Alma Quinto's report: House of Comfort in Davao

art and carry: creating portable art in the communities (workshops in Davao for the House of Comfort, August 2006)
by alma quinto


As I walked on the sidewalk together with Korean artists Soni Kum and Haji Oh on our way to the MAKALAYA (Manggagawang Kababaihang Mithiin ay Paglaya or Filipino Women Workers for Freedom) workshop in Buhangin, Davao City on August 19, 2006, I jokingly told them that “we are like missionaries of art”. We were carrying then two rectangle-shaped fuschia plastic bags with Barbie doll prints (I am not a fan of Barbie but the market has very limited selection of images) with all the materials that we need for the House of Comfort project.

diva-less artists
If the Mormons go from house to house to spread the words of God, we disseminate our notion of art by going to communities to connect and exchange stories, if not skills, with the people. In fact, at first glance, we seem to be salesladies offering special offer to would be buyers. Also, we do not have assistants like those artists who can pay one or more individuals to do the dirty job. We do everything or we assist whoever is conducting the workshop. In this sense, we are so flexible because we can easily assume different roles – artist, coordinator, documenter, purchaser, janitor.

carry on
Our workshop in Davao started with the women of MAKALAYA on August 18, 2006. It was delayed by four hours due to a missed flight because we did not check in 45 minutes before flight schedule. We were chance passengers for the next flight to Davao but I knew we really did not have any chance at all. It was festival time in Davao and thousands of tourists were dying to get a seat to be part of the Kadayawan festival.

By flying to Manny Pacquiao’s hometown, General Santos, in South Cotabato, famous for its tuna industry, we could get to Davao after lunch. Ok it was a side trip and we enjoyed the captivating mountain view but we had to pay two thousand pesos more for the change in itinerary.

As soon as we arrived in Ponce Suites, our art hotel (every nook and cranny is filled with Kublai Millan’s artworks), Cecil Villarente, the Vice Chair of MAKALAYA for Mindanao, welcomed us at the lobby together with Kublai’s mother. After we checked in and put our luggages in our room, we headed to the workshop venue with empty stomachs and started the workshop as soon as we got there.

All the 15 women were present and were given orientation by Cecil in their own language. I immediately sensed their interest and enthusiasm in the art activity as well as the yoga exercises to awaken their body and focus their mind. After the short introductions, I talked about my project and the proposal of Soni. The workshoppers then found their corners and companions to start the first activity which is their dream for themselves or their families since most of them are mothers.

Their interest did not wane, in fact, immediately after they take their lunch and merienda, they go back to their work, very uncommon sight compared to their short attention span during meetings, as Cecil told us.

Haji and I worked on the House of Comfort banner or flag while Soni stitched together the square panels of the Malaya Ka Ba? project. Haji did also a Korean textile door for the bedroom of the House of Comfort.

we collect stories and not cash
Lack of sleep and rest and the tight schedule gave me a migraine but it was aggravated by the story of Lolita Edoloverio, one of the participants in the workshop. How could I not empathize with and become emotional about her string of misfortunes and her very difficult life? With seven mouths to feed and very limited income – her husband drove a tricycle then became a plumber after being persuaded by his wife to leave the military service for fear that he would die in the operation against the insurgents, how could they survive on a P4,200 (around 90 USD) budget per month? She washed and ironed clothes on weekends to augment the family income. In 2003, their small house was burned down. But her inner strength kept the family intact and her resolve to send all her children to school are vividly captured in her artwork on cloth, saying that ‘Although I missed my laundry and ironing jobs to earn P300 because of the workshop, I am happy that I was able to visualize my dream for my children. Deep in my heart, I know it will become a reality”. I wanted to cry for such a show of strength and conviction.

art immersion

Our feet were immersed in water as we visited the flooded community of Llena Pedroso, another participant whom Soni interviewed for her video project on displacement. Soni, who lamented that all her life, she is marginalized for being a North Korean, tried to connect with Llena’s experience of trauma for two years living in Surigao del Sur which had become the battleground of the military and the rebels during the 80s. The latter’s eldest daughter died due to trauma and her son was affected too.

During the interview, Llena was composed and beautiful in her old rose blouse, not conscious about being videoed. Although she had an appointment with a client for massage, she did not rush the interview and patiently answered all questions I asked her.

We then went to another woman whose house is very close to the sea. She prepared lunch for the three of us, Cecil and Manang Lita, another workshop participant and a community leader, who served as our guide. When we were about to leave, Soni offered to pay for the lunch and for the electricity because she charged her battery. Cecil told her that it was part of Filipino hospitality.

By doing the workshop first, we were able to befriend the participants, who shared their and allowed us to visit them in their houses. Also, my engagement with MAKALAYA started in 2000, thus, getting their support is very easy. We really need to work with them so they will work with us. This is how trust and respect are developed.

