On May 22, 2009, MTV Pilipinas held the MTV “Exit Concert” at the MOA Concert Grounds. Exit stands for “End Exploitation and Trafficking”, a global campaign against exploitation and trafficking (mainly of women and girls), supported by USAID. As I’ve articulated in previous occasions, I have issues regarding USAID’s perspective and responses related to trafficking.
Indeed there are many women and girl children who are trafficked into sex work or bonded labor by unscrupulous and intricate networks of traffickers. They get physically abused, sexually violated, psychologically tortured and financially deceived. There are many documented stories of girls and women who survived to tell the tale of their ordeal. Because trafficking is more often conflated with sex work or prostitution, many of these raids and rescue operations are done among sex workers. While there is a need to seriously address the issue of trafficking, several women’s organizations and sex-worker groups, particularly in Thailand, Cambodia and India, are also saying that a clear distinction should be made between trafficking and sex work, as not all women who enter prostitution or sex work are trafficked. Some of them do so at their own agency and that they are not coerced into becoming sex workers. In fact, I’ve met some of these women and on these superficial interactions, they appear very steadfast and resolute in their decision to enter sex work. Who am I then, to challenge a very personal decision? In the same vein, it cannot also be denied that the women who are trafficked into sex work, are subjected to the worst imaginable abuse and exploitation. How then does one navigate these two extremely conflicted positions and contribute to the cause of ending exploitation of women – regardless if they were coerced or chose to do sex work?
But that is not what this blog is about. And just for the record, I don’t have issues about sex work being recognized as ‘work’.
I went with my friend, Patty, who’s here from the US on a Fullbright scholarship. Che, a friend who works in IOM (International Organization for Migration), a partner of USAID in anti-trafficking efforts, facilitated our entrance. As someone working on HIV and AIDS issues for the last 10 years, I’ve never gone to any MTV AIDS Summit (mainly because of travel schedules). Thus, I had no pulse on what the atmosphere in an MTV Concert would be like, and save for the warnings about how ‘jologs’ it would be, I decided to brave it anyway.
Patty and I arrived late – and so we missed Kamikazee, Parokya ni Edgar and a few other bands. I would have wanted to see Jay Contreras flinging his wild hair, gyrating with wild abandon and screaming at the top of his lungs, “Wala, wala, wala namang napala!” Rico Blanco was on to his third song when we got in, and yes, I surmised he had already performed his gem of a song, ‘Your Universe’.
It was an eclectic crowd – but majority were young people (which is a good demographic target for the cause). Teenage girls in their short minis (which reminded me of 70’s fashion) and scrawny teenage boys in their skinny jeans sauntered around the sprawling concert grounds. It was a very relaxed and breezy atmosphere at the back, where Patty and I decided to nest. In contrast, the area closer to the stage was filled to capacity -- of sweaty, sticky bodies.
Several acts followed Blanco: some were more memorable than others. Itchyworms, a band I’ve not really followed, sang their catchy tunes. Pupil, and its perennially stoic frontman, Eli Buendia, tried to “warm up” the crowd. Spongecola also did their bit, including a performance with Gary Valenciano. Gary then performed his own set. I'm not really a fan of Gary V, but if there’s one thing that can be said about him, it’s his staying power. He was already ‘Gary Valenciano’ in the 80’s – and 25 years later, he is still strutting his stuff. Moymoy Palaboy’s performance was a happy distraction. There’s something lovable about these internet sensation dudes from Pasay. You take them as they are, like you take on street food – raw, in your face, and natural. Their rendition of Teeth’s Laklak, to the tune of Rodel Naval’s “Lumayo Ka Man Sa Akin”, was downright hilarious.
Just when I was wondering where the girls were – in a concert that seeks to protect women -- a girl-band named Duster burst in. Okay, pardon my ignorance, but I’ve never heard them play so I was kinda trying to place their music. I suppose if you have Myrene Academia (Sandwich bass player) spearheading the band, then maybe they are on to greater heights. That night, they also had award-winning music video director, Marie Jamora, on synths, which I thought was cool. I think they projected well – the lead singer has a Bjorkish appeal sans the weird outfit. Next performer was Kitchie Nadal who played her popular soap opera ditties. At some point, I thought she was more interested in throwing away those pink EXIT bracelets than singing. By then, Patty was already lying on her back and inching closer to dreamland.
By now, I need to interject that the band performances were broken by spiels of the concert hosts, Kat Alano (who spoke fluent Tagalog) and Epi Quizon. It was good to hear that the messages centered on prevention of trafficking in general, covering both sex trafficking and trafficking for bonded labor. All throughout the show, they kept stating that it is okay to pursue dreams, to go abroad for work, but care must be taken in realizing these plans and dreams. ‘Be informed’, ‘know your rights’ -- were the core messages that resonated throughout the evening. Whether these messages would be taken to heart by the audience, remains to be seen, though. MTV is hugely popular among young people, so it is a good avenue to raise the level of awareness of these dudes on these issues.
I must also say that by then, my butt and lower back were positively hurting from sitting too long on the concrete grounds. There was only one act left and it was the main act I had wanted to see. They had to be the last, which I suppose, proves that they are the biggest act in the local band scene today.
And it seemed surreal – people who were slouching down and lying on the ground -- all got up on their feet in unison when the opening strings to “Hallelujah” played.
To say that Bamboo is an energetic performer is an understatement. He leaps, kicks, punches the air, stomps his feet, bangs his head, and traverses the whole length of the stage. And the voice does not fail, not even once, unlike other local vocalists who perform miserably when live (will not name them, though). The crowd roared louder when they played a Rivermaya favorite, Elesi. By the third song, Bamboo was already sweating profusely (and he would, until the end of their set). You gotta give it to this guy – he really gives his all – and the same goes for his bandmates. Their latest anthem, Kailan was followed by the progressive ditty, Tatsulok, a song that Buklod or more specifically, Noel (Cabangon), used to sing in the rallies I attended way back in the 90s. Sounds like it was eons ago. So for Bamboo to put their imprint on this political classic that calls for a reversal of the prevailing socio-economic order, is something to crow about. It was great to see versatile sessionist, Wowie Posadas, doing keyboards for Masaya and also hear, albeit briefly, bassist Nathan Azarcon’s solo. And the last song they performed was Nopyi, the ultimate antidote to that major earworm sung by the famed pugilist that is currently plaguing the airwaves big-time (I don’t even know the title but the irritating chorus goes like this, ”Pilipino, Pilipino, Pilipino ang lahi ko”). What else can I say, six songs later, the crowd is thoroughly energized and invigorated. I am happy and so is Patty, who now lists Bamboo as one of her all-time favorite Pinoy musicians.
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