New Cinephilias Online via the Instituto Cervantes Vimeo Channel

Wazzup Pilipinas!

This November, Instituto Cervantes and Festival de Sevilla, in collaboration with the Embassy of Spain in the Philippines, will treat Filipino film buffs to the New Cinephilias Online”, a series of movies considered as The Other Spanish Cinema, a label with which the generation who started working with cinema at the dawn of the 21st century was named. This film cycle will be shown through the Instituto Cervantes channel on the Vimeo platform and is freely accessible for 48 hours from their start date and time.

The line-up is composed of award-winning films such as the documentary Niñato (Kid), awarded as the Best Film during the 19th BAFICI - Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente (Buenos Aires International Independent Film Festival), and directed by Adrián Orr. Two drama feature films like Ver a una mujer (To See a Woman) by Mònica Rovira and A estación violenta (The Wild Season) by Anxos Fazáns. Another documentary: Idrissa, crònica d´una mort qualsevol (Idrissa, Chronicle of an Ordinary Death), directed by Xavier Artigas and Xapo Ortega, which was nominated to the XII Premios Gaudí (Guadí Awards) and the 15th Festival de Sevilla de cine europeo (Seville European Film Festival) completes the film cycle.

These films are creations of filmmakers who sought to express themselves with new paradigms and who benefited from the freedom offered by the digital revolution. During the last twenty years, these artists have created a niche where they experiment with new narrative models. There is no doubt that, with them, new viewers are born who appreciate and look forward to seeing the fruits of their labors: the modes of postmodernity, the visual quality, the formal audacity and the multiple representations of these films are some of the features they share and that are recognized by creators and viewers. This "other Spanish cinema" has been strongly defended by festivals, which continue to act as places to (in)form and connect with contemporary moviegoers.

The film cycle will kick off on 7 November, Saturday at 3 AM in Manila (November 6, Friday at 8 PM in Madrid), with the screening of Niñato (2017) available for 48 hours until Monday, November 9 at 3 AM. Fleeing from gruesomeness, poignancy or emotional trap, it focuses on the particular family of David Ransanz, a young and jobless rapper from the suburbs of Madrid who raises a three year old while living in his mother's house. Adrián Orr draws a moving and close portrait of this “kid” who tries to resist a monotonous and not very encouraging situation, while still holding on to his musical dreams.

The film cycle will continue on 14 November, again at 3 AM Manila time, with the drama Ver a una mujer (To See a Woman). Directed by Mònica Rovira in 2017, it is an intimate, poetic and beautiful film about the relationship between the Director (Mónica) and her first female love: Sarai. It is a film where the play of textures, lights and shadows, work as the perfect metaphor for the ineffable of love, dependency and honesty, and which constitutes a sublime exercise of introspection and exorcism in which a woman face the demons of her life as a couple.

Another feature film A estación violenta (The Wild Season, 2018) will be shown on Saturday 21 November, at 3 AM in Manila. This dazzling debut of Anxos Fazáns, adapted from the homonymous novel by Manuel Jabois, showcases life in a city where there is no horizon other than that of an unhappy past and that of a lost generation. It is a story of silent loves, broken complicities, and mutual mistrust.

Finally, the well-crafted documentary directed by Xavier Artigas and Xapo Ortega, Idrissa, crònica d´una mort qualsevol (Idrissa, Chronicle of an Ordinary Death, 2019) will conclude the film cycle on November 28, also at 3 AM Manila time and available for 48 hours until Monday, November 30 at 3 AM. The film depicts how the Spanish legal system has made it nearly impossible to investigate into the death of a 21-year-old Guinean migrant at the Centre d'Internament d'Estrangers de Barcelona (Foreigners Internment Center of Barcelona). The Directors are not just telling us a real life story, but conveying about the effective use of cinema as a tool for action and change.

The films, presented by Instituto Cervantes in collaboration with the Seville European Film Festival of Spain and the Embassy of Spain in the Philippines, will be in Spanish with English subtitles. Admission is free.  For further information and updates on this film series, please check out http://manila.cervantes.es or Instituto Cervantes Facebook page: www.facebook.com/InstitutoCervantesManila.

Philippine Cities on the Road to Sustainability

Wazzup Pilipinas!

A pedicab pedals past a church in San Carlos City. Cities across the Philippines are adopting sustainability measures as they work to develop their climate action plans. Photograph © San Carlos City

Philippines - Many urban areas in the country have led the push for climate action in the Philippines as cities across the world continue to adopt sustainable practices.

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) through its One Planet City Challenge (OPCC) recognizes cities across the globe for their efforts to address climate change. The project works with these cities to develop and realize their climate ambitions and targets, while providing them a platform to inspire other cities in the world.

