MAFA Newsletter Feb-Mar 2015

In this issue…

From Your MAFA President —> p. 2

Winter LR Pics —> p. 3

Tinikling —> p. 4

Battle of the Bamboo Pics —> p. 5

MAFA Awards —> p. 6

MAFA Thank You! —-> p. 7

MAFA Interns —> p. 8

Letter from the Editor —> p. 12

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“A Trophy Can’t Validate My Experiences” Neil’s 7 Year Battle of the Bamboo Story

Winning – from the very beginning when I started prepping for Battle of the Bamboo 2009, I thought winning was everything. Honestly, it was a feeling I couldn’t shake for five long years because everyone made such a fuss about winning; like nothing else mat-tered unless you took home a trophy. But what I’ve learned, and the single greatest piece of advice that I can give anyone who participates in Battle of the Bamboo is this:

No trophy can substitute for the lessons you’ve learned, the experiences you’ve created, and the friendships

you’ve forged and nurtured. Winning has affected my mindset from Battle of the Bamboo 2009 all the way until Bat-tle of the Bamboo 2012. In high school, winning meant proving to everyone that a high school could size up in a college level cultural dancing competition. My freshman year in college, winning represented my first solid, level-grounded shot at that first place trophy

that my high school team strived to obtain. And my sophomore year in college, as one of the two co-cultural chairs, winning repre-sented so much more than it ever had before: it represented my partner and I being able to provide for dancers that believed in us; it represented being able to utilize all the experience I had gained up until that point to succeed; it represented the full circle of me evolving from a trainee to a teacher. But what I realized shortly after Battle of the Bamboo 2012 was over, as that trophy collected dust in the corner of our dorm room, was this:

That trophy was just an expensive piece of wood and plastic and will deteriorate over time. What I valued then and still value today are my family,

my friends, and my partner, who have supported me through my journey. And those relationships and memories are something I can keep forever.

The answer to my dilemma was obvious; it’s been obvious since 2009: no physical thing could ever be as meaning-

ful as those relationships and memories that were created from practicing together, from making props and costumes together, and from helping each other out as the weeks leading up to battle took their toll on everyone physically and mentally.

So never forget, the most important thing you should take from Battle of the Bamboo isn’t a trophy, because if

that’s all that’s on your mind, you can only end up extremely happy OR extremely sad from the result. BUT! If you can come to un-derstand that, unlike exams, tests, and How I Met Your Mother, the journey is more important than the end-result, then you’ll find that no matter what the result is for Battle of the Bamboo, you’ll always end up 100% happy due to the quality of the bonds and memories you’ve formed and proud of your efforts and obstacles climbed, and that’s a lot better than a 50-50 ratio.

And getting over that sense of pride is the first step into appreciating the efforts of others.

Photo Credit: Neil Miran

Tinikling was a form of punishment back in the day. Well…maybe not

exactly.

Tinikling is the most popular and best known of the Philippine

dances and honored as the Philippine national dance. The dance imi-

tates the movement of the tikling birds as they walk between grass

stems, run over tree branches, or dodge bamboo traps set by rice farm-

ers.

Dancers imitate the tikling bird's legendary grace and speed by

skillfully maneuvering between large bamboo poles. Tinikling means

"bamboo dance" in English. Considered as one of the oldest dances from the Philippines, this dance was origi-

nated in the islands of Leyte in the Visayan Islands. People of Leyte describe the tikling bird as one of the most

unique in it movements - walking around and between the tree branches and some grass stems. This bird was

named "tikling" from which the Tinikling dance got its name.

