Bayanihan spirit is alive and well; will live on to the next generation

BY MANILA BULLETIN

Oct 26, 2024 07:53 AM 

 

The bayanihan spirit has again sparked kindness, generosity, and volunteerism even before weather disturbance ‘Kristine’ turned into a tropical storm, and yesterday, as a “severe tropical storm” raising wind signals in 43 areas as of 5 a.m., Oct. 25.

Our strong sense of community to offer help to strangers when disaster strikes has been cited as the spine that raises our resilience to return to our lives before a flood, earthquake or volcanic eruption.

That has been recognized at the recent Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR) hosted by the Philippines, Oct. 14-17, 2024, an event spearheaded by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). “Kamal Kishore, the special representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, called our country a ‘lighthouse to the world’,” wrote Manila Bulletin columnist, Antipolo Mayor Jun Ynares, who was one of the speakers.

“What impressed the UN official was what he called our country’s approach of “walking across sectors.” He was referring to the “inclusive” strategy of dealing with disasters where all stakeholders pitch in and help in order to mitigate the impact of adverse events triggered by climate change. He said the Philippines’ collaborative approach has put us ahead in disaster risk reduction initiatives. In a way, the UN official was paying tribute to our spirit and culture of bayanihan,” Ynares said in his column, “Bayanihan as disaster management model.”

On Oct. 23, after a night of strong winds and rains which caused flooding in the south, especially in the Bicol Region, we all woke to “bayanihan” in action.  In social media, the photos of people being rescued or negotiating deep floods transmitted the call for help. 

When former Vice President Leni Robredo, chairman of Angat Buhay Foundation and Kaya Natin Movement member, posted a call for help, donations in cash and kind flowed in. Among the first to respond was Bacolod-based Negrense Volunteers for Change (NVC) which immediately activated the production line of Mingo Meals, sending boxes of the nutritious meals to Naga City.  

Generous citizens immediately sent donations and 10 hours after the post, the Kaya Natin Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership recorded more than ₱4 million in donations.  As of 8 a.m. of Oct. 25, the donations had reached ₱13.4 million.

More than two dozen non-profit organizations initiated fund raising drives and donations of food and dry goods for the victims of severe typhoon Kristine, which had dumped extraordinary amounts of rains in many areas after it developed into a tropical depression on Oct. 21 and made landfall in Isabela as a severe tropical storm on Oct. 23. It then crossed the northern part of Luzon toward the West Philippine Sea.

It is good to see the strong signs that the bayanihan spirit will live on to the next generation.  More than 30 youth groups and school-based organizations have activated fund-raising and volunteer drives to help victims of the typhoon from different sectors, like farmers, fiskerfolk, and indigenous people. Among them are the Agham Youth; Angat GenC; ASEAN Youth Advocates Network; Franciscan Youth- Tabontabon; Kaya Natin Youth-Lucena; Tulong Kabataan; Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines; Youth Ambassadors of Albay; and the Student Council Alliance of the Philippines (SCAP).

On the sidelines, away from social media, neighbors extended help to neighbors, offering spaces to sleep for the night, and sharing meals and warm clothing.
Amid the rage of nature, it was good to find the spirit of bayanihan still alive and well among us.

Mind, body, and soul

Understanding the fifth wall through dance at the Fifth Wall Fest

BY POCH EULALIA

Oct 26, 2024 08:43 AM

  

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AT A GLANCE

• To see the human body move and bend in ways that seemed physically impossible was truly a surreal experience. 

When the human body moves, its sole purpose is to get us from point A to point B. In this fast-paced world, we set our goals to get tasks done as fast as possible. We are steadfast in continuing the daily grind, focused only on partaking of the hustle culture that puts food on our tables. When was the last time we ever got to sit down, take in the sights, and appreciate the earth’s bounty? Have we ever given ourselves the time to break through the fifth wall?

OLDEN BEAUTY Doña Sisang's home served as the venue for this year's Fifth Wall Fest

By now, we are more than likely aware of what it means to “break the fourth wall,” thanks to characters like Marvel’s Deadpool, Ferris Bueller, and Fleabag, who all break the fourth wall by constantly making remarks and acknowledging the audience. We can trace back the concept of the fourth wall down to French philosopher Denis Diderot. He visualizes the idea of the fourth wall keeping the audience separate from the performers. What then is the fifth wall?

 

For dance artist Madge Reyes, the fifth wall stands as an imaginary barrier that guests pass once they leave a venue after a cultural experience and return to their daily lives. Think of it as attending a concert, screaming to your heart’s content as you hear your favorite artist belt out the tunes you love, and heading back home after an electric night. You leave feeling changed, often for the better, as if you had been in a life-altering experience and can never go back the same. It’s this euphoric feeling that fuels the creativity behind her project, the Fifth Wall Fest.

MOVING EXPERIENCE Within the very confines of Doña Sisang's home, the art of dance fluorished as workshops were held to encourage people into expressing themselves through movement

Just recently, the Fifth Wall Fest held its fifth edition following the theme, “The body is home.” Starting out as an online format during the pandemic, the Fifth Wall Fest has since evolved to a literal “home” experience by having its venue take place at LVN Pictures president Narcisa “Doña Sisang” V. Buencamino-de Leon’s historic residence along Broadway Avenue in Quezon City and transforming it into the “Fifth Wall House.”

 

What unfolded over a recent weekend was a series of programs, shows, workshops, and art performances that left guests stunned and lost in another realm. Having the venue take place in the ancestral home added a layer worthy of curiosity, as it leaves guests curious not only about the happenings, but also the lives of those who lived there. Each room had different things going on throughout the two days. You either found yourself joining in the many dance workshops, led by the likes of the Alexander Whitley Dance Company, Alvin Collantes, featuring Hideki Ito, and Magis Creatives Spaces, prompting you to enter a daze and lose yourself to dance, or as an observer mesmerized over the activities lined up in the festival. In one of the rooms, dance films with art house vibes, both foreign and local, would play throughout the day in a nearly pitch-black setting. In each of these settings, to see the human body move and bend in ways that seemed physically impossible was truly a surreal experience. 

HAPAG KAINAN, mixed media, by Rinsfud, 2024

Also worth noting were the otherworldly art installations set up in various areas of the house. One particular piece that stood out was Hapag Kainan by Rinsfud. Displayed on a large table that acted as the stage where all forms of life gathered were an array of plants, fruits, and garlic symbolic of the stages of the ongoing transformation on our tables from the perspective of farmers, cooks, and the consumers (us, the audience). 

 

True enough, going through the happenings of the Fifth Wall Fest was quite an ethereal experience that continues to linger. It has left memories of a movement led by people who felt passionate about their craft and eager to share it with the world through an avant-garde format. Don’t miss out on the sixth edition that’s coming up and you might just leave the festival feeling like a changed person.