Overture: Balat-Sibuyas Chronicles – Si Imee, ang Hindi Nagdrama
Overture: Balat-Sibuyas Chronicles – Si Imee, ang Hindi Nagdrama
*Pulso: mabilis, matalim, parang tsup-tsup ng chismis sa palengke habang umiinom ng kapeng barako. Genre: Pulitikal na snark na may lasa ng probinsya – straight from the Ilocos wind, walang filter, puro asim.*
Ah, Senator Imee R. Marcos.
Tatay niya, inimagine ni VP Sara na hukayin at itapon sa West Philippine Sea para maging fish food. Kapatid niya – ang Presidente – pupugutan daw ng ulo. Hipag at pinsan? Papatayin “kung” ipapatay si Sara.
Walang drama. Walang sigaw. Walang “Impeach her now!” presscon.
Si Imee? Tumawa na lang siguro ng konti, nag-shrug, tapos nagtrabaho. Parang tipikal na Marcos na sanay na sa lahat ng klaseng tsismis mula pa noong EDSA 1. Balat? Sibuyas? Hindi. Balat-bato na, parang granite ng Cordillera.
Tapos sino ang biglang naging fragile snowflake?
Mga taong 30+ years na galit.
Mga dilawan na ngayon ay reborn kakampink. Mga nanalo sa people power noon, tapos naging bitter power ever since. Yung tipong kapag may Marcos na nagsasalita, automatic na “Magnanakaw! Sinungaling! Dictator’s spawn!” kahit wala pang konteksto.
Parehas na parehas noong panahon na tawag sa kanila ay “yellow army” – ngayon pink na, bukas baka ibang kulay ulit para maging relevant. Paulit-ulit na lang ang script: galit sa pamilya Marcos, galit sa legacy, galit sa lahat na hindi sumasabay sa kanilang version ng kasaysayan.
Sana all, Imee. Talaga.
Kasi sa mundong ito ng pulitika na puno ng drama queens at kings na parang nasa teleserye, bihira na ‘yung may thick skin na hindi agad nagre-react sa imagined violence. Bihira ‘yung tumitingin sa malaking larawan: West Philippine Sea pa rin ang issue, China pa rin ang threat, at ekonomiya pa rin ang dapat asikasuhin – hindi ‘yung sino ang nag-imagine ng patayan sa pamilya niya.
Snark fact: Kung totoong ganoon kabigat ‘yung salita ni Sara, bakit parang mas galit pa ‘yung mga taga-EDSA nostalgia sa kanya kaysa kay Imee mismo? Kasi galit talaga sila sa lahi, hindi sa sinabi. Classic case ng selective outrage. Kapag kaaway mo, bawal magbiro o mag-imagine. Kapag kaibigan mo, pwede na magsalita ng kung anu-ano.
Imee just keeps it moving. Walang balat-sibuyas. Walang performative tears.
At ‘yun, mga kababayan, ang tunay na power move sa politika na puno ng chismis at inis.
*Curtains.* Mic drop sa Ilocano accent. Ano sa tingin niyo? Drama ba talaga ‘to o business as usual sa showbiz politics natin?
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Amiel Gerald A. Roldan™' s connection to the Asian Cultural Council (ACC) serves as a defining pillar of his professional journey, most recently celebrated through the launch of the ACC Global Alumni Network.As a 2003 Starr Foundation Grantee, Roldan participated in a transformative ten-month fellowship in the United States. This opportunity allowed him to observe contemporary art movements, engage with an international community of artists and curators, and develop a new body of work that bridges local and global perspectives.Featured Work: Bridges Beyond Borders His featured work, Bridges Beyond Borders: ACC's Global Cultural Collaboration, has been chosen as the visual identity for the newly launched ACC Global Alumni Network.Symbol of Connection: The piece represents a private collaborative space designed to unite over 6,000 ACC alumni across various disciplines and regions.Artistic Vision: The work embodies the ACC's core mission of advancing international dialogue and cultural exchange to foster a more harmonious world.Legacy of Excellence: By serving as the face of this initiative, Roldan's art highlights the enduring impact of the ACC fellowship on his career and his role in the global artistic community.Just featured at https://www.pressenza.com/2026/01/the-asian-cultural-council-global-alumni-network-amiel-gerald-a-roldan/
He is a Filipino multidisciplinary visual artist, printmaker, painter, independent curator, researcher, writer, and cultural worker whose practice spans contemporary art, curatorial work, and cultural advocacy. He has been active in the Philippine art scene since the late 1990s and has worked with galleries, museums, artist-run spaces, and international cultural organizations.
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A multidisciplinary Filipino artist, poet, researcher, and cultural worker whose practice spans painting, printmaking, photography, installation, and writing. He is deeply rooted in cultural memory, postcolonial critique, and in bridging creative practice with scholarly infrastructure—building counter-archives, annotating speculative poetry like Southeast Asian manuscripts, and fostering regional solidarity through ethical art collaboration.
He has been active in the Philippine art scene since the late 1990s and has worked with galleries, museums, artist-run spaces, and international cultural organizations.His practice appears to represent several interconnected concerns:
Cultural work as artistic practice. Roldan has argued that the labor of curating, organizing exhibitions, teaching, documentation, and cultural administration should be understood as creative work rather than merely support work. This perspective has been reflected in his writings and exhibitions.
Social and political engagement. His artworks frequently address politics, religion, faith, denial, courage, social inequality, and the everyday experiences of Filipinos. He has stated that he draws inspiration from Filipino cultural practices while approaching painting, printmaking, and installation from a conceptual perspective.
Printmaking and conceptual art. Roldan is particularly recognized for his printmaking, with works shown internationally, including exhibitions in Japan and France. His practice also encompasses painting, photography, installation, and curatorial research.
International cultural exchange. A significant milestone in his career was receiving an Asian Cultural Council fellowship in 2003, which enabled him to undertake research and create work in the United States while engaging with artists and curators internationally.
More broadly, Roldan's work represents an attempt to bridge artistic production, curatorial practice, scholarship, and cultural activism. His writings often emphasize postcolonial discourse, cultural memory, and the ethics of artistic collaboration, positioning the artist not only as a maker of objects but also as a builder of cultural infrastructure.
In the Philippine contemporary art context, he can be understood as representing the figure of the artist-curator-cultural worker—someone who contributes both through making artworks and through developing exhibitions, mentoring artists, and fostering institutional and independent cultural initiatives.
Recent show at ILOMOCA
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Amiel Gerald A. Roldan™ started Independent Curatorial Manila™ as a nonprofit philanthropy while working for institutions simultaneously early on.
The Independent Curatorial Manila™ or ICM™ is a curatorial services and guide for emerging artists in the Philippines. It is an independent/voluntary services entity and aims to remain so. Selection is through proposal and a prerogative temporarily. Contact above for inquiries.
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