I don’t know where we got our stamina for still holding an artist talk and powerpoint presentation in our hotel on the night after our three day workshop with MAKALAYA. In fact, we did two more art projects, the MALAYA KA BA? (Are you Free? a cumulative project using square panels of cloth in reply to the said question conceptualized by Norma Liongoren, Flaudette May Datuin and I) and Project Unknown (a collaborative project by Lise Bjorne, a Norwegian artist, on the missing women of Juarez, Mexico). Full schedule, indeed! Plus overtime but no pay. It is just our love, commitment, advocacy and passion for what we do that drive us to accomplish all these things.

travel light

Since my art is easy to carry and does not need much cash to create because a lot are from recycled materials, I travel light. We can traverse different territories, even those with opposing views. From NGOs it can easily take a right turn to LGUs. (Local Government Units). Again, I have capitalized on my network with the Department of Education, a government agency that tests your patience most the time when you propose a project to them. I made use of my connection with Alice Panares, my mentor, who works as Director for Training at the said agency. I also contacted Amelia Lacerna, my student in the national training for teachers organized by the same agency. The only hitch was the non-receipt of my letter which I sent through fax and email. I had to resend everything via Fedex.

After observing all the protocols, that is, making a courtesy call to Dr. Gloria P. Labor, the Schools Division Superintendent, and being introduced to the other staff, Soni, who is most loved by the mosquitoes of Davao (good they are not dengue carriers), got another shock of her life. She used the restroom of Dr. Labor’s office and we heard her shout loud. There was a frog swimming in the toilet bowl!

everybody can do the running stitch

We then went to Davao City National High School which is the regional pilot school for special program in the arts and the biggest public high school in Davao in terms of space and population. Ms. Virginia Ravina, the OIC Principal, Evangeline Manguilimotan and Glecy Aileen Gonzales prepared the venue and sound system and organized thirty students, both male and female, to participate in the workshop. Stella Estremera, editor-in-chief of Sun Star, a major daily newspaper in Davao, and who lent us the LCD projector during our talk at the hotel, came over to document the workshop. After five days, the House of Comfort was Sun Star Weekend’s (August 27, 2006) cover story. I want to credit Rosalie Zerrudo of Enigmata for coordinating all my workshops in Davao City and for asking her friends including Stella to help us realize and disseminate our project. After she saw our workshop in the said school, she got excited and immediately thought of a project that will intersect with the House of Comfort, especially on environmental concerns. Kublai Millan’s work with the children of Bantay Bata (Child Watch, a project for abused children being administered by a Philippine TV network) in Davao and with the less fortunate, teaching them art without charging them, inspired us. He also lent support to the project by driving us to the workshop venue and by offering to link us with Bantay Bata, aside from allowing us to stay longer in our hotel room without additional cost.

our last station

University of the Philippines in Mindanao is another choice of mine for the project mainly because I wanted to encourage students to put their creativity at the service of our society. Abraham Garcia Jr., who is a friend and a co-member of the Committee on Visual Arts of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), helped me a lot in connecting with the university officials. He works in the said university as a researcher and Special Assistant to the Chancellor on Culture and the Arts. Through him, I got the permission to carry out my project from Chancellor Ricardo de Ungria, Dean Antonio Moran, Dr. Gilda Rivero, Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs and the help and cooperation of Prof. Antonino de Veyra, Prof. Myfel Paluga, Prof. Jowel Canuday, Dennis John Sumaylo (for the laptop computer), Gabriel Millado and Angela Chi of MITANDI & KIRIM. We engaged the students on issues such as marginalization, discrimination, identity, violence against women as well as art and advocacy as tackled in Soni Kum’s film Foreign Sky, Haji Oh’s textile and cloth exhibits and my collaborative projects with survivors from CRIBS Philippines. After the talks came the workshop and we stretched our time until past eight in the evening so they could finish their work. Leaving UP Mindanao on a habalhabal (motorcycle ride) gave me the jitters at every turn and pothole. It was a traumatizing 10-minute ride bringing in memories of my accident in 2003, when I jumped off from a passenger jeepney amidst a stick-up, hit my head, fell unconscious and came to in a hospital.

being a survivor too with the help of my new friends
Like my collaborators in my art projects shown in Cuba, Norway and Yokohama, I, too, am a survivor of the six-day straight workshop plus overtime in three communities. We were able to accomplish much thanks to the collaboration of people who believe in our mission and made our work lighter.

Of course, without cash, we cannot carry out the project as intended. Japan Foundation Manila, through Ben Suzuki, its Director, and Bambi Diaz, made it possible for us to bring our art to the communities and to share what we have in our hearts, minds, and bags. It was a swift transfer of funds in full amount, tax free, to my bank account after my proposal was approved.

And the communities we work with give us a better and deeper perspective on what should we do as artists and very rich materials to work on.

art and carry…on to the next project and community.