Filipino Culture and Authenticity

Filipino Culture and Authenticity
by Richard Arce Herrera

There seems to be a lot of confusion about Filipino culture and the fact that it's so mixed. But in reality, all cultures are mixed and have influences from other cultures, because human beings are complex and have migrated and expanded, traded, and intermarried with different peoples since the beginning of time. So in the sense that every culture in itself is an amalgamation of a lot of different cultures, it upsets me when Filipinos and non-Filipinos say that Filipino culture is not authentic or bastardized just because it has Spanish, Chinese, and Indian influences in the national culture.

First, let's dissect what the word Filipino means. 'Filipino' is originally a caste term during the Spanish colonial period to refer to Spaniards born in Filipinas (the Spanish and original name for the country now known in English as the Philippines). The native Malays were called Indios, those of Spanish-Malay descent called Mestizos, those of Chinese descent called Sangleys, those of Chinese-Malay descent called Mestizos de Sangley, and those of Spanish-Chinese-Malay descent called Tornatras. After the revolution against Spain, when Filipinas became it's own country, the word 'Filipino' was appropiated by nationalists to refer to the entire population of the country regardless of race or ethnic background.

At this time in 1898, there were two national languages officialized: Español (Spanish) and the native Malay language of Tagalog, which the government named 'Filipino', essentially sealing the viewpoint for generations to come that anything 'Filipino' should be native Malay in nature and ancestry-wise, which was detrimental in my opinion in retrospect, because that meant that anything that is not "Malay" is not "Filipino", meaning that the Spanish, Chinese, and Indian influences would mistakenly be not considered as "authentically" Filipino, ignoring centuries and centuries of cultural development and influences from the aforementioned cultures. In fact, Filipino is often misused as a racial term in place of Malay, and now means the exact opposite of what it meant a few centuries ago, as it now refers to only those of supposed pure Malay descent. Of course, as it is, the Philippine population, like Latin America and the whole world basically, is mixed, and has been mixed for centuries, and this is historically documented, and evident in our people's faces and family histories and wide range of skin tones and facial features, so the notion that there is such a thing as a "pure Filipino" or a "half Filipino" makes no sense at all if you really think about it.

A Filipino's openness or rejection of the Spanish language or culture of the Philippines often has to do with an individual Filipino's upbringing. For example, if they had a positive experience with the Spanish language growing up and they were encultured into it; their family occasionally spoke to them in Spanish or spoke to each other in Spanish, sang Spanish songs, and had an upbringing where delicadeza reigns supreme in everything you do and say, then they wouldn't be so strongly against it. The same holds true for the Chinese and Indian cultural influences that are part of the national culture of the Philippines.

But if a Filipino perhaps grew up in an entirely different perspective where Spanish wasn't spoken at all, or grew up overseas where the influences are instead American or Australian or British, or just perhaps just had nothing in their immediate lives growing up that would endear them to the culture, then of course it wouldn't have such a positive effect on them today in their lives, and they have no emotional connection to it like other Filipinos, so they don't feel a strong need to incorporate it as part of their lives, and don't feel it's part of their identity, especially since it had very little to do with their own upbringing. But I don't think it's right to say that just because a Filipino speaks Spanish or wants to learn to speak Spanish, or Chinese, or any other language, or because a Filipino says that they have Spanish or Chinese ancestry that they're automatically suffering from an identity crisis, like that ridiculous and racist Wikipedia article called "IMSCF Syndrome", that has since been taken down and rightfully so, or are not being authentic to Filipino culture, because what exactly is authentic Filipino culture? It's not just one thing, and it's not the same thing for everybody. And mixed people are exactly that: mixed. Who is anyone to say what a mixed person is supposed to look like? Are all people of European ancestry supposed to look Caucasian?

I also feel that sadly, a lot of Filipinos who have grown up in communities with a racist climate against Filipinos and other people of color have internalized that racism unto themselves, which is why a lot of Filipinos tend to lack a lot of pride in their culture, and tend to view it with shame, which then affects their own self-esteem in general, which is a shame in and of itself. Of course, internalized racism and racism itself are not uncommon phenomenons, but it doesn't make it them any less noteworthy or important as they're still issues that plague the world that we live in to this day in 2011.

A culture is the amalgamation of its history, there is no one single influence to any culture in the world, and the same thing can certainly be said about the Filipino culture. This is something that needs to be taught to Filipinos so they don't feel like their culture is not authentic or bastardized because it has Spanish, Chinese, and Indian influences like many unfortunate young Filipinos do.

