LEAN the MUSICAL

The UP Repertory Company presents

LEAN: Based on Lean the Musical by Gary Granada

"Huwag ninyong hayaan ang inyong pag-aaral ay maging sagabal sa inyong edukasyon." In between the harsh dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos and the triumph of the People Power Revolution, there stood an iconic student activist named Leandro Alejandro. His life of activism takes centerstage in Gary Granada's LEAN THE MUSICAL (1997), beginning with his experiences as a student in UP Diliman and ending with his untimely death at age 27.  Fighting for national democracy in the university and in the nation, Lean would prove his importance in history with his works as an activist, a politician, a friend, a husband, a son and a father. His life has defined an era of student activism and his work still inspires the youth today.

Directed by UP Rep alumna Kathryn Manga and featuring new musical arrangement by Karl Ramirez, LEAN features powerful catchy songs that breathe new life to the many different characters and personas of the 1980s. Through song and dance, the musical not only tells the story of the influential student activist but also creatively re-imagines the loud cries of the masses and the lives of our so-called “iskolar ng bayan” during this era.

As part of its 41^st anniversary celebration, The UP Repertory Company proudly presents LEAN, a musical that will surely get your toes tapping with an endless surge of LSS-worthy tunes and creative dances of joy and sorrow while provoking thoughts on our current society, leaving an important question to the audience – kung hindi ngayon, kailan pa?

LEAN runs on September 9, 14, 16, 21 (3pm and 7pm) and September 13 and 20 (7pm only) at the Dalisay Aldaba Recital Hall, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City.

Tickets: Php 250.00.

Online Reservation: http://bit.ly/ReserveLEANTickets

Contact Jenica: +63 916 321 0485

ABOUT THE UP REPERTORY COMPANY: The University of the Philippines Repertory Company (UP REP) is a non-stock, non-profit student theater organization that has delivered performances to a variety of audience, in and outside of the University. The company aims to enlighten its audience on different social issues and to bring Philippine Theater closer to the masses. The organization is nearing its 41st anniversary.

My Article Got Published at Youngblood

My article has just been published at YOUNGBLOOD, of Philippine Daily Inquirer, February 7, 2013. Page A13. Here is the link  http://opinion.inquirer.net/46373/mentally-disabled-but-not-crazy

—- Initially I don’t want to spread the word, I might be misinterpreted as mayabang but I opted to share nonetheless since I am a mental heath advocate and I want to help protect the legal rights of mentally disabled Filipinos.

Please share if you must. Thank you. Naomi.

Whether or not I get published

Whether or not I get published

A professor stumbled upon my Legal Research Paper on Scribd (which link I posted in facebook). He asked me if I wanted to write a short essay about the PWD rights, that might get published in the Inquirer.

I gladly accepted the offer ofcourse! And to be endorsed by a professor-columnist would, I think, make more chances of getting published.

I wrote then an article for one whole night until 6am in the morning. I had my adrenaline rush!
I wrote an article entitled MENTALLY DISABLED in PHILIPPINE SETTING: A CALL FOR EQUAL PROTECTION.

According to my professor the title was heavy so I changed the title.  Thereafter I sent a second email correcting a typo on the first sentence. After sending my 2nd email, I talked to my professor and he said it was for Youngblood!

Youngblood?!? I made a mistake. The article I wrote was a commentary. More of a news and informative article and I DID NOT USE THE PRONOUN “I” which most youngblood contributors regular do - so there wasn’t any personal touch.:(((

I thought it was for a commentary since this professor has a column for the inquirer and his former students and fellow teachers who make articles which he endorses are all not for Youngblood but commentaries.

So this morning, I edited it for the third time and sent my professor a text message:

Sir good morning. I have been overthinking since I sent you the last email dahil nahihiya na ako mag edit pa ulit. But I edited this morning anyway. Reason why, when I wrote it I didn’t know it was for Youngblood and I thought it was for a different section like commentary. Since Its youngblood, I edited this morning and made use of the pronoun “I”, made the text just a bit lighter and showed the reader that I was involved in the research. That way it has a more personal touch. I sent the new one this morning and I don’t know if you can still tell them to change it and consider this instead. At any case the first emails will do but I hope they will consider this. Pacencia na po sa istorbo ulit. Naomi.