Because of the creativeness of the people, they imitate this bird by using bamboo poles. Before this

dance became what it is today, it went through an evolution of sorts. Different stories of the Tinikling's origin

have been passed down through oral histories and folklore. One of the stories of the Tinikling's origin may be

made up, a fact, or part of a legend. The story says that the Tinikling started by the people who worked on the

fields and paddies in the Philippines. When the Spaniards came from Spain and conquered the Philippines, the

natives lost control of their land because they were under the enconmienda system, an economic system that is

largely based on rural and agricultural operations of large farmlands administered by caretakers for the King of

Spain. The natives had to work all day to please the Spaniards. The people who worked too slowly would be

sent out of the paddies for punishment. Their punishment was to stand between two bamboo poles cut from

the grove. Sometimes, the sticks would have thorns sticking from their segments. The poles were then clapped

to beat the native's feet. By jumping when the bamboo sticks were apart, the natives tried to escape this cruel

form of punishment. This type of punishment became a cycle - the more bruised the person's feet were, the less

work he would do, the less work he would do, the more punishment. The matrix for the dance was probably

laid out when the workers would return home with their feet bruised and bleeding from the punishment. It is

said that from a distance, the people who were receiving the beat-

ing looked like the Tikling bird. And this is one of the stories about

the Tinikling's origin.

The punishment later became the dance it is today. When

the Tinikling is danced, there is music of plucked strings in Iberian

-influence staccato interspersing with tremolos and kept in time

with double stepping sway balances. By practicing to escape the

bamboo sticks during punishment, the Tinikling soon became a

challenge, an art, and a dance.

An article on the unofficial national dance of the Philippines, courtesy of your very

own Media Master and dance expert Daphne Agustin.

NIU PSA Kilusan Northwestern Kaibigan

OSU PSA Kawayan UMich FASA Traditional

SLU FSA UIUC PSA Barkada

Loyola Kapwa Cultural UIC FIA Cultural

Photo Credit: Zveephotography and Kathleen Guytingco

MAFA School of the Year: UMich FASA

MAFA Event of the Year: FACT

Breakthrough MAFA School of the Year: SCSU FASA

Most Cultural School: Loyola Kapwa

Most Active MAFA School: UMich FASA

Best Supporting MAFA School: Purdue PFA

Photo Credit: Chris Joligon

Katalina Faraon

Shashwati Haldar

Allister Laurel

Jacob Belardo

JC Silverman

Jon Gamiao

Soumi Santra

Chris Paclibar

Jason del Rosario

Trini Roxas

Jessica Ruzgal

Kathleen Guytingco

Felicia Murray

Kristy Villarosa

Phillip Dequina

Delaney Ryan

Josephine Belen

Kenny Stamper

Tiffany Lao

Lia Payne

Thank you to UMich FASA E-Board and our MFAS

Ambassadors for all your hard work in planning and

making this year’s Summit a success!

KATHLEEN GUYTINGCO

UMich FASA

JUSTIN

SUMAIT

UIUC PSA

KEN

GONZALES

Minnesota PSA Loyola Kapwa

EMIL

SIOSON

UIUC PSA

AUDREY GOMEZ

UIUC

PSA

JOSH

PAK

LESTER DeLa CRUZ

UIC

FIA

MADDIE

RONQUILLO

Loyola

Kapwa

CHRIS

JOLIGON

UIC FIA

RON

ILAGAN

MSU

PASS

JOANNA

RAMOS

Purdue PFA

Mizzou Filipino-American Student Association (MU-FASA)

University of Missouri

Columbia, Missouri

Current President: Marcie Tigas

Website: https://www.facebook.com/mizfasa

In Mid-Missouri there is a low number of Filipinos in the area. MU-FASA al-lows fellow Filipinos and other cultures to come together to further the understanding of the Filipino culture and different communities. Even though we’re a small group, we still have the heart of a big pam-

ilya ♥︎

In the springtime each year we have a Barrio Fiesta. We have per-formers, great food and fun games. It’s our favorite event because everyone comes together to help and just to have a good time.

What does it mean to be a Midwest Filipino (in general or specific towards your organization)? Since there is a lack of diversity in the Mid-west (Specifically Mid-Missouri), being a Midwest Filipino means that we are more challenged to learn and embrace our culture (which makes it just as important for us to come together with one other).

Each newsletter will feature MAFA schools from across the Midwest. Come learn about the

unique schools and organizations of your fellow MAFA members!

Purdue Filipino Association (PFA)

Purdue University

West Lafayette, Indiana

Year Established: late 1990s

Current President: Joanna Ramos

Website: https://www.facebook.com/groups/purduefilipino; http://www.purdue/pfa

PFA focuses on promoting closer unity and cooperation amongst Filipino and Filipino Americans around

Purdue University by promoting Filipino culture and Asian American awareness, coordinating meetings and events, and further supporting its members. Here at Purdue, we are family (hence why we call ourselves the PFAm!)

