-
“My orders are
to the police and military,
-
also the village officials,
-
that if the situation arises
that people fight
-
and your lives are on the line,
-
shoot them dead!”
-
To be honest, if it’s possible
to just stay at home, I would,
-
instead of going out to shoot.
-
But, under the current situation,
-
information is being controlled
by a few.
-
If there is no alternative media
-
there will be no checks
and balances.
-
That’s why we’re going out
of our homes
-
to know the stories
that are not being followed
-
by big media corporations.
-
"Media personnel shall be allowed
-
to travel within the quarantine area
-
provided that within 72 hours
-
from the issuance
of this memorandum
-
media personnel intending
to travel within the quarantine area
-
shall secure an identification card
-
from the Presidential Communications
Operations Office."
-
Actually, it’s preposterous that one needs
to get accreditation from them.
-
Does this mean they exclusively get
to choose which media outfit can operate?
-
But despite our protest
-
we still filed for accreditation.
-
We are still waiting for it until now.
-
Before we went there
-
somebody texted us that
security was strict in the area
-
due to a positive Covid case.
-
In turn, we discussed whether
we should proceed to the area or not.
-
We decided to proceed
despite our anxieties.
-
We are also concerned with
our safety and health.
-
JL: Do you have any message
to the government?
-
Estrelita: We are calling for continued
support to our community kitchen.
-
It is for all the people in the community.
-
We will not die from the disease,
but we might die from hunger
-
if we can’t eat three times a day.
-
Woman 1: We are going around
-
Let’s do social distancing!
-
Woman 2: You are overcrowding!
-
Boy: Give us some biscuits!
-
JL: I think the major weakness
of the government,
-
compared to other countries,
-
...
-
is the lack of mass testing.
-
It’s as if people were put in jails not knowing
if the disease is inside with them.
-
Quarantine won’t serve its purpose
without any testing.
-
I belong to the middle class,
-
but I am a freelancer.
-
My income depends
on my production.
-
EngageMedia: What is that?
-
JL: Relief goods from the barangay.
-
That is my predicament.
-
But within a month, I only received
a relief pack just once.
-
There are about 15
or 14 canned goods.
-
I just hope those who are impoverished
receive more than once a month.
-
During a lockdown like this,
you are inside your home,
-
not just me, but most of my friends
-
and fellow artists,
-
most are stuck at home,
-
you surmise the positive things
that arise despite the lockdown.
-
One positive thing is the emergence
of artworks that are socially relevant
-
both in form and content.
-
I belong to a group,
the Asian People’s Music.
-
It is a group of progressive musicians
from countries that belong to the ASEAN.
-
Joseph, a Filipino musician
who is also part of the group,
-
and a member of the band
Village Idiots,
-
composed a song,
and here it is:
-
♫ When this is over ♫
-
♫ Is it back to normal? ♫
-
When you go out of your house
-
what you see in the streets
are people holding a cardboard,
-
some banners stating
“we are hungry,”
-
"no mask, no entry,"
those are the images you see.
-
Texts written on cardboards, paper,
or whatever is available.
-
Based on what I saw I had an idea:
Why not write some lyrics
-
the same way as those images?
-
That’s what we did,
and the musicians were okay with it.
-
♫ When this is over ♫
-
♫ Are we going back to the familiar? ♫
-
♫ To a violent way of life ♫
-
♫ Full of fear and dread ♫
-
♫ We will straighten wayward roads ♫
-
♫ Shout out our calls ♫
-
♫ A better society ♫
-
♫ When this is over ♫
-
We are raising a question in that song.
-
The lyrics say when this is over,
do we simply leave things as they are?
-
We are raising this question because
-
this crisis exposed
the kind of society we have.
-
The government will feel
the wrath of the people
-
if the situation remains the same.
-
And we think, or at least
I personally do think,
-
the situation should change,
and that we need to make a stand.
-
♫ A better society when this is over ♫
-
♫ We will rise when this is over ♫