One-Hundred Fundamental Graphic Design Issues

Look Ma, I'm on TV!

2007-08-02T03:32:00.000-07:00

Watch me answer these questions this Sunday at Pia Guanio's show "Ang Pinaka" to be aired on Sunday, August 5, 6:00 to 7:00 pm, QTV Channel 11.

Katakatakng Kwento (Urban Legends & Historical Hoaxes)

1. White Lady sa Balete Drive
2. Mananangggal/wakwak/aswang in the city
3. Taong ahas sa Robinson’s Galleria; that Alice Dixson was eaten by the snake
4. AIDS carrier na nang-i-inject ng syringe infected with AIDS virus sa sinehan
5. Tasaday Tribe hoax
6. Anak ni Rizal si Hitler
7. Bongbong Marcos is dead; that he has a clone
8. Burger na gawa sa earthworm
9. Siopao na gawa sa pusa
10. Child with a fish for a twin (may kakambal na dalag ang isang sanggol; tinampok sa Eye to Eye ni Inday Badiday)
11. Dugo ng mga nawawalang bata nilagay sa foundation San Juanico Bridge
12. Mga nawawalang bata sa Pampanga, kinuha raw ang body parts
13. 10 Bornean Datus & Code of Kalantiaw hoax (Jose E. Marco's historical hoax debunked by historians)
14. Princess Urduja hoax
15. Rizal is Jack the Ripper
16. Alien Abductions in Mt. Banahaw
17. Yamashita treasure

QUESTIONS:

1. Sa palagay ninyo, bakit mahilig ang mga Pinoy na magpapaniwala sa mga kataka-takang kuwento?

2. Sa pagkakatanda ninyo, paano nagsimula ang kuwento tungkol sa (ITEM)? Ano ang naging epekto o impact nito sa mga tao? Nadiyaryo ba ito? Nabalita sa TV? PInag-usapan? Ginawang pelikula? Kinatakutan? Pinangambahan?

3. Paano napatunayang hindi pala totoo ang kuwento?

4. Paki-rank ang entry from 1-15 batay sa naging impact nito. May gusto ba kayong idagdag sa listahan? Ano at bakit?

Meryenda

2007-07-25T13:34:00.000-07:00

Isa sa mga katangi-tanging ugali ng mga Pilipino ang kumain ng meryenda. Hindi lang tayo kumakain ng “3 square-meals a day” ngunit lima, minsan anim pa nga. Karaniwan nagaalmusal tayo sa alas-siete ng umaga. Pag hampas ng alas-diyes, meryenda. Tapos, tanghalian sa alas-dose, meryenda ulit sa alas-tres ng hapon. Hapunan sa alas-siete ng gabi at pag-nanonood ng TV sa gabi, mayroon pa tayong kinukutkot. Minsan meron pang midnight snack, bago matulog.

Sino ba ang nag imbento ng meryenda? Ang meryenda ay galing sa salitang “merenda” ng mga Italiano. Ang ibig sabihin nito ay “afternoon-tea” o kaya “mid-day snack”. Galing ito sa salitang “meridio” na ang ibig sabihin ay “meridian” o gitnang hapon. Ang konsepto ng pagkain sa hapon bago maghapunan ay dinala ng mga Italiano sa España, tapos sa Mexico, hanggang umabot ito sa atin, na ating niyakap at inangkin. Sa Timog Katagalugan at sa ibang mga lalawigan na nagsasalita ng Tagalog, minindal o mirindal ang tawag nila sa meryenda. Ngayon, kahit anong oras pa siya, basta “snack” ang tawag natin ay meryenda.

Noong isang Biyernes, nagpunta ako sa Quiapo para magsimba, nagulat ako sa ingay, pagka-abala at dami ng mga ponda-ponda at turo-turo sa gilid ng Carriedo Street na nagbebenta ng meryenda. Makulay at nakapaglalaway ang mga bila-bilaong kakanin na nakadisplay doon. Bidang bida ang mga kakanin tulad ng iba’t ibang kulay na kutsinta, putong may keso sa ibabaw at putong Biñan, na binubudburan ng inad-ad na niyog. Mayroon ding iba’t ibang klaseng kalamay at bibinka, casava cake, butse, multi-colored na sapin-sapin, turon na saging na may lanka, banana-cue at camote-que.

