by  Alyssa Kaye S. Mojar

In light of the 150^th birth anniversary of Andres Bonifacio, known as the “Father of Philippine Revolution,” Musikaunlaran 2013: Bonifacio @ 150 was held last August 30, 2013 at the Baker Hall of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB).

As Andres Bonifacio celebrates his 150^th birth year this coming November 30, 2013, UPLB commemorates his heroism through music. Musikaunlaran 2013: Bonifacio @ 150 is a battle-of-the-bands/benefit concert spearheaded by the UP Alliance of Development Communication Students (UP ADS) and the Department of Social Sciences of the College of Arts and Sciences (DSS-CAS).

How it all started

Jeyneth Ann Mariano, one the supervisors of MusiKaunlaran 2013 said that the event was chosen to be a battle-of-the-bands and benefit concert to be able to reach a wider audience. “Trend. Kasi kung symposium, baka kakaunti  yung interesadong pumunta. Edi parang hindi mako-communicateyung message,” she shared.

According to UP ADS, the event originated from one of their annual activities, Stripped to the Extreme, which aims to give UPLB students an avenue to showcase their talents to the UPLB community. As they transformed it to MusiKaunlaran 2013, they focused on the talents of Iskolars who are musically inclined, particularly, those in bands. This made way for the concept of battle of the bands.

The concert will be “rocked” by three guest artists who are Original Pilipino Music (OPM) singers and are recognized advocates of modern heroism. They are Gary Granda, Lolita Carbon of the band Asin, and Ebe Dancel, who is also a performer in the Rock Supremo Concert. The Rock Supremo Concert unites some of the country’s best artists and bands in one stage to celebrate the heroism of Bonifacio. The concert will also be featuring UPLB graduates and new breed recording bands Pathway and Segatron.

Proceeds of the concert will go to the “Off the Street, On the School” campaign of Kairos band, the UPLB Counseling and Testing Division, and the UPLB Gabay Volunteer Corps. The campaign, now on its 9^th year, aims to send street children to school by providing school supplies for them and shouldering expenses needed for their schooling. Moreover, the program Is now sending six students to school on full scholarship with the aim of helping them have a degree. The program particularly helps the sampaguita vendors in UPLB.

The campaign (Off the Street, On the School) was chosen as a beneficiary because its promoters are the members of the Kairos band which is also a UPLB-based band who are also advocates of OPM. The band uses their talents and skills in music not for personal benefit, but for a worthy cause. Instead of keeping money earned from performing in events, competitions, fundraising concerts, etc., the band uses the money to promote the Off the School, On to School project.

Also, UP ADS, the co-organizer of the event, holds activities focusing on the use of various media in addressing development and development communication concerns, promotion of different advocacies geared toward social change, promotion of nationalism and modern heroism, youth empowerment, and ultimately, service to the marginalized sector.

Off to Battle

UPLB based bands will be competing in the battle of the bands. They are tasked to compose their original song revolving around the life and works of Andres Bonifacio as a hero, writer, leader of the revolution, brother to his siblings, husband, and a lot more.

The DSS-CAS gave the participants a “handout” which served as a guide to the participants in writing their songs. This handout was reviewed by the professors in the DSS-CAS in which according to them, will help the participants know who Andres Bonifaciois and his works. It equipped them with necessary information to write the heroism of Bonifacio.

After reading the handout and having their own researches about Bonifacio, the six participants namely: Arete, Balance, Coupé, Hard Tension, Lottie, and Paragos, came up with their competing original compositions which are: Sigaw ng Anak, Get up and Give it All you Got, Supremo, Boni-facio, Bayan niBonifacio, and Agapito Bagumbayan, respectively.

Lottie, a five-members band is composed of musicians from different bands and duos. According to Martin Alfred Cedeño, the band’s guitarist and vocalist, their song, “Bayan ni Bonifacio, is inspired by Andres Bonifacio’s famous poem, “Pag-ibig sa tinubuang lupa”. The song also describes Bonifacio’s courage, heroism, and his passion for our country.”

For the four-man band Balance, lead guitarist Carlos Catalan wrote their competition piece entitled Get up and Give it All you Got. He said that the focus of their song is Bonifacio’s outlook towards what was happening around him during his time. Moreover, he believes that Bonifacio’s attitude triggered him to start a revolution. The song revolved around how Bonifacio lived his life before realizing that he needs to step up and fight.

