At the inaugural President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III Lecture on Leadership and Democracy in time for the observance of his 4th death anniversary held at the Escaler Hall of the Ateneo de Manila University in Loyola Heights, Quezon City last week, I had a seatmate.
Her name was Shaila Ubana, an Interdisciplinary student of the university.
She was at the lecture to listen and digest what party-list ML congresswoman-elect Leila de Lima delivered about the moral integrity, decisiveness and sharpness of the former late president's mind in dealing with the crisis in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
De Lima was a key figure in the Aquino administration who fought for the favorable decision of the Arbitration panel on the maritime and territorial conflicts between China and several countries near the South China Sea, including the Philippines.
Anyway, I asked Shaila about her origins.
"I am from Bicol," she replied.
I told her she has namesakes in my town, Lopez in Quezon Province where the Ubanas are a family of politicians.
"May mga Ubana nga raw po sa (I heard that there are indeed Ubanas in) Quezon," she said.
Then I immediately conjured up an analogy about the meaning or scope of her course.
"Like interrelating science with literature," I commented.
"Something like that," Ubana smiled.
Meanwhile, in the context of de Lima's speech about her plans to instill in the minds of the Filipinos the importance of the decision of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) that WPS belongs to the Philippines, the interdisciplinary roles of maritime and territorial ownerships with art and technology must suffice to shed light and bring forth truth and justice to the issue.
In the forum, de Lima underscored her platforms in the 20th Congress to reiterate that WPS is a Philippine territory.
"Ang sa Pilipinas ay sa Pilipinas (What belongs to the Philippines is ours)," echoed the former senator.
De Lima encouraged the attendees of her lecture to approach her in presenting ideas and actions in rallying for the assertion of the Philippines as the legitimate owner of WPS.
I should have said that documentary films like "Philippine Seas" by Atom Araullo and "Food Delivery Fresh from the West Philippine Sea" by Babyruth Villarama could help in de Lima's campaign to emphasize the country's ownership of WPS but these pieces of info belatedly ran in my mind.
I just thought about what a showbiz denizen like me could do to support de Lima's campaign.
So be it.
"Philippine Seas" is Araullo's account on the sovereignty of the Philippines while "Food Delivery Fresh from the Philippine Sea" is Villarama's narrative on the supply of food to the fishermen, members and officers of the Philippine Coast Guard and other workers who oversee and diffuse tension in the disputed islands.
Unfortunately, "Food Delivery Fresh from the Philippine Sea" was withdrawn both by its producers and organizers of the 2025 Puregold CinePanalo Film Festival from its line-up because of "external factors," according to a joint statement of the stakeholders.
However, it has been scheduled happily anytime for screening after its exclusion from the fest's official schedule in March.
Film as a popular medium can be a major avenue to vent an issue and gain support from it.
I hope de Lima heeds this call.
#WeTakeAStand #OpinYon #OpinYonNews #OpinYonColumn #Imagery