If you wish to contact me for any particular reason, please click here.

Aug

29

Celso Ad Castillo: Carlo’s films are tabloid

Filed Under Philippine Comics | 15 Comments

This is an article that came out from the Manila Times in November 21, 2008. I’m posting a large excerpt of it here, but you can read the entire thing here.

DIRECTOR’S CUT
By Mao Gia Samonte
Celso Ad Castillo: Carlo’s films are tabloid

At a party the other day, Celso Ad Castillo and I had some kind of a reunion, having come together after a long time. Our immediate topic of conversation was the issue of Carlo Caparas and his komiks characters being depicted in Philippine postage stamps.

“As far as komiks is concerned, ok naman siguro si Carlo. When it comes to film, teka muna, mukhang hindi tama. Carlo’s films are tabloid,” the Kid said with his characteristic impish snicker.

Celso early in his career had a short stint as a writer for illustrated komiks and being familiar with the medium, he believes that Mars Ravelo and Francisco Coching are more deserving of being honored in Philippine stamps.

KOMIKS IS DEAD 2, WHY HONOR CARLO?

The antis overwhelm the pros in the continuing debate on whether or not Carlo deserves being depicted in Philippine postage stamps.

In fact they don’t look pros at all, those that don’t express anti-Carlo Caparas sentiments on the issue.

Here’s one from Pete, the Jose Lacaba you read in the staff box of the Yes! magazine as executive editor, a respected professor at the University of the Philippines and the Ateneo, a poet and a true nationalist whose political essays were among the outstanding features of what has gone down in history as the FQS, for First Quarter Storm:

“[Carlo Caparas komiks characters sa selyo] OK lang sa akin. Sana me selyo na rin sina Mars Ravelo, Francisco V. Coching atbpang makokomiks. Wag din ikalimutan ang national artists, tulad nina Nick Joaquin, Amado Hernandez atbp.”

How polite of Pete, but knowing Quijano de Manila’s choosiness, to put it mildly, on who to associate with, couldn’t he be squirming in his grave when he reads this?

Anyway, Pete’s text message tees off the stream of sentiments sent to us similarly or communicated personally.

Manila Bulletin news editor Diego Cagahastian has this to say: “Maganda na mga tao mula sa komiks at entertainment ay mapaparangalan sa pamamagitan ng paglalagay sa kanila sa selyo.”

Coming from somebody we know has an ax to grind with Carlo, the comment is most kind. Or a case of the song, not the singer.

Bangon Kalikasan top man Joey Papa, who is a literary writer and screen craftsman, too, toes the prudent line as well: “Off hand parang asiwa, bakit hindi na lang ang bundok ng biak na bato, ang bulkang mayon, o ang magagandang lugar, kagubatan, karagatan atbp. May kaalaman pang naibabahagi sa mga taong gagamit ng selyo.”

And People’s Tonight associate editor Ninoy Sofranes has this curt statement: “Not for publication ang opinion ko.”

But all the rest who sent us text messages couldn’t restrain their indignation.

Ogie Almeda, komiks illustrator: “Bakit, bayani ba si Carlo Caparas? Maraming taga-komiks ang galit sa kanya dahil sa Sterling siya lang ang nabuhay.” Sterling is the company which published the 10 komiks titles carried in Carlo Caparas’ komiks caravan, a komiks promotional blitz conducted by Carlo last year using public funds.

Remate writer/columnist Jessie de Jesus: “Pansarili lang kapakanan ni Carlo ang namayani sa Sterling.”

Remate entertainment editor Arnold Pajaron: “Ano karapatan ni Carlo Caparas. Di naman niya napaunlad komiks industry. Saka pinabayaan niya sariling pamilya sa Pasig.”

Maria Pelagia Ditapat, curriculum director for English, chairperson, Office of Student Affairs and Community Services, and college publication adviser of the St. Francis of Assisi College in Las Piñas, while voicing her own objection, makes the observation that the issue serves to generate public interest for the Carlo Caparas creations being readied for airing as teleplays over Channel 7.

The lady asks: Is the memorandum signing by Carlo with Philpost for depicting him and his characters on Philippine stamps a grand promotional stunt for GMA 7?

Comments

15 Responses to “Celso Ad Castillo: Carlo’s films are tabloid”

  1. Jose Mari Lee on August 29th, 2009 9:31 am

    “Remate entertainment editor Arnold Pajaron: “Ano karapatan ni Carlo Caparas. Di naman niya napaunlad komiks industry. Saka pinabayaan niya sariling pamilya sa Pasig.”

    Ayoko sanang banggitin ito kahi’t noon pa, dahil very personal na ito, pero wala na tayong magagawa. Ayan na, lumabas na rin.

  2. Gerry Alanguilan on August 29th, 2009 9:59 am

    Previously I didn’t want to write about the specifics of what went on at Sterling but since there’s independent published corroboration from Ogie Almeda, I will post something about this soon.

