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AU G U S T 2 0 2 0 ISSUE 43
BA R | C U I S I N E | A R T | P O P -U P | E V EN T S
MH | E D I T O R ' S N O T E
Hope Floats We’ve heard a constant refrain since the pandemic became part of our everday reality: this is the new normal. And indeed, well into the third quarter of the year, the new normal appears to have become entrenched. Apart from the frequent handwashing and disinfecting, not to mention the curfew, the new normal has seen a steep decline in social activities, which has of course affected operations at the Club. For a nation that is built on extended families, where people tend to be only two or three degrees of separation apart, the absence of social contact under the imposed isolation of ECQ and now GCQ has not been without their difficulties. Gone are the grand weddings, the glamorous cocktail parties, and big birthday lunches and dinners now that life is now virtually lived online. Even with establishments such as ours now allowed to operate at 50 percent capacity, getting people to actually venture out of their homes can be challenging, and the hesitation is completely understandable, particularly among vulnerable populations. That said, it has been a delight to see more and more Members walk into the Club since we re-opened. We have received encouraging feedback about the safety protocols we have implemented, as well as our contactless platform, the Manila House WebApp, that simplifies reservations, orders, payments and the mandated Department of Health form. Many Members have also commented on the increased sense of privacy and security they feel when they come to the Club, and how they are able to enjoy seeing their friends despite strict physical distancing being enforced. The fact that we have a beautiful, expansive outdoor deck has added to the feeling of security, as being in the open air, epidemiologists say, is better that being in closed spaces. The lovely weather we have been experiencing, despite July and August being traditionally rainy months, may mean we can bask in the fresh air for longer.
H OW TO S I G N U P Manila House Rewards is easy and convenient to access. The attached hyperlink https://manila-house.eber.co takes you to the registration/login page. You will be able to log in to your account using the primary email or mobile number connected to your Club membership.
Best In-House Magazine PHILIPPINES BEST BRAND AWARDS 2018
Editor Bambina Olivares Graphic Designer Joseph Concepcion
As with everything else related to the pandemic, we can only hope for better days.
Editorial Adviser Anton San Diego Bambina Olivares
Director of PR and Arts, Culture, and Education Programs
O N TH E COVE R
The iconic Aveue Deck on a clear day 1
August 2020
M H | TA BL E OF C O N T E N T S
Avenue Deck
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EDITOR'S NOTE
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TA BL E OF CON TE N TS
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NEWS Member FAQs
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MEET OUR TEAM Ana Pabilonia
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MH INTERVIEW David Chua
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ON SHOW The Geomertry of Line
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FO OD & BEV E R AGE Let it Flow Rice to Meet You
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I N C A SE YOU M IS SE D I T Race Relations In A Mediterranean Mood Changing Our Ways The Trouble with Libel Channeling Manila House
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F E AT U R E S Book Notes
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R ETA I L COR N ER
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T R AV E L Viennese Symphony
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C A L E N DA R OF E V E N T S The Anti-Terror Law and Freedom of Expression The Best Camera is the One That’s With You A Conflict of Conscience Writers Write the Pandemic
MH | N E W S
Member FAQs
You may be wondering how your membership to Manila House is affected by the pandemic. We’re here to answer your questions.
H O W D O E S C O N TA C T L E S S O R D E R I N G A N D PAY M E N T W O R K AT T H E C L U B ? We urge you to make use of the Manila House Rewards WebApp, which is a custom-made platform that makes the Manila House experience seamless for Members. It also allows them to earn Manila House Pesos (MHP) for every peso they spend at the Club. The QR code that you are asked to scan upon your arrival links you to our app. Through that app, the DOH health declaration form may be filled out and submitted, the menus may be scanned and orders may be placed.
• Availment of consumable may not be used in conjunction with other discounts (i.e., Senior Citizen's discount, PWD discount, Investors and Founding Members discount, and other Club promotions.) • The consumable is valid for use within the month only. H O W D O I M A K E C O N TA C T L E S S PAY M E N T S W H E T H E R I D I N E I N O R D O TA K E AW AY ? We accept several ways methods of payment for your convenience.
