I've said most of what I wanted to say in the Foreword part of the first anthology of Kartunista (KarMa) Manunulat. Feel free to browse any zine-like whatever I have with me, upon any ELBI encounter. Thoughts are, supposedly, free anyway. To sum up what has been said (and, perhaps done), the stakeholders of UPLB are faced with challenges larger than the large class policy. Amidst U.P.'s 300% tuition increase in 2006 under the Roman Empire, austerity measures were implemented--and any dissent was ignored, if not prohibited or violently silenced. Student institutions were paralyzed with administrative orchestrations, organizations were harassed and so on.
Now, four years after, amidst the P1.39B budget cut, there is an impending dorm fee increase (1000php / month?) and there are, as usual, upcoming commercialization schemes. The difference, though, is that the students, I think, now knew how to face these violations of academic freedom and democratic rights (in UPLB's case, without their University Student Council that, again, allegedly went to the beach while other councils during the GASC were deliberating on the stance re: budget cut! Isn't this delinquency, if not an utter manifestation of mediocrity? or even neglect of sworn duty, ie, to represent the students? Is this what they deem collegial and academic? Honor and excellence pala, ha.). There was once a day when it seems like the global education sector is on strike. Now, four years after, the 15th marks the 4th anniversary of Tuition and Other Fee Increases.
Some students though chose to divide to studentry by instilling malice against student leaders they deem delinquent--and this grouplet (same students that I'm pertaining to in the previous paragraph!), upon further scrutiny are actually the ones who fail, not just in their academics. They are delinquent in being scholars of the people as well, since they often shun the title as they'd rather call themselves scholars FOR the people, thus separating them in their ivory towers as mere charity or donors or givers to their poor, invalid, helpless, uneducated countrymen. The admin lapdogs, rabid lapdogs, in studentskin are, again, hiding in the guise of their flawed and ridiculous advocacies, which include pointing a finger at the Left and digging up insignificant corpses and magnifying trivial issues. Pero campaigning against budget cut and commercialization of education? May pasok / exam / field trip / gimik / akads / date / party / meeting / beach / escapade / atpbng excuse sila!
This is what KarMa's objective reality is, during its fourth anniversary and Kartunista-Manunulat Kolektib would still live up to the challenges of the most trying of the times. It is in this light that we encourage our fellow students to join the ranks of the larger studentry (and join with 'benevolent' forces even outside the youth sector) to assert for higher state subsidy for basic social services and criticize state abandonment of education. This is why we shall support and join the STRIKE on December 15. DEKALIBRE, a cultural night for free and quality education, then follows. Raising particular concerns re: education-related issues are the zines that we shall make available during the consecutive events.
LIHIM NG MGA LESPU has always been a rarity during comics conventions since, I think, no local komiks / illustrated narrative dares to be this political, especially during these dark times when a statement against the fascist state is equivalent to putting one's life in danger--other than being unpopular. The story is about a keen photographer who discovers something after joining the LAKBAYAN or the long march of the peasants from the Southern Tagalog region to Mendiola. LESPU, originally an ENG106 (Creative Writing) submission, was accepted as a workshop piece at the 10th IYAS Creative Writing Workshop.
ANG ENGKWENTRO SA PALMA BRIDGE NG MGA BATANG PINALAYA(S) SA SINAPUPUNAN, with a new cover (and title?!), and PANAYAM KAY IO are loosely connected stories that attempts to reimagine the Oblation and other related matters / issues / symbols / whatsoever U.P. stood for. Both also tells of an implicit war. Anyway, the former was a FIL20 (Piling mga Katha sa Panitikang Pilipino) requirement while the latter was the first wall komiks of KarMa. While jumpstarting and developing my other narratives including the coma200(Creative output) ANG FEBRUARY FAIR NG DIS PATER), PANAYAM was incubated for four years and it shall be released for the very first time in ELBI on the 15th. It was first sold at the BLTX.
Finally, the COLLECTED VANDALISM #1: THE PORTABLE GALLERY OF KARMA KOLEKTIB titled "A SMALL PRESS AGAINST THE LARGE LECTURE CLASS POLICY" + KARMALENDARYO 2011, our very first anthology, is the star of our ZINE LAUNCHING (Salamat sa UPLB Writers' Club). The title said everything I have to say.
So, cross the 15th on you calendar and please do attend the STRIKE then the DEKALIBRE cultural night tentatively set at the CAS Anx2 Ruins, before going on vacation, if you call what you are about to have "a vacation." Anyway, we might leave copies of the zines at Crazy Carabaos. We shall deliberate re: participating in KOMIKSTRIP 2011. Presyong negosyante kasi ang tables for indie eh. Sana makadiskarte, madala man lamang doon kahit papaano ang campaigns!
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