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[av_heading tag=’h3′ padding=’10’ heading=’Embodying modern heroism | Talk on freedom – with a twist – veers away from social media’ color=” style=’blockquote modern-quote’ custom_font=” size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ custom_class=”]
BY RHICK LARS VLADIMER ALBAY
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Monday, June 12, 2017
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Participants in Katipon Talks of Kuris Kahilwayan at Cinematheque Iloilo on Sunday, June 11 render through drawings what freedom means for them. PHOTOS BY IAN PAUL CORDERO/PN
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Participants in Katipon Talks of Kuris Kahilwayan at Cinematheque Iloilo on Sunday, June 11 render through drawings what freedom means for them. PHOTOS BY IAN PAUL CORDERO/PN
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Participants in Katipon Talks of Kuris Kahilwayan at Cinematheque Iloilo on Sunday, June 11 render through drawings what freedom means for them. PHOTOS BY IAN PAUL CORDERO/PN
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“OUR campaigns are rooted on ‘Bayan,’ ‘Bayani’ and ‘Bayanihan,’” explains Allyn Canja, one of the core members of the local chapter of Dakila — a national collective bound by a passion for “modern heroism” — and one of the conveners of Kuris Kahilwayan.
Dakila is composed of groups of artists, students and other individuals who are committed to working together to spark social consciousness formation toward social change, and aspire to evoke and encourage heroism every day, in every citizen.
Kuris Kahilwayan, held at Cinematheque Iloilo on Sunday, is a satellite event for Kamp Kahilwayan, a national gathering of Dakila members, friends and partners. It’s composed of several activities leading to the commemoration of the Araw ng Kalayaan (Independence Day) on June 12.
The highlight of the activity is Katipon Talks, this year tackling “Lupang Hinirang,” delving on nationalism, current issues, how we can be dakila for our motherland. But the local chapter wants to take on the topic from a fresh and unique medium.
“We gave Katipon Talks a twist and decided to make it an art jam. If some of us can’t explain with words, maybe they could express better with illustration,” shares Canja, also a local cultural worker affiliated with different Ilonggo artists. “We hope to help everyone realize that they can be a bayani for the bayan, and we can create a modern bayanihan. [Through the event] we hope to inspire positive dialogues and good art.”
Kuris Kahilwayan seeks to stir young people’s minds and engage them in healthy discussions on national issues that should concern them, away from the noise of social media.
“In Dakila we say we are a collective for modern heroism and we use art in our advocacies,” she adds. “We’ve been in Iloilo since 2013 [and since the local chapter’s formation] we’ve worked on issues including human trafficking, climate and road sharing.”
Decades after our forefathers, heroes and martyrs fought for the freedom we enjoy now, the youth unfortunately tend to take for granted the Philippine independence people had to sacrifice lives for. With each event, Dakila hopes to instill new-found heroism in the new generation.
Allyn, an artist helping build a community of “modern heroes,” has a simple definition of independence.
“Independence for me means going to a coffee shop, affording my favorite coffee, without threat on the way and back home. Being able to exercise my right to life, livelihood and lifestyle,” she says./PN
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“Freedom is always only the first step. What you do with it is the more important second step,” says Dr. Rey Carlo Gonzales, a History instructor at the University of the Philippines Visayas. Photo shows the Philippine flag flown in front of the town hall in Santa Barbara, Iloilo.IAN PAUL CORDERO/PN
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