August 09, 2013 , 06:49pm

Diwa ng Kasarinlan: Soul-nourishing talent sharing

Story-telling, creative history and upbeat performances

Participants and volunteers at Palmerston Library.

By Beatrice Paez

TORONTO–The lengthy campaign for true Philippine independence rages on. Filipino youth and their elders came together in commemoration of the fight for sovereignty, using the power of the written word and performance to bind disparate experiences of struggle.

A jam-packed afternoon of discussion and celebration was planned for this year’s Diwa ng Kasarinlan. The youth-powered event organized by Anakbayan Toronto and Philippine Advancement through Arts and Culture (PATAC), featured local talents committed to expressing themselves in their mother tongue of Tagalog through poetry and music.

“We’re just trying to share our talents. We want the world to appreciate the richness of our talent and the language that we have,” Raymond Garcia (Raygee) of Southeast Cartel, a rap and hip-hop group, told the audience.

Mithi Esguerra, Anakbayan Toronto founding member and organizer.

“The events that Anakbayan puts on are always soul-nourishing,” said MaryCarl Guiao, a community organizer from Guelph. “There’s always storytelling, creative history and knowledge sharing.”

As a conscious-raising initiative, the event sought to inspire today’s youth to think deeply about their roots and the precipitating circumstances that have led to a mass exodus of Filipinos from their homeland.

On average, about 4,884 Filipinos depart each day in pursuit of job opportunities abroad, according to the IBON Foundation and the Department of Labour & Employment. Overseas foreign workers leave behind loved ones and often endure hardship to uplift their families from poverty.

Even as a first-generation Filipino-Canadian, Guiao said she empathizes and identifies with the struggles of caregivers in Canada, having witnessed her relatives and peers confront racism as immigrants and feeling the pressure to assimilate.

In curating the lineup for the event, Jesson Reyes, one of the organizers, said the goal was to “take on issues affecting both generations.” Anakbayan takes a “comprehensive approach” in tackling contemporary issues of struggle and identity, Reyes asserted.

Panday Sining: Ricky Esguerra, Alex Felipe and Ysh Cabana

“We don’t necessarily look for Filipino youth that are engaged,” he said in reference to those that are active in politics or social activism. Anakbayan is interested in reaching out to youth curious about their heritage and is in the business of providing them a venue to explore those budding interests.

The mix of heavy discussions that delved into the state of the country and the plight of migrant workers, intermingled with upbeat performances, boded well, and commanded the audience’s attention.

The speakers focused mainly on the economic and political situations connecting Filipinos with their brethren in Canada, while the artists and performers waxed lyrical about their experiences growing up in Canada.

No Budget Band’s lead singer and songwriter, Caleb, injected lighthearted humour into his performance, singing his nostalgic ode to Jollibee. Bringing the house down too, was hip-hop artist FenaxiZ, who performed his piece, “White Man’s Burden,” which recalls the trauma of colonization and its effect on subsequent generations.

From Alex Felipe’s rundown on the state of the Philippine economy, which dispelled notions of economic progress, Karina Francisco’s brief lecture on the situation of Muslims in the Philippines, and to Maelyne Abrenica’s stories from her interactions with locals from mining communities, there were plenty of learning opportunities on offer.

Upper Case Band: (Vox/guitar) Mark de Leon; (guitar) Allan Lagat; other members not in photo: Jason Alba (piano/keyboard); Joey Giagonia (guitar); Daniel Ascano (drums)

“We try to learn from other organizations about the true state of the country and how we can organize here in Canada,” said Reyes.

With his allotted time, Felipe chose to draw attention to the government’s revised conception of poverty, which seemingly shrunk the number of impoverished Filipinos. The threshold was reduced in 2012 from 52 pesos to 46 pesos a day, which translates to $1.24 to $1.10, respectively.

Economic growth in the Philippines comes at a cost, argued Felipe, and Filipinos in Canada have a direct impact and stake in addressing the inequities that are borne out of economic policies. For instance, Canadian mining operations have boosted parts of the economy, but at a price to society, with displaced communities forced to leave for Canada or the Middle East for income.

Abrenica witnessed the fallout of these policies, when she met with communities affected by Canadian mining interests, and shared with the audience what she described as a life-changing experience.

The small-scale miners she met spoke about the destruction to the environment and being pushed off their land. She recalled how embarrassed she felt handing out t-shirts embellished with Canadian symbols, which she had brought as gifts.

“I felt so shameful,” she told them. “But maybe in the future you’re not going to associate it with the destruction we’re doing.”