A Batanguenia in the Cordillera: Profile of a Public Serevant Helen Reyes-Tibaldo is a self-made man embodied in the frame of a diminutive woman. She was born and raised in the province known for its Balisong fan knife, Baraco coffee and Lambanog coconut wine. She is the eldest of a brood of seven who are mostly engineers among which include corporate executives, IT expert, a medical practitioner and a Catholic priest. She is married to artist and DTI communications man Joel Arthur Tibaldo of which they have two daughters, Tam Jewel who works at the Baguio branch of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Inah, Junior Manager of the Baguio Country Club. Her career as a public servant spans six Philippine administrations from pre-EDSA revolution to the present Duterte government. Following her 1982 college internship at the defunct Ministry of Human Settlements under former First Lady Imelda Marcos, she was hired as a project officer and this post introduced her to the country’s remote communities and exposed her to village life. Her educational background in economics could have landed her in the corporate world and high paying business communities here and abroad but she chose to be closer to common Pinoys that composes majority of the populace. The field of communication was not really her windmill but her enthusiasm and passion to accept challenges, interact with others and undertake collaborative programs became her niche that led her to be deeply rooted with the people she serves. Believing in the dictum ―communication is life‖, Helen R. Tibaldo for almost three decades has served under the Philippine Information Agency from a regional coordinator based in the Quezon City office to an Officer-in-Charge in the PIA regional office of the Cordillera. Dealing with local and national media during Presidential visits and big events in Baguio City and the Regional Development Council which she is an active member often deprive her time with her family which she pays back with motherly compensation. Today, Helen Tibaldo can now be considered as the longest serving executive in the history of the Cordillera Administrative Region as she was tasked in 1989 to help spearhead the conduct of people’s consultations in preparation for the ratification of Cordillera Autonomy as envisioned in the 1987 Constitution.
It was not easy for someone from the Tagalog speaking area to be assimilated in the macho culture of the upland region especially when the issue on native Cordillerans or genuine Igorots was deliberated by the interim government bodies at the start of the autonomy campaign. Her marriage to Baguio boy Joel Arthur Tibaldo of the Bago tribe in 1989 at the height the Reformed AFP Movement (RAM) rebellion that almost overthrew the Cory government and her subsequent interactions with leaders and local media towed the lines that ultimately earned her the respects of Cordillera leaders that adopted her. Her presence in most of the regional events and functions in the Cordillera Administrative Region and Baguio City as either toastmaster or member of a steering committee kept her schedules tight but despite this, the energetic woman of action always manages to put things in order even to the point when she has to tag along members of her family to her affair. Among the numerous awards and citations that Helen R. Tibaldo received while in the Cordillera includes the Outstanding Citizen of Baguio in 2006, the Outstanding Women Leaders (OWLs) in 2013 and the DOST Science Ambassador Award of 2015. In her capacity as country representative of PIA, PCOO and as Chapter President and Treasurer of the Family Planning Organization of the Philippines, she has also attended international conventions and conferences in the United States, China, Japan and other ASEAN countries. Now a young grandmother of a talented little boy and foster mom to over twenty cadets of soldiers of the Philippine Military Academy, the simple and unassuming, Helen R. Tibaldo is not yet about to say her extro in public service but she is likely to be seen greeting…‖Naimbag nga aldaw kadakayo amin Apo‖, an Ilocano term which politely means…a pleasant day one and all.