Sigaw ng Anak is Arete’s entry song. The band is composed of five members including Jan Erwin Bulang, the vocals man of the group. According to him, they focused on Andres Bonifacio’s act of starting the uprising when crafting their song. “The event is famously remembered as Cry of Pugadlawin,” he said after explaining how the Katipuneros got up withtheir bolos in hand to fight for freedom of the country.

According to Arneil Sarzeulo, vocalist of the band Hard Tension, their song Boni-facio is a product of their view of Bonifacio’s braveness and strength to lead the Filipinos and fight against the Spaniards. He also said that their song depicts how they see Bonifacio as an “example to the people of the nation today to be brave and fight against the odds that we might face.”

Although each band has their own way of interpreting Bonifacio and his works, each was able to come up with their own compositions. With this, one of the objectives of the event was fulfilled. It is to let people know the life and heroism of Andres Bonifacio.

According to Catalan, what he learned from writing the song is that Bonifacio gave everything. “Absolutely no fear,” he said.

Burang shared that what they learned from writing their songs is that they have come to realize “the greatness and the martyr he had become” to give freedom to the Philippines. He also said that Bonifacio’s life and legacy makes him one of our “unheralded heroes”.

Year-long Celebration

As early as last year, the celebration of the sesquicentennial anniversary of Bonifacio’s birth was being prepared for. President Aquino directed the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) to spearhead activities and programs for the celebration.

In partnership with different government and non-government organizations, NHCP released the list of 11 activities and programs in line with the 150^th birth of Andres Bonifacio.

The list includes:

1. the reprinting of the influential works on Andres Bonifacio’s life which includes Isabelodelos Reyes’ Bonifacio the Revolutionist, TeodoroKalaw’sAngHimagsikang Filipino, and El Commercio;
2. “Bonifacio Para saKabataan” which is a multi-arts learning tour for students from grade 5 to 7;
3. lecture series for high school and college students in Metro Manila about “BakitMaypagasaang secret name ni Andres Bonifacio?” and “Andres Bonifacio- Sino kasaamingbuhayngayon?”;
4. commemorative stamp design contest with the them Bonifacio@150;
5. program tribute to the 117^th anniversary of the Cry of Pugadlawin;
6. opening of the MuseongKatipunanngPinaglabanan Memorial Shrine in San Juan City;
7. Rock Supremmo, a musical in celebration of the life and works of Bonifacio;
8. “San Andres B” which is a modern opera showcasing the life and story of Bonifacio;
9. Rock Supremo Concert;
10. raising of the Philippine flag and resting of wreaths; and
11. the Great Boni Fiesta, a day-long celebration full of games and other surprises.

November 29, 2012, the 149^th birth year anniversary of Bonifacio, marked the start of the year-long celebration of his 150^th year which will be culminated on the exact date of the hero’s birth- November 30, 2013.

During Ebe Dancel’s performance, he sang one of his original compositions for the album which he, together with other artists, recorded as a promotion to the celebration of Bonifacio’s 150^th birthday. As the event closed, he personally thanked the organizers of the event, for it did not only allowed him to go back to his first love, Elbi, but he was also able to perform as an advocate of Bonifacio, which he really is.

Battle of the bands winner Paragos as they received their award. Photo courtesy of the UP Alliance of Development Communication Students (UP ADS).

As MusiKaunalaran 2013: Bonifacio  @ 150 ended, Paragos band was announced as the first place in the battle of the bands. They were followed by Hard Tension, and Lottie for the second and third prize, respectively.

