Ebb and Flow

Andrea Posadas and Gap B. Estrella HEIGHTS Ateneo

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british-indian sculptor and installation artist Anish Kapoor said, “Artists are part of the story of a response, we cannot stand aside and let others make the response.” This “response,” of course, also applies to the vast literature and art that have refracted and preserved the viewpoints of a nation throughout history.

How do art and literature work towards this “response”? Just witness the many years of selfless service that the Loyola Schools (LS) community has put into HEIGHTS, known as the artistic and literary publication of Ateneo de Manila University. The myriad of poems, stories, essays, art pieces, and online articles that HEIGHTS showcases every academic year has collated an abundance of personal statements and experiences reflecting, among many things, dissent against the nation’s socio-political injustices and marginalized communities’ plights.

HEIGHTS has been prolific in providing a platform for LS students, faculty members, and alumni to speak their truths. The organization’s processes of taking firm stands amidst the pandemic, political turmoil, and election-related news are paramount to upholding its purpose of fortifying safe spaces against tyranny and impunity through amplifying free expression and curbing attempts to eradicate it.

HEIGHTS’ political firsts

Since the publication’s humble beginnings in 1952 up to the HEIGHTS as it is known today, one of its defining characteristics as an organization has been the constant tension between the formal and the political. Although the political nature of the works presented in folios have been present since the beginning, HEIGHTS became more explicitly political in 1970 as a result of the country’s unrest under the Marcos regime. A piece that illustrates this political urgency is Angel D. Baking’s essay “Revolution as a Career,” as they talk about the material conditions that push people

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into a revolution. To quote Baking: “If the present system can no longer accommodate solutions to our basic problems and the ruling classes no longer possess the confidence and the competence to resolve our crises and difficulties, then revolution is inevitable and is the only alternative open to the people.”

The following issue only continued to forward this political message. Apart from the issue being written completely in Filipino, the 19th issue had a cover page of Kabataan Makabayan President Nilo Tayag as a response to his arrest. That issue was filled with essays and works that spoke about nationalism and brandished a red motif. It was in the same year that the organization itself went through a major overhaul, breaking the rigid hierarchy of editorial board and members, and deciding to place each staffer on equal footing. Not long after its radical turn, HEIGHTS was discontinued with the declaration of Martial Law in 1972, forcing the publication to move to underground production as Pugadlawin.

When HEIGHTS finally re-emerged in 1974, the concern of the publication reverted back to that of form; where the resurrection of HEIGHTS began, so did its pursuit of aesthetics. Navigating a post-underground era, the publication’s role in proliferating pieces rooted in good craftsmanship was highlighted now more than ever. It seemed that, amid darkness, art and literature became integral to the collective spirit of the people.

In An Mercado’s 1985 foreword, “Work In Progress,” thenEditor-in-Chief explains the need to retrace the literary tradition of HEIGHTS. Mercado writes: “In our heart of hearts one single syllable [HEIGHTS] sufficed to carry the weight and hope of a long tradition of literary excellence. In the beginning we set out to continue this continuing tradition.” She continues to lay out the conflicts and questions left unanswered by HEIGHTS’ archives, in search of what exactly is the literary culture of the publication. As evidenced by this desire for canon formation, HEIGHTS seems to take a step back from its politically seeped history, making form and aesthetics its focal point.

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Striking a balance

Despite being characterized by this push and pull of identities, one aspect of HEIGHTS that has remained consistent throughout the years is its role in responding to the current context of the student body. Whether it be the urge to fight back against oppressive regimes, empower student activism, or bring back the enchantment of art and literature in the LS community, HEIGHTS has always strived to remain true to its community.

Patricia Sarmiento, HEIGHTS’ Editor-in-Chief for A.Y. 2019-2020, underscores this in her dossier of the organization’s history and political engagement. She prefaces HEIGHTS’ literary and artistic undertakings as “practicing responding to societal realities,” which had been highlighted further through HEIGHTS’ yearly organizational thrusts. Sarmiento adds that, from 2013 to 2016, HEIGHTS was adamant on departing from its “ivory tower” image, referring to the rather privileged and solitary impressions that non-HEIGHTS members initially associated with the organization. The aforementioned time frame was a turning point for the organization as it curated content with the unitive goal of abolishing its perceived reputation and working towards a more community-grounded trajectory.

HEIGHTS continues this endeavor, major changes in learning environments notwithstanding. This is especially true of the organization’s transition from an on-site publication to an online one. When the pandemic hit and forced all LS organizations to shift to fully online platforms, HEIGHTS’ Editorial Board (EB) for A.Y. 2020-2021, led by Zofia Agama, hoped to preserve as much of the previous operating procedures of the organization as possible. For HEIGHTS, this meant keeping up with releasing two separate folios.

However, due to the public health crisis, academic demands, and difficulties in transition, this proved to be a burden to the different arms of the organization. Current English Editor Lexie Cruz shares

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that the shift to an online platform made it more difficult to establish a personal bond with the rest of the staff, consequently making their job as deliberators more tedious. “People were anxious, it was difficult to really focus, and because we hadn’t anticipated any of it…we didn’t really have time to connect, bond, or discuss things in a more casual way.”

