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Lawmakers tagged by Duterte cry ‘witch hunt’

SEVERAL lawmakers accused by President Rodrigo R. Duterte of corruption denied the allegations against them on Tuesday.

Mr. Duterte in a televised talk on Monday named nine lawmakers and district engineers involved in alleged corruption related to the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) infrastructure projects.

Before reading the names on a “public document” prepared by the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC), the President said there was no substantial evidence to back the PACC’s claim.

The lawmakers merely appeared to be in connivance with the supposed corrupt officials at the DPWH and district engineers, the President claimed, citing instances of ghost projects and an “enrollment fee” of P12 million before a project could be awarded to a contractor.

Among the lawmakers mentioned were Occidental Mindoro Rep. Josephine Y. Ramirez Sato, Quezon City Rep. Alfred D. Vargas, Misamis Occidental Rep. Henry S. Oaminal, Isabela Rep. Alyssa Sheena P. Tan, Northern Samar Rep. Paul R. Daza, Quezon Rep. Angelina D. Tan, ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Eric G. Yap, Bataan Rep. Geraldine B. Roman, and former Ifugao Rep. Teddy B. Baguilat, Jr.

Mr. Yap, chairman of the House appropriations committee, challenged PACC Commissioner Greco B. Belgica to file a case before the Office of the Ombudsman instead of “resorting to witch-hunting” and trial by publicity. 

Mr. Yap currently serves as the legislative caretaker of Benguet.

According to the PACC report read by the President,  Mr. Yap allegedly rigged the bidding process for an infrastructure project in the province “through his agent” and exerted influence in choosing his district engineer to be able to manipulate the awarding of projects in the district assigned to him. 

The lawmaker, however, denied the allegations. “They said that I meddled with the biddings for infrastructure projects, what I want to say is I have never been involved in the bidding. When I came to Benguet as its legislative caretaker on January 27 this year, all biddings had already been completed,” he said in Filipino in a press briefing on Tuesday.

The lawmaker said the House of Representatives will initiate in January a legislative inquiry into accusations against Mr. Belgica to let him “clear his name” before the public.

Workers of Duty Free Philippines Corp. in October filed criminal and administrative complaints against Mr. Belgica before the anti-corruption body for allegedly using their cases against the company to develop ties with its management for his personal gain.

Mr. Belgica is currently facing charges of grave misconduct, conduct prejudicial to service, gross inexcusable negligence and violations of Republic Act No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

OTHER SOLONS
Other lawmakers tagged in the report have also denied and slammed the accusations.

Ms. Tan, for her part, said she has “never owned any construction company” and does not have any shares in any construction company.

“This truth can easily be verified by the PACC by simply checking and validating with the concerned government agencies that they surely have access to,” she said.

The lawmaker said her inclusion in the list is “not only malicious but also prejudicial.”

Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra on Tuesday said the agency’s task force against corruption already submitted to the President on Monday “an update on its ongoing investigations,” in which the names mentioned in the PACC’s list “were likewise mentioned.”

Mr. Guevarra said the Office of the President (OP) may refer the report to the agency’s task force against corruption for “validation, further investigation, or case build-up.”

“I’ll wait for OP’s referral, if ever. If the PACC report is already complete (in proper form with supporting evidence), that can be directly filed at the Ombudsman,” he said in a Viber message to reporters in mixed English and Filipino.

House Speaker Lord Allan Q. Velasco, meanwhile, defended the President’s revelation saying Filipinos “are entitled” to know what’s in the PACC report.

“The President made it clear that there is a presumption of innocence and such announcement was not an indictment,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.

Mr. Velasco said House members in the PACC report claimed that no one from the agency invited them for questioning.

“It appears that the PACC has not made any investigation as to the veracity of the accusations against them since they belong to another branch of government, which is not within the authority of the Commission.”

The House leader said the concerned officials are entitled to due process.

“Due process dictates that a thorough investigation be conducted to determine whether there is probable cause or evidence to support the charges against them,” Mr. Velasco said, adding that the case should be brought before the Ombudsman. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

Sulu closes borders to travelers from Sabah

THE PROVINCE of Sulu, composed of several islands in the southwestern end of the country, is closing its borders to travelers from the neighboring Malaysian state of Sabah, where cases of the new coronavirus variant have been reported.