_________________________________________________________________________

Agapito Bagumbayan (Winning Entry)

by Paragos

Sumibol na ang bagong umaga
Akay-akay ang pag-asa
Nag-iisa at lagi nang
Nagtatanong, naghihintay
Tapos na ba ang paglalakbay?
Pinapasan ang mga bituin na
Nag-sasabing tapos na ang delubyo

Dito sa silangan nakilala ang isang pangalan
Pinaglaban, kalayaan na ating naranasan
Isa sa mga nagtatag at naging supremo ng
Kataas-taasang , kagalang-galangang katipunan

Kumapit ka, ‘wag kang bibitaw
Pag-ibig ang tanging sandata
Lumaya ka , lumaya ka
Harapin ang ikot ng mundong
Tuloy, tuloy, tuloy,tuloy

Libo-libong tao sya ay sinamahan
Isang gabing nagtipon-tipon sa Caloocan
Upang mag-aklas laban sa mga Kastila
Tunay na pagkakaisa ng bawat Pilipino
Sabay-sabay pinunit ang sedula
Kanilang sigaw ay “KALAYAAN”

Nakapikit, nagdarasal
Tapos na nga’ng paglalakbay
Nakatingin sa mga bituin
At sinasabing tapos na ang delubyo

Dito sa silangan nakilala ang isang bayani
Binansagang Supremo, ngalan nya ay Bonifacio.

By Christian T. Rieza

Nagtunggali ang mga paaralan ng CALABARZON sa sabayang pagbigkas at tradisyunal na sayawang Pilipino noong nakaraang ika-8 ng Septyembre sa DL Umali Auditorium, UPLB. Ang ginanap na kumpetisyon ng sabayang pagbigkas ay ginamit ang kathang piyesa ni Atty. Maria Joy Karen Adraneda-Filio na pinamagatang “Baluktot, Matuwid”. 

Ang mga nasabing paligsahan ay kasunod lamang ng unang parte ng Pintig ng Lahi bilang pagdiriwang sa Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa na may temang “Wika Natin Ang Daang Matuwid”

Para sa kumpetisyon ng sabayang pagbigkas, 10 na paaralan ang nagtunggali. Ito ay ang mga sumusunod: Pagsanjan National High School; Los Baños National High School; Canossa Colleges – San Pablo; Morning Star Montessori School Inc; Mater Dei Academy – Tagaytay City; Calamba Bayside National High School; Alaminos National High School; Our Lady of Peace School – Antipolo, Rizal; University of Rizal System – Morong; at Mater Ecclesiae.

Sa tagisan ng galing sa Sabayang Pagbigkas, nanalo ng unang gantimpala ang Calamba Bayside National High School. Sinundan sila ng University of Rizal System-Morong (Pangalawang Gantimpala) at Our Lady of Peace School-Antipolo, Rizal (Ikatlong Gantimpala). Pinarangalan ng tropeyo, katumbas na pera bilang pa-premyo, at sertipiko ang mga paaralang nanalo sa paligsahang ito.

Ang mga mag-aaral Calamba Bayside National High School, ang itinangghal na kampeon sa sabayang pagbikas.

Ang mga hurado para sa Sabayang Pagbigkas ay sina G. Joey Ting, G. Kristofer Abe Pojas at Atty. Maria Joy Karen Adraneda-Filio

Sa panayam sa isa sa mga punong abala sa Pintig ng Lahi na si Maria Regina Regalado, binanggit niya na sa sabayang pagbigkas at tradisyunal na sayawang Pilipino, maipapakita ng mga estudyante ang pagkamalikhain nila at ang pagmamahal nila sa sariling kultura. Natutuwa siya na maraming estudyante parin ang sumusuporta sa sayaw Pilipino at ipinahayag na hindi natin dapat hayaang maging parte na lamang libro at kasaysayan ito.“Habang pinapanood sila alam mong hindi lang nila basta kinabisa ang piyesang ibinigay sa kanila, sa bawat pagtatanghal nila mararamdaman mo ang oras na kanilang ginugol para makapagtanggal ng maganda. Lahat ng mga kalahok ay magagagling at nabigyan nila ito ng magandang interpretasyon,” idinagdag niya.

Sa Tradisyunal na Sayawang Pilipino naman, 8 na paaralan ang naglaban-laban. Ito ay ang: Pagsanjan National High School; Los Baños National High School; Mater Dei Academy – Tagaytay City; Calamba Bayside National High School; Alaminos National High School; Our Lady of Peace School – Antipolo, Rizal; University of Rizal System – Morong; at Mater Ecclesiae.

Ang mga mag-aaral ng University of Rizal System sa kanilang pagtatanghal ng Igorot Cordillera.

