On July 13, 2020, a Budayaw Conversation was held via Zoom with the theme “The arts and culture sector of BIMP-EAGA and ASEAN on the COVID-19 Pandemic: Focus on Brunei Darussalam.” Haji Mohd Abdoh Bin Haji Awang Damit, the Acting Director of Arts and Culture Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS) of Brunei Darussalam served as the main discussant. Annie Luis, Head of the International Affairs Office – Sentro Rizal of the Philippine National Commission for Culture and the Arts also served as discussant in the event moderated by Ma. Victoria Maglana.

Moderator:

This afternoon, our main discussant is Haji Mohd Abdoh Bin Haji Awang Damit, the Acting Director of Arts and Culture of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS) of Brunei Darussalam. May I call you, Abdoh, Sir.

The other discussant is Annie Luis, head of the International Affairs-Sentro Rizal of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).
Let me give an overview of this conversation.

On July 3, 2020, the NCCA wrote its international partners to discuss about the knowledge, experience, and best practices that each country has gained in confronting the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic in the culture and arts sector. Currently, the NCCA is preparing its Cultural Response and Resiliency Plan (CRRP) and would like to enhance it by getting ideas from the experiences of its partners.

It is in that context that this virtual event is being held. It will be a guided conversation of one hour to one and a half hours on the following issues: impacts of and the coping mechanisms in meeting the pandemic, process of recovery, and the challenges of collaboration in pursuing the objectives of the arts and culture in the region.

On the first issue, I will begin by posing these questions:

What is the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the arts and culture sector in Brunei Darussalam? Did art and culture activities continue to be meaningful or relevant?

How did the artists and cultural workers in Brunei cope with the pandemic? What activities did they continue to do despite the limitations imposed by the pandemic?

We start with Abdoh.

Abdoh:

Thank you very much. Magandang hapon. Maayong hapon sa inyong lahat.

The Covid-19 pandemic came just as we were about to celebrate Ramadan beginning on 25 April. Ramadan is a big celebration for us and we were all ready to celebrate it. We had just celebrated our National Day (Independence Day) on 23 February. But with Covid-19 cases showing up in Brunei in mid-March, all celebrations were put in storage. There was no movement. This was supposed to be the peak time when a lot of marriage ceremonies would be held. There would have been many cultural activities, like exhibitions but we had to stop them.

It was like switching power off on everything. We felt the impact and effects of Covid-19. But being a small country with a small population, the government was able to put certain restrictions to control the movement of people. There was no traffic within our boundaries. There was less movement of people. The restaurants were closed, even the malls, exhibitions sites, and cinemas. There were no concerts.

It’s a good thing that we are a small country. All of us listen to the advice from the Ministry of Health. So, after three months, everything is now going back to normal. We are now on our 66th day with no Covid-19 cases in Brunei. We have activated the de-escalation plan, that is, we have relaxed certain restrictions. We are now allowed to have certain activities, but not more than 50 percent. Some restaurants are open. Everything’s back to its place. Even artists are doing art activities.

The impact of Covid-19 may be put into three categories. First, the impact of Covid-19 on the arts; second, the impact of Covid-19 on the industry itself; and third, the impact of Covid-19 on our cultural practices. In a nutshell, all three categories have been hindered to a large extent by Covid-19.

Moderator:

Thank you Abdoh, Annie?

Annie:

I just wanted to ask. There were many activities that were postponed, and now you are going back to normal. After 66 days, you are opening up and no more lockdown. Will you be able to resume the organization of these activities or will you postpone some? And about the funds allocated for this activity, what will happen to them?

Abdoh:

Yeah, a good question.

It is no longer like before. We have to live with this new normal. Certain activities cannot be done in full. July is when we celebrate His Majesty’s birthday but it seems there’s no celebration at the moment.

Everything is kept to the minimum. Our weekly activities, like the weekly traditional markets just started yesterday. The market is slowly starting to operate.

Yes, the funds are there but the priority is to adhere to whatever the Ministry of Health has advised us. We receive advice, comments every week from high levels of government. The authorities meet every week for the de-escalation plan that we are doing.

The funds of the government are always there to be utilized. I can say from my side, from the culture and arts committee, that the funds are still there but are not being used. We still have a few more months before yearend. But then we also have to prepare for certain scenarios because Covid-19 is still there. We still close our border. If the borders are open, it is going back to normal but only for the local content. If we are to open our borders, there will be many scenarios.

