what is news?

At a news writing workshop with the youth of Asipulo, Ifugao, we went through the preliminaries of defining the term "news."

Is news anything reported in the papers, on TV, or on the radio?

Is news anything that happens to a celebrity like Kris Aquino?

Could anything happening in their remote municipality be news?

The young people of Asipulo had a simple definition. To them, news is information that must be known and reported because it is important.

Given that they hadn't been taught the concept of news values before the workshop -- formally, at least -- the recognition of news as something that must be known (from the audience's perspective) and reported (from the journalist's perspective) is exactly what we were going for.

To them, the long lines to buy rice in Quezon City was news. The recent wedding of a foreigner slash community volunteer was news. The death of a community member would be news.

We talked about why some events would be considered news, and why some would not.

The difficulty in buying rice, for example, was of interest to them perhaps because it was an alien concept. As children of farmers, they could not imagine it ever happening in their locality.

They considered the wedding of the volunteer to be news because he was an important member of the community. The same was true of the death of a community member -- especially if s/he were an elder or a prominent figure.

One of the workshop participants related the concept of news to an advocacy: you report something because it is your advocacy. I must admit I didn't expect to hear this from them. Nevertheless, this is certainly true. Whether journalists acknowledge it or not, they are advocates of truth, democracy, development, justice, and peace.

Another thing that surprised me was when some of them asked about the killings or otherwise repression of journalists. This told me that they were somehow aware of the concept of freedom of expression and its importance.

The workshop was an enriching experience for me. I learned a lot through the perspective of an audience who are not media-savvy and who are in fact underrepresented in media.

I realized that young people -- in particular, this group in Asipulo, Ifugao -- have a lot to say, and that a newsletter such as the one they are planning to publish would indeed give them a voice.

And I remembered why and for whom we do what we do.

Thank you, Providential Youngsters Society!

an ifugao child

What will life be like for this Ifugao child?

Everyday, this child will wake to cheerful birdsongs and glorious sunrises. At night, she will be lulled to sleep by cool mountain breezes and the rhythmic calls of the crickets.

In time, she will learn the ways of her elders, and wear the colors of her tribe with pride. She will walk with the grace and dignity of her people, sure footed on even the steepest and most winding mountain trails. She will learn to work closely with Nature, knowing when the grains of rice will be ready for harvest, relying on the sun and the stars for the time, and the clouds for the weather.

And yet, this child will grow up differently.

As the times change, so will her future.

Another path is opening up to children like her. She will have more opportunities than those before her. The world will be at her feet.

She will have the best of both
tradition and modernity. She will retain the wisdom of her people, yet learn to harness technology for her needs.

She will stand tall beside people of other cultures, sure of her own identity. She will defend her rights -- as a woman, as an Ifugao, and as a person, above all -- and stand up for the rights of others.

Her spirit will soar, free and unfettered, even as she stays grounded in her reality. She will live with purpose, claiming all that is hers, and giving back all that she can.

With the grace of God, the love and support of her family, the blessings of Nature, and the benefit of a good education, this child will be all she can be.

electricity in pula: good or bad?

Sitio Pula in the mountains of Asipulo, Ifugao*, which has gone without electricity for years, will reportedly have electricity in a few months.

The news has been met with different reactions. There is anticipation, if not relief, and maybe even eagerness from the residents. This opens up a whole new world for them -- of lights, more appliances, and radio and television programs. Already, one of the women we spoke with is certain that early bedtimes will become a thing of the past for her family, as they will most likely spend their nights watching TV.

On the other side of the spectrum, those who have visited or lived in Pula think that electricity may not necessarily be a good thing for the community.

"It will take away some of the charm," a volunteer said.

"You'll see the effects of electricity -- good and bad. I guarantee it," said another.

Now no one ever talks about the dangers of owning and running electrical lights, refrigerators, or even carpentry equipment. So quite obviously, the concern stems from the perceived negative effects of television and radio on the quiet little community.

media consumption
According to the National Statistics Office 2003 Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS), the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), of which Ifugao Province is a part, has a functional literacy rate (able to read, write, compute, and comprehend) of 85.4%. CAR also has a high proportion of population vis-a-vis college education, second only to the National Capital Region (NCR).

Despite the encouraging figures, Pula is not teeming with newspapers and magazines; the nearest place to buy a newspaper is the capital town of Lagawe or even Kiangan, both about an hour away. In the 2003 FLEMMS, CAR showed one of the lowest rates of frequency of newspaper reading. Only 51.1% of the population in CAR relied on newspapers for knowledge and information. Radio was the most popular medium at 69.9% -- the highest number of radio listeners anywhere in the country -- while television registered only 53.3% -- not surprisingly, the lowest.

If the literacy rate in CAR is so high, why are the people listening to radio and watching TV more than reading newspapers? Their media preference might be a result of media infrastructure more than anything. Limited accessibility -- especially of Asipulo -- makes newspaper delivery difficult. On the other hand, the region as a whole has the advantage of geographic height, making it able to receive radio signals clearly.

an electrified pula
With electricity, the stillness that envelopes Pula will most likely be punctured by blaring stereo, radio, and TV sets.

Media exposure will undoubtedly continue to be heavily slanted towards radio and TV. This means faster availability and more effective delivery of news and information, which are so important to remote communities.

But -- and especially for TV -- this also means exposure to imported telenovelas, noontime variety shows, showbiz gossip, and programs with violence and sex.

These programs do nothing to support the Ifugao way of life or reinforce traditional values and ideals. In fact, it would be accurate to say that, with media's tendency to be Manila-centric, the Ifugao are underrepresented in TV and radio.

Would this be the end of a way of life? Only the people of Pula can say.

Without electricity, Pula has stayed disconnected from the rest of the country for years. It has kept their way of life intact, and their culture pure. But no one has the right to impose that this community community without electricity and its conveniences forever.

Exposure to TV and even radio programs may very well be an imposition of non-Ifugao culture on Pula. But for Pula residents, having electricity means being connected through TV and radio to life outside Asipulo and Ifugao. Good or bad, it is something that can't be avoided.

All we can do is hope that Ifugao culture and traditions are strong enough to withstand the introduction and intrusion of media and Manila-centric culture.

* I first wrote about Asipulo, Ifugao here.

a national identity

In this age of globalization and the resulting homogenization of culture, does a Filipino identity stand any chance of surviving and prospering? Even without external influences, are our lifeways too diverse, the differences too pronounced, to produce a unified culture?

Section 3 of Republic Act 7356 discusses national identity this way:

Culture reflects and shapes values and beliefs and emulates the aspirations of the people’s cultural wisdom, thereby defining a people’s national identity. A Filipino national culture that mirrors Philippine economic, social, and political life shall be evolved, promoted and conserved.

Republic Act 7356, also known as "The Law Creating the National Commission for Culture and the Arts," defines culture as "a human right" in Section 2, as follows:

Culture is a manifestation of the freedom of belief and of expression, and is a human right to be accorded due respect and allowed to flourish.

Is it too naive or pretentious to think that the culture of the lowlands is as important as that of the seaside or the mountains? In Manila, a veritable melting pot, culture seems to be absent -- but this absence, of course, is in itself a culture. The farther away from Manila, the more evident the culture, it seems. Can one residing in a remote mountain barrio really embrace the culture of another on the opposite side of the country as being "Filipino?"

It is no big surprise that those living outside Manila strive to preserve their way of life. Take Filipino communities in other countries, for example. They seem more bent on celebrating, if not preserving, their Filipino-ness than the average Manileño.

Section 7 of the same law emphasizes the importance of preserving Filipino heritage:

It is the duty of every citizen to preserve and conserve the Filipino historical and cultural heritage and resources.

The reality is, no one can claim a monopoly on being Filipino or on living a Filipino life. Being Filipino is not just one particular characteristic or set or characteristics. Nor is it one dialect, one dress, one dish. One's duty to preserve and conserve is, simply, one's duty to be a Filipino.

for whom?

When people hear the word "culture," they often think of expensive antiques, classical paintings and sculptures, fine dining, orchestras playing cerebral music, or high-society, black-tie events.

Such concepts, though not entirely unfounded, couldn't be more wrong.

Culture, as defined in the 1982 Mexico City Declaration on Cultural Policies, and approved by members of the United Nations Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (UNESCO) is:

...the whole complex of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features that characterize a society or social group. It includes not only the arts and letters, but also modes of life, the fundamental rights of the human being, value systems, traditions and beliefs.

This definition tells us that culture is simply how we live in a given time and place.

The Declaration goes on to affirm that:

...it is culture that gives man the ability to reflect upon himself. It is culture that makes us specifically
human, rational beings, endowed with a critical judgement and a sense of moral commitment. It is
through culture that we discern values and make choices. It is through culture that man expresses
himself, becomes aware of himself, recognizes his incompleteness, questions his own achievements,
seeks untiringly for new meanings and creates works through which he transcends his limitations.

The document lists more than 50 principles on culture and how it relates to development, democracy, education, communication, international cooperation, and peace.

Culture is therefore not limited in scope and object. It is as much a part of the life of the museum goer as it is the factory worker; the schoolboy and the matron; the businessman and the housewife; the call center agent and the market vendor.

It is for everyone.

media as cultural workers

My previous post quoted Felice Prudente Sta. Maria's take on media organizations and practitioners as cultural workers.

The idea of media as contributors to culture should be nothing new to those of us who believe that the media do not act as mere documenters or recorders, but as active participants in the life of a nation.

Broadsheets, tabloids, magazines, radio, TV, the Internet -- all reflect current culture. More importantly, however, they highlight aspects of a way of life that their audience can relate to or otherwise react to. They may also -- knowingly or unknowingly -- set trends, or act as channels for these trends, in thought, behavior, speech, and fashion.

Take any newspaper. The different sections reflect what is current -- what is worth knowing -- in that particular aspect of our lives. As both storehouse and channel of information, the newspaper's success depends on how complete the information is, and how accurately it conveys it. But as the nature of news media goes, the newspaper must accomplish that work today. Tomorrow is another day, with new demands for completeness and accuracy.

The relevance and effectiveness of our media as cultural agents also lies in how effective they are as communicators, if not creators, of our common memories and aspirations. That is, the different media mirror not only the present, but also the past and the future. These memories and aspirations -- whether good or bad -- form part of our culture.

How a newspaper covers an event is the present. But how it celebrates or commemorates that same event years later -- such as its specials on the 1986 Edsa Revolution -- rekindles our collective memories as a nation. In the same way, how it looks ahead -- by reporting new developments or infrastructure projects, for example -- gives hope.

Media tell stories and paint pictures of our lives, of our society, of our nation -- and these become rooted in our culture. The telling of these stories and the painting of these pictures must be done responsibly, ethically, and with the welfare of the audience at heart. For the workings of media -- whether good or bad -- also form a culture of its own, which become part of the larger culture of our nation.

media and culture

From A Cultural Worker's First Manual: Essays in Appreciating the Everyday, by Felice Prudente Sta. Maria:

Are those in media and education automatically cultural workers?

Whether they know it or not, all companies and institutions involved in media and education provide tools for cultural education, cultural information and cultural attitude formation. Unfortunately, not everyone in these fields accepts responsibility for cultural development. Cultural workers within the fields are those who promote a positive attitude for culture, preferably knowing it.

fr. honti's 'pananagutan'

"Walang sinuman ang nabubuhay para sa sarili lamang, walang sinuman ang namamatay para sa sarili lamang (No one lives for himself alone, no one dies for himself alone)."

These simple words, plus an equally simple melody, make up the song Pananagutan. I remember learning this and other Catholic Mass songs as a second grader in a school run by nuns. The songs were all very easy to learn, and very "hummable," especially for me and my classmates. At the time, of course, I had no idea that the songs were a result of Vatican II -- and that they in turn would inspire other composers like Fr. Manoling Francisco, SJ, known for Hindi Kita Malilimutan (I will Never Forget You) and Tanging Yaman (One Treasure), and Fr. Arnel Aquino, SJ, of the Lauds series of CDs and tapes.

Neither did I know that I would one day get to meet the man who composed Pananagutan and the first Filipino mass songs -- Fr. Eduardo Hontiveros, SJ, better known as Fr. Honti. I had the opportunity to work with him for his CD entitled "Pananagutan" -- a tribute to him by his younger Jesuit brothers in the music ministry, known collectively as Himig Heswita. By then, he had had a couple of strokes or maybe more. He kept his arm at his side, his hand in a fist.

He could hardly speak but he tried to communicate in other ways. When asked to describe his songs, he bent over and laid his hand, palm down, at knee-level. It was a simple gesture, but it said a lot. He composed simple songs so that the common man, the masa -- anybody -- could sing them, and not just the trained singer or church choir member. In a Catholic world experiencing change after Vatican II, and striving to remain relevant, Fr. Honti was part of that change and part of that relevance. His songs were his pananagutan (responsibility) to all of us as both priest and composer.

Fr. Honti passed away a few days ago. But his songs have made their mark in the Philippine Catholic community. He has helped mold a generation of Filipino liturgical music composers, not to mention a Filipino mass culture. From the humblest chapel to the grandest cathedral, his songs have taken flight. They may not be as well known now as the newer mass songs, but he was the composer who started it all. His legacy lives on. Because of this, Fr. Honti will be remembered as "the father of Philippine liturgical music."

'no to war. yes to peace and human rights.'

The above title is from Worldpress.org's interview with Shirin Ebadi entitled "Follow the Path of Negotiation and Peace" -- a hopeful keynote with which to start the new year, as well as a firm stand against what seems to be the impending US bombing of Iran.

Shirin Ebadi is an Iranian human rights lawyer and the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize laureate -- the first Iranian and the first Muslim woman to have been named as such. In 1969, she began serving as a judge -- the first woman in Iran to do so.

Ebadi continues her private practice as a lawyer, taking on cases of national interest, most involving children's rights and freedom of expression. She teaches human rights courses and has written several articles and books. What strikes me most about Ebadi is that, in a paternalistic society, she espouses and represents equality between men and women.