We’re proud to have officially established an annual Philippine Culture Night where we showcase the differ-ent aspects of Philippine culture through dance, song, skit, spoken word, and of course, food! Not only does our PCN promote Filipino culture, it makes us stand out among other Asian Organi-zations on campus as being the one of the few organizations to host culture nights.

Being a Filipino/Filipino American student at Purdue means redis-covering or further enhancing the pride you have in your culture. A Filipino American Boilermaker means that we represent hard work; we pour our heart and soul in everything that we do.

Filipino American Association (FAA)

University of Toledo

Toledo, Ohio

Year Established: 2009

Current President: Ma. Kim Khrista Encarnacion

Website: http://www.utfaa.weebly.com

What is the most unique thing/aspect about your Fil-Am student organization?

“No matter what your cultural background at the end of the day, we are a family.” –Eric

Gest

“Even though it is a Filipino organization, I’m not sure if it’s more than half, but half of

our members are not Filipino. Compared to the other cultural organizations at, I would have to say FAA is very diverse.” –Tiffany

Sassady

“FAA fosters lasting relationship with others, whether it be within UT or with the other MAFA schools.” –Kimsa Nguyen

“The most unique thing about FAA is the family aspect. No matter what, it seems like family is something that you gain out of this

organization. FAA grew so quick within a short amount of time is unique within itself.” –Guyton

Mathews

Overall, as a five year old organization, FAA has grown so quickly. A big reason for that is how

family-oriented the organization is. Some people move away for college and some stay. With the people

that move away, FAA has and will always provide a 2nd home to anyone. Whatever ethnicity you are,

FAA is there for you!

FAA’s big event each year is the Filipino American Heritage Month Banquet. It is similar to any

other Philippine Cultural Night by showcasing Filipino culture and talents, as well as Filipino food. For

the second year now, FAA have given out scholarships to their members. Being a five year old organiza-

tion and not having a big alumni database, FAA is very blessed to be able to give back to their members.

The Filipino community in Toledo is a very friendly family-based. Whether it’s the Talisay Fili-pino Organization or the Filipino Association of Toledo, most of its members are relatives. If anyone

were to spot new Filipinos in town, they for sure get an invite to a party. Filipinos everywhere are hospitable, that’s just the way we are. Being a Midwest Filipino means being a friendly, family-oriented person.

Penn State Filipino Association (PSFA)

Pennsylvania State University

University Park, Pennsylvania

Year Established: 1989

Current President: Monique-Rae Valerio

Website: https://www.facebook.com/pinoystate

What is the most unique thing/aspect about your Fil-Am student organiza-

tion? Our diversity. We're proud to say that a third of our organization is not Filipino. We love welcoming everyone, regardless of if

they're Filipino or not and embracing them into our family.

Each year we have our cultural show, Barrio Fiesta, every March. We incorporate Filipino culture with a different theme

each year and produce a show with skits, student performances, and various modern and

traditional dances to the Penn State community. Some of our past themes were Once Upon

a Barrio, Super Barrio Brothers, Pokemon: Barrio Version, and this year it's Avatar: The Last

Airbender (If you think of a good Barrio pun, let us know!). It's a free event so come out if

you can!

For our organization, being a Midwest Filipino is something new to us. While Penn State is part of the Midwest, many of our members come from states on the east coast such as New Jersey, New York, and the Washington D.C. area. We're looking forward to interacting with the rest of MAFA to discover our Midwestern side.

DID YOU KNOW???

The University of San Carlos in Ce-

but City was founded by Spanish

Jesuits in 1595, making it the oldest

school in the Philippines.

“Did You Know” Facts Courtesy of http://www.buzzfeed.com/mattortile/buzzfeed-bayan#2fg8wdv

DID YOU KNOW???

In 2009, about 1.39 billion SMS

messages were being sent in the

Philippines daily. The country

was one of the earliest adopters

of text messaging, earning the

moniker “text capital of the

world” from the mid ’90s to the

early 2000s.