Helen R. Tibaldo’s speech delivered in Beijing, China in 2010 I bring greetings from the Philippines' 7,107 islands and best wishes from the Philippine Information Agency. Being persons in media we all trace our roots one way or another to traditional forms of mass media: a. Print, that is newspapers, news service, magazines and the like.; b. Broadcast, that is Radio :c. And Television – the audio-visual broadcast medium. These we have lumped together as the tri-media – print, radio and tv. We also have other traditional forms of getting messages across mass audiences such as theater, movies and the like. In the traditional or static flow of communication—Source, Message, Channel, Receiver and Effect --- we all had our particular choices or individual access to media channels. Those in rural or mountain regions could not have daily newspapers but had their dose of daily news over their transistor radios. (remember those battery operated boxes?) The flow of information and communication whether it be broadcast or print was controlled by various gatekeepers whether it be the journalist themselves or the owners of the media outfits. This has changed radically in the last decade. It seems there are no more gatekeepers because access has been opened to almost anyone with a computer and a terminal or connection to the worldwide web. They say that communication is life…… I agree…..it is a lifeline. Communication empowers individuals and groups to actively participate in community affairs. In today's age of digital interconnectivity, multi-tasking and online web-casting, we see a different process of communication. We see more and more personal self expression and this has enabled anyone… the budding writers, photographers, bloggers and even information officers to shine in the web community or virtual world. We are no longer constrained with terrestial boundaries, geographic terrains, communication protocols. Islanders mountain dwellers and provincial folks can now link up to their choice of world news just like a New York based executive. The word "solutions" has a broader meaning and one need not be a degree holder or a communications graduate to be able to contribute news stories and articles to local and international publications. The popularity of web logs or "blogs" has made it even easier for online users to come up with posts packaged as online diaries, journals or facts presented in text, graphics or photos, audio and video files. Gone are the days when journalism is synonymous to the print and broadcast medium and communication courses nowadays highlight the multi-media character of the profession or career. Today, editors and publishers of various media outfits are receiving more contributions from non-writers than during the time of typewriters, telex and telefaxes. Real time Viewing and Computing Please allow me further to share some of my experiences and personal thoughts on how we as partners in development can further strengthen our bilateral linkages as global citizens: Sometime in 2002, my 12 year old daughter Tam Jewel went to Shenshen, China together with an adult mentor to receive the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) Global 500 Award for the Eco-Walk Environmental Program of Baguio City Philippines. Along with awardees from other countries, the Global 500 honorees were featured and interviewed by China based reporters including television coverage by CCTV. We had photos and video footages of the event. If that event happened today, however, my husband who did not accompany my daughter would have recorded the CCTV awarding
program in a computer and posted it in social network sites like Youtube and sent the video clip as MMS (multi-media service) for the rest of the family to see and be informed about. In 2002, I guess, there were only Yahoo, MSN, Hotmail and Geocities leading the web community and probably Tripod.com and Friendster leading the social network sites before MySpace and Facebook joined the bandwagon. *I am also proud of the fact that when you say Filipino now, what comes to mind is the greatest pound-for-pound boxer Manny Pacquiao. Thanks to mass media and on-line video access, the exploits of the Pacman is widely circulated, footages of many of his fights even the latest were uploaded in the internet and millions of boxing fans relied on the net for a cheaper access and viewing. Case Studies of Media On-Line Advocacy a. Private Media For the private sector, various media outfits have started campaigns to encourage the youth to be more participative especially in the coming national elections. A case in point is the "Boto Mo, iPatrol Mo: Ako ang Simula" initiated by one of the leading television networks, ABS-CBN. This roughly means "Report Your Vote: You are the Starting Point" and it is campaigning calling on Filipinos, especially the youth, to get involved by registering as voters and closely monitor the preparations for the 2010 election race. ABS-CBN wants to introduce changes in traditional politics by empowering the youth through a multimedia campaign. Www.inquirer.net is the official news website of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, one of the Philippine's most widely circulated broadsheets. Updated 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, featuring the most current multimedia technologies, and partnered with other news organizations, Inquirer.net provides the most comprehensive and up-to-the-minute coverage of both local and international news throughout the site's seven channels – News, Sports, Showbiz & Style, Technology, Business, Opinion, and Global Nation. More than just a news website, Inquirer.net houses special sites targeting specific audiences and providing customized services. Other media outfits have their own web pages and likewise their own pet advocacy campaigns -- environment, global warming, or preserving local culture and the like. b. The Government Sector Today, all offices down to the local government units in the Philippines have their own websites which they use to promote their trade and industry, investment opportunities and other profiles such as local tourism sites. My office alone, the Philippine Information Agency-Cordillera Administrative Region in the highlands of Northern Philippines provides regular weekly news articles mailed as news packets to various