I was waiting for his response but he did not reply until this afternoon via email and said:

Naomi, I already sent them the last version before this one, and promised it was already the final revision. Let’s just wait and see.

I have strongly endorsed your article for publication, but we will have to wait when it is actually published. This is not unusual. I have endorsed UP law professors in the past, and we just wait when their essays appear. I will keep you posted. 

This coming Friday, I’m leaving for a month-long fellowship in Bangkok. Let’s just keep in touch via email.

I was disappointed he wasn’t able to send my last revision but I had no choice but to tell him, “Okay Sir! No problem!”

Anyway, whether or not I get published, I am posting the 3rd and last revision I made (which wasn’t submitted to the Inquirer) for posterity:

A misunderstood disease 

Naomi Therese F. Corpuz is a Junior at U.P. College of Law. She is a mental health advocate, a blogger and chocolatier. 

“If you will not give me a valid reason why you skipped the exam, I will give you a failing grade,” said Maricar Estrella’s professor. Maricar (not her real name), a college student from one of the prestigious schools in the country, responded, “Sir, I have clinical depression and anxiety disorder. I was not able to study. I have prescriptions, medical receipts and a medical certificate to prove it.” The professor then replied, “You mean to tell me, you can skip an exam anytime you want?” With the professor’s response, it can be concluded he did not understand what depression and anxiety disorder mean. Even with pertinent documents that Maricar was willing to show to prove her mental illness, the professor brushed it aside. 

While teachers can invoke what they call “academic freedom,” that even illnesses cannot be excused – where then and how is the state policy found in our Philippine Constitution, which states, “the State shall protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them,” put into place? Didn’t Maricar’s teacher violate this state policy of our basic law which is the supreme law of the land? 

If Maricar had another type of illness other than mental illness, would she have been given consideration by her law professor? In her interview, Maricar said it was likely she would’ve been excused due to sore eyes or high fever, similar to what happened to her other schoolmates. If other illnesses are given consideration, why not a mental disablity? 

Professor Patricia Daway in the college of law tasked us to write a supervised legal research and as a mental health advocate I chose the topic on mentally disabled Filipinos. And this is what I found. The mentally disabled are misunderstood. 

Worldwide, major depression is set to become second only to cardiovascular disease as the most diagnosed condition by year 2020. A World Health Organization document on Mental Health and Development in 2010 reports that one of every four households worldwide have members with mental health problems. Dr Lourdes Ladrido-Ignacio, a noted psychiatrist, said between 17 to 20 percent of the country’s adult population have psychiatric disorders. 

Mental disability is often misunderstood since its symptoms are only felt by the sufferer. Many relate mental disablity to the “sira ulo,” and are not aware of other types of mental disorders such as clinical depression, schizophrenia and bipolar among others. Such persons are not insane per se but fall under term mental disability and are considered Persons With Disabilities (PWD) protected by the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons. While people with mental disabilities are also PWDs who must be protected by the Magna Carta they are discriminated against in various forms. 

It is also important to note that there is no single mental health legislation for those with mental disabilities. The Department of Health (DOH) does have mental health policies, while the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons (RA 9422), a Republic Act, is not specifically for mental disabilities. The Magna Carta provides special rights and privileges for the physically impaired — their mobility is enhanced through sidewalks, railings, ramps and the like; the hearing impaired are benefited with TV stations encouraged to provide a sign-language inset or subtitles and telephone companies are encouraged to install special telephone devices for them. However if we dissect the Magna Carta no specific right or privilege is given to mentally disabled persons but there is for the“mentally retarded” under the provisions in Education. Mental retardation though is not synonymous to mental disability. Mental retardation is only one of the kinds of mental disabilities. In fact there are persons with mental disabilities with superior intelligence which is the complete opposite of mentally retarded persons. 

