The Wutz Up in the Philippines!

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – Sen. Jamby Madrigal and several other presidential candidates on Monday ganged up on Sen. Manny Villar for spending too much on political advertisements, which analysts have pinpointed as the main reason why Villar has been able to catch up with erstwhile frontrunner Sen. Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino III.

In the “Inquirer First Edition: Presidential Debates” held at UP Diliman, Madrigal delivered harsh criticisms against Villar. The lady senator had filed a complaint for unethical conduct against the real estate tycoon in connection with the C-5 road extension project.

The ball started rolling when Madrigal was asked the question: “Political ads nowadays seem to cater to the lowest common denominator in society. From catchphrases to jingles, they seem to contain mainly rhetoric but no real substance. Do you think this type of campaigning, including political endorsements from movie celebrities, does this not contribute to the dumbing down of the Filipino voter?”

The sole female presidential candidate responded with a resounding, “I agree—completely.”

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Take a quick scan of the room where you are right now and immediately you may be confronted by old receipts, buttons torn from clothes, ribbons, coins, postcards and their small windows of stamps, things that don’t have any visible use but which you are still saving for “later,” and other bric-a-bracs you accumulate amid the larger and what you consider as more important possessions. Collectively, these things amount close to nothing, on the verge of being thrown away and never to be seen again.

But these objects—small and mute as they are—are still potentially useful. They may re-serve their old purpose or they may be given voice as art. Conceptual art, mixed media and found object are friendly territories for “things” not only because of their physical properties (their hue, size and texture) but because of the ready commentaries they proffer on what kind of life we live. Our material culture reflects our tastes, choices and aspirations. It presents a polished mirror on how we live as a society.

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