A lot of different worlds in the Philippines (and among Filipinos overseas) exist side by side with each other, and they cross paths, but they're not always from the same place. What is right for one Filipino is not necessarily right for another, because not everybody always has the same upbringing or views on things in life, even those among the same culture. In conclusion, there really isn't just one single Filipino identity. I believe people should be able choose what they want to do in their life and have the freedom to carve their own identity.

I also believe that while it's good to be educated about and have a positive view of your own culture and country, nationalism in itself is detrimental to all human beings, because in the end, we are all essentially just that, human beings, and all essentially part of just one race, the human race.

(C)opyright 2011 by Richard Arce Herrera



Images are courtesy of New York University's Sheer Realities Exhibition.

Sampaguita's 'Bonggahan'

Sampaguita's 'Bonggahan' is the Music Video of the Week. The Reyna of Rock and Roll.
Lyrics after the jump.

Bonggahan

Panahon na para magsaya
Forget mo na ang problema
Pa-dance dance, para sumigla
Rock 'n' roll hanggang umaga
Wa ko type ang magpa-cry cry
Type ko ay todo bigay
Kaya join na lang kayo
Let's all have a good time.

Refrain
Di ko say na magwala ka
Ang say ko lang ay magpabongga ka
Stop ka na sa pagdurusa
Ride ka lang sa problema.

Di ko trip ang magpasabog
Hate na hate ko ang matulog
Trip ko lang na umiksena
Heto ay sobrang pilya
Wag ka say na lang, kumadre
Bow ka lang ng bow
Pa-sing sing ka lang
Para ikaw ay sumaya.

Repeat Refrain & 1st verse

Kaya join na lang kayo
Let's all have a good time
Kaya join na lang kayo
Let's all have a good time.

Bamboo represents Philippines in UNICEF!

Bamboo's latest hit album released in 2007 "We Stand Alone Together" is still in stores nationwide and EMI Philippines is gearing the boys up for an international release. Bamboo is the most successful rock band in Philippine history and have also recently been named as the Philippines international representative to UNICEF (The United Nations), placing them up there with such prestigious international acts as U2 and the Spice Girls, also UNICEF representatives. There's just no words to describe how spiritual their music is, it hits you, deep in your puso while you're rocking out and enjoying it at the same time. The band is made up of that great singer Bamboo Mañalac, Nathan Azarcon, Ira Cruz, and Vic Mercado. Listen to the #1 hit "Hallelujah" below. Philippine legend is that a bamboo split open, and out came the first man whose name was Malakas (Strong), and the first woman whose name was Maganda (Beautiful).

Filipinos not colonized by Spaniards.

One sentence that constantly upsets me whenever I read history books,

Filipino historians, tour books, from the Philippines and around the

world (which the rest of the world got from the information first

written by Filipinos in Filipino history books) is:

The Spaniards colonized the Filipinos.
Correction:
The Spaniards did NOT colonize the Filipinos. The Spaniards colonized the Malay, Aeta, and indigenous peoples of the land.

The result of that history is the Filipino people.

"Filipinos" in the way the word is used today, did not officially exist until the 20th century.

This adds a lot of miseducation to Filipinos and to people all around

the world because it leads people to believe, Filipinos especially

included, that there is such a thing as a Filipino race, and a united

Filipino people before the arrival of the Spaniards.

You don't read history books say "The Spaniards colonized the Mexicans"

because that's incorrect. The Spaniards colonized the Aztec and Mayan

Indians of the land, as well as the African slaves, and the result today is the Mexican people.

So whenever it's written, which I see all the time, "The Spaniards

colonized the Filipinos" it's especially written out of a grand

miseducation that is taking place among Filipinos about their own

history, and the way we write it and portray it is especially important

if we are going to instill pride and education in future generations of

young Filipinos.

Another thing that peeves me when I hear Filipinos write it and is so reflective of mass

miseducation among our people is:

The Spaniards erased everything about the Filipino culture!

Correction:

There was no such thing as Filipino culture until the Spaniards arrived.

Everything Filipino is a mixture of Malay, Chinese, and Spanish cultural elements.

As far as what was erased in the Malay culture of the natives before the Spaniards arrived,

that's debatable and there is no exact way to measure it, but considering that Tagalog and other

indigenous languages are still used, it's easy to say that a lot of pre-Hispanic Malay culture

among the natives of the land that is now the Philippines stayed intact.

