DIGITAL ARTS

A Community Built from Political Lies

by: Danicka Romano

In a time where information is free and accessible, communication platforms such as social media played a massive role in the 2022 elections. As the candidates are imposed to follow COVID-19 restrictions and protocols, it became a challenge for them to perform in-person campaigns. With these limitations, the candidates have relied on social media and broadcast media to reach voters and influence their perceptions.

Despite the convenience these platforms bring, it was used in a different manner. Troll farms were made to create multiple social media accounts that peddle fake news and spread hateful comments to gain a competitive advantage over their opponents. With the events in these elections, it was evident that platform manipulation, combining virality, disinformation, and trolling were enough to win the position.

Fake news and disinformation have started to take hold and shape the country’s cyberspace and election results. They will continue to find ways to cultivate the culture of disinformation to keep their posts as long as possible. The task is to continue fighting fake news and don’t let it be the norm.

Chains of Freedom

by: Don Gabrielle Salandanan

As we all know, the blue in the Philippine flag represents peace and justice, the red represents patriotism and courage, while yellow represents unity and sovereignty. These colors are highly evident in the poster because Filipinos also fight for the betterment of their motherland. The 2022 Election, which I participated in, displays the power of the Filipino citizens to fight and stand up for what they think is right. Sadly, this election demonstrates just how flawed democracies can be when the electorate is so ignorant of the issues. History revisionism has been taking place right in front of our eyes for the past few years, and the election results are proof of this. I can't imagine what it would be like to live under a Marcos presidency. In the Philippines, things are going from bad to worse. Empty promises can no longer influence us. Everyone in the country should hold the new government accountable and be willing to point out their flaws and offer constructive criticism when they do so. I'm disgusted and unsatisfied with the results of the recent national election. That every Filipino will have access to a good education, good healthcare, and enough nutritious food to feed their families is something I'm hoping for.

Protests and rallies also occur because there are people who wants to express their opinions to influence the opinion of the public. We all pursue freedom and exercising our rights helps us break free from the shackles that the society can inflict to us showing that fighting can shed a light for our future to be better. There were enormous lineups at the polls for people to cast their ballots. It would make sense if the pandemic's health protocols were to blame, but that wasn't the case. Comelec's indifference and the sleazy Smartmatic are to blame. We care deeply about the Philippines, which is why we will not support the divisive Marcos, an assassin, murderer, and thief in every sense of the word. Having a fighting spirit that doesn't falter implies having bravery, perseverance, and a passion to never quit.

Blindly Devoted

by: Laurie Allyssa Mariano

Fandom and irrational loyal attachment to a politician frequently reign supreme in the Philippines. Fanatics seldom choose candidates based on their abilities; they vote because they are political fanatics who regard the candidates as idols. The fanatics will reject any evidence or arguments that contradict their views and are more likely to say the quote, "Respect my opinion." They would peddle false information and believe in spliced videos.

Red is connected with unpleasant feelings and danger. In today's elections, Filipinos choose candidates based on the feelings people have for them rather than the qualifications and platforms that the politicians give. This sort of mentality endangers the Philippines. For years, political leaders have continued to deceive Filipinos with false platitudes to get power, money, and glory. Furthermore, the color yellow represents cowardice since one of the presidential contenders has repeatedly been missing from extensive interviews. Finally, when educated Filipino voters are supplied with information, they will remain blindly loyal to the person they support and believe in the term "Bagong Pilipinas, Bagong Mukha." since they feel that voting for the politician would benefit the Philippines.

The importance of people's curiosity in holding government officials responsible is overlooked by political fanaticism. Consequently, political leaders often misinterpret it as an invitation to appease the public with lip service and mindless devotion rather than carrying out their declared responsibilities. Those elected politicians will turn politics into a circus, with clownish administration engulfing the nation and our state becoming a heist rather than a dignified country. We must learn to respect logical reasoning and critical thinking above political fanaticism if we want to live in a progressive nation.

Sapat ba ang Bangis?

by: Lorrain Parrera

Makikita sa larawan ang dalawang nanalong kandidato sa pinakamataas na pwesto sa gobyerno. Sila ang pinagkatiwalaan ng 31 milyong katao upang mamuno sa susunod na anim na taon. Bagaman walang matinong plataporma at plano kung paano susolusyonan ang mga problema ng bansa ay hindi pa rin sila napigilan upang makamit ang pwesto na kanilang inaasam. Ang karaniwang dahilan ng mga tao kung bakit sila ibinoto ay dahil daw sa tinataglay nilang tapang at bangis. Kaya naman ang tanong, Sapat nga ba ang bangis upang iahon ang bayang naghihinagpis?