Similar to the experience of the English Staff, incumbent Design Editor Anya Nellas talks about how the Design Staff felt a disconnect with their artworks. More specifically, the lack of a tangible folio drastically changed the way the artists identified with their outputs. “Since we just upload the folio online, I guess there’s not much attachment to their work or a sense of ownership compared to having…a physical copy to really see their work.”

Following the many different challenges in the first year of the fully online setup, the 2021-2022 HEIGHTS EB saw the need for major changes to be made. After consulting with their staffers and based on their own personal experiences, the ‘21-‘22 EB heeded the call to make internal adjustments as to how HEIGHTS functioned. These internal adjustments ran deep into the organization, so much so that this year’s thrust was grounded on the idea of needing a strong and solid interior in order to be able to respond to these unprecedented times: Pagpapatibay-loob sa mga kinaiisahang espasyo laban sa pinasidhing paniniil. Under the leadership of current Editorin-Chief Stanley Gueverra, the Editorial Board sought to not only make changes that would take care of the needs of the organization’s members, but also recognize the publication’s role in responding to the conditions that go even beyond the university.

Entering the new school year, arguably one of the biggest changes that the organization went through was the shift from two separate folios to a double issue. Instead of releasing two folios, one at the end of each semester, HEIGHTS opted for a double issue launch in the middle of the second semester. Although it might seem like a small change externally, this meant a lot of adjustments for the different arms of the organization, both deliberating and non-

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deliberating staffs. According to Stanley, there were several reasons for this decision. On one hand, this allowed the deliberation period to span across a much longer time frame, giving the Art, English, and Filipino staffs several months to collate folio submissions and adequately screen each piece. For the Design, HEIGHTS Online, and Production staffs, this would also mean that most of their work was skewed towards the end of the school year, but having more time to prepare for the Folio Launch last March 25, 2022.

The double issue, titled Truths, follows the Calls for Contributions (CFCs) on navigating today’s pressing issues that the LS community had a month each to submit their work to—the first, being Distortion, and the second, Confrontation.

“You can see that this double issue imbibes the thrust. Compared to two regular issues, which are usually separate themes, Distortion and Confrontation are thematically united under the idea of truths,” Stanley shares. He and the rest of HEIGHTS’ EB also kept the 2022 National Elections in mind as the CFCs were brought to fruition. “This is also why we’re releasing the folio in March. That way, they have two months to read it before May 9. We wanted our contributors to tackle election-related issues, too, through their own artistic, literary, and thematic practices.”

Such pursuits of political commentary in art and literature are showcased in Anjanette Cayabyab’s poem, “Maalaala mo kaya ang sumpa niyo sa amin?” a contribution to the folio’s Confrontation theme. The piece bears witness to the public’s urges to curb power, strive for a hopeful, people-empowered future, and prevent eradefining injustices from repeating themselves. Cayabyab’s poem is among the profuse calls for action that shape HEIGHTS’ double issue (see Cayabyab’s work).

On the artistic side of the double issue lies “kahit ano pa man sabihin nila, hindi pa rin nakakain ang dolomite,” a food art series by Kevin Castro, also for the folio’s Confrontation theme. The series is a commentary on the Dolomite Beach that was built at the height of the pandemic in 2020. Months into the lockdown,

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people were out of the financial resources to buy basic necessities like food and yet the government prioritized the creation of the beach instead of providing assistance to citizens that needed it the most. After which, criticism sparked in social media, calling out the government for choosing to create the Dolomite Beach, in turn asking, “Nakakain ba ang dolomite?” Castro’s piece puts this issue at the forefront, using dolomite to substitute different parts of the food like replacement for bread, ice cream toppings, and even rice. Aiming to use the dolomite as a “catalyst for thought,” his photos provoke viewers into reassessing what this project has really done for Filipinos (see Castro’s work).

Apart from operational adjustments, members of HEIGHTS also expressed a change in the way both editors and staffers approached each other. In the case of Design Staffer Carmen Dolina, she notices how her editors would make it a point to check up on her before giving her any work: “They’re not overly nice, I just feel like there’s always an air of, ‘Are you free to do this job? It’s okay if you aren’t, though!’” For Production Staffer Mariana Gardoce, she feels as if both editors and staffers alike became more considerate of each other’s time. “One of the bigger revisions was establishing, ‘Here are our work hours, so you aren’t obligated to reply outside the given time, especially if it’s not urgent.’” These small yet meaningful adjustments to the organization’s work dynamics cultivated a safe space for its members to put out their best work, but at the same time take a step back when they needed to.

HEIGHTS Online Editor Andrea Tibayan also shares how these changes that the organization took made her rethink how she accomplishes her responsibilities as part of the journalistic arm of HEIGHTS. The nature of her job entailed more than just letting her staffers write to their heart's desire, but also challenged her to reconsider where these written pieces could be situated once they are published in the outside world.

