A Glimpse Inside Malacañang (2012)

 

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"Malacañang is the Palace of the People"

The "Inside Malacañang" documentary gave various insights and realization to its viewers by showing "behind-the-scenes" happenings both on the inside and outside of the Malacañang palace. It also depicts the line that "all that glitters is not gold" due to the heavy depiction and undertones behind the famous palace that not everyone knows about.

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    After watching the documentary by National Geographic, learnings and realizations were drawn and some of these are: 

(1) Symbol of a Country

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    The Malacañang is not only the home of the most politically powerful man in the country for decades, but it is also a "symbol" of a country” that is continuously developing, as per the words of former President Benigno Aquino III. From its history of being a Spanish empire palace, General Arthur MacArthur's military camp during the American occupation, and the Japanese's showcase for occupation by making it a gilded prison for their occupation government, now, it has become the Filipino people's "symbol of freedom". These facts made us realize that as the development of our country progresses, so does the meaning and purpose of Malacañang.

(2) Made up of Different Halls that have Respective Purposes

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    Malacañang is made up of different halls that have different and respective purposes. These are the "Main Palace" which serves as the living quarters of the president and the first family; "Bonifacio Hall" which is the former office of former President Corazon Aquino and residence of former President Joseph Estrada; "Kalayaan Hall" which is considered to be the oldest part of the palace; and the "Mabini Hall", which now serves as the administrative building.

(3) Four people are chosen to accompany the President at all times

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    To protect the president from threats within and outside of the Malacañang, four (4) people are chosen and given the honorable and unique task of accompanying the president wherever he/she goes. These are the "Presidential Food Tester" (in charge of testing the food before serving it to the president); "President's Personal Bodyguard" (in charge of protecting the president's safety from any danger); the "President's Photographer" (in charge of taking the president's official photographs); and lastly, the "Commander of the Presidential Security Group” or also known as PSG (is tasked to protect the president, especially during big events). 

(4) Serves Three Functions

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    The Malacañang has been described as serving “three (3) functions” according to former undersecretary Manuel L. Quezon III. The first one is "Price" which is also called a “physical symbol of the presidency” of power and of ruling the country; Next is "Pulpit" wherein it symbolizes how the public look towards Malacañang for leadership and direction in times of crisis or adversity; And lastly, "Stage" because it is in Malacañang where the significant events of State, State visits, funerals, weddings, and conferences take place. 

    To summarize, the documentary made me realize that both the President and the Malacañang are powerful figures in our country that has symbolic meanings and purposes. Additionally, the Malacañang is just as important as the President as it represents the hopes and dreams of the Filipino people.

Reference Used:

National Geographic Channel. (2012). Inside Malacañang. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2iMXCD7zzE

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Madness Behind The Beauty: Deep In Paradise of Mulanay (1996)

 

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"Progress can only be brought in a country when the whole country is united"

In 1996, a film was created in hopes of shedding light on the poor condition and unhealthiness of a small village called "Mulanay".  Poverty in the Philippines has existed for so many decades, and the extreme conditions that many of the countrymen are experiencing are barely portrayed in the movie. Nevertheless, its primary goal is not to perfectly portray and encapsulate the situation of the people during this time, but rather to be a voice for the voiceless and fight for their right to a clean and safe environment. 

Image by: ABS-CBN News

    The movie is about how Ria Espinosa, a fresh graduate and newly registered doctor of medicine, aimed to bring change and development in a small rural area where she was assigned to — which was called “Mulanay”. Mulanay is a town in Quezon Province that remains underdeveloped and poor, which is why it was one of the places where the “Doctors to the Barrios”  were assigned and mandated to designate a "volunteered" doctor to give medical assistance and aid to the townsfolk who lives there. However, despite the presence of Doctor Ria, Mulanay fails to achieve development within the community since the place is rigged with many problems such as a lack of clean water sources, lack of proper sanitation, and a polluted environment which all contributed to Mulanay failing to become a developed community. It can be seen that Doctor Ria pushed the boundaries of her profession by asking for sponsors and making fundraisers in order to help the people of Mulanay. Though she never acquired the amount of money she needed to build a deep well, she was still able to build a pharmacy in the town and encouraged the people to clean their own households and build cages for those who own pigs.

    What's truly amazing and an eye-opener about this film is its ability to make one realize that if we truly want change, then we should work hard for it. There would really come a time wherein change is needed for a place to develop its full potential, but it wouldn't be possible if only a few of its citizens are working hard to attain change. Everyone must do something in order for change to really happen. In the case of Doctor Ria, even though she knew that what she was doing was beyond what her profession was requiring her to do, she still pushed through and continued trying to help the people of Mulanay by proposing plans and talking to the mayor on their behalf; it was mainly because she knew that her help would be of no use if the root of the problem remains unsolved. The same applies in real life because help does not come from a specific profession but can be done by anyone. The people in power such as the Mayor or Governor may not always help us, but what’s important is for the citizens to be determined in wanting to help themselves because if they give up on themselves, then truly, hope is lost.

Reference Used:

Bautista, J. (2018). Deep in Paradise. Retrieved from https://www.manilatimes.net/2018/01/08/weekly/fast-times/deep-in-paradise/372996

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