The Magna Carta also grants PWDs at least 20% discount in all basic services, such as the purchase of medicines and payment of professional fees of dentists and doctors. It is a step in alleviating the financial burden of the disabled, but it is not without any disadvantages. To avail of the discount, a person with disability must present an identification card with the term “Person With Disability” on it. The mentally disabled who will present the I.D. may be identified as “sira ulo,” since their symptoms are not apparent. It is best to make use of other terms such as, “Persons With Special Discounts,” which will not identify the patient to be mentally disabled. 

In insurance coverage, the Philippine Health Insurance only covers acute attacks of mental illnesses, subject to confinement. Dr. Israel Francis Pargas of Philhealth whom I interviewed said, patients confined with chronic physical illnesses such as leukemia, or in need of dialysis for kidney failure, are covered by Philhealth. If chronic physical illnesses are covered, why not cover chronic mental illnesses as well? Medical research shows, early intervention and compliance to treatment for mental disorders — which can be done through the support of an insurance coverage – can result in lesser dosage of medication and length of treatment. This, in turn, will decrease the need for insurance benefits, which would be beneficial to PhilHealth. 

It is unfortunate that Filipino psychiatrists are found to have a passive role in mental health legislation. In a survey-questionnaire I distributed during a conference of psychiatrists in Dusit Hotel in 2011, 90 out of 95 doctors surveyed were not familiar with the contents of the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons. This means that they are also unaware of the 20% discount they must provide to their patients as PWDs under the Act. Out of the 95 respondent-psychiatrists, 51 out of the 95 did not know that Philhealth insurance for their patients exists. 90 out of 93 respondents also did not know about the contents of the pending House Bill 6679, which pushes for the establishment of a “Philippine Council for Mental Health”. Filipino psychiatrists, as primary mental health providers, need to be more involved in the crafting of health laws affecting their patients, as they are supposed to be the prime movers of their patients’ rights. 

The equal protection clause enshrined in our Philippine Constitution mandates that our laws must be applied equally to all. If special considerations are given to persons with high fever or sore eyes in school, why not a student suffering from a mental disorder? If people with physical impairment and hearing impairment are given specific rights and privileges, why not also the mentally disabled? 

Any act that favors only a few is discriminatory and unjust not only to Maricar Estrella, but all mentally disabled Filipinos who all cry for equal protection.

— Still hoping to get my 2nd revision published though I like the one above (my third revision) better (fingers crossed).

The Mentally Disabled in Philippine Setting - A Legal Research

 As a mental health advocate, I made a legal research paper entitled,

THE MENTALLY DISABLED in PHILIPPINE Setting:

A Call for Equal Protection.

A Critique on the Rights and Privileges Of  Mentally Disabled Filipinos

And Their Place in Philippine Health Laws 

 

The term mentally disabilty does not only refer to the "sirang-ulo" or insane.  It covers all types of mental disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar, major depression, anxiety disorders and addiction among others.  If you are a mental health advocate, you may download this legal research paper for your own perusal (Click Hyperlink below).  Rweet, Share by clicking the hyperlink below and Advance the rights of mentally disabled Filipinos

CHECK THE RESEARCH PAPER UPLOADED IN MY SCRIBD ACCOUNT WITH HYPERLINK BELOW:

The MENTALLY DISABLED in Philippine Setting: A Call for Equal Protection. A Critique on the Rights and Pri... by Naomi Corpuz

This paper is a critique on the rights and privileges of mentally disabled Filipinos and their place in Philippine Health Laws.  The aim of this paper is to provide suggestions and recommendations and make known to all and sundry that persons with mental disabilities, have become highly prevalent and that they are real.  Considering the disease’s debilitating effects viz-a-vis other forms of illnesses, it must be given at least the same or even more, in terms of economic and insurance benefits under our health laws and aspects of education and labor. This research is also in consonance with the mission of the Philippine Psychiatric Association (PPA), among others, “to be committed to the welfare of its members and to the advancement of mental health care, education, advocacy and research in the Philippines and the global community.”

