has “Panitikan, Galing at Ginhawa” (Literature, Healing and Wellness) as its theme. During the congress, award-winning writers Noel Pingoy, John Labella and Victor Emmanuel Carmelo Nadera Jr. discussed “Panitikan at Galing” in one forum; and Sylvia Claudio, Sooey Valencia and Michael Carlo Villas tackled “Panitikan at Ginhawa” in another.

Since it was established in 1988, the Balagtas prize has been awarded to more than 200 writers. These include National Artists for Literature Francisco Arcellana, Edith L. Tiempo and Ramon L. Muzones (1988), NVM Gonzalez (1989), Amelia Lapeña-Bonifacio and Rolando S. Tinio (1993), and Cirilo F. Bautista and Resil B. Mojares (1997). The late President Diosdado P. Macapagal (1990), historian Renato Constantino (1993), screenwriter Ricardo “Ricky” Lee (2000) and filmmaker Mario O’Hara (2009) also received this award.

The post Women writers rule Umpil awards appeared first on The Manila Times Online.

Laws and advances have been made toward the improvement of healthcare in the Philippines but many issues that need to be addressed still remain in order to genuinely achieve a high quality and cost efficient healthcare system, especially for government-owned hospitals.

Topping the list of problems that plague public hospitals are the shortage of doctors, specialists and nurses; insufficient medical equipment and supplies; and the lack of hospital beds amid the high influx of patients, among others, which all point to the lack of funds to raise salaries, purchase necessities and expand facilities.

Thankfully, despite this vicious cycle of problems in public healthcare, there likewise remains a noble number of medical professionals who truly live out their Hippocratic Oath to treat the sick, especially the underprivileged, and do their best to make them well amid a wanting environment.

The Sunday Times Magazine had the privilege of meeting and witnessing one such physician at work all the way in Olongapo City at the local government’s James L. Gordon Memorial Hospital. For there, Dr. Jesse Jewel Manuel as Chief of Hospital leads inspiringly and by example in living out their slogan of “service, compassion and excellence” despite the odds.

Dutiful son

Dr. Manuel took up BS Medical Technology for pre-med at the Far Eastern University (FEU)-Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation, graduating in 1986. He went straight to medical school still at FEU and proceeded with his internship at the former George Dewey Hospital in Olongapo back when it was still a US Naval Facility.

Finally graduating in 1991, he immediately passed the board and became a resident doctor at the Philippine Orthopedic Center.

Traversing the tough and lengthy road toward becoming a medical doctor with neither a break nor hitch, Dr. Manuel’s first words to The Sunday Times Magazine came quite a surprise.

“My first ambition was to become a lawyer,” he confessed. “However, ang father ko kasi is a frustrated doctor. He came from a poor family in Guagua, Pampanga, while my mother was also the daughter of a poor family in Zambales.

“Because of financial constraints, my father needed to work right away because he is second in a brood of nine. He opted to take education for two years just so he could support the family.”

The Manuels eventually became Olongapo locals since it was here their father and mother met while working for the US Navy.

“Doon sila nagkita and after they retired, they put up small business na medyo sinwerte naman ng konti. Then my father influenced all of us, his three children, to become doctors and realize his dream. The eldest one, my ate is a doctor in the US, then it’s me, and our youngest is now working in southern Manila as a cardiologist. I was the only one who decided to come back to Olongapo.”

Serendipity

According to the 53-year-old medical practitioner, he only really planned to practice his specialty as an orthopedic surgeon at James L. Gordon among a few hospitals as doctors often do, but fate stepped in sometime in 2013.

With Manuel’s reputation as a kind and conscientious doctor, well-liked and respected by colleagues, staff and patients alike, Olongapo City Mayor Rolen Paulino singled him out to become Hospital Administrator that year.

“I really wanted to go back to my roots at the very least practice as a surgeon here, but baka serendipity na din. I had been practicing here since 1998 after completing my residency program and my appointment as hospital administrator only came 15 years later. Then when Dr. Arturo Mendoza retired as Chief of Hospital, the mayor asked me to assume his position and I accepted to take over,” he narrated.

