WHEE! WHEE! WHEE!

I'm damned proud to be part of this advertising campaign. Read the Noli and Fili in 2011. Make it one of your resolutions.

OPEN PARTY!

Received a great message today from Eugene Alvin Villar, the guy who planned the Open Street Mapping Party for Intramuros last December 11, 2010. Although I wasn't able to join them in pinpointing places of significance in Intramuros/Ermita/Luneta (I had a shoot with Strictly Politics that morning), I'm glad that quite a few people went and were able to document and upload what they found online.

Ans here's a sampling of how the event went: A before-and-after map of Intramuros: CLICK HERE.

And here's the live map itself: CLICK HERE.

The map is still not complete. There's still barangay boundaries, address data, and all those little details left to add, but I think most historical places, monuments, landmarks and markers are already there, including the reductos and revellins. They also covered Rizal Park, the Manila City Hall area, and parts of Ermita.

Stay tuned for the next Open Street Mapping party. Congrats guys on a job well done!

HELP! HELP! HELP!

CLEANING UP THE ACT #HelpDOT
In order to clean up the walled city in time for the Grand Marian Parade, this Sunday, I would like know if there are any #HelpDOT volunteers or citizens out there who would like to help me pick up litter between the Baluarte San Diego and San Ignacio, I'd be extremely grateful. And I'll treat y'all to Halo-halos once we're done.

I'll bring the biodegradable trash bags, alcogel and some gloves (for those who are tikis-smikis).

DECEMBER 5, 2010
Meeting point: Parking Lot in front of San Agustin Church, Intramuros
Time: 9:00AM
Approximate end time of event: 11:30am
Email me at celdrantours@hotmail.com to confirm if you are coming or text 920 9092021

Thanks!

CARLOS RECOMMENDS!

AN OPEN LETTER AND A FUNDRAISING CALL FROM JK ANICOCHE, THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF SIPAT LAWIN (above, performing Ubu Roi in my artspace, The Living Room), MY FAVORITE GUERRILLA PERFORMANCE COMPANY IN THIS CITY...

CARLOS

November 3, 2010

We've heard about each other. Wild child.

Viral. Massive. Epidemic.

We are the Sipat Lawin Ensemble, theatre renegades geared towards changing the theatre landscape in the country through edge-work performances.

The Ensemble recently sparked an outburst of site-specific performances in galleries, living rooms, cinemas, cafes, lobbies, comfort rooms, telephone booths and other spaces. We have also developed platforms for new works through Strange Pilgrims (theatre + opera + film + dance + music), launched nationwide Theater-in-a-Backpack workshop series, and devised Fragments Site Works for the Virgin Labfest at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

Engagement. Proximity. Coverage.

It is our goal to bring relevant and thought-provoking theatre closer to the people as we develop an urban community theater shared among artists and audiences. We believe that theatre is a transformative, participatory experience that inspires individual and collective action and imagination.

Season 2000-X came to life and Haring +UBU-L was wildfire.

The next challenge is creating a free performance that will engage larger audiences in different parts of the Metro to make theatre palpable to more Filipinos. Viral. Massive. Epidemic.

This November, the Ensemble Players will set the streets ablaze with a courageous adaptation/re-reading/ device-work of George Orwell's masterpiece Animal Farm. Dubbed as IMPERIO ANIMALIA, it is a “backpack production” to be performed on the streets for free, open to the public. Performances will run from November 2010 to January 2011.

We really feel that we have an important story to tell, a relevant process to share.

Care to share?

Join us as we raise funds for Imperio Animalia through a special performance of our wild-cry play “PRAGRES” 7PM this Saturday, November 6, 2010 at the National Commission on Culture for the Arts (NCCA) Auditorium in Intramuros, Manila. Fundraising tickets at P500 and P1,000. For reservations, contact Sipat Lawin Ensemble at (+63)09175008SLE (753) and 02-9645949.

Support pledges and contributions are also appreciated. For queries on how to show support to the Ensemble, you may send us a personal message on our Facebook page via email at sipatlawin.ensemble@gmail.com.

Join us as we all think, to make others think. Feel, to make others feel. Maraming salamat.

Taos-puso,

JK Anicoche=
Artistic Director
Sipat Lawin Ensemble

FROM THE MAILBAG...

My friend Paula has guest blogged on this site before. The last time, during the Gibo campaign period. Today, she writes about her support for the RH Bill. I rather agree with her.

WHY I SUPPORT THE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH BILL
by Paula Nocon