Sulu Governor Abdusakur M. Tan, in a briefing on Tuesday, said travel to Sabah would also be banned.

“No one can go to Sabah and no one from Sabah can come here,” he said in Filipino.

Sulu and Sabah, which are separated by waters that are about 500 kilometers long, have close trading ties. Sulu depends on its Malaysian neighbor for rice.

Mr. Tan aired his concern about a potential rice shortage but said the lockdown would last “for as long as necessary.”

He said authorities in Sabah have implemented a border lockdown. — Gillian M. Cortez

Fewer Filipinos greeting New Year with hope — poll

MAJORITY of Filipinos are entering 2021 with hope rather than fear, though at a lower percentage than last year, the Social Weather Stations (SWS) reported on Tuesday.

In its Nov. 21-25 survey, SWS found that 91% of adult Filipinos will enter the new year with hope despite the coronavirus pandemic, but down from 96% in 2019.

Meanwhile, Filipinos who will enter 2021 with fear rose to 7%, three percentage points up compared to the previous year.

The survey also found that 83% of those expecting a sad Christmas are entering 2021 with hope.

“Among those who expected a happy Christmas, more have hope for the New Year than among those who expected a sad Christmas,” SWS said in a statement.

Only 50% of adult Filipinos expected this Christmas to be “happy,” 15% expected it to be “sad,” while 33% answered neither happy nor sad.

A total of 1,500 adults participated in face-to-face interviews for the non-commissioned survey. Of whom, 600 were from areas in Luzon outside the capital Metro Manila, and 300 each in Metro Manila, Visayas and Mindanao.

It has a sampling error of ±2.5% for national percentages, ±4% for Balance Luzon, and ±6% for Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao. — Charmaine A. Tadalan

India lifts ban on onion exports as prices plunge

MUMBAI – India decided on Monday to lift a ban on onion exports from Jan. 1, as prices have fallen sharply in the last few weeks on expectations of a big crop.

Exports of all varieties of onion will be allowed, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said in a notification.

India banned exports of onions in September to preserve domestic supplies after flooding in several states worsened seasonal shortages, leading to a spike in local prices.

India is the world’s biggest exporter of onions, a staple of South Asian cooking. Countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal, Malaysia and Sri Lanka rely on Indian shipments.

Wholesale prices of onions have more than halved in the last four weeks, according to data compiled by the National Horticultural Research and Development Foundation, a government agency. — REUTERS

9 tips to give yourself the best shot at sticking to new year’s resolutions

For many cultures, the dawn of the new year is marked not only with celebration, but also the opportunity for personal reflection and growth.

But as the year progresses, our initial drive for self-betterment can falter.

The good news is our tendency to give up can be circumvented. There are various ways we can strengthen our commitment to our new year’s goals.

In early 2020, my colleagues and I surveyed 182 participants to study personal goal factors which promoted well-being and sustained people’s pursuit of their most important new year’s resolution.

We found 74% of participants listed their most important resolution as the same, or nearly the same, as in the previous year.

More than half of the resolutions focused on either “diet” (29%) or “exercise” (24%). This suggests health-related goals tend to get rebooted each year — perhaps because New Year’s Day follows plenty of end-of-year festivities and feasting.

Furthermore, despite the participants reporting a strong commitment to their listed resolution, about two thirds gave up within one month. Other studies have shown similarly high rates for not sticking with new year’s resolutions.

If you’re wanting to set yourself a resolution for 2021, a good place to start is to reflect on the year that was.

Our personal reflection on 2020, and the key lessons we took away from it, will help determine our hopes and visions for the year ahead.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, 2020 was marked by prolonged lockdowns, isolation, loss and shifts in opportunity. But personal growth and strength can stem from such experiences, as past research has revealed.

Living though difficult and stressful times can pave the way for a greater appreciation for life, deeper self-understanding, and increased personal resilience (which means being able to bounce back quicker).

When setting resolutions, it’s important they’re linked to meaningful goals and values that can sustain motivation.

For example, the resolution to “lose five kilos” will more likely endure in the face of obstacles, difficulties or other competing resolutions if it’s linked to higher personal values, such as beliefs about one’s health or appearance.