Going further back, Manuel informed The Sunday Times Magazine that it was then-mayor and now Senator Richard “Dick” Gordon who started the James L. Gordon Memorial Hospital in 1996, naming it after his father. Left behind by the US Navy, the facility became a government unit-sponsored hospital with 305 bed-capacity, and a fully equipped laboratory, radiology department and operating room. It even had a drug testing center at that time, thereby earning James L. Gordon the distinction as the very first LGU hospital such capability in the Philippines.

Under Dr. Manuel’s watch, he tries his very best to keep the hospital as accessible and efficient as before given the limitations of the public healthcare system.

“In fact, besides being a tertiary hospital, this is also a Level 3 hospital,” he proudly noted. “Now what does that mean? A Level 3 means it is a teaching hospital where doctors are trained to become specialists. And yes, we continue to train local and foreign doctors in four major departments, namely Surgery, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics and Obstetrics, and Gynecology.

“Modesty aside, we have an excellent program here with most of graduates easily passing the board exams—minsan nag-to-top pa. I myself was also part of the training program committee here and I continue to teach especially when I do surgeries,” he continued. “And we’re actually planning to put up a training program for Anesthesia kasi marami na kami ditong mga anesthesiologists so kasama na yun sa pipeline namin as well as orthopedics.”

Dr. Manuel’s work is therefore proof that so long as government hospitals strive to make the best out of allocated funds and properly prioritize, it can rise above the dreary state that most other institutions allow themselves to deteriorate.

‘Obligated to all’

True to every line of his Hippocratic oath, which holds doctors to “special obligations to all my fellow human beings,” he is happy to share that their patients come from outside Olongapo as well.

“This hospital has been an ISO-certified hospital since 2010 and we cater to as many patients as we can. In fact, while 50 percent of our patients here do come from Olongapo, the other 50 come from nearby municipalities like for example, Zambales, Bataan and even Pampanga. Natutuwa nga kami dito dahil pinagkakatiwalaan nila kami,” he averred.

“Halos lahat ng mga complicated cases in hospitals surrounding Olongapo are usually referred to us and we accept them. Because the thrust of the hospital is to be serve as a public hospital we make sure to take in patients who are in the lower social strata. So most of our beds here are concentrated more on serving the poor.”

Private practice, meanwhile, is still pursued at the hospital in order to maintain its Level 3 status as a training hospital.

“Yung mga consultants namin dito are the ones who train the new doctors to become specialists, and they only receive an honorarium because of financial constraints. This is one of those agencies financed by the LGU so hindi talaga nila kayang magbigay ng positions for consultants, so to compensate, we allow them to do private practice so they can continue to teach.

As of his current count, Dr. Manuel is proud to have 108 consultants and 28 residents at James L. Gordon Memorial Hospital.

“We have 40 slots for residents, 10 in each departments. Kaya lang ang nagiging problema lang natin dito is the number of applicants for residency. In 2012, residents earned P20,000 each, which is now up to P35,000. But even if we found a way to increase salaries, it is still difficult to entice them with that amount. That’s why I’m grateful that we have interns in their place to augment our workforce.”

Challenges

Dr. Manuel admits that despite the achievements of James L. Gordon Memorial Hospital, there are still many areas in the institution that needs improvement.

“Kaya ko naman nagustuhan ang offer to head the hospital is that they wanted me to make this hospital a very efficient one again to be able to serve patients who need help the most, regardless of religion, social status and political affiliation. It’s for this very reason that I accepted the office kasi hospital must be really apolitical. Kaya although I am a political appointee, nakikita nila what I instilled here is that we have to be neutral and we have to give the highest medical services. And we have to give it to those who need it most,” he declared.

“Mas maraming problema dito dati. Alam mo yung notion of a public hospital? You can really see it here ‘di’ba? Yung mga negative. All of this is what continues to challenge me, just like the past negatives which I’ve turned around since 2013. Why? Because I am from here — I was born here, I was raised here and I was given the chance to serve here. And iba yun — not many are given a chance to pay it forward at the very place they call home. To be given that opportunity, I treasured it. And ang ginagawa lang natin is to live by example kasi yun lang ang nakikita kong dahilan para mabago natin lahat,” the good doctor related his views.