We still stick to our plan of having certain activities but the advice from the Ministry of Health plays an important role.

Moderator:

May we know more about the impact on the arts, the industry, and cultural practices before we proceed to another question.

Abdoh:

We sent out a brief questionnaire to our cultural practitioners during the first few weeks of the pandemic. Do you see my screen? Sorry, it’s in Malay but I managed to gather 69 respondents, a very small sample, coming from the different disciplines like dance, music, visual arts, graphic designers, videographers, actors, handicrafts, seamers, fashion designers, the police. We wanted to see what impact Covid-19 has had on them.

Some organizations had members who were positive with the disease but most of them were not affected.

These are the strategies that the various organizations have developed. One, every business and every organization in Brunei activated their business plan based on their size. That is, their strategic plan is also their business activity plan. Two, they closed their premises. Three, they worked from home. This required scaling up technology and others.

I asked them if the income from the arts had been affected by the pandemic. Eighty percent said that they are really affected by the pandemic because most of their activities involve people coming together. I asked whether they use public spaces for their activities. One-third of the respondents said they use public spaces, another third said they do not use them, and still one-third said they sometimes use public spaces. So, coming together, especially in public spaces, is important in the cultural, artistic, and creative industries.

During the pandemic, the government gave some incentives. For example, we call it worker’s compensation. We give them money every month and they pay it back when they can. The government gives them a six-month period not to pay. And also, the government gives 30 percent discount on any rental on government buildings and spaces. There are also tax incentives. The taxes on organizations and the loans extended to them are on easier terms

Many businesses and organizations avail themselves of government assistance during this pandemic. So, even if people cannot get together, their business is not severely affected. Bear in mind that these activities are dependent on people and public spaces and during total lockdown, there was no public activity. But they still managed to survive and do certain activities.

I will cite one particular example. When we closed the art spaces of the national gallery, the artists came together through an online gallery. In the online gallery, the artists shared their own paintings and sold the products online. It’s quite interesting to see how technology now plays a very important role in running museums and galleries. Even the introduction of an artist may now be done online.

Annie:

Abdoh, thank you for sharing that information. So, the survey was done by the Ministry during the first week of the pandemic. There was also a shift to online activities. Can you tell us more of the activities from the different cultural sectors that utilized this online platform?

Abdoh:

We activated our online services very fast. Within a month, all our live services were online. Our museums came up with their own virtual galleries. So, one of the effects of this pandemic was to push us to a digital revolution.

Annie:

That’s true. We are actually being compelled to accelerate the use of technology. Are there any more questions, Ms. Mags? Maybe, we move on to the next issue. There are five questions under the category of recovery.

What have you learned from the responses of the culture and arts sector on the pandemic? How are artists and cultural workers recovering and moving forward? Please cite specific cases of recovery. In the examples that you provided, what helped the arts and culture sector recover?

Abdoh:

We talk of the new normal and that means we also have to change our lifestyle. The culture and way of life of the people of Brunei have to adjust. The eve of Ramadan is the time for family gatherings. People have to learn the way to get together in a timely manner. It forces us to value respect for the elders, when to visit during the first hours and to sleep very late. It taught us the meaning of coming together, especially when we eat. There are many visitors coming together, less than 15, less than 30 persons.

You have to ensure you spend 30 minutes with your family in a very meaningful way. You give that quality time to your family. The result is that the family institution is becoming stronger. People are asking, “Are you okay?” What are you doing?” And they come for a visit and the bond is getting stronger.

For the cultural practice side, they also see the relationship between people and nature getting stronger. It was two weeks after the pandemic that we opened the Brunei Bridge to the other districts. Before, we usually went to Malaysia, but now we go straight there. Many of our people visit there to look at the nature and the scenery.

People are also going back to natural ways of entertaining. For example, they now go to the waterfalls and the beaches. The gyms are closed. I see also that communication has become stronger in families. People are actually more concerned with each other, more concerned when someone would sneeze in a particular group or meeting. People would ask, “Are you okay?” Not that he might have the virus but it’s more of a concern for the people in our surroundings. That intrinsic value is now showing up. It’s like going back to nature, how we started before modernization came.