Our study also found “goal flexibility”, which refers to being able to adapt to various situations, was positively associated with mental well-being. In turn, this was associated with a greater chance of sticking to new year’s resolutions.

So being adaptable in the process of meeting your goals will not only improve your general well-being, it will also help you pursue your new year’s resolutions.

When it comes to sticking to resolutions, insight gleaned from psychology research can be distilled into several practical and easy-to-apply tips.

1) Set resolutions that match your deeper values

Your personal beliefs and hopes have a key role in sustaining your motivational impetus and keeping you focused. This form of motivation is associated with increased personal well-being.

2) Try to set “new” resolutions

This is preferable to recycling old ones. If you still want to pursue a resolution from last year, try to be more specific in your approach.

3) Set resolutions as specific plans

These should account for factors such as time, place and people. Specific plans provide the mental cues needed to stick to our goals.

This is because they’re also less mentally taxing than more vague or generic plans that require further thinking. For instance, consider this resolution:

I will walk for at least 30 minutes around the nearby lake with my friend Sam on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings.

It already sets a framework that provides plenty of mental cues and strategies on which to follow up. Also, including another person in the plan also sets a greater sense of responsibility, accountability and social enjoyment — compared with a more vague resolution such as:

I’ll go on more walks this year.

4) Identify and imagine your desired positive outcome

Visualising your goals will help keep you focused on identifying the specific resources your resolution requires. It will also help mobilise a sustained pursuit of the goal.

5) Reward small gains along the way

Enjoying small progress gains is not only pleasurable, it will also help to motivate you.

6) Set resolutions you want to pursue, rather than those you think you should

Research consistently shows pursuing freely chosen goals that are internally motivated enhances well-being. Meanwhile, goals that are externally motivated are associated with psychological distress and are less likely to be achieved.

Examples of external motivation include doing something because the situation demands it, because it might please someone else, or to avoid shame or guilt that may arise if it isn’t done.

7) Be flexible

If your resolution isn’t working for you, reset it or adjust it to make it more meaningful and/or achievable.

8) Be realistic

The more realistic your resolution is, the more achievable it will be and the less likely you are to set yourself up for failure.

9) Learn from past failures

Instead of engaging in self-criticism and negative self-evaluation, a positive attitude towards failed resolutions can help you do better next time. — REUTERS

Shares end 2021 on positive note after budget signing

By Revin Mikhael D. Ochave, Reporter

LOCAL shares closed in positive territory on Tuesday, the last trading day for the year, as investor sentiment was lifted by the signing of the 2021 national budget.

The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) rose 17.46 points or 0.24% to end at 7,139.71, while the broader all shares index increased 18.34 points or 0.43% to close at 4,272.61 for the final trading day of 2020.

Compared with the previous month, PSEi’s close for December was an improvement of 348.25 points or 5.1% from the market’s finish in November, at 6,791.46. The market is closed until Jan. 4 due to the Rizal Day and New Year holidays.

In a mobile phone message, Philstocks Financial, Inc. Research Associate Claire T. Alviar said the market ended higher on the last trading day of the year as investors reacted positively after the 2021 national budget was signed by President Rodrigo R. Duterte.

“There’s no more fear about the re-enacted budget next year that may have hindered economic recovery,” Ms. Alviar said.

On Monday, Mr. Duterte signed the P4.5-trillion 2021 national budget, which gave the education sector the biggest allocation at P708 billion. The Department of Public Works and Highways followed with a budget of P694 million, and the health sector with P287 billion.

Further, Ms. Alviar noted that the market’s foreign investment portfolio recorded a net inflow, which also contributed to Tuesday’s strong finish. Net foreign buying reached P87.48 million, against the foreign outflows worth P98.26 million during the previous trading session.

“In addition, there’s also a window dressing for the end of the year,” Ms. Alviar said.

Meanwhile, Timson Securities, Inc. Head of Online Trading Darren Blaine T. Pangan said one of the market’s catalysts for December was the developments on the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines.

The month was highlighted by news of the first person to be vaccinated against COVID-19, with the United Kingdom (UK) coming out as the first country to approve the vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech.

However, Mr. Pangan noted that the market sentiment was affected by recent news on the new COVID-19 strain discovered in Britain.

