While taking photographs with volunteers from the local Star Wars groups (501st Legion, Fight Saber and Rebel Legion) at the second floor of the Philippine Orthopedic Center, surprise visitor Diana Lee Inosanto said her grandfather would be moved to tears if he were there that day.
Diana is best known to Star Wars fans as Magistrate Morgan Elsbeth from the series “The Mandalorian” and “Ahsoka.” Martial arts aficionados know her as the highly skilled daughter of the legendary guro, Dan Inosanto, and as the goddaughter of Bruce Lee.
The grandfather she refers to is Sebastian Inosanto who founded the first union for farm workers in California back in the 1920’s.
“My grandfather lived here before he became a ‘pensionado’ to be shipped to Stockton, California back in the day.”
Diana does her family proud as she genuinely exudes that warrior spirit — the kind that’s about finding strength in community and shining a light during troubled times.
The intrepid Diana made a spontaneous trip from a “galaxy far, far away” to Metro Manila.
“It’s like a ‘threads of fate’ moment. I did not know I was going to be here until very recently, at the beginning of December. I’ve been on the road the last two, three months making appearances worldwide at comic cons and it just so happened my husband, Ron Balicki, got a call to do a movie out here in the Philippines. It just happened to be the same time as our wedding anniversary.”
She did not want to be away from him after being on the road for so long, so she made the effort to fly out from Chicago, to San Francisco and eventually to Manila. An almost 24-hour journey.
When she got on the plane to Manila she thought, “everybody here looks like my family.” When she got off the plane, she felt like she was arriving at “a huge family reunion.”
The Filipino side of her family is originally from the island of Panay, and she says she has roots in Kalibo and Libacao.
“I’m Visayan-Ilonggo.”
Because she has a special love for the 501st Legion and the Rebel Legion (Star Wars costuming organizations), she says, “No matter where I am in the world, if I know there’s a 501st, a Rebel Legion or a Saber Guild I try to make the effort to visit them at whatever comic con I’m at because I know the charitable work they do and the higher calling of being a force for good. That is a real thing.”
Faster than you can say “Punch it, Chewie!” Inosanto was coordinating with Adrian Arcega, Commanding Officer of the Rebel Legion’s Bagong Pagasa base aka the Philippines. Adrian then reached out to Manny Mendoza (current Commanding Officer of the local 501st), Khan David, and other volunteers to quickly put together a Christmas event at the Philippine Orthopedic Center.
Star Wars fan and orthopedic oncologist Dr. Abi Tud has collaborated with the Star Wars groups in the past and helped set up the event at the lobby of the center’s Apex building. Clad in jeans and knitted pink tank top, the youthful and athletic Dr. Tud oversees the hospital’s program of caring for patients from “their first decade of life to their 70’s” who have musculoskeletal tumors.
At 3 p.m. of Tuesday, December the 16, Adrian, Abi and their teams collected patients, watchers and volunteers for an afternoon with Diana.
Diana took her time with everyone in her radius. She spoke to the patients and asked them questions about themselves. She asked them their names. She looked them in the eyes, took her time. Jovan de Ocampo, who was dressed in a Jawa costume, described Diana as ‘gracious.’ Adrian Arcega noticed how she’d listen intently.
“If you have a spiritual sense of connection to people it just feels very natural. I feel honored meeting all the children here and all the other patients who are older.”
“I’m so glad Adrian reached out,” Diana says. She obviously lifted the spirits not only of those in the hospital, she lifted the spirits of the volunteers too.
“That is our highest calling as human beings — it’s to be of service and try to be there for other people. Even if it’s in the name of storytelling in a franchise like Star Wars, because at the heart of it, Star Wars is about hope, right?
“No matter how dark the odds are, we can rise to the occasion of being our personal best and finding hope in the world.”
Diana was so into the afternoon’s activities, when asked about the traffic on that rainy Tuesday afternoon in the thick of the Christmas season, she said, “That’s okay, I don’t mind.”
“I’m having a blast because my husband has been filming throughout the city, Quezon City and Manila, it’s been wonderful for me to watch him.” After which she said, “I’ve been on the set quite a bit just because I’m preparing to film my own movie.”
Her manager said it’s also time to look at movie projects in the Philippines. Diana believes “the Philippines has a lot to offer the entertainment world” and “there’s a great film community here that has evolved, from amazing cameramen to stunt teams, there’s a passion to tell great stories.”
“I have colleagues from the US who have moved here and are working on projects here. I want to try to write and direct something in the Philippines.”
Between visiting her husband on the set, entertaining the possibility of returning her to shoot, and hanging out with the Star Wars groups at the hospital, she can’t help but comment, “the synchronicity has been incredible.”
With regards to the late Sebastian Inosanto, she feels his presence all time. Both grandparents instilled a sense of Filipino pride from the time she was a little girl.
“Some of my best memories growing up, at Christmas time, the Filipino side of the family would sing songs, there would be musical instruments, and great food. It’s magical for me to be here at Christmas.”
She constantly told Dr. Tud, the Star Wars representatives, and the patients, “It’s an honor” to be there.
It’s safe to say it was also quite the honor for everyone that afternoon. Disarming is not just something you can do with well executed martial arts techniques, you can also do it with a look, a smile and a light within.
Source: A warrior’s light
