Asia Society: Celebrating the Arts & Culture of the Philippines (Fall, 2015)

This fall Asia Society highlights the Philippines—from an extraordinary museum exhibition and evening at the opera, to the next wave of cutting-edge film and contemporary designers’ showcase—as we seek to capture the energy of Philippine arts. We begin this special season with the stunning exhibition Philippine Gold: Treasures of Forgotten Kingdoms. On view from September 11, 2015, to January 4, 2016, the exhibition highlights the sophisticated goldsmithing culture of the Philippines from the tenth to the thirteenth century. The recent discovery of many of the gold objects in the exhibition has helped reshape our understanding of precolonial Philippine history. The rich diversity of the Philippines is little known in the United States and we are proud to raise awareness of the extraordinary creativity of the musicians, filmmakers, writers, video artists, and designers of the Philippines.  
 
This unprecedented programmatic season uses gold—and the indigenous people of the region of Butuan—as the inspiration for a reimagining of Philippine history and identity. It will look at the legacy of colonial times with the Tunog ng Ulap Rondalla, examine precolonial times with Grace Nono and indigenous musicians from the region of Butuan, and celebrate current artistic expressions with the Ma-Yi Theater Company and showcases of contemporary design and the recent revival of Philippine cinema.
 

www.nypp@asiasociety.org

Excerpt  from a Historical Novel by Dr. Zal Velez

The Coming of the Sword:

 Historical Background

After Rajah Humabon converted as a Christian, Magellan presented to him the strategic advantage of being a Christian warrior aligned with the Spanish forces of Carlos I. This assurance of increased power prompted Humabon to order all his chieftains to convert as Christians. However, some defied his command, among them Lakan Lapu-Lapu. 

Determined to have Rajah Humabon be made the undisputed ruler, Magellan ordered all the independent chieftains to acknowledge Rajah Humabon, and warned any refusal to recognize the Rajah would mean death and the confiscation of their property. To enforce his message, Magellan sent a detachment to a peaceful village called Bulaya, where the inhabitants refused to obey Rajah Humabon. 

After scorching the village, the Spanish soldiers found the old lady Agurang Agay-Agay returning to the village with her grandchild, and they asked for the whereabouts of other natives. Agurang Agay-Agay refused to disclose this information, so they ended up tying her to a coconut tree and accused her of idol worship. She was whipped and after 2 strokes, she fainted and collapsed. 

The burning embers of the torched village of Bulaya remind the natives of the curse of conquest. Manuel, a native member of the Spanish detachment, disgusted with the dastardly act of his companions, turns around while gazing at the burning ruins, utters angry thoughts crying out:

“Why must I be a party to this ignoble act?

Obedient fool, I trusted the words of my commander,

But is it right to force our will against their sacred values?

Why not win them with acts of love and kindness?

How unchristian it is to use the sword to convert!

I felt the chill and discomfort of my act as it contradicts the spirit of my faith.

I am saddened to bear witness to the agony and pain inflicted to the natives of Bulaya.

Was it their fault to oppose conversion from their belief of ancient tradition?

Or should they be faulted for not willing to be ruled under Spain instead of their own?

But we all play the game, for fear is all encompassing; the convenient way is just to go along.

This imbalance of justice will not be forgotten nor will it ever be forgiven. That day will surely come when justice will prevail!” 

“For all the riches in the world, I will not relinquish Magellan’s body. We will make him live amongst us, to remind the people of Mactan that we surrender to no man, and that any adventurer who comes to dominate our people shall himself be dominated!”

Dr. Zal Velez/Executive Director

Hear Yea! Hear Yea!

We are pleased to announce that an Encore presentation of The Coming of the Cross and the Sword is in progress. Produced by Purple Pillars Production of The Nursing Office Extended Arts, it is scheduled for December 12, 2015. 

This is the first of Zarzuela Filipina Theater Series entitled “Cradle of Noble Heroes/Duyan ng Magiting” based on the historical novel of Dr. Zal Velez, “Las Islas Filipinas”.

We would like to extend our invitation to you and your organization to this collaborative People’s Production of a zarzuela, with the participation of real-life artists, to showcase and promote Philippine history and culture.