Moderator:

Sorry I got lost, technology problem. I think I got what Abdoh was sharing. I appreciate the efforts to highlight the – if I may call it – the positive side of the pandemic. NCCA is similarly undertaking a survey and it’s trying to come up a comprehensive perspective in terms of the effects of the pandemic. It’s not to be assumed that it’s all negative. What’s coming out is that in responding to Covid-19, Brunei Darussalam has used it as an opportunity to strengthen the relationship within families, in communities, and with nature. Hopefully, that will also come out in the Philippine’ survey.

Abdoh:

To touch on the creative industry side, especially in the traditional and cultural medium cultural enterprises, the hub of these enterprises is the tourism industry. We don’t have tourists, so these industries are heavily affected. We are giving grants, especially to the tourism-related industries, to help them survive.

We noted the rise of our local tourism. The different districts have come together. People are drawn to do something now in Brunei. We found that the tourist attractions are now being visited by locals. Even our museum and gallery are getting popular.

The other thing that I would like to highlight are the visual artists. They play an important role in ensuring that the spirit to fight the pandemic is there. Ever since the first case was reported, these were the people who were also at the forefront. They gave a better picture of what Covid-19 is and how to combat it. They explained the importance of social distancing and making sure that you are clean, that you wash your hands, or use hand sanitizer, and that you wear a mask. They were at the forefront in educating the people

Artists from the other disciplines also contributed their share. The musicians made many songs and filmmakers were making animations for free for the TV and social media. This was highlighted by the Minister in the meeting about a month or so ago. We all came together to fight Covid-19 through a concerted effort to ensure safety of our people. This is not only a collaboration with the politicians, bureaucrats, academics but also people like artists – people in small and medium-cultural enterprises, like the tourism industry. We all came together as one strong family in combatting the virus.

Annie

It is very interesting to note that in the middle of the pandemic, it was actually the traditional and cultural sectors of Brunei that have helped to move the people together. They underscore the love for family and the value of coming together and moving forward as one. I hope this will also come out in our survey. Actually, it’s going back to our roots that will help us to move forward. Sometimes, we don’t need technology. What we need more is to love each other and come together.

Abdoh:

We also see that in moving resources like food, masks, and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the front liners. The people were actually taking the initiative because they want to help. They want to become part of it.

Moderator

Abdoh, it’s heartening to hear that cultural workers and artists in Brunei have been in the forefront of what you call a concerted effort to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic. And you cited that the productivity and creativity of the artists have not been diminished. You talk of visual artists and the musicians. Did they work on their own as individuals or through collaborative efforts? What made all that possible, this continuing manifestation of creativity?

Abdoh:

I think it’s the will of coming together, the will of coming together as a nation and the will of combatting this pandemic. It’s the concerted efforts in coming together plus the availability of technology. All these, combined together, create numerous – not exactly world-class – but should I say meaningful products from the artists.

No artist does it alone. The artists would form a group of six or maybe 20 who would come together from different disciplines. The slide I showed featured visual artists, painters, videographers coming together. There are a lot of them online. Working together is actually the way for artists to move forward now. No one can produce alone. You have to work together with others in order to produce certain artistic products. The word now is cooperation.

Moderator:

That is interesting to note, not to stereotype cultural artists and workers. We’ve always heard that artists are given a premium to work on their own and that they have the free will to do what they want. But you are saying that no one can produce alone. When you are talking of technology, Abdoh, is that mainly digital technology? Are there other forms of technology that have been helpful in this way to recovery?

Abdoh:

A chunk of it must come from digital technology – broadband and connectivity. Prices have gone down during Covid. The speed has gone up. I can also say that literacy in using technology here is very high. With technology, anyone can be anybody now. Anyone can be a singer; anyone can become a visual artist. In the creative economy, it’s easy to distinguish between a good one and a moderate one. So collaboration and technology are everywhere in Brunei. Even when schools are closed, teachers are using digital technology, and it is not very difficult.

Annie:

I can only say that I envy Brunei. Our connectivity is not as fast as in other countries. I believe we are second to the last in the ASEAN when it comes to internet speed. I think the government tried to improve the speed during our chairmanship in the ASEAN but that was for selected areas only, particularly where the meetings were held. Now more than ever, the pandemic highlights the need to upgrade technological facilities and the skills of the people in using them. We are not sure if the people or the government are as technologically literate as our neighbors in the ASEAN.

