Feliza Advises Urbana: Think Before You Click

In keeping up with the trend and the sundry issues faced by today's generation, my Philippine Literature class came up with this project of transcreating Modesto Castro's "Ang Pagsusulatan ng Dalawang Binibini na sina Urbana at Feliza."  Drawing inspiration from this epistolary novel written during the Spanish period, I assigned my students to take on the role of Feliza, the other sister who lives in the rural and advises Urbana on the good manners and right conduct which should be observed in a particular situation.  This time we place the two sisters in a more contemporary context, bombarded by technology and instantism, as they correspond not through paper, but through the social media.  Aware of the dangers posed by the information superhighway, Feliza prompts Urbana to be cautious of her posts on either Facbook or Twitter.  The following are the admonitions asserted by the several Felizas who promote  responsible use of the social media.


DEAR URBANA,

"When somebody starts to bully you, don't post anything else that'll even fire up the situation.  Just keep your cool.  Don't get affected especially when it is not even true."

"Do not openly discuss a person you despise on a blog.  This causes other people to look at you differently and will start a long story of "who wins" and "who loses."  You will therefore be a victim of other people's harsh judgments."

"Bago mo i-accept and friend requests ng isang tao, kilalanin mo at hindi ang mga taong naghahanap ng kaibigan na basta-basta lang."

"The first thing you should remember is to never put on display private information on your profile; even birthdays are not meant to be displayed publicly.  Do not accept requests from people you don't know.  Before you post anything, remember to think about what you are going to say first."

"Yes, you have freedom of speech, but remember to use it accordingly.  Make sure you're not stepping on someone else's shoes.  Don't post something that can hurt them."

"Also remember that not all things you read or see online are true.  Make sure to find a more reliable source before you believe any news.."

"You could always start and join a group that stops or support anti-cyberbullying."

"A lot of people is using it and you have no idea how many of them are using their own identities..."

"Learn to tinker around with your privacy settings and manipulate them to your advantage...and remember to delete browser history after accessing your account."

"If you are currently being cyberbullied, I tell you to take a step back and open your mind to reality that no one can make you feel inferior without your permission."

"Be strong and be true to yourself, what is important is not what others think.  What you need to do is to have a firm foundation of yourself and believing that you are beyond what they think you are."


Love,
FELIZA

Before the Encounter

I HAVE A CONFESSION TO MAKE.  As a humanities teacher, I have less appreciation for the local arts.  And with the syllabus that focuses more on the history of western art, the discussion on the Philippine art forms such as painting, sculpture, performing arts, and even cinema has taken a back seat and is placed at the final term.  Normally, the discussion would end up either in architecture or literature which still focuses on the western pieces.  This scenario only fringed my knowledge about the local arts, specifically, the artists who etched their names not only in the Philippines, but in the international artistic arena as well.

Ben Cabrera aka BenCab

I never heard the name BenCab not until my co-teacher who is also the curator of Museo Iloilo handed me an invite for the Philippine Art Awards.  So, when he told me that BenCab will grace the said award tomorrow (September 8), I immediately googled his name (pathetic me, right?), and here's what I found:


"Bencab (or Ben Cabrera) is one of the most

 accomplished Filipino painters and draftsman.

 In 1963 he finished a Fine Arts degree at the

 University of the Philippines. In the late 1960's 

 he moved to London with his British wife.

 Bencab has had many local and international 

 exhibitions, and has represented his country, 

 the Philippines, in various International 

 Biennales (like Affandi). In 1997 in Jakarta, 

 Bencab received his highest award so far- 

 the ASEAN art achievement award, because 

 of just that- achievement.  He is one of the founders of the Baguio Art Guild and the Tamawan Art Village Resort in

 Baguio City, which is a hotel where many 

 artists also do hotel work while remaining

 artists." 

And most importantly, BenCab is one of the National Artists of the Philippines for Visual Arts (conferred in 2006) and has been noted as  "arguably the best-selling painter of his generation of Filipino artists."  

I suddenly felt guilty.  I consider myself an artist and yet I cannot even recognize this art bigwig.  At the same time, I felt proud because I would be able to meet him in person.  With all the information about him and browsing over his artworks, I guess I am ready to face BenCab.

What is a Grade Anyway?

One of the tedious tasks of being a teacher is to solve the students' grades.  Basking in the eye strain causing lines of the class record (yeah, I don't use MS Excel. I'm old school) and computing all the components that make up the class standing and the exam scores are no laughing matters.  In my case, I have eight loads which means I have to solve the grades of the eight sections I am assigned to teach.  Apparently, I just finished solving the prelim grades of the two sections.

Every term, the admin sets the deadline for encoding the grades, but thankfully, the MIS broke down so I need not hurry.  But since my students are already "demanding"the "numbers" due to them,  I have no choice but to perform my responsibility as a teacher, that is, solving grades.  Also, I am fully aware just how much grades matter to students.  And I could not just assert my ideals, as I remember my mentor's words regarding grades. "In a spiritual world, what is a grade anyway?"

So, I wasn't so surprised of my students' reaction when they knew their grades in Philippine Literature.  Cliche as it may sound, and I hope that they are aware of this: students are the ones who make their grades. I just solve it. And I give what is due to them.  Yes, I give grades as high as 95.

Students may wonder why I give this kind of grade.  I think, one greatest factor that influenced me is the fact that I am teaching a subject that deals with subjectivity, which gives emphasis on human feelings and ideas.  My students are capable of doing both: to feel and to think.   That's what literature does. Most importantly, literature nourishes our soul and makes us realize that there are other noble desires aside from aspiring higher grades.