Contactless payments are possible through GCash, PayPal and JustPayto. F&B credits may also be purchased through the app and redeemed in lieu of cash payment for orders. CO N SU M E YO U R CO N SU MAB LES The extended period for accumulated consumables expired on June 30. From July 2020 onwards, the monthly consumable must be applied within the calendar month only.* Consumable Amounts P700 Monthly consumable amount (Founding, Regular and Associate Members) P500 Monthly consumable amount (Junior and Out-of-Town Members) *subject to the following terms and conditions: • Consumable amount will be limited to dine-in only • Takeaway orders require a minimum value of P2,500 for the consumable to apply (Senior Citizen Members are not subject to a minimum when applying their consumable to takeaway orders in consideration of IATF guidelines restricting their movements.)
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GCash
JustPayto
PayPal
Bank Transfer
accountsreceivable@ manilahouseinc.com
Manila House Private Club Inc. UnionBank 0020 2003 1195
Please email proof of payment to finance@ manilahouseinc.com
MH | M E E T O U R T E A M
Get to Know: Ana Pabilonia Back on the floor as soon as GCQ came into effect and following the new safety protocols in place, the always calm and poised Ana Pabilonia is often the first point of contact for many Members coming to the Club Tell us what your role is at Manila House. How long have you been with the Club? I have been working at Manila House for one year and five months. As a Membership Relations Officer, I am one of the first and last persons to interact with our Members and their guests. Our main role is to assist Members and guests with any possible concerns that they may have. Apart from this, we establish and maintain good relationships and communicate efficiently with both the internal and external customers of the Club. What have been the highlights of your time at Manila House? Major highlights while working at Manila House include meeting and interacting with influential and known personalities that I would never expect to meet and have a conversation with. Another highlight is the friends that we gained as we continue to work together. Other Manila House employees are not just colleagues but friends. How were you and your family affected by the lockdown? Lockdown gave us a chance to be complete as a whole family. My mom and I made sure we still had income during lockdown. We sold trays of eggs and I made doughnuts and delivered it with my bike. We treasure every moment we eat together, work together, laugh together and pray together.
Favorite dish on the menu? MH Club Sandwich Best show you watched in quarantine? Money Heist Where is your dream travel destination? Switzerland What are you most hopeful about during these difficult times? I know there is a lot of uncertainty, panic or anxiety going on because of this pandemic but I still do believe that everything happens for a reason. Now we are healing ourselves within and Mother Nature is healing herself as well. Hopefully after this, we become better human beings, prioritize love instead of racism, level up our awareness, improve our systems, and most of all we develop the vaccine for coronavirus so we can go back to our regular routines. I know after all this long darkness there will be hope because we will make it through this together. What are you most looking forward to post-COVID? I am looking forward to no longer wearing a mask, being able to hug and see my loved ones without limitation. To witness the opening of different establishments that closed due to COVID, and most of all getting back to set plans for a better future.