Moderator:

Earlier, you talked about the assistance given by the government. You might have mentioned it already when I dropped out of the meeting due to technical problems. Anyway, can you explain further the type of assistance given by your government to the arts and culture industry?

Abdoh:

The government helped the industries heavily affected by Covid-19 including much of the culture and the arts, especially our SMCEs (small and medium cultural enterprises). The government extends discounts in the use of government office spaces. It gives tax incentives and provides assistance for bank loans. The government facilitates in the use of public and cultural spaces and also works with artists in setting the grounds. We still give them grants if they want to set up activities but obviously, the number of activities has diminished.

Moderator:

I think, Annie, the NCCA provided some sort of direct cash assistance to our artists and cultural workers.

Annie:

In the Philippines, the NCCA, the de facto cultural agency, also provided quick-response cash assistance to displaced artists and cultural workers heavily affected by Covid-19. Our agency allocated an amount to be able to help them. It was just a small amount, actually PhP5,000. It’s not a loan or an exchange of anything. It is a dole out, a grant. The committees of the different art sectors are crafting their own grant programs so they will be able to give grants under the new normal. I think they are undergoing some planning for this kind of approach.

Moderator:

You mentioned your de-escalation plan. It’s an interesting terminology. In the Philippines, we use the notion of recovery. Is there a talk of recovery in the culture and arts sector in Brunei Darussalam and what would that be?

Abdoh:

We do have the de-escalation plans in giving our service to the public. We have museums, galleries, and libraries opening up to people to come to visit. The restrictions will slowly be de-escalated depending on the current situation of Covid-19. There are other things to consider like safety protocols. Entry to events will have to be very strict too. Slowly, week by week, we see the de-escalation coming up. Cinemas will be allowed to open with 30 percent occupancy although there are no new films, not even domestic ones.

I also see the rise in the business related to weddings. Very interesting to note that in the first months or so of the pandemic, wedding celebrations were kept to the minimum. But when we started to open, we began to allow a certain number of people to attend. Relatives are allowed to come home, gather in small activities and family functions. Surprisingly, this business is really starting to pick up. Wedding photographers are starting to have a business now. And so it goes slowly.

But large public gatherings will have to be carefully studied. Our celebrations for His Majesty’s (Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah’s) 74th birthday two days from now (July 15-31) will be kept to the minimum, with no parade and no “meet and greet event.” I have been thinking about how we are going to celebrate our National Day in February next year.

Annie:

I was wondering about the mosques. There are protocols now of social distancing, etc. So the mosques cannot be crowded, am I correct?

Abdoh:

I was talking about technology. Whatever we do now, technology is involved. Let me show you the website. We download this application so everybody has this application in their mobile now. When we want to go to the mosque, we have to register first and we are given a space in the mosque. They have already set the number of people that can go to the mosque. If you have not registered, they can identify you and you cannot go to the mosque.

The same is true for other activities like going to the gym, going to offices, going to restaurants. You have to register and if they allow you, they give you certain codes. You have to report about your health every day. Today if I report that I am okay, my color will be green. If tomorrow I have a flu, it’s red. If it’s red, I cannot go to my office for one week and I have to follow protocols and procedures.

Moderator

That’s interesting. Oh, I see the form.

Annie:

You have to register. This is interesting.

Abdoh:

I will share the website of our chat here. Have a look.

Moderator:

The Philippines has not allowed people to go to places of worship, whether for Christians or Muslims. But I could be wrong. The government has not allowed the re-opening of museums. Movie houses and gyms are still closed. There are only very few activities that are allowed. Indeed, we are nowhere near the Brunei’s de-escalation pace. Our phase in the country now is general community quarantine. That’s the term we use in the Philippines. Annie, you were saying something?

Annie:

I’m quite impressed by how Brunei controls the number of people who go to the mosques – this mechanism where people have to pre-register. You are sure you can go on a specific day because of pre-registration.

Moderator:

Two weeks ago, I asked a Muslim friend if they can now go to the masjid or mosque. He said they can go to the masjid because it is located within their community. It is a small masjid and it is easy for them to control the number of people who can enter. I can imagine it is probably difficult to do that in cities and other big places. You would have no way of knowing beforehand how many people are already there.

Abdoh

The application that has been produced by the Ministry of Health allows us to report our health status every day. You are given five color codes. If you are red, then you have to go to the hospital. In the hospital, they give you one week of self-isolation. You are under certain rules. Act 204 says you cannot go out of the house unless you become green. If you are green, you can go everywhere.