It's completely obvious that sentences like that above which are so

common to read in Filipino textbooks are what leads Filipinos to grow

up with deep insecurity issues, not just about their own history and culture, but also

with issues about ancestry that Filipinos get into constant strifes with each other about,

which is completely unnecessary considering that the sentence is false and a result of mass

miseducation and a lack of caring about taking time to make sure that

Filipino history is written with complete historical accuracy.

As far as the online debates Filipinos have with each other, it's ridiculous sometimes,

considering that they wouldn't even be arguing with each other if only they were

properly educated about the ancestry of their own people, which has to do with

another common sentence in Filipino history books that is incorrect as a result of miseducation:

The Spaniards intermarried with the Filipinos.

Correction:
The Spaniards did NOT intermarry with the Filipinos.

The Spaniards intermarried with Malays and other indigenous people of the land, and their children and grandchildren and future generations became Filipinos.

The word Filipino is used so often among our people, but it's constantly used in way that is reflective of the fact that most of our people don't even know exactly what it means or should mean, or used incorrectly in reference to race instead of nationality. It just boils all down to one word when it comes to mending our country's self-esteem: EDUCATION.

You're not of Filipino, Spanish, and Chinese blood.

You're of Malay, Spanish, and Chinese blood.

And you're a Filipino, and you're proud of it. Mabuhay!

Philippine Architecture

Manila
Taal Basilica
Vigan (above and below)

19th Century Filipino Fashion: Principalía

Costume typical of a family belonging to the Principalía during the late 19th century. Photo of exhibits in Villa Escudero Museum in San Pablo, Laguna, Philippines. Author: Sulbud.

Frank Sinatra in the Philippines

SERIALIZATION: The Traveler and the Gate Checkers
"Manila My Way, Boss"
Part 1: The elusive Miss Belgium
By Ted Lerner

The skinny taxi driver with one white towel wrapped around his neck and another wrapped like a bandana around his forehead fiddled with his pair of tweezers, waiting for the car in front of us to inch forward. We were stuck in another monstrous traffic squall, the kind that much of the world thinks is positively unbearable, but people in Manila just yawn at and take for granted. While he waited for the traffic to open up, the driver continually stuck the tweezers into his nose and plucked out tiny nose hairs. Each time he did this, he took the freshly plucked hair and wiped it on the middle part of the steering wheel. I could see that he'd been doing this since before I got in his cab because the steering wheel was covered with probably 20 nose hairs. When a space did open up, he quickly dropped the tweezers in his lap and literally peeled out, lurching forward ten or 15 meters then pounding on the brakes when the traffic came to an abrupt halt.

His cab was somewhat old and a rattling noise came continually from the back. The nose hairs, the rattles and the continual whiplash and the near nausea it all induced would normally have made me miserable and cranky. But at least his air-conditioner worked well. And in the sweltering late June heat of Manila, that's a bonus one doesn't take lightly. I was also listening intently to his radio, which he had turned up loudly to an AM talk show where they were talking about Frank Sinatra. The 78-year-old Sinatra was in Manila for four concerts, starting the following night.

The hosts on the radio were interviewing Sinatra's publicist on the phone from the Manila Hotel, where Sinatra was staying. The publicist pointed out that though Frank had never been to Manila before, he knew he had legions of fans in the country and was excited about performing. The hosts talked about how much money Sinatra would be earning in Manila. Four shows, four nights, a whopping quarter million dollars per show. They talked about the exorbitant ticket prices: From $50 all the way up to $800 for the front rows. The hosts gushed and the publicist promised nothing short of heaven. Indeed Sinatra in Manila was for Filipinos almost like having the Pope come to town. Frank's songs are a part of the social fabric of the Philippines. Every single one of the millions of karaoke machines that dot the Philippines is loaded with Sinatra classics.

The song "My Way" is perhaps the most preferred song when the drinks start flowing and the karaoke gets turned on. The song is so popular, and singing it is taken so seriously, that dozens have literally died because of "My Way." Perhaps someone laughed while a buddy was singing during a drinking spree, or someone didn't like the way the guy at the other table clapped after he tried to imitate Frank. It's always a ridiculously stupid reason but, no matter, out comes the fan knife or the pistol and wham!-it ends in a liquored-up flash, another senseless death due to "My Way." I wondered if Frank was aware that so many had died because of that song.

