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05 May 2007

kung bakit bad trip ang pagtatapos by benedicto reyes cabrera (bencab), national artist of the philippines for the visual arts

(delivered before graduating students of the University of the Philippines College of Arts and Letters, 21 April 2007, at the UP Hardin ng mga Diwata, Diliman, Quezon City)

Kapuwa kong Pambansang Alagad ng Sining at Dekano VIRGILIO ALMARIO, Kawaksing Dekano MARILYN CANTA, Kawaksing Dekano JOSE WENDELL CAPILI, Kawaksing Dekano REGINA GOCHUICO, Kalihim ng Kolehiyo Dr. TEODORO MARANAN, KAGURUAN ng Kolehiyo, mga MAGULANG, mga PANAUHIN, at mga MAGSISIPAGTAPOS, magandang hapon sa inyong lahat.


Anong ginagawa ng estudyante sa eskwelahan? Pupunta ng klase. Tapos? Pupunta sa susunod na klase. Tapos? Magtatanghalian. Tapos? Pupunta ulit sa isa pang klase. Tapos? Pupunta sa huling klase. Tapos? Tapos, araw ng pagtatapos.

Graduation. Araw ng pagtatapos. Sino ba ang nagtatapos? Kayo. Ano ba ang natatapos? Kayo rin. Tapos ang maliligayang araw n’yo. Dapat araw ng pagsasaya ang araw na ito, at sigurado akong kahit anong mangyari, kahit ano pa ang sabihin ko ngayon, walang magpapalungkot sa inyo. Kaya naman naghanda ako ng listahan: ang sampung dahilan kung bakit bad trip magtapos. Pagkatapos kong magsalita, tingnan lang natin kung di kayo mag-unahang mag-enrol ulit.

Unang dahilan, pag tapos ka na, wala nang baon. Pakapalan na ng mukha kung manghihingi ka pa ng pera sa mga magulang mo. Dati-rati, nakakakupit ka pa, ’yung sobra sa hiningi mong tuition fee, halimbawa. Pag tapos ka na, ikaw na ang magbabayad para sa koryente, sa tubig, sa renta. Kung may mas bata kang kapatid, ikaw naman ang magbabayad ng tuition fee n’ya. Pag nagkataon, ikaw na ang hihingan ng baon ngayon.

Ikalawang dahilan, pag tapos ka na, wala nang kaibigan. O, sobra naman yata ’yon. Pero aminin na natin, kokonti ang panahong makakapagsama kayo ng barkada mo. Alangan namang sa iisang kompanya kayo lahat pumasok? Liliit na rin ang oportunidad na makakilala ka ng bagong kaibigan. Sa kolehiyo, bawat sem may bago kang nakikilala kasi may bago kang kaklase. Mas mabagal ang prosesong ito sa permanenteng trabaho. Isipin n’yo na lang, pag estudyante pinakanakakaasar ‘yung walang kuwentang group mate. Ang trabaho, para s’yang isang napakahabang group work.

Ikatlong dahilan kung bakit bad trip magtapos, wala nang panahong magbasa. Kayong mga taga-College of Arts and Letters, may bentahe kayo. Masarap mag-aral ng arte at letra. Isipin n’yo na lang ‘yung mga taga-Eng’g, sa tingin n’yo ba nag-eenjoy sila sa pag-aaral? May kakaibang sarap sa pagbasa ng tula , sa panunuri ng mga larawan, sa pagkatuto ng kung ano ang “Good Morning” sa Aleman, sa pagtatanghal sa teatro, sa pagtatalumpati. Pag tapos ka na, pag nagtatrabaho ka na, pagod na lagi ang utak mo sa pag-uwi. Telebisyon na lang ang pahinga.

Ikaapat na dahilan, wala nang bakasyon pag tag-init. At mas maikling bakasyon sa Pasko. Kawawa naman kayo.

Ikalimang dahilan, wala nang libreng gimik. Dito sa U.P., maglakad-lakad ka lang may makikita ka nang kasiyahan. Pag fair, halimbawa, p’wede kang umupo lang sa benches ng Sunken Garden. Rinig mo na ang musika. E pag tapos ka na, saan ka pupunta? Alangan namang mag-camp out ka sa labas ng Araneta Center?

Ikaanim na dahilan, hindi na p’wedeng umabsent ng anim na beses. Wala nang academic freedom kasi wala ka na sa akademya. Pag tapos ka na, pag nagtatrabaho ka na, umabsent ka ng higit sa tatlong beses, tingnan lang natin kung saan ka pupulutin.

Konektado ito sa ikapitong dahilan, pag tapos ka na, hindi ka na p’wedeng mag-drop. Pag mag-aaral ka pa, at power-tripper ‘yung guro, p’wede kang mag-drop at tapos ang problema. Pag masyadong mabigat ang academic load, p’wede kang mag-drop. Kunin mo na lang sa susunod na semestre ‘yung sabjek. Hindi ‘yan p’wede sa tunay na mundo. Hindi ka p’wedeng mag-drop ng trabaho. Pagkatapos, aaplayan mo na lang paglipas ng ilang buwan.