When there were restrictions, many traditional kitchens arose. If you want to eat traditional food, you cannot go to restaurants or to your relatives’ houses. So some people are now offering to deliver traditional food. There is a market for people who want traditional food. Sometimes you cannot find raw materials, or you have to wait for fresh products. So it is convenient to have traditional food delivered to you.

Moderator:

So it’s not fast food but traditional food.

Abdoh:

Traditional food.

Moderator:

Is Jollibee still there? Is it popular?

Abdoh:

Yes, Chicken Joy.

Moderator:

Abdoh, earlier you mentioned the notion of the new normal. I also heard about people saying that they want normal to be beyond normal. Is there any conversation about that in Brunei Darussalam?

Abdoh:

The conversation between normal and the new normal is that the new normal cannot be as normal as before. Though we have said that Brunei is safe, there’s still a threat or the possibilities of contacting the disease from our neighboring countries. We have to limit the people in going out or coming in to Brunei. You have to pay certain fees. I would like to show you the evolution of culture and where the new normal is coming in.

On creation, sense and intention

I believe everything that we do now is being created. When many people currently do a certain thing, it becomes a trend. If there is something in it that people like and they continue to do it, it becomes a norm. And then, when it is being practiced from generation to generation, it becomes a part of culture. It has to be practiced. It’s codified into social law and becomes culture. When it becomes culture, someone might want to interpret it and it becomes another culture. If you don’t practice it, it becomes heritage as artifacts, archives, and memory. These become history.

Talking about the new normal is actually culture here. Covid-19 came and this process (creation, sense, and intention) has been compromised. Covid-19 may have a small window – maybe a few months here – but people have to accept the new norms, starting from the few to the majority. So this concept of new norm, we must follow. How do we adjust ourselves to the new norms? I guess it’s very easy now. We have the same feelings that we have shared from generation to generation.

1. We accept change.
2. We love our elderly.
3. Whatever we do, we always think that we are part of a society and part of a whole.

This is part of ASEAN, especially in the islands, among the Darussalam people, Malaysia and Brunei. We share many things and believe we are part of society as a whole. So this new normal is actually coming back not as living as separate people but for us living and coming together.

That’s why, I like the word ASEAN as an identity, as coming together as ASEAN. This is something very good that we need to actually defend as our own identity. The strength of being ASEAN is, we are coming together as individuals and as society as a whole.

What changes that we may have, whatever new norms that we have, we always come together and live in the new norms together. So, with this disease arriving in our region, let’s fight it together. As history has told us, we fought together, your Lapu-Lapu and our Raja Siripada in Brunei fought together against the same Spaniards.

Moderator:

Thank you. That’s very interesting. I like the framework you have presented and I appreciate your sense of what is norm and the root of the normal, not just wearing mask or practicing, which for some people is the manifestation of the new normal. But you are really emphasizing coming together, going back to the things that are important to us as cultures – a very inspiring way of looking at the new normal. Annie, what are thoughts on this one?

Annie:

I was actually inspired that you have put it in a more understandable presentation. For the information of everybody, this year has been declared as ASEAN Identity 2020. We have been talking ASEAN like forever with no definition of what ASEAN identity is. There’s a move to identify it officially and there’s a paper now circulating similar to the presentation of Abdoh. We ask how can we understand ourselves more and how will our identity help us move forward together especially in tackling the pandemic. We are facing the changes and we are navigating the changes. Every day is a new normal. There is a new trend that we have to cope with. So, thank you, Abdoh, for sharing this very insightful presentation of what culture is and what ASEAN identity is.

Moderator:

How can we shape this new normal? I sense that the new normal will be handed down to us or defined for us by the government. Or from the framework provided by Abdoh, it is really something that can be created. When it’s created, then people have the opportunity to participate in it, particularly the artists. Any more thoughts along that line?

Abdoh:

It’s interesting to note that Covid-19 is a disease, of course, but then we also see that it is changing us to become a stronger society within our own community. I guess we are stronger in Brunei as a family, very strong as a community, very strong as a nation and within ASEAN. Remember the declaration of the ASEAN Summit: Let’s come together and combat COVID-19.