Sa aking ginawang artwork ay makikita ang dalawang kulay na berde at pula na sumisimbolo sa kulay ng mga nasabing kandidato nung panahong sila ay nangangampanya. Makikita rin natin sa itaas ang pagsasama-sama ng mga larawan na nagsasaad ng isyung kasalukuyang kinakaharap ng bansa. Ipinapakita nito na ang dalawang kandidato na ito ay inaasahang maging pag-asa ng bayan at bigyan ng solusyon ang lahat ng problemang nabanggit. Sa tabi ng larawan ng mga kandidato naman ay ang mga larawan ng tigre at agila na kanilang ginamit na representasyon sa kanilang mga sarili na tanda na sila ay matapang at mabangis. Nangingibabaw din sa larawang ito ang kulay dilaw na mga police line na sumisimbolo sa kanilang control at ang kontribusyon ng pulisya at kasundaluhan sa kanilang pamumuno. Nakasaad sa harapan ng police line ang katanungang “Sapat ba ang bangis sa bayang naghihinagpis?” Makikita natin na bagamat makulay ang larawan ay medyo madilim ang mga kulay nito dahil ito naman ay sumisimbolo sa kung gaano kaseryoso ang ganitong usapan at hindi gawang biro ang kanilang magiging trabaho kapag sila ay nakaupo na sa pwesto. Dahil nga hindi pa nagsisimula ang kanilang termino ay di pa rin natin alam ang kahahantungan ng pagkapanalong ito. Ang nais kong maramdaman ng makakakita ng larawang ito ay paghahangad na sana ay may mabuti ngang hangarin para sa bayan ang mga pinunong ito. Nais kong mamulat ang makakakita nito na hindi pa rin nasosolusyonan ang mga problemang nabanggit sa itaas kaya naman dapat lamang na suklian ng mga kandidatong ito ang tiwalang binigay sa kanila ng mga tao. Sana ay sa bawat “Congratulations” na sinasabi ng mga tiga suporta ng kandidatong ito ay masundan rin ng mga katagang “Sana ay may magandang mangyari sa bansang ito pagkatapos ng inyong termino.”

Mockery

by: Lexinne Flores

Election 2022 is done but the mockery pertaining to results goes on. The poster I created depicts the recent election setting we had. There were several candidates but it seems like only two frontrunners were considered for the post. Each one highlighted the achievements and carefully laid out their agenda and platforms. One fights for transparency, equal opportunities, good governance and the other banks on the support from social media, relied on carrying his family name and to their camp’s claim, Unity. The other seeks not only to protect its people from disinformation and history revision, as claimed by supporters, but also would like to lift the lives of the common people by bringing check and balance on governance. Through the rough election activities, supporters of both camps swamped all their election rallies all over the country, not minding the heat and the pandemic. The people banked on the hope of the result’s credibility. However, as the result leads to more questions, the mockery continues, with each and every Filipino's future on the line.

Injustice Scale

by: Angela Loren Cruz

In the Philippines, corruption has been the major obstacle of having a good governance. In the National Election 2022 , we had the chance to elect a credible and worthy candidate. However, as the election results came out it is disheartening to see those candidates who had corruption cases still managed to get a seat in the government. One reason for that is their popularity for being a former celebrity before entering the politics and having a famous surname. Seeing that those who did not even have a good intention for serving the public won, it just shows that injustice is still dominant in our country.

The Injustice Scale shows the dominance of the corrupt and insincere politicians over the capable ones. The hands reaching the corrupt sides shows their believers who are blinded from the facts and there’s no hands to offer that side as those kinds of politicians are clearly self-centered and entered politics for their own personal agenda. On the other side of the scale shows the genuine intentions of public servants who offered realistic platforms to the citizens and willing to reach hands to everyone. Seeing how injustice prevailed in this election, there is a little to no glimpse of hope now to everyone who fought for good governance.

Clownery Governance

by: Paulo Leonador

This digital art/collage tackles about how our government became a circus surrounded by many ridiculous political stunts. Running for a political seat in the Philippines is almost accessible to everybody, if not exclusive to the majority. The Constitution allows you to pursue a political position regardless of your educational level, track record, or expertise in administration as long as you are a natural-born Filipino who can read and write. The policy is justified in a democratic government that strives to acknowledge equal rights and opportunities for all Filipinos. After all, one's educational background has little to do with one's leadership skills. Indeed, we have seen former human rights lawyers and even bar exam toppers who were once advocates for the masses' plight, but who have now become enablers of murderers, if not murderers themselves.

