The journalism is different though.
After
founding the Philippine Educational
Theater Association (PETA) on April 7, 1967, or exactly 57 years ago,
Guidote-Alvarez thought of the need to expose PETA’s members to television, so
she started conceptualizing Balintataw,
which in Filipino means the “pupil of the eye,” but in a larger context has
something to do with having wild imagination, or what you might see if you have
a third eye.
“I
designed Balintataw as a bridge between cinema and the stage, where the youth
being trained in theater skills can have a ready-made laboratory experience
linked with the film and entertainment industry that would likewise have a
natural on-the-job training and orientation regarding the theatrical discipline
of working with a literary script, whether dramatic or comic – not the regular
improvised script done on taping or copycat scripts from foreign themes,”
Guidote-Alvarez wrote in her yet-to-be published Memoir Of A Freedom Fighter’s Wife.
“A
primary goal when I conceived PETA was to initiate and sustain artistic
expression that draws meaning and power from the lives of the people, and
sharing the literary gems with a greater number of audiences through a
Broadcast Theater-Film Program with Balintataw on Channel 5.
I as a digital writer note Ms Cecile’s objective
of encouraging “artistic expression that draws meaning and power from the lives
of the people, and sharing the literary gems…”
I am a development communicator, not a literary
writer, but I see that journalists today can learn from Ms Cecile the need to
“draw meaning and power from the lives of the people, and sharing (their
problems) with the public” – so that these may inform government agencies and
move them to act in favor of the millions.
(“People” image from peoplethink.biz)
“Writers need
exposure and encouragement” – Cecile Guidote-Alvarez says. And I writer realize
that writers can get such exposure if they engage themselves in journalism for
development in any field, especially now that Climate Change is all over the
place! Like I said before, “Primate Change for Climate Change!”
Ms Cecile has been tackling the question of the
West Philippine Sea. I admire her for her courage. Most journalists write and
write but do not engage themselves personally in public causes. Because
they are afraid of some kind of a backlash.
I say, the backlash to your writing depends on
your writing. If you go beyond reasoning into name-calling, you are calling for
trouble!
The trouble is that
in journalism school, they encourage you to be critical but do not
encourage you to be creative. Creative journalists, come out!@517
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