About Creative Image Foundation

Born in Chiba, Japan. He had a journalism spirit at the young age and worked for movies and television as a cameraman. In 1988, Mr. Uriu first time came to Philipphines and started working in a documentary filming of Food for the Hungry International. He made a documentary film focused on the issue and hard-hitting realities of poverty, highlighting the lives of scavengers in Payatas and Smokey Mountain. This documentary touched his heart, every scene he took and every interview about the people he has made a great effect on him. When camera runs, reality comes out, revealing the lives of the people dwelling in the miserable world of poverty. Mr. Uriu became so inspired to pursue his objective. In 1995, he struck by a stray bullet by gunshot of policemen when he shot a documentary produced by NHK about the demolition in Smokey Mountain, and he escaped certain death. After this big incident in his life, he decided to live the rest of life for infinite potential of children in Payatas and Smokey Mountain. His hopes and goals are to ensure them with good education. To achieve his goals and be self-sufficient, he started build a business the mainly concern is to generate funds for Creative Image Foundation, the foundation whose only objective is to assists the people of Payatas and Smokey Mountain achieves a humanely life possibly. At present his efforts and dedications to help improve their lives are bearing fruits, and the realization on how he opened the opportunities to succeed in life. Especially in recent years the foundation has been gearing up for bringing out children's artistic talents, and has had workshops of theater play, dance and singing in this TIU Theater since 2014. BAKATA is the first achievement of the workshops and one of thing that Mr.Uriu wants to realize most.

OUR HISTORY

November 1988, the Food For Hungry International, consists mainly of Japanese Volunteers, that aims to provide assistance and support to the third world countries. One of these Japanese Volunteers was Mr. Toshihiko Uriu a Photographer, Cameraman, freelance Writer, Journalist, showing people in every part of the world to know what is happening to the less fortunate. Upon arriving to the Philippines, his first concern was the Smokey Mountain, a place of garbage and scavengers so called because of the volume of garbage dumped there daily. There Mr. Uriu irst saw the real face of poverty. The feedback he gathered from the interviews he made with the people around especially with the children, when he asked some of them, if ever they would be given a gift, what would they ask for? He was astonished and amazed to hear that all of them chose to be able to go to school including to learn how to read and write, and even have the chance to change the kind of life they have now. The sincerity of what the children dreams left a mark on Mr. Uriu's heart. "Toshi" as what the people call him, decided then to help the poor and rescue the children from scavenging. He visits frequently and as time passed by, he began to love what he was doing helping them in many different ways. November 27, 1995, a demolition was ordered for Smokey Mountain, and as the demolition started, the residents fought for the rights they thought they had. President Fidel V. Ramos ordered the removal of the 21.2 hectares dumping area to give way for the development of Smokey Mountain into a Commercial-Industrial area. It was being cleared and leveled to give way to medium-rise low cost tenement for the dwellers. The fight became so intense. A clash began when the residents started pelting Molotov cocktails, rocks and trash to the demolition squad. One died and dozen of others were hurt including Mr. Uriu who was making a documentary film for NHK. He suffered a gunshot wound that damaged his spleen liver and his arm. He rushed to the hospital and brought back to Japan for his recovery. Back to the Philippines, President Fidel V. Ramos honored the bravery and dedication of Mr. Uriu, who showed the world the real face of poverty and enlightened the eyes of those who watch the documentary film he made. He had survived and surpassed death. For a couple of years he stopped visiting the people closed to his heart.

 

SMOKEY MOUNTAIN

Smokey Mountain is Metro Manila's 21.2 hectares of open garbage dumpsite for about four (4) decades. It has grown into a mountain size mound of garbage with the people around it trying to make a living. There are more than 3,000 families residing around it, mostly migrant families from provinces who could not find a decent job. They have settled here for decades and most of them have grown their families despite of the fact that life is hard and their health is at risk. Scavenging is their primary source of making a living in defiance of all hazards to health and the foul smelling smoke emitted from the smoldering garbage. This has become the ultimate bencmark of poverty and squalor in the Philippines. The effort of the administration in 1995 transformed the area into an Industrial site and build medium-rise low cost housing units for the residents of Smokey Mountain has not improved. The reality is still there, poverty still exists.

For the people of Smokey Mountain , endless hope and faith still abounds in their hearts. Especially in the eyes of those children, who at the very young age and minds never stop of dreaming that one day their lives will change and will live in better homes, a place where even in a simple way they can survive, go to school, and a decent job for every head of the family.