I think it has made us stronger together, it has made us wiser. It has made us even more creative and more receptive to changes. Covid-19 has wrought many changes. These changes were already happening even before Covid-19 but we have not tackled them so far publicly. For example, the changes of democracy, the changes brought about by Westernization, or what I would call McDonaldization, and the changes in society. And there’s also the change to make the BIMP-EAGA or ASEAN a real community of coming together and combatting together.

Moderator:

Since we’ve been talking for the last few minutes about the ASEAN and BIMP-EAGA, probably now is a good time to talk about the whole collaboration concern. You talked about scenarios earlier, Abdoh. In the very midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, what are the prospects of international collaboration of culture and the arts, and more specifically, how can culture and arts partnership be explored in the BIMP-EAGA and the ASEAN?

Abdoh:

I am the Chair of the working group of the Cluster for Social Culture of BIMP-EAGA and there are very big projects here, like Budayaw 2021. It’s a big challenge to organize such big activities, including ASEAN 2021 next year, which brings together the best artists in the performing arts.

We are looking at working together from the grassroots up to the higher authorities and actually delivering what we have promised. And that is the narrative of ASEAN Identity that should be clear and defined by ASEAN 2025 and in our BIMP Vision 2025.

The challenge is that we’re not seeing each other face to face. We have virtual meetings now. Not seeing each other, not doing activities together is difficult. Because in the arts, we are used to the interaction of people. And using technology like this cannot quantify or qualify the seriousness of issues or concerns that are revealed in actual communication. This gives rise to non-formal people exchanges. A particular example would be two artists not knowing each other but meeting up on, like, Facebook. The challenge now is how to calculate the impact of such exchanges and see how we can come in as cultural agencies. Count this and put it back as part of our key performance indicators (KPIs).

Moderator:

That was probably a very tough question to ask you, given the roles you have to play for Budayaw 2021 and ASEAN 2021. I just want to ask Annie. I’m sure you are in touch with the international partners. What are their thoughts in the process for international collaboration in culture and the arts in a very Covid context?

Annie:

I will start with ASEAN. We are now in the middle of a discussion for an activity that is supposed to happen this year – a big music festival that is to take off in Korea. Korea has the seating capacity. They are okay. to hold social gatherings with few restrictions. In these things, they are far better than us and probably than the rest of the ASEAN, so they want to push through with it.

We are going to talk to them tomorrow on what the ASEAN position will be. I guess Korea wants to push through with it this year and the ASEAN has to come together as one to arrive at a position: Are we going to go online because this is an option for us? To go online but as you all know, concerts, live performances, well, the big factor there is the excitement of live art involving an audience. So, this is one thing that we have to resolve tomorrow when we meet.

There are other activities that we are crafting for a possible ASEAN collaboration such as with the National Museum, the National Archives. The initial work can easily be shifted to a digital platform. We hope that the other ASEAN countries will appreciate the value of digital presence, even though, culturally, we value the physical presence of people. Right now, we face restrictions on travel and physical gatherings. Negotiations and agreements before Covid-19 are now pending because, of course, obviously we cannot get the response of our bilateral partners.

The priority now is on their national response to the pandemic. International collaborations in culture and the arts are up in the air. As of now, feasible collaborations in terms of international partnership would be with regard to the exchange of best practices. That’s what they’re doing in response to the pandemic. The ASEAN is shifting to digital meetings. But as Abdoh pointed out, in ASEAN cultures, many a negotiation really happens informally. It happens during coffee breaks, it happens during lunch hour. It happens, you know, face to face. When there is a contentious issue, we approach this certain country about the issue and we work it out together. I just send a text message to someone concerned. Can we talk over lunch? Can I discuss this with you? Before we go back to the meeting, we would have threshed out the issue. I don’t know how we will be able to do this now that we’re relying solely on digital meetings. Physical presence allows for nuances that are missing online.

Moderator:

Non-formal practices.

Annie:

Yes, non-formal practices but the decision happen there, right, Abdoh? This is actually very true. With the leaders, it happens in the golf course, you know, they negotiate there. And when they face each other during the meeting, with the official protocols and everything, it’s just a formality because the decision has been made beforehand. In a very Covid world, how will this backroom play take place? Maybe over a private chat group? But it’s not the same.

Moderator:

Abdoh, any thoughts about the points raised by Annie on the challenges of decision-making now?

