The role of ‘Espekulasyon’ in shaping a future of hope

By Ted Aldwin Ong

The country faced various forms of oppression under the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo regime when Active Vista was established in 2005 by members of Dakila Philippine Collective for Modern Heroism.

There was a sense of paralysis, and the political and social realities of the time didn’t offer the optimism needed for such initiatives to thrive. But 19 years later, Active Vista remains alive—stronger, even—standing in solidarity with movements worldwide.

Dakila and Active Vista rose to the occasion by creating a space that fosters critical thinking, imagination, and innovation, channeling people’s innate heroism and translating ideas into creative expressions that invite social involvement and inspire collective action.

Nearly two decades since Active Vista’s founding, the country continues to grapple with challenges such as inflation, labor displacements, territorial tensions, war, political instability, and the growing impacts of climate change.

Adding to this uncertainty is the upcoming election year, which casts a shadow of anxiety, despair, and uncertainty over the nation’s future.

Moments of paralysis are pivotal, requiring collective effort. This makes the 12th Active Vista Human Rights Festival a timely and relevant engagement.

Since 2008, Active Vista has used themes that promote creative thinking rooted in individual strengths. The initiative helps people overcome isolation and individualism, connecting them to communities and support systems. This is enriched through films that reflect realities and explore issues like human rights, historical revisionism, heroism, and local struggles.

This year’s award-winning film, Tumandok—meaning a native or local resident—along with the festival’s theme, Espekulasyon (speculation), will set the stage for public discourse and envision a future of hope.

Speculation, which means forming a theory without clear evidence, is a concept often encountered in daily conversations.

In Filipino, it translates to “walang basehan” or “haka-haka,” while in Hiligaynon, it’s called “haum-haum” (assumption) or “lagpat” (wild guess). These terms describe seemingly random thoughts, sometimes grounded in traditional knowledge or cultural practices, making them uncommon and often dismissed as mere speculation.

This, however, is what gives speculation a reputation for being frivolous, uncertain, or weak. Yet, it is this very process of imagining what could be, rather than what is, that sparks the possibility of shaping a hopeful future.

How many inventions and innovations have come from speculation or hypothesizing?

Espekulasyon invites the audience to harness their ability to speculate—to venture into possibilities, forming ideas or theories based on incomplete information, using imagination, intuition, and reasoning to make educated guesses about what is unknown or uncertain.

At the heart of the Active Vista Human Rights Festival is the aspiration of the Ati community to peacefully live on their ancestral land—a fundamental right for any citizen or native, or Tumandok. This is a shared hope for many marginalized communities displaced by real estate projects, power plants, large dams, and mining.

As one Ati elder poignantly said, “Tell us where the end of the earth is, and we will go there to live in peace, untouched.” May these words inspire us to speculate with hope and act collectively for a peaceful future. -30-