In 2012, please join us in pushing for these key advocacies:
First, freedom from “colonial mentality” in all spheres of Filipino life, but especially in the arts, media and entertainment. This has to be both a communal and individual effort, with all Filipinos striving mightily to disprove the myth that “they” (foreign cultures and influences) are inherently “better” than we are.
This enduring psychological subservience to our foreign “masters” and “betters,” which still holds sway many decades after they physically left our shores, is one of the main reasons why we remain so fractured and fractious, and have failed to come into our own as a self-confident and progressive people.
Next, Nutrition Before Education. We spend many billions to improve our educational system, but the country’s nutrition problem is so bad that, by the time many children go to school, their potential has already been adversely limited by malnutrition—so, their “educable capacity” has already been tragically abridged.
It’s important, therefore, to focus on providing all Filipino children good prenatal care and nutrition after birth, before they reach school age.
Third, as parents and educators, let’s push for genuinely child-friendly television, and for the training and development of a new breed of responsible TV workers who know both the good and bad effects of television, especially on young and vulnerable viewers.
Fourth, many entertainment “awards” have become dubious and suspect, so we should take them with more than a grain of salt, for fear of having our own standards for quality productions abused and subverted for other people’s illicit gain.
Fifth, let’s appreciate the unused force that is our collective Viewer Power, and utilize it to positively influence the quality and significant content of the entertainment we get.
Sixth, let’s train ourselves to focus, not on celebrities’ looks and personalities, but on their talents and performances. That way, we’ll be expecting more, and better, from our entertainment luminaries, and they’ll be compelled to work harder to live up to our heightened standards.
Seventh, let’s support the indie film movement by patronizing its products, thus enabling new filmmakers to make enough money to continue producing significant and insightful movies about how we really live and are.
Eight, let’s plug for better film preservation and restoration, so that our cinematic patrimony isn’t squandered and lost.
Ninth, let’s develop better-trained young TV-film-theater viewers and future artists by investing much more in children’s theater, media literacy and related programs.
Tenth, let’s get over our “edifice complex” and go in more for “theater without theaters”—using radio, TV and film to promote the arts and culture more efficiently and pervasively.
Eleventh, let’s stop subserviently thinking “world class,” and believe that Philippine Class is the best!
And, finally, let’s all remind ourselves that the most important element in the entertainment equation is the viewer, not the star.
—There you have it, 12 advocacies for 2012. Choose the one that speaks most strongly to you—and do your best to walk the talk!