You can now wear Lualhati Bautista’s words with Linya-Linya’s first writer collab

Linya-Linya is marking Women’s Month with a limited edition shirt that features the words of writer and activist Lualhati Bautista.

The shirt features the line “Sundin ang tibok ng puso. Sundan ang sariling bahaghari (follow the beat of your heart, follow your own rainbow),” stylized with Linya-Linya’s artwork. The line was taken from the writer’s Facebook post from December 2020 that went viral for its message of hope.

“This exact line resonated with us because whatever situation we’re in, we can always do something to create positive change. Imbes magpalunod sa ingay ng nangyayari sa labas, kailangan lang pakinggan ang sinasabi ng loob (instead of drowning in the noise of the world outside, we just need to listen to what the voice inside is saying),” said Linya-Linya creative director Ali Sangalang.

Photo courtesy of Linya Linya

For Lualhati, the line is a personal message – a reminder to live life according to how you want it.

“Maging malaya lagi na magpasiya. Hindi ‘yung mga ginawa natin ang dapat nating pagsisihan kundi ‘yung mga bagay na ginusto at pinangarap natin pero hindi natin ginawa. Dahil marahil natakot tayo, maraming tanong sa isip natin, o nag-isip tayo na baka mabigo lang,” she said.

(Always make decisions freely. We shouldn’t regret the things we’ve done, but rather the things we wanted to do and dreamt of doing but didn’t. Perhaps because we got scared, we had too many doubts, or we thought we’re bound to fail anyway.)

“Tayo higit sa lahat ang dapat manalig sa sarili nating kakayahan. ‘Di ba sinasabi na sa dulo ng bahaghari ay naroon ang pot of gold? Hindi ko ibig sabihing salapi o ano pang materyal na kayamanan. Higit dito ay ang kasiyahan na kumukumpleto sa atin bilang tao na nagpapatibay pa sa pananalig natin sa sarili. Naipagmamalaki natin ang ating sarili,” she said.

(Most of all, we should believe in our own capabilities. Don’t they say at the end of the rainbow, there’s a pot of gold? I don’t mean money or other material things. More than these is the happiness that completes us as people, that strengthens our belief in ourself.)

Lualhati is known for her seminal novel Dekada ’70, which chronicled the life of a middle class family under the oppressive dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos. She is also known for her novels Bata, Bata…Pa’no Ka Ginawa, and ‘GAPÔ, which tackle various social justice issues.

The Linya-Linya x Lualhati Bautista special edition shirt is available on Linya-Linya’s website, Shopee, and Lazada for P 799 – which includes a special card featuring quotes from Lualhati’s books, and art by Linya-Linya’s artists. – Rappler.com