Tagisan 2018: Defying Conventions, Going Alternative

by Charmian Cornejo and Hannah Manalo

Thumbnail by Aina Robeniol

In a world where we are continually exposed to ideas that the media presents to us, it is important that we understand its power over how we think and how we see the world around us. Now that information––whether factual or fabricated––is so easily gained, we must look beyond what is presented before us and scrutinize its origins. It is essential that we do not take things at face value and that we learn to see other sides to the story. As our country continues to face a myriad of challenges in regards to this, alternative institutions and organizations are as vital as ever.

With that said, the UP Broadcasters’ Guild chose to highlight these alternative institutions and organizations through Tagisan, an annual workshop and inter-school quiz bee on Philippine media.

With the goal of promoting media education in student activities, the organization wanted to introduce the role that alternative media has taken in our history and the role that it plays today.

Tagisan 2018 Project Head, Mr. James Fajardo, explains that the current situation of the Philippines inspired this year’s theme. Misinformation is as extensive as ever, which makes us even more vulnerable to the social turmoil our country is experiencing under the powers that be. As prevailing media institutions continue to forward profitable interests, alternative media shines light on the unseen side of things.

Tagisan 2018 Project Head Mr. James Fajardo explains that the current situation of the Philippines inspired this year’s theme.

This year’s Tagisan, held last November 10 at the Palma Hall Room 400 in UP Diliman, was attended by 30 teams composed of 118 high school students from across and around Metro Manila, with participants coming from Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal. Before the quiz bee proper, different talks on various alternative media platforms and breakout sessions were in store for these eager minds.

To prelude the series of talks, Professor Luis Teodoro, Chairman of Altermidya, gave a special talk on the history of alternative media. From the La Solidaridad of the Propaganda Movement and Ang Kalayaan of the Katipunan to the Mosquito Press which emerged during the Martial Law period, Prof. Teodoro highlighted how alternative media has always been the dominant tradition in Philippine media and also it’s reliability during those critical times when what appeared on the news would bend towards the interests and approval of those in power.

Prof. Teodoro’s talk was followed by a series of lectures on Alternative Cinema, Alternative Journalism and Alternative Broadcasting, which gave our participants a look into the role of alternative media in the present.

To start, Danielle Madrid and Myan Lordiane from Mayday Multimedia discussed Alternative Cinema. As an alternative multimedia collective, Mayday zeroed in on the struggles of Filipino workers. They consider their collective to be a part of people’s cinema or sineng bayan, which means that their content forwards advocacies and is showcased in communities and on social networking sites. They emphasized that their content is not for entertainment; rather, it is for championing the struggles of the working class––all while using humble equipment like cell phones or simple DSLRs and operating on a small budget.

To give the participants a glimpse of what it’s like to report about the plight of the marginalized, Ms. Janess Ellao from Bulatlat took the mic and talked about Alternative Journalism. She explained that when the corporate press glosses over the kinds of stories that the people actually need to hear about, there are those who look for alternatives. In the event that they do not find such, they make their own, which is exactly how Bulatlat, an alternative news outfit, was born. To her, reporting isn’t just a job, but rather, a duty to the marginalized with stories untold, and to the deaf public, who do not get to hear their stories from corporate media outlets.

After a morning of informative and eye-opening talks, the high school students’ knowledge on alternative media in the Philippines was tested. Participants were quizzed about alternative media history, underreported stories about the struggles of the marginalized, facts and figures about films, documentaries, and newspapers, and the like. Out of 30 teams, Team LPSCI from Las Piñas City National Science High School emerged as champions. They were followed by PCSHS Team B from Pasig City Science High School and Alt Writers from Ateneo de Manila Senior High School, who placed as first and second runner-up, respectively.

"Alternative media is not just an abstract concept, but its impacts are really for the people."

When asked about their feelings towards the event, Team LPSCI answered, “Alternative media is not just an abstract concept, but its impacts are really for the people. That’s why it’s really eye-opening.” They also added that the quiz bee portion not only challenged them, but also strengthened their bond as a team.

The UP Broadcasters' Guild with the Tagisan 2018 participants

As one of the flagship projects of the UP Broadcasters’ Guild, Tagisan has come a long way. From being a small quiz bee exclusive for UP Diliman students during the organization's anniversary week, the event has become a much larger event in a much larger venue for a more diverse population. So much has changed since then, yet it continues to forward media education and gives students a glimpse of the possible paths that they can take as future media practitioners.

Focusing on alternative media this year aimed to help students realize that there are other forms of media from which they can get different perspectives. Through this, we implore the participants to be a part of something relevant, of something outside of their every day. In a way, this year’s theme is also a challenge to us all: in this day and age where everyone is taking the easy way, let’s do it differently. Take the leap. Be alternative.