media outfits. A single sending alone through the internet would result to publications by the tri-media to include web based publications elsewhere around the world. We also provide free WiFi service as my office is like a media hub frequented by many reporters to get news and information on things happening in my region. For the National Level www.ops.gov.ph provides a window to the activities of the President through the Office of the Press Secretary. The www.pia.gov.ph provides news and information both national and local from provincial network of PIA Offices. The www.business.gov.ph and www.nerbac.com are sites managed by the Department of Trade and Industry and National Economic Research Business Assistance Center that provides specific information like cost of doing business in a particular province or region in the Philippines. Philippine News Agency (PNA) website is supported by the state-of-the-art News Gathering System (NGS) for the real time posting of processed news and updating of news, and the Content Management System for the updating of the website's other contents. The NGS also
facilitates news articles submitted by about a hundred journalists and stringers across the country and several foreignbased correspondents. The authorized users, especially news editors, have their own passwords to gain access to the system. Likewise, subscribers and readers can retrieve news articles which were posted on the PNA website years ago. International cooperation was also central to our efforts to promote economic development. Opening new markets, increasing trade and providing leadership in regional and international organizations has benefited our national economy. Bilateral economic, political and security cooperation with such countries as Peoples Republic of China, Japan, United States and others have been vital to the growth of the Philippine economy. With the signing of the Framework Agreement on Expanding and Deepening Bilateral Economic and Trade Cooperation Between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines, bilateral economic and trade cooperation would intensify within the next ten years. The two sides will further enhance cooperation in the sectors of agriculture, fisheries, public works and infrastructure, housing, mining, energy, manufacturing, textiles and garments, industrial parks and economic development zones, tourism, ICT-based education, container inspection machines, and trade promotion. c. Personal Computing /Social Networking When I Google searched China's Top 10 Best Social Networking Sites in the net, I learned that China is a world in itself and so are the Chinese cyber world. While rest of the world generally sticks to Facebook, Orkut and MySpace etc, the web citizen of China have their own Social Networking Websites like Xiaonei.com, Chinaren.com and Myspace.com. These social networking sites still have to be explored further as possible sources of information or as webcasters or news events. When the Northern Philippines experienced massive flooding due to successive typhoons last year, social networks such as the one I've mentioned became sources of information and the Philippine typhoon incident spread like wildfire even beating popular news sites on dishing out updates on that particular incident. This , therefore, highlights another important facet of on-line and new media communications -- that information is a new kind of currency. Mainline news industries would not thrive well if there is no raw material for them to process and disseminate. Social networking sites were integral in informing various local and companies international companies as well as government offices that there were communities that were affected, that land travel was not possible for some time because of damaged infrastructure and most importantly that there were people who needed help badly and immediately. Some companies responded by funding soup kitchens, others started fund drives and relief operations. The Army and the Air Force conducted mercy missions to isolated communities. There have also been instances when exchanges of e-mails and social networking have helped protect the lives of our expatriate workers in countries throughout the world. At the heart of this is information and communication that promoted life and caring for each other. Need For ASEAN Regional Networking I believe that when I said communication is a lifeline, we can indeed push and tow the communication lines to uplift human benefits and improve life no matter how strong or weak the bandwidth is. We all have our web sites and emails -- personal as well as official -- which we can each access. I'm very certain that technology will provide the means for us to communicate better, faster and more efficient, we just have to open our communication lines as citizen of the global village. Allow me to suggest that we could explore country tours by delegations for on-site media and community visits. Best practices can be highlighted in such exchanges and further network cooperation can be promoted. Over forty years have passed since man first launched the communication satellite in space. I firmly believe we do not have to re-invent the communication system but we have to communicate more often – no matter how varied are our language and mediums of communication are.
The fact that we are here in this forum and sharing ideas on new technologies and networking is an experience in itself which can be expanded, enriched further and something to build upon. Lastly, let me share what our elders in the tribal village of my region are constantly reminding their younger folks which goes likes this… "adi tako bokodan di gawis, ipeyas tako" which is roughly translated as…."Let us not be selfish with what we have but rather share whatever bounty we can get." I believe this also applies to the field of communications and on-line technologies.
In 1989 while serving as Cordillera coordinator for PIA’s Regional Operations Secretariat (ROSEC), Helen C. Reyes was assigned to Baguio City and the upland provinces of North Luzon to oversee the conduct of the information, education & communication campaign on regional autonomy as enshrined in the 1987 Philippine Constitution. Her temporary assignment became permament especially when she tied the knot with fellow office worker Joel Arthur P. Tibaldo.
