VOXPOP! (November 2020 issue) | PREVIEW

VOXPOP!

The official youth publication of Vox Populi PH, 2020

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Maria Kristelle C. Jimenez CREATIVE DIRECTOR Marius D. Carlos, Jr. PUBLICATION HEAD Kayla Nicole Togonon OPINION EDITOR Karl Patrick M. Suyat LITERARY EDITOR Annalyn C. Biagtan FEATURES EDITORS Erika Mae Bautista Micah Corin Salonoy Carl Angelo Y. Cagatin PODCAST HEAD Jay-ar Paloma SEGMENT HEAD Bryan Elijah Trajano CARTOONIST ZACH CONTRIBUTORS Reynand O. Manaois John Ray M. Bantasan Guia Maca Roche ALEX RAM ····· MEDIUM PUBLICATION Vox Populi PH EMAIL US voxpopulicollectivegroup

Contents

EDITORIAL

AL·PÁS: Pagkawalá ng Pilipinas, Kailan?

Maria Kristelle C. Jimenez | page 1

OPINION

Filipino Resilience and Why It Must Go Marius D. Carlos, Jr. | page 2

Duterte as Disaster Symbol

Karl Patrick Wilfred M. Suyat | page 4

FROM THE EIC

Groping in Murky Waters

Maria Kristelle C. Jimenez | page 8

CO M M E N TA RY

Taking Back “Woke”: Surviving AntiIntellectualism in an Apathetic World Jay-ar Paloma | page 10

Death Penalty: Floods of Blood Under Decayed Justice System Carl Angelo Y. Cagatin | page 12

E S S AY

DAGLI / FLASH FICTION Isandaang Kandila para sa mga “X” Micah Corin Salonoy | page 24

Republika ng Pandemya

Maria Kristelle C. Jimenez | page 26

forlorn figures

Erika Bautista | page 28

POETRY

Beachcombers

An Open Letter to the Unheard: You are not alone Kayla Nicole Togonon | page 14

S U R I N G -A K L AT

Ang Tunay na Kababalaghan ng “Ang Mga Kaibigan ni Mama Susan” Jay-ar Paloma | page 17

John Ray M. Bantasan | page 30

Diglossia

Jay-ar Paloma | page 31

SHORT STORY 12:51

Alex Ram | page 32

FICTION SERIES Eclipse: Unang Bahagi

Annalyn C. Biagtan | page 34

Eclipse: Ikalawang Bahagi Annalyn C. Biagtan | page 36

#GAGOALS

Dekolonisasyon ng Pagkababae: Salaysay at Kasaysayan sa “It’s a Mens World” ni Bebang Siy Marius Carlos, Jr. | page 20

#GAGOALS: Kolektibo ng “Kagaguhang Goals” ng Buhay-Creatives Vox Populi PH | page 40

#GAGOALS: Nilandi, ngunit hindi Pinili Vox Populi PH | page 51

EDITO RIA L EDITORIAL CARTOON · ZACH

MARIA KRISTELLE C. JIMENEZ 8 mariakristellejimenez Naniniwala si Kristelle na malawak ang espasyo ng kababaihan sa pakikibaka, gayundin sa mundo ng malayang pagsusulat at paglalathala. Sa ngayon, tumatayo siya bilang pangunahing editor sa ilang independent publications sa Pilipinas.

AL·PÁS: Pagkawalá ng Pilipinas, Kailan?

M ay korelasyon ang pagsulat at pagkakawala—palaging may pinapakawalan sa tuwing nagsusulat.

At sa pagpapakawalá ng mga ideya’t ideyolohiya, mula sa hindi-mapigilang pangangailangan na paalpásin ang ideyang “mapagpalaya’t progresibo,” ay ang pakikipagtungali ng lengguwahe upang muling mabawi’t maangkin ang (para)tekstong inangkin ng estado.