Pope Francis Visits the Philippines

This past January, Pope Francis took a 5-day trip to the predominantly Roman Catholic Philippines, his first time in his papacy. His trip includ-ed a meeting with President Aquino at the Malacañang Palace; a mass with men and women religious at the Cathedral; meetings with families at the Mall of Asia and religious leaders at the University of Santo To-mas; and a closing mass at Luneta Park. One of the most significant and talked about parts of Pope Francis’s trip, however, was visiting the ty-phoon-ravaged Tacloban and celebrating mass there. Despite the bad weather and having to cut his visit short, Pope Francis through the rain through away his planed homily to give an impromptu one, encouraging attendees to rely on their faith to get through the difficult time and also ac-knowledging his constant prayers for their recovery and their hope. For the full homily, click on the picture of the Pope here for the video.

It’s About Time! Pacquiao-Mayweather Fight Set

After many years of talk and speculation, Manny Pacquiao (57-5-2) will square off against Floyd May-weather Jr (47-0-0) at the MGM Las Vegas on May 2nd. This will become the richest fight in boxing history, com-ing at a total of $250 million. Though some say that this fight is “five years too late” and both respected boxers are past their prime, this

won’t stop fans from watching these two fight in the ring come May. Hear predictions from ESPN analysts by clicking on the picture here.

SAF and MILF Forces Killed in Maguindanao

On January 25, the Special Action Forces (SAF) of the Philippine National Po-lice (PNP) descended upon Mamasapano, Maguindanao to target Muslim re-bels, one being known Malaysian bomb maker named Zulkifli bin Hir, also known as Marwan. On their return out of the town, the SAF clashed with sol-diers of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and their rebel breakaway group the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF). MILF fighters claimed self-defense and had explained that the PNP SAF did not notify they were going to enter the area even with the cease-fire agreement of the peace treaty of the region. With 44 SAF killed in action along with 18 MILF fighters, it is unclear of the future of this region of the Philippines as peace talks continue for the autonomy of Muslim Mindanao. For the latest news on this conflict, click on the picture here.

Hello there MAFA World!

Apologies for the delay in this edition of the newsletter (laptop issues -_-), but here you go! Thank you for making it this far and being willing to read my little two cents about my thought process when putting this thing together.

In all honesty, at first glance I would say that the contents of this newslet-ter are just a hodgepodge of things that don’t connect. But I’ve come to realize that they all have one commonality: that they are examples of MAFA doing work in the Midwest! From Winter LR to Battle of the Bamboo to preparing for MFAS, all of these events are tangible signs that not only MAFA board, but all of you MAFA members are making an impact in the Midwest Fil-Am community, and maybe you haven’t really thought about that. But check this out:

This past Winter LR was hosted by St. Cloud University FASA, a Fil-Am or-ganization that is only in its second year of existence

Battle of the Bamboo at UIC hosted a total of nine competitors and a total of eight MAFA school performances

MFAS was a collaboration with the MAFA E-Board and UMich FASA

We have currently 12 official interns for our MAFA board, the most I’ve ever seen

We are progressing. We are changing our community. And we’re doing it together. Why? Because we find the Filipino/Filipino-American culture and community im-portant and worth promoting and fighting for. And it’s something that I’m proud to say I’m a part of.

This has been a rough start to the semester, but a worthwhile one, as I partici-pated in our PSA’s Filipino Culture Night and performed at my first Battle of the Bam-boo with Barkada (it’s about time!). In these roles, I embraced our culture and the im-portance of it to not only me, but to those in our organization and to those that watched us perform. It’s a very powerful thing to display your culture to everyone. It brought chills down my spine performing on that FCN and Battle stage. But it was worth in the end, knowing that I literally gave all of my Filipino-American heart on

that stage.

So as we continue on with this semester, I continue to challenge you all to keep up the good work that you do at displaying our Filipino and Filipino-American culture. Whether it’s through dance, food, history, or just exemplifying our values of family, friends, and perseverance, keep showing others the importance of what it means to be a person who embraces the Filipino/Fil-Am culture. And be proud of that. Because I sure am too!

Stay classy,

Robert Delfin

Hope you enjoyed MFAS!