My Friend Chiquito and the Struggling Mabini Artists By Art Tibaldo When the city of Manila was made clean by Metro Aides clad in red and yellow uniforms and blue colored air conditioned buses called Love Bus provided a cool ride at the main thoroughfares of the metropolis, student life then was not as complicated as today when all a ―probinsyano‖ like me needed to finish my schooling were simple items like technical pens, kneaded erasers, canvasses, tubes of oil paints and lots of creativity. Thanks to my hard working parents who managed to send me to college, my four years as a fine arts student at the University of Santo Tomas was well spent especially with down-to-earth classmates and new found friends who shared common dreams, interests and aspirations typical of a struggling artist. Except for several bombings allegedly perpetrated by the communists linked to Sen. Ninoy Aquino, my college days were as memorable as the names of streets of the places where I stayed such as G. Barlin, P. Malvar, Leon Guinto, Dapitan, Laong Laan and Padre Faura. It was the later, Padre Faura and nearby Mabini Street of Ermita where I truly learned many of life’s realities in the big city from slum dwelling, street food, pub house music, prostitution and artwork forgery. While in the big city, I learned many ins and outs of Manila from Recto Ave career development corners to Binondo flesh markets but what truly made my college years memorable was the mastery of Mabini artists in copying, imitating and duplicating works of art. I was introduced to the inner Manila area by my classmate Antonio Ko, who lived just within a spitting distance from the famous La Solidaridad bookshop of writer Sionil Jose along Padre Faura Street. Antonio was more known to us as Chiquito which is perhaps more fitting for a name than the silver screen comedian of the 70s and 80s because he is half Chinese being the eldest son of an eatery owner named Kua Ya. Born sometime in 1958 in Manila and older than me for three years, Chiquito signs his paintings Antonio Ko in his desire to be identified more as a Pinoy and not Chinoy. For over a year, I rented a small room at the apartment of Chiquito’s mother Aling Pining Del Monte who was then living with her second husband, a guy from the
Ilocos whom I learned was connected with the Marcos administration. Chiquito stayed with Kua Ya at a dilapidated shanty beside said apartment along Padre Faura and it is in that small place where many award winning artworks were created by my classmate. Despite having only one window, that small place was their living room, their kitchen, their business center and my friend’s unique atelier. It was there where I also encountered other Mabini artists like Papo De Asis who created the iconic man-on-bike silhouette sketch used in the Tour of Luzon print ads and others like Lex Cachapero, Arturo Cruz and Rey Sipagan among many. Within the Mabini and Luneta area, there used to be a flea market where artists peddle their unframed works to tourists and visiting US sailors whose vessels were docked at the Manila Bay. Kua Ya was also engaged in art trade as a middle man between artists and collectors or buyers. I often hear him discuss with his son Chiquito how he had several art works appraised by Odette Alcantara of the Heritage Art Center. I’ve been to that place with Chiquito before and it was where I saw works of Filipino masters like Botong Francisco, Fernando Amorsolo, Ang Kiukuk and other contemporary masters of the late 20th century including works of our UST professors Antonio Austria, Mario Parial and I guess even Domingo Alconaba or Leonardo Hidalgo. During our student days, our small group of fine arts students under Prof. Austria and Danilo Santiago visited artist Diosdado Lorenzo in his studio located not too far from UST and Jose Blanco in his hometown Angono, Bulacan. The two were among the foremost and notable Filipino masters who finished their Bachelor of Fine Arts studies from two of the country’s leading art institutions, University of the Philippine, College of Fine Arts and UST-College of Architecture and Fine Arts (CAFA). Having met the two masters at the peak of their prominence was indeed an honor for us neophytes who haven’t really figured out what form or style in art to pursue. It was observed then that while UP graduates tend to delve into modern expressionism like abstracts or use of symbolism with varied or mixed mediums, most of us UST graduates lean towards the conservative styles likened to the masters of the renaissance period. My only qualm then was while we were sketching life forms with models ranging from an elderly woman, a child and a mean looking man, they, the UP students had the luxury and privilege to sketching male and female nude models without any
The author at the UST-CAFA lobby posing with plaster replicas of Greek statues and painting on an easel the university’s atelier (below).