D I RECTO RY
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Manila House Private Club, Inc. 8F, Seven/NEO, 5th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig 1634, Philippines www.manilahouseinc.com Manila House Private Members Club @manila_house
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MH | I N T E R V I E W
David Chua
Prominent businessman David O. Chua is the president of Cathay Pacific Steel Corporation and vice chairman of the University of the East. In addition, he is an active member of YPO, the CEO-driven international leadership organization, and a key force within Manila House’s own Executive Committee. He shares his thoughts on the impact of the coronavirus on the economy
How has the pandemic redefined the “new normal”? This global pandemic crisis has resulted in significant changes in our perception of status quo. The “new normal” has and will usher in an era of a new and unprecedented way of doing things. This has affected consumer behaviors, corporate investment profiles, and sovereign leadership directions. Add to this what is happening to the oil industry at this time, and what we get is an era of game changing and wealth moving proportions. How do you see the Philippine economy adjusting or surviving to the effects of the pandemic? 5
Fearless forecasts for the Philippines would include zero growth for 2020, challenges in the banking field, real estate markets, our export industries, our OFW situation, and our entire travel, hospitality and restaurant sectors. For sure there will be opportunities, but there will be many hard decisions that need to be made in order to overcome the challenges. Government infrastructure and pump priming stimuli plans should proceed full blast to jumpstart the economy. The Central Bank (BSP) should continue with rate cuts and full support for the financial sector. Lower fuel prices should bode well for manufacturing and the transport sectors to offset counterpart losses in productivity due
MH | I N T E R V I E W
Philippine Stock Exchange in Bonifacio Global City, Philippines © Bloomberg
“Absent a vaccine or a workable solution to this virus situation, our definition of the new normal may have to be constantly updated. ” to lockdown and social distancing measures. More Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Social Security System (SSS), Goverment Service Insurance System (GSIS) and Philhealth safety net plans should be put in place to assist furloughed employees and the marginalized. More Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Department of Finance (DOF) support programmes should be funded and expanded not just to include micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), but also large companies affected because of the multiplier impacts on employment and supply chains. How can business move forward during this time?
Key would be a lasting solution to this pandemic though. Absent a vaccine or a workable solution to this virus situation, our definition of the new normal may have to be constantly updated. Businesses need a good sense of certainty in order to move forward. There is guarded optimism that government is doing what needs to be done, and that people are willing to make sacrifices. All will need to be crossing fingers, doing their respective parts well and hoping for the best to arrive soon. Excerpted from Facing the New Normal by Bambina Olivares, published in the June 2020 issue of Tatler Philippines 6
MH | O N S H O W
Markus Jentes, Zoning
The Geometry of Line
The intersection of line and color is where form and emotion are created. Markus Jentes was scheduled to exhibit his latest works this August; he shares his art with us digitally instead
M
arkus Jentes is a Manila-based contemporary artist / photographer known for using vibrant lines and shapes in subtle yet mesmerizing paintings. A Bachelor of Fine Arts graduate of Pepperdine University and sporting an unnerving ensemble of artistic talent in fields such as music and architecture, he developed a distinctive style that blends sharp geometric minimalism with bold colors. While much of his career focused on photography, graphic design and advertising, he learned to capitalize on his creative experiences, channeling and informing his latest wave of personal artwork. 7
Since 2017, it has been a welcome return to basics for Markus. With reinvigorated drive to pursue his artistic instincts, he’s launched new pieces that push for new frontiers— experimenting with abstract patterns, implementing dot designs, and mixing mediums. His driving goals remain simple and straightforward: to continuously create art that elevates consciousness (both his and the audience's), art that always seeks to inspire.
MH | O N S H O W
Markus Jentes, The Paper Desert 1 (Gobi)
Markus Jentes, Radiance
Markus Jentes, The Paper Desert 3 (Karakum)
Markus Jentes
Markus Jentes, Park Squares
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MH | F O O D A N D B E V E R AG E
Let it Flow Our liquid buffet is back! For only P990 per person, enjoy a selection of beers, house cocktails, whisky, vodka, rum, tequila, and house wine DAI LY | 4 PM - 8 PM
Let it flow?
Lokal G&T
MH Saffron Gin, Pressed Kamias, Calamansi, Agua Cinchona
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MH | F O O D A N D B E V E R AG E
Rice to Meet You! Tuck into our hearty rice bowls. Choose from White Chicken, Duck Confit, Manila House Bibimbap, and Filipino Pork Barbeque. Available all day. Everyday. For reservations and takeaway orders, please call +63 917 816 3685 or email reservations@manilahouseinc.com
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MH | I N C A S E Y O U M I S S E D I T
Race Relations
A thought-provoking two-hour conversation on anti-Black racism, held in partnership with Asia Society Philippines, saw our six panelists discuss Black Lives Matter and why the movement should matter to us all; Filipino attitudes towards Black people, some of whom recounted their own experiences as a target of racism in the country; the worship of whiteness and why more representations of diversity are needed; the importance of listening to Black people and doing the research to learn more in order to be a true ally and advocate for anti-racism beyond the token gestures of solidarity.