Kung nais mo naman ang sa malamig at pampapresko, mayroon din silang guinumis na ang halo ay sago, gulaman, pinipig, na niluto sa gata at panocha, pinabango ng pandan at tinatakal sa baso na may kinaskas na yelo. Kung mainit-init naman, mayroon silang guinatan na ubod ng lapot at tamis ang sabaw. Ito may halong sago, gabi, kamote, langka at bilo-bilo. Talagang maaalis ang suya mo, lalong lalo na kung mainit at maalinsangan ang iyong kapaligiran. Iba’t ibang uri din ng pansit ay makikita mo doon tulad ng pansit miki, pansit bihon, pansit palabok at espesyal na spaghetti na may tamis-anghang ang salsa na may maliliit na hiwa ng mapupulang sausage.

Sinubukan kong bumili ng iba’t ibang klaseng meryenda at pinabalot ko na lamang ito dahil napahirap kumain ng nakatayo. Pero huwag ka, para sa mga gutom at nagmamadali, tabla-tablahan na ang pagkain gamit ang paper plate at plastic na kubyertos. Nagsisiksikan at nagtutulakan ang mga nanay na namamalengke bitbit ang mga chikiting, estudiyanteng naghaharutan, mga pahinanteng pawisan, at mga parokyano ng simbahan, na kahit naguumpukan at nagsisikuhan, doon ay maingay at masaya upang makabili lamang ng meryendang panawid gutom sa gitna ng mainit at maalinsangan ang panahon. Kung kayo ay magagawi sa Quiapo, para mamili at magsimba, huwag kakaligtaan na dumaan sa Carriedo para tikman ang sarap at sagana ng meryenda na ating kinagisnan.

Reyna ng Bibingkoy

2007-06-12T21:33:00.000-07:00

Kung ikaw ay nalulumbay, may mga bagay na sumasagi sa iyong isipan upang ito ay maibsan, isa na diyan ang pagkain. Ang pagkain ay may kapangyarihang mabago ang ating pangkalatahang kalusugang pangkaisipan. Kilala ito bilang comfort food, ang penomena ng pagkaing nagbibigay ginhawa na nag-ugat sa ating kinagisnan at kinamulatang kamalayan. Isa sa mga nagbibigay lugod at ligaya sa akin kapag umuuwi ako sa Cavite ay ang pagbisita ko sa carinderia ni Aling Ika na matatagpuan sa loob ng palengke ng lunsod. Ang unang-unang hinahanap ko ay ang bibingkoy! Sa bawat subo at nguya, nagbibigay ito ng dagliang ginhawa, sunod-sunod na tuwa at ala-ala ng kabataan.

Namumukod tangi at walang katulad ang bibingkoy. Sariling tuklas ito ni Aling Ika mula pa noong peace-time at bago pa dumating ang mga Hapon sa Pilipinas. Ngayong pumanaw na si Aling Ika, ipinasa niya ang kayang resipi at kaalaman sa larangan ng pagluluto sa kanyang anak na si Aling Lolit Alejo. Kahit si Aling Lolit na ang nangangasiwa ng carinderia, hindi na niya naisipang palitan pa ang pangalan nito sa ala-ala ng kanyang ina. Orig na Caviteña si Aling Lolit, gamit pa rin niya ang wikang Chabacano sa pagpaliwanag ng kanyang pagluluto. Ang Chabacano o Lengua de Tienda ay minsan naging primerong salita ng mga Caviteño.