“As a result, some investors chose to stay cautious ahead of the Christmas holidays, while other market participants conducted some bargain hunting activity during the last trading session of the year,” Mr. Pangan said.

In mid-December, the world was shocked as the UK announced the discovery of a new COVID-19 strain that was identified to be more infectious. Several countries, including the Philippines, have imposed travel restrictions on the European country.

On Tuesday, the majority of the sectoral indices at the PSE improved. Mining and oil rose 291.59 points or 3.15% to 9,528.15; industrials picked up 142.45 points or 1.54% to 9,393.42; financials improved 8.95 points or 0.62% to 1,447.64; and holding firms went up 30.96 points or 0.42% to 7,354.65.

Property declined 21.64 points or 0.58% to 3,664.47, while services retreated 2.18 points or 0.14% to 1,514.09.

Decliners edged out advancers, 122 against 119, while 36 names ended unchanged.

Value turnover on Tuesday amounted to P11.11 billion with 95.98 billion issues switching hands, higher than the P8.14 billion with 60.55 billion issues during the previous trading session.

NBA aims to build on digital lessons from bubble

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter

WITH the tournament bubble it had in Orlando proving to be a learning experience for it in its digital push, the National Basketball Association (NBA) aims to build on the lessons it got as it moves forward in how it presents the brand.

Speaking to global media in a conference call last week, NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum said the league restart in July that lasted until October, after it temporarily suspended its season because of the coronavirus pandemic, allowed them to shore up their digital assets and forge key partnerships along the way on that front.

These are something they consider as valuable as they continue with their push of engaging NBA fans in meaningful ways.

“We incorporated and will continue to incorporate in our games lots of different learnings that we’ve had in the bubble,” said the NBA executive.

“We’ve really revamped our digital assets to make it really consumer-friendly and fan-friendly,” Mr. Tatum added.

One of the ways they went about it was utilizing virtual signage.

“Virtual signage was something that we utilized pretty extensively in the bubble, and we’ll continue to do that going forward in different places,” he said.

Mr. Tatum went on to say that the revamp of their digital content continues, citing alternative streams on their digital product — a sideline stream, which gives different alternate angles; the rail cam; the courtside cam; influencer streams, where different influencers have the ability to speak during the games; alternative audios and having access to listen to games in Portuguese, Korean, and Spanish; and condensed games.

To make it all happen, Mr. Tatum credited the partnerships they have established with digital companies like Microsoft (which helped bring virtual fans into the arena through its Microsoft Teams Together mode), Facebook (which helped in creating the Oculus cam and the rail cam to create different camera angles), and AT&T (which provided 5G technology that allowed, among other things, the league to hologram interviews for the first time).

“Those are some of the technology and digital partners that we have worked with to present the game in a different and unique way that was really tailored toward the digital fan,” Mr. Tatum said.

In the Philippines, Cignal TV is the broadcast home of the NBA.

Tolentino reelected as PhilCycling president

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter

ABRAHAM “Bambol” Tolentino stays as Integrated Cycling Federation of the Philippines (PhilCycling) president after being reelected on Tuesday.

Mr. Tolentino, who also got a fresh term as Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president in November, retained his PhilCycling post along with Alberto Lina (chairman) and Oscar “Boying” Rodriguez (vice-president).

Alejandro Vidallo and Engr. Greg Monreal, meanwhile, are the new treasurer and auditor, respectively, of the federation.

Reelected as members of the board were Jun Lomibao, Juancho Ramores, Paquito Rivas, Moe Chulani, Carlos Gredonia, Atty. Marcus Andaya and Jojo Villa, with Sunshine Joy Mendoza, the country’s first female national road commissaire, elected as a new member of the board along with Erwin Bollozos. Atty. Billy Sumagui was reappointed secretary-general.

Given the nod once again to lead PhilCycling, Mr. Tolentino, also a sitting congressman representing the eighth district of Cavite, shared that he would push for the staging of national championships for road, mountain bike and BMX in 2021 with or without a vaccine against the coronavirus but will observe proper health and safety protocols.

“I am looking at Clark or Subic for the national championships for road and Tagaytay City for BMX and mountain bike,” said Mr. Tolentino, adding they are eyeing a bubble setup similar to that staged by the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), where participants were holed up in a controlled environment to guard against the spread of the coronavirus for the duration of the tournament.