There were a lot of private citizens – businessmen, labor leaders, activists – who filed their certificates of candidacy for senator in the 2022 national election. There are also familiar faces that already graced the public spotlight in one way or another in the past. But perhaps the most “familiar” of them all are those who have been accused of violating certain laws. The Local Government Code and the Omnibus Election Code state that only those convicted with finality of crimes punishable by at least 12 months of imprisonment are disqualified from holding public office (Gavilan, 2018). In the artwork, those familiar faces are Jinggoy Estrada, Juan Ponce Enrile, Bongbong Revilla Jr., Imee Marcos, Ronald dela Rosa, Larry Gadon, JV Ejercito, and Cynthia Villar.

The three key colors that I used are Orange, Blue, and Red. Orange represents the cases filed against those familiar faces, blue represents the vindication for their name after entering politics, and red represents how our politics and governance works like a circus.

Freedom

by: Enrico Salapong

The Iskolars are brawling with the oppressed because being silent is siding with the oppressors. Unlawful killings, arbitrary arrest and incarceration, and harassment have all been perpetrated against human rights advocates, political activists, and politicians. Indigenous peoples have been attacked by authorities and unknown perpetrators. Indigenous peoples have long been marginalized and discriminated against. The majority of indigenous groups, especially those in remote places, do not reap the benefits of development.

Philippines Carnival

by: Arlamae Asahan

As time passes by, the Philippine political arena has become more and more of a circus. From selection of leaders to the action of the elected leaders, and even in their response to the country’s issues, it appears ridiculous. One good example is how the candidates of our national elections are full of a variety of entertainers in different fields such as Robin Padilla, Raffy Tulfo, and Manny Pacquiao. This shows how the senate and other political positions are treated as an avenue for people to try politics just for the experience. And as a country with so many people with little access to information, this type of people still wins out of popularity just like how Robin Padilla topped the senate elections .Therefore, some Filipinos seem to enjoy the show of these aspiring politicians.

In the artwork “Philippines Carnival,” it can be seen that a politician is in the center, wearing a clown hat, in front of many people, in a carnival. It shows how people, despite being played with, still trusts politicians who are clearly not fit for their positions. Since entertainers, like clowns in a circus, are popular to people, they are most likely to win political positions even if they are not skilled enough for it. In addition, tickets at the top part of the poster could serve as voting tickets, “admit one” for one vote. For every ticket, you are given a slot to enter the Philippines Carnival since whoever you vote for, the system will still continue to operate the carnival.

Poisoned Minds

by: Christine Arabelle Monge

We all know how rampant fake news and disinformation are in our society nowadays. It is just so disheartening to consider that evil is still triumphant and will remain victorious both in the here and now and in the years to come. The current status of our nation served as a source of inspiration for this piece of digital art. The victorious candidate for president won the election by using a variety of mediums to indoctrinate the minds of the voters and by taking this decisive action.

Generation: Silver Lining

by: Aimie Sabas

The photograph was captured days before the election. It was the sixth of May 2022. This was from a house-to-house campaign in the slums of Muntinlupa. I captured a lot of people and moments during the campaign, but this photo struck me the most. It is evident how their situation depicts almost the majority of Filipinos. The house, clothing, and environment. Despite their current predicament, they remain hopeful and optimistic about the results of the upcoming election. The child inside the house shows pure innocence and the boys outside are somehow aware of the current happenings as they show signs of support for Leni Robredo.

They will not be voting, but our decision on who to vote for will surely affect their life. They are looking up to good candidates that will help the people most especially the marginalized, they are looking up to them because it serves as their light in a dark and chaotic country like ours. As the election turned out, Leni Robredo did not actually lose. Filipinos do. Filipino contractual workers lost, a teen who is struggling to identify their gender lost, sick people who suffer not just physically but financially lost, hardworking but under-recognized farmers lost, people dealing with mental health issues lost, and children who are a victim of the poor educational system and a lot more lost. What kind of future are we going to give these children? What kind of government are we going to expect? What kind of future are we going to look forward to? There are a lot of questions that remain unanswered but as Filipinos, we will still put a smile as if we are like little children in the photograph still longing for hope.

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