Malaki ang epekto ng lengguwahe sa paghuhugis ng diskurso, disposisyon, at reaksyon ng sangkaPilipinuhan. At sa rehimen ng Duterte, kung saan ibinandera niya ang

“pagkamasa” gamit ang kaniyang mga slogan, itinuring siya na truthteller (parrhesia)—ang taong magpapakawala sa dantaon nang pangangarap ng mga indio sa larawan ng kaginhawaan mula sa produksyon ng pantasya (fantasy-production; Tadiar, 2004).

Sa madaling sabi, habang pinapaalpás ni Duterte ang mga diumano’y “katotohanan” para sa pagpapabuti ng bansa—mas humihigpit ang tanikalang sumasakal sa ating papaliit nang papaliit na soberanya.

At sa apat na taon ng rehimeng Duterte, maraming imahen ng pag-

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alpás ang ating nasaksihan.

Mula sa extrajudicial killings mula sa “Oplan Tokhang” na bahagi ng drug war, opresyon sa mga mamamahayag, pagpapalaganap ng misimpormasyon mula social media patungo sa masa, maging ang laganap na red tagging sa sinomang itinuturing ng estado bilang oposisyon.

Ngayon taon lamang, dumaan ng sunod-sunod na kalamidad ang Pilipinas: pagsabog ng bulkang Taal, hindi mabilang na sunog, at magkakasunod ng bagyo.

Ang lahat ng ito’y sinalo ng masa—at wala rito ang estado. Dito, napagtanto na ng karamihan na hindi na tumutugma ang pagiging ‘resilient’ sa pinaghawakan nilang lengguwahe—ang pangako ng kaginhawaan.

Kaya ngayon, ang magasing digital na ito ay ninanais

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na maging pananda—at kung kaya’y bilang arkibo ng pag-alpás ng sangkaPilipinuhan: sa mga ilusyon at huwad na kumbensyon na nagpapahinto sa pagtanaw sa tunay na imahen ng pagiging malaya.

Tanong pa rin hanggang sa kasalukuyan: kailan kakawala ang Pilipinas?

Ang kasagutan sa tuluyang pag-alpás ng buong Pilipino ay makakamit lamang sa taimtim na pagtitiwala—na ang mga Pilipino ay umalis na sa mga ilusyon. At sa pagtitiwala, kaakibat nito ang paggabay sa sarili (at sa salinlahi) ng pagkilala sa estado bilang puwersa na kailangang salingin.

Parating nariyan ang unos, kaya dapat parati rin ang panunuos.u

COVER · ZACH

Filipino Resilience and Why It Must Go

O P I NION

ARTICLE · MARIUS D. CARLOS, JR.

MARIUS D. CARLOS, JR. 8 marius-carlos-jr Marius D. Carlos, Jr is an author, editor, and cultural worker. He is an advocate of causes, most especially writing and independent publishing in the Philippines. Email him at mariuscarlos.jr@gmail. com

N

ovember’s second typhoon has just passed, and I have only begun feeling the fatigue of the past 24 hours. Whenever there is a typhoon, my body automatically shifts into crisis mode, and I run on adrenaline until the crisis is over. Maybe this is why it’s been extra difficult these past few months. Living with the COVID-19 epidemic wasn’t easy for me at all.

The addition of typhoons can push you over the edge.

There is always a deepseated fear that the next typhoon would be bigger, more violent, and more likely to take lives. 2020 is almost over, but I feel that the Philippines has not moved an inch since the nineties in terms of disaster preparedness. It’s almost as if the Philippines f l t · THEVOXPOPULIPH

follows a script whenever the annual typhoons come in. The government will advise people to evacuate from low-lying areas. The typhoon comes, floods the same cities and towns that typhoons flood every year.

People panic, then the power and water utilities go out. The land is in darkness, literally and figuratively.

cleared, do the LGUs and the national government forget that the same things will likely happen again in 10–11 months? Sure, not everyone can permanently leave their homes in search of higher ground and safer residences. Maybe 90% of Filipinos can’t do that. So that’s not the solution we need.