 

PAYATAS

Payatas is located at the suburb of Manila, about 20 kilometers away from the city proper and is one of the three largest slums in the world. It is also called Smokey Valley, named after Smokey Mountain. It is the biggest garbage dumpsite in the Philippines about 70 hectares where 3,000 tons of garbage is being dumped everyday. Payatas is popularly known and became famous worldwide after the tragedy in July 2000. The mountain size garbage collapsed and took hundreds of lives of residents residing beneath and around it. The very tragic moment made a dark mark to the nation. It was also a moment that awoke our sleeping Public Officials, the very responsible for what happened did not anticipate that one day the kind of tragedy might occur.

After the collapse, the dumpsite was closed, and so this deprived the residents' means for living. it is because for people living there, the stinking environment is their real world. Everyday at 2 p.m. and 2 a.m. is their busiest and peak time, it is where the dump trucks arrives loaded with garbage from different vicinities, and awaiting them are the scavengers rushing to get the valuable garbage they can exchange into money. The daily income of a scavenger ranges from Php 200 pesos and below, enough for them to sustain their daily needs. For them it is means of living. They say "Kung nasaan ang basura naroroon ang pera", (In the garbage there is money) and it is true indeed. Some people beneath the dumpsite believed that Payatas is their destined world to live, nevertheless, there are still those who dreams of getting out of there and starting a new life outside the dumpsite.

TRANSFORMATION

With the help of the different NGOs, Agencies and Foundations who are willing to extend a hand, in order to uplift the inhumane conditions around the mountain of waste, the possibility of having a transformation among the lives of the people may come its way. From a slum, settlement awaits a developed community. From a scavengers into a more determined person who sees themselves walking in school and working in a much better place and worksite conducive to an atmosphere of a good quality of life. For those people who dreams of having some changes in their way of living, we are working hand in hand to realize those dreams.

 

Creative Image Foundation / TIU Theater瓜生劇場, 
ビジョンとミッション

Vision

Creative Image Foundation / TIU Theater瓜生劇場は、以下の二つが実現する社会を目指しています。
・東南アジアの少数民族の子供たちが国境・人種を超えて互いを知り、 違いを認め合うことができる
・フィリピン貧困層の子供たちが自らの力で夢を実現できる

Uriu theater aims to be a society of the following two can be realized . To know each other , minority children of Southeast Asia is beyond the border , race , it is possible to mutually recognize the difference • The children of the Philippines poor can be realized a dream in their own force


Mission
Creative Image Foundation / TIU Theater瓜生劇場は、以上のビジョンを踏まえ、以下の二つを使命とし、事業を行っています。
・ 東南アジアの共同体―少数民族の子供たちによる異文化交流
・ 芸術表現を通じたフィリピン貧困層の子供たちへの教育
URIU Theater , Based on the above vision , two of the following is a mission , we are the business . And Southeast Asia of the community - ethnic minorities and cultural exchange by children And education of children in the Philippines poor through artistic expression

 

Creative Image Foundation とは・・・

フィリピンの首都・マニラには、最貧困層の人々が住むパヤタスとスモーキーマウンテンという二つのゴミ集積地域がある。NPO法人Creative Image Foundation(以下CIF) はそこでゴミを拾って生きる子供たちに教育を与え、才能を開花させる機会を提供することを最初の目的に2000年に設立された。両エリアに無料で通える学校を作り、現在まで述べ卒業生徒数は約5000人にのぼる。通常の教育だけではなく、歌やダンスなどのワークショップを行い、子供たちが自分自身の才能に気付き、それを伸ばすことができる環境を積極的に作り出してきた。
The capital of Manila in the Philippines , there are two garbage collection area of Payatas and Smokey Mountain people of the poorest of the poor live . NPO corporation Creative Image Foundation ( below CIF) is to give education to the children who live there in picking up trash , was established in 2000 to the first object of the present invention is to provide an opportunity to flowering talent . Make a school attend free of charge to both areas , the number of graduate students said up to now amounts to about 5,000 . Not only normal education , a workshop , such as singing and dancing , children notice their own talent , and has been actively creating an environment that can extend it .

2014年マカティ市にCIFの姉妹施設、TIU Theater瓜生劇場を設立。それによりCIFのミッションをより詳細化・集中すると同時に、より広範囲な社会への働きかけを目指す。それが、TIU Theater 瓜生劇場で主に行う東南アジアの共同体-少数民族の子供たちによる異文化交流と、元々のCIFのミッションをさらに発展させた芸術表現を通じた貧困層の子供たちへの教育という構想である。
CIF sister facility in 2014 Makati City , founded the TIU Theater . At the same time by when the mission of the CIF more refinement and concentration , aim to approach to the broader society . It is Southeast Asian community mainly carried out in the TIU Theater minority by children and cross-cultural exchange , the original concept of education to the children of the poor through the artistic expression that further developed the mission of CIF It is.

