A commissioner of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has summoned the creative group behind the upcoming fantasy series 'Bagani', through ABS-CBN's top executive, regarding its cultural accuracy.
Commissioner Ronald Adamat, a former congressman, specifically having served as the Sectoral Representative for Cultural Communities during the 10th Congress, who also hails from Maguindanao, is questioning the alleged misinterpretation of Bagani "as a bayani with magical powers."
In his letter addressed to Karlo Katigbak, ABS-CBN's sitting President, Commissioner Adamat pointed out a quote from a lead character. "In one of the interviews the main character of the teleserye was quoted to have said of "Bagani" as "Para siyang bayani. It's the story about how the Philippines, di ba archipelagic tayo, how the Philippines was born. It's about our culture."
Even if the Adamat did not specifically mention the name of the lead character, he later qualified that it was Enrique Gil who is portraying Lakas in the teleserye which is set to premiere on primetime TV on March 5th. "He further added revealing more details about his character, "Super hero ako at ang pangalan ko po doon ay si Lakas," the letter continued.
Adamat is seeking "immediate clarification and explanation" on the historical basis of the teleserye's concept. In his letter, he said further that "it is not enough for writers and producers of movies and teleseryes to come up with concepts, titles, and characters, that would sell and create blockbusters yet carry with them half-truths and lies that destroy and negate the real essence of an IP (Indigenous Peoples) terminology, as in the case of "Bagani", and instead bring injustice to the 14 million Filipino IPs."
Dr. Ronald Adamat is also a current lecturer at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. He said, he is "deeply bothered about the portrayal of "Bagani" in a teleserye as being a "bayani with magical powers" that is totally detached from what the term actually means to the Indigenous Peoples communities."
ABS-CBN and its creative arm, Star Creatives, is still to comment.
Please read complete letter from the commissioner below.
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