Metro Manila, as seen from above. Cities - like those of Metro Manila - are home to over half the world’s population, and contribute approximately 70% of the world’s emissions. Photograph © Imee Bellen / WWF-Philippines


Ahead of World Cities Day, the WWF Cities released a document outlining features of sustainable cities. Titled ‘Six Secrets of Successful Cities,’ the report lists key points that the best-performing OPCC cities across the globe possessed to build their capacity for sustainability and successfully meet the climate crisis that their cities face.

Home to over half the world’s population - and responsible for approximately 70% of the world’s emissions - cities play a significant role in tackling climate change. This role is further highlighted in Sustainable Development Goal 11 on Sustainable Cities and Communities outlining the United Nations’ commitment to this goal.

As per the WWF Cities, a sustainable city measures what matters, shows political leadership, leads by example, utilizes inspiring networks, forms university partnerships, and highlights the co-benefits of joint efforts in building the cities’ capacities. 

A bike sharing facility in Pasig City. Strong leadership and innovative projects and partnerships are pushing Philippine cities down the path toward sustainability. Photograph © Pasig City

With the “Six Secrets” in mind, the current batch of Philippine OPCC cities shows how each is uniquely positioned to address the various challenges that a sustainable city faces.

Measures what matters

Having data on the city’s emissions helps cities to identify the sources of their high-emitting sectors while providing key information on how to manage these sectors and to define both mitigation and adaptation plans. Batangas City measures what matters as it refers to its Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Inventory to guide them in creating climate solutions, sustainability actions and enabling policies that help in emission reductions, as the city sets its sights to attain carbon neutrality by 2030 - aiming to be the first carbon-neutral city in the Philippines.

Meanwhile, Santa Rosa City uses its GHG Emissions Inventory to guide the city towards a low emission development pathway, even with a growing economy and population due to accelerated industrialization in the city. For OPCC cities like San Carlos, Cagayan de Oro, Pasig, Muntinlupa and Tagum, while these cities have already developed their GHG Emissions Inventories, external verification for completeness and accuracy is still ongoing. Quezon City has the most updated GHG emissions inventory with a base year of 2016 while Parañaque City intends to update its GHG inventory to further assist them on their city-wide emissions reduction target. And, as a first-class, highly-urbanized city, Davao City is currently undertaking their GHG emissions inventory to establish its baseline emissions data in order to explore opportunities that come by pursuing low emission and climate-resilient development strategies.

Show political leadership

The leaders of all Philippine OPCC cities have confidently demonstrated their political leadership. In particular, Pasig City, Cagayan de Oro City, and Quezon City showed political leadership in their commitments to update and enhance the level of ambition and quality of their Local Climate Change Action Plans (LCCAPs). Several cities have seen the value of supporting a larger, global goal by becoming members of the Global Covenant of Mayors (GCoM), such as Batangas City, Pasig City, Parañaque City, Santa Rosa City, Quezon City, Muntinlupa City, San Carlos City, Cagayan de Oro City, and Dipolog City. 

Lead by example

A number of emerging cities have led by example with projects and practices that have promoted local sustainability, while taking advantage of opportunities to implement actions and policies on the use of renewable energy in their cities. La Carlota City went solar, installing panels in all public buildings and facilities, while San Carlos City built an attractive environment for RE investments to supplement their already-robust clean energy capacity of over 100MW. Dipolog City made similar commitments, vowing to increase the share of renewable energy by 25% for all their LGU operations by the year 2022.

Utilize inspiring networks

As a member of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, Quezon City has made use of an inspiring network to undergo the C40 Climate Action Programme (CAP) to develop and improve their climate action plans to align with ambitions of the Paris Agreement. Expert climate city planners and organizations, such as ICLEI Southeast Asia, have lended their technical expertise, including peer-to-peer collaboration, stakeholder engagement, planning tools, among others, to the Quezon City local government, to help them realize their climate action plans.

Form university partnerships

The City of Santa Rosa has been a prime example of what can be achieved through university partnerships. Utilizing around hundred senior students from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines for household data gathering, the Santa Rosa local government has been able to establish their city’s emission patterns. Through working with PUP, the city has increased its capacity to understand their climate situation, and what areas to work on to achieve effective climate action. Further cooperation with Clean Air Asia, its partner the National Center for Transportation Studies, and ICLEI Southeast Asia, have resulted in data gathering, sampling, and data processing, that will feed into the formulation of the Santa Rosa City’s Clean Air Action Plan.