“Ang challenge lang naman dito every day is how to make ends meet because of our financial constraints. Alam mo naman, napakaraming ahensya ng gobyerno na kailangang pondohan. So with these guys, natuto akong makipag-compromise. Pangalawa, ang challenge ay left and right criticisms which we’re being bombarded with everyday especially at this time [campaign period]. Ang sinasabi ko sa kanila don’t lose focus kasi our job is to be an apolitical institution. All we have to do is do our job and at the end of the day all of it will come to pass. Politics should never influence us our jobs,” he added.

Despite encountering difficult situations every so often, Manuel — who is in every way a spirited and caring leader according to the hospital staff — stated he is more than proud of his co-workers’contribution to society as they tirelessly do for the institution.

“You know what, here in our hospital, ang lagi kong sinasabi sa kanila, our job is a thankless job. Because patients here expect us to do our job we shouldn’t have to wait for thank you. And we also have to brace ourselves for any comments or criticisms and we don’t have to take them as negatives. We have to accept comments because yon ang nakita nila. However unfair, we have to take them constructively so we can improve our services.”

Developments

“Modesty aside, from the time I held office here in 2013, there have been so many improvements that have taken place in the hospital including employees’ attitude,” Dr. Manuel began when asked to touch on the developments he has put in place.

“When I started out, hindi maganda yung state ng hospital at that time. Sira ang ating x-ray, wala tayong mga gamot, supplies, ang ating financial status was really down, including the moral of the staff.

“Ang ginawa ko first and foremost was to set myself as an example kasi ang sa akin ang leadership is very simple. You just have to have to practice what you preach, and walk your talk. ‘Yun ang aking principle in life and nakita naman nila, from there na pwedeng magbago.

“The changes in attitude I believe is one of the biggest improvements because given na kasi yung tangible ones. There’s support naman na from the private institutions and government as far as funding is concerned. We’re doing a lot of renovations, which is funded both by the local and national government. Sabi ko nga sa kanila, dapat suklian natin ng magandang serbisyo ang mga binibigay sa atin,” he added.

Finally asked to describe the fulfillment of a doctor-leader in a public hospital, Dr. Manuel easily responded, “When you give help, nakikita mo yung tao na nagigipit, at natulungan mo kahit konti. Pag nabigay mo yung pag-asikaso sa kanila, na-address yung kailangan nila, makikita mo silang nakangiti and priceless yon.”

Rounding up the interview with his vision for James L. Gordon Memorial Hospital, Dr. Jesse Manuel enthused, “My goal is for this hospital to become close to the heart of not only our constituents here in Olongapo, but also those that from other localities.

“I want this hospital to carry on as a center for training and research; to be as efficient as any other hospital as far as the infrastructure and equipment is concerned.

“I want this to become a full-fledged medical center and we will achieve that this year. We, together with the city mayor, are grateful to Senator Richard Gordon his initiative to raise P58 million funding for our equipment and another P10 million for infrastructure.

“I want the health care system to be truly universal for despite our financial constraints, we do comply with all the programs of the Department of Health and PhilHealth.

“Finally, I want this to be the best LGU-sponsored hospital not only in the Philippines but in the world because I believe anything is possible with the right attitude, with compassion and passion in one’s profession.”

The post A dutiful son and devoted doctor of Olongapo appeared first on The Manila Times Online.

The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) in partnership with The Filipino Heritage Festival Inc. (FHFI) and the provincial government of Isabela spearheaded the kick-off ceremony of the National Heritage Month 2019 in Tumauini, Isabela on May 2.

The NCCA, led by its chairman National Artist Virgilio Almario and its executive director Rico Pableo, Jr., through the Subcommission on Cultural Heritage (SCH) led by its commissioner Fr. Harold Rentoria, OSA convened the month-long celebration of national heritage at the St. Matthias Parish Church facade, carrying the theme “Mga Pinuno para sa Pamana” (Leaders for Heritage), which aims to send a message to Filipinos to be the frontrunners in preserving and promoting culture and heritage.

During the ceremony, the Municipal Mayor of Tumauini, Arnold Bautista opened the ceremony with an inspirational message, the provincial governor Faustino Dy also extended his support on the celebration. Cultural performance from local performers were also showcased during the ceremony.

The Philippine Postal Corporation, led by Postmaster General Joel Otarra also launched this year’s commemorative stamp featuring Women as Keepers of Heritage. Awarding of certificate of recognition to the 15th anniversary of the FHFI also transpired. The audio-visual presentation of winning National Heritage Month 2019 video during the social media contest was also viewed. Jeremy Barns, Director of National Museum of the Philippines (NM) and Rene Escalante of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) were present to support the celebration of National Heritage Month.