Ikawalong dahilan kung bakit bad trip magtapos. Pag tapos ka na, hindi ka na p’wedeng magtext sa klase. Pag nababato ka sa trabaho, walang ibang p’wedeng gawin kundi tumuloy sa pagkabato, sa pagtatrabaho. Sa klase magtetext ka para magset ng oras kung kailan kayo magkikita ng mga kaibigan mo. E pag tapos ka na, di ba nga wala nang kaibigan.

Ikasiyam na dahilan, hindi na p’wedeng mangopya. Hindi na p’wedeng ipaxerox ang notebook ng katabi mo. Hindi na p’wedeng sumulyap-sulyap sa papel ng kaibigan mo pag exam. Kasi, wala nang exam. O, araw-araw exam.

Pag tapos ka na, tapos ka na. Ito ang ikasampung dahilan kung bakit bad trip magtapos: hindi na p’wedeng bumalik. Hindi ka na p’wedeng bumalik. Tapos na ang mga araw ng baon, kaibigan, pagbabasa, bakasyon, libreng gimik, pag-aabsent, pagda-drop, pagtetext, pangongopya. Tapos ka na e. Tapos na. Oras na para magsimula.

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
Benedicto Reyes Cabrera (Bencab), National Artist of the Philippines for the Visual Arts

8 Comments:

Blogger the amateur ear said...

Looking at the photos of the new KAL building, I'm glad that I didn't tarry in the College long enough for me to have had classes there. The new building has a very "school" atmosphere to it; it doesn't have the energy of A.S.

Sat May 05, 06:14:00 PM 2007  
Blogger wendell said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

Sat May 05, 11:16:00 PM 2007  
Blogger wendell said...

i agree. AS remains an iconic landmark on UP campus.

but CAL has to slowly move out of AS because palma hall belongs to CSSP. FC belongs to CAL and it doesnt have classrooms. there are more UP students now and CAL has been getting less and less classrooms from CSSP at palma hall. the new building had to be constructed.

the CAL building was designed and approved by a previous college executive board. i didnt have a hand in the selection of the design. administrators before me did. being a government project, it would take ages to redesign the project. by then, the money will no longer be available.

but we should be thankful that we managed to have a classroom and library building during these hard times. government has been slashing UP's budget yearly. you have no idea how difficult it was for me to help raise money (all in all, more than 100 million pesos and not a single cent had gone to anybody's pocket) for the new building. i even supervised the construction. i delayed my phd for the fund raising and construction of the new building. the new building is far from perfect, but we have a building. many students taking our general education and specialization courses will no longer have to take classes in the strerts, in dilapidated leftover classrooms of other colleges, or under the shade of trees. we had classroom shortage for many years. we should be thankful for these blessings instead of complaining.

perhaps you can offer comments and suggestions, even help raise funds for the part 2 of the new building. the phase 2 will include a more expanded CAL library and a CAL theater. UP needs critical and creative people like to to enhance its energy and profile.

Sat May 05, 11:22:00 PM 2007  
Blogger the amateur ear said...

Oh yes. I remember taking literature classes in the Palma Hall Annex and in NIGS, of all places. I was just taken aback by the building's design. I also checked it out with another alumnus last year. Its "aura" seemed so empty. The college celebrates arts and letters and so we expected the architecture to be less common, with an edge. Or maybe that's because it's new? It hasn't taken on the patina a building gets as it passes generations? I've always loved KAL, sir, and I hope my comment didn't cause offense. Now that I think of it, I was even at the new building's ground breaking (I sang with the singing ambassadors then). Kudos to you and to KAL's marvelous professors.

Sun May 06, 06:03:00 PM 2007  
Blogger wendell said...

no worries.

i also have my own vision re: the CAL building. but i came in years after the building's design was completed and approved. i really wanted a palma hall/benitez hall art deco or art nouveau inspired design. but i was just a young instructor during the time decisions were being made about the building and CAL's future.

the building is just part one of a larger complex. we didnt have money to put up the entire complex so CAL deans (yu and almario) decided to just go ahead with the classroom wing since we really lack classrooms.

if government or CAL alumni will be more generous, we can easily do better. unlike ateneo or la salle, CAL alumni are not necesarily proud of their college. many go to BA, law school or med school and forget their humble beginnings.

Sun May 06, 06:13:00 PM 2007  
Blogger exskindiver said...

so unpretentious and honest.
bencab's speech voices what struggling fresh graduates feel and yet challenges the graduate to strive for a life better than college days.
he subliminally gives them goals:
-be independent and self sufficient
-organize your life so you have time for everything
-be responsible adults
-stick to your goals
-stop wasting time
-have honor and ethics.
in short: Grow Up.

thanks for sharing this. i will pass this on to other UP grads.

~chesca silva

Sun May 06, 08:12:00 PM 2007  
Blogger wendell said...

chesca!

bencab was wonderful! students, parents, teachers ran to him and treated him like a rockstar! it was moving to see filipinos appreciate a genuine star.

the atmosphere during the UP CAL graduation rites was electric.

Sun May 06, 09:41:00 PM 2007  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

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Fri Nov 02, 11:34:00 AM 2007  

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