  3. joanah calingo on August 29th, 2009 12:17 pm

    hala, labasan na ng baho… Juicy~!

  4. Eusebio Yu on August 29th, 2009 6:19 pm

    Gerry,

    There’s an article in the Style Weekend magazine of the Manila Bulletin today entitled ” Unraveling The Legacy of Ravelo ” written by the daughter of the late Mars Ravelo. It speaks for itself.

  5. robert nacion on August 29th, 2009 11:33 pm

    ala na talaga! pakapalan na lang ngayon haha!
    gia samonte at castillo parehong director yata ang dalwang yan ng mga sexy O st FILMS nuon ah?

  6. Kapre on August 30th, 2009 1:50 am

    Kung babanatan ninyo ang sinuman ay banatan ninyo ang KANYANG MGA GAWA na meron kayong batayan para tumaas ang kalidad ng kanyang mga gawa, pero huwag ninyong titirahin ang MGA BAGAY NA PERSONAL NA TUNGKOL SA KANYA na patunay lang ito na parang bagang naubusan na kayo ng mga bala kaya personalan ng palakulin ang kanyang pagkatao.

    Kagaya nga ng nasabi ko na nuon na si Caparas ay LEGAL na nanalo pero nag-protesta kayo ng ILLEGAL dahil para bagang BINABAGO NINYO ANG PATAKARAN NG LARO PAGKATAPOS NG LARO. Mag-protesta kayo bago pasimulan ang laro at hindi pagkatapos ng laro.

    Si Caparas ay KOMIKS & FILM WRITER kaya siya ay VISUAL & FILM WRITER, patunay lang ito na may karapatan siya bilang NATIONAL ARTIST sa VISUAL ARTS & FILMS. Irrelevant kung nararapat man siya o hindi.

    Pinupuri ninyo palagi ang mga PABORITO ninyong nga ARTSTS at WRITERS sa komiks, ang totoo ay mga KOPYADOR rin ang mga ito na kinuha nila ang kanilang mga IDEYA sa iba.

    Ang KALIBRE ni Caparas bilang WRITER ay pareho lang sa mga KALIBRE ng mga paborito ninyong mga WRITERS. Pinupuna ninyo ang stelo ng pagsulat ni Caparas batay sa mga banyagang patakaran, patunay rin ito na ang mga paborito ninyong mga WRITERS ang stelo ng kanilang pagsulat ay mga kopya lang.

    Pero ang totoo ang mga NATIONAL ARTISTS na napili nuon at ngayon ay WALA TALAGANG MGA SILBI DAHIL HINDI SILA MGA EDUKADOR AT ANG IBA SA KANILA ANG MGA GAWA AY MASASABING MGA BASURA RIN.

  7. Jose Mari Lee on August 30th, 2009 7:55 am

    Supremong Kapre:

    Tama ka sa bagay na iyan. Dapat talaga sa trabaho lang, walang personalan. Kaya nga ingat na ingat ako noong huwag banggitin ang bagay na ito. Pero alam mo naman ang iba, sila’y nauunahan ng kanilang emosyon kaysa sa kanilang utak. Nariyan na iyan, wala na tayong magagawa. The only thing Caparas can do is to come clean to put an end to this matter.

    Puwedeng may valid rin ang iyong claim na maaring basura rin ang gawa ng ibang naging National Artist (tulad ni Ernani Cuenco), na nagawaran ng honor mula kay Erap. Dapat ayusin ito, Huwag nang makialam ang presidente sa paggawad ng award, Nariyan na ang lupon, hayaan ang mga ito na siyang mag-bestow ng award.

    It was Imelda Marcos who started this National Artist, and it is a good thing. It is good for a country to recognize their gifted artists. Kung ang presidente ay hindi naman authority sa art, huwag nang sumawsaw sa eksena. Magkakagulo lang. Ito ang maaaring maging resulta nitong controversiang ito. Huwag nang bigyan ng karapatan ang presidente na gawin ito. Si Imelda, na nagpasimula nito, ay hindi nakialam through Ferdinand na maggawad sa sinumang artist. Ito lang naman ang isang nagustuhan ko sa panahon ni Marcos. May pagpapahalaga si Imelda sa arts, kaya ginawa ito. Ngayong nakikialam na ang mga pangulo, mali ito, dahil wala naman talaga sa RULE OF THE GAME na sumali sila. Dito’y mali si Arroyo, gayon din si Erap.