Galapong ang pangunahing sangkap ng bibingkoy. Ito ay binibilog at sinisidlan ng minatamis na monggo. Ang hugis at anyo nito ay parang buchi, ngunit hindi ito piniprito. Nilalatag ito sa yerong patag at niluluto na parang bibingka sa pugon na may nagbabagang uling sa ilalim at ibabaw. Ang malaking kaibahan nito sa ordinaryong kakanin ay ang istilo ng pag-ahin nito. Ito ay tinatadtad sa tatlong bahagi at nilulunod sa salsa na gawa sa ginataan na may sago, langka at kaong. Gumagawa din sila ng iba pang kakanin tulad ng maja blanca, maja ube, maja kalabasa, pichi-pichi, biko at bibinka malagkit.

Kung nais mo naman ang meryenda, namumukod tangi ang kanilang pansit puso na niluto na parang guisado, sinangkutsa sa gulay at chorizo bilbao at pinaasim sa pamamagitan ng ginayat na puso ng saging na niluto sa suka. At kung tanghalian naman, tampok ang paborito ng mga Caviteño tulad ng kare-kare, adobo, paksiw na lechon, pinangat na isdang albakora, adobong hipon at kilawin (baga at mindonggo ng baka na may inad-ad na hilaw na papaya na niluto sa suka).

Halos 60 taon nang tinataguyod ng mga Caviteño ang carinderia ni Aling Ika. Dahil sa murang halaga, maraming parokyano ang naitawid-gutom nito. At dahil din dito, naitaguyod ni Aling Lolit ang pag-aaral ng kanyang limang anak. Isa na dito ang aking ka-batchmate noong high-school, si Fr. Bernie Alejo, na isa nang ganap na pari na naninilbihan sa Barcelona, Spain.

Babalik-balikan ko ang carinderia ni Aling Ika, dahil tinuturing ko itong haligi ng kultura at lutuing Caviteño. Siguraduhing maging maaga sa pagpunta kay Aling Ika, dahil pag-sapit ng alas-dos ng hapon, sarado na sila. Kung may katanungan, mag email lamang sa bandehado@gmail.com.

(Lalabas ang siping ito sa pahayagang Bandera sa Linggo, Ika-17 ng Hunio, 2007)

Bravo! Indios Bravos

2007-05-17T21:08:00.000-07:00

In September 2006 while strolling the span of La Rambla in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter, my Partner and I chanced upon a handsome 19th century edifice that I knew to be the old headquarters of the Compañia Tabacalera de Filipinas. Upon entering it’s narrow foyer with vaulted ceiling, I discovered that this 19th century symbol of tobacco monopoly in the Philippines had been transformed into an elegant 4 star hotel—the Hotel 1898.

On further, into the main vestibule, its walls decorated with wide cream and black stripes of raffia and large-scale photo-murals of Ilocano ancestral homes, Cagayan Valley tobacco plantations and Ifugao granary gods, I was delighted to see fine examples of unmistakably modern Philippine-made furniture in rattan, woven bamboo and Cordovan leather. Determined to find out more about this unique find, I struck up a friendship with the concierge, who, having discovered where I came from exclaimed, “Señor, this hotel is dedicated to you. In your country, the year 1898 is a big victory, but for us, it is a reminder of El Disastro, which the majority of Spanish people wish to forget.”

Moving on to the bar, where we ordered Cervesa San Miguel. I suddenly felt an enormous sense of well-being. As a proud Indio, I began to think about Rizal and the Indios Bravos. The Filipino Diaspora it seemed had finally arrived into the 21st century, and of all places in Barcelona, where we are now celebrated and not condemned.

While sipping the cool San Miguel, I allowed my imagination to drift back to one of those mild Spanish winters in Barcelona, visualizing Rizal promenading the La Rambla, while perhaps carrying with him a book to remind him of home: that metrical romance with convoluted plots written in the sweetest Tagalog, Francisco Balagtas’s Florante at Laura. Was it this book that helped him shape an opinion about the Filipino Diaspora while working as a correspondent for the La Solidaridad? Being known as a propaganda newspaper, it is credited by many as having created a nationalist consciousness that eventually helped spark the revolution.