Apparently 6,000 people a night would be attending the shows but I knew I had no intention of going. I'd never gotten into the Sinatra myth. I always considered Sinatra to be of another generation. I was raised on rock and eventually ventured into things like reggae, funk and salsa. Frank just never caught my imagination. I had never seen him and had little interest in seeing him in Manila. It sounded like something for the old folks and sentimentalists. Anyway, at that point, my main concern was getting my hands on someone perhaps more popular than Ol' Blue Eyes, at least in Manila anyway. Her name was Christelle Roelandts.

Christelle Roelandts? Although she was probably the most popular person in the Philippines at the time, even Filipinos didn't know her by her real name. Mention the moniker, "Miss Belgium," however, and you'd get quite a different reaction.

The Miss Universe pageant had been held a month prior in Manila. Although she didn't win, and didn't even make it into the top ten, Miss Belgium was the one contestant who nearly brought the country to its knees. Her innocent, vulnerable and voluptuous features made her the instant favorite among the beauty pageant-crazed public and press in the Philippines, all of whom mobbed her wherever she went.

The country simply fell in love with her. Anything she did drew crazed interest and a horde of people. The four Belgian neckties that Miss Belgium donated to the Miss Universe charity auction fetched a hefty total of $400. Miss Belgium even complained that a woman was waiting to take her picture as she came out of the stall in the ladies' room. There were several stories about men who got in knife fights over who was more beautiful, Miss Belgium or Miss Philippines. This was how big Miss Belgium had become in the Philippines, as big as Sinatra. Normally it would take a botched version of "My Way" to set off a murderous brawl. But in this instance, which occurred during a drinking spree, two men had taken Miss Belgium's side while one argued for Miss Philippines. The two men attacked the Miss Philippines supporter and killed him.

"She's a natural beauty," said a doorman at the Manila Hotel, where the contestants stayed.

"She's mysterious and intriguing," said one of the hotel's supervisors. Explained one Filipino reporter, "Miss Belgium is the typical girl any Filipino male would love. Filipinos love mestizas-white skin, tall, with a face like a doll. She looks so vulnerable."

I had covered the Miss Universe pageant a month before and was trying to write a story on the event for a magazine back in the States. I was able to get a lot of pictures of the contestants during the pageant but nothing good of Miss Belgium. Each day for a month, the pageant organizers had put out photos for sale of the contestants and you couldn't even get near a shot of Miss Belgium, unless you felt like elbowing people in the head. Men and women were acting like stark raving lunatics trying to get their hands on her pictures. This spawned a thriving black market in copies of Miss Belgium's photos. In June, one month after the pageant, underground copies of her photo were still the hottest selling item on the streets of Manila.

In Manila if you want something from the underground, you're very likely to find it in the teeming madness that is Quiapo, where you can just about get anything your heart desires, and doesn't desire, as well. I was also informed that Quiapo had a street known for its many photo shops. I figured Miss Belgium could definitely be found down there.

The taxi finally crossed over the Pasig River and crept along in traffic through the old city of Manila. I knew we were near Quiapo but wasn't quite sure exactly where the area began. One bright spot about being stuck in a monstrous traffic snarl is that oftentimes it affords you the luxury of some good people watching. As befits a place where supposedly you could get just about anything you wanted-or didn't want-Manila never failed to give the appearance that chaos reigned. People were everywhere and the crowds were thick. Nobody seemed to follow any kind of rules, such as crossing at the intersection, or on green. They just walked when they wanted, in and out of the idling cars. The sidewalks were littered with vendors selling everything imaginable; fresh fruits, newspapers, cheap toys and electronics and imported hardware.

"Boss I want to go to Quiapo," I reminded the taxi driver.

"Yes Quiapo, I know," he said, "but heavy traffic. I know short cut." When a Manila taxi driver tells you he knows a short cut, it often turns out to be a short cut to disaster. I was pretty sure Quiapo was to the right, but he found an opening and veered left around a large church. Ten minutes later we were still stuck in traffic. I figured I was pretty much near the place so I decided to get out and walk. When I paid him I noticed his steering wheel was littered with dozens of nose hairs.

It was a searing hot and sunny afternoon. I stood on the sidewalk outside the Sta. Cruz Parish Church, which teemed with the faithful. The large doors to the church stood wide open and people strolled through into the sultry, cavernous parish. Near the entrance stood a statue of the Virgin Mary. As a white robed priest spoke dryly in English, the newcomers stopped by the statue, dipped their hand in the holy water, made the sign of the cross then took their places among the subdued throng.

