Episode 1: How to transform a call-out to a movement? With Mae Paner (Part 1)

Communication is powerful. So let’s talk about it!

The Owls (Oya, Joza, and Mika) talk about the call-out culture. What it is, how to make it effective, and how it worked in the case of #BabaeAko. With guest Mae Paner, actor and activist.

OYA: A few years ago, I was driving, and I saw this large tarpaulin of a official, hanging from electrical wires. I took a picture and then when I got home, I posted that picture, and I said, please could you remove your self-glorifying banners from the electrical wires? That’s a call-out.

MIKA: So nakakita ka ng epal. Tapos pinost mo yon on social media.

OYA: I’m Oya.

JOZA: I’m Joza.

MIKA: And I’m Mika.

OYA: We are WiseOwl.

MIKA: WiseOwl is a consultancy firm that specializes in communication for social change. Here at Give a Hoot, we will sit down and talk to strategists, advocates, academics, creatives, and others who can talk about how we can use communication in creating positive change.

Today, we’re talking about the call-out culture. So ano ba yang call-out culture na yan? Ok, so quick google search. According to Wikipedia, the call-out culture is a form of public shaming. This aims to hold individuals and groups accountable for their actions by calling attention to behavior that is perceived to be problematic,
usually on social media.

OYA: We’re talking to Mae Paner.

<EXTERNAL QUOTE>

MIKA: That’s Bea Kim. You might not recognize her name, but you might recall the infamous kiss she got from President Duterte. As you heard, she explains it away like it’s nothing. But it did mean something to a lot of people, In fact, it meant a lot. So much so that a movement began in response to it. #BabaeAko.

OYA: And with us today is one of the original group of #BabaeAko, theater actress, social change agent, Mae Paner.

MAE: So I’m Mae, a.k.a. Juana Change, and I’m an actor. I was a TV ad director in my past life. But now I think more and more I’m an activist. Somebody once called me a performance activist.

OYA: We’re really fascinated by the case of #BabaeAko. Can you tell us about it?

MAE: This started last year. Remember when our dear, dear president said na, gusto ko pag meron nang bagong chief justice kasi hindi ba pinatanggal niya si then Chief Justice CJ Sereno. Hindi dapat babae na, dapat lalaki. And also at around that same time, he was in Korea, and then lumanding ang kanyang halik sa labi ng isang Pilipina. And of course the misogynist that our president is, maraming mga babaeng katulad ko na nasabi namin, paano ba ‘to? Palagi na lang and mapa-foreigner, diba si remember si Sister Pat, bangkay ng Australian, yung mga babarilin daw niya sa puke, diba. Nakaka insulto, nakaka galit, pero nakaka takot yung naiiwan ka lang sa naiinsulto ka at nagagalit ka pero wala ka namang ginagawa na parang tinatanggap mo lang. And so then we thought, why don’t we get together and and address this in a more creative manner. Dahil ako aktibista, syempre mga kaibigan ko maraming mga aktibista rin. Nagkita kita kami sa isang coffee shop. Nandoon sina Inday Espina-Varona, si Edna Aquino, si Zena Bernardo. Socorro Reyes, and a few other women noh. So sabi namin, why don’t we, kasi pagiisp ka kailangan creative idea yung mo tapos doable, tapos medyo time bound, tapos madaling madaling masundan. And so sabi namin, bakit di tayo gumawa ng video? Kanya kanya. We just start by introducing who we are.

MIKA: We’ll let you listen to a clip from that video.

<EXTERNAL QUOTE>

MAE: So sinabi namin na, dapat of all people, ikaw ang rumerespeto sa kababaihan pero ikaw ang nangunguna sa kabastusan na. And then, kanya kanya. Kung journalist ka, papaano ang tono mo. Kung actor ka, kung lawyer ka. Then we end with #BabaeAko.

OYA: And then what happened?

MAE: So we decided on a certain date, that was a Sunday, at 10 in the morning, sabay-sabay tayo, upload natin lahat ng videos. Pag upload namin pinick up yan ng media. And apart from pinick up yan ng media, yung mga tao naka relate. So yung mga nakarinig, they took it upon themselves to do their own videos. May gumawa ng meme. At saka hindi lang babae ang gumagawa. Pati mga lalaki. #BabaeAko kasi parang ako, supporter ako ng #BabaeAko at hindi ko rin gusto ang ginagawa ng kapwa ko lalaki sa mga kababaihan dahil may asawa ako… Meron silang kakanyahan sa kanilang mga hugot. Pero talagang they were so one with us. We were touched, diba.