Highlight the co-benefits

Finally, cities like Pasig, Muntinlupa, Malolos, and Tagum have highlighted the multiple co-benefits of their climate action efforts. Transport initiatives such as a bike sharing program, free shuttle bus services, and river ferry services in Pasig City have led to cleaner air and a higher quality of life, while mandatory composting in all city-government buildings and urban farms in barangays have worked to address food insecurity. Efforts aimed at addressing urban heat island phenomenon such as dedicating space to urban gardening to sustain soil moisture, investing in waterless fixtures to address water demand, and first-aid training for all city staff, has led to an increase in quality of life for the people of Muntinlupa City. Adaptation actions, particularly involving drainage and flood measures are saving both people and sites of cultural and historical importance in Malolos City, while Tagum City, a first-class city in Mindanao, pursues projects that address social inclusion, economic growth, and improved public health aimed at improving the lives of vulnerable sectors like its local farmers, fisherfolks and livestock growers. For example, the use of solar driven water pump motors benefits the local farmers in Tagum City as it delivers an efficient, no emission irrigation, while improving their profit.

Are bloggers inferior compared to mainstream media

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The reason I stayed as a blogger is because there are so much discrimination against our kind. I felt that I am here to change all of this.

There are even times I want to stop calling myself as a blogger because of how people perceive us....and while others do have vested interests, it is but expected because blogging has evolved to more than just a web log or journal, but commercialized into a marketing tool.

So maybe I should stop calling myself as a blogger but more of a promoter....or maybe how my friend defines herself, a storyteller with perks.

Btw, this is a rant blog because I've just experienced another case of blogger discrimination. I would have kept silent and just walked away. But it is not the right thing to do. You don't just save yourself and let others get victimized. You raise the warning flag for the potential victims even if it means sacrificing yourself so that others will be treated fairly.

So far, it worked. From a "kanya-kanyang punta" to a P1500 budget to be divided to all bloggers who will be going to the event. So if 10 bloggers go, that's P150 for each. Still too low but better than nothing. Lol.

To share the story, there was this invite to cover an event, as well as write about the Tagaytay-based hotel itself which is the venue of the event. It's hitting two birds with one stone. 

However, their major defense, aside from an opportunity to see their hotel, is that we should help the entrepreneurs para makabawi sa pagkalugi dahil sa pandemic...ginagamit nila yung event to justify their invite. They are selling the good cause to seek our help.

However, when I emphasized that the hotel should shoulder at least the transpo and accommodation, it was frowned upon and a lot of bad words were thrown. The one who invited us scolded everyone in the chat group and told us that we should be grateful instead of the opportunity...and not to demand....then the insults against bloggers followed. Degrading bloggers as not legit, and claiming traditional media is better because they are registered with the National Press Club. Then she bragged about herself and posted pictures of her with popular personalities. Huwag daw kaming mayabang kaya siya nagyabang. Lol.

This is the same person who invited us to a previous event and promised us parking for our cars, and a facility complete with broadcast/online equipment and Internet connection for us to run an online show, but none were really available. We had to park on the streets of Makati and though she offered to pay for the parking, she still lied about the availability of parking spaces for our cars. What if the streets were full? Inconvenience indeed.

The broadcast facility she said to be available was nowhere ready. She even asked us to prepare teaser videos for our show, only to find out the "studio" was still in the initial stages of planning. And the owner of the establishment was proposing a concept close to a networking setup....yet the actual broadcasting equipment were not yet in place.

Lies and deception is number one here.

Going back to the hotel and event feature request. Hello??? Traveling all the way to Tagaytay on our own is not an easy and affordable expense for most people, especially when this pandemic has crippled the financial resources for most. The owner herself mentioned that because of the traffic, she has to be there the night before. How about us? Are we immune to such?

Not thinking about myself because I can afford to spend anyway, but how about those who depend on their meager salaries or blogging as their main source of income? Should they spend so much? Is it worthy as a blog feature?

During the first run, I was offered a room, but then it was gone the next day, the actual event day itself. No apologies, no explanation of what happened. So I had to tell my colleague the bad news eventhough he was already on his way there.

They informed me of the room availability the early morning at around 1am so I had to ask somebody else to represent me since I only read it at around 6am. Too late for me who will be coming all the way from Pasig. I won't make it to their 10am event launch.

Thus I had to quickly find somebody nearer Tagaytay to represent my publication. Several text messages but it seems they were too busy to get back to me as if I was not important. Not even after the event. Days has passed and no explanation. Not until I reported them directly to a USec of DTI who happens to be my friend on Facebook.

After the incident, I got message of support from fellow bloggers and some wanting to patch things up, but this woman still insists she was on the right mind, and she even sent me the message below to insult me further.

The parking she mentioned here is among the perks she guaranteed... Isinumbat ba naman kahit ipinangako niya. Lol.

