Kidlat Tahimik’s sacrifice for education

So, Kidlat Tahimik gave up, in the middle of this week, his status as a National Artist for Film. Bravo!

No, this recent controversial act on the part of the unconventional filmmaker is not an insult to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), the two organizations that help select the winners for the National Artist Award. Malacañang, of course, has the final say.

But worry no more. As far as I know, steps have already been taken so that there won’t be a repeat of what happened in 2009. Remember the insertion of names made by the Palace? The late Carlo Caparas and a couple of other individuals were named National Artists without passing through the various stages in the selection of winners, who are carefully chosen by experts in various fields of discipline. Thankfully, after a series of protests — including those staged by former National Artists themselves — the awards given to Caparas and company were nullified. Of course, it wasn’t as easy as that. The case was even elevated to the Supreme Court.

When Kidlat received his National Artist Award for Film, there was absolutely no controversy. He truly deserved the honor for starting the independent film movement in Philippine cinema. He will forever be acknowledged as the “Father of Indie Movies.”

And, again, he has no issues with the NCCA and the CCP. In fact, according to him, he still treasures the award. He unselfishly gave that up, though, along with its benefits that include a monthly stipend, medical assistance and a burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, complete with military honors.

Giving up his National Artist Award is his way of calling public attention. Kidlat decided to forgo that enviable status to urge the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to review the treatment of Humanities and Social Sciences in the government’s Reframed General Education Curriculum that will be applied in 2028.

I am not surprised anymore by this recent action on his end. Although he is known as an artist, Kidlat was an economist first. A graduate of the University of the Philippines Diliman, he later earned a master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.

He later worked as a researcher for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in Paris. Realizing that the organization he worked for was only concerned with technological and economic advancement, he quit his job and became an artist. Surely, he did that to feed his soul, which the rest of us should also be doing, especially in this now very materialistic world.

He apparently wants something deeper in life — not only for himself, but for the rest of humanity as well. And that is such a laudable attitude.

He is not concerned with money. Maybe some may say that money doesn’t mean much to him because he has it.

Born Eric de Guia on 3 October 1942, in Baguio City, he comes from a well-off family. His father was Victor de Guia, a civil engineer. Kidlat must have inherited his artistic leanings from the side of his mother, the former Virginia Oteyza, who was once a movie actress. Virginia’s more prominent achievements, however, came from the field of politics. She was Baguio City’s first female councilor, vice mayor and mayor (appointed). It was she who brought back Burnham Park as a must-see tourist spot in the City of Pines in the 1950s. She turned Baguio into a splendid city, what with its cool climes. That was what encouraged prominent families from Manila to build vacation houses in Baguio. Even movie stars like Rogelio de la Rosa and Dolphy had homes there for unwinding.

The De Guias’ being civic-minded is truly admirable. Kidlat calling out CHED for its new policies is valid. The educational system in this country has long been deficient. Reading comprehension, for one, is a major issue among today’s students.

And now, lessons in humanities and social sciences are going to be lessened. So, screw history and values. Forget about heritage.

What CHED wants is for future students to be employed at once. That’s not a bad idea. But at what cost?

The new school curriculum to be implemented by 2028 brings us back to scenarios of backward thinking in the past — “basta matutong bumasa at sumulat (just learn how to read and write).” And be able to count, of course.

But life is not all about basic reading, writing and counting. A person’s personality is shaped through exposure to the finer things in life. This doesn’t mean cultural immersion in Paris, Barcelona and London. Reading — and relishing — a good book is one. Learning about the past through history is another.

Problems in the educational system in the Philippines are manifested on social media. Netizens quarrel with each other — no thanks to poor reading comprehension. Some netizens comment on posts made by other people without properly understanding the entire story. Harsh words are then exchanged on the internet.

I can imagine that the majority of social media users are college graduates. And yet, look at the grammar. Kris Aquino once even responded to a comment made by a basher by correcting the grammar, and that drew mixed reactions from netizens. Some social media users insisted that it is not important to have correct grammar — for as long as “we understand each other.”

But then, there are rules imposed by society. Those rules are meant to be followed — even rules on grammar. Why have rules in the first place if they are to be ignored?

Apart from reading comprehension, something ought to be done about the values of today’s youth. I sometimes make jokes about not sending kids to school anymore because, in the end, they will just do TikTok. Of course, I am just being silly when I say that. But there could be some truth to that. A lot of youngsters of this generation are after instant fame. The fastest way to be popular these days is to do a sexy dance on TikTok. Clearly, values have to be taught to these young people.

Kidlat’s protest has to be taken seriously, particularly by those involved in making policies on education. Maybe it’s already too late to correct the mistakes of the present generation. They are already set in their ways. But there’s still time to save the young people who will be running this country in the future.

What Kidlat is doing is a huge sacrifice. I know of some people who are dying to be declared National Artists. As I write this piece, Kidlat should have returned his National Artist medallion. I am not sure, though, if the NCCA and CCP will take it back.

Maybe the NCCA and CCP can keep it until the flawed academic policies of CHED have been reviewed to Tahimik’s satisfaction — and to the satisfaction of the rest of the Filipino people who care about this nation. But from what I hear, CHED is already acting on this issue after receiving several complaints from various academic institutions.

Kidlat, incidentally, was also a recipient of the Natatanging Gawad Urian of the Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino in 2008. It is the highest honor given by this local critics’ group. Although I am a member of this organization, I know that returning his Urian trophy from the Manunuri doesn’t have as much impact as returning the National Artist Award.

The list of National Artist recipients, by the way, should be out by now. It is already said to be in Malacañang. But given all the headaches President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is facing at the moment, maybe he has temporarily set that aside.

Social media users have been making speculations about the winners in the field of entertainment. Sure, there is an honoree for the Film category. But from what I know, the list doesn’t include an “artista.” Don’t expect glamour from this year’s roster of winners.