MD: Mounting the Bataan Death March Ride Cams

Shooting for Motorcycle Diaries is fun. I get to ride the motorcycle most of the time. The BMW GS is an awesome ride, I sometimes forget we're shooting for a tv show haha.

Lots of travelling, on a bike! Maybe the best part of doing the show. :)

But, its NOT pure joyride all of the time as it entails some real work behind MD's travel docu look and POV shots you don't usually see on other public affairs programs. At least, we try to make it look like the viewers are backriding with us with the kind of shots that we strive for.

Sometimes, it takes a whole 30 minutes to an hour every stop to set up the cameras that we use. And, we experiment a lot with the cameras that's available to us during the shoot.

In the Bataan Death March episode, we mounted a Vio POV cam on my helmet. On the first pic, you can see Ibba (dude wearing glasses) making some last minute adjustments before we roll.

The lens a size of a lipstick and can be mounted using velcros so we can move it around pretty easily. The catch here is that, it is connected to a small remote recorder that should be atleast a meter close to my body. Hiding the cable can be tricky, especially when riding on a bike in motion and running at the speed of lets say 80 km per hour.

Another cam we use is the very versatile Gopro adventure cam. Also on the first photo, Toto (tall guy in yellow) makes sure it doesn't fall off from its mount.

The Gopro we use most of the time since its very small and can easily be moved around for closer, more engaging angles. Although it covers a wide angle, it has some limits, particularly the amount of light that it needs. Mounting it on the bike can also be difficult considering the weather condition and the heat coming from the bike's engine.

The Bataan shoot I enjoyed so much, inspite of some "minor glitches."

NOTE: Mr. Toto Villanueva is our safety riding expert/coach. Toto has been riding the bike for more than 10 years and has ridden all over the country.

Mr. Ibba Bernardo is our resident tech geek in charge of camera mounting and other tech requirements needed for our shoots. He works well with still cameras too. :)

Backride with us every Friday, 8 pm on GMANEWSTV!

MD: Bataan Death March Ride Part 2

MD: Bataan Death March Ride

Typhoon "Quiel" was hitting the country hard the morning we rode to "Kilometer 1 " in Mariveles, Bataan...

Kilometer 1 marks the first step, to more than a hundred kilometers of the gruesome Bataan Death March where tens of thousands of Filipino and American soldiers died when they were made to walk from Mariveles to Tarlac during the second world war. Most of them died of hunger and illness during the death march.

A memorable ride we did for Motorcycle Diaries tracing all the markers from Kilometer 1 down to KM112. Backriding with me on this trip was historian Rhonnie Dela Cruz of the Bamban Historical Society.

The typhoon rains didn't stop us from finishing our trip to one of Philippine history's most unforgettable event, as we rode the GS 650 to the different markers along the highways, put up by Filipino-American Memorial Endowment, Inc.

Rhonnie shared interesting stories about the march, as he patiently related tales of patriotism of Filipino soldiers who braved severe hunger, extreme weather, and reported Japanese atrocities during the infamous march.

I must have passed by these roads several times on the motorbike, but didn't even notice these 3 ft high cement markers.

Plying this historical route, will never be the same again...

Black and white photos by fellow rider Ibba Bernardo.

MD: Backriders from the Chosen Children Foundation

MD Joyride: Claudine Barretto

Motorcycle Diaries rode all the way to Angeles , Pampanga where actress Ms. Claudine Barretto was shooting some scenes for GMA's "Iglot".

I had to interview Ms. Claud for our adoption ep.

Our team, led by MD segment producer Bam and researcher Marco, found ourselves in one of the soap's "sampalan" sequence, witnessing first hand how intense a shoot can be, even for the award winning actress.

After a couple of hours, she finally sat down with us and talked about her own experience in the legal adoption of her daughter Sabina. During the interview, she related some, according to her, "horrifying" details on the system's "very slow" process.

This photo of her backriding with me on the GS 650 shows how "koboy" she is, not minding if she was wearing a skirt and heels.

