Carlos Celdran opens up about 'Damaso' protest with Mel Tiangco

Cultural activist, performance artist, and tour guide Carlos Celdran passed away on Tuesday.

Aside from his work in arts and culture, Celdran had been in headlines for his advocacy for reproductive health. In 2010, he protested at Manila Cathedral with a placard that read "Damaso," a criticism directed at officials of the Catholic Church, who was opposed to legislation that would make contraception more available to women.

In 2013, Celdran opened up about the protest in the GMA program "Power House" hosted by Mel Tiangco.

He called his “Damaso” protest a good example of using arts and culture in activism.

“I’m a tour guide, I tour everybody around Manila,” he says. “May magandang Manila Cathedral, may (magagandang) bahay, may magandang park, may magandang mall, and then ang daming street children.”

Of his protest, he said: “It has a lot more to do with human rights, and women’s rights.”

“We tried everything with the economy, constitution, liberalization of this and that, but we forgot about the empowerment of the Filipino family,” he added.

In 2013, he was found guilty of "offending religious feelings" under Article 133 of the Revised Penal Code by the Manila Metropolitan Trial Court. He was sentenced to spend between two months and one year in jail.

In 2018, the Supreme Court upheld the decision against Celdran. —JST, GMA News