“Martin Luther King, Jr. prayed for a colorblind global community, but he did not intend that race be ignored. He understood that we cannot end racism without accepting race as a social construct.” - Ambassador Harry K. Thomas, Jr.
“It was Angela Davis, right, who said, ‘It’s not enough to not be racist, you have to be anti-racist.’ I think a very very honest self-examination has to come. I have to be comfortable saying that I have a boatload 11
“In the Spanish colonial period is the history of racism that is really similar to what you get in the Spanish colonies in the Americas and the Caribbean: native peoples along with creole and mestizos seem to be inferior relative to peninsulares (pure Spaniards). It’s an interesting way to see the Filipino condition as a response of Filipino illustrados to this experience of racial institutions.”
“I think the discussion needs to be about systems, institutions and structures. We as Filipinos have a lot of colorism in how we view things… and it would be great if we would go beyond [our] comfort zone and [have a] dialogue with people who are different than [us]… People get really angry when you suggest that there’s something wrong with systems, as if you're saying that they are deliberately racist.”
- Vicente Rafael
- Lila R. Shahani
of privilege because I am potentially white passing, I am half-white, I am straight, I am cis. As a woman I certainly have other areas that I have to deal with stuff that maybe a straight white man does not. But I do need to know what this affords me and I need to know how I benefit through no hard work of my own. I need to know that I don’t need to worry about crossing the street in the United States when I see a cop.” - Laura Verallo de Bertotto
“It has always been my experience: once people get to know you, then you're okay. And once they have you, they have their token Black friend, its like ‘I'm done, I’ve done the work, I appreciate all Black
To watch the full webinar, visit our YouTube channel
“When I first moved here, I would always hear or read on the internet that if you are Black, you were dirty. That’s just the Fiilpino thinking, that if you’re white it means that you’re clean. If you’re black you need to take more showers. About [the beauty standards] they should broaden the use of the models and beauty queens… They should really do that [because] it gives us the idea that 'all lives matter,' that everyone has an opinion [that counts].” - Kahlea Belonia
people, I have the Black friend.’ And they will say stuff about Black people or Africans and sometimes I’ve had that [said] in my presence. And if I point out to them like ‘excuse me, Black person in the room,’ they look at me and they’re like 'oh no, not you, you're different. you’re not like that.’” - Joyce Mahlatini
MH | I N C A S E Y O U M I S S E D I T
In A Mediterranean Mood
A virtual visit to French artist Pierre-Marie Brisson’s studio in the Camargue, South of France revealed an artist taking stock of a career spanning over 40 years. Pierre gave us an intimate peek into his process, and his evolution from printmaking to multimedia, and peppered the talk with lots of anecdotes about famous artists and celebrity clients he’s met throughout the years. David Bowie, for example, had one of his works in his New York home, which was featured in Architectural Digest. He showed us his own collection which included, among others, a couple of Picassos, a stunning Francis Bacon self-portrait. Represented by the Franklin Bowles gallery in New York, and the Qube Gallery in the Philippines, Brisson’s style has been defined as "contemporary fauvist” for his dynamic ability to capture gestures and moods in his brush strokes. When he is not in the Camargue, he is in residence at his other studio overlooking the sea in Alcoy, Cebu
To watch the full webinar, visit our YouTube channel
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MH | I N C A S E Y O U M I S S E D I T
Changing Our Ways
Whether one may be swayed by conspiracy theories that claim that the novel coronavirus originated in a Chinese high-security biolab, the evidence seems to point conclusively to the zoonotic origins of the COVID-19 pandemic that has brought the world to a virtual standstill
B
oth Steven Galster of Freeland, a countertrafficking organization that campaigns for the end of the illegal wildlife trade, and Paolo Pagaduan, a conservationist with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), warned that if we do not change our relationship with the environment, more pandemics would occur with greater strength and frequency. The rising wildlife trade, the destruction of wild habitat and intensive industrial farming are, in effect, altering our relationship with the environment in ways that bring more harm than good, increasing opportunities for viruses to be transmitted from animals to humans.
