The Asian Congress at the Kadayawan

I had the fear that Davao might be the spillover of the military’s offensive against the MILF rebels. But the contrast of Mayor Duterte’s infamous security blanket encouraged me to go on with my attendance to the 1^st International Conference of the Asian Congress of Media and Communication (ACMC), considering that I already wired my registration fee, booked my flight, and there was the lingering guilt that if I retract I woukd break my promise to assume an important role in the conference.

My fears were allayed when I set afoot Davao International Airport, which was definitely better than Tagbilaran’s and Puerto Princesa’s. When the conference started I all forgot about the threat brewing in the South.

The conference centered on the role of media and communication in the discussion of human rights. Rightly so, Alan Davis, a London-based journalist who is currently affiliated with an NGO that monitors human rights cases, gave the keynote speech. I could not forget his emphasis on the preferred behavior of journalists who are human beings before professionals. He gleaned that objectivity in news is not necessarily compromised by expressing a journalist’s sense of “humanity” or “subjectivity” (to a certain extent) when dealing with sensitive human rights cases.

A series of plenary speakers provided more insights, most noteworthy of them for me was Rachel Khan. I like the way she responded to my question on Reuter’s dictum today that “No news is worth dying for.” She said that the dictum is not in conflict with the search for “truth” because the journalist could simply raise awareness on a controversial issue and let more “powerful” stakeholders take the cudgels and battle it out so to speak. Expectedly witty was Dr. Isagani Cruz who clarified that the Philippines is not the third largest English speaking country. According to him, nowhere in the world has recognized this except the website of our embassies. We are actually the 5^th; if I heard it right India and Nigeria are ahead of us. His talk, however, focused on the impetus recognizing the “Filipino English” and the challenge of “colonizing English”.

I learned that my panel on “Imaging Women” with fellow young communication scholars had the most number of attendees. Our panel tackled the political economy of women’s portrayals in sitcoms, “Other-ness” in the representation of Thailand as a sex tourist destination, the most gender-sensitive films of the Metro Manila Film Festival, and women in better light

I had newfound friends: Fatima of Lyceum who told me to teach in her university too, Dr. Lea from Zamboanga who invited me to give a talk in her school soon, Joanne of Ateneo de Davao who accommodated most of my requests, Dan Cantal, Communications chair of Trinity U and my roommate, my flight-mate John Wigley of UST, and rekindled friendships with Gwen Pusta,Walter Yudelmo of FEU, among others.

But more memorable is the bonding I had with Ma’am Beth Naui and Smith from Chulalongkorn U. Showing our version of Filipino hospitality, we treated Smith in an unknown restaurant. Smith was so polite to say that the food is okay but Beth and I knew that there is better pork sinigang than what was served us. Despite this, we still had a lively tête-à-tête over dinner ranging from politics to our lives.

Smith who questioned how British media misrepresented Thailand as a sex spot shares with me some commonalities like the similar anchor on political economy of our papers, our passion for teaching, and penchant to go to massage spas. It was just unfortunate that he had to return to Thailand the day after his paper presentation. If time permits, Beth and I will visit him in Bangkok in February next year.

The ACMC’s schedule was timely for the Kadayawan Festival. Much touted, it featured the “indakan” and float parade as students all over Davao strutted on the streets in their colorful and ethnic-inspired costumes. Like a true-bloodied tourist, we did not miss the festival, took snapshots, and feasted on the spectacles.

Noticeably, the Davaoeños were very polite. In the market stalls, they cleared the way so we could pass, a sign of how they highly value tourists. The food and accommodation are not pricey so local tourists like us had our money’s worth. We were also able to walk in the streets without fear of muggers, a proof that Davao is indeed one of the safest cities in the country. The only spark of threat I noticed was when I saw a group of adolescents who shouted some invectives against some emos crossing the street.

I will go back to Davao, this time for sheer leisure because I did not have the chance to visit some tourist spots. Some must-haves the second time around: the grilled fresh fish at P25 each, the good massage (combination of Thai, shiatsu, and Swedish), the suburban ambience that provides balance between rural and cosmopolitan life, and the festivity that conveys our rich Filipino heritage.