“If the PBA did it in Clark, we could do the same in the same venue, in Subic and Tagaytay.”

The PhilCycling president also threw his support for the merger between the country’s top two road race organizers — Air21/UBE Media, Inc. (Le Tour de Filipinas) and LBC (Ronda Pilipinas), and shared that another priority for him next year are the Tokyo Olympics, 31st Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam and the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, where BMX will be played.

The PhilCycling elections were held at the East Ocean Palace restaurant in Pasay City with POC membership chairman Bones Floro heading the elections committee.

The proceedings were held under strict health protocols that had everyone undergoing antigen swab tests.

New mom Iniong looking forward to ONE Circle return

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter

HAVING reconsidered initial thoughts of retiring from mixed martial arts, Gina “Conviction” Iniong said she is now more determined and driven, and is looking forward to plunging back into action in ONE Championship.

Ms. Iniong (9-4), who recently gave birth to her first child, last saw action in ONE in January this year, beating Asha Roka of India by unanimous decision. Prior to it, she represented the Philippines in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, winning gold in kickboxing.

Then she learned that she was in the family way with husband Richard Araos just as the coronavirus pandemic halted sporting activities, including those of ONE.

While away from the game, Team Lakay’s Iniong thought of retiring altogether to focus on building a family and taking care of daughter Gianna Rose.

But her coach, Mark Sangiao, convinced her to postpone such a decision until she had given birth so she could think it through better.

And after some thought, Ms. Iniong did reconsider her retirement plans and is now looking at her career with added perspective and motivation.

“This year, everything just fell into place for me, and I learned a lot of valuable lessons. The biggest lesson I learned this year is that time is so precious. You can’t put a price on it. It’s the only thing you can never make more of. It’s life’s most expensive commodity,” she said in a statement.

Adding, “[As for my career] I want to be the best Gina Iniong in the Circle possible. I can’t wait to get back in the Circle. I’ve missed it. Once I’m cleared to go back to training, and when my body feels right, you can expect to see me alongside your favorite Team Lakay superheroes again.”

In the ONE atomweight division, Ms. Iniong is one of the contenders for the title currently held by Angela Lee of Singapore, who incidentally is also pregnant with her first child. But with her being inactive for now, she fell outside of the top five.

But the Filipina fighter is not discouraged by it and vowed to put in the needed work to get back in the mix.

“My division is really exciting right now. There are so many great talents and I’m so excited for a lot of potential matchups. Any opponent that ONE Championship will give me, I’ll be ready,” she said.

“I’m hungry and motivated to reestablish myself at the top. Fans can expect a stronger, wiser, and more dangerous Gina Iniong next year.”

SEASON WRAPPED UP
Meanwhile, ONE Championship wrapped up its coronavirus pandemic-hit season on Dec. 25 with “ONE: Collision Course II” with Jamal Yusupov of Russia beating Samy Sana of France by unanimous decision in their headlining ONE featherweight muay thai battle.

The pre-recorded event capped what was a challenging year for Asia’s biggest sports media property that saw it temporarily suspending activities in March because of the pandemic before resuming with a reconfigured setting to adapt with the prevailing conditions in June.

It is hoping for a better 2021, beginning with “ONE: Breakable” on Jan. 22 in Singapore.

Pioneering artist David Medalla, 78

A performance by David Medalla and Adam Nankervis at the 57th Venice Art Biennale

FILIPINO pioneering international artist David Medalla, whose works have been shown or installed in art capitals London, New York, Paris, Madrid, and Munich, died on Dec. 28. He was 78 years old. His death was announced by Mr. Medalla’s partner and curator Adam Nankervis, who said in a Facebook post, “David has left us to enter the dream. Dave passed away gently in his sleep in Manila today.”

Born in Manila in the middle of the Second World War on March 23, 1942, Mr. Medalla, who was admitted to Columbia as a teen, co-founded the important gallery, Signals, in London in the 1960s. The space was one of the places where the field of kinetic art flourished, making him a pioneer of that style. The artist also made various works in painting and performance art, and was one of the pioneers of installation art. One of his most famous works is Cloud Canyons No. 31, which, while it was conceptualized during that London period in 1964, was executed in 2016. It was exhibited at the 14th Biennale de Lyon, and was shortlisted for the first Hepworth Prize for Sculpture in 2016. That work was made of Plexiglas tubes, wood, and fiberglass; all working together with oxygenators to emit soap bubbles.