Collection, closes Dulaang UP’S 37th Season

Director and Choreographer: Dexter M. Santos

Playwright: Floy Quintos

Set design: Ohm David

Lighting design: John Batalla

Costume design: Raven Ong

Video design: Winter David

Photography: Jojit Lorenzo/Dino Dimar

Poster design: Pow Santillan

Layout and Graphic design: Aaron Misayah

Playdates: First Week February 13, 2012 (Wednesday) February 14, 2012 (Thursday) February 15, 2012 (Friday) February 16, 2012 (Saturday) February 17, 2012 (Sunday) Second Week February 20, 2012 (Wednesday) February 21, 2012 (Thursday) February 22, 2012 (Friday) February 23, 2012 (Saturday) February 24, 2012 (Sunday) Third Week February 27, 2012 (Wednesday) February 28, 2012 (Thursday) March 1, 2012 (Friday) March 2, 2012 (Saturday) March 3, 2012 (Sunday)

7:00 PM 7:00 PM 7:00 PM 10:00 AM & 3:00 PM 10:00 AM & 3:00 PM 7:00 PM 7:00 PM 7:00 PM 10:00 AM & 3:00 PM 10:00 AM & 3:00 PM 7:00 PM 7:00 PM 7:00 PM 10:00 AM & 3:00 PM 10:00 AM & 3:00 PM

Venue: Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero Theater, Palma Hall, UP Diliman

Venue Capacity: 290

Regular Ticket Price: Php 350.00

For inquiries about special booking (i.e. show buying, block buying, discounts), sponsorship and ticket reservations, please contact:

SAMANTA CLARIN / CAMILLE GUEVARA

Marketing Managers
0927-740-6124/0917-903-0727

dulaangupmarketing@gmail.com

Dulaang UP Office: 926 – 13 – 49

Synopsis:

What happens to a society that is overrun by greed and materialism? By shifting moral values and by acquisitive desires? Floy Quintos' new dark comedy, Collection, paints a disturbing picture of a society obsessed with conspicuous consumption, surface glamour and the endless, unquenchable pursuit of the next big thing.

In this artistic vision of a materialist hell, a fictional government agency, the National Commission on the Disposal of Philippine Patrimony, has sanctioned the sale of historical and national treasures. The proceeds of which go to a national lottery designed to alleviate poverty through dole outs. The auctioneer, the dashing and handsome Carlo Vibal, has successfully auctioned off many of these treasures.

At the controversial but wildly successful sale of the Banaue Rice Terraces, the other characters of the play are introduced. Helena, the government official who believes in giving dole outs to alleviate poverty; Tatiana, an international jeweler who sees her acquisitiveness as a way of giving back to society; Alphonse, a creative guru who sees history as nothing more than a reference for fashion and movies; Manolo, a business magnate wanting to build a systematic and effective society; Dr. Stephen Yan, a health and beauty magnate searching for scientific evidence of the soul's existence; Last of all, there is Gus, a young man who questions their motives and the legitimacy of their goals and desires.

The discovery of a 16th century ivory image of the Virgin of the Lost Souls stirs the acquisitive desires of the collectors. Each of them wants the Virgin for his own, each of them have their justifications for wanting it, all of them are willing to bid excessively to possess it. But the image is connected to the story of a mystic, La Hermana Augusta Beata. The Hermana's own story juxtaposes her faith and simplicity, against the excessive desires of the contemporary characters.

In the end, the auction pits not only the wealthy bidders against each other, but against the mass of Filipinos all wanting their share in the sale. But will it push through? Will one buyer own the image? Or will the sands of shifting morality cause the ground on which this fragmented society stands to crumble?

Directed with an imaginative and imagistic flair by Dexter Santos, whose staging of Orosman at Zafira has been hailed as groundbreaking, Collection promises to be both a visual feast as well as pointed social commentary. The powerhouse cast is composed of Alya Honasan, Adele Victorino, Alexander Cortez, Leo Rialp, Jeremy Domingo, Roeder Camanag, Jean Judith Javier, Red Concepcion, Via Antonio and the Dulaang UP ensemble.