Arangkada, Kerima! The 1st UP Diliman Women’s Art Crawl -

1st UPD Women’s Art Festival (Art Crawl)

For its first iteration, the UPD Women’s Art Festival was an Art Crawl of three women’s sculptures in UP Diliman. In each station, a reading performance by SAKA and RUWA of the works of UPD women writers, namely Luna Sicat Cleto, Kerima Tariman, and Lilia Quindoza-Santiago. The 1st UPD Women’s Art Festival aimed to 1) cultivate and honor women visionaries, seekers, storytellers, and other artists in rising for freedom and creating new culture, 2) highlight works and roles of women artists and advocates within and outside UPD, and 3) highlight the active role of art in campaigning for social justice.

Rural Women Advocates (RUWA) is a network of volunteers—from students, feminists, women publishers, academe, artists, writers, professionals, food advocates, and other sectors—that advocate Women’s Rights for Equality and Against Discrimination, Genuine Land Reform, and fundamental reforms in the country. RUWA was formally organized by Amihan or the National Federation of Peasant Women, a national campaign center for the Filipino peasant women, last July 1, 2019.

SAKA (sá·ka: to make land productive) is an anti-feudal network of art and cultural workers that support and advance the peasant agenda of genuine agrarian reform, rural development, and food security. As allies of the Philippine peasant movement, we align our programs, activities, and events with their most urgent and long term campaigns. By learning the fundamentals of land justice, we help raise visibility for peasant struggles through creative communication work as part of a broader mass movement for national democracy.

The performers were Tilda Oreta, Thea Marabut, Sari Labrador, Marj, and Erin Gzy.

Featured Writers

Luna Sicat Cleto

Awtor si Luna ng mga premyadong akda: Makinilyang Altar, Mga Prodigal, Bago Mo Ako Ipalaot, at Huni at Pakpak: Mga Dula at Sanaysay. Ipinagdiriwang bilang napakahusay na kuwentista, bilang makata, mandudula, mananaysay, kritika, editor, at tagasalin. Naging kabahagi siya ng mga organisasyong pampanitikan at siniguradong may lugar ang babae sa panitikan ng Pilipinas. Mahigit tatlumpung taon na rin siyang nagsisilbing guro ng panitikan at malikhaing pagsulat sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas. Nais niyang maalala bilang tagapamagitan sa danas at pagsulat.

Kerima Tariman

Si Kerima Tariman rin ay isang babaeng rebolusyonarya ng ating henerasyon. Si Kerima ay makata, aktibista, at mandirigma. Nagtapos siya bilang salutatorian sa Philippine High School for the Arts at naging estudyante ng Journalism at Philippine Studies sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas. Ginugol niya ang oras – ang buong buhay sa pakikibaka – upang ilahad ang katuwiran ng himagsikan.

Lilia Quindoza Santiago

Si Lilila ang Makata ng Taon ng 1989 ng Linangan ng mga Wika sa Pilipinas. Siya ay isang kuwentista, maestra, feminista, maybahay, at ina, tagasalin, at kritika. Siya ay dating propesor sa Departamento ng Filipino at Panitikan ng Pilipinas. Trailblazer na maituturing, hindi matatawaran ang kanyang ambag sa kilusang kababaihan sa Pilipinas sa kanyang mga panulat at ang ilang dito ay In the Name of the Mother, 100 Years of Philippine Feminist Poetry; Rebirthing Babaye: The Women’s Movement in the Philippines; at ang Kagampan at iba pang tula o Pregnant and other poems.

The Art Crawl happened in two batches. In each batch, three stations were toured, Station 1 being Magdangal, Station 2 being Three Women Sewing a Flag, and Station 3 being Dakila. Performances were held at the sites.

STATION 1: SI MAGDANGAL

Location: College of Arts Letters, Quirino Avenue

This bronze sculpture by National Artist Napoleon Abueva features a woman that stands strong and as if in a position that’s ready to fight. It was inaugurated in 2008 in celebration of the university’s centennial year. The plaque below the statue bears National Artist for Literature Virgilio S. Almario’s poem: “Magbangon ka, aking Mutya, / Mula dagat ng dalita; / Pairalin mo sa lupa / Ang tarong ragsak, at laya.”

Two works by Professor Luna Sicat Cleto were read at the site. These are “Soneto Para kay Flor”, Luna’s poetry about Flor Contemplacion, a Filipina victimized by injustice in Singapore’s death penalty, and “Sana”, an offering to the old Faculty Center who burned down in 2018.

Magdangal and Luna remind us to always remember and to not forget, because this is what gives direction to our ongoing struggle, in the midst of evil and corruption, in the midst of betrayal and burning of dignity and lack of freedom in the world.

STATION 2: TATLONG BABAENG NAGTAHI NG BANDILA

Location: Behind the Amphitheater

Behind the Amphitheater is Abueva and Sons’, Three Women Sewing the First Filipino Flag which is made of concrete and polychrome, the practice of applying color to sculptures. This work commemorates the sewing of the Philippine flag by Marcela and Lorenza Agoncillo, and Josefina Herbosa while in exile with the Revolutionary Government in Hong Kong from 1897 to 1898. (from https://sculptour.wordpress.com/ )

Two works of Kerima Tariman were performed at the site, “Gusali” which talked about her disillusionment with educational institutions and strengthened desire to break its walls and serve the people, and “Peligroso”, her message to the frightened activists of her and the current generation.

We paid tribute to her as a female writer and in this art crawl, in Joi Barrios’ words, “we pay tribute to her as a female warrior.” We celebrated and recognized her as one of the greatest poets and warrior women of her time.

STATION 3: DAKILA
Location: Center for Women’s Studies, Magsaysay Avenue corner Ylanan Street

Dakila was created by feminist artist Sandra Torrijos in 2008 in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the U.P. Center for Women’s Studies. Among the sculptures that can be found inside the campus, this one easily stands out not only for its colorful figure but also for the distinctive mosaic technique that she used. Small, brightly colored tiles called tesserae were painstakingly glued to the concrete base giving the sculpture a glittery yet interestingly raw finish. For Torrijos, Dakila is a combination of woman-mother, teacher, activist, and healer. (from https://sculptour.wordpress.com/ )

Lilia Quindoza-Santiago’s “Supling Tayo ng Iisang Sigwa” and “Pagpupugay at Habilin kay Haya Pag-Asa” were performed at the site. The former poem was a tribute to all women because all women are part of the liberation movement in one way or another. The continued resistance of women and all of us to the liberation of the community in the coming times, including her daughter Haya Pag-Asa, was the subject of the latter poem.