I feel that People then become However, stranded in their own something stands in the way homes. In areas where of actually coming together water is likely to accumulate to create solutions to reduce quickly, people climb to the harm caused by natural their roofs and send out disasters. And I believe that their SOS through instant the number one problem messaging or Facebook is the despicable resiliency posts. Sure, we didn’t have narrative. The resiliency Facebook or WhatsApp back narrative is telling of our in the nineties. But people postcolonial identity, as we climbing their roofs? Check. expect nothing from anyone People begging for local aid other than ourselves. and relief? Check. When the mud, debris, and water have Are Filipinos superhuman ISSUU · THEVOXPOPULIPH

beings that we seem to be constantly ‘ready’ to withstand hell on Earth?

Do we have gills to breathe underwater when flash floods occur? Do we have legs made of stone to withstand mudflows at their peak? Do we have lead bellies to prevent hunger from consuming our bodies and minds? No? Then what is the point of putting people on graphic advertisements and posters, caked in mud and floodwater with “Bangon Pilipino” on top?

Let’s not forget LGU logos and the shit faces of local politicos on these adverts and banners. Of course, people can’t help but adopt the resiliency narrative, too. But the devil is in the details.

The resiliency narrative removes state PHOTO · REYNAND MANAOIS

accountability and responsibilities from the picture. As if rising from every natural and humanmade disaster is a rite of passage that makes one worthier of being Filipino.

The resiliency narrative frowns upon asking for aid from state structures because that somehow ‘breaks’ the romantic resiliency.

Perhaps, the worst example would be glamorized stories of parents who have lost their children to disasters. The reporter or researcher would ask the bereaved parent, “how do you feel?” after knowing full well that the man or woman has just lost a child or several children. The story would conclude with someone narrating that the family “will fight on” despite the tragedy. This is resiliency porn, shrouded in the respectability afforded by those who fund these stories.

What makes the narrative even more insidious is also the belief that if you demand aid from the government, you’re showing everyone that you’re irresponsible and a hopeless slacker, as if you gain a golden ticket to heaven from constantly fearing for your life because you know your city doesn’t have enough trucks, rescue boats and prepared physical spaces for quick, safe and dignified evacuations of people. That people are evacuating to churches and elementary schools in the middle of the night, with fear that they’re going to return to destroyed or ransacked homes, is nothing to be proud of.

This is not resilience. This is being played as a fool by those who should be responsible for the people’s welfare.

Filipinos cherish the resiliency narrative because it’s part of a much larger system of narratives that

VOXPOP! | YOUTH MAGAZINE · PAGE 03

puts the onus on private citizens to keep themselves safe in situations where a larger national response is required. It also extends to nearly every part of Filipino life. Broken roads?

Learn to walk or avoid the potholes. Poorly supported public elementary school?

Learn as much as you can; keep your head down and don’t complain.

Stuffy state universities with questionable administrators and instructors? Finish your degree and don’t demand accountability—you can still do it even if you’re sinking in quicksand. Poor government response to COVID-19? Diskarte is what you need, not government aid—the government has nothing to do with your hardship, so suck it up!

No employment? You can always sell something to feed yourself!

Does anyone pattern here?

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been giving the national government the biggest break in reducing poverty and hardship of Filipinos.

And no one knows why we subscribe to the resiliency narrative. It’s always “gut feel” or “disiplina” or “diskarte.” We adore tales of rags to riches because we’ve given up on society.

To Filipinos, society only becomes necessary during international pageants or when foreign media mention anything vaguely connected to being a “Filipino.” But for the most part, we’ve forgotten to care for one another and the nation.

Because if we care about the nation, we will hold those in power responsible every single day. That’s how you prevent evil scum from sucking the life and wealth of the land.u

see the We have

PHOTO · REYNAND MANAOIS

Ang Guro sa Bagong Normal ONLINE POLL · VOX POPULI PH

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arami sa atin ang nahihirapan ngayong may pandemya. Nariyan ang kawalan ng trabaho, pagtutustos sa pangangailangan, kagutuman at pakikipagpatintero ng mga sangay ng gobyerno para sa ating buhay. Nang dahil sa pandemya, marami ring establisyemento ang nagsara at kasama na rito ang mga eskuwelahan.