I'm sure I'm not alone in the hope that any and all efforts towards peace -- such as Ebadi's National Peace Council -- will succeed. Let's hope that 2008 will see more of such initiatives.

wishing for a firecracker-free new year's eve

The midday news on TV reported a fire in Bocaue, Bulacan caused by -- what else? -- the spark from a firecracker.

Around this time every year, print, radio and TV coverage of the yearend revelry are full of people -- mostly young children -- injured by firecrackers. Scores of victims are rushed to hospitals everywhere with blown-off fingers or hands. Will we ever learn?

a luxury?
A friend told me of a woman interviewed on a TV news program, lamenting that in previous years, her Php20,000 could buy more firecrackers. This year, the woman complained, the economy has not been as supportive of her firecracker-buying habit, and she got much less for her Php20,000. I didn't catch that news report myself, but I definitely think that woman is lucky enough to even have that kind of money to spend on firecrackers.

While children roam the streets begging -- or worse, rummaging through other people's garbage for food -- many Filipinos do not think twice about spending money on firecrackers. It has become almost a status symbol: one's ability to usher in the new year with the most, the biggest, the loudest firecrackers can make one the object of his neighbors' admiration or even envy. Never mind how big or small your house is, where you live, what you do for a living, or how educated you and your children are. All that matters is that, for new year's eve, you literally have money to burn.

effects on health
What many of us don't know -- or perhaps would rather overlook -- is how damaging firecrackers can be to our bodies.

The most obvious effects are to our ears and lungs. The website stop-fireworks.org lists the following effects of firecrackers (and even fireworks) to the ears:

Traumas due to crackers and explosions of fireworks are caused by impulsive bangs (bangs caused by high pressure blasts). The blast of exploding fireworks can reach more than 130 dB; in the immediate vicinity of public fireworks top levels of up to 190 dB can be reached and around 150 dB at farther distances. (In comparison: 130 decibels are measured at a distance of 100 m from jet enginges; 160 or 170 decibels are louder than a pneumatic hammer.) The hearing organ is not adaptable to acute high pitched sounds (sudden impulsive noise endangers the ear more than continuous noise; it can result in a blast and explosion trauma; ear buzzing and hearing deficiency (tinnitus, etc.); sometimes it results in an explosion trauma followed by tearing apart the tympanum. A trauma caused by a blast with damaged capillary cells in the interior ear can lead to permanent hearing deficiency. ("The incidence of acoustic trauma due to New Year's firecrackers", Stefan K.-R. Plontke, Klaus Dietz, Cornelius Pfeffer, Hans-Peter Zenner, Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol (2002) 259: 247-252, DOI: 10.1007/s00405-002-0451-4)

Children:
Firework, crackers and rockets can injure children's ears permanently. An explosion creates a blast trauma in the sensitive child ear which, besides the initial damage, can end in lasting, non-reparable injuries. [Please take a look at the site "Dangerous Decibels" (A public health partnership for prevention of noise-induced hearing loss) http://www.dangerousdecibels.org/hearingloss.cfm.]

A document entitled "Happy Diwali without Crackers 2006" lists other effects. Firecrackers contain fine particles that we breathe in, which can cause respiratory illness such as chronic bronchitis and asthma, and heart diseases. Particles that remain in the air (suspended particulate matter) can lead to asthma, cancer, restrictive lung diseases, and pneumoconiosis. The sulphur dioxide (SO2) in firecrackers can cause eye burning, headaches, cancer, heart diseases, and respiratory problems such as pulmonary emphysema. Another ingredient, nitrous oxides, can cause lung irritation, chest tightness, viral infections, and airway blockages.

And these are just the effects on humans. Who knows how much more damage fireworks can cause in birds, whose lungs are much smaller than ours, and in dogs, whose ears are more sensitive than ours?

effects on the environment
It's true that new year's eve comes around only once a year. But that means nothing in the face of all the havoc mankind have already wrought on the environment. Firecrackers release gases that affect not only our bodies but also the environment. Aside from air and noise pollution, firecrackers leave behind nonbiodegradable waste -- which will contribute to our already choked-up landfills. After all the discourse on global warming, climate change, and saving Mother Earth, you would think we would have actually learned something. You would think all our choices would be responsible ones.

In all this, what is the government doing? Two cities in Metro Manila -- Marikina and Mandaluyong -- have been declared firecracker-free zones. Kudos to their city officials for taking such a stand. But as I drove along a crowded street in Mandaluyong yesterday with a friend, I had to avoid some firecrackers thrown my way. Apparently, small children have learned from their elders that they must throw the firecrackers as soon as they light them, as far away from themselves as possible. It just so happens that as far away sometimes means onto the street.

I wonder at the uniquely Pinoy way we celebrate our holidays. Just a few weeks ago, we crowded into churches for the misa de gallo (dawn mass). Hopefully, tonight, we won't crowd into hospitals with injuries caused by firecrackers.

A peaceful -- and hopefully firecracker-free -- 2008 to all!