Apolinario Mabini was appointed as Chief Adviser of the First President of the Philippine Republic, Emilio Aguinaldo in 1898. He also became the First Secretary of Foreign Affairs [1899], and could have been the First Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines were not for the law at the turn of the century which stated that physically disabled persons could not be elected to the post. Despite that, he earned the monikers “Brains of the Revolution / Utak ng Rebolusyon” and “The Sublime Paralytic / Dakilang Lumpo.” He was most adamant against American sovereignty over the Philippines leading to his exile to Guam in 1901. My documentary PULE tells who he was, and what he actually did for the country. The film, intended for both hearing and Deaf hopes to inspire the audience by sparking patriotism in their hearts, and love of country above Self as exemplified by Mabini.
Gawad Metronian Educational Foundation, Inc. [GMEFI] is sponsoring its showing at the UP Film Center in UP Diliman on August 25, 2017 to help raise funds for the Scholarship Programs of GMEFI. It features the SILENT STEPS, DLS-CSB SDEAS’ All Deaf Performing Group and the first film scoring work of THRISTAN MENDOZA, a Person with Autism. The film is trilingual — narrated in Filipino, subtitled in English and interpreted in Filipino Sign Language.
My educational documentary on the Life of Apolinario Mabini [1864-1903], one of our great heroes is scheduled to be shown tomorrow afternoon, July 22 in time for the Launching of the 29th Apolinario Mabini Awards. Mabini was the first Prime Minister of President Emilio Aguinaldo and the First Secretary of Foreign Affairs [1899]. An inspiration and Icon of Persons with Disability, himself paralyzed at the peak of his career, the celebration of his 152nd Birth Anniversary will be on July 23. The film was first publicly shown in time for the end of his Sesquicentennial Birth Anniversary in July 2015. It was held at the Mabini Shrine in Tanauan, Batangas – Mabini’s birthplace.
What makes the film significant is the involvement of more PWDs than non-PWDs in the making of the film. Mabini’s El Verdadero Decalogo / The True Dialogue written in 1898 was interpreted in Filipino Sign Language for the first time. A twice exceptional person with autism, Thristan Mendoza scored the film music — his first!!!
The event coincides with the celebration of the 2016 National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week [July 17-23].
The Philippine Foundation for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled [PFRD] in coordination with Quezon City Persons with Disabilities Office Affairs [PDAO] is launching the 29th Apolinario Mabini Awards on July 22, 2016, Friday at 1 p.m. It will be held at Bulwagan Amoranto, Quezon City Hall.
The Apolinario Mabini Awards seek to recognize disabled individuals who have made significant contributions in their particular specialization. It honors groups, professionals and organizations that have distinguished themselves in their chosen fields of endeavour and have rendered outstanding services to the disabled sector.
Conducted yearly until 1974 since its inception, a decision was later made to hold the search as a biennial activity in order to provide more time for submission of nominations, as well as better, more in-depth evaluation of the nominee’s qualifications and achievements.
Last year, I was lucky to have been chosen as 2015 Media Advocate of the Year in recognition of my two advocacy film documentaries that tell of the plight of Deaf people, the discrimination they experience, including their fight for their linguistic human rights. In fact, all the works that I do, not only for them but for the PWD sector in general are all meant to empower them by showing their capacities and talents, and by letting our citizens know their condition or what ails them so that understanding and welcoming them would follow. I believe in the power of the visual medium. And strongly believing in an inclusive society, one of my two last works, which incidentally center on Apolinario Mabini himself, include members of SDEAS Deaf playgroup [Silent Steps], a Blind person [Arch. Jaime Silva, director of the 29th A. Mabini Awards], a physically disabled man [PWD leader Abner Manlapaz] whose disability turned out to be same as Mabini’s based on the latest research medical findings, and a twice-exceptional Person with Autism, [Thristan Mendoza], who scored a film for the first time in his life. He graduated from the U.P. College of Music.
Oh well! After uploading my rough cut, “IndepenDeaf” to DDW and PFD, I checked the website of the 6th Hong Kong International Deaf Film Festival to see the status of the festival. I have not received any official notification from the group whether the docu I made with DLS-CSB School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies is in or not. So, I was surprised to see IN the HKIDFF trailer a clip from our film with Bayani Generoso, one of the film’s interpreter. Ours is the first among those featured in the trailer below, and must be the only one dealing with a historical subject. The film is a bio-pic about Apolinario Mabini, first prime minister and first Secretary of Foreign Affairs. It was made to showcase the talents of Deaf Filipino performers, the Silent Steps by interpreting for the first time in FSL Apolinario Mabini’s “El Verdadero Decalogo” [1898]. It also features the first film score of a music genius with Autism, Thristan Mendoza. Finally, it is meant to promote the use and recognition of Filipino Sign Language [FSL] in the Philippines. Whether it is in or out is a hanging question. There has to be an official notification; just an assumption could be wrong.