Nakamit ng University of Rizal System-Morong ang unang gantimpala, sinunandan sila ng Calamba Bayside National High School na nakakuha ng ikalawang parangal at Mater Ecclesiae na napalanunan ang ikatlong gantimpala. Ang nakakuha ng gantimpala ay pinarangalan ng P10,000, tropeyo, at sertipiko; ang ikalawang gantimpala ay binigyan ng P5,000, tropeyo, at sertipiko; samantalang ang ikatlong gantimpala ay hinandugan ng P3,000, tropeyo, at sertipiko.

Nagsilbing hurado sa paligsahang ito sina Bb. Denise Anne Mallari, Bb. Joanne Cerille Calapine, and G. Joelino Lapitan.

Ang Pintig ng Lahi ay nagbibigay daan para maipakita ng kabataan ang importansya at pagmamahal para sa sariling wika at kultura. Layunin din nitong tipunin ang mga mag-aaral ng CALABARZON upang maipakita ang kanilang natatagong galing at talento sa pagsusulat ng tula, paggawa ng poster, sabayang pagbigkas, at sa tradisyunal na sayawang Pilipino.

“Mahirap kapag malayo: aksaya sa oras, sayang ang pagod at nakakainip mag-intay.”

This was the statement of Emer Abanilla, a 41-year-old jeepney driver from Brgy. Damayan, Famy, Laguna about regularly going to the Land Transportation Office (LTO) branch in the municipality of Pila. Going there demands too much from this sole breadwinner to a family composed of four children and a wife suffering from thyroid disorder or goiter. According to him, the burden includes the long process of renewing vehicle registration, the distance between Pila and Famy, and time spent traveling instead of driving for a living.

But drivers like Mang Emer and other vehicle owners need not worry anymore. On August 15, Famy councilor Eddie Mialdo announced the construction of a second LTO branch in the fourth district of Laguna, which will be located in Famy. Coun. Mialdo, part of the Sangguniang Bayan Committee on Transportation, said that this project was first proposed in 2008 by Coun. Constancio Fernandez, but approved only in August 2011 by LTO Regional Director for CALABARZON Eric Lenard Tabalado.

Easy and ready access

“Problema talaga yung malayong LTO dahil kailangan mong  magbuno ng mahabang oras para makarating doon,” Mang Emer said. He added that compared to the travel time of one hour and 30 minutes from Famy to Pila, it will now take him only 10 to 15 minutes to go to the new office, which will be located in Brgy. Tunhac.

Coun. Mialdo agrees that the new LTO branch will be a big convenience. It will be located at the town center for easy access, beside the office of the First Laguna Electric Company (FLECO). After the budget details had been submitted by Engr. Jaime Borjal, chief officer of the Pila District LTO, construction will start in November.

The Famy office is the second LTO branch in the fourth district, the largest in Laguna. Other LTO offices are in San Pablo City (3rd district), Calamba City (2nd district), and Binan City (1st district).

The LTO branch in Pila serves 14 towns, namely: Sta. Maria, Mabitac, Famy, Siniloan, Pangil, Pakil, Paete, Kalayaan, Lumban, Pagsanjan, Magdalena  Cavinti, Sta. Cruz and Pila. This office will be deloaded by four municipalities once the Famy branch starts operations.

Mang Emer also appreciates that he would be able to save money when going to LTO. Instead of driving across nine municipalities, he would drive only a short distance and thereby save on gas. He remembered his experience of traveling to Pila to renew his vehicle’s registration with gasoline just enough to reach Sta. Cruz which is his usual route for work, but since he needed to go to Pila, he had to buy another liter of gasoline.

“Problema rin kasi yan. Aksaya siya sa gas kung kaya medyo magastos talaga ang magparehistro,” Mang Emer added. He also shared his concern that the money he spends for additional gasoline to reach Pila should be the money he could use to for the medication of his wife.

Those who commute, on the other hand, would save on fare: a one-way trip costs P67 per person for a tricycle and two jeepney rides, but one way will now cost only P12 for a short tricycle ride. Other people could also just walk from their homes to the office.

More productive

Most of the drivers find it a waste of time renewing their license and registering their vehicles in LTO Pila. Usually, they spend more than half a day to fix everything, which is a big blow on their income. With a nearer LTO branch, drivers could go through the usual procedures and still have lots of time left to earn a living. This would also mean less chances of paying penalty fees for late registration.

