BY EIRENE JHONE E. AGUILA



I have always had so much respect for someone who manages to rise from the ashes and a state of loss and despair to create a happier, more beautiful and meaningful life. There is nothing wrong with being born into fame, influence and comfort too—but truly there is something much to be said of persons who do not allow themselves to play the role of victim for too long.

These persons, rather take stock of what they have left, gather themselves together, stand up and create a better life—without cursing and blaming, and without regret and being stuck in nostalgia too much.

On Friday evening, together with my mom, I attended the opening of the exhibit of Miss Juana Change (Mae Paner) dubbed Pangatawanan Mo Nah held in the Vargas Museum, UP Diliman Campus. It was perhaps one of the best socially relevant art exhibits I have been to in a while and it was definitely worth it! The hall was filled with beautiful pieces by various artists, all portraying their own interpretation of Juana Change—the various social ills and evils in the Philippines today with the hope that the exhibition would inspire in each of us a renewed sense of nationalism and patriotism and re-ignite that fire inside us to drive us to work toward meaningful change from within, in our own way.

During the opening of the exhibit, Juana Change was decked from head to toe in an all-original creation by Roger Dio. Handmade all from water lily, Roger turned Juana Change into a modern-day Filipina super hero with wings and her heart-themed give-away bookmarks to boot. It was so beautiful. And this was all made by Roger himself.

I first met Roger through Mae and came to know him as her ever-faithful and reliable driver. It was a couple of months after meeting Roger that I discovered what an artist he was! I guess being around one of the most passionate artists in the country rubs off on those who are around Mae often. While waiting for Mae during her appointments, instead of being idle, Roger would keep busy weaving bags out of water lily. Yes, you read right. Weaving bags out of water lily. It started simply as a way to get rid of the pest that destroyed his home. Roger lives near the river and during one typhoon his house was completely destroyed by water lilies from the river. Instead of getting angry and feeling sorry for himself for a long time, Roger picked himself up and made use of the water lilies to transform them into something very beautiful (and a source of added income too!)—he would create beautiful bags out of them. I got myself a bag and several friends have asked me to get them some from Roger.

And last Friday’s event show-cased Roger’s talent not just for making bags, but for transforming meaningless garbage into beautiful works of art. He made the Juana Change costume for the night, the giveaways and another piece of art that—when you come to the exhibition—greets you as you enter the museum.

To the right of the entrance, one will see a wire Juana Change form and in it is filled with all sorts of trash—plastic forks and spoon, paper, cans, etc. “Juana Change—Climate Change”—that’s what Roger Dio calls his work. Amidst all the beautiful creations of all the other renowned artists is one by this simple man, Roger, who from nothing, from garbage, created something so beautiful and meaningful.

I would like to think that, just as there is a Juana Change in each of us who deep down inside will make a commitment for the better, a commitment for country and for a brighter future, there too is a little of Roger is us. We can course what see we are not so good but we do not stop there—we do not allow ourselves to be victims all the time. We rise up and we create beauty, give meaning and work for a better tomorrow.

KAYA NATIN! congratulates its very own Mae Paner, a.k.a. Juana Change, and the various artists who took part in this exhibit. Pangatawanan Mo Nah will run until November 19, 2009 at the Vargas Museum, UP Diliman. We hope you can all drop by to visit it.

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