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Animation video to remind Pinoy youth about the value of freedom


The scene: UP Diliman’s famous Sunken Garden at night in 1973. Five youths, possibly college students, are relaxing on the ground, one them playing a guitar. It was a perfect night to be young.   Suddenly, blinding headlights from a vehicle flash on the youths, interrupting their session. Authorities emerge from the vehicle, handcuff them, and lead them toward the back of the car without a word. The vehicle then drives away.   Fast-forward to 2005. Still at the Sunken Garden. It is the annual UP Fair. The place is filled with hundreds of people, most of them students watching rock bands perform. No authorities are present here; no one is arrested. Everybody is having fun.   The scene fades to black. Three words appear: "Tandaan. Kalayaan. Alagaan."   The clip is the first of a series of animation videos aimed at teaching people, especially the current generation, the value of freedom using the Martial Law years as backdrop.   Volunteer organization Rock Ed Philippines, the National Youth Commission, and the Commission on Human Rights collaborated to create the clips in time for the 40th anniversary of Martial Law on Friday. Freedom   During Friday's broadcast of GMA News TV’s “News To Go,” Rock Ed founder Gang Badoy and NYC Commissioner Gio Tingson showed the video for the first time and explained their intentions behind the project.   “I think 'yung point ng one minuter na ito is to say na may mga kalayaan tayo ngayon na nae-enjoy na dati wala,” Badoy said.   Badoy explained the reason for using the animation medium to get the message across. “Isang reason kung bakit animation is because 'yung flexibility noong medium. ‘Di mo kailangan magpa-reenact, hindi mo kailangan magka-bias on the artista.”   She added the subject matter—freedom—should only be the focus of the video.   Badoy said the videos were their way to let the young generation see the effects of Martial Law. “Instead of i-mana lang natin ang stories ng iba, mas okay yata kung mag-focus tayo sa aral noong panahon na iyon dahil bahagi talaga siya ng kasaysayan natin,” she said.   Badoy said the Martial Law animations were also their way of showing gratitude to those who sacrificed their freedom and lives in the fight for the kind of freedom Filipinos enjoy today. Gratitude   “Gratitude din, kasi maraming desaparecidos, maraming na-torture, maraming namatay. Fact iyon and documented. So parang kailangan may gratitude tayo for those who fell para tayo’y may layang mag-gather, magsalita, mag-express, magtanong,” she said.   “Instead of siguro hatred for the characters who were involved at that time, I think gusto ko mag-focus yung this generation—who never experienced [Martial Law]—on the lessons na makukuha natin,” Badoy also said.   Speaking for the youth of today who were not yet born during the Martial Law era, Tingson said what is important is to know what the period means for the people then, and what lessons can be learned from their experiences.   “Bahagi [ang Martial Law] ng kasaysayan natin, dapat mapunta ito sa education aspect iyong nangyari noong Martial Law,” Tingson said.   “And this is one way of really celebrating, understanding what happened: the struggles of our parents, of our titos, our titas, the people that are older to us. At intindihin at gawing bahagi ito ng democratic society that we have,” he added.   Badoy said the clip shown on “News To Go” was the first in a series of animated videos. She said new videos— on Martial Law as well as in freedom—will be uploaded every other week until December 10.   All animations were drawn by Filipino artist Arnold Arre. 
 
The video can be seen at rockedphilippines.org— KBK, GMA News
 
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