Abdoh:

How Asians make a decision is based on consensus. The digital way of meeting will have an impact on how consensus is made. I can foresee that the meeting tomorrow will be a little bit difficult for us in arriving at a decision. We have to be objective when it comes to what we want as we need a room where we can talk a little with each other. We don’t have that protocol for such a meeting online. I think we should have the protocol on how to start a meeting, who will start a meeting. Probably what we have now is very good. Sheila and Alya are switching off their camera and their microphones but they are still listening, no? We have such a big meeting and I think this is the part that is very important.

It was in an ASEAN webinar where Alvin Tan discussed a Covid museum exhibition. Three weeks ago? Last week? We must agree to certain protocols. This is what we call the new norms of having a meeting. Once we have the agreement, I think it’s just any regular meeting that we have in Palawan or in Kuala Lumpur, maybe in Singapore. It’s just a physical meeting that we come together, at the same time, we have that platform of little discussions?

We also like the dynamics before the meeting which we called the lobbying part to influence the decision. Annie would always come to me during lunch time or dinner. We love doing lobbying. About three or five years ago, through such lobbying, we managed to make a proposal of actually changing a little bit of the ASEAN anthem. This lobbying thing, this discussion outside the meeting room, is very important – and we cannot do it online.

The other thing that we actually miss is the learning side, the cultural side, where we are physically there. We can look at other people’s expressions, body gestures, non-verbal communication. These give us a sense that there is agreement or non-agreement, acceptance or non-acceptance. By reading the situation this way, we know what we need to do at the moment to influence the decision-making.

It happened during a meeting in Palawan. A proposal was made and from the look of the eyes of the ASEAN members, you can project that there will be difficulties of it being accepted. But now we have a problem because of how they pushed a certain selection of artists. It was not based on the Ministries of Culture. So, you know, things like, please reply on certain dates. So we need discussion. That is why physical meetings play a very important part. Decisions can be made right there and then. We can always talk to each other but in an ASEAN way, in a friendly manner, in a family manner, in a family way.

Moderator:

Another issue with regard to maximizing the digital platform is the realization of the digital divide. This might not be a problem for Brunei which has strong connectivity and is not constrained by a big population. But even those who have access to the internet do not want to limit themselves to that platform alone. People are now talking of blended delivery of cultural activities, of hybrid forms. I don’t know how to look at it in the coming days. You hear such things like blended community or hybrid modalities in Brunei, Abdoh?

Abdoh:

Yes. We’re talking about delivering educational services to our people. There is also some digital divide. Connectivity is a problem for certain families where there is only one in the family who has a hand phone. So the children have to wait for the father to come home at night or they do their homework in the morning. We are a small country and until we manage to get things right when it comes to digital education, that is also a social problem.

When I look at the ASEAN as a whole, I think the technology companies are taking advantage of the current needs – not only texts but also audio and video needs of some ASEAN countries. Surprisingly, we are doing this now. I can listen to you clearly, I can see your faces clearly. I can see you and Annie, clearly. When we had our meeting with UNESCO in April, even countries like Laos and Cambodia were capable of actually using minimum technology to deliver their message across.

There are a lot of options: Zoom, Google, Microsoft. It is getting better and better but at the same time we have to:

1. Provide the platform first. If you want people to use it, you must have the connectivity. Without the connectivity, you won’t have it. Malaysia had a project for the last 10 years where villages were provided with internet connectivity. Even remote areas gained connectivity.
2. Use technology that is well-suited for people with low bandwidth and that is easier to use. The rest will follow. Creativity is always there – our 13-year-olds can build things online, our nine-year-olds can do their own applications online.

Moderator:

In the end, creativity will distinguish a good artist from a not-so-good one, a modest one. What will be a good leveller would be really making sure that the platform is there and that people have access. Hopefully, we’re moving to a situation where there will be no more Covid. Truly, a post-Covid situation. And that’s still a hope, I think, although people are saying that it might not be realistic, too. Does culture and the arts have a role in helping the countries and the peoples of the ASEAN, especially of the BIMP-EAGA, closer into a COVID context? Or is it something that the health sector will have to define for us?

Abdoh:

In Brunei, I say we are almost going back to normal. We are getting nearer to a post-Covid phase. An agreement will have to be made with the World Health Organization to clear that and declare that we are CovidD-free. Being normal makes us live with the disparity of engaging with countries still struggling with Covid.