東南アジアの共同体―少数民族の子供たちによる異文化交流

 

Southeast Asian community - the cross-cultural exchange by the children of ethnic minorities

TIU Theaterでは2014年のオープン以来、フィリピンはルソン島北部の少数民族の若者たちによる演劇や伝統芸能の公演を行ってきた。 フィリピンは大小7107の島々からなる群島国家であり、一億人を超えた人口は様々な少数民族からなる多民族国家である。当劇場では、フィリピン全土の少数民族の子供たちが自らの文化・伝統に誇りを持ち、それを間違った価値観で失ってしまうことがないよう、少数民族同士の異文化交流を促進していくことを目指している。フィリピン全土の民族交流、ひいては地域を東南アジア全域に広げ、アジアの少数民族の子供たちが交流を通して共同体意識を高められることを目的に活動する。 フィリピンをはじめとし、未だ「発展途上国」と見なされる東南アジアの国々では少数民族の文化と文化が出会うことは稀であり、インターネットが普及したとはいえ、積極的にミクロ文化が横のつながりを持つことはない。未来ある子供たちが、国境や人種を超えて互いの違いを知り、尊重し合う。CIFならびにTIU Theaterは、民族間のつながりの中心として、様々な少数民族の文化を紹介すると共に当事者の子供たちの多文化共生の思想を養う一助となることをめざしている。

 

具体的には、まずは現在継続して行っているルソン島北部の若者たちの伝統芸能公演を継続すると共に、南はミンダナオ島の民族を招待、ミンダナオ島に多いムスリム文化もキリスト教が9割以上を占めるこの首都マニラで紹介していくことを考えている。さらには東南アジア全土に対象を拡大、その後、同時公演等、交流の場所を積極的に作り出していく。
IU since its opening in 2014 in the Theater, the Philippines has conducted performances of theater and traditional arts by ethnic minority young people of Luzon island north . Philippines is an archipelago consisting of large and small islands 7107 , population in excess of one hundred million people is a multi- ethnic nation consisting of various ethnic minorities . In our theater , as minority children throughout the Philippines is proud of their culture and tradition , have never lose at it the wrong values ​​, we will continue to promote cross-cultural exchange of minorities between I aims . Philippines across ethnic exchanges , thus expanding the area in Southeast Asia , ethnic minority children in Asia it will work for the purpose of which is increasing the community awareness through interaction
Is including the Philippines , are still in the Southeast Asian countries that are considered to be " developing countries " is rare that a minority culture and culture Discover , said that the Internet has spread , actively micro- culture is the horizontal connections It never has . Future some children , to know each other's differences beyond borders and race , mutual respect . CIF and TIU Theater is , as the center of the connection between the ethnic groups , aims to be a help to cultivate the spirit of multicultural children's parties as well as to introduce a variety of ethnic minority culture.
Specifically , first it is possible to continue the traditional arts performances of young people of Luzon island north that are carried out by currently ongoing , south and invite ethnic Mindanao , many Muslim culture in Mindanao also Christianity is more than 90% it is thought that it will introduce in this capital city Manila occupy . Further expand the scope to Southeast Asia throughout , then , simultaneous performances , etc. , we will actively create a place of exchange.


芸術表現を通じたフィリピン貧困層の子供たちへの教育

Education for children in the Philippines poorthrough artistic expression

The first workshop was in April 2014 was geared towards singing rather than acting and was headed by Madam EVEREST M. CASTANEDA.





Our first acting workshop began in July 2014 under the direction of Mr. AXCEL ANONUEVO with the purpose of preparing the student of payatas and smokey as part of the mission statement of the CIF Foundation.

Directed by Axcel Anonuevo
A mini theater play of talented kids from Payatas and Smokey Mountain who have attended the acting workshop led by TIU Theater within the span of 4 months, every Saturday.

—stage play—
In December 2014 the students of the acting workshop released their first stage play entitled "les amigas” a psychological drama about a women haunted by the guilt of killing her lover. It was their first real outing giving them the experience to be proper actors.


MJ Magno w/ Tracy Sibug


After the play various artists such as MJ MAGNO and PIO BALBUENA to collaborate with the CIF Kids to create cover albums entitled

"Bata man Kami”


 

"May Pagasang Darating"

”Kami'y inyong kaibigan”.

