The year 2019 has been an answered prayer for my academic endeavor. Finally, I presented and defended my graduate thesis for Master of Arts in Media Studies (Film) in the College of Mass Communication (Graduate Studies Department) of University of the Philippines Diliman. It not only signifies a finish line for my pursuit of a Master’s degree but also a new beginning to turn theories into practice.

This is what I consider my grand milestone in the year 2019.

That alone is worthy to be remembered and celebrated before the said year ends. Who will not be genuinely in a state of euphoria when someone who started embracing his academic courseworks since 2015 that after five long years he will finally graduate in the country’s premier national university? Oble himself witnessed all the hard works, challenges, and a few minor mishaps that were encountered in between. (Maybe because nagpa-picture ako sa kanya despite an urban legend that says: “Never have your picture taken with the Oblation while you are still a student at UP. You will not graduate on time or you will not graduate ever.”)

However, I’ve proven it not really true. I have graduated exactly before my application to waive MRR (maximum residence rule), hence, will not need to have penalty course anymore. (By the way, I will formally march on graduation this June 2020 and that makes me more excited. This is literally #roadToSablay! that I’ve waited for so long.)

Spending sleepless nights with tons of readings and papers to be written; all the film productions that drained my savings; many encounters with mind-blowing concepts and theories from some hard-to-pronounce big names in the academe and media/film scholarship; with presentation of my papers in conferences/colloquium on the side; plus a comprehensive examination that has the power to dictate if I will be “in or out” in the program; one-year leave of absence due to heart-breaking circumstances; and fortunately minor revisions of my thesis after the final defense in front of my powerhouse panel members who gave me “Pass” with smile on their faces — all these had to be endured with sweat and tears (both literally and figuratively) for me to finally say that “I made it!” (with flying colors).

In that regard, I am forever grateful to God Almighty who provided me strength, wisdom, and good health (and financial provision, because graduate school is also expensive) for me to be able to focus my eyes on the goal.  I prayed for it and He granted it. I give back all the honor and glory to Him.

To my family, professors, classmates, and friends (and even the institutions where I work – Far Eastern University, Mapua University, and Centro Escolar University), I am also thankful to each one of them who supported me with this scholarly undertaking.

I also want to remember how I willingly sacrificed my long-time career in ABS-CBN just to give myself ample amount of time to study again. However, my professional background in the Philippines’ largest media conglomerate has been a huge help for me to easily understand the complex system and the intricacies of media and film scholarship just because I experienced them first hand.

The next question is, what’s next?

That’s a hard question, though. Especially that the year 2020 which is about to come signifies fresh start of a new decade.

Good thing, I have already contemplated about it. What I learned in the graduate studies will definitely be put into practice through various projects that are about to be accomplished in the next years to come. I target to be regularized in an academic institution as tenured Professor. I will publish articles on academic journals (and write books in the not so distant future) and present my papers in both local and international conferences. I will keep on producing social advocacy films (and full-length features at the right time), among others.

My biggest goal this 2020?

Some might think that I will immediately take PhD as the next step after finishing MA. Maybe. But I plan to take law. In the middle of the year I will be enrolling to a law school and start another journey in pursuing another age-old dream of mine. Exactly like 20/20 vision, that is a “perfect vision” that I clearly see in 2020. That makes me more enthusiastic (and admittedly nervous at the same time as it will open new [tough] world for me) but definitely inspired by what I have encountered during my research days with my MA.

Social advocacy cinema (as a category of alternative cinema) is one of my research interests. In fact, I chose it as a topic for my graduate thesis. The result of research is clear: the dystopian conditions of the country and terrifying conflicts of our time —poverty, social injustice, inequality, political crises, and human rights violations, to name a few – seem eternally inscribed in the history of struggles of the Filipino race. These struggles of the people caused by monopoly and bureaucrat capitalism, neoliberalism, neocolonialism, imperialism, feudalism, and fascism from the Marcos regime continue all the way to the incumbent administration.

It is in this way that film (or social advocacy cinema as I proposed to call it) becomes an important tool for social advocacies of alternative multimedia collectives — to serve as chronicler of the plight and struggles of the people as they advocate (alongside people’s organizations, cultural groups, and proletarian communities, etc.) for their essential needs primarily in the aspect of human rights and social justice.

It may sound cliché or too idealistic, but I wholeheartedly want to contribute to social change. Studying law will create right opportunities for me to be personally part of it. I still have long road to take but I rest assured and optimistic that I am on the right track.

That’s for now.

Nawa’y sa pagsisimula ng panibagong dekada ay samahan ninyo pa rin ako sa aking masaya at makabuluhan (ngunit masalimuot) na paglalakbay sa buhay.

Maraming salamat sa buong dekada ng 2010 to 2019, at handa na akong harapin ang 2020 at ang marami pang mga susunod na taon.

May the Lord God fill this new decade with all his love and grace. Happy New Year!