Sa kabila ng pandemya, patuloy namang nagturo ang mga guro sa pamamagitan ng mga online classes. Iba’t-iba ang naging estilo at malaki ang ginawang pag-aadjust upang mabigyan ng edukasyon ang mga estudyante. Kabi-kabila man ang naging problema sa naturang midyum ay hindi pa rin nagpatinag ang kagawaran ng edukasyon at itinuloy ang pasukan ngayong taon. Kaya naman, noong Buwan ng mga Guro, kinamusta namin ang mga bayaning pinagsasabay ang kanilang responsibilidad sa tahanan at ang kanilang pagiging pangalawang magulang.

Ano nga ba ang buhay ng guro ngayong lockdown?

Keno Ivan O. Matias | Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Marikina- Senior High School Department “Ang pagiging guro at ang pagtuturo ay parang paghahanap ng karayom sa gitna ng talahiban sa mga pagkakataong ito. Suntok sa buwan ang pagsasakatuparan ng misyon, sapagkat ang balakid ay distansya. Tunay nga, distansya ang naghihiwalay sa pagkakabuo ng koneksyon sa’yo bilang Guro at ng iyong mga papastuling mga bata: ang koneksyon ng kalidad na edukasyon.”

Rayns Keneth Ampon | STI College Calamba “Nananatiling hamon ang pandemya sa pagtuturo ngayon, ngunit mas maalab ang hangarin namin na buhayin ang dagitab ng pag-asa sa puso ng bawat mag-aaral. Marami mang balakid ay maari pa din na itaguyod ang pag-aaral lalo’t higit ang pangangailangan sa mga inpormasyong lilinang sa kanilang kaalaman sa bansa, akademiko, kalikasan at sarili.”

Jon Henry B. Ordoñez | Central Luzon Doctors’ Hospital — Educational Institution “Ngayon mas lalong nasukat ang kapasidad ko bilang isang guro. Hindi dahil sa pagod na dulot ng araw-araw na pagtatama sa mga bata, kundi sa pagpapaliwanag sa kanila kung ano pa ba ang maituturing na tama? Samu’t saring opinyon ang kinakaharap nila arawaraw, at bilang pangunahing tao na pagkukuhanan nila ng katatagan sa prinsipyong tatahakin nila, bilang guro, hindi ko dapat itago ang sarili ko sa katotohanang, may obligasyon akong ilabas ang kaisipan nila. Hindi harang ang ‘lockdown’ upang ikulong din sa isang espasyo ang kanilang kamalayan. Ang buhay ng guro — may lockdown man o wala, ay mananatiling nakaugat sa pagmulat.”

About the Issue

VOX CONFESSIONS As the pandemic continues, we are forced to distance ourselves from the people we love, prompting us to find other ways of expressing our love through gifts, food deliveries, videos, or making a Spotify playlist.

With the uncertainty of the future, we do not know when we will hug or touch the people we want without the worry of catching the virus.

Vox Populi believes that the best way to reach out is to find your way through writing.

We introduce “Vox Populi Confessions,” where we’ll help you express your happiness, anger, sadness, or even your love for that uncertain someone.

ENTER FORM

This month marks the debut of Vox Populi PH, an independent publication composed of various Filipino youths across the country. Vox Populi PH is a Philippine-based online magazine and review. Since August this year, Vox Populi started its goal to create new, critical spaces in the fields of alternative journalism, sharp analysis, and literature. This issue features campus journalism and youth magazine elements—a fresh take on youth writing. The maiden cover’s art, created by an editorial cartoonist with many years of experience, features the horizon of what the youth sector can offer with strength and responsiveness. Our maiden issue is heavily inspired by the call for better crisis management in the Philippines. Vox Populi PH will donate 50 pesos from each sale of the magazine to the Kaya Natin! Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership.