20 PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY August 16 - 31 , 2017
JuanONJuan by Rosette Correa
Filipinos are well known for their talents , most especially in the arts . A number of us grew up reading classic comics with the superb artwork of Larry Alcala , Carlo J . Caparas , Alex Nino , Alfredo Alcala , Rudy Nebres and Nestor Redondo , and most recently Dreamworks ’ Inside Out find Ronnie Del Carmen , to name a few , and some of these talents have been whisked off to many animation studios such as Hann Barbera , Marvel and DC comics . One of them , Edgar Bercasio , drew for DC comics , and has never looked back .
Now settled in Manitoba , he shares his experiences as an animator and illustrator .
PNT : Where are the Bercasios originally from ?
EB . I was born in a small village called Cagbulacao , Province of Albay , Philippines . My father was a school teacher then . When he found a job in Manila , we moved to Project 6 , Quezon City , where we lived for several years . My story is bittersweet . It is one of hurdles , pain and small triumphs . At the age of 17 , I knew exactly what I wanted to be : an established portrait artist . I would put down on canvas what a seasoned writer would put on paper . Survival , however , had to precede over that dream . In 1990 , my older sister sponsored me , my wife , and four children as landed immigrants and settled in Winnipeg , Manitoba . I found my first job in a furniture store in Winnipeg , a far cry from my calling . As a new immigrant , I came across new hurdles and challenges to overcome . PNT : Where did you study Fine
Arts ?
EB : I took a Fine Arts Program at FEATI University in the Philippines . Coming from a big family , I had to struggle through art school . I had to fast at times to save enough money for bus fare and art supplies . To economize , I started with pen and ink illustrations that required less material and quick output . I did book and magazine illustrations , comics , and even personalized cards .
PNT : Where did you study cartooning ? Who was your inspiration ?
EB : Nestor Redondo and Rudy Nebres , then considered the Philippines ’ masters of comic book illustration , took notice . They brought work my way from as far as the United States while simultaneously helping me hone my skills . The human face has always fascinated me whether it belongs to a royalty or the average person on the street . Each person is unique and has a story to tell .
PNT : Where has your art taken you in North America ?
EB : I was one of the ten Manitoba immigrant artists who participated in E-merging cultures , a juried exhibition of the work of different artists from November 10 to Dec . 11 , 1993 .
In February 2005 an official delegation composed of 10 Filipino- Canadians from Winnipeg headed by the then Mayor and Councillor . Mike Pagtakhan went to the Philippines to mark the Winnipeg-Manila Sister Cities ’ 25th anniversary . Among the
Edgar Bercasio
projects by the delegation was to commission me and another artist based in Manila , to create art pieces portraying Filipinos in their home city . These two paintings were presented to the public in August 2007 and have been gifted to the Millennium Library where they are now on display . My painting was titled Panday Lahi ( Shapes of Generations ),” the concept of which is , Filipino immigrants in various sectors of the Canadian workforce , helping shape a better future for generations to come while at the same time , supporting their loved ones in the Philippines .”
PNT : What do you do now ? Do you still pursue your work ?
EB : I am happy with what I have achieved for myself and my family . I have once again taken up the brush and painting furiously . I now find more time to create and pursue the dictates of my heart and conscience . I am also a comic illustrator who brought to life comic characters like “ Dracula ” and “ Batman ” on my drawing board . My latest work published is an illustrated book on anti-bullying titled “ Tom ’ s Secret : A Child ’ s Search ,” authored by my sister , Patty B . Pascal , and edited by my younger brother , Siegfredo B . Bercasio , journalist .
PNT : What do you advise Filipino artists ?
EB : Follow your dream despite hurdles you may encounter and be proud of your heritage .
For Edgar and all artists , no matter what obstacles stops one from his passion , he will always go back to it , and it will always feed his desire to
WWW . PHILIPPINEASIANNEWSTODAY . COM create . Just like a story vividly told and retold with pen and ink .
‘ TV Patrol ’ Only nominee at 2017 Int ’ l Emmy Awards
ABS-CBN News received twin good news recently . One was that TV Patrol has been nominated at the prestigious International Emmy Awards this year for its Typhoon Lawin coverage . The other was ABS- CBN anchor Tina Monzon Palma was awarded with the UP Gawad Plaridel , the highest honor given by the University Philippines to outstanding Filipino media practitioners .
TV Patrol , ABS-CBN ’ s flagship newscast , is the only program from the Philippines in the running for an award from the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences , an organization comprised of leading media and entertainment figures from over 60 countries .
Its entry “ Super Typhoon Lawin ’ s Trail of Damage ” in the News & Current Affairs category , which showed the destruction caused by the storm in several Philippine provinces in 2016 , is up against entries from United Kingdom , Brazil , and Israel . This is the third time that the country ’ s primetime newscast made it as a finalist at the International Emmys after also getting nods in 2007 and 2011 for its coverage of the Subic rape case trial and the 2010 Manila
hostage crisis , respectively .
Meanwhile , Palma , who has served as anchor in various ABS- CBN news programs – Talk Back with Tina Palma and The World Tonight on ANC – received the UP Gawad Plaridel in a formal ceremony held at the university ’ s Diliman campus on Aug . 23 .
The former program director of Bantay Bata 163 was cited for her contributions to improve the Philippine media in her over 40 years in the industry .
Adding to the string of good news for ABS-CBN is the awarding of prestigious British Chevening scholarships to ABS-CBN News reporters Chiara Zambrano and Carolyn Bonquin . The two will fly to the United Kingdom to further develop their craft after being named among the 27 Chevening scholars for 2017 .
Zambrano will go to Royal Holloway , University of London to study documentary by practice . No stranger to producing documentaries , the 34-year-old reporter is fresh from covering the war in Marawi , where her social media postings on the conflict even going viral online . She also shared her experiences and accounts in special documentaries aired on ABS-CBN and ANC , the ABS-CBN News Channel .
Bonquin is known for her humaninterest stories and reports on Philippine politics . The former segment producer in ABS-CBN Baguio will study investigative journalism in Birkbeck , University of London .
ABS-CBN News is also celebrating the 10th year of its pioneering citizen journalism movement “ Bayan Mo , iPatrol Mo ” ( BMPM ), which already has a million citizen journalists on Facebook .
Beginning as a campaign to guard the vote in 2007 , BMPM has evolved into an effective newsgathering arm for ABS-CBN News with “ Bayan Patrollers ” sharing information , pictures , and videos of issues and events in their communities . BMPM has also been active in promoting media literacy through workshops held all over the country and will now be mounting public service events to
further empower Filipinos in taking part in nation-building . To kick things off , BMPM held a “ BIKE @ 10 ” bike ride for a cause on Aug . 28 , and gathered plastic ( PET ) bottles from participants . Sales from the bottles will be used to buy a motorcycle with sidecar for residents of Tahanang Walang Hagdanan .
TV Patrol airs from Monday to Saturday on ABS-CBN , ABS-CBN HD , and DZMM TeleRadyo . It can also be viewed online on iwantv . com . ph and skyondemand . com . ph . For news and updates , visit news . abscbn . com and patrol . ph or follow @ ABSCBNNews on Twitter , Facebook , and Instagram . ( MS )