Steven Galster on Zoom
It’s vital that we re-think our relationship to the planet, and realize that our well-being is interconnected with environmental health, animal health and human health. Otherwise, our response to future pandemics will be defined by creating vaccines for diseases that keep occurring in strains that are more virulent, instead of preventing them by changing the way we live, eat, and interact with the world around us. 13
To watch the full webinar, visit our YouTube channel
Paolo Pagaduan on Zoom
MH | I N C A S E Y O U M I S S E D I T
The Trouble with Libel
The Cybercrime Prevention Act, which was passed in 2012, included a controversial last minute provision by Senator Tito Sotto for cyber libel, against the recommendation of legal experts
Atty. Geronimo Sy on Zoom
Justice Antonio Carpio on Zoom
Marites Vitug on Zoom
“Cyber libel is actually not a new crime” and “is essentially the old crime of libel found in the 1930 Revised Penal Code and transposed to operate in cyberspace.” - Justice Antonio Carpio
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he sudden insertion of cyber libel in the bill had a lot of ramifications, said Atty. Geronimo Sy, former Associate Secretary at the Department of Justice, who in fact established the Office of Cybercrime in 2013. The law was intended to address online fraud, phishing and extortion schemes. Instead, cyber libel is trapped in a traditional crime but existing in the new normal. Atty. Sy noted that “our legislators do not have the intellectual humility to say, ‘Wait, I don’t know about this, can we ask somebody?’ ...Legislators are not held to account for inserting bad provisions in good laws.” Former Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio reiterated that the Supreme Court had previously upheld that "cyber libel is actually not a new crime" and “is essentially the old crime of libel found in the 1930 Revised Penal Code and transposed to operate in cyberspace.” He also noted that according to this Supreme Court ruling, libel, whether in the traditional form or on the internet, had the same prescription period of one year, and not 12 years as applied
by the judge who convicted Maria Ressa of cyber libel last June. Moreover, he believed that “there should be a lobby for Congress to amend the law to decriminalize libel (and impose) a pecuniary penalty.” Veteran journalist and Rappler editor-at-large Marites Vitug, on the other hand, spoke about being a journalist accused of libel several times throughout her three-decadeold career, with the majority of cases filed under the administrations of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Noynoy Aquino. She recounted its use as a means of harassment and intimidation, saying libel is meant “to send a message that journalists should refrain from writing critically about these public figures.” She has the dubious honor of being slapped with “the most expensive libel suit ever filed” against a journalist when former Palawan governor Jose “Pepito” Alvarez sued her for P20 million for allegedly libelling him when she exposed his timber empire. The “Libel and the Law” webinar was organized in partnership with Akademyang Filipino
To watch the full webinar, visit our YouTube channel
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MH | F E A T U R E S
Channeling Manila House In case you missed our previous webinars, catch us on YouTube
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Book Notes
MH | F E A T U R E S
International bestselling author and Manila House Honorary Member Kevin Kwan adds a sizzle to our reading fare this month with his latest novel, Sex & Vanity. While it’s a bit of a departure from his phenomenally successful Crazy Rich Asians trilogy and the movie it spawned, it still chronicles the lives of the fabulously wealthy and glamorous. Here are snippets of a conversation Anton San Diego recently had with the author
Following the immense success of Crazy Rich Asians, did you find yourself needing to step back and and re-center yourself to conceptualize and write a new book? Yes. I really felt the need to do something totally different. The Crazy Rich Asians trilogy was a huge part of my life for eight years. I started writing it in 2009 and did not slow down. I was in this roller coaster until 2018, so it’s great to be able to slow down and think of a new project to do. Sex & Vanity is a book I have dreamt of writing for at least 10 years and it’s all come together now in a very nice way. After that crazy tidal wave that was the Crazy Rich Asians [series and movie], I finally knew how to tell a story I wanted to tell. Does the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy affect the way you write and the audience you write for? The success of the trilogy has given me the license to let myself play a little more this time. I feel like I’m not out to prove anything anymore. (With this book), I wanted to make people laugh, I wanted to bring people joy and I wanted to pay tribute to one of my favorite books of all time, A Room with a View (by E.M. Forster).
