Blog #4: 176 Gifts/176 Dispossessions

    176 Gifts/176 Dispossessions by Angelo V. Suarez and Donna Miranda is an eye-opening essay on a phenomenon we Filipinos blindly and continuously negligently allow. The article conveys the exploitative acts hidden in the cultural generosity of the collecting class. Seemingly unconditional gifts are given by those of power to maintain and garner their dominion over the public. They are using Art as an instrument of their so-called philanthropy to disguise their dispossession and to flaunt their hoax generosity.

    Patronage, to put it simply, is to give and to support. A patron of the arts is for the arts; however, that statement seems very far from the reality of art patrons in the Philippines. As expressed in the essay of Suarez and Miranda, Art Patrons in the Philippines focus on the investment they gain as it perpetuates their own power and influence. This means continuous money filling their pockets despite the hurt it may cause people of other sectors.

    For instance, the Ayalas are celebrated for their commitment to the art sector of the Philippines, as their foundation emphasizes the preservation and cultivation of Philippine history through the arts. Consequently, on the other hand, of this grand display of cultural generosity, the Ayalas know only greed when it comes to land grabbing. To state a case, in 2014, the Hacienda Dolores farmers experienced the brutality of land grabbing from property destruction, illegal arrest, and extra-judicial killings. Coincidentally the Ayalas announced their new project leaving farmers and locals displaced. This is just one of many instances of dispossession done by the elite art patrons of the Philippines.

    Continuity of this dispossession is unrelentingly upon our nation, given as the collecting class solely harbors greed. I fear what will happen to our country, and I fear for those who are losing and who are continuing to lose against people in power. Hope lies in the betterment of a government that prioritizes the lower sectors. However, hope is seemingly faint, for we as a nation continue to put the greedy in power.

References:

Ejolt. (2022, February). Deadly land grabbing in Hacienda Dolores, Porac, Pampanga, Philippines: EjatlasT. Environmental Justice Atlas. Retrieved August 4, 2022, from https://ejatlas.org/conflict/deadly-land-grabbing-in-hacienda-dolores-porac-pampanga-philippines