JOZA: Were you expecting yung kind of reaction that you got when you started planning the call-out?

MAE: Hindi. Actually, ginawa namin yon kasi alam namin yun ang dapat naming gawin at kaya naming gawin. Yung resulta, yun ang regalo ng universe. I think ang biggest biggest surprise namin noon is the reaction of the President and his family because they were reacting to us. And the more they reacted, the more attention was given to the issue. The more people gave in whatever they thought about the issue. So it kept on growing and growing and growing.

OYA: Do you think that’s like a key thing na pwedeng gawin din ng iba?

MAE: Mahalaga yung madaling gawin, tapos replicatable. Kasi halimbawa kung sabihin ko sa inyo, kailangan uh pumunta kayo sa Osamis sa oras na ito, diba, sa date na ito. Meron bang gagawa non? Syempre diba, malabo na yon. Pero yung in your own space, only with your cell phone, and then you speak your mind. Pero napakahalaga kasi ng pagtataya. Kasi ang mahalaga doon sa ginawa namin, may mukha kami. Hindi kami yung parang mga iba na nagtatago sa kung anu-anong mga kasinungalingan.

Pero ito, our faces were seen, and our thoughts were heard, and we were calling out the highest person in the country. It’s really very important that we were very bold. We were courageous kasi I think yun yung isa sa pinaka dahilan kung bakit ang mga tao bumilib sa Babae Ako eh. Kasi wow, ang tatapang ng mga babaeng ‘to ah. Talaga namang walang takot mag call out ng the person in office, the highest at that, and nakalabas ang mga mukha, hindi kami nakatago.

<EXTERNAL QUOTE>

MIKA: That was from a video posted by the Malaya movement, a group of Filipinos from the Philippines and the United States that joined in #BabaeAko to call out the president’s misogyny.

MIKA: Bakit itong issue na ‘to? Ang daming issue eh. Araw-araw ang dami nating hinaharap.

MAE: It was an assault to my values, and so ang feeling namin noong naguusap usap kami, parang grrrrr. You cannot just be a bystander, you have to be an upstander for situations like this. Kasi kung hindi, it just goes on and on and on as if it’s okay and it’s accepted and it’s already the new norm. Feeling ko, kung sa akin ginawa yon, kung ginawa yon sa kapatid ko, kung ginawa yon sa nanay ko, parang okay lang ba? Actually, hindi eh. Pero parang mayroon kang naramdaman na doon sa babae na actual na ginawan ni president, parang diba I don’t know kung nakausap na siya or what, pero parang sa kanya okay lang eh. And doon sa nakapaligid sa presidente, okay lang sa kanila eh. So yung narrative, ano ‘to, papabayaan mo lang ba doon sa mga okay lang o doon sa mga hindi okay? Kasi ngayon yun yung problema natin eh. Maraming istorya na gusto ipatanggap na okay lang. Okay naman. OA naman kayo. Diba? Wala naman kayo masyadong ano sense of humor, diba. Killjoy. Eh hindi eh.

MIKA: That was now senator, former Special Assistant to the President Bong Go explaining the kiss.

<EXTERNAL QUOTE>

MAE: I think it is as much my responsibility to call out. Because, you know, it’s seen on television. And ako I had to further explain sa mga pamangkin ko kung anong nangyari kasi parang alam nila yon eh. Napagaaralan nila sa eskwelahan. And if it goes unchecked and it’s not processed, tuloy tuloy lang na para bagang dapat okay na lang yan, palampasin mo na. Pero hindi talaga dapat eh, I worry for for the young, I worry for people who do not know any better. And that’s why yung mga tao na hindi pa nila alam kung ano opinyon nila, magsasalita na ako. Baka naman makakatulong yung opinyon ko doon sa mga taong hindi klaro kung ano yung opinyon.

MIKA: So what you’re saying is it’s important for us to be able to voice that because in a way it’s our responsibility as citizens.