What is the idea behind Sex & Vanity? Is it like Crazy Rich Asians or were you going for something completely different? (I was going) for something slightly different. (Sex & Vanity) is still set in a world of privilege but this time it’s not knocking you over the head with brand names and incredible set pieces. This is (a) much more personal journey; the journey of Lucie Churchill (the protagonist). She’s hapa, half-Chinese and half-white, so it’s about really discovering herself, her identity and being torn between two cultural backgrounds and two very different families. I understand that Sex & Vanity is going to be another trilogy. It is. This is the first book in a new trilogy inspired by Great Cities. So, I call it my Chanel bottle trilogy. The first book is set in New York, the next book (in) London and then the third book in Paris. Excerpted with permission from the July 2020 issue of Tatler Philippines 16
MH | R E T A I L C O R N E R
Retail Therapy
Bring the Manila House experience home with our special selection from our Retail Corner, now on sale View the Manila House Retail Catalogue
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Assorted Plates
Hexagon Plate
Pillows by Elements
Green Acrylic Oval Tray
Wine and water glasses
Crystal wine and water glasses
Viennese Symphony
MH | T R AV E L
Founding Member Emma Wunsch was in Vienna when the Austrian government put the country on lockdown. She and her husband normally spend half the year in Europe, using Austria as their base. The pandemic, however, kept them in Vienna for months. Even when silent and empty, Austria remains beautiful. “Before COVID, these places were full of tourists! But we’re allowed to go to the woods, and do sports outside of the house, alone, or with one person from same household.”
Schönbrunn Palace, the emperor's summer residence in Vienna
The Hofburg, the winter residence of the emperor's family in Vienna
Heurigen, a winery in Burgenland
Burg Liechtenstein, in Emma's hometown, Maria Enzersdorf, is surrounded by a wonderful forest that's perfect for hiking
Views of Rust, Burgenland, where the storks come in the springtime to hatch their eggs
Photos by Emma Wunsch
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MH | C A L E N D A R O F E V E N T S
Zooming In
Join us on Zoom for these informative, entertaining and illuminating talks which encompass art & design, culture, history and current events
TUE | AUG 4 | 5PM K N OW YO U R R I G H T S : T H E A N T I -T E R R O R L A W A N D FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION F E AT U R I N G AT T Y . J O S E M A N U E L “ C H E L” D I O K N O The controversial Anti-Terror Bill was signed into law in the midst of a pandemic by President Rodrigo Duterte on July 3, 2020, despite the huge public outcry against what its apparent infringements on our constitutional rights. To date, there are 12 petitions before the Supreme Court questioning the constitutionality of what is now the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, officially designated as Republic Act No. 11479 Noted human rights lawyer, founding dean of the De La Salle University (DLSU) College of Law, and Chair of the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno breaks down the Anti-Terror Law, its unprecedented scope, and how it will impact every Filipino citizen at home or abroad. Register in advance for this webinar 19
A B O U T AT T Y. C H E L D I O K N O Dean Jose Manuel I. Diokno is the founding dean of the De La Salle University (DLSU) College of Law, and Chair of the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG). He has been practicing law for 30 years, and gained prominence as a human rights lawyer and litigator. In 2012, he was short-listed by the Judicial and Bar Council for the position of Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, with which he would also later work in various capacities in several Committees and Technical Working Groups. Though already well-established in legal and human rights circles, Dean Diokno gained wider public prominence when he ran for a Senate seat on a platform of justice and judicial reform during the 2019 midterm elections. He emerged as one of the leading opposition