20/12/2023
COMMUNITY๏ธฑFEATURES
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๐๐๐ ๐ช๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ข๐จ
Picture an academically-inclined school girl whose life revolves in school, family, and friends. She could be anyone, right? Now, to narrow it downโshe has short hair; face beaming with a smile spanning from one ear to the otherโas if sheโd been kissed by the sun. And the cherry on top, she wears pink glasses. Charisse Macapagal is the girlโs name. And to anyone who knows her, the pink frame is her trademark. But even though Charisse uses rose-colored frames for her eyeglasses, sheโs proven she doesnโt see the worldโespecially the Philippinesโ through rose-colored lenses.
A smart Taguigeno student (SRCCMSTHS), the girl has amassed great academic recognition and is a math olympiad with experience spanning years in international competitions, bringing home the bacon in the form of silver and bronze medals. But just recently, the girl with pink glasses added a significant number of awards to her already extensive list what one would least expect from a Science High School student; a first place in the arts.
Through her rose-colored glasses, one can see that her brown eyes glisten with wisdom of the countryโs issues and her heart burns red with passion for the masses. And so, with her mind dead-set on helping the Filipinos, she connects to her temple a pen, writing a flamboyant stage play entitled โThe Big Bangโ, which warranted her and her team, Teatro Compaรฑero, the blue ribbon in the International Science Drama Competition.
She colored the stage rainbow as the play starts off with an upbeat song that paints the Philippines, including its traditions, culture and people, in a vibrant array of colorsโslightly incorporating in the lyrics the peopleโs wish to have a leader.
Within minutes, however, the atmosphere on the stage is engulfed by an eerie gray as an announcement that D-day is coming echoes throughout the auditorium , signaling the impending doom of the countryโs environment.
The actors scramble in panic until Lucy, the newfound leader dressed in yellow, hushes the crowd and proceeds to suggest, or, rather, force multiple โsolutionsโ to facilitate sustainability including total jeepney modernization, with reference to the nationโs most controversial socio-political issue of late.
In a โSNAP!โ, the townsfolk experience a glimpse into the future, unfortunately showing what is the opposite of the desired outcome of Lucyโs previous suggestions. The stage flashes maroon, as the people point out the environmentโs deteriorated state because the system that Lucy had built did not work, or, to put it less pessimistically, the machine is sputtering badly. But rather than admitting her fault, Lucy decides to point her fingers to the masses, noting that their snail-like speed is to blame for the destruction of their surroundings. This time, however, the tables turn as the public hushes Lucy back, noting that her solutions are lightyears away from the countryโs reach.
To finish her theatrical masterpiece, a final stroke of neon reveals that they are given a second chance. And Lucy, together with the townsfolk, start promoting climate justice at a speed that is just. In the last shot, the stage is yet again painted by not just vibrant colors and lights, but also of signboards that voice out its playwrightโs call to act fast, but to limit its scope to domains in which it can be most efficient and least detrimental, all written in neon, to shine brightly even in the dark. In the end, the whole play rightfully receives a standing ovation from one of the judges and Teatro Companero snags their golden trophies in the 10th of September this year, giving Taguigenos indubitable, prideful proof that Filipinos can compete artistically on the worldโs stage, all the while spreading more efficient solutions that promote sustainability responsibly.
Today, Charisse continues to show her true colors by writing and directing more plays and films, clutching her pen, wishing that those who are blind can finally see a ray of light as they see through her rose-colored glasses. She hopes for a brighter tomorrow for the Philippines' environment after all of the political turmoil. After all, rainbows do come after rains, donโt they?
๐ผ๏ธ Erica Sky Beltran