    Ang lupon naman na nagimbal sa DAGDAG BAWAS na nangyari sa paggawad ng awards ay hindi makapaniwalang maihanay nila ang mga massacre ni Caparas sa kalidad ni Nick Joaquin, halimbawa. Personally, masasabi kong ni sa GIGIS (kalingkingan) ng obra ni Quijano de Manila o ni F. SIONIL JOSE (both educators), ay hindi makakapantay ang mga obra ni Caparas. Puro kasi madalian ang trabaho niya, kaya puro PALPAK. Medyo laliman naman sana ni Caparas ang obra niya. Kaya lang, baka hanggang doon na lang ang kaya niya. Parang wala rin itong iniwan sa mga illustrators na sumsusulong ng PAATRAS. na-stuck na sa dating gawi at ayaw nang magbago. Ke mabawi man o ma-retain man kay Caparas ang NA award na ito, kailangan niyang magbago sa kanyang pagtrabaho. Pagbutihin, dahan-dahanin, dahil hindi nadadala sa paramihan ang art. Nakikita ito, nadarama ito, sa brilliance ng obra, hindi sa dami.

  8. Gerry Alanguilan on August 30th, 2009 8:12 am

    I do agree that below the belt attacks is not appropriate, and it’s something I admonish people from doing here in this blog. However, whatever Arnold Parajon has to say about CJC and his personal life, it was published. NATIONWIDE, on a national broadsheet. It has also found it’s way on the broadsheet’s own website, where people from all over the world can see it. I have simply pointed to and quoted that article, nothing more. You can read he original article here:
    http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/nov/21/yehey/reeltimes/20081121reel5.html

    Nauubusan ng bala? I don’t think so. I post more ammunition in my next blog post.

    If CJC indeed has plans to run for office and represent the Filipino people, then all aspects of his life, personal or otherwise, is fair game. If he has moral issues, private or not, they need to be scrutinized to see if he is worthy of leading and representing us. This is the life that you take on, whenever you run for public office. This the kind of thing that you will have to face. Is he prepared for it? He better be.

    Kasi kung seryoso sya sa pagtakbo nya, lahat ng baho sa buhay nya lalabas at lalabas.

  9. Gerry Alanguilan on August 30th, 2009 8:21 am

    “Si Caparas ay KOMIKS & FILM WRITER kaya siya ay VISUAL & FILM WRITER, patunay lang ito na may karapatan siya bilang NATIONAL ARTIST sa VISUAL ARTS & FILMS. Irrelevant kung nararapat man siya o hindi.”

    Pasensya na po, pero mali po itong papanaw ninyo. Ang may karapatang maging National Artist ay yung pumasa sa CRITERIA. Sa karamihan ng criteria ng NCCA ay bagsak na bagsak sya. Hindi ko po naiintindihan kung bakit hindi nyo nakikita ito.

  10. auggie on August 30th, 2009 12:12 pm

    Sa tingin ko, relevant din yung BELOW THE BELT, na banat ni Mr. Pajaron, kasi I’m assuming na taga Pasig din siya. Kasi mi sector sa Pasig na pro Caparaz, at extremely loyal din sa kanya. Dapat malaman din nila na ang kanilang idolo, ay hindi Santo. At ang palaging nasa isip eh yung pilosopiya na UP FOR GRABS. Siguro naisip niya noon na si Donna Villa, eh up for grabs din, kaya ayun, iniwan ang pamilya. Personal nga ito, pero kung gusto mong maging PUBLIC Figure, bubulatlatin talaga ang personal na buhay mo. Moral of the story? kung mi skeletons on the closet,huwag ng mag-ambisyon maging NA, lalo na kung hindi ka qualified, di ba Padi ?

  11. Richard Ramos on August 30th, 2009 2:25 pm

    Sir Kapre:

    I find it interesting that you dislike all these “potshots” at CJC…and yet you just “trashed” other National Artists.

    How very revealing.

    And, I think, people have every right to contest CJC’s awarding, since tax money will give him a stipend every month, a tonload of money for his projects every year, formal recognition in events as a national artist, and a tax-paid funeral.

    So, rather than trashing other National Artists (and I do agree with you, some of them I don’t quite like, but I wouldn’t call their work trash), present your points in a clear, calm and structured manner, complete with proof, if need be.

    Otherwise, your spirited defense of CJC’s work and status as a National Artist only serves to convince people that CJC certainly does not deserve it.

  12. Kapre on August 31st, 2009 12:56 am

    Ang punto de vista ko ay ang LEGALITY, ito ang hindi naiintendihan ng iba sa inyo, at hindi kung nararapat man o hindi si Caparas. Ulitin, ang punto ay LEGALITY. Nakalimutan na ba ninyo na ugali ng mga pilipino na ILLEGAL na mag-protesta, ginawa nila ito kay BONIFACIO at ESTRADA, irrelevant kung itong si Bonifacio o Estrada ay nararapat o hindi.