According to Engr. Borjal, two kinds of penalties are imposed for late registration. One is the weekly penalty which can cost a driver additional Php 200 on top of the Php 2,000 Motor Vehicle User’s Charge (MVUC). This is applied to registrations one to three weeks after deadline.The other type is the monthly penalty applied when owners fail to register their vehicles months after deadline.

The registration process is guided by the Quality Management System (QMS). Under this, vehicle registration should take only 30 minutes. The process from QMS has its assigned time table and time allotment per step. This includes submission of necessary documents to the evaluator, which should take six minutes; approval of the documents, four minutes,;payment, 10 minutes; and release of the sticker, 10 minutes.

Too long

Engr. Borjal, however, said that they are unable to strictly observe the timetable, in spite of using QMS, due to other pre-registration procedures like the smoke emission test, filing of third-party liability insurance, and vehicle inspection, all of which last for more than three hours. Vehicle owners find the process too long because the information being communicated by the LTO says that it is only a 30-minute process and does not include the pre-registration activities mentioned earlier.

Also, there is limited staff in the Pila office; they can attend to only a limited number of renewals, causing delays and the imposition of penalties, especially on the last few days leading to the deadline. Engr. Borjal also said that the Pila office serves not only the 14 towns in the fourth district but also vehicle owners and drivers from Calauan, Bay and Victoria, which are all part of the second district. He also added that some people going to their office come from Infanta and Real, Quezon.

With only an average of 450 drivers and vehicle owners served daily, there is backlog, resulting in late processing and penalties. Through the construction of LTO in Famy, these problems will be lessened.

On penalties, Emer said: “Di maiiwasan na magmulta ka kasi malayo ang Pila. Kahit na dalawang daan yung babayaran mo, malaking pera na yun para sa tulad kong isang drayber.”

Long to short process

The construction of LTO in Famy will also make the process shorter. According to Coun. Mialdo, it will now take fewer hours to finish the registration and renewal. The future LTO office in Famy will also cater to six nearby towns namely Sta. Maria, Mabitac, Siniloan, Pakil, Pangil and Paete. The office will be able to serve an average of 5,500 drivers from the seven towns that will make the process for registration shorter.

Mang Emer shared his experience of spending hours sitting and waiting in Pila LTO before finishing the whole registration process. “Isang mahirap sa pagpunta sa LTO ay yung mahabang pila ng tao, araw araw kasi ay dagsa ang tao kaya tumatagal din ang proseso.” 

Aside from Famy, Liliw in the second district and Sta. Rosa City in the first district have also requested for their own LTO branches. Liliw has been approved and construction will begin also before the year ends; Sta. Rosa is still being processed.

Renewal would have been easier after LTO launched the “E-Patrol Project” in June 2011, which aims to serve vehicle owners from far flung areas. It is a mobile office in the form of a bus going around the country to ease the burden of cost and waste of time when registering. This project, however, was stopped. Engr. Borja said it was due to financial constraints.

But for this year, the LTO is pushing to relaunch the said project.

Back in Famy, Coun. Mialdo said that it would take about one year for construction work to finish. After that, LTO staff can serve drivers on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. But Mang Emer is happy with that.

“Malaking tulong talaga siya sa amin lalo na sa akin dahil ako lang yung kumikita sa pamilya naming kaya makakatipid ako at mas mabibigyan ko ng pansin yung gamot ng asawa ko,” he said. (Earl Gio Manuel)

“Volunteers kami, hindi empleyado ng munisipyo,” Baby de Castro said about her appointment as barangay nutrition scholar (BNS) representing Barangay San Antonio in Los Baños, Laguna. She has been serving as such for 19 years now.

De Castro said she fell in love with her work. She enjoys attending to tasks and projects such as “Operation Timbang,” community health, and environment sanitation among many others and did not notice she has been doing volunteer work for almost two decades already. Her willingness to serve saw her through different administrations.

In July, most of her co-BNS were laid off, and a new set of BNS was hired. Of the old group, only five remained, de Castro included.

Nutrition scholars

The 14 newly-hired BNS were endorsed by their respective barangay captains to the mayor. According to de Castro, it is the mayor that decides who gets hired.