The St. Matthias Parish Church is declared by the NHCP as a National Historical Landmark and by NM as National Cultural Property, it is also one of the four Baroque Churches in the Philippines included in the tentative list of the Unesco World Heritage Sites.

The National Heritage Month celebration takes a prime among Filipinos the consciousness, respect, and love for the cultural heritage is pursuant to the Presidential Proclamation no. 439 signed in 2013.

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After its successful staging in 2018, “Binondo, A Tsinoy Musical” is set to return for a limited rerun in July.

In 2018, the original Filipino musical has earned six trophies from the Aliw Awards — Best Original Musical Production; Best Stage Director (Musical) for Joel Lamangan; Best Ensemble Performance; Best Composer for Original Musical Theater (Von de Guzman); Best Actress (Musical) Carla Gievara-Laforteza; and Best Actor (Musical) for David Ezra.

Spanning two decades and two countries, the story explores how love prevails even in times of racial prejudice, political turmoil, absence and longing. It also speaks about a deep and enduring love that transforms the lives of everyone who dares to put their hearts on the line.

Set in Manila’s pre-martial law days, it revolves around Lily (Shiela Valderrama-Martinez), a Filipina night club singer, and Ah Tiong (Arman Ferrer), a mainland Chinese scholar, who fall in love during a tumultuous time. Vying for Lily’s heart is her childhood friend Carlos (Noel Rayos), a local Chinese-Filipino who is forced to confront his feelings for Lily.

“This is the only musical na nagsasabi ng buhay ng isang Filipino-Chinese. Wala namang iba pa,” director Lamangan noted during the press conference.

“Kailangan mabigyan ng pagkakataon na marinig sila sapagkat sa pamamagitan ng musika, sa pamamagitan ng pagsasadula nalalaman natin ang mga problema ng mga Filipino-Chinese na ngayon ay problema pa din. Practically, 70 percent of Filipinos have at least Chinese blood. That comparison and analogy of two cultures are better understood when it’s in theater. There are a lot of similarities and as well as differences, but at the end of it all, there’s the same human experience which is still relevant until now,” he added.

According to Martinez, can relate to the musical Filipino-Chinese and even full blooded Filipinos.

“This particular musical is very relatable and very relevant even it was staged during the ‘70s. I can assure the ones who are going to watch that they are going to fall in love with the characters and the music as well because the story is very Pinoy. It’s the kind of love story that we like to watch — we like kilig, we like to cry, a little bit of anger here and there. Of cou

rse, it’s also an original Filipino musical. We really have a lot of wonderful talent that we would like to showcase as well,” she said.

Rayos, agreed and added, “Walang sayang na pag-ibig — that’s what the people can take away from our story. Love can take in many forms — love for your romantic interest, country, family, child, passion, work. We would like to encourage everyone to just love as much as they can dahil hinding hindi masasayang kapag nagmahal sila.”

Also in the cast are Mariella Laurel (Jasmine), Jim Pebanco, Lorenz Martinez, Khalil Kaimo, Rhapsody Li, Ellrica Laguardia (Koro), Ima Castro (Mrs. dela Rosa), Ashley Mickaela Factor (Rubi), Dondi Ong (Mr. Chua), Kay Balajadia (Mrs. Chua), Jennifer dela Cruz (Lourdes), Elizabeth Chua (Mrs. Zhang), Russell Magno (Mr. Zhang), Jonel Mojica (Ge Lao), and Philip Deles (Swing).

Meanwhile, the ensemble includes Cheeno Uy Macaraig, Carlos Deriada, Jr., Daniel Joseph Cruz, Dusty Suarez, Patrick Paul Clark, Randy Rey, Rence Avilles, Romcel Brinquiz, Roy Iringan, Ryan Caraan, VJ Cortel, Xander Pineda, Janine Tolentino, Julia Chua, Precious Sementilla, Douglas Nierras Powerdance (Christaliza Sawada-Dabaluz, Froilan Dabaluz, Divine Dacles, Ronald Policarpio, Ricmar Policarpio, Joshua Orbasido, Katlyn Kate Jacob, Cheska Quimno and Jay R Aguvida Calumpiano.

