by Cynthia B. Arre | Jun 5, 2020 | Advocacies, Press, Updates
Very grateful to have been featured in Girls Club Asia where I talked about my journey as a female creative, the woman in my life growing up, living in Quezon City, artistic influences, and my dream collaborator. [ GO ]
Also thrilled to have been interviewed in NoliSoli.Ph where I was asked to talk about the #DrawNativeTreesPh campaign plus how my advocacy got realized, and also how the collaboration with Forest Foundation Philippines began. [ GO ]
Was also invited by Team Asia to be a guest in Part 3 of their live webinar series, “Experience Online” with the theme, “Live to Drive Passion.” The other guests were singers Karylle Yuzon and Acel Bisa van Ommen, and dancer Stephen Biadona. We all talked about how our passions fuel us to pursue our advocacies and live with purpose. You can watch the hour-and-a-half-long webinar on Team Asia’s FB page via this direct link to the video.
by Cynthia B. Arre | Apr 20, 2020 | Updates
I’ve known veteran and well-respected documentarist and journalist Mr. Howie Severino for a long time, but only in the way that most people know him — by name, and through his body of work. I’ve never met him in person. Therefore it took me by surprise a couple of weeks ago when I saw that he had followed me on Instagram. His IG was on private, but I requested to follow back anyway because… why not? 😀
At that time, it hadn’t been publicized that he unfortunately contracted Covid-19, and I only learned about it when he accepted my follow request and I got to see the photos on his feed. He also sent me this very touching direct message, and with his permission, I shared the gist of our encounter with my private list on IG Stories, and a few days later, on Twitter. Reposting the thread below for documentation.
https://twitter.com/arncyn/status/1250628657527193600?s=20
While trying to deal with pandemic-related uncertainty, stress, and anxiety, I’ve been thinking on and off if art ~ the only thing I can do – had any use at all, but Sir Howie’s message (above) made me see its worth even at a time like this.
Sir Howie also showed me an awesome photo of him, his wife, and son, posing by the roots of a huge Dao tree and wondered if he could commission me to draw it. I don’t accept portrait commissions anymore, but this was different. Around that time, his essays, “Ako si Patient 2828” and “The Anti-virus Warriors in My Blood” had already been published on the GMA website, and I read both of them in one sitting.
While drawing, I kept thinking that there’s no way I can accept any payment after he had been through so much suffering. It was going to be my gift for all the good he has done, and is doing – undergoing even more tests in the name of medical research, and continuing to share what he knows in order to help others.
After I told him, he sent yet another touching message.
https://twitter.com/arncyn/status/1250629901880705025?s=20
If there’s anything I will remember during these past 1.5 months of extreme-whatever lockdown, this experience would be it. In case you get to read this, thank you, Sir Howie. I’m actually the one who received a “gift” through our encounter because it has inspired me all the more to keep creating and helping in any way possible. 🙂
Edit (April 24, 2020): I just learned that our exchange was also featured in an article on the GMA News website.
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