Juana Change: Be vigilant
For Mae Palacio Paner, 49, otherwise known as Juana Change, the concept of change must come from within ourselves.
“We have lived in a context that we do not want… We have members of the church that are in cahoots with the past administration. We have fellow Filipinos that do not care at all. We have even artists that do not meddle in social issues,” she begins.
She says there are some contexts that need change. “Sad to say, we have allowed the culture of corruption to propagate: Rotten structures, ugly leaders, and ourselves that do not want to change.”
She admits that during the time of President Noynoy “P-noy” Aquino’s mother Cory as president, the “Filipinos were not vigilant, that’s why she experienced several attempted coups and there was no lasting change for perhaps it was our fault. We went back to the same attitude.”
Real change cannot be attained, she says, unless the Filipinos change their consciousness from within. However, she admits it is difficult to romanticize change. “Kahit
naman gusto nating magbago, it is impossible to change immediately.” Just like her, she wants to change physically. “I’m too chubby. Sabi ko magpapapayat ako at ito’y iaalay ko sa pagmamahal sa bayan. In the beginning, I lost 30 pounds. Ngunit noon tumaya na ako kay Noynoy, di ko na iyon nagawa. Naging laman na
ako ng kanyang mga sortie. Oftentimes, I attended the meetings of Pinoy Power group. So, iyong gusto ko na pagbabago in the context of health, I was not able to do. I’m saying this in the context of change,” she explains.
There was a time she posed nude for 36 artists in a UP exhibit. She says she did that for “social transformation.”
As to negative remarks she heard from others, she got hurt for awhile, but she does not dwell too much on them, when “I know who I am and I know there are many people who believe that I am doing good for the country.”
One anecdote she could not forget was during a presidential campaign sortie in Laguna where she was prevented by then candidate for governor Joey Lina (he lost to ER Ejercito) from performing on stage in the next town. “Di ako pinapaakyat sa entablado. Doon sa town niyon sa kanya, may tatlo pa akong palabas. Nakatayo ako noon. Paakyat na ako ng
entablado, sabi niya sa akin sa susunod na town
huwag na raw akong mag- perform. Doon na
raw ako sa dulong town. Sa loob-loob ko, bakit? He told me, ‘ Ako ang grand commander dito.’ My initial reaction was, ‘ Wala pa ang sasakyan ko.’ Ang akala ko’y nagkasama kaming lahat para sa change. Astahan ba naman ako ng ganoon,” relates she of the incident.
Yet, she called the attention of a political officer to see to it that she be included in that performance in the next town, and she was able to perform, with sheer determination.
Having been a member of PETA, a noted theater group, since 1983, Mae enacted various faces of Juan de la Cruz from being a street sweeper, a policewoman, a congresswoman to divine personae like an angel and
comic superhero Darna. She also appeared on television and commercials and in films.
The idea came from her friend who suggested that she would be the actor herself since “I have the passion for change and because we do not have money or resources.”
They uploaded it on Youtube and soon it became a sensational hit. This inspired them to go on with the Juana Change advocacy.
Mae is a BS psychology graduate (1983) of the University of Santo Tomas. She also studied at the Asian Institute of Management taking up Managing the Arts course.
As to her UST education, she says she has been molded to be good, but “naging re
strictive din sa akin ang pagiging Catholic kasi maraming bagay sa simbahan na nakaka- limit,
kasi ang mga Catholic mahilig magpa- guilty.
Ayoko na nagi- guilty. Alam ko naman na maraming pwersa sa simbahan na di naman progressive, like the issue on Reproductive Health Bill. I know that the Catholic Church is against it.”
When she joined PETA right after college, she harnessed her talent and improved her worldview. She even participated in street protests against the Marcos regime and was jailed in 1984 for joining a jeepney strike rally in Cubao, Quezon City with the late director Lino Brocka and actor Behn Cervantes. She experienced being teargassed and truncheoned. In 1986, when EDSA revolt occurred, she was with PETA on a world tour of US and Europe. “We are a living theater, but we were updated as to what was happening in the Philippines,” she reminisces.
Mae was born on May 24, 1962 at Lourdes Hospital in Manila to a mother who hails from Leyte and a father from Charidara, Samar. Second among the brood of six children, she has been the family’s breadwinner since her father’s death in 1978. “Ako ang kaagapay ng nanay ko sa lahat ng bagay,” she says. During leisure time, she enjoys eating Filipino, Japanese and Ital- ian food with friends, nieces and nephews. She loves to read books.
As to whether she will venture into politics, she says a definite no. “Pwede akong ma- corrupt. I know myself. Kailangan may konseptong talino at wala ako
niyon. I can still help even without entering politics.”
She believes to be a better person, one must engage in the integration of body, mind and spirit.
“Let’s get out of our comfort zone and find our better selves so that our country could be a better place to live in and could be great again,” she philosophizes.
She reiterates real change that is neither fake nor temporary. “When I say real change, he must serve majority of the Filipinos,”
She adds, “You must remember, Noynoy won but he lies on the top of the triangle. Those in the base of the triangle are those in the local government, and most of those who won are kampon ni PGMA. Kaa
wa-awa naman si Noy sa kanyang pamumuno. His support is only those
who believe in real change. Noy’s real support is the Pinoy power.”
She has confidence in P-noy that he can do his work, while at the same time she continues to be watchful and vigilant of the decisions he makes that may affect the lives of millions of Filipinos.
“I wish him the best. Gusto ko siyang makitang pinakamahusay na president ng bayang ito. Sana’y ’pag natapos ang six years ni Noynoy, masasabi kong tama ang pagtaya ko kay Noynoy,” she says.
But she adds, “Noy, pag di ka tunay na pagbabago, pipitpitin ko ang bayag mo (Noy, if you are not real change, I will squeeze your balls).”