An original story of Rebecca Chuaunsu and written by Ricky Lee, Gershom Chua, and Eljay Castro (book and lyrics) with choreography by Doiglas Nierras, lighting direction by Joey Nombres, production design and technical direction by Otto Hernandez, and music composition and musical direction by Von de Guzman, the musical is presented by Maritess Alava-Yong Foundation

It will be staged on July 12 at the Theatre in Pasay City with a Gala Night at 8 p.m.; July 13, at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.; and July 14 at 3 p.m.

Ticket sales will be for the Benefit of Cancer Support and Research Charity for People Living with Cancer and Potential Prevention in St. Luke’s Medical Center.

The post ‘Binondo, A Tsinoy Musical’ returns in July appeared first on The Manila Times Online.

Supported by the Department of Education (DepEd) and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Department of Health (DoH) recognizes the integral role of mothers in helping their daughters understand the importance of early protection from Human Papillomavirus (HPV) — the leading cause of cervical cancer.

DoH’s School-Based Immunization Program (SBIP) recently reached Lakeshore Hall in Taguig City, where mothers accompanied their young daughters aged nine to 13 years old in receiving their first dose of quadrivalent HPV vaccine administered by the government for free as part of its expanded program on immunization.

The HPV vaccination program is targeted to make protection against HPV-related diseases such as cervical cancer more accessible to Filipino women especially for those who cannot afford the cost of immunization.

OB-Gyn and Infectious Disease specialist Jennifer Co noted that one dose of the vaccine ranges between P3,000 and 4,000. Those aged nine to 13 years old would need two doses of HPV vaccine. Meanwhile, adult females up to 45 years old would follow the three dose regimen schedule.

Under the HPV SBIP, more parents learn the value of having their daughters vaccinated at a young age through awareness and education seminars that are held before the schools ask for their consent. The quadrivalent HPV vaccine is most recommended to be administered to girls nine to 13 years old because they still have optimum immune resistance to the infection.

What is HPV?

HPV is a sexually transmitted infection that causes more than 90 percent of cervical cancer cases. It can also lead to genital warts, and other malignancies such as anal and oropharynx cancer in both men and women, vaginal and vulvar cancer in women, and penile cancer in men.

In the rise of cervical cancer incidence, with an estimate of 6,000 new cases reported every year in the Philippines, the value of HPV vaccination cannot be underestimated and many more mothers have been joining the fight for an HPV-free future.

“Nakatanggap ako ng three doses ng HPV vaccine. Dahil ako rin po ay isang nanay, naisip ko na kailangan din ng anak kong babae ng proteksyon. Kaya yung mga bata dito, masuwerte kayo kasi ibinibigay po ito ng DoH at pamahalaang lungsod ng Taguig nang libre,” said Annette Cristobal, principal of CP Sta. Teresa Elementary School.

Mothers who accompanied their daughters at the activity equally believed in the benefits of HPV immunization and encouraged other mothers to get their daughters vaccinated under the government vaccination program.

“Bilang ina ng isa sa mga nabiyayaan ng HPV vaccine, inaanyayahan ko po ang ibang mga magulang na pabakunahan ang kanilang mga anak upang matulungan silang mabigyan ng sapat na proteksyon at maagapan ang pagkakaroon ng HPV infection. Naniniwala po ako na prevention is better than cure,” said Geraldine Obuyes, mother of Crystal Obuyes who will be receiving her second dose of HPV vaccine.

“Paglaki namin, may tulong proteksyon na po kami sa HPV at cervical cancer. Dapat huwag matakot magpabakuna kasi na-test na ito at may research sila nang ilang dekada na,” said Arielle Canta, one of the recipients of SBIP.

The post Taguig City mothers intensify fight against cervical cancer appeared first on The Manila Times Online.

One of my favorite childhood memories involves me waking up early one morning, going to the kitchen, and announcing to my mother that I did not feel like going to school. As a first grader, I was unsure of how she would respond to such request but I was surprised when she merely replied with, “If you do not like to go to school, don’t go.”