When we have that agreement, culture and the arts will have an important role to help us in going back but not actually in going back. The movement of this industry is for a better future. Even when we are COVID-free, we are already used to a life where there are restrictions – restrictions in movement, restrictions in creativity, restrictions in communication. But once these restrictions are lifted, we can even be more creative because there are a lot of platforms to come together. Collaboration is the norm now. It’s already there so they can collaborate. At same time, collaborations can even involve physically meeting each other for an exhibition or something to do or to dig some heritage sites. I can see that in a post-Covid world, we are in a better position to move this industry further.

Moderator:

In getting there, what is the role of culture and the arts?

Abdoh:

We are in the forefront of educating people. How is the new normal? How to live within certain restrictions: full restrictions, half restrictions, or no restrictions? It is important to educate our people through our medium. Filmmakers who have a lot of stories for the young: what life under Covid was, and how to transition to a post-Covid situation. Even musicians do have a role to play, and visual artists – you know the mask will become a museum piece. It’s time for museologists to actually put some in the museum for exhibition. We do have a role and it’s an important role

Moderator:

Abdoh, you mentioned there are restrictions to movement, communication, and expressions of creativity, but you are right – imagination cannot be restricted. That’s a good way of putting it. I think we’ve answered the questions that we have lined up and even more. Problematizing the ASEAN identity throughout the discussion makes it all the more interesting. So we’re just about to wrap up. Is there something that you would like to add, Abdoh?

Abdoh:

I want to share activities that have been done at the regional and international levels, giving platforms for artists and creative industry players for the cultural workers expressing themselves. UNESCO did a lot of things. They did exhibitions in Brunei. We do have lots of activities, sharing information, arts curricula, and online performances. Within the ASEAN, we have some webinars and meetings. And we also have for the BIMP-EAGA a meeting of cluster heads.

A few weeks ago, there was a meeting between the head of a working group with our national focal person. It is interesting that we see how policies, politics, bureaucracies, and creativity even at the national, regional, and international levels are coming together by leveraging technology. There are things that I want to highlight. We miss each other – travelling to other countries, meeting artists at the grassroots level, going to the cinema and to art exhibitions. But then, because of creativity, artists manage to reach out to their fans, to their viewers through different media, not only social media. Even the government and non-government entities use new media as push media. Push media is when you use the government platform to push everything to your viewers. It’s a blessing in disguise that now we have certain areas pushed to the limit.

Moderator:

Thank you, Abdoh. Annie?

Annie:

Right now, we at the Philippines ASEAN Committee on Culture and Information are planning a big event this August as we usually do every August. But because of COVID-19, we will be doing a Webinar instead. Now, the good news. It’s supposed to be a cultural event. It’s going back to culture, going back to traditional culture on how to fight Covid-19 and trying to bring all the sectors, all the three pillars of Asean together. So, all will be discussing critical security, economic security, and all the sectors within the Asean socio-cultural community pillars. So, we are now hoping that the Asean states, the video Abdoh has prepared, a way of saving thank you. We are using traditional dances perhaps as a protocol now. This project we hope to be launched this August. We were inspired actually by Indonesia and India to put some videos on traditional performance art forms campaigning for health protocols. So we hope to replicate this project involving all the Asean states. We hope to launch this online.

Moderator:

Abdoh is sharing. Is this the one you’re referring to, Annie?

Video showing

Annie:

They are re-choreographing this traditional dance to promote health protocol, mask wearing, and hand washing. The Philippines has to produce its own.

Moderator:

This conversation will not be complete without showing those artistic expressions. Thank you, Abdoh, for doing that.

Annie

Maybe Abdoh can compose one song for all ASEAN. You compose and then we bring in the singers. Just give us the phrase to be translated in our languages. You edit it because you are very high tech.

Abdoh:

Okay

Moderator:

There you go. So this is creativity and collaborative action. It’s time we wrap up. I will not even attempt to synthesize the entire process. I trust in the documentation work of the secretariat. We now close this conversation. Daghang salamat, Terima kasi, Sukran, Maraming Salamat. Salamat again to Abdoh and Annie, and the rest of the team who are involved in this conversation. Maayong hapon sa atong tanan.

Philippine churches opened on 12 July 2020 allowing only 10 percent of the seating capacity.
This plan materialized in October 2020. ASEAN countries were able to produce culture-based Covid-19 infomercials.