cARltfipL NpWS
A Bi-monthly Publication of Carmel Philippines
A Continuingfourncyto Scrvcand GiueLifc...
Th" first week of December 2003
I ushered in an exciting time for
Carmel Philippines. Deacons Rico
Sabanaland Emmanuel Vallega were
ordained priests in the Island of
Negros. Bro. Rico was ordained on
December 5,2003 in La Libertad,
Negros Oriental. The next day,
December 6th, Bro. Emmanuel was
also ordained in Kabankalan City in
Negros Occidental.
It was a joyous occasion as the
brothers embraced the next stage of
their religious life. Their aptly
chosen theme for the occasion
"Paghalad... Pag-alagad...Paghatag
ug Kinabuhi..." (Offering...Serving...
Giving Life..) echoesthe impetus that
led them to their vocadon.
Bro. Rico's La Libertad ordination
was a memorable one. At the San
Sebastian Parish Church, the whole
community of La Libertad poured
out to witness and celebrate Bro.
Rico's solemn offering of himself to
God's Community as their firstpriest
ordained in the parish.
The Kabankalan ordination was
likewise eventful. The whole
Carmelite family joined in the cel-
ebration at the St. Francis Xavier
Cathedral. Bro. Emmanuel was
warmly welcomed as another son of
Kabankalan who has given himself
to God and His People and to God.
Frs. Rico and Emman had their
temporary profession on June 1.3,
1999. Tiogetherthey celebrated their
solemn profession to the Carmelite
Order on ]une 7,2003. They both
finished their Master's degree in
Pastoral Ministry at the Inter-Congre-
Friars,novices,co-workersof the
Commissariat,and membersof the
Tertiary acrossthe country joined
Frs.Ricoand Emmanuel'srespective
families and friends in marking
theseeventswell worth celebrating!
The Philippine Carmelite Order
wishes to thank everyone who
helped in making Frs Rico and
Emmanuel'sordination memorable
and meaningful.
Bro. Rico Sabanal,O,Carm
gational Theological Center - Our
Lady of the Angels Seminary Eccle-
siastical Graduate School in Quezon Bro. Emannuel Vallega,O.Carm
City on March 12,2003.
Fr. Rico Sabanal was born on
December 27, 1973 in Cantupa,
La Libertad, Negros Oriental. He
XUA^ti l"'ar;/*
obtained his Bachelor of Arts Degree tr Bonwoon
lnlcglulion
.........3f
in Sociology under the Carmelite
Collegiate Formation and is now
assigned at the Spring of Carmel
tr A "DucInAhum"
Novitiate House as Assistant Novice Expericnce
...........o.............
35
Master.
I
Fr. Emmanuel Vallega was born n NewsUpdotes finom the
']..6,
on November 1970 and hails
from Azcuna, Kabankalan City. He YCPF
fficc .........r..............
38
finished his Liberal Arts degree in
Social Sciencesat Kabankalan Catho- tr pelikulc@liturbrundsmo
lic College and is now assigned at toqrcdHighthk 20O3.....,. 39
the San Alberto College Formation
Center in Cebu Citv as Vocation
Animator. D TOC .........40
NolionclGouncll
 GARMEL ITEWS
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Starting from early 2003to late Octo-
ber,pelikula@titusbrandsma (p@tb)
was the "saving grace" of the Tifus
BrandsmaMedia Program.Honestly,
it was the "most" active program in
the whole mammoth of activities of
TBC Media. It has been a rewarding
year for this "film club", as the com-
mittee members - all volunteers
would want to call it. These are the
people who stand by TBC Media
through its trying times eventhough
theywouldn't like tobe named.
Its wings started flapping at the end of last year when
the pelikula committee noticed an unstable attendance.The
committee decided to look for possibleways to attract new
facesand at the same time maintain the regulars.This was
also due to the conviction of the group to offer films, even
those uncensoredand unrated to be readily accessibleto a
n'ide varietl' of audiences.A "not so" far-fetchedgoal,after
the fust film dialogpe sessiorywith the newly constructed
website, brochure and regular press releasesinmajorbroad-
sheetsand Lrquirer Libre, the committee observed a trend.