senatorial candidates largely due to an outpour of support from young voters, who dubbed him as their “Woke Lolo” because of his progressive views and his advocacy for empowering the youth. The DLSU College of Law, which opened in 2010, is the first law school in the Philippines to highlight human rights and legal aid as part of its educational program. The Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) is the oldest organization of human rights lawyers in the Philippines. Established in 1974, FLAG is known for handling cases involving civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights. FLAG also spearheaded the campaign to abolish the death penalty, which succeeded in 2006 when Congress enacted Republic Act No. 9346 prohibiting the imposition of the death penalty. Dean Diokno has conducted training courses and written training manuals for government agencies and other lawyers’ groups. He has also trained journalists, law enforcers, human rights defenders, church workers, and the urban poor. As a training expert he has worked with the EU-Philippines Justice Support Program, the International Labour Organization, the American Bar Association-Philippines, the Millennium Challenge Account-Philippines, the British Embassy, and The Asia Foundation, among others. After his campaign in 2019, Dean Diokno has also become a highly soughtafter keynote speaker for various events with numerous schools and organizations all over the country, which serve as a venue for continuing his advocacy for justice, human rights, and empowering the youth, as well as for continuing his engagement with young Filipinos.
MH | C A L E N D A R O F E V E N T S
MON | AUG 17 | 3-4:30PM TH E B EST CAM E R A I S TH E O N E T H AT ’ S W I T H Y O U : A M O B I L E PH OTOG R A PH Y WO R KS H O P W I T H S C OT T A . WO O DWA R D Canada-born, Singapore-based Scott A. Woodward is an award-winning photographer with over 25 years’ experience. His photography workshop focuses on the camera that’s always with us—our mobile phone—and how we can get the most out of this visual storytelling device. During this interactive 90-minute session, Scott shares his creative journey and demonstrable insights, tips, tricks and hacks to get the most out of your camera phone and move your mobile photography from good to great. Registration fee: P1,500 Register in advance for this webinar 20
MH | C A L E N D A R O F E V E N T S
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A B O U T T H E D O C U M E N TA R Y
Troop E, 9th Cavalry at the Presidio before shipping out to the Philippines, 1900 U.S. Army Military History Institute
A Crisis of Conscience focuses on the Buffalo Soldiers (African-American soldiers so named by Native Americans because their kinky hair reminded them of buffalo fur) who were brought 10,000 miles from home to fight in the Philippines, and on the Filipino revolutionaries, their adversaries, who were fighting courageously for their national sovereignty at the end of the 19th century. The Buffalo Soldiers, who themselves were former slaves and sons of former slaves, now were faced with a dilemma—whether to fight against an oppressed people of color like themselves, or not. Surprisingly, of the 7,000 Black Soldiers sent to fight in the Philippines, once the war ended, 1,000 chose to stay there and raise families. This is unheard of in the annals of American military history.
Troop C, 9th Cavalry, at Camp Lawton, Washington, before being sent to the Philippines in 1900 T. Preiser, Special Collection, Suzzallo Library, University of Washington
TUE | AUG 18 | 10AM
Mark Harris
Anthony Powell
Gill Boehringer
Vicente Rafael
Rik Penn
Evangeline Canonizado Buell
Filmmaker
Historian
A CONFLICT OF CONSCIENCE: B U F FA L O S O L D I E R S I N T H E P H I L I P P I N E -A M E R I C A N W A R A look at the little known Philippine-American War that began in 1899, which is the subject of a documentary film project A Conflict of Conscience. It focuses on the unique relationship that developed between Filipinos and the Buffalo Soldiers, (Black American soldiers), some of whom, unwilling to be part of what they considered to be an unjust racial war, defected to join the Filipino revolutionaries.
