NORA Aunor’s CASE is so Pinoy it is “Tuwid na Daan” enigma put right on its head for the benefit of the clueless.
Without being judgmental Nora’s life’s journey along bumpy road and neglected rail tracks should be be viewed by her “kampi” and “kalaban” in three time perspectives: a blast from the long PAST; the short fast receding PRESENT, and the seemingly uncertain FUTURE.
THE LONG AND WINDING PAST: from the humblest beginnings of selling drinking unbottled water on Bicol Express while on stop overs at Iriga to radio’s Eskwelahang Munti, to the golden years as the nation’s number one singing star, then number top box office queen of the silver screen, some close family issues, reel and real life romances; of tampuhan and hiwalayan, of rumors of being sugar mommy, of winning lots and lots of uncontested Awards of excellence in the performing arts. She proved there’s a Provinciana Dream, there’s beauty and money in talent and innocence. There is popular and celebrity life in the performing arts.
THE SHORT AND FAST RECEDING PRESENT: It is start of the after the Provinciana Dream come true chapter in Nora’s fast lane. The period seems shorter than the struggling and glorious past but worrisome, scary moments and full of vulnerabilities to the onslaught brought about decline in many things. Among them earning power, the biological strength and freshness of youth, the adulation of fans and admirers, of friends-in-need. It is not all down hill travel to the future. There’s the uphill part that try to sicken body and soul. To those not born to success, success is like a high, a short time fix that needs to be sustained. Nora was not born to a Filipino politician’s dynasty. She has no fortress and armor to protect and maintain the good life and extravagance of success. Hers could be a rare one of dime a dozen examples.
THE SEEMING UNCERTAIN FUTURE: If a crystal ball will be able to show Nora Aunor’s future as an actress-singer of her age, it will be at best a little hazy if not very unclear. It will be judgmental if not plain guessing to predict her situation as to her health and personal financial capacity. Certainly her losing the honor of being a National Artist have probably a negative impact while winning the honor could provide tremendous benefits money-wise and even boost a comeback emeritus (that very much abused word for old foggies in the clergy and in the academe) career.
A World myopic view of the singing-acting or performing arts: Google’s listing of hundreds covers almost all countries most of which have many if not several festivals or awards of their own. The most publicized and world renown are Hollywood’s Oscars, the Globe Awards, The GRAMMY, The Cannes’ Palm d’Or, etc. Not so known are Philippines Cinemanila International Film Festival, Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival and Metro Manila Film Festival.
What is not in the world news every time there’s the annual Oscars, Globe and GRAMMY awards etc. is the seeming CONSTANCY of protests or bickerings on the awards given to artists. Supporters, friends and fans and even the artists themselves DO NOT PROTESTS decisions of the judges. If ever there is although rarely the refusal by an artist to accept the award thought to be undeserved. Nobody comes forward to claim any award denied or given to another artist. Winners in those countries therefore live and die knowing their awards are not Lutong Macao. There is trust, respect and honor on the integrity of the decisions. The acceptance of the results of awards indicate that almost absolute cultural integrity resides among the supporters, friends, fans, the artist themselves and the judges. The MGM Lion growls and roars: Ars Gratia Artis loud and clear – ART FOR ART’s SAKE for the artist who might think of self-entitlement.
Search the history of world art, Google the names of Margot Fonteyn, Rudolf Nureyev, Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Picasso, Amorsolo, Renoir, Matisse, Ingrid Bergman, Laurence Olivier, Marlon Brando, Audrey Hepburn, Philippine art history too and look for names of Leopoldo Salcedo, Rogelio de la Rosa, FPJ, Dolphy, Carmen Rosales, Charito Solis, Anita Linda, Vilma Santos, etc. No complain for unbestowed honors?
Tuwid Na Daan and National Art: President Noynoy may or may not know that the Philippine Arts as a whole or some parts of it badly needs artistically engineered “Tuwid na Daan.” All he has to do is look back during the last decade the awarding of rewards, este rewarding of awards.
On President Noynoy, no one knows if he Googled the list of our National Artists. What he saw might have influenced his decision which very likely has nothing to do with Nora Aunor. Hmm, ano nga ba? It’s not it, but “Tuwid na Daan” of Pres Noynoy is against the wind, against culture embracing therefore both rich and poor, against corrupt politics, against the raging flow of the times, against the good life of questionable elite. Jesus Christ might had been crucified because of his biblical Tuwid na daan.
Noynoy is not Jesus Christ, or holy preacher OF COURSE. He has not said yet God is talking to him. P Noy probably knows by now that our culture implicates the arts. Regardless of salience and relevance to the situation, we feel self-entitled, we wrongly fight for the perceived underdog, we follow the norms that the exception can prevail over the rules, that anything right or wrong can be fixed to either direction by the abundance of our reasons.
Of recent (during the last decade) coinage pejorative to our culture as backlash to corrupt governance are the culture of lawlessness, culture of corruption and culture of impunity. Not yet spun by media, addenda candidates like the “paawa” culture of those accused of crimes in the Philippine Senate, self entitlement or me too culture, the underdog culture and the culture of arreglo could gain a strong foot hold if not decisively addressed by the Tuwid na Daan’s rehab and reform thrusts of the P Noy Administration.
OH YES, the list of our National Artists (Bakit walang yatang artista?), the Award should have been given to Nora if there’s a precedent, meaning if only there’s just one lady singer-actress in the very short list (of macho directors) for cinema. Hindsight tells us if only the Gods choosing the National Artists before had chosen a few outstanding thespians as worthy of their high pedestal after all many actors and comedians are good enough to become Senators, City Mayors, Governors, etc. I know my point sounds utterly wrong. Regardless, politics is the art of the possible. These politicians (like Vilma) might excel in both.
Google says Nora was declared as clean as a whistle of drug traces as of October 2007 by a US Court. That’s almost seven years ago and we are known for our short memory which is also a selective kind of forgetfulness. Nora perhaps had qualified even long before 2007. President Noynoy’s Tuwid na Daan should take a second hard look at this Boondoggle of Philippine Art.