HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRIPE-VINE: OUR NEW ABNORMAL

Held annually on the fourth Sunday of January, the Dinagyang Festival of Iloilo City is a religious and cultural affair held in honor of the Santo Niño. The word Dinagyang is Hiligaynon, and means “merrymaking.” Originally similar to the Kalibo Ati-Atihan, it was in 1977 when the term Dinagyang was introduced, and applied to the festival. Since then, it’s grown in leaps and bounds, becoming one of the most popular and raved-about festivals. 

Last week found me at the Dinagyang, and on Saturday evening, at the Molo Mansion for the book launch of Houses That Sugar Built, authored by Gina Consing McAdam, with Irish photographer Siobhan Doran. It’s a wonderful compendium of grand houses and mansions that one can find in Iloilo, the Bacolod area, and Pampanga. The photos of Siobhan make for stirring memories; and Consing-McAdam beautifully renders the stories behind these homes, having conducted lengthy interviews with the surviving members of the families that owned these estate homes. 

The Molo Mansion is itself the ancestral house of the Consings, and was acquired by the SM Group some nine years ago. It now houses a Kultura store on the ground floor, and there are pop-up eateries in the garden area – turning the mansion into an inviting visitors’ and tourists’ destination. In his message, SM Supermalls Steven Tan mentioned how proud he was to represent Mr. Hans Sy at the launch, and to hold up the Molo Mansion as a fine example of “adaptive reuse.” 

For her part, Gina concurred, saying it was wonderful to see this house that her grandmother had grown up in, not falling into disrepair or neglect; but lovingly restored and made relevant. It now has a vibrant role to play in Iloilo tourism, and she thanked the SM Group for recognizing that while keeping the original structure intact, the mansion was now something the general public could enjoy.

During the previous night, Iloilo Mayor Jerry Trenas had joined us for the Ilomination Night Parade, which kicked off at SM City Iloilo. To represent him at the Molo Mansion event was his daughter, Raisa Treñas Chu; and she spoke about the valuable contributions the SM Group was making via their public-private partnerships, prime example being the rehabilitation of the Iloilo Central Market – and their singular efforts, such as what they have created with the Molo Mansion.

‘Mouse’ in the House?

In a conversation with my sons last week, we began talking about Philippine-China relations, and the saber-rattling on the part of our politicians on the issue of the disputed West Philippine Sea islands. They noted how we reiterated our adherence to a One China policy, asking the question of “Isn’t this the one China that’s giving us all the problems, and refused to recognize the 2016 Arbitral Award of the international courts?”

They also ventured the opinion that all this saber-rattling seems to be more about “pogi”-points, as they highly doubted we’d go to war with China, or that those politicians were ready to turn those islands into a bloody arena of naval combat… and personally lead the charge. 

And to be honest, I just smiled and said chalk this all up to how ridiculous and frustrating politics can be. What flashed through my mind though, and I shared this with them, was a movie I watched back then – and how it was one of those films that made me appreciate smart political satires, and the value of comedy in talking about serious matters. 

That film was The Mouse That Roared, first released in 1959, and I watched a Betamax version. It was a geo-political satire, and had the brilliant Peter Sellars taking on three roles – yes, this prefigured how five years later, in another satire, Dr. Strangelove, he was again asked to portray three roles. If Dr. Strangelove took on the USA-USSR Cold War; The Mouse That Roared was about banning the weapons of mass destruction of that era. 

Why did I recall this film? Listen to the premise: the minuscule, insignificant European Duchy of Grand Fenwick goes bankrupt when its sole export, a Grand Fenwick wine, is challenged by a cheaper American imitation. So the devious Prime Minister Count Montjoy concocts the plan of declaring war against the USA, then surrender, and take advantage of the historical precedent of how America helps rebuild the economies of the nations it has defeated. The ruler of Grand Fenwick, Duchess Gloriana, is hesitant and dubious, but reluctantly agrees. 

To help guarantee defeat, mild-mannered game warden Tully Bascomb is made Field Marshall; and along with 20 men, board a merchant ship and arrive in New York harbor. No spoilers here, but as Fate would have it, they intercept a Dr. Kokintz, inventor of the superweapon Q Bomb, take him and the bomb hostage, and return to Grand Fenwick, victorious.
Of course, this is exactly what wasn’t supposed to happen, and so things get complicated, and hilarious as the USA tries to negotiate and avoid an embarrassing defeat. Plus other countries now pledge support to Fenwick, offering to take the bomb off their hands. Sellars plays the Prime Minister, the Duchess, and Tully Bascomb. 

It’s a film that asks who really wins in modern warfare? And when it comes to us and China, are we a ‘mouse’? And what would make China give us back our ‘cheese’?