While that iteration of Cloud Canyon is now in the lobby of BDO Unibank, Inc., other Cloud Canyon works have either been seen or are installed at the Tate Modern, the Singapore National Gallery, the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia in Madrid, and The City Art Gallery in Auckland.

Mr. Medalla had been ill for quite some time, as a result of two strokes. Mr. Nankervis told BusinessWorld in 2019 (https://www.bworldonline.com/blowing-bubbles/), “Speaking is difficult for him now.” Still, this did not stop him from working. “He’s still painting, he still becomes extremely focused, even obsessed with work,” Mr. Nankervis said.

Critic and curator Carlos Quijon, Jr. told BusinessWorld in a message, “Medalla was a pioneer. Not only of kinetic art, but more so of a sensibility about art that embraces its vulnerabilities — be it to time, process, participation, climate, even. Because Medalla’s works allow themselves to be affected by all these things, they are rendered sensitive, alive. Medalla’s idea of ‘cosmic propulsions’ is a faith in the cosmos, faith in art, in the agency that inheres in it.”

As Mr. Nankervis said in the Facebook post announcing Mr. Medalla’s passing, “His spirit has transcended and moved so many artists, friends, strangers and the art loving public over time and space, inspired by his genius as an artist, poet, activist, wit, philosopher and raconteur. His curiosity, joy, his immense curiosity, his alchemical spirit knew no bounds.” — Joseph L. Garcia

Metro Manila Film Festival 2020: Just missing perfection

By Joseph L. Garcia, Reporter

MOVIE REVIEW
Tagpuan
Directed by: McArthur Alejandre

ALFRED Vargas had been a fine actor in his youth, and proves to be a fine producer for his film, Tagpuan. As for his acting, the Quezon City politician might benefit from returning to the ring more often.

Mr. Vargas plays the film’s lead, Allan, batting his bets in a multilayered nonlinear plot (written by Ricky Lee, no less). It’s beautifully shot in Manila, Hong Kong, and New York; it’s thematically sound in its visuals, and the soundtrack isn’t bad either.

(Spoiler alert!!!)

Allan is a wooden, stoic businessman who has the misfortune of falling in love with unconventional women. His first partner is Agnes (played by Iza Calzado). Flashbacks tell of a troubled marriage in upper middle-class Manila, where Agnes plays the role of a perfect wife dressed in several shades of pink, and various items of conservative jewelry: either a string of pearls, or her diamond eternity wedding band. In a time jump where they meet again in New York, she’s dressed significantly less glamorously; but comfortably, in a palette of blues. She now sports hoop earrings, and hops from one relationship to another, all while juggling a career in literature and the arts, a dream she had to postpone to be a perfect wife and mother.

I might say the hoop earrings can be a bit on the nose when implying a woman’s loose morals. In the period between meeting his ex-wife in New York, he meets a Manic Pixie Dream Girl named Tanya (a trope that has seen its day in Western media; she’s still a novelty over on these shores) played by Shaina Magdayao (in a departure from her usual good-girl roles). Yes, she’s also in hoop earrings. She reminds one of Clementine from Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind — down to the orange outerwear and outre hair. She does switch up to blue (hair and outfit) in a bit. The costumes are visual markers for which timeline and country we’re currently exploring.

Poor Mr. Vargas has to act stony due to his character’s personality, but one can be stony and still have a spark of life left in those eyes. It’s understandable when he gets chewed up by Ms. Magdayao, whose initial appearances appear as if they’re meant for slapstick, but as we go through the plot, we realize that the hamminess in her first scenes were surprisingly integral to the plot. (Ms. Magdayao bagged the MMFF Best Supporting Actress award on Sunday.) What’s sad is seeing him not being able to catch up to Ms. Calzado, who plays her role with her usual subtlety. If one can’t show a pulse next to someone considerably more sedate, there’s not much to go on with. While Mr. Vargas helms the film in more ways than one, it’s certainly the women in the production who carry the film and hold its interest.