In September 2010, Carlos Celdran was thrown in jail by members of the Filipino Catholic clergy for a very public demonstration of his support for the passage of the Reproductive Health bill as he plead to the Church to stop interfering in politics. Out on bail, he now faces charges of "offending religious feelings" and may face up to five years imprisonment.
A few more months before that the country of Finland declared access to broadband internet a legal right for every single Finn, an affirmation of its bold commitment to the information society that the modern world has evolved into.
These two events may be disparate, but upon closer inspection their juxtaposition reveals much. Access to information has been enshrined as a legal right in one of the most progressive countries in the world, while the RH bill has been opposed by the Roman Catholic hegemony in the Philippines for its purpose of educating Filipinos on the responsibilities and options that come with reproduction. One is pushing forward knowledge, the other is pushing back knowledge. One is creating a new right for its citizens, the other is depriving a right that is as old as the human being itself. While one is celebrating the fruits of information, the other is demonizing information so vital to one's identity and self-realization.
Even before I will fight for my right to a 1 Mbps broadband connection, I would first assert my right to awareness. I believe that the whole impetus of human evolution is the increase of awareness, that the whole struggle of civilization has been towards spiritual progress, and that what drives this whole engine is the desire for knowledge, especially, self-knowledge. Knowledge about my own body, my own sexuality, the responsibilities of reproduction and raising a family, is only the beginning, albeit a necessary beginning that leads to greater awareness of my role in the community, in the country, in the global village. You cannot tell a person to be a responsible citizen until he first knows how to be responsible over his own self, body, mind and soul.
Poverty and ignorance go together. When you perpetuate poverty, you are perpetuating ignorance, which in turn perpetuates poverty. The cycle is vicious, tenacious, and overpopulation is only one of the glaring symptoms of it, apart from disease, social and economic disparity, and deterioration. The RH bill has the catalytic potential for the country to finally break out of its crippling cycles, where other social revolutions have failed, because it confronts the status quo on both the individual and social levels. Failure to pass the RH Bill because of pressure from the Catholic Church will not be the failure of its proponents, it will be the failure of the State itself.
In this day and age, ignorance bears more dire consequences than ever before. Any enemy of awareness is an enemy of human growth and evolution. Those who use their power and influence to keep people ignorant must be stopped; those who promote information and knowledge as a stepping stone to greater awareness and wisdom must be encouraged. It is for this reason that I fully support the Reproductive Health bill.

PAGING THE UNIVERSE!

YOO HOO!
Yo Universe. It's me, Carlos. I want this house. Pretty pretty please?

Walking around Intramuros, I stumbled upon a beautiful 150 ++ square meter house. Done in the 90's but in accordance to Intramuros Administration's rules of having to look "historical", it is located on the corner of Arzobispo and Anda streets just a block away from San Agustin Church.

I don't know why but I really really want this house. I can see it as a little bed and breakfast with an awesome cafe and tapas bar on the ground floor. And it's RIGHT next to the former Ateneo de Manila ruins. The house is just begging to become an attraction in Intramuros with the right amount of renovations and promotions.

Sadly, it costs a little under 8 million pesos and well, I just don't have that kind of money in my life at all. Sigh.

So Universe, help me make this happen. Ommmm.

BRAVO! BRAVO! BRAVO!

KWENTONG KUTSERO
I am a firm believer in the Filipino. Despite the many challenges facing Philippine society and it's values, I truly believe that our moral core is in the right place. Filipinos are not corrupt. It's just the system that makes us do corrupt things. And proof of this moral core lies in a cochero that I know in Intramuros named Luisito Lopes.

Just last week, a Fil-Am guest of mine dropped an envelope with Php50,000.00 pesos in it on the floor. And instead of taking the U$1,000.00 ++ equivalent and using it for his family or for a drinking binge, Luisito simply handed he money over to me to give to the guest.

He did it with no fanfare and with no desire for getting anything in return for this act of honesty and humility. I'm sure it wasn't easy giving back the cash considering how hard life is for these carriage (kalesa) drivers.

And since Luisito won't toot his horn. I will do it for him. Ladies and Gentlemen. Meet Luisito Lopes. Manila's most honest cochero driver.

Postscript: Actually, I've been looking for a way to improve/beautify/organize the pedicab and Kalesa drivers of Intramuros. A new paint job and a price matrix and some uniforms would go a long way in promoting tourism in the walled city.

Perhaps this could be a volunteer effort for #HelpDOT. Anyone wanna help me?

CARLOS RECOMMENDS!

WHEE! WHEE! WHEE!

I HAVE FRICKING ARRIVED! WOOT! Sharon Cuneta gave away two (2) tickets to my tour on her show. I'm looking forward to meeting Roger and Trina Alcantara, the lovely couple who got married in McDonald's. They can hold hands in Luneta and have a Big Mac and Chicken Nuggets at the Luneta branch on Kalaw right after the tour. Whee!

HELP YOURSELF AND #HelpDOT

WALK. PRAY. LOVE. SLEEP.
It cannot be denied that a result of events in Manila, tourism in our capital has fallen to an all time low. Hotel cancellations and international bad press is the order of the day and we are looking at a loss in livelihood at a very large scale.

So as my way of helping out the crisis brought upon our young tourism industry, I've put together a little package that will make it easier for locals to see their own capital, reflect upon it's state, upon recent events, and one's personal mindset while you fill the deficit brought about by this blow.

Be a tourist/pilgrim in your own town by checking into the The Intramuros Hotel, a quaint little budget hotel in front of San Agustin Church, and take a tour with me.

In your free time, wander about Intramuros' historic walls like Jose Rizal, drink San Miguels in Ermita like Nick Joaquin, or pray and pay respects in it's many holy spots and memorials like Filipino Chinese saint, San Lorenzo Ruiz.

Do this all while you immerse yourself in the history of the city that has pretty much defined the state of our entire nation.

Php4,800 (double occupancy)
or Php2,400.00 each

Php3,800.00 (single occupancy)

This includes accomodations at The Hotel Intramuros and tickets to one (1) Carlos Celdran tour.

This deal is only good for the month of September.

Email celdrantours@hotmail.com if you are interested or text 09209092021.

Check www.carlosceldran.com for the schedule of tours.