‘Asog’ REVIEW: On the Fruits of Filipino Resistance
‘Asog’ REVIEW: On the Fruits of Filipino Resistance
Jaya (Rey Aclao) and Arnel Pablo getting ready for their road trip.
Asog is a transgressive docudrama that defiantly stands up against the more compliant tendencies of Filipino culture, the parts of oneself that would rather let others walk over them in order to keep the peace, the tired voice in one’s ear that whispers caution, that affirms: “It’s not worth it. Your actions won’t change anything.” Asog showcases the inner resilience needed to confidently stake one’s place in this world, to assert that one truly is an active participant in their life, and ultimately, to defend one’s rights in solidarity with others.
It starts with the title of the film. In the Visayas islands, ‘asog’ refers to the historical term for biologically-born males who assume the role of traditionally female shamans called ‘babaylans.’ They presented themselves like other women and were well-respected within their communities as sources of divine wisdom. It’s an aspect of Philippine culture that has been lost in common consciousness due to the domination of western ways of naming and categorizing. To reclaim the term ‘asog’ from the pre-colonial past is a way to assert space in the world today for our collective identities. To assert the importance of our unique perspectives.
In the film, the spirit of the ‘asog’ is embodied by the protagonist, Jaya (Rey Aclao), who openly lives as their non-binary selves, working as a high school teacher by the day and a bar hostess by the night. They live with their boyfriend, Cyrus, in Tacloban City, Leyte. Tacloban was one of the most devastated cities in 2013 due to Typhoon Yolanda, which took over 6,000 lives, and, although a decade has passed, its disastrous impact still haunts the region to this day. They’re still recovering from the trauma.
Close-up of Jaya on a night out.
Jaya grows frustrated by the mistreatment they receive in their jobs and decides to take their chances competing at an upcoming Miss Gay pageant in Sicogon, an island in northern Ilolo. Before heading out on the trip, Jaya stumbles onto a former student, Arnel (Arnel Pablo), who is also planning to go there to meet with his estranged father. They decide to travel together.
The majority of the film follows them on their journey from Tacloban to Sicogon. On the way there, they meet various farmers, fishermen, and other laborers, and learn about the disastrous effects of Typhoon Yolanda on the region. Whenever we meet these new characters, the film seamlessly transitions into a documentary-like style that signals to us that the stories we are witnessing are real.
For example, they bump into a group of people walking on a long road in a line with buckets of water on their heads. We learn that their well was badly contaminated and so they have to walk over to a completely different town in order to bring water back to their community. Or in another, farmers lament the mass destruction of their coconut crops, which they tell us take 6 years to grow to maturity. And yet these people continue to be resilient. They fight for a chance to live fruitfully in a situation that would have left weaker spirits dejected. They strive to take control over their fates.
Jaya and Arnel on a boat to Sicogon Island.
When they finally arrive at Sicogon Island, they seek shelter from the rain at a local church. We learn that it was where many found refuge during the storm in 2013. In a series of haunting recollections, we find out about the violence and humiliation inflicted on many residents on the island, not during the typhoon, but in its immediate aftermath.
“Mga mayayaman na kapitalista,” — Wealthy capitalists sent out armed men with long rifles to blockade their lands. They uprooted their crops, stole their personal property, burned down their houses, and even blocked food supplies from entering to feed their over 800 families. Large corporations would offer them relief goods, but the residents caught on that they were actually being tricked into accidentally signing away their land rights.
These companies’ goal was to capitalize on their tragedy by taking their lands to open up resorts. In a press release for the film, it was revealed that the two corporations responsible were SIDECO (Sicogon Development Corporation) and Ayala Land Inc. The residents say that what they suffered from this harrassment was much worse than Yolanda itself.
From these stories, Jaya and Arnel realize that the Miss Gay pageant was going to take place on stolen land. And in a final act of resistance against the status quo, they choose to boycott the pageant. They not only boycott it, but they bring along the displaced residents and together they actively protest against it. At the end of the day, they may have not been able to win the money they needed from the competition, but they won the moral high ground. They aligned themselves with the residents and stood up to the man.
In the film’s epilogue, we learn that over the years, the residents who refused to give up their land rights were able to organize against the corporations and successfully protest for better compensation for what happened to them. But the battle is not over. To this day, the corporations have not complied with all of their agreements. And so the fight goes on.
Nico, a resident of Sicogon, fantasizes about breaking into a resort to take back their stolen belongings.
Part of the reason why I spent so much describing the film here is because it’s not going to be available for us Filipinos any time soon. Between the Cinemalaya debacle, in which the Ayala corporation apparently sabotaged the Asog’s single screening, and how the film is still preparing for international festivals over the next year, it’s unlikely that the film will be publicly available, at least until late 2025 or even the following year. Nevertheless, it’s important for us to learn about this film. The residents of Sicogon continue to fight for their land rights today and we still have a chance to make a difference in their lives.
‘Asog’ premiered on August 9, 2024 at the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival 2024.