“PULE: Utak ng Rebolusyon / Brains of the Revolution”, the Filipino-narrated version of The Sublime Paralytic which focuses on Mabini’s Role in the Revolution, and his fight against American sovereignty is slated to be shown next month.
The inspiring story of Apolinario Mabini is music scored by one of the Famous Persons With or Had Autism. [Click to read the original article or see the screenshot below]. Listed with Albert Einstein and Amadeus Mozart, Thristan Mendoza, a Filipino Twice Exceptional Person with Autism is described as a “Filipino marimba prodigy.” He was an international music concert artist at age 12. “The Sublime Paralytic” is his first music scoring work. No marimba instrument was used in scoring the film however.
The film was made primarily to give Deaf access to information on Mabini, show the talents and capabilities of Persons with Disability, and promote the use and recognition of Filipino Sign Language as the national sign language of Deaf Filipinos.
The film was produced by Miryad Visyon in collaboration with DLS-CSB Sch. of Deaf Education and Applied Studies and the NCCA.
“Unique in itself, using and recognizing the natural sign language of Deaf Filipinos help in raising their morale and esteem because recognizing Filipino Sign Language is recognizing their identity as Deaf Filipinos.” This was posted four years ago in 2011 by Rizal descendant, Ms. Lisa Bayot. She was referring to the FSL version of ULTIMO ADIOS by Aldrin Gabriel that I produced in time for the Sesquicentennial Birth Anniversary of her lolo, Dr. Jose Rizal. She earlier said: “Since our agency highlights the lives of our heroes, most especially Dr. Jose Rizal, it is quite notable that Filipinos like Miss Mirana Medina, an independent advocacy filmmaker produced the FSL version of Ultimo Adios 115 years after Rizal wrote it. For until now, nobody has given serious attention to FSL. No one saw that using the language of the Deaf to present Dr. Jose Rizal’s literary work could even be more touching than hearing the poem recited in the most passionate way.” http://myrizal150.com/2011/12/mi-ultimo-adios/
Presenting the SILENT STEPS!!! In the First-Ever Interpretation of Apolinario Mabini’s El Verdadero Decalogo / Ang Tunay na 10 Utos [1898]’; Choreography by Myra Medrana [Deaf]; Music by Thristan “Tumtum” Mendoza [Person with Autism]
In like manner and with the same purpose, but this time, in celebration of the Sesquicentennial Year of Apolinario Mabini, I envisioned to have in my docu, the FSL version of El VERDADERO DECALOGO. It is not a poem though. According to writer-historian, Dr. Paul Dumol, it is similar to Emilio Jacinto’s “Kartilya ng Katipunan.” But like Ultimo Adios in FSL, it already did touch some people because of its form. [Read DFA Director’s Reaction to El Verdadero]. Visual and gestural, the Silent Steps’ FSL interpretation of the Decalogo along with the caption and its reading in Filipino would most likely make the hearing audience in particular understand better the messages of Mabini, as well as appreciate the beauty of FSL.
Watch the SILENT STEPS in the first-ever Filipino Sign Language interpretation of the preamble of the Programa Constitucional de la Republica Filipina, 117 years after Mabini wrote it in 1898! The DLS-CSB School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies All-Deaf Performing Group was ably choreographed by Myra Medrana [Deaf].
Hearing interpreters John Baliza, Febe Sevilla, Nati Natividad and Giselle Montero helped in the translation and interpretation process from their English and Filipino versions into Filipino Sign Language.
The SILENT STEPS was established to compete with the hearing people and to prove that DEAF CAN!
PREMIERE Showing on August 27, 2015 at DLS-CSB ARG Theater, 5th floor, 4 pm.
[The version narrated in Filipino – PULE: UTAK NG REBOLUSYON is now in post-production.]
