HOTSPOT

For a few minutes last Jan. 7, I was able to speak with a good friend on her sickbed. Although very ill, she was lucid and quick to remember me.

But gone were the days that conversations were hard to end. Before, there would be endless topics to talk about. This time, I felt she was also quick to get tired speaking, although she wanted to go on.

On Feb. 3, at 6:18 p.m., Rita Baua passed away.

Taritz was a mainstay in the parliament of the streets. She would be seen in meetings, assemblies, fora, symposia, and other events. She would be in every major protest action, and even in small pickets. Usually, she would be there to check the turnout based on targets set by Bayan’s member-organizations and allies, and ensure that Bayan’s calls are heard and seen.

As Bayan’s international officer, she was the Philippine movement’s humble proto-diplomat: Linking friends and allies from all over the world to the many Filipino organizations fighting for change. She makes sure friends abroad are aware of the issues in the Philippines, and helps arrange when they visit the country. When there’s a crying need to speak out about Palestine or Cuba, she would be at the frontlines of solidarity actions.

Because Taritz was the longest-serving staff member of Bayan, it would be easy to fill up this column with her accomplishments. I’m certain Bayan will honor her memory with a lengthy statement outlining her many roles in the alliance.

Taritz’s personal recollections from the early 1980s were a treasure trove of institutional memory for Bayan and the people’s movement. Her stories about the big and small people she had met, talked with, had meetings with, and served alongside with, were many.

To complete the story of Taritz, there are the many anecdotes that friends have started sharing online as soon as her family announced her demise.

Rita was a transformed Filipino ate (eldest sister) and professional. Prior to embracing activism, she was an English and Literature teacher in St. Joseph’s College, Pasig Catholic School, and St. Scholastica’s College.

In the twilight years of the Marcos dictatorship, Rita left the academe and found a new, bigger classroom — the parliament of the streets. She learned from the best: Bayan’s founding leaders Lorenzo Tanada, Lean Alejandro, and the likes of Fr. Joe Dizon, Crispin Beltran and Capt. Dan Vizmanos.

If Teacher Rita was happy before when her students understood the lessons and obtained high grades, the activist Rita or Taritz became excited every time she saw a groundswell of politically-aware Filipinos who are ready to act to achieve reforms. For her, the different metrics worthy of celebration: Wage hikes, land distribution, cuts in fares or fees, tuition hike freezes, the release of a political prisoner, the retreat of a flawed government policy, or the ouster of corrupt presidents.

In between the high-profile mass actions, Taritz was extra. She used to text or send emails to fellow activists in Bayan’s huge domestic and international network. When she was impressed and happy about something she saw, witnessed or read, she would find a way to tell it. Getting praised by Rita meant one exceeded expectations. Giving praise was Rita’s way of inspiring others to stay on, to stay true and to keep giving their best to the cause of national democracy.

One time, Taritz and I were the only ones spending New Year’s Eve at the Bayan office in Sikatuna Village. I asked her what she wanted to do, only to find out she had none. Most probably, she only planned to watch TV or surf the net. I coaxed her into going to Glo-Ri’s across the street. We bought food, juice and wine for a simple but nice media noche. To make things different, we went out and knocked on many neighbors’ doors to greet them and to give them Bayan Muna wall calendars.

In our last call, Taritz was more concerned about me. For five precious minutes, I told her about plans to travel, and what’s next, peppering them with “mahal kita,” “magpalakas ka,” and “magkikita pa tayo.” Her voice was obviously weaker, but it was unable to hide a frustration that she’s not in the middle of the mass movement she embraced, which transformed her, and which hugged her back.

Rest in power, Taritz. Salamat at tutuloy namin ang laban, Rita ng Bayan.