The plot can be confusing (but that is definitely a deficiency on my part). The story takes place over several timelines: the initial failed marriage in Manila, the various sojourns with Hong Kong-native Tanya, and his reunions with the two women, both in New York. A flaw in Philippine films sometimes is to show exotic locales through the eyes of a tourist, but this one treats its locations matter-of-factly, wisely placing the story front and center. Nevertheless, the director’s eye has a certain gift in capturing appealing grit: whether it’s Hong Kong tenements or NY Chinatown slums. The nonlinear plot is also integral, and is beyond a stylistic choice. It was, I think, the only way to show relationships in their various stages without following a formula: there’s the initial spark (Tanya’s scenes with Allan in Hong Kong), various stages of decline, but also an oft-ignored reality: the silences that follow eventful relationships. The nonlinear plot also allows for better illustrations of the changes within people — we’ve noted this in Iza Calzado’s costume changes, but it takes a more significant turn in showing the personal decline of Tanya (she’s shown to be a liar with a heart; she simply can’t catch a break!). Finally, the nonlinearity gives room for societal issues: the film thus becomes more than a romantic drama, but a story about diaspora (Filipino and otherwise). It mentions the harsh realities of being an immigrant in Trump’s America, the plight of low-paid workers in Hong Kong (even the region’s unrest), inequality, class, social pressure, sex work, women, family, feminist intersectionality and a whole lot more — all handled with sensitivity and not piercing into the carefully pieced story (this must be the handiwork of Mr. Lee).

While I understand the choices that made the film so — the lead actor also being its producer, after all — it’s that one choice that makes the film less than the sum of its parts. For example, the film would have had a completely different tone had the narrator been either one of the women. Barring that, a more sensitive actor would have been able to play off the strengths of the two female leads. It’s ironic that the choices that created the film are the same ones holding it back from being close to perfect as it could have been.

Because of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Metro Manila Film Festival is being held online, with the entries screening via Upstream.ph. The festival is ongoing until Jan. 7.

Metro Manila Film Festival 2020: A sweet love story

By Zsarlene B. Chua, Senior Reporter

MOVIE REVIEW
The Boy Foretold by the Stars
Directed by Dolly Dulu

THE YEAR 2020 has been horrible, but despite how bad the year has played out, the tiniest positive spark came from the surge in popularity of so-called Boys’ Love series and films in the Philippines, largely attributed to the popularity of quarantine-favorite 2Gether: The Series, a Thai series about teenage boys falling in love.

It was a triumph for those in the LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, queer, etc.) community because they finally “felt seen” and that their “stories are finally told and heard,” as the film’s director Dolly Dulu said in her acceptance speech when The Boy Foretold by the Stars won Second Best Picture at the Metro Manila Film Festival awards on Sunday.

The Boy Foretold by the Stars is a coming-of-age romantic drama between Dominic (played by Adrian Lindayag), an effeminate gay teenager, and Luke (Keann Johnson), the school jock getting over a heartbreak, set in an all-boys Catholic school and a school-sponsored retreat program.

The story is full of romantic tropes: meet-cute, budding relationship, conflict, and resolution, but while the film is formulaic, it makes up for it with the purpose of sincerely trying to deliver a love story between teenagers.

What I did like about the film is that while set in a Catholic all-boys school, this was not used to demonize the religious institution or homosexuality but rather opens it up for discussion — one scene tackled the “homosexuality is a sin, the Bible says so” argument in one class but the teacher, a Brother, argued that the Bible’s teachings are open for interpretation.

The chemistry between the leads felt genuine and you can feel how their characters fall in love with each other, slowly but continuously, through small talk, with a push from fate here and there.

There’s a psychic who tells Dominic that he will meet his destined love in a week while Luke bases most of his decisions on a flip of a coin. But at the end of the film, they both finally break free from fate’s shackles and do what they want to do. It is a bittersweet moment.

The Boy Foretold by the Stars is a film for those who have been looking for a film that represents LGBTQ+ falling in love and not just relegated to the sidelines as the best friends of the straight leads. And it’s a film for everyone who is looking to relive their highschool days while regretting that their highschool love stories were not as magical as this one.

Because of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Metro Manila Film Festival is being held online, with the entries screening via Upstream.ph. The festival is ongoing until Jan. 7.

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