My mom was an irony in such a way

that she was strict and meticulously well-mannered constantly giving us lessons on how to sit, how to stand, and how to properly behave in public. And yet, she gave us the freedom to be who we were. She supported me when all I ever wanted to do was bury my head in books and did not question when I chose a degree for college. My mom, along with my dad, allowed me to live my life the way that I saw fit. They trusted in the values and faith that they instilled in me when I was younger so when I was older, they let me go.

And while some people may have mistaken my mother as overly protective, looking back, she wasn’t. She was merely shielding me from unnecessary pain and protecting me as much as she could. My mother dedicated her life to protecting us and for that, I am grateful.

In fact, working in the mental health industry has made me appreciate my parents even more. As children, we sometimes forget that our parents are human beings who lived full lives before we came into the world and I am thankful for the way my mom survived and thrived through the many seasons of her life. My mom did the best that she could with what she had. She did the best that she could and I am who I am because of her bravery to move forward in life, even if she probably did not know how to do so.

My mom let us fly and live our dreams. She never shielded us from the realities of life and was always the first person to pick us up when life became challenging as it would for anyone. My mom’s faith has inspired my own, she always believed that God was in control and she had faith that no matter what the circumstance, He will show himself strong and faithful.

My mother gave life to me — such a simple yet incredibly powerful statement that we sometimes take for granted. Without my mother, I would not be here, I would not be writing this, and I would have not been given the education to pursue my dreams. I wouldn’t have the heart to give, the heart to love, or the capacity to empathize. I wouldn’t have the strength to go after my dreams or the courage to love life even if it has failed me before.

That is the gift of a mother — from the moment we wake on this earth, a love that doesn’t just give us life but it is a love that carries us through, whether we are near or far. It is a love that strengthens us and a love that is unlike no other.

Happy Mother’s Day to moms everywhere, the world would not be the same without you in it.

www.carlabiancaravanes.com

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Survey shows spike in remmitance every year toward second Sunday of May

Mother’s Day was first celebrated in 1908 when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis who died in 1904, at St. Andrew’s Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia.

Despite objection from the US Congress in 1908, Mother’s Day was observed by all states by 1911 due to Jarvis’ efforts. President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation in 1914, designating Mother’s Day on the second Sunday of May as a national holiday to honor mothers. The tradition spread to other nations.

Filipino tradition

Technically, Mother’s Day in the Philippines should remain celebrated on the first Monday of December. It has been that way since the 1920s until 1980 when Pres. Ferdinand Marcos signed a proclamation declaring the date as both Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.

With the assumption of Cory Aquino to the presidency in 1986, the date was changed to align with the US tradition of celebrating Mother’s Day on the second Sunday of May, and the Father’s Day on the third Sunday of June. When Joseph Estrada became President in 1998, he changed the date of Mother’s Day back to first Monday of December. It wasn’t overruled by the succeding leaders until now so legally Mother’s Day in the Philippines should be in December and not in May.

However, with Filipinos inclined to assimilate into American culture and traditions, Mother’s Day continues to be celebrated on the second Sunday of May, and Father’s Day on the third Sunday of June.

The Philippine society being maternal, with the mother touted as “ilaw ng tahanan” (light of the home), children are normally closer to the one who gave birth to them — recognizing the guidance, sacrifices, warmth, generosity and patience of their mom. Mother’s Day then becomes a full celebration also for other women in the family — lolas, aunties, ninangs, ates, cousins and other women who are also mothers.

While there are those who opt eating out to celebrate the occasion, most families prefer to stay at home and enjoy dinner most likely with party foods like pancit, spaghetti, pizza, fried chicken or lechon manok — with mom getting gifts of chocolates, kitchen implements, bedroom and bathroom essentials or bouquet of flowers.

OFW survey

In a survey conducted by online international money transfer service WorldRemit both in its Manila and London offices early this month, majority of Filipinos working abroad or OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) send money thru their moms.

Data showed that money transfers during the week leading up to Mother’s Day last year increased by 13 percent. Mother’s Day is a special time for OFWs to show their love and appreciation for their moms.

The survey also revealed:

– 62 percent said they send money to their moms in the Philippines.

– 43 percent said they haven’t seen their moms for at least two years.

– 99 percent who send money to their mothers celebrate Mother’s Day.

– 82 percent send money to their moms on Mother’s Day.

– 78 percent of those who send money to ther mom for Mother’s Day give her mom a call and 52 percent also send her a gift.

