Spearheaded by visual artist Kevin Eric Raymundo, also known as Tarantadong Kalbo, the #Tumindig movement that started in July 2021 is a response to the worsening state of the pandemic in the Philippines, spurring artists to amplify and stand up for the disregarded voices of the nation.
Days before President Rodrigo Duterte's final State of the Nation Address (SONA), Raymundo uploaded his Tumindig artwork of a glowing raised fist amongst bowing hands surrounding the figure. Striking a resemblance to President Duterte’s signature fist bump brand, Raymundo’s lone fist illustration signified strength in dissent—opposite of the president’s ideologies.
A raging fire borne from a single spark, raised-fist characters flooded social media as artists and civil society organizations started customizing their own avatars and adding their work to the original piece—a sign of the community growing and standing its ground.
With great power comes…great risk
For protestors, continuing to serve their advocacy is a responsibility during the pandemic. Artists with big online followings found a way to further utilize their platforms to reach and generate attention from the news and netizens; a force amplified because of health risks posed by the pandemic.
Although the raised fist illustration can be found on Tarantadong Kalbo’s Facebook and Twitter pages, its presence on Instagram is nowhere to be seen. On July 21, 2021, Raymundo posted how the post got reported on Instagram, eventually leading to its removal from the platform.
Apart from this, the contentious group of “Diehard Duterte Supporters” (DDS) flooded the posts with backlash. Some of them went so far as to make their own renditions meant to ridicule the movement.
This included a remade version of the Tumindig artwork with front-facing fist bumps by Jeff Benitez, a Filipino illustrator for Marvel and DC Comics, posted along with the caption “Tumindig na ang kamao ng pagbabago. Marami rin kami.” Concurrently, Manila Times cartoonist Steven Pabalinas also responded with an art piece of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte with the caption “Tindig-tindig. Leche!” that mocks Raymundo’s original artwork.
In an interview with The Benildean, Raymundo mentioned he has been red-tagged, as well as received death threats because of the #Tumindig artworks. Emphasizing the impact of art in politics and its role to society, he said “posting political art online is a thankless job, so you have to be sure of your intentions; especially with the upcoming elections, the trolls are more vicious and unforgiving. You have to prepare yourself for that.”
In the middle of processing the almost overnight, life-changing event, Raymundo also admitted that it’s near impossible for one person to control a movement with this magnitude. “I can only steer some of that [influence and] energy to help the causes that I support. Other than that, it is now up to the people where they want to take it.”
An artist’s retaliation
In an interview with The Benildean, artists who joined the #Tumindig movement shared their thoughts and experiences, expounding on how they use their art for activism despite the risks it entails.
Graphic designer and illustrator Henrick V. Dulin (Hench) created their own version of the illustration as they believe that “art is one language that we can use in order to tell what’s really happening right now. [...] With the help of today’s era of the internet and social media, this can amplify what we’re actually fighting for.”
Nowadays, posting about controversial issues risks one’s safety online. Izay Nones, ID 119 Business Intelligence and Analytics student and Coro San Benildo Company Manager, mentioned that in the face of these dangers, art is “our friend.”
“If you believe in your art, then you don’t need to worry about your safety. Let your art speak for you,” she expressed.
Believing that art must always express the truth, Dulaang Filipino student-artist Alea Dygico finds that, “[...] as artists, our unique capacity to intervene and communicate through movement, words, and whatnot, gives us the power to act on our civic duty.” Though overwhelming for many, Dygico highlights that artists must not forget the responsibility to use their platform to promote social awareness.
Art remains as a mirror of truth. An artist's job is to continue breaking the silence and challenging the status quo. The #Tumindig movement became a tool for Filipino artists to showcase solidarity and kindle the opportunity to fight for democracy through influence, talent, and selfless service.
There will always be threats of red-tagging, censorship, even ones that endanger life. But artists continue to remain strong and vigilant while choosing bravery in online and on-ground activism—never hiding and never silent.
This article is also published in The Benildean Volume 8 Issue No. 1: Redacted.
