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Just like with the viral “tumindig” artwork, various Filipinos got creative in expressing their dissent and depicting the issues that hounded the current administration on the day of President Rodrigo Duterte’s last State of the Nation Address.
From murals to mascots, protesters showed off different protest art during the People’s SONA along Commonwealth Avenue on Monday, July 26.
Effigies and higantes
During the protest, art collective Ugat Lahi’s “Duter-tuko” effigy served as this year’s centerpiece. It depicted the President as a gecko holding on to power beyond his term. Duterte has been floating the idea of a possible bid for vice presidency in order to stay in power and escape lawsuit.
Straying from tradition, the effigy was not burned, given the threat of COVID-19.
Another artist collective also created a 14-foot effigy representing the plight of Filipino farmers. “Digna,” designed by Sama-samang Artista para sa Kilusang Agraryo (SAKA), portrays a female farmer wearing a sash with the words “Duterte Wakasan” (End Duterte).
The piece was inspired by the Higantes of Angono, which were historically used by farmers as effigies in protests against oppressive landlords.
Demonstrators also marched towards Batasang Pambansa with Duterte’s crowned head, bearing the words “ENDO King,” skewered on a bamboo pole. Ending contractualization was one of Duterte’s failed campaign promises.
Comics and murals
Aside from effigies and higantes, several protesters also showed their dissent through large comic book covers at University Avenue in Diliman, Quezon City before marching to Batasang Pambansa.
Bearing the title “Wakasan na (End it)!” the comic book covers were created by artists and comic book creators from the Concerned Artists of the Philippines. The pieces showed their interpretation of Duterte and the people’s fight for their rights.
The Alliance of Health Workers also marched with an artwork criticizing Duterte’s medical response during the pandemic.
Other critics mocked his “imperialist” policies through an artwork that depicted him aboard a boat with military officials, sailing away from the Filipino people.
‘Tumindig’ and other mascots
Meanwhile, what started as an online phenomenon that mobilized artists to be involved in the nation’s issues, found its way to the streets as a symbol of solidarity.
Groups created physical mascots of their #Tumindig icons. The original “tumindig” fist was created by satirical cartoonist Tarantadong Kalbo, and the image has gradually evolved into a call for individuals and organizations across the nation to stand up for what they believe in.
Human rights group Karapatan also paraded the “Duterte Maligno,” a mascot whose chains bear the names of the victims of extrajudicial killings. They called on Filipinos to hold Duterte accountable and to fight against tyranny.
One protester also depicted Duterte as an “online seller” selling ancestral lands, territories, and the Philippines’ sovereignty to foreign governments and corporations.
Another artwork depicted Duterte as an octopus, with his tentacles symbolizing the foreign policies he has implemented and the ties he’s built with other countries over the past years.
Cosplay and costumes
Members of the Makabayan bloc continued the tradition of coming in protest wear made by local artists from different sectors. House Deputy Minority leader and Bayan Muna representative Carlos Zarate wore a barong highlighting the need for cash aids and vaccines amid the pandemic.
Students and activists also came in imaginative costumes.
Several youth groups also took to the streets wearing school uniforms as they called for a safe return to school and P10,000 cash aid for students.
Aside from the massive protest along Commonwealth Avenue, Filipinos in different parts of the country staged their own protests in a bid to show the state of the nation from the perspective of locals. – Billie Asuncion and Kristel Ogsimer/Rappler.com
Billie Asuncion is a Rappler volunteer and a fourth-year studying Political Science at Ateneo de Manila University.
Kristel Ogsimer is a Rappler intern from the University of Santo Tomas taking up a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism.
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