MD: "Riding With the "Bekis"

I WITNESS: "Misteryo ng Manalmon"

For Jay Taruc and his friend, Romeo Lee, venturing to the peak of Mt. Manalmon in San Miguel Bulacan is a fun climb. With caves and rivers, this place is suitable for neophyte climbers like Jay. Lee, a veteran mountaineer, teaches Jay the ropes while enjoying the great scenic spots.

But every step is a revelation for the two. Mt. Manalmon has secrets. Rumors of elemental figures and wandering shadows are circulating among the locals. Especially that of a dead actress who, some say, is not really dead but is seen walking on the summit of Manalmon. On their climb Jay and Lee indeed find horror stories on the mountain. But these horrors are not just of ghosts and spirits, but a deeper threat to the mountain’s history and natural beauty.

Join Jay Taruc on his mountaineering diaries in “Misteryo ng Manalmon” this Monday on I-Witness, on GMA after Saksi.

MD: "Hotline Pilipinas"

Motorcycle Diaries
Hotline Pilipinas
Setyembre 9, 2011

Tao ang pinakamahalagang yaman ng isang bansa. Ang kalinangan at husay nila ang bumubuhay sa ekonomiya. Kaya naman mahalagang may sapat na trabaho para magpatuloy ang daloy ng kita. Kung walang trabaho, wala ring pagkain ang bawat pamilya sa kanilang mesa.

Pero ang masaklap dito, milyun-milyon pa rin ang mga walang trabaho sa Pilipinas. Kaya naman tila isang salbabida sa gitna ng laot ang mga BPO o business process outsourcing kabilang na ang mga call center na sumasagip sa ating mga kababayang nawawalan na ng pag-asa. Sino nga ba naman ang hindi sasakay sa oportunidad na ito kung ang puhunan lang naman sa trabaho ay dedikasyong matuto at husay ng dila sa pagsasalita.

Sa call center nagsanay si Jay Taruc para sa panibago niyang pagtuklas at paglalakbay. Tinuruan siya rito ng wastong paraan ng pakikipag-usap sa mga Amerikanong kliyente na nasa kabilang linya. Nakilala rin niya ang mga call center agent na sanay na sanay na sa pakikipagtalastasan gamit ang wikang banyaga.

Malaki man daw ang kitang naiuuwi ng halos kalahating milyong empleyado sa mga call center, kaakibat naman nito ang hirap na dinaranas nila sa trabahong ginagawang umaga ang gabi. May mga ulat din na ang kundisyon ng pagtatrabaho ng walo hanggang sampung oras na pakikipag-usap sa telepono ay delikado sa kalusugan ng mga ahente ng call centers. Bukod dito, marami rin ang nakakapansin na mapusok din daw kasi ang lifestyle ng maraming empleyado dahil sa pakikipagtalik nila sa kung sino-sinong kasama sa trabaho, na nagreresulta sa paglobo ng kaso ng mga nagkakasakit ng sexually-transmitted disease.

Mahaba ang gabi para kay Jay Taruc, dahil susuriin din niya ang magkabilang mundo ng “buhay call center” – ang panaginip ng mas magandang buhay at ang realidad sa labas ng call center.

Ito ang tampok sa Motorcycle Diaries, ngayong Biyernes, 8PM sa GMA NewsTV Channel 11.

Motorcycle Diaries
Hotline Philippines
September 9, 2011

In a country as populous as the Philippines, no natural resource is as important as its people. It is the people’s hard work that drives the nation’s economy, and determines the very fate of every family. Their lack of work indicates how the economy is doing, and dictates what they would be eating.

With the country’s unemployment rate growing every year, both the government and the labor force have trumpeted the rise of BPO, or business process outsourcing, companies and call centers as God sent. These companies thrive on their employees’ dedication to learn and ability to speak English fluently – two characteristics Filipinos are quite known for.

Seeing this as an opportunity for another journey of discovery, Jay Taruc gets himself into the shoes of a call center agent. He gets to learn not only how one should talk to American clients from another continent, but also what everyday life is like for these workers.

Jay also looks into the dangers these call center agents face each time they start their day at night. He examines whether the high pay these workers get duly compensates the hazards of going to work and coming home in the dark, continuously talking for 8-10 hours straight, and being at risk of sexually-transmitted diseases – all-too-common risks that have become part of the call center lifestyle.