Deaf talents highlighted in “The Sublime Paralytic.” It features the Silent Steps, the ALL-Deaf Performing Group of DLS-CSB School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies [SDEAS] with their interpretation of Mabini’s El Verdadero Decalogo / The True Decalogue / Ang Tunay na 10 Utos in Filipino Sign Language, choreographed by Myra Medrana [Deaf], music scored by Thristan Mendoza [Person with Autism]
More than 50 people made possible the documentary on Apolinario Mabini [1864-1903], the crippled Philippine statesman who defied American sovereignty over the Philippines at the turn of the century. Entitled THE SUBLIME PARALYTIC, it is our tribute to Mabini who is considered the icon of Persons with Disability [PWD] in the Philippines.
Notably, PWDs outnumbered non-PWDs in the film’s production as nearly 30 PWDs joined either as participants or members of the production crew. The featured artists largely consisted of Deaf students of SDEAS [SILENT STEPS]; one of the interviewees is Blind [Architect Jaime Silva]; the Mabini reader had Guillain-Barre Syndrome [Abner Manlapaz]; and the music scorer is a person with autism [Thristan “Tumtum” Mendoza].
If there is one thing this film wants to prove is the fact that Pwedeng-Pwede ang mga PWDs. They can do what we can do. Sabi nga ng mga Bingi, “Deaf Can!”
APOLINARIO MABINI: THE SUBLIME PARALYTIC Premieres on August 27, 2015 at DLS-CSB ARG Theater, 5th floor, 4 pm. For inquiries and ticket reservations, click: http://goo.gl/forms/SWf1Yks7tk
A Filipino Person with Autism [PWA] music scored a film. A first in Philippine film history? Thristan Mendoza, twice exceptional PWA did his first-ever music scoring on APOLINARIO MABINI: THE SUBLIME PARALYTIC, a digital documentary on the life of Mabini, the First Secretary of Foreign Affairs, and Chief Adviser of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, President of the First Philippine Republic. Despite the limitations of the music software he used, and perhaps the frustrations he might have felt when the instruments he wanted and needed were not provided by the software, Thristan, fondly called Tumtum created refreshing compositions that enhanced the mood and enlivened the historical photographs used, aided by the sound effects expertise of sound designer Bert De Santos. Tumtum graduated from the UP College of Music, major in percussion.
On the other hand, one of Mabini’s most famous writings, “El Verdadero Decalogo / The True Decalogue” [1898] was interpreted for the first time in Filipino Sign Language [FSL] by the SILENT STEPS, an All-Deaf Performing group of DLS-CSB School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies [SDEAS].
The SILENT STEPS choreographed by Myra Medrana [Deaf]
Surely, the first in Philippine language history! There are hundreds of languages and dialects in the Philippines, sadly, Filipino Sign Language [FSL], the natural and national sign language of Deaf Filipinos is still NOT officially recognized by the Philippine government.
The film is not only our vehicle to show FSL’s beauty. It will help preserve Deaf language and culture. FSL is the rightful language of Deaf Filipinos in our country. It is important to preserve it. George W. Veditz of the National Association of the Deaf in the U.S. who initiated the preservation of the American Sign Language between 1910-1920 was the one who called deaf people “People of the eye, first, last and all the time.” As early, he realized that the medium of film was the perfect vehicle for preserving sign language. With pendling legislations on the passage of FSL Bill, FSL should actively be promoted to prove that it is being used and preferred by Deaf Filipinos. Respect and its recognition by the government is a must.
Largely interpreted in FSL, APOLINARIO MABINI: THE SUBLIME PARALYTIC is narrated and captioned in English. Interviews in Filipino language are also interpreted and subtitled in English.
A special preview for DFA personnel and some PWD leaders will be held tomorrow at the Department of Foreign Affairs as part of their post-celebration of the National Disability Prevention Week.
Premiere Showing on August 27, 2015 at DLS-CSB ARG Theater, 4 pm.
For inquiries, contact: DLS-CSB School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies [SDEAS]
Email: deaf.partnerships@benilde.edu.ph / Tel: 230-5100 local 1661 / Cel: 09178698231
For ticket reservations, click: http://goo.gl/forms/SWf1Yks7tk
To have a peek at some of the scenes in the docu to see the Silent Steps and to listen to Tum’s music sample composition, watch the film excerpts below:
Gawad Metronian Educational Foundation, Inc. [GMEFI] is sponsoring its showing at the UP Film Center in UP Diliman on August 25, 2017 to help raise funds for the Scholarship Programs of GMEFI. It features the SILENT STEPS, DLS-CSB SDEAS’ All Deaf Performing Group and the first film scoring work of THRISTAN MENDOZA, a Person with Autism. The film is trilingual — narrated in Filipino, subtitled in English and interpreted in Filipino Sign Language.
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