At the moment, the distribution of slots for BNS in Los Baños is as follows: one for each of Barangays Bagong Silang, Baybayin, Lalakay, Maahas, Mayondon, Malinta, Putho Tuntungin, San Antonio, Tadlac and Timugan; two for Barangays Anos, Bambang and Bayog; and three for Barangay Batong Malake. This brings the total to 19 BNS in the municipality.

The new set of BNS is now undergoing training to become certified. The training, held every Wednesdays and Fridays, started on July 10, according to Cristy Libre, one of the new hires. There are plans for a graduation ceremony, but there is no official date yet. Despite not being certified, the new BNS have started to participate in development work like Operation Timbang and feeding programs. They also helped the people affected by the habagat (monsoon) and the typhoon Maring.

A BNS is a trained community worker who links the community with service providers. Presidential Decree No. 1569 mandate that every barangay should have its representative to monitor the nutritional status of children and/or community members with nutrition problems.

Qualifications, duties, and benefits of BNS

Dr. Maria Cerezo, head BNS, said that these nutrition scholars do house-to-house checks in their respective barangays to record data, monitor malnourished children, and distribute nutritional implements like vitamins and medicines. This is in relation to Operation Timbang, one of the major programs held from January to March each year. She also said that BNS not only do projects related to nutrition; sometimes, they were tasked to help the senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs), interview applicants for the municipal scholarship program, and distribute seedlings provided by the Department of Agriculture (DA).

To qualify as BNS, an applicant should be a bonafide resident of his/her barangay, of legal age, at least a primary school graduate, is physically and mentally fit, and willing to learn and to share what he/she has learned with the community. Once appointed, a BNS gets monthly honoraria ranging from Php 1,200 to Php 4,000.

The honoraria, according to de Castro, comes from the allotted 20% of the municipality’s General Fund in the municipality.

“Malaki na ang 20% at parte lang ng 20% ang honoraria na Php 4,000,” de Catro said. She also shared that they sometimes receive funds from the barangays usually Php1,000 to Php2,000.

Evangeline “Vangie” Domaguing, a new BNS, said that she volunteered because she wants the experience, the “income” and the knowledge about nutrition since all these will be useful to her as a mother. She also added that her previous employment in the municipal office made it easier for her to be a part of BNS.

Dr. Cerezo said the Mayor Perez expressed his intent to call the BNS as Municipal Nutrition Scholars (MNS). But according to the law, the allowed label is BNS.

Duration of service

As a new BNS, Domaguing believes that those they replaced were laid off due to less-than-impressive performance: “Kapag ayaw ng service mo [bilang BNS], whether you like it or not, kailangan kang tanggalin,” she said, referring to the seventeen who were fired and had since then replaced by 14 new members.

Renalyn Tatad, BNS from Barangay Tadlac, is one of the scholars whose services were terminated in July. Contrary to what Domanguing said, her take is that if the administration does not like your behavior and your service, you would be replaced. She also added that the new administration decided their termination.

When Perez was municipal mayor from 2007 to 2010, there were 21 BNS, and their services were retained by Anthony Genuino when he was mayor between 2010 and 2013 according to de Castro. She knows about these things being one of the longest in service. But when Perez was once again elected, almost all of the scholars were laid off and replaced by new ones.

While the post of BNS is not co-terminous, which means dependent on the duration in office of the appointing official, “[d]epende pa rin sa susunod na mayor kung tatanggalin ka o hindi,” de Castro said.

Volunteers not municipal employees

PD No. 1569 states that a BNS is a barangay-based nutrition scholar that delivers nutrition services and other related activities to the barangay. Also, they are called volunteers or trained community workers that serve the municipality. They are not municipal employees.

But Tatad, though laid off as a BNS, believes that BNS should have benefits other than honoraria, even if they are not employees. She said it would also be good if they are given insurance coverage because of the fieldwork and community projects.

On the basis of performance assessments, de Castro said that the mayor does not believe in reports they file. The annual evaluation of their performance is based on their behavior and how well they are known in their respective barangays.

“Hindi sila tiwala sa papel pero sa mga tao sa barangay, [tiwala sila]. Kapag hindi ka effective ay kailangan kang palitan,” de Castro added.

Right now, de Castro sees herself as continuing with her volunteer work. She plans to stay as BNS as long as she could, and as long as she was not asked to leave her position. (Arielina Arevalo)