Responses were collected from a survey of 2,384 WorldRemit customers aged 18 to 50 years old who have sent money to the Philippines in the last six months from the USA, Australia, Canada, UK and Norway.

Called “mga bagong bayani,” OFWs are a strong force in keeping the country’s economy afloat. Last year, remittances from OFWs totaled $33.8 billion.

Save on fees

For Mother’s Day, WorldRemit is offering new customers zero fees on their first transfer if they use the code MDAYWR when making payment.

WorldRemit app and website make sending money home as easy as sending an instant message. Filipinos living in over 50 countries, including the USA, Canada and Australia, can send money in a few taps directly from their smartphones, without having to travel and pay expensive fees at a money transfer agent,” WorldRemit Managing Director for Asia-Pacific Michael Liu said.

“Mother’s Day is an important time for the 10 million Filipinos living and working abroad to show their moms that they’re thinking of them. Our online money transfer service makes it easier to send money to your mom this Mother’s Day. Customers can make transfers at any time from anywhere with just a few taps on their smartphones. We also deliver notifications to you and your mom when the money has been sent and received to help you stay connected at every stage of the money transfer journey,” he explained.

For recipients in the Philippines, WorldRemit offers a variety of convenient ways to receive money, including mobile money, bank deposit, cash collection at around 15,000 locations across urban and rural areas of the Philippines, and mobile airtime top-up.

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ONE subject comes up frequently in The End of the End of the Earth: Essays (Farrar, Strauss and Giroux; 2018), Jonathan Franzen’s latest collection of essays: how to live responsibly in the face of our all but certain extinction as a species.

“Every one of us is now in the position of the indigenous Americans when the Europeans arrived with guns and smallpox: our world is poised to change vastly, unpredictably, and mostly for the worse,” Franzen writes.

“I don’t have any hope that we can stop the change from coming. My only hope is that we can accept the reality in time to prepare for it humanely,” he adds.

If you’re late to the Franzen game, or know him only through one of the controversies that have dogged him online — He snubbed Oprah! Dissed Edith Wharton! Disrespected the Audubon Society! — this book is a good place to catch up with the acclaimed novelist (The Corrections, Freedom) whose graceful, trenchant essays are a joy to read, even when the subject is terrifying.

The End of the End of the Earth brings together 16 essays and speeches, written mostly in the past five years, although the publisher chose not to list the original publication date or media outlet. Half are about birds, birdwatching and climate change — subjects he cares about as deeply as literature and writing.

“If you could see every bird in the world, you’d see the whole world,” he writes in “Why Birds Matter,” a lyrical essay that persuasively argues that bird populations “indicate the health of … our ethical values.”

The rest touch on a variety of subjects, including photography, technology and Manhattan, pre-gentrification. One piece published two days after 9/11 shows the limits of deadline journalism because, like virtually everyone else in America, Franzen thought things would never be the same.

“In the space of two hours, we left behind a happy era of Game Boy economics and trophy houses,” Franzen says. Well, not exactly. The trophy houses in 2018 are even bigger.

In the final essay, Franzen slyly offers up a bit of advice for readers who, like him, worry about finding a moral and ethical way to live in the late Anthropocene.

After noting the human tendency to take the short view, he observes that every minute in America, 30,000 paper cups are tossed even as rain forests are leveled to supply the world with pulp.

“Your life is complicated enough already without dragging a reusable cup around with you all day,” Franzen says. Sure, but reading that sentence, you know that’s exactly what you should do. AP

The End of the End of the Earth: Essays costs P1,025 and is available in leading bookstores.

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Music devotees religiously do confession,
Chanted before a box of sing-along.
But it rarely leads to the singer’s redemption,
For it’s like buying absolution for a song.

Chanted before a box of sing-along,
Old guilt is spilled to the crowd.
It sure is like buying absolution for a song
And there’s freedom in singing it out loud.

While old guilt is spilled to the crowd,
Listeners cringe at the bitter tone.
There’s freedom in singing it out loud,
But the tension mounts in the microphone.

Listeners cringe at the bitter tone
As they line up to purge every regret.
Though the tension mounts in the microphone,
Listeners can’t wait to sing in order to forget.

People lining up to purge every regret
Are music devotees who pine for confession.
They can’t wait to sing in order to forget,
But it rarely leads to the singer’s redemption.

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