“Reming” was supposed to have to hit Metro Manila between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m. Friday, prompting officials to suspend classes this Thursday. [Inq7.net] [empasis mine]

Huh? I don’t see the logic there, really. Nothing quite disastrous happened in Metro Manila today. I wish they didn’t cancel classes. There are things that had to be done in school today. All I did was sleep all day.

Right now, I’m just enjoying the last few hours of running electricity before the typhoon’s strong winds pound Metro Manila and Southern Luzon. I really do hope casualties and other such tragedies and damages will be minimal. Stay safe, everyone. (Though, it’s useless saying these to you fellow privileged bourgeoisie urbanites who will simply take shelter and stay safe in the comforts of our homes anyway).

Our Documentary professor was absent for class yesterday. He’s out of the country performing production duties for a broadcasting network. He left us with individual video exercises with the PD-150 camera. I shot my exercise at the dressmaker’s shop at the Shopping Center (SC). I enjoyed it. Oh, and I was surprised with who I bumped into at SC. It was my grade school friend, Kenji, who’s now in Ateneo, working at one of the photocopy stalls. It’s apparently part of one of their Philosophy courses, probably in recognition of their ‘bourgeoisie-ness’ that there is a need for them to immerse and reach out to the ordinary obrero. Very Atenean, indeed.

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Today marks the birth anniversary of one of the Philippines’ greatest national heroes, Andres Bonifacio, the proletariat revolutionary who lead the armed revolution against Spain.

Unfortunately for him, ambitious local elites took over the momentary victory and persecuted him. Unfortunately for majority of Filipinos today, lives are still shackled in poverty and pseudo-democracy. The promises of his revolution have not been fulfilled.

Some of my collegemates and I attended the 2nd Pinoy [Youth] Media Congress at Miriam College the whole days yesterday and last Monday. It was really much more of an ABS-CBN propaganda event, really. I don’t mind. It gave us an insight into how things work in ABS-CBN, with all the icing of course. Almost the entire roster of ABS-CBN executives, from the Lopez siblings who own ABS-CBN, to Maria Ressa, head of news & current affairs, to all the heads of the different subsidiaries that make up the biggest media company in the country. It was a rare opportunity to hear them speak and promote their organization to representatives from almost all the mass communication schools in the country, and for us to have the opportunity to ask them questions ourselves.

I was surprised to realize how many hundreds of colleges and universities are teaching Mass Communication. There were almost a thousand student and faculty representatives at the Congress. With just a handful of media companies, how the hell can all of us be absorbed in the industry. With such a competitive environment, I can understand why some people can get easily frustrated with the prevailing trend.

The stereotype of Mass Comm students is that of one who wants to be a newscaster. Which can make me cringe, really. Hindi naman hayok sa camera ang mga nag-aaral ng say, Journalism or Film or Communication Research. That’s not even the path I want to take (as to what my plans are, I’ll share some other time).

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My mom treated me to lunch yesterday, before she sort of brought me to school. I showed her pictures from the previous day’s anti-tuition hike rally in UP. She wasn’t upset that I was there and that I even spoke in front. I didn’t expect her to, anyway. When I told her about the two anti-Arroyo mobilizations I went to, she even told me that she would have wanted to come along, if only she was healthier. At least, I have validation from the mother.

Long walks home are always, for me, time to think of stuff and let my mind wander off. Sometimes I’d even look like I was talking to myself.

I took the picture above on my way home.

Right after my impromptu public speaking stint at the Anti-Tuition Hike rally in front of the crowd at Palma Hall, I left and succumbed to my ‘bourgeoisie’ tendencies and walked all the way to UP Hotel to gym with my friends from School of Economics* no less. Hehe. What’s nice about the gym at UP Hotel is that it’s much less known and it’s almost deserted during the afternoon, so it’s less intimidating that way, without the serious and affluent health buffs who usually crowd the more known gyms. I’m going to be under the tutelage of gym guru Dale Quimpo. Hahaha! Whew!

I proceeded to Mass Comm and attended another UP MCO general assembly, albeit for just a while. I also had to rush to the student council office for our weekly meeting. It’s the start of our ‘meeting season’. Hehe. Pun courtesy of Andreo.

(*where most academic supporters of the E-VAT and the Tuition and Other Fee Increases come from)

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UP students from the different UP units across the Philippines simultaneously protested today against the 300% tuition and other fee increases proposal by the UP Administration. In UP Diliman, throngs of students walked out of classes and mobilized in front of historic Palma Hall.

I’ve said my piece about this already and defended my stand to those who are in favor of the proposal, and even to those who are simply too allergic to activists and to my political party in UP.

My basic contention is that it is simply unjust for state university students to carry the burden of neglect of a government that conveniently loses billions in graft and corruption and conveniently allocates billions more in dubious repressive and status-quo preserving policies. It is unjust because it alters the very nature of UP as a state university and it violates the constitutional assurance of state promotion, protection and accessibility of education at all levels. It is especially unjust when a great majority of Filipinos live on less than a dollar or two a day.

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I took this shot yesterday afternoon while walking along my usual route from ‘Central’ to Mass Comm.

Last Tuesday, by the way, we watched Irréversible during Film 114 class. It’s a grotesque French film that tells its story in reverse chronological order. That manner of narration was what made me appreciate it. Plus its brutally frank and realistic depiction of the violent scenes, including Monica Belluci’s tragic rape scene. You could see and feel the pain in her muffled screams. That rape scene was one looong take. Whew. I wonder how ordinary Filipinos perceive these kinds of films.

Yesterday, on the other hand, we watched our professor’s NCCA-sponsored documentary about Agtas who live at the foot of northern Sierra Madre along the Pacific coast of Isabela. It made me admire our professor much more. And wow, that part of Isabela looked really untouched, isolated and magnificent.

Anyway, I took Patti, James and AD to dinner last night. Its been a while since I ate out with the three of them.

I only got to register for Eskwela.com a little while ago. Thanks to Celeni for the invite. Eskwela.com is a school social networking site, much like Friendster. You invite and add friends, and browse through other people’s profiles and “testimonials”, upload pictures and the works. Unlike Friendster however, this social networking site is specialized for students in the Philippines. Networks and cliques are formed through university, college, course, and/or batch associations. A part of the site is also dedicated for students’ classes where users may leave comments regarding the subject and the professors.

I haven’t totally browsed the site for all its features. This website looks promising. Registration is by invite only, as of now, as it is apparently just in its alpha stage.

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