At the annual conference of the American Studies Association of the Philippines last Saturday, I started off with a borrowed idea (from Henry Jenkins of the Center for Future Civic Media, whom I read about through Ethan Zuckerman’s indispensable blog). I started with a question: What does democracy look like? And then offered the following photograph, by the celebrated Romy Gacad of AFP, as an answer.
I explained why, in the following terms:
“This Agence France Presse photograph was taken on August 12, 2006, when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo paid a quick visit to Legazpi City to survey preparations at a danger zone under the shadow of a restless Mayon. The next day, I wrote in my Newsstand blog:
This photo, taken yesterday by the peerless Romy Gacad of AFP in the vicinity of Mayon volcano, spoke to me on so many levels I knew I just had to use it … The composition is so exact it seems almost posed, until you consider the subjects involved: President Arroyo, of course, under the umbrella, facing (or receiving tribute from) Albay Gov. Gonzalez, Reps. Salceda and Lagman, and volcanology institute chief Solidum. (Note the triangle that the officials form.) Other photos, taken by Gacad and by other photographers too, remind us that this particular tableau was very much a product of the moment; in fact, most of the pictures taken at this volcano-gazing event yesterday show either the President by herself or in a huddle with officials. But the veteran lensman saw something different, perhaps a shift in movement, perhaps a blurring and then a coming-into-focus of color. Was it perhaps the presidential umbrella that drew his attention?
“In the 15 months since I wrote that, I have become more and more convinced that this candid portrait of the hierarchy of political power, caught on the wing, tells us something true about democracy, Philippine-style.
“But if this is democracy, where are the demos? Three possibilities. The people are implied; the leaders from the executive and the legislative branches are discussing their fate. The people have been warned off; note the sign that can be glimpsed in the space between the President and her umbrella-toting guard. If we fill in the blanks, we can read: Warning Don’t Go Beyond The Line. Not least, the people (and the press) are outside the frame, watching the scene.
“You may have other images in mind that illustrate democracy, Philippine-style. Any of the iconic photographs from the four heady days of Edsa Uno, for instance, would be similarly evocative. Familiar images of Philippine elections—yellow ballot box, blue-stained index fingers, seminarians in white—remain resonant. A photograph taken by Inquirer photographer Rem Zamora during special elections last May casts the eternal triangle of ballot box, armed guard, and election volunteer in a new light, literally through a different grid.
“But back to Bicol. I hope you will agree with me when I say that the Gacad photo does two things wonderfully well: It captures the elite nature of our representative democracy today, and at the very same time it recalls the datu-and-tribute origins of our history.”
The rest of my remarks can be found here, in Newsstand. But I would be interested to find out: For you, what does democracy look like? If you can’t post a photo, maybe you can post a link!
November 22nd, 2007 at 5:10 am
MC_90
Salina,
If you think theres no such thing as democracy in the Philippines..then you dont know anything about democracy at all…. Try WIKIPEDIA…its a good resource for things we dont know.
One thing abut democracy…it provides a leeway to all our politicians to rob the people…and let them suffer…AND STILL BE VOTED FOR BY SAME PEOPLE THAT THEY ROBBED!!!!!!!
Another thing about democracy….THE CONVICTS CAN STILL BE A HERO…A CRIMINAL CAN STILL BE A SENATOR…A DRUGLORD CAN BE A CONGRESSMAN…
AND WHO VOTED FOR THESE FREAKS?????
THE FILIPINO PEOPLE…and that my friend is because we have the right to choose…
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HE, HE, HE,….You forgot to mention the biggest FREAKS! GLORIA ARROYO, ET. AL. TSUP! (*.*) Wag kang pikon. I’m just telling it like it is….Salina
November 22nd, 2007 at 5:02 am
ruth ann
democracy is when we have this blog, and can freely exchange views and opinions w/o fear….
democracy is when we have a free-wheeling media….
when we have a senate and house of representatives who can subpoena anyone lest you be cited for contempt
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Yes, Its true! that there is a senate who can supoena anybody. But the bugos President of cebu won’t let them attend the senate hearing because they’re guilty of a crime. If they don’t have anything to hide why stop them to attend the hearing. Sabihim mo they’re all guilty of plunder.
November 22nd, 2007 at 4:57 am
ruth ann
democracy is when we have this blog, and can freely exchange views and opinions w/o fear….
democracy is when we have a free-wheeling media….
when we have a senate and house of representatives who can subpoena anyone lest you be cited for contempt.
when we have elections, and the masa elects people like erap, jinggoy, loi, lito lapid, jamby, et.al.
democracy is not doing us good. i think a system like that of singapore, a police state will work for us. easier to instill discipline bec. punishment is very harsh.
look at our asian neighbors, china, hk, singapore, vietnam….their system is not patterned after the western democracy..but they have developed economies.
lee kuan yew said once it is our kind of democracy w/c makes our country poor.
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I pity you! Just because the filipino people are free to elect their choice for President,…..That’s don’t mean the Philippines is a democracy country. It is true that the filipino people can still have choice whoever they want to vote, But for what I can see the evil society’s well not let the President of their choice to set in Malacanyang Palace. And its been proven already when the poor people voted Erap for President in the Philippines as soon as he win the elite didn’t waste anytime to kick him out in the office because they don’t like him. They were saying that Erap, Is a womanizer, Gambler, drunker, And a college drop out. And so the elite’s succeeded on installing Gloria Arroyo, Into her stolen power because they were saying that she can run the country better because she had a doctorate degree in economic. HA, HA, HA…..She turn out to be the biggest LEMON. Salina
November 22nd, 2007 at 2:07 am
Democracy is: The freedom to do everything bad or evil. Most of the time, “evil”
It materialized :
- when millions of people can stage bloodless people-power to depose a corrupt president only to replace him with a more corrupt president.
- when “the law” is violated by the “law enforcers” themselves
- when evil and caloused gov’t officials robbed public funds and still get away unpunished.
- When people like GMA, Erap, FG, Bolante, Abalos and people like them got $$$millions kickbacks from anoumalous deal got exposed and still claimed innoncence.
- when our justice system fell in the hands of another evil man in his “second childhood” state of insanity.
- when poor people pay more taxes and gov’t officials pockets them.
- when rich becomes richer, and poor takes their own lives because of poverty.
- when congressmen, mayors and governors can sold their honor and dignity for a “bag of cash-gifts”
And when church leaders treated it with “words of dismay”, when people look at it as just a “normal way of filipino life”.. that my friend is “Democracy”
November 21st, 2007 at 3:25 pm
If on the other hand tribute was indeed the subject being talked about and given in the picture, I beg to disagree with John about this. In the old days, tributes were indeed given by the subjects to the ruler, mostly in kinds due to the scarcity of money then, examples; chickens, fruits, animals, etc. In our present kind of democracy, the subjects are invited to the palace of the ruler, and the ruler’s minions distribute tributes to the subjects in the form of glossy, glossy paper bags, a stark contrast to what were being done during the old days. As to the picture here, if John is correct in implying that indeed tribute was being given, I would suppose it was not the subjects giving the tribute but the ruler, that being the norm in our present kind of democracy. And the kind of tribute being given are not the usual kinds of fruits or chickens but only pork, yum yum and beefy pork. And that’s because the economy is doing very well.