Become a witness to Philippine Renaissance as we open the curtain on this great production to promote and campaign for the Philippine Archipelago, to raise consciousness of global Filipinos with the bonds of a confirmed identity of WHO WE ARE and ground Filipino youth and future generations with a firm and proud understanding of our Filipino Heritage, Culture and Values. Philippine history will never be the same to you, your children and the world.

“It is the duty of every Filipino to advocate for the Renaissance of Philippine Art, Culture, and Tradition now and until the end of time.”

~Dr. Zal Velez

Author, Las Islas Filipinas

To see more on the Program detail

Please meet our Peoples Theater Artists

TABLE of CONTENTS

Cover Page........

Greetings..........Publisher

Foreword..........Ludy Resurreccion

Special Feature 

Updates & News

The Immigrant Filipinos

Las Islas Filipinas Chronicles               

Editorial Board

Lutgarda Resurreccion

Chief Editor 

Contributors

Dr. Zal Velez

Executive Editor

Myrna D. Santos

Publisher

What's Culture Got to Do With Political Power?

Based, quoted and reprinted from an article by Jon Melegrito, Washington DC, for his column, "Wrestles with Pillows," in The Filipino American Journal, March 1999. Jon Melegrito was a past Executive Director of the National Federation of Filipino American Association (NaFFAA).

New York-based Filipino American poet and critic Luis H. Francia puts it rather bluntly: "Our lack of political power has a lot to do with our lack of cultural presence in this country.  You cannot separate politics from culture!"

At a meeting of Filipino American leaders convened by Loida Nicolas Lewis in New York, Francia bemoaned the stark absence of Philippine cultural institutions in the American mainstream.

"The Japanese and Chinese have their museums that document their culture," he said.  "Why don't we have our own national cultural center?  We need archives and library collections documenting our history.  How many know about the 'manongs,' about our contributions to labor organizing in this country, about Larry Itliong, about the heroism and sacrifices of Filipino World War II veterans? How about the Filipino American war?  no wonder Americans don't know what we are talking about when we ask them to return the Bells of Balangiga."Poet Eric Gamalinda piped in.  "Even sadder is the fact that there's so much hunger especially among the youth for knowledge about their culture and history.  But they don't know where to find them."  A teacher at New York University, Gamalinda said he's learning about this from Filipino American students, in classrooms and in conferences like the Filipino Intercollegiate Networking Dialogue or FIND.

So, where do they find it?  How is it presented in the American mainstream? 

"Our idea of culture is balls and pageants, " Francia added.  "We have to go way beyond that.  Because the way we present ourselves culturally will affect the way we are perceived politically.  We have so many talented and gifted Filipino writers, filmmakers, actors and artists.  Right here in New York.  But they feel excluded from the Filipino community.  And yet they have so much to contribute to our cultural presence in this country." 

Luis Francia and Eric Gamalinda had edited a book entitled "Flippin': Filipinos on America."  Published in 1996, this anthology of stories and poems deal with topics, such as, the Philippines' shared history with America, family, survival, relationship, nostalgia, home, faith, loss, joy."These are the values that define a people, and with which they mark their place in the world -- the whole gamut human experiences, but seen through the eyes of those whose lives have been shaped and defined on both sides of the earth, by cultures that have often conflicted with one another," Gamalinda wrote.

After listening to both these "cultural workers," one thing became readily apparent to Loida Lewis,  "Cultural Empowerment" is just as important as Political and Economic Empowerment."

  All these dimensions are critical to our visibility in the American mainstream.  If we must mark our place in this world, it's not enough to be politically and economically empowered.  Our distinct cultural identity as a people, shaped by our history and values, must also shape our aspirations toward empowerment in this country. 

• The Art of Weaving (Cynthia) 
• Weaving the Strands of Filipino Americans in Queens ( Claro, PJ Gubatina)
• Banig sa Bood ( Gilda)
• ANSISTERS(Grace Bio)
• Raised Pinay 

Theme: Weaving it Together (A Community Weaving Workshop) Intergenerational Approach to Community Building

Archiving Fil-Am Communities in Queens Library

Philippine Consulate General Assembly: Serving Greater Fil-Am communities

Fil-Am Communities in Queens: Why we matter