MAE: At saka ako yon eh. I cannot not be who I am. Kasi hindi ba may mga tao na, I cannot be bothered. Pero ako, I am bothered. And I am glad na ganito pa ako. Nabo-bother pa ako ng mga bagay na ganyan. Kasi ang scary yung wala ka nang pake kasi sa dami ng problema mo sa buhay, iintindihin ko pa ba yan? Diba ang daming ganon? And valid yon ha. Kasi kung halimbawa yung mga taong nagiisip pa siya ng pambili ng bigas niya, diba, and then narinig niya yon. Parang, ah okay, saan ako magre-react? Doon sa problema ko ng sikmura ko o yung narinig ko? Pero buti na lang hindi ko na problema yung bigas ko, diba. Nandyaan na yung sinaing ko, pwede ako mag react. At kung narinig ako noong hindi pa naka-react at hindi niya pa alam ang opinyon niya about it. Teh, ito lang ang masasabi ko tungkol sa nangyari ha.Alam mo hindi tama yun eh. Hindi tama yung hahalikan ka sa labi na para bagang okay lang kasi joke lang. So kung narinig yon ng magsasaing palang, oo nga naman ano. Eh kung hindi niya ako narinig? Ang narinig lang niya yung maraming airtime sa TV nagsasabing, o ha, ang sweet talaga ni president, ang hilig pa mag joke. Ang sasabihin ng aleng magsasaing, oo nga noh. Sana ako na lang yung hinalikan. Patay tayo diyan. Diba?

JOZA: How did you deal with those kinds of commenters o tao na nagjo-join sa discussion na anti Babae Ako?

MAE: Alam mo ang nakakatakot sa mga may ginagawa, yung walang pumapansin sayo. Pero yung mayroon kang ginawa, tapos mayroong nag react sayo. Kasi doon naguumpisa ang paguusap. Halimbawa, sinabi ko, alam mo, Mika ikaw walang hiya ka. And then nagreact ka, diba. ‘Tas sasabihin mo, hoy Mae ha, mas walang hiya ka. And then naguusap na tayo. Diba, and then I will convince you and then tell you kung bakit ka walang hiya. And then you will respond. And then hopefully sa ating usapan, either mabago mo ako, mabago kita, or magbago tayong dalawa. Pero mayroon tayong movement.

Pero mahalaga talaga yung yung may magre-react, and in the case of Babae Ako, nag react ang presidente, ang anak ng presidente, and ang dami nilang mga negative comments. And sa amin, uh okay, nag react. And the more they reacted, the more people who were actually believing in them, ang nakakapag weigh in. And yung pagwe-weigh in nila na yon, nagpapatuloy ang usapan.

MIKA: Ano yung mga naging reaksyon nila noong ni president, maybe ni Sara?

MAE: Wala na kayo, parang you’re doomed or something like that. Very dismissive siya. I guess the universe is so smart eh, but for some reason or the other, mayroong mga nangyayari, na nagpapatunay na hindi niya kami pwedeng i-dismiss. Yun yung timing na ni-name kami ng Time Magazine as the one of the twenty-five most influential people on the internet. O di ba?

MIKA: Hindi ba parang minsan nakakatakot? Parang, what would cross your mind na malaki itong binangga natin eh. He’s very popular, and he’s very powerful.

MAE: Well I guess kami hindi mo madaling matakot. So noong nagre-react ang presidente ibig sabihin nakarating sa kanya yung gusto naming sabihin. So ako hindi takot yung naramdaman ko. Kung di para ngang feeling ko luma-landing dahil naging matapang ako. And ang tapang, nakakahawa yan. In the same manner, pag maduwag ka, nakakahawa din. Ano yung choice mo? Matakot ka at mag succeed sila, kasi yun ang ginagawa nila eh. Diba with the sedition issue ngayon, with the red baiting. Talagang may chilling effect yon eh. At kung mag su-succeed sila, tatameme ka. Pero that is all the more reason for people like me, and hopefully other people who think na it is this time where we have a dictator of a president, that we must all the more speak and not be silenced, and not be cowered by fear.

OYA: How would you convince them to be brave and call out when they need to?

MAE: In my case, it did not happen overnight. Kung baga pina-practice ko. Kasi diba when you do something and you keep on doing it, eventually you build character. Nag umpisa ka natatakot ka. Pero you allow yourself to be vulnerable kasi I think vulnerability is a beautiful place to be. Yung natatakot ka, hindi mo alam kung fo-forward ka o ba-backward ka. But when you are present in that moment and then you answer to a call, syempre medyo le-level up ka eh. Yun bang, huy bad yan. Yun nga lang sabihin mong, huy bad yan, minsan nakakatakot na yah eh. Pero kailangan mo talagang tulungan yung sarili mo eh to make small decisions that will kind of make you discover a new self, a better self, a more enlightened, inspired, evolved self. And eventually, yung mga maliliit mong ginagawang yan, before you know it, ay, ito na pala ako. Hindi na ako yung dating, pag [shouts] tabi, tatabi ka na and then na-meme ka na. Hindi na. Ako pag ginanon mo ako [shouts], lalakasan ko pa. Kasi yung mga ginagawa mo, pag palagi mo nang ginagawa, and then you also try to choose who to associate with. Hindi naman ako nakipag kaibigan sa mga taong yung values sobra namang on the opposite end eh. Kaya siguro yung circle of friends ko are activists like me, are people who love our country, because yun yung gusto ko i-cultivate sa akin eh, yung aking pagiging makabayan.