I strolled up the sidewalk past the gates of the church. Everywhere people had set up makeshift businesses. Vendors sold pirated tapes, a new fangled screw driver with a tag that blared, "As Seen on TV!", various knickknacks and cheap jewelry and accessories. One man had a table full of miniature Buddhas. Nearby, a blind man played harmonica while holding out his cup. A few steps down, a family had set up a makeshift carinderia (canteen); a small gas tank provided the flame while on the stone ledge sat a small bowl of raw fish, a bowl of vegetables and a pot of rice. Further on I stumbled upon several guys selling various sexual potions, love oils and a stunning array of sexual devices known as French ticklers. One of them had photos of the Miss Universe contestants, including the coveted Miss Belgium.

He wanted 25 pesos for each photo but I didn't like their look. The pictures were photos taken of other photos and the quality was poor. I was sure I'd be able to find plenty of good stuff in the photo district, if I could ever find it. In the winding, narrow alleys and congested streets of old Manila, I suddenly realized the real Miss Belgium could prove elusive. So I flagged down a calesa (horse drawn carriage.)

"Boss I want to go to Quiapo," I said. "There's a street there with many photo shops."

"Yes, boss no problem. Quiapo. Photo shops." In mere moments we were trotting down a curving back alleyway, past an off track betting shop and several buildings that were either run down or under construction. Around a corner we came across a busy, clogged commercial area containing mostly hardware stores with signs written in English and Chinese. I quickly got the feeling that the driver was taking me on a tour of Manila's Chinatown before he took me to Quiapo. For sure he would charge me for it later. But I wasn't averse to a little sightseeing. Chinatowns the world over usually offer interesting surprises. And riding in a horse drawn carriage under a cooling canopy provided a rather pleasant respite from the broiling sun.

Trucks and pickups lined both sides of the narrow street, making the going stop, start, stop and wait. Everywhere we went guys loaded and unloaded things like steel pipes, cabinets and doors. It was like this for block after block; mostly old and crumbling buildings lining the lanes, black wires strung high on leaning poles careening wildly all over the place and down on the pavement below commerce bringing the streets alive.

Along the way we passed some of the filthiest canals I've ever seen. The pollution level in some of Chinatown's canals can only be described as alarming. The stagnant water looked like it was bubbling with chemicals, mosquitoes and every sort of filth known to humankind, including piles of garbage standing in the still water, festering and reeking. Some creeks were lined by ramshackle squatter homes with tin roofs. Others were lined with dirty concrete apartment buildings.

As soon as we passed by this degradation, though, we came across a shiny new building containing a five star Chinese restaurant or a fancy bakery. I was impressed by the traffic expertise of our small brown horse. He waited patiently while stuck in a traffic snarl and, as soon as a space opened up, he was off trotting at top speed over a bridge and down the street.

I soon lost all sense of direction, which led to the feeling that I was no longer in the Philippines. Indeed Chinatown in Manila feels like another country. It's China with Filipinos doing all the grunt work. The crumbling looking buildings, many adorned with incomprehensible Chinese lettering helped set the scene. But it was more than that. I marveled at how the Chinese do business; they sit inside these old, dank offices and warehouses with piles of invoice books, receipt books, old typewriters, cardboard boxes, whatever they're selling or making strewn and piled everywhere, talking on the telephone all day, watching closely as one little nut and bolt, a piece of wire, a sheet of sandpaper, some gadget for a motor, a styrofoam box, or six steel pipes go out the door. The Chinese sell everything that nobody else knows the origins of; that certain kind of rope, the hard to find nut, the grip that goes over the handle that rolls down your car window. They'll sell one piece or a thousand, earning cents on each but making millions on the whole, no doubt.

Filipino Treasures Part 12: Sampaguita

The Sampaguita flower is the national flower of the Philippines, and the most beautiful smelling flower in the entire world.

Filipino Treasures Part 11: All Soul's Day

All Soul's Day Special
By: Karen A. de la Trinidad
Technical Writer, camarinessur.gov.ph

The onset of All Soul's Day in places where the inhabitants are mostly Catholics suggests a deluging in the local markets of assorted candles of colors, shapes and scents and of a variety of flowers freshly picked from a native farm. The hullabaloos in the flea markets reached as far as the