During Rizal’s time, the term Filipino was reserved for Spaniards living in the colony, whether they be creoles, insulares or peninsulares. The rest of the population was known as Indio, Mestizos (half Spanish-half Indio), Mestizo Chino (half Spanish, half Chinese) and Quadrecillos (a quarter of everything). So one is left to wonder what passport our national hero carried during his world travels. Indio perhaps?

Rizal was clearly burgis, not in the strict French bourgeois sense, but class and class struggle was something he always understood. Being artistic and at the same time logical and scientific, social traditions and new ways of thinking excited him. He was cosmopolitan, a man of the world, a seasoned traveler. He moved homes many times, but always wanted to belong—to an organization, a race, and to the global brotherhood of nations. When Rizal reached his teenage years, Calamba became too small a pond to sustain the intellectual stimulation that this big fish longed for, so his parents dispatched him, first to Manila and eventually to Europe to enable him to quench his thirst for the education and information he desired so much.

A century before Filipino overseas workers began peppering the European landscape, a band of “Filipino” students or illustrados had already demonstrated the first signs of collective activity, notably in Barcelona, Madrid and Paris. Their spirited youth, gaiety and pathos were reminiscent of Puccini’s opera La Boheme—totally immersed in romance, artistic triumphs, and political intrigues, complete with a tragic ending. These men, who by living overseas imposed upon themselves a life of veritable self-exile, had strong convictions but were inevitably homesick, always anticipating letters from home. In letters he sent to his brother Paciano, Rizal was known for his constant pleading for his allowance, and in his pocket diary he kept detailed accounts of his expenses for food, lodging and items such ink, pens, paper, candles and books. They conquered their vulnerability and sadness by channeling their energies into nationalist sentiments and creative pursuits in order to further the propaganda movement for the reform of the Spanish colonial administration in the Philippines.

In spite of a longing for family, friends and food from home, the accoutrements that accessorized their existence abroad were fully Western. They certainly had style, and dressed in the finest suites, hats and walking sticks, Rizal and his friends were known as Dandies as they elegantly did their paseos, as proud as any of their European counterparts. In their lighter moments they donned classical Greco-Roman costumes for fancy dress parties, disguised as a sitting in the atelier of Juan Luna. To stimulate their young minds, they engaged in lively debates and participated in fencing; a graceful sport reserved for gentlemen wishing to show-off their tactical psyche and agile physique.

One summer evening in 1884, Rizal who at the time had just turned 23, delivered a toast at a banquet in the Restaurant Inglés in Madrid honoring Juan Luna for winning the gold medal for his painting El Expoliarium and Felix Resureccíon Hidalgo for his silver medal for his painting Virgenes Cristianas Expuestas al Populacho at the Exposition Nacional de Bellas Artes de Madrid. In his rhetorical and florid style, which was fashionable in those days, he conveyed in his propaganda, veiled as a toast, a glowing manifestation on “…how the illustrious deeds of her sons are no longer wasted away at home...” He then compared the two artists to: “…the oriental chrysalis is leaving the cocoon…” The anticipation of the time when Spain finally embraces the Diaspora: “…the dawn of a long day ahead is heralded in brilliant shades and rose-colored dawns…” And he lionizes them to heavens: “…to you are owed the beauty of the diamonds that the Philippines wears in her crown; she produced the precious stones, Europe polished them…” Rizal would have used “world-class”, “our very own” and “yes, the Filipino Can!” if it were the mot du jour. Undoubtedly, Rizal in the beginning was a pacifist and all he wanted was Las Filipinas to undergo colonial reforms that would make it an Overseas Department or a Province. (The complete text of the toast in both English and Spanish can be found in 20 Speeches that Shaped the Nation. Selected and with introductions by Manolo Quezon.)