These call center agents live their lives and earn their living during the time when all others outside their buildings, friends and loved ones included, dream their dreams. Jay finds out how this affects their own dreams about their own futures.

Jay Taruc explores the life of a call center agent this Friday, 8p.m., in Motorcycle Diaries. Only on GMA News TV Channel 11.

MD: "Zookeeper"

MOTORCYCLE DIARIES

" Zookeeper ", September 2, 2011

This Friday, ride with Jay Taruc as he embarks on an extraordinary journey to the Manila Zoo, Asia’s oldest zoo. This time, he attempts to live the life of a zookeeper.

There, he meets Mang Pete who, for 30 years, has served as caregiver for Manila Zoo’s residents. Jay discovers that taking care of animals is not an easy task, and that a lot of hard work has to be done before the gates of the City’s premiere zoo could be opened for the public to enjoy.

As he tries to take care of the animals in cage, Jay also takes a look at the status of the animals in the country’s wild. The Philippines is one of the centers of biodiversity in the world. Sadly, several species of fauna are now in danger of being lost forever.

Jay examines if existing laws for the protection of animals in the country have sufficient bite to arrest the alarming decline of wildlife in the Philippines, and to protect the new species being discovered everyday from greed and exploitation for economic gain.

Get to know stories of journey and discovery with Jay Taruc on Motorcycle Diaries, this Friday, 8 p.m., on GMA News TV Channel 11.

MOTORCYCLE DIARIES

" Zookeeper ", Setyembre 2, 2011

Ngayong Biyernes, angkas na sa bagong biyahe ni Jay Taruc sa kanyang kakaibang destinasyon: ang Manila Zoo, ang pinakaunang zoo sa buong Asya. Susubukan naman ngayon ni Jay mamuhay bilang isang zookeeper.

Tutulungan niya si Mang Pete, na mahigit 30 taon nang tagapangalaga ng mga hayop sa Manila zoo. Matutuklasan ni Jay ang hirap ng pag-aalaga ng mga hayop na naging bahagi ng kabataan ng ilang henerasyon na ng mga bata. Dito niya malalaman na sa likod pala ng mga rehas para sa publiko, napakaraming detalye at trabaho ang kailangang gawin.

Kasabay nito, iuulat ni Jay ang estado ng buhay ng mga hayop na matatagpuan sa ating bansa. Sa buong mundo, pinaka-sentro raw ng biodiversity o likas yaman ang Pilipinas. Pero nanghihina na ang marami sa dati'y malusog na populasyon ng ating mga hayop.

May pangil ba ang ating batas na dapat sana ay nangangalaga sa mga hayop mula sa pang-aabuso? Habang nadaragdagan ang mga bagong uri ng hayop na nadidiskubre sa ating bansa, tila dumarami rin ang bilang ng mga kawatan na umaabuso sa ating likas yaman.

Ang mga kuwento sa paglalakbay at kuwento sa pagtuklas ni Jay Taruc sa Motorcycle Diaries ngayong Biyernes , 8PM sa GMA NewsTV Channel 11.

MD: "Please, Mr. Postman....Where Are You?"

MOTORCYCLE DIARIES

" MAILMAN ", Agosto 26, 2011

Modern communication technology is fast and efficient. In today’s age, content is king, but the speed by which it is conveyed might just be the queen. Indeed, when it comes to communicating, the saying, “out with the old, in with the new,” seems to hold true.

One sector struggling to keep pace with the information age is the postal system. E-mail, the social networking sites, cellular phone and text messaging technology have all relegated paper-based mail in the back burner, resulting in the loss of jobs of many of our postmen. And those who have managed to stay find it difficult to remain relevant in this modern era.

With this as backdrop, Jay Taruc gets to know the people who might just belong to the last generation of the profession of mail carrying. He finds out the difficulties that they have to endure just to ensure that our mail reach our home.

The scorching heat of the sun. The drenching torrent of rain. These are but some of the everyday perils that face the ordinary postman, as witnessed by Jay Taruc. All in exchange for low wage and minimal benefits. .