This person has said her piece, I'm saying OUR piece as this was discussed among some of the bloggers included in the virtual press conference done for a certain hotel in Tagaytay:

"We are grateful for the opportunity but we do not like how you degrade bloggers. If you think media is better, then invite media, not us. If all your definition of legit is being a part of NPC, or MTRCB, know the meaning of those acronyms. Let me share it: National PRESS Club, MOVIE, TELEVISION, RADIO Classification Board.... If there was a government-recognized group for bloggers we will join it to be legalized. But until there is, you cannot question our legitimacy.

We are bloggers... Experiential dapat... We should not write stories based on hearsays or marketing pitches or kuwentuhan in a livestream. Usually these are often exaggerated and not descriptive of the real thing because noone would say negative stuff about their own brand. Bubuhatin mo sarili mong bangko?  

That's what makes bloggers more credible because most of us are independently running our own sites. No editors or publishers to answer to (that will have to worry about libel or complaints from their own sponsors or advertisers). There are exemptions, yung puro praise kahit not yet personally experienced  because they just want to please rather than find out the real deal. Pitiful. 

PRs or those taking on the role should raise our standards,  not bring it down to "Thank you" only.  Walang ngang pilitan, pero may pakonsensiya naman. Don't you think we know how to be an effective blogger?

You would degrade us as not legit because we are not part of NPC or other media groups, but we hear a lot of horror stories about these groups too. That is why there are more than just one because they can't get along. 

Pandemic nga, the more that they should understand that we should help each other, not one-way. 

As a friend, I'm just being truthful and saying it straight. Would you rather I hide my true feelings and just go with the flow?  Because unlike traditional media that have regular salaries and allowances, and usually sponsored by their media outfits of their expenses, most of us are freelancers. We spend our own hard-earned money. 

We are not "bobo" or "patay gutom" or Hao shaos, but mostly passionate storytellers that are genuinely loving our craft. That is why everyone else, including trad media, went online and created their online presence similar to a blog since it's more widely read compared to trad media that have invested on boosted posts to get a higher reach. 

Are we going to earn from a hotel shouldering our transpo and accommodation? No. Because that was only to provide convenience. Remember, it's a pandemic and many opportunities for bloggers have also been reduced. Just like businesses that suffered too. I believe it is a fair request.

Now if they are not willing to shoulder the expense, then be true. There is no need to lie about being fully-booked.

Lastly, it's better we discuss this openly rather that get the disappointments afterwards. This is a group chat. We were supposed to discuss and give opinions, suggestions,etc., and not become a dictatorial venue. If you don't like our suggestions, there is no need to curse us.

I never posted my previous experience with La Bella in both my personal or Fan page or even the blog because I am giving them the benefit of the doubt. But this is a group chat, we should be open to criticism and opinions, otherwise we will just be like the "bayarang" media who will post every thing basta may bayad or ex-deal /kapalit.

We are no longer newbies, we have been blogging for years, and never have I mentioned any accomplishment, award, recognition, or anything that you would interpret as "kayabangan" in this chat group.

You were actually the one who was defensive here. Instead of emphatizing with  us. The other bloggers are not talking, but we're discussing this on a separate thread. 

Again, I am a friend so I was confident you will side with us and raise the standards of blogging but you are making us look like we should be grateful eventhough we are getting an unfair treatment. Even after I said there was no apology or explanation given from my sad experience. You are setting a precedent for businesses to look down on bloggers as inferior compared to media.

Sorry, but if you'll continue to look down on bloggers then invite your media friends instead. Again, invite the media whom you think is better. Why waste time on us if you believe we are not "legit.'

I am not burning bridges, I'm raising skyscrapers for me and my fellow bloggers. It is not "kayabangan" but knowing our worth.

We deserve better, and businesses can't always expect free publicity. They should invest. Just as how this government needs to shape up, everyone not only needs to be resilient, but able to find their true value - that is often taken advantage, too."

In fairness, the Marketing Head, who wouldn't show her face during the livestream discussion unlike the mother and son owners, of this hotel called me up after I reported them to the DTI USec, but her apology was not really an apology since she was insisting she was busy with the event that day so she was not able to get back to me to explain and apologize. She also said that the current conflict was a problem between me and their designated person in charge of the blogger invites. She was part of the livestream and chat group but she never said a word while we were being scolded as if we are children. We were looked down like we are the lowest class of media.

Now I've heard that there was a promise to the bloggers to reimburse their transpo, but the same Marketing Head mentioned that there was only a budget of P1500 to be divided among the bloggers who will come. That information was not mentioned to the bloggers.

This will be another case of false promises. Bloggers will again be disappointed.

Don't get me wrong. We are eager to help, but if they continue to treat us as if we're the least important kind of media, then they should stop deceiving us with false promises just to make us come to their events.