It was at the time of the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1889, held during the centennial anniversary of the French Revolution, that Rizal’s patriotism reached another dimension. Clearly, Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables and the dramatic storming of the Bastille left an indelible mark in Rizal’s mind and he was fortunate to be in Paris at the time to take part in the celebrations. The main feature of the Exposition was the Eiffel Tower, which served as the entrance arch. An engineering masterpiece by Gustav Eiffel, it marked the end of the Industrial Revolution. Parisians initially loathed the tower but ironically it was later to become the icon of modern France. Across the Seine, the village nègre or the “Negro Village” where about 400 indigenous people were displayed in the form of a human zoo, constituted the major attraction. During this time, Rizal has translated more than thirty pages of Blumentritt’s Memorias on the tribes of Mindanao. At the Exposition, the French composer Claude Debussy was in the audience when an ensemble from Java performed Javanese gamelan music and for sure Rizal heard it too. It probably helped him find the connection.

Upon arriving in Paris two months before the Exposition, Rizal immediately founded the Kidlat Club, the progenitor of the Indios Bravos. In a letter to Mariano Ponce, he proposed that Marcelo H. del Pilar, Graciano Lopez Jaena, Ferdinand Blumentritt, and Julio Llorente should all convene in Paris. It was exacerbated when Rizal learned from Trinidad H. Pardo de Tavera who had arrived weeks later from the Philippines, that life in the country was becoming impossible. Tavera predicted that unless conditions changed, a revolution would occur in the Philippines within ten years.

Paris was undoubtedly the center of the universe at that time. Think of Bas Lurhman’s film Moulin Rouge. It’s bright lights continuously shone and the grand party unyielding. It was teeming with people of all nationalities and races, and Rizal badly wanted to be a part of that global community. In his room at 45 Rue de Manbenge, with unrelenting inspired madness, he continued annotating Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas, which he painstakingly copied by hand from the British Library. When he sent his annotations to Dr. Blumentritt for printing in Germany, he requested that the publication of the book be kept secret so as to surprise his compatriots. Dr. Blumentritt lent the illustrados his distinguished scholarship in support of their noble efforts whose aspirations were in complete accord with his liberal spirit. In his dispatches to La Solidaridad, he was urging his compatriots to purchase and read books published about the Philippines and to learn European languages, so they could themselves decipher what Pigafetta and Morga among others had written about Las Islas Filipinas.

It always strikes me as somewhat delusionary (Lourd, is there such a word, from delude, transitive verb) for people to perceive our national heroes as perfect, idealized individuals. As historian Ambeth Ocampo has always espoused, they are not made entirely of stone and bronze. Our textbooks glorify our heroes by venerating them as golden calves, thereby confusing respect with idolatry. For sure their heroic efforts were truly remarkable, but we must never forget that they were human too. With compelling emotions they cried, laughed and loved. They were young, exuberant and passionate, and by embarking on something that was bigger than themselves they eventually succeeded in creating a lasting impression.

If Rizal were alive today, he would undoubtedly frequent the bar of Hotel 1898 and along with Pedro Paterno and Juan Luna would also order Tapas and Cervesa San Miguel. They would perhaps discuss a concept for new magazine, a painting, or a book to be written by Rizal, and designed by Luna, while Paterno would do the business plan. They might even prepare to participate in the Frankfurt Book Fair and who knows, Blumentritt might just show up and pick up the tab. As for the Indios Bravos, I long to gate crash their party at 45 Rue de Manbenge and party all night long.

Welcome

2006-07-17T19:23:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the One-Hundred Fundamental Issues on the Principles of Effective Publication
Design.

This is a 100-slide show in HTML format I present to the Graphic Expo Lecture Series and one of the non-software based seminar workshop that I teach at the Philippine Center for Creative Imaging for the last five years.

I hope you can pick-up tips and information on how to create an effective publication design as I enjoyed creating and sharing this information with you.

Cheers,

Ige Ramos
Principal Designer
Ige Ramos Design Studio, Intramuros, Manila, Philippines
Atelier Guillermo Ramos, Dublin, Ireland and San Sebastian, Spain