Patriotism redesigned

One of the reasons why I fly Philippine Airlines is the airport terminal it flies from.Terminal 2 is not decrepit, dreary, and oppressive, adjectives which spew from my mind when I think of its elder sibling, Terminal 1.Built before I was conscious of beauty and aesthetics, Terminal 1 is an embarrassment.

Voted as the yuckiest airport in the world, Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 rears its ugly head and receives those unlucky enough to use swanky carriers like Singapore Airlines and Cathay.Fine, those passengers might be boarding the priciest airlines in the world, but before getting to enjoy their luxurious cabins, they have to go through the gauntlet of gloomy interiors, fluorescent lighting, and fraying carpets.The food is mediocre, the stalls (and their merchandise) are pathetic, and really, what is there to do in that place except bury your head in a book and hope your flight gets called soon?

So when I read the news that Kenneth Cobonpue, Budji Layug and Royal Pineda had offered to re-design the terminal for free, I was pleasantly surprised, and excited even.Being a fan of Cobonpue and his oeuvre, I thought there would be a thousand-fold improvement to the creaking structure once Cobonpue worked his magic on it.Kenneth has proven his design mettle against the giants of the furniture world, and really, once Kenneth has put his stamp on an object, there’s really no way another idiot can copy it and not be caught by discerning eyes.

But the thing is, even this pro-bono offer to serve the country seems to have caught Kenneth and co-patriots in its banana-republic grip.After they finished their design, the announcement came out soon thereafter that Locsin, another design firm, had been chosen to collaborate with Changi airport officials to renovate the airport.How had this firm been chosen?Who knows?As of now, the only basis for the choice, thus far made public, is that its founder had been the original designer for the terminal.

Which is all fine and good, but what happens to the artistic sweat, blood and tears that Kenneth poured into the project? Not only is there no financial compensation to his endeavours, it seems there won’t be any spiritual reward either, as the honor of designing the terminal won’t be accorded to him.Hard for anyone to swallow, and he would be perfectly justified in expressing his dismay over the way they have been discarded.After all, the idea hadn’t come from them, it had been broached by government officials, and they had readily answered the call of duty.

The danger with becoming vocal about their summary disposal, however, is that they run the risk of crossing paths with those with vested interests in the award to the other firm.There are plenty of suppliers, contractors, and government functionaries who stand to benefit once this billion peso project gets rolling.I wouldn’t doubt they will look at Kenneth and his group as a threat, and they might even start the process of character assassination (or worse), just to solidify their hold on the project.

Next chapter to the story: the respected Teddy Boy Locsin has come out and actually said that the designers gave furniture to certain government officials so the designers could be awarded the project.He wants to subpoena the designers, and search the homes of these officials.For what?Evidence that they had taste?

(Note to those who might do a Locsin on me: I was not paid to write this piece by Kenneth, not even with furniture, although I count him as a friend.And I already have a couple of Cobonpue pieces from way back when, which I do not think of as furniture, but as objets d’art,which is why I forked out hard-earned money to own them.)

If the redesign by Locsin is spectacular, then perhaps the government’s decision would be vindicated.Meanwhile, we should also recognize that Kenneth and team have already done their country a service, and they serve as an inspiration to the rest of us.Whether or not its designs are used, the Cobonpue team has just showed us that there is still value and honor to wanting to use our talents to serve our nation.Perhaps, they’ve just gifted us with a more lasting legacy than just a retro-fitted wreck.