    Kung gagamitin ko ang mga PRENSIPIYO NG SINING SA KOMIKS na nabanggit ko sa BLOG ko at i-apply ko sa mga GAWA ng mga paborito ninyong mga artists ay baka MANGHILAKBOT ang iba sa inyo at ang iba naman ay MAGTATARANG. Minsan kinanti ko lang ng kunti ang mga gawa ng ilan sa mga paborito ninyong mga artists ay NAGTATARANG NA SA GALIT ANG IBA. Paano kung banatan ko na talaga ito ng husto? Ika nga, mag-ingat what you wish for proofs.

  13. Ida on August 31st, 2009 1:22 am

    “And, I think, people have every right to contest CJC’s awarding, since tax money will give him a stipend every month, a tonload of money for his projects every year, formal recognition in events as a national artist, and a tax-paid funeral.”

    To me this is definitely the main issue. There are people who say na bitter lang daw ang mga nagproprotesta tungkol dito. Bakit daw sa Hollywood, kung sinuman ang mabigyan ng Oscar award, wala namang umaangal? Bakit daw dito, ang daming napipikon kapag nabigyan ng award ‘yung taong ayaw nila?

    Kasi ang Oscar awardee, hindi naman binibigyan ng pera at health benefits ng gobyerno gamit ang pera ng mga tax payers.

    Kaya kami nagproprotesta, hindi lang naman dahil ayaw namin ng mga gawa ni CJC. Kung award at award lang, sige na, lamunin na niya lahat ng award na kaya niyang lamunin. Pero ‘wag niyang nanakawin ang perang pinaghirapan namin.

  14. Richard Ramos on September 2nd, 2009 7:36 pm

    “Ang punto de vista ko ay ang LEGALITY, ito ang hindi naiintendihan ng iba sa inyo, at hindi kung nararapat man o hindi si Caparas. Ulitin, ang punto ay LEGALITY. Nakalimutan na ba ninyo na ugali ng mga pilipino na ILLEGAL na mag-protesta, ginawa nila ito kay BONIFACIO at ESTRADA, irrelevant kung itong si Bonifacio o Estrada ay nararapat o hindi.”

    By the same token, then, the first EDSA Revolution should not be praised, as it was an illegal act. And you can’t put up the defense that Marcos deserved it, because you cleared Erap and Bonifacio, citing that what they did was irrelevant to the action. Would you then prefer that we would still be under Marcos rule up to now?

    This is why freedom of speech is so important, because there is a big difference in terms of the words f the law, and the spirit it was meant to be used in. This is why laws can sometimes be used to do the very opposite of what they were intended to do.

    To deny freedom of speech is to deny freedom itself.

    “Kung gagamitin ko ang mga PRENSIPIYO NG SINING SA KOMIKS na nabanggit ko sa BLOG ko at i-apply ko sa mga GAWA ng mga paborito ninyong mga artists ay baka MANGHILAKBOT ang iba sa inyo at ang iba naman ay MAGTATARANG. Minsan kinanti ko lang ng kunti ang mga gawa ng ilan sa mga paborito ninyong mga artists ay NAGTATARANG NA SA GALIT ANG IBA. Paano kung banatan ko na talaga ito ng husto? Ika nga, mag-ingat what you wish for proofs.”

    Show the proof! I do not in particular care as to the consequences. Instead of threatening that we may not like it…SHOW IT.

    Show us your great knowledge. Name names. Tell us what is wrong. If you are so sure about your knowledge, then say it all, and append your name to it. Let everyone know.

    If you’re so sure, then you should not be afraid of the backlash to your own person.

  15. Guia Yonzon on September 6th, 2009 2:18 pm

    I came across this blog while I was googling Celso Ad. Castillo. I could not help but notice that Celso is not in Wikipedia, while Carlo is. Celso, on the other hand is in a lot of items in the net in different languages – attesting to the international reach of his works. Carlo also has a lot of listings in google, but mostly local. He doesn’t seem to have any international reach. (Calling the Donna Villa Great Promo Machinery – daliiii i-market mo na uli sa international market – sa mga repetadong bulwagan, ha? Hindi sa bayaran.) Why?

    Jut shows up what this NA thing that Carlo got is all about. It is the fruit of a well-thought out promo campaign. Sorry for the others who did not or were not inclined to go after the prize with dogged persistence, di ba?

    Now in the light of the controversy, I only have this question:

    Why are his peers protesting?

    For me, peer accolade is the most important and credible. They are in the best position to evaluate merit. Yes, there have been other NAs given using the presidential prerogative, but there was no outcry from their peers or the community they belong to, as much as in the case of Carlo Caparas.

    Yes, there are a lot of Carlo defenders coming out all over media. But do you see any peer? Many comics artists who have direct knowledge of Caparas’ work (as writer, I clarify) will not derogate it, but neither will they give it their unqualified support. Hamunin ko ang kampo ni Caparas – iharap ninyo sa media ang isang respetadong dibuhista na magtatanggol sa kanya. Respetado, ha? Hindi bayaran. Hala!