Page 56 - The Flame

NLIKE many students who have grown apathetic to the then reported in their respective classes.
societal issues that confront the nation, acclaimed film di- After finishing his degree, Libiran continued to fight for his ad-
Urector Jim Libiran has courageously stepped out of what is vocacies, but now in the field where he later on became known
conventional, making use of his diverse talent in the field of multi- and successful—the mass media.
media arts to voice out his generation’s clamor for change.
Despite the contradicting opinion expressed by his professors Media career
and other superiors, Libiran and his colleagues focused their atten- Fresh from graduation, Libiran worked under Abante, one of
tion in pushing for change that made great difference in the Fac- the leading tabloids in the country, from June 1987 to August
ulty of Arts and Letters (Artlets) during the period of martial law. 1989. He served as its managing editor and editorial writer.
Armed with the different experiences he went through in life, He later on worked as the world news writer of Dyaryo Filipino,
various opportunities opened up for him, giving him the chance to followed by a stint at Bandera and The Manila Times. Alongside
do what he really want in life—shoot films that voice out socially his job as a writer, he also became part of the non-governmental
relevant messages to Filipinos. organization Labor Education and Research Network (LEARN).
With the encouragement of his professor Josephine Placido-
Student activist Aguilar, Libiran taught Journalism in Filipino and Sociology of Mass
A graduate of AB Sociology in 1987, Libiran entered the doors Media in Artlets back in 2002.
of the Faculty with a strong will. He eventually became a student After his teaching job, he focused himself on his broadcast jour-
activist during the dictatorship of the late president Ferdinand nalism career and entered ABSCBN-2 as a reporter. Brought by his
Marcos.
“Noong panahon namin, sabi na- “Kung gusto niyong maging astig, you have to go
min kailangan maging militant yung
mga estudyante ng Sociology. So lahat beyond. Lagi kong sinasabing kapag walang
ng mga aktibista, pumasok,” Libiran danger, corny ‘yun. Walang thrill.
said, recalling that the active participa-
tion of students flourished and reached Wala kang matututunan,”
its peak when former Senator Benigno - Film Director Jim Libiran
“Ninoy” Aquino, Jr. died.
Being part of the activist movement during one of the most hard work and persistence, he was appointed manager of the net-
momentous events in Philippine history gave him a chance to work’s News and Public Affairs Division.
speak out his mind. He later on transferred to ABC-5 where he was assigned as
“Kristyano ka, naniniwala ka sa langit, pero bakit parang mas Head of Production for News and Public Affairs.
handa pang magpakamatay para sa bayan yung mga hindi nanini-
wala sa langit?” he asked. Passion for film
Libiran added that their group was unaware of the dangers en- In 2005, he gratified his interest in filmmaking when he en-
tailed by activism during that period. They were caught off-guard rolled at the University of the Philippines (UP) Film Institute.
when two of their friends were killed. “Pumasok ako sa film para makakita ng mga taong [nasa film],”
“Whistle bombs were even placed inside comfort rooms. Be- Libiran said.
cause of that, no one dared to use the facility, and most students Upon pursuing his desire to share his ideas to the public, he
were encouraged to join the strike assembly outside our building,” wrote Tribu in 2006 and won second place in the Dulang Pampeli-
he said. kula category of the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards. He later
Libiran added that the things they fought for and the class- on translated it into film, eventually winning as the Cinemalaya
mates they lost during the period fueled their activism to burn 2007 best full-length feature. Its story revolved around the tale of
even brighter. teenage Filipino gangsters.
Adding to this, he noted that the program of Sociology itself It was his first project as a filmmaker, and at the same time, his
became radicalized during his time. The usual strikes and rallies thesis for his Masters Degree. He was one of the few MA students
prohibited by the University became rampant as a sign of protest who were able to produce a 97-minute full-length film as his thesis.
against the injustices committed by those in power. The film bagged eight international awards including Best Film
“Init ng ulo kami noon ni Dean Villaba,” he said, further sharing and Best Director. The success of Tribu paved the way for Libiran to
that they were even threatened to be kicked out of the Univer- create his second film, Happyland.
sity because most of the advocacies they were pushing for were “Yung risk, laging nandoon,” he said. The challenge of creat-
against the ideals of the Faculty. ing another film that would surpass the success of Tribu was one
At that time, he was the Filipino Editor of the Flame. Together of the risks he took as a film director. Lourd de Veyra, one of his
with the other staff, they produced an issue that contained articles closest colleagues, once asked him what he could still offer after
and photos prohibited by the administration. writing something as big as Tribu.
In his words, he described the old Faculty as “Rock and Roll na “Kung gusto niyong maging astig, you have to go beyond,” he
Rock and Roll.” said. But he noted that threat will always be part of the whole
There were instances when he and his colleagues debated with game.
their professors due to disagreements in certain matters. Accord- “Lagi kong sinasabing kapag walang danger, corny ‘yun.
ing to him, his firm and courageous attitude helped him win as Walang thrill. Wala kang matutunan,” he said.
president of the Sociological Society. Despite the awards and recognitions under his belt, Libiran
However, he started to question the educational curriculum for noted that he is still in the process of learning the ins and outs
Sociology implemented by the University. of filmmaking. He added that learning needs ingestion of fresh
“Parang sabi namin, Sociology ito, bakit palagi kaming nasa knowledge and ideas to become effective.
loob lamang ng classroom?” he said.
This led to their “Rural Urban Sociology” course wherein some Continuous path
stayed in the mountains, lived with farmers, and spent the night The journey he took in college and the path he continues to
in rallies. The experiences they gathered in their immersions were walk on reflect his unending perseverance to fulfill his passion. He

56 | FLAME