“The Aquino government is very much like the MRT…It charges you a lot for deteriorating services. It keeps breaking down, but still wants you to be grateful for arriving in one piece. It badly needs a replacement. It is a visual representation of government neglect and lack of empathy for ordinary, working people,” said Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) Secretary General Renato Reyes, Jr.
Artists from Bayan NCR, Anakbayan San Juan and Sabak created this year’s effigy of President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III. The effigy will march along with protesters on Aquino’s last State of the Nation Address (SONA).
“Ang effigy ngayon ay si Noynoy na nakasakay sa bulok na MRT…Yung bulok na MRT ay simbolo ng bulok na pamamahala ni Noynoy (The effigy this year shows Noynoy riding a decrepit MRT… The decrepit MRT is as morally corrupt as governance in Noynoy’s time),” said Aldrein Silanga of BAYAN- Metro Manila.
The effigy is generally an image of a person. The traditional SONA effigy popularized by Ugatlahi Artists Collective is a satirical three-dimensional image of the current president.
“Nanggaling itong effigy sa mga higantes na ginagawa ng mga magsasaka na ginagamit sa piyesta in Angono, Rizal. Kinakatawan nito ang mga panginoong maylupa na nagpapahirap sa mga magsasaka. Binabato ito ng mga magsasaka ng mga kamatis, gulay, at iba pa (The effigy we make came from the higantes created by farmers for fiestas in Angono, Rizal. They represent the landlords who oppress the farmers. The farmers hit the higantes with tomatos, vegetables and other produce,)” shared Silanga.
Silanga also recounted the use of effigy as protest art in modern times dates back to
Martial Law protests, but they were not as big. The towering effigies recurred and enjoyed great popularity during the short-lived presidency of Joseph Estrada that ended in the EDSA People Power 2 uprising. The Gloria Arroyo presidency was also marked by big, colorful and memorable effigies that sealed into memory the widely-detested policies of the Arroyo administration.
This year, protests hounded the Aquino government of train fare increases, frequent train breakdowns, accidents and anomalies and lopsided contracts with the trains’ private maintenance contractors.
“Ayaw na natin sa pamumuno ni Noynoy. Ang kanyang tuwid na daan ay tulad ng MRT na laging derailed, (We do not wish for his presidency to continue. His “tuwid na daan” is like the MRT that is always derailed), concluded Silanga.
Volunteers from various groups like Ugatlahi, students and community youth help complete the effigy as the SONA protest draws close.