JOZA: Speaking for my fellow millennials, they do the call-out pero where do we go from there? Parang pag isang tao ka lang, feeling nila hanggang kaunti lang yung kaya nilang gawin para sa bayan or para sa advocacy na pinu-push nila.

MAE: Diba mayroong sinabi na never underestimate the power of one or a few who want to change the world because in the history, they’re the only ones who have. Kasi pag kahit mag isa ka lang pero nanggagaling ka sa loob mo at alam mong tama yung ginawa mo at nag speak out ka, para kang nag tanim. Tapos pag diniligan mo kasi kino-continue mo nang i-harness yung yung tapang mo na yon, somehow makaka-connect ka ng mga tao na, hoy nabasa mo yung post mo, Joza. Alam mo, naniniwala ako sayo. And then, he or she will chime in. Others will also chime in. Before you know it, you find yourselves in a coffee shop having conversation, and then maya maya mayroon ka nang community. And then mamaya hindi mo alam, nakagawa ka na ng project. Hoy, halika, attend tayo may talk si ganito on the West Philippine Sea. Alam mo, ang ganda daw non. Punta tayo. And then mayroon ka nanamang bagong alam. And then mararamdaman mo kung ano yung yung topic or yung yung issue na magre-resonate sayo kasi dadalhin ka’t dadalhin ka doon eh. Lalo na kung naka-tune in ka sa kung ano talaga yung gusto mo. Mapupunta’t mapupunta ka doon if you are conscious about where you want to go and where your narrative is actually taking you.

JOZA: That was a very interesting conversation with Mae, noh?

MIKA: Listening to her tell us what had happened behind the scenes, ano yung though process, at saka parang mas mas na-appreciate ko actually yung naging journey nila sa Babae Ako.

OYA: My takeaway was that for a successful call-out campaign, there are several elements. First, there’s a timing element. They posted all at the same time. There was a common format or basic script that they all used. There was a common hashtag. And it was easy for others to do the same.

MIKA: Right. Another thing that I noticed. There was an existing trust network. Parang hindi sila yung basta lang nagkita kita. Magkakakilala ‘tong mga ‘to at ito yung mga like-minded people who’ve worked together in other things. I think what is the value of relationships talaga at the core when you’re doing something like this. Kunyari hindi lang siya basta call-out, you’re making it into a movement. Importante talaga these kinds of trust networks. And in a way, yung mga relationships na yon, yung mga networks na yon, they also help us become more courageous and more strategic kasi you’re able to act as a collective. You’re not an individual lang. And yun nga, and also it allows you to organize online and both offline. Hindi lang hindi nalilimit yung space where you can act.

JOZA: I think yung pinaka natutunan ko would be call-out is actually a responsibility. Kasi lalo na for us individuals na walang organization or community, minsan feeling natin once mag call-out tayo, after ng post, tapos na. Pero coming from the conversations with Mae nga, I think importante na you follow through. Kung mayroon magco-comment na against sa opinion mo, kailangan willing ka rin to engage them in conversations. And part of that is listening. So sobrang halaga na nakikinig tayo, and we engage people na different from our opinions din.

OYA: I think also an effective call-out is one that is done in line with the values that you hold dear to yourself kasi parang you’re, it’s your truth that you’re also communicating, diba? And it’s connected with something related to what you said, the friends came together and so they gave each other the courage to do this kasi pare-pareho sila. That’s also one of the functions of the call-out that I picked up. Na the call-out itself, when other people hear it, and they say there are other people pala who have the same views or experience, and it gives those people courage and that spreads all around.

MIKA: So thank you for listening to our first episode with Mae Paner a.k.a. Juana Change. We had so much fun talking about #BabaeAko, but the conversation doesn’t end here. In our next episode, we talk to Nash Tysmans. She is a writer and community specialist, and we will dissect what makes a call-out a call-out. Thanks for listening to our pilot, and thanks to the people who made this possible, specifically PumaPodcast, the Spark Project, and our backers. Shoutout to Carl Javier, our producer, and Mark Casillan, our sound guy.

OYA: You’ve been listening to Give a Hoot. I’m Oya.

JOZA: I’m Joza.

MIKA: And I’m Mika.

JOZA: Look for WiseOwl PH on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Medium. You can visit our website wiseowl.ph. We’d love to hear from you. Send your feedback to hoot@wiseowl.ph.

MIKA: Use your voice. Give a hoot!

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