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The Philippines has Maletsky Mart to help propagate the Chavacano Language.
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==Thespians in Tawi-Tawi== | |||
*Source: http://www.tawitawi.net/thespians-in-tawi-tawi/ | |||
*Tuesday, May 8, 2012 | |||
:by tawitawi.net | |||
ACCLAIMED actor Bembol Roco and the great Nora Aunor just got back from a tedious but totally reinvigorating work assignment in the far-flung province of Tawi-Tawi in Mindanao. The multiawarded actors immersed themselves for more than two weeks with the locals of the towns of Bongao and Sitangkai, where most of the scenes of the latest Brillante Mendoza film Thy Womb were shot. | |||
We met up with both Roco and Aunor in Cebu, the final leg of their nonstop shoot for this much talked-about movie, where both recounted their unforgettable experiences in Tawi Tawi. | |||
“Breathtaking” was how Roco described the Tawi-Tawi that he saw and experienced. “You feel like you are in a totally different world and a different time frame. The water is always clear and the marine life does not only sustain the day-to-day existence of the people but it also makes you realize that God is so generous with His many natural gifts to us.” | |||
Roco added that although life there may appear difficult because much is stripped to the essentials, it’s the simplicity that will capture the heart of a visitor like him. “Imagine taking a pump boat to the islands for countless hours, just gazing at the vastness of the ocean and the sky. Imagine living in stilt houses with no real toilets. Imagine being with people who, despite their seeming poverty, can flash a smile like they are the happiest creatures on earth. That was the Tawi-Tawi that has pierced my heart.” | |||
For her part, Aunor, unquestionably the country’s One and Only Superstar, she admitted that she shed all inhibitions and doubt, plunging into her character right away the moment she stepped on the island. | |||
“Isa akong midwife dito na nagbabangka at dumadayo sa iba’t ibang lugar para magpaanak pero hindi ako mabiyayaan ng sarili kong anak [I play a midwife who travels from one place to another to deliver babies, but I can’t have my own child],” she volunteered. “Pagdating na pagdating namin ni Kuya Bembs [her nickname for Roco], na-in love agad kami sa lugar at sa mga tao. Mababait ang mga kababayan natin sa Tawi-Tawi. Simple lang sila pero masaya, kahit mahirap ang buhay. Ibang-iba sa inire-report ng media na magulo at delikado doon. Peaceful sila at masisipag [The moment Bembol and I arrived, we immediately fell in love with the place and its people. The people of Tawi-Tawi are nice. They are simple and happy even if life seems difficult. It’s totally different from what the media sometimes report. They are peace-loving and industrious people],” she stressed. | |||
She added, “S’yempre may mga security na naka-assign sa amin, hindi dahil sa delikado ang lugar kundi para maging smooth ang shooting namin doon. Pero wala kaming naging problema. Nag-cooperate lahat kaya naging maayos at masaya lahat. [We were provided with security not because it was a dangerous place but because we wanted the shoot to be smooth. Everyone was cooperative.]” | |||
Aunor shared that she had to learn to weave the native banig and constantly practice paddling a banca. “Gusto kasi ni direk Brillante na makatotohanan lahat kaya kelangan akong maging gamay sa mga gawain nila doon. Tingnan mo nga at sunog na sunog ako dahil namamangka ako kahit matirik ang araw. [Our director wants everything to be realistic so I had to do what they do there. Look at me, my skin is so sun-burnt because I had to paddle a banca even when the sun was scorching hot].” | |||
Brillante Mendoza, who holds the distinction of being the only Filipino to have won a Cannes International Film Festival best director plum, only has good words for his two main actors. | |||
“Nora and Bembol are who they are because they are both true artists. You see, I do not allow my actors to have scripts on the set. They know and understand their respective roles after every briefing and take everything to heart. They are thespians and I am so blessed having both of them in this film. They certainly make my work easier and more fulfilling,” Mendoza enthused. | |||
Altruistic to the core, Mendoza and his team headed by production head Larry Castillo and cinematographer Odyssey Flores flew to Tawi-Tawi hoping for the best and he told us that his team got more than what they expected. “The weather was perfect, the people were very cooperative, the local government of Tawi-Tawi was all out in its support to our vision for the project. The shoot went very, very well and I am simply grateful.” | |||
Now that the principal photography of the film is finished, Mendoza and his team will start the difficult phase of post-production with big smiles on their faces, knowing that this film will bring them far and do the country proud in the coming months. | |||
Meanwhile, Nora Aunor and Bembol Roco will pursue their other acting assignments but this experience in Tawi-Tawi will surely remain in their hearts for a very long time. | |||
==Scuba diving training enhances MSU-Tawi-Tawi students’ skills== | ==Scuba diving training enhances MSU-Tawi-Tawi students’ skills== | ||
*Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=424242 | *Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=424242 | ||
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MABESSA President Yunadzmal Ong, moreover, expressed his gratitude to the TDC President and MSU Chancellor for making the scuba training possible that helps in their quest for scientific exploration of the seas and the oceans of Tawi-Tawi. | MABESSA President Yunadzmal Ong, moreover, expressed his gratitude to the TDC President and MSU Chancellor for making the scuba training possible that helps in their quest for scientific exploration of the seas and the oceans of Tawi-Tawi. | ||
==Introducing Tawi-Tawi, Sulu folk to healthcare== | ==Introducing Tawi-Tawi, Sulu folk to healthcare== |