the terror
Manila, 5 July—Despite protests, the President has signed the controversial Anti-Terror Bill into law. It is now Republic Act no. 11479, also known as the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020. You’d think the first president from Mindanao would prioritize voices from Mindanao—the Bangsamoro Parliament itself had called for the veto of the bill—but alas. Just another President who only listens to the military.
So… what now? We have tried messaging our congress representatives, signing online petitions, and taking to the streets in the middle of a pandemic. We have tried educating others about its dangers, making more people aware of it across all channels imaginable, explaining it in multiple languages and employing good design to make information easier to understand, more relatable, more attractive. We have tried donating to causes the government has been ignoring, trying to do our share, para may ambag. We have been amplifying the good, the kind, the inspiring while trying to call out in equal measure the untruths, the deliberate misinformation, the gross inaction, the abuse.
It is now July. Usually, by this time I’m already tired anyway—but oh boy, am I exceptionally tired now. Exhausted. The other day, the president’s spokesperson practically celebrated the fact that we were some 2,000 Covid-19 cases short of the 40,000 projection of UP experts by end-June. (The briefest celebration—we broke the 40k threshold three days later)
This is not how winning looks like. Do not congratulate.
Speaking of people we shouldn’t congratulate: This administration just marked four years in office with most of its promises unfulfilled. Ano, kaya pa?
Links List
🔖 The Wisdom and the Madness of Crowds. This is an interactive educational module on how and why crowds turn to either wisdom or madness. It’s a fantastic way to explore how our circles influence our perception and behavior, and how groups can influence other groups, etc.
🖌️ This group of Gen Z LGBTQIA+ artists are publishing an online zine. #ColorZinePH is out now.
🍲 The family behind Som’s wants its name back. This week’s oh wow, ano na nga ba nangyari dun? read. Takes me back about a dozen years, when my co-workers used to order a lot of pad thai during weekend duty.
Ending this with my favorite dog meme this week, aptly captioned, Applying for jobs in the middle of a pandemic:
Thank you for making it this far. Keep safe.
Xo,
K