Over the past 5 years, the Philippine script scene has grown tremendously. You have apps, books, art, lectures and an independent movie. Coming this November, a new beautiful move will be released by Auraeus Solito.
Monthly Archives: October 2012
EVENT: San Francisco State University lecture 10/25
If you go to San Francisco State University, I’ll conduct a lecture/workshop coordinated by PACE. I’ll be trying something different than what I’ve been doing the past 2 years lecturing. This new format is based on my experience and self realization at the Asian Art Museum event this past weekend.
Event: 2 Blocks of Art 10/19 – San Francisco
You may have heard about my 3 day event at Asian Art Museum this weekend (10/19-21) but also, this Friday, 10/19 I’ll be taking part of 2 Blocks of Art at the Bayanihan Center in San Francisco. Right after my live painting and lecture at the museum, I’ll be running over to this event. I’ll probably be there around 4:30PM. This is probably going to be one of my last public events this year where you can buy artwork.
2 Blocks of Art Central Market Art Walk
Friday | October 19 | 4-8PM
Bayanihan Community Center
1010 Mission Street @ 6th
San Francisco
Artists already signed on:
Balikbayod: A surfboard sharing project promoting education 1st through the love of surfing
Artisans already signed on:
DI&Q
Little Honey Vee
with live chalk art by Paolo Salazar and Basic Lee
weaving demonstration by Holly Calica
and music by Dirty Boots!
EVENT: Introducing Filipino Calligraphy
When Filipinos think about Baybayin or the handicapped term Alibata, they think of a few things like the writing system that’s no longer used, backwards “mountain people”, the un-Christianized or an annoying thing they have to take in school. The art aspect of Baybayin isn’t really being discussed or thought of. Sure, we have tattoos but is it art if you merely select a generic font from the internet? The act of the tattooist putting the ink on your body is art but is the end product artistic? That’s up to you the individual to decide but I would think that nobody would ever think of using an Arial font for a tattoo. They would opt for some sort of calligraphy most likely.
It’s time to introduce Baybayin as an artform. We need to move away from taking shapes from existing material that’s been around for hundreds of years. Baybayin used in art as an element has been around since the 70’s if not earlier but they were straight copies of those references. Paul Morrow has done so much for Baybayin by releasing his fonts over 10 years ago but now have become the “standard”. Artist’s individual styles are now graded against Morrow’s Tagalog Stylized font.
It’s time to introduce Filipino Calligraphy that encompasses all indigenous and future writing systems from the so-called Philippines. Artists play an important if not more important part than academics in the promotion of Baybayin because it’s visual and digestible to the public.
This is a concept I’ll be introducing at my event at the Asian Art Museum October 19-21. I will be writing a famous yet controversial saying from a Filipino hero on canvas 15′ long. After the live art, I’ll be introducing Filipino Calligraphy to an audience of mostly non-Filipino artists, art academics and art lovers with a lecture.
Asian Art Museum
Chong-Moon Lee Center
for Asian Art & Culture
www.asianart.org
200 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
T 415.581.3500
F 415.581.4700
EVENT: UC Davis 10/4
I’ll be at UC Davis tomorrow to give a Baybayin lecture and workshop. Since there’s an issue going on, I think I’ll touch on it while I’m there. It will be interesting to see how these young Filams feel about it. I’ve been critical about us Filams, let’s see if I’m surprised.
Contact Chi Rho Omicron Inc UC Davis if you want to attend.
Baybayin and The Cybercrime Law
By now you should know about the Philippine Cybercrime Law shotgun approach to stop online “crime”. Read about it here. While the act has some good basic things to protect against child pornography, spam and etc but most of it is vague and may lead to jail time for liking a supposed libel Facebook post. I’m not gonna go into all of the bad possibilities but I’ll talk about something deeply personal and how this relates to the work we as Baybayin advocates do.
If we criticize certain people in big business and the government about their attempts to destroy indigenous culture, we can now be charged with libel and punished. Regardless of our regional sentiments, all citizens of the Philippines should stand up to this new freedom stifling “cybercrime law”.
You may think that this law can’t affect Baybayin but it does because Baybayin is political and freedom of expression. Baybayin was at the forefront of our fight for freedom from the Spanish. Th Ka sign has become synonymous with Kalayaan (freedom). Everyone from rebel leftists to the Philippine military uses it.
One of the reasons Baybayin almost became instinct was because of politics. Current efforts to “revive” it is politics and with any political discussion come debate and criticism that can now be deemed libel.
Sure, it’s difficult to prove malicious intent, a key ingredient of any libel suite but anyone with money and a lawyer can force the supposed lawbreaker into an expensive and time consuming legal battle if they can afford a lawyer. This cybercrime law empowers those with power to harras those with little power.
Some of you may remember the Ticao stone news from last year where the Baybayin community from the US and Canada questioned if the stone was really ancient or not. After an article came out on GMA News, I wrote this piece as a response to UP Anthropology professors.
Could Barry be in trouble for his comments to the professors?
Hell, this whole post could land me in jail!
Ray Haguisan could be sued for libel for calling out a corporation for reposting a photo of an incorrect Baybayin shirt with stolen fonts from my website where I call out Kultura?
Mike Pangilinan calls out politician from Pampanga who use Tagalog. Can he get into legal issues for his criticisms?
Criticizing a company or government body for incorrectly using Baybayin could get you a lawsuit as I wrote about the Department of Budget and Management.
This law turns critics into criminals.
I’m not even going to get into the potential artstic limitations….
This also greatly affects the Baybyain National Script Act bill. This will be put on the back burner until this Cyberbullshit is taken care of.
Since I’m an American citizen, I should be untouchable right? Don’t know with the law written so vaguely even Mark Zuckerberg could be a criminal because he runs Facebook that’s the vehicle for committing these “crimes”. If I go home to the Philippines can I be arrested?
I’m supposed to be getting my Philippine citizenship so that I can be a dual but with this issue, I don’t know now. I’ll have to wait it out.
On a personal note, I took part of the protest and put up an image on the homepage but I’m saddened that it seems like there aren’t many pissed off Filams. The weird thing is that many of the older generation came to America due to the Marcos martial law. I’ve heard so many stories how bad it was. I think there could be a digital divide where that generation doesn’t understand the dynamics of the internet or they are just totally over the Philippines where they just don’t give a shit because they were scared for life. So I can understand that generation as to why they are silent on the issue.
What baffles me is the younger generation of Filams and Filam groups who are relatively silent on the issue. October is Filipino American month, now is a perfect time to talk about this issue. Is it because it doesn’t affect them? Are they wanting to stay in good standing with the local Philippine Consulate?
BTW, I’m just basing thing on what I’ve seen on Facebook. There were more posts about Jessica Sanchez on American Idol rather than Cyber-Martial Law and the loss of freedom.
Kristian Kabuay 