Academic
Academic
The film’s producers include director Mark Harris and Hollywood actor Danny Glover. To view the trailer, please click on here The webinar includes the perspectives of Mark Harris, the film’s writer, director and producer, historians and academics Anthony Powell, Gill Boehringer and Vicente Rafael, Ranger Rik Penn and Evangeline Canonizado Buell, author and granddaughter of a Buffalo Soldier. Register in advance for this webinar 21
National Parks Ranger
Author
MH | C A L E N D A R O F E V E N T S
MERINA
This is a beautiful, moving example of the poetry of place. Achichúk names both the collection and the place with which Merina is deeply familiar. That two-part signification invites us to read Achichúk as lyric geography. Its best poems convey deftness, verve, and grace. And the syntax found in the poems—in the arrangements on the page and the word-music they score—embody the energies of tide and wind.
—John Labella, Ateneo de Manila University
Di Achichúk
If culture is a form of survival, then Merina not only enriches Philippine poetry but also enables Ivatan culture to thrive in a language that his tillage has made hospitable.
Dorian S. Merina is a poet and journalist. He is the author of two chapbooks of poetry, Stone of the Fish and The Changegiver, and a spoken word album, Heaven is a Second Language. He lives with his wife and daughter in Savidug, Sabtang, where he helps to document and preserve the Ivatan indigenous oral poetry, Laji.
is an imprint of the ATENEO DE MANILA UNIVERSITY PRESS Bellarmine Hall, Katipunan Avenue Loyola Heights, Quezon City P.O. Box 154, 1099 Manila, Philippines www.ateneopress.org Cover design by Nikki Solinap
LITERATURE
Reine Arcache Melvin
Sarge Lacuesta
Dorian Merina
Author, The Betrayed: A Novel
Author, City Stories
Author, Di Achichúk: Poems and Images from Batanes
A B O U T R E I N E A R C A C H E M E LV I N TUE | AUG 25 | 5PM W R I T E R S W R I T E T H E PA N D E M I C Three Ateneo de Manila University Press authors share how the pandemic is shaping their writing. One would think that a lockdown would provide a writer with all the time in the world to write. After all, it is said that writers seek creativity and inspiration from isolation. But a pandemic brings its own special set of challenges. What happens when isolation is no longer a choice but a global effect of a pandemic? Does this still invite creativity or is it now a lockdown-induced stress? How do you take back your love of writing and rediscover what made you write in the first place? Listen to novelist Reine Arcache Melvin, essayist, fictionist and filmmaker Sarge Lacuesta, and poet and journalist Dorian Merina, three internationally acclaimed Filipino authors to understand what they make of our current scenario, how they’ve rediscovered their inspiration for writing, and how they think literature is going to evolve during this pandemic. Presented in partnership with the Ateneo de Manila University Press Register in advance for this webinar
Reine Arcache Melvin, born and raised in Manila, is a Filipina-American writer and the author of A Normal Life and Other Stories and The Betrayed published by Ateneo de Manila University Press. The Betrayed won both the National Book Award and the Palanca Grand Prize for the Novel. A Normal Life won the National Book Award for fiction and was translated into French and published as “Une Vie Normale” (Esprit des Peninsules, Paris). A B O U T A N G E LO " SA R G E " R . L AC U E S TA Sarge R. Lacuesta has won many awards for his writing, among them three National Book Awards, the Madrigal Gonzalez Best First Book Award, the NVM Gonzalez Award, and numerous Palanca and Philippines Graphic Awards. He has written several books, including five short story collections, two non-fiction books, and a collection of graphic stories, and has participated in many writing residencies, fellowships, festivals, and conferences in the Philippines and abroad. ABOUT DORIAN MERINA Dorian Merina is a poet and journalist. He is the author of two chapbooks of poetry, Stone of the Fish and The Changegiver, and a spoken word album, Heaven is a Second Language. He lives with his wife and daughter in Savidug, Sabtang, where he helps to document and preserve the Ivatan indigenous oral poetry, Laji. 22
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