 

"Bakit fukushima”


"Menor De Edad”


 

"Mangarap Ka" by Batang Maligaya
Composer : Pio Balbuena
Music Arranger : Allan Licen

 

AKO MUNA | Batang Maligaya X G-WHO 
Composer: Pio Balbuena
Music Arranger: Allan Licen

 

 

In April 2015 the CIF FOUNDATION released its first original play called “BAKATA”

which was produced by Mr. TOSHIHIKO URIU and written by Mr. ANGELO AURELIO with music by PIO BALBUENA.


2014年TIU Theaterの設立以降、パヤタスとスモーキーマウンテンの子供たちに対し演劇や歌のワークショップを劇場にて行ってきた。その成果の一つとして子供たちだけの劇団を作り、フィリピン人演出家Angelo Aurelio、ラップアーティストPio Baluena等の監修の下、ドキュメンタリー演劇”BaKaTa”を制作・2015年5月発表した。 BaKaTaは子供のお遊戯ではなく本格的な演劇を目指し、子供たちに競争やそのための努力・リハーサルや練習を通じた規律や協働の重要性・社会に対し一定のレベルに達したものを見せるという緊張感など、いずれ子供たちが自らの力で未来を切り開くための能力を伸長させた。プロジェクトは持続的なものであり、今後も改良と練習を重ね、定期的に当劇場にて公演する。
2014 TIU Theater since the establishment of the , I went to theater and song of the workshops at the theater for children of Payatas and Smoky Mountain . That to make a troupe of only children as one of the achievements , Filipino director Angelo Aurelio, under the supervision of such rap artists Pio Baluena, was produced and 2015 announced May the documentary drama "BaKaTa". That BaKaTa is the aim of a full-fledged theater rather than the children of your play , show the things that have reached a certain level for the importance and social discipline and cooperation through the efforts rehearsal and practice of competition and for their children such as tension , any children were allowed to extend the ability to carve out a future in their own force . Project are those persistent , also improved and is repeated practice future , to performances at regularly This theater .

The second BAKATA of CIF which was performed in October and November of 2015 was announced as "The best Production for Children” at the ALIW AWARDS.


 

—Classical Music workshop—
Our current project revolves around classical musical education for CIF Kids  of payatas and smokey mountain as of January 2016.


 

―<今後の展望>オーケストラ音楽教育~エル・システマにヒントを得て ・フィリピン全土の貧困地域の子供たちを対象に
- For children of poverty-stricken areas of obtained by the Philippines throughout a hint to the < future prospects > orchestral music education - El Sistema

ベネズエラで行われている公的融資による音楽教育プログラム「エル・システマ」は、同国の貧困層の子供たちに、オーケストラを中心とした音楽教育を通じてコミュニケーション能力・社会性の獲得・悲惨な日常に希望を見出す音楽の幸福感・仲間との達成感等重要な経験を与え、社会への還元に成功している。
Music education program by the public financing that has been carried out in Venezuela , " El Sistema " is , to the children of the country's poor , hope to acquire and miserable everyday communication skills and social resistance through music education with a focus on the orchestra It gives a sense of achievement , etc. important experience of happiness and sense of fellow music to find , you have succeeded in reducing to society .

ベネズエラでエル・システマが開始されるまでと同様、フィリピン貧困層の子供たちにはクラシック音楽に触れる機会など全くないに等しい。CIFはエル・システマと同様の音楽教育方法論を理解し実践できる教育者をプロジェクトに加え、パヤタスとスモーキーマウンテンの子供たちにオーケストラ音楽教育を開始したいと考えている。
As well as to El Sistema is started in Venezuela , the children of the Philippines poor is equal to no such opportunity to touch in classical music . CIF added education who can understand the similar music education methodology and El Sistema practice to the project, and hopes to start the orchestra music education to children of Payatas and Smoky Mountain .

最初の目標はプロジェクト開始から1-2年後、まずはマニラ貧困層子供たちのオーケストラコンサートを劇場にて開くことである。また、地域の大学の音楽科などと協働していき、フィリピン全土の貧困地域の子供たちにも同様の音楽教育を行うことを将来的な目標とする。
The first goal from the start of the project 1 - is to open two years later , first orchestral concert of Manila poor children in the theater . In addition, it is music department , such as the cooperation of the local universities , and future goal is to perform the same music education to children in poor areas throughout the Philippines .

※エル・システマ参考写真