To finish my bachelor’s degree back in the days, I needed to complete all the required Military Science (MS-11-22) drills and subjects under the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) which I did during the four semesters of 1978 and 1979. Antonio Ko Jr., our classmate whom we called Chiquito was a smart aleck who knows how to find easy way out of academic and non-academic requirements. In the case of our small group from the UST-College of Architecture and Fine Arts, we signified and bargained to do the printing of certificate names at the ROTC office that assured us to be indoors while the rest of the UST brigade had lectures and formations under the scorching heat. It was there where we got to practice and put to good use our acquired skills in speedball lettering using Gothic and Old English fonts as we already had 2 units in Lettering which we earlier thought was a waste of time and effort. For three decades, I refrained from writing a journal about my early encounters and artistic exposures in Manila particularly with the Mabini artists so as not to put them in bad light and disappoint buyers and art collectors who might have already bought reproductions or forged works. Using their innate skills and brushwork expertise just to make both ends meet and put food on their tables, I developed a kind of respect and sympathy towards these struggling artists. I also convinced myself not to be critical on their works especially on the aspect of creativity and originality because the later to me is no longer a thing to contend with or debate upon in as far as art is concerned. I have also copied works of Michelangelo Bounarroti from a book about the Sistine Chapel’s Creation for some studies on human anatomy and if someone wants to buy it at a good deal, I will not hesitate to let it go. I would say that in most human undertaking, survival or the rule of the stomach comes first before any others like artistry or creative undertakings. Just being with Antonio Ko or Chiquito on weekends and holidays in Ermita back in the early 80s, I had the chance to meet established masters and some of Manila’s promising artists. The place where I stayed in Padre Faura St. is also within walking distance to Luneta Park, the Manila Metropolitan Museum and Manila Hilton where the Art Association of the Philippines held its office. Art galleries and souvenir shops that hang paintings used to abound in the streets of Ermita and I observed that most of the Mabini artists simply want their works sold even at a bargain so that they can replenish the paintings once these are bought or sent to buyers. I also heard stories that some of the artists used to eat at Kua-Ya’s place and pay their meals with paintings. The word ―gutom‖ which means hunger is byword in art peddling where both seller and artist only get to partake on
Antonio Ko is shown marked in inset with his UST-BFA graduating class of 1982. Shown standing are: Ruth Galang, Mercedita Lim, Antonio Garchitorena, Ma. Maxima Pestano, Antonio Ko, Yvette Maclang, Rolet Reyes, Cherry Perez, Lulu Sermeno, Jose Zulueta, Maritess Batalla (seated) Arthur Tibaldo, Laarni Geronimo and David Chang.
the sale proceeds once a painting is sold. In contrast, there were notable galleries with glass windows that showcased finer works of art at the stretch of Mabini Street close to the United Nations Avenue. Between 1981 until I graduated in 1982, I often pass by these art galleries that include that of Peck Piùon, Ben Alano and Jose Hernandez. Chiquito once noticed me ogling and obviously amazed at the fine details of some of the portraits at one of these galleries and my friend later revealed that the gallery’s in-house painters actually use slide films taken from the posed images of the clients and projected on the canvass for easier tracing and more accurate coloring. These type or error-free image making technique precedes the machine based photo-canvass printing by commercial print shops. There was a place likened to flea markets abroad where unframed paintings were laid flat on the ground for sale. Most of the buyers at that time were tourists including US servicemen from the docked naval vessels. At the inner chamber or backstreet corners of these mini galleries, one would normally see the artists working shirtless and puffing cigarettes at intervals. Except for few who really display their art-in-the-making skills, most of the Mabini artists do not want their prospective buyers see them work with cheap house paints and improvised brushes. Becoming famous also seemed to be very remote to them since most of their works only depicted seascapes, flowers and landscape of rural scenes. They often mass produce and do repetitive subjects that they cannot explain to onlookers when asked. I also came to learn several brushwork styles and paint application techniques while visiting some Mabini artists in their work places. While many paint out of sheer memory of typical Philippine settings, I observed some style imitation, artwork antiquation and even duplication by the seasoned artists in the area. Latex and tinting colors of popular industrial brands blended with a shipping anti leak paste were used in lieu of the expensive German and Japan manufactured oil paints. I may be revealing some trade secrets used in forgery such as dousing dark coffee into the backside of an imitation and leaving it for weeks in rooftops but my recollection of the life of my dear friend Antonio will not be complete if it lacks details.