That is, p@tb'saverageattendeesincreasedto an averageof
fifty. Not only that, it reacheda maximum of 130at TBC and
274,two consecutivesessionscombined, at the recently con-
cluded stint of p@tb attheUniversity of the Philippines (UP),
Diliman. With this trend reaching its maximum t,afilm
director (sorry, can't name him)
soon called the attention of a film
Soup which is within the roaster
of p@tb filmassociatesnetwork and
even p@tb as well, indirectly
thougtU to exercisecaution due to
the "illegitimacy" of these groups
existence,perhaps a real threat to
the film director. From then on, the
group becamemore cautious at the
same time assuredof p@tb's inde-
pendence from other agencys'/
institutions' interference.Fr. Bemard Roosendaal,O.Carm
explained to the group its nature as a religious ministry and
its commitment to academic freedom. Others ceasedto
continue but p@tb remains vigilant.
All these developments led the pelikula committee to
endeavorsoutside thewalls of Titus BrandsmaCenter.Such
as the special film dialogue sessions- Thrkovsky's Solaris/
Despentes'scontroversial Baise-Moi (Rape Me), Polanski
Film Festival, Gay and Lesbian Part II and the weeklong
Sexuality in Cinema - all held at UP Diliman. The group
also organized a film critics' forum at BrashYoung Cinema
2OO3
NOVEMBER.DECEMBER
pclikula@titusbra
ndsma
SoarcdHighthis 2003
entitled "Battle Royale."
Dwelling on the collaboration
with UR last December 2-5,
p elikul a@titu sbranilsma hrou ght
its controversialbest sellersfor the
UP audience to devour. This was
entitled: UP Film Institute fi.JPFI)
presents p elikul a@titusbrun dstna
Sneak peeks:Sexuality in Cinema,
the X FACTOR. A conservative
estimate of audience reach was
500++sincethe otherswere not able
to registerbut watched. The venue
(videotheque)used was originally good for 70 people only
but was tested and accommodatedmore than a hundred
viewers. An open forum and "talk-back" sessionfollowed
after each viewing. The controversial flicks were: Irrevers-
ible, Pola X,Intimacy, RomanceX, Caligul4 Baise-Moi and
the rising FrancoisOzon with his X2000Collection of Short
Films. All are true to their "controversial" stafure,with their
"sexpliciteness".Discussioru evolved on issuessuch as pro
to anti-womerl acceptanceof sexualiry porn or vice versa
and explorations of desires.
More of thesecollaborationsand tie-ups will be coming
this 2004.Pelikula@titusbrandsma has agreed with the
people of UPFI to organize a monthly film dialogue session
in the videotheque every last Wednesday,aside from the
regular monthly sessionheld at TBC every secondSaturday.
First quarter will be film directors' auteur,First in the row is
Ventura Pons, a Spanish director. Moreover, p@tb is
planning to collaboratewith other collegesand universities
for the special quarterly film dialogue sessionsor a film
festival of the 2003BestFilipino Films.Atwice-a-year forum
is also being considered,a tie-up of TBC Media and Spiritu-
ality programs. Out-of-town film festivals are also in the
plans and a fund raising activity featuring an anti-war
documentary.
Moving beyond the physical manifestations, p@tb is
also on its way to reformatting, a deepening of the dialogue
sessions.More of the TBC audiencesare gradually opening
to the idea of dialogue and have contributed "meat" to the
sessions.Issuesconceming women, perversions,sexuality,
gender, life, family and relationships are often the main
subject of discussions. Though, the group still needs to
improve more on this level especially to moderate and
facilitate the discussions well especially on Media and
Spirituality
TBC Media can do even more.Pelikula@titusbrandsma
has proven the capacity of the program to do better with
what is left within its hands and now it is back with a
surprise. Just wait and see!