But the day-to-day hazards these mail carriers face outside pale in comparison to those that hound the postal system to which they belong. Allegations of embezzlement and mismanagement by the powers that be have aggravated the already dire situation of a system saddled with low budget and even less vision for the future. With these problems on their shoulders everyday, it is a wonder how our postmen can still perform their work and take charge of their own future.

Jay Taruc tells another story of journey and discovery in Motorcycle Diaries this Friday, 8 PM, on GMA News TV.

"KARTERO", August 26, 2011

Ang lingguwahe ng makabagong komunikasyon sa ngayon, mabilis at walang mintis. Kaya naman pagdating sa pagpapadala ng mahahalagang impormasyon at mensahe, pabilisan na ang labanan. Moderno na ang sukatan at tila napag-iiwanan na ang mga napaglumaan.

Pero ang tradisyunal na pagpapadala at pagtanggap ng mga sulat at koreo sa Pilipinas, pilit na humahabol sa takbo ng panahon. Iyon nga lang, masasabing nangangalay na ang Philippine Postal Office sa teknolohiyang kaakibat na ng e-mail, social networking sites at maging ng text messaging at mobile phones. Ang resulta, marami sa mga kartero ang nawalan ng trabaho at ang iilang natitira sa kanila, tila napag-iwanan na rin ng modernong panahon.

Kikilalanin ni Jay Taruc ang ilan pa sa mga natitirang kartero o 'postman' sa ngayon para higit lalo nating maunawaan ang mga pinagdaraanan nilang hirap bago makarating ang mga sulat sa ating bahay-bahay. Ulan, araw, hangin, alikabok, at kilo-kilometrong biyahe na ang kapalit naman ay kakarampot lang na suweldo. Ganiyan maisasalarawan ang buhay na nakita ni Jay Taruc nang makisalamuha siya sa mga kartero.

Katiwalian at maling pamamalakad ang itinuturong dahilan kung bakit tila hindi makausad ang sistema ng koreo sa Pilipinas. Salat na nga sa pondo, wala pang malinaw na plano. Saan dadalin ng sistema ang mga paa ng ating mga kartero kung puro problema ang sinusuong nila sa trabaho?

Ang mga kuwento sa paglalakbay at kuwento sa pagtuklas ni Jay Taruc sa Motorcycle Diaries ngayong Huwebes, 8PM sa GMA NewsTV Channel 11.

MD: "Poleteismo" and the CCP "Kulo" exhibit controversy Tonight on MD"

Art for Art's Sake?

Never has a piece of artwork caused this much public uproar in recent history. The Church openly expressed its disfavor. Other artists voiced their dismay. Still other artists defended the artist and his work. Rallies have been organized. The Senate began to investigate. The debates continue.


All because of Poleteismo, a piece made by visual and installation artist Mideo Cruz.


With his juxtaposition of religious and sexual symbolisms, he has been tagged anywhere from "amateur" to downright "satanic."


But in the middle of the brouhaha, do people really understand the full meaning of Cruz's work, denounced by many as blasphemous?


How should one deconstruct and analyze a certain artwork? What should one do when faced with an art work that offends? Artists cry out for freedom of expression. But is this freedom absolute? Who sets the parameters and bounds? Who defines what is art and what is trash?


Ride with Jay Taruc as he seeks to understand the points of view of the Church, artists, and Mideo Cruz himself, and attempts to tell the story of Poleteismo from all these angles to the common Filipino.

MD: "Manuel Ocampo riding with us on Motorcycle Diaries"

An honor for us to have filipino artist Manuel Ocampo on Motorcycle Diaries.

In L.A., where he spent most of his time in the 80's after studying fine arts in U.P. , Manuel made an impact on the art scene in the U.S. after doing shows for alternative galleries like La Luz de Jesus and 01 Gallery.

From the late 80s to the 90s, he was part of the "lowbrow art movement", with the likes of Joe Coleman, Mark Ryden and Robert Williams.

In early 2000, Manuel have participated in very important art events like the Seville, Venice and Berlin Viennale.

This week, we talk to Manuel about the use of religious imagery in his art, and his views on the CCP "Kulo" exhibit controversy.

Motorcycle Diaries airs tonight at 8 pm on GMANEWSTV.