Now that photo canvasses, digital graphics and even 3D printers are providing user friendly alternative methods to the old fashioned oil and acrylic painting on canvass, new breed of content creators have in fact invaded the arena of fine arts. What we had then as fine art students and neophyte artists was a far cry to what technology offers today. Back then, media mileage was as elusive as winning first place in art competitions. For young and emerging artists who are intending to mount an art exhibit, they often resort to gifting writers and columnists with their works or deal with the exorbitant cost of gallery curating and media promotion unlike today where social media and online marketing is very much in use. It is a known fact in the Philippines that many artists and artisans do not have health insurances, housing, disability, retirement, and death benefits. A sad fact is if they cannot cry out for help from friends and relatives who do not also have social security, many just stay in seclusion and shun away from the world. This concern came to me when a former college classmate came up to Baguio for some important family undertaking and we had quick chats about our work as government employees. A fellow artist and fine arts graduate of the University of Santo Tomas, Bayani Rumbaoa, like me had already spent three decades in government service. Yannie as we call him has been with the Banko Central ng Pilipinas (BSP) as the Chief Engraver who carved the prototypes of most of our coins in circulation. Older than me, he is turning sixty next year and his records and contributions with the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) assure him of certain pensions and health care. For fellow artists who made a mark as painters, sculptors and engravers in their prime times but were not privileged to enter an institution with retirement benefits such as SSS, GSIS, Pag-Ibig and Philhealth, I wonder if there’s a way where their creations can be considered as a bond or payment for medicines and health services. Artworks has a definite bargaining value and Yannie and our BFA group of UST graduates would be more than willing to propose and co-author such proposal that artists needing medical attention are allowed to be treated in public clinics and hospitals using their valuable artworks as collateral and item for payment. The matter of work appraisal for purposes of valuation can be done by heads of local art institutions, fine arts professors or gallery curators. The Ugnayang Tomasino composed mostly of UST-BFA graduates can also be tapped to draw out the mechanics and basis for artwork appraisal. Recently, Arnie Delos Reyes and I nominated our late classmate Antonio Ko Jr. s to our school’s grand alumni homecoming and recognition event
but were not able to succeed because we are still trying to locate Antonio’s daughter Josephine who appears to be no longer in Padre Faura. It is a sad fact that Antonio Ko died in our school’s hospital due to severe appendicitis infection while waiting for his turn to be admitted among many indigent patients. I remember the hearty and tearful conversation we had when his mother Aling Pining called me in desperation while Tony was brought to the morgue instead of a waiting hospital bed. I certainly hope that we can help push legislators enact a law that recognizes the valuable contributions of artists from the varied fields and put a corresponding monetary value to their artworks, creations and intellectual properties. This may sound like a wishful thinking but I am optimist that this is a fair and implementable suggestion that can also instill dignity and pride to Filipino artists in general. If not for my friend Chiquito and the Mabini artists, I would not have thought of such proposition and I hope that other artists in the country would also help raise this matter so that it can be adopted and passed into a law that assures artists like us for our medical needs. I was happy to learn that the baby that I saw being cradled by Antonio when I visited him few years after our graduation has grown up and followed her father’s footsteps. I also felt guilty at the same time because Josephine is my goddaughter or ―inaanak‖ and that I haven’t kept track of her growth and whereabouts throughout the years. I only encountered her name at the website of the Heritage Arts and Antiquities as among its contributing artists. I truly look forward to meeting her and wish that she continue the legacy left by her late father and Papo de Asis in elevating the plight of the struggling artists and for government to recognize our proposal for artist’s health welfare.
This present day Google map shows Mabini and Padre Faura area dotted with pushpins, though not precisely marked were the places where art galleries and art shops abound back in the late 70s up to the early 90s. The bigger pushpin shows Kua-ya’s place where Chiquito lived.
Each day, we face the effects of climate change. We have to face it squarely and do something to mitigate its damaging effects. Let’s learn to do some adaptive Remedies.