We Filipinos have long called ourselves malas every time something bad happens. But what do we call it when we seem to be unlucky all our lives? Malas tuwing may bagyo. Malas kapag nawalan ng trabaho. Malas pag hindi nakapasok sa eskwela. Malas sa gobyerno, sa buhay, sa kapalaran. But this year, the Active Vista Human Rights Festival: Trese asks: We are not cursed by fate. We are made to suffer by the human-made curses; systems built to fail us: corruption, inequality, historical distortion, impunity. When floods drown our homes, we say we’re unlucky to live in a disaster-prone land. When workers lose jobs or can’t live off minimum wage, we call it bad luck. When public school students struggle with outdated modules or drop out, we blame fate. When activists are red-tagged, silenced, or killed, we say they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. But what is more unlucky: to speak truth to power, or to live in a system where truth is punished? TRESE is not just a theme but a reckoning. This year, the Active Vista Human Rights Festival: Trese calls on us to look deeper into the seemingly unseen forces that shape our lives: not supernatural beings, but systems of oppression that haunt our everyday realities. Because malas is not just about mis/fortune. This year, we say: With our collective power, creativity, and courage, we will put an end to this systemic gaslighting and finally declare: enough. |