“Anyone can write, say, a listicle about their five favorite movies, but what does that mean? Why are these movies relevant? Why do

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we need to watch them in this political climate? Knowing that role when staffers attempt to pitch their ideas is the foresight we need as editors. That definitely helps me be more informed, so it teaches me that I have to read up on current events and learn more about what’s happening right now,” Andrea says.

Evidenced by the anecdotes of its members, even contemporary HEIGHTS has been subject to several iterations of recalibration in response to how external conditions affect its operations as a publication.

A firm stand on the future

Whether it was a response to the atrocities of the Marcosian government or issues exacerbated by the public health crisis, HEIGHTS has always tried to keep its members, the LS community, and the entire country at the center of its initiatives. The history of the publication has shown that the production of art and literature can never be separate from the political and material conditions in which it is situated. Although HEIGHTS as an organization, publication, and institution still has room for growth, it has well earned its spot as the official artistic and literary publication of the Loyola Schools.

With the National Elections right around the corner, HEIGHTS did not miss out on the opportunity to speak its own truths on the matter. Last March 2, the organization took its sociopolitical stance to social media and released a statement in support of Presidential Candidate Leni Robredo and her promises for the country.

The decision, Stanley explains, was borne out of utmost concern for the country’s future, with the stakes being “too high to remain impartial,” and a stand for a leader who amplifies the voices of marginalized communities in the same way that the organization does. “Even though we’re part of the Confederation of Publications,

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it’s not a time to be non-partisan. Yes, opposition as a stance is good, but right now, when we have to specify and vote for someone, and that specific person will affect the country’s future and human lives for the next six years, I think we can’t afford to be as broad as ‘opposition.’”

There is no telling what turn HEIGHTS is to take next to further stand its ground in its prolific pursuits to engage with today’s political realities. Serving the LS community as a beacon of truth and free expression amidst national disquiet is not a linear process, which still makes the publication open to previous and unexplored practices in literature, art, and communication. Whether HEIGHTS continues to carry its explicitly political messages in the thrusts of the following years, challenge social norms that plague public spectrums, or take a more personal, sentiment-driven turn with its work, there will always be truth to the poems, stories, and art pieces that its staffers, editors, and contributors can grow from.

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Anjanette Cayabyab

Maalaala mo kaya ang sumpa ninyo sa amin? 1

Naaalala mo ba kaming pinalayas nang may uwian ang hayop na itinakas ng ina mong puro luho ang nasa utak?

Naaalala ba ninyo ang paraisong nilikha namin noon kung saan ang tao at hayop ay masiglang naghahalubilo? Naaalala mo ba kaming hinagupit ng pagdurusa nang tuligsain ang lupit ng pamumuno ninyong sa baya’y gumipit?

Naaalala ba ninyo ang mapayapa’t disiplinadong másang mapagpaubaya sa pinúnong sa kanila’y namamahala?

1 From HEIGHTS Vol. 69 No. 2 (2022).

Naaalala mo ba kaming hinikahos dahil ang awa n‘yong namumuno’y kinapos habang sa pagpabango ng sarili’y lubos?

Naaalala ba ninyo ang ating yaman nang umunlad ang ekonomiya ng bayan at sa buong mundo, tayo’y hinahangaan? Kung oo’t nais mong muli pang iparanas ika’y di namin

Kung oo’t nais ninyong muling maranasan ako’y h‘wag ninyong kalilimutan sa darating na halalan.

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Kevin Castro

artist statement for kahit ano pa man sabihin nila, hindi pa rin nakakain ang dolomite2

Approximately one cup of dolomite was taken from the artificial white “sand” beach in Manila Bay. A small dipping saucer was placed upside down in a food bowl in order to need less rice to fill it up. The rice was then topped with dolomite as its main viand, garnished with sliced onion leeks and decorated with carrots (which were carved into flower shapes). On a saucer, dolomite was formed into a square as a simulacrum of a slice of bread. On this bread, a slice of cooked ham and two slices of cheese were stacked. This was then topped off with more dolomite bread. Lastly, a rounded scoop of vanilla ice cream was placed in a chilled, crystal cup and topped off with crushed dolomite.

With this series, I intend for the viewer to consider the value of food, taxes, beauty, propaganda and opportunities lost, with the “sand” of the dolomite beach as the catalyst for thought.

2 From HEIGHTS Vol. 69 No. 2 (2022).

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Kevin Castro. kahit ano pa man sabihin nila, hindi pa rin nakakain ang dolomite (series) rice toppings. Food art. 3906 × 2604 px.

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kahit ano pa man sabihin nila, hindi pa rin nakakain ang dolomite (series) rice toppings. Food art (detail).

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Kevin Castro. kahit ano pa man sabihin nila, hindi pa rin nakakain ang dolomite (series) ham and cheese. Food art. 3940 × 2627 px.

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kahit ano pa man sabihin nila, hindi pa rin nakakain ang dolomite (series) ham and cheese. Food art (detail).

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Kevin Castro. kahit ano pa man sabihin nila, hindi pa rin nakakain ang dolomite (series) pinipig. Food art. 3984 × 2565 px.

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kahit ano pa man sabihin nila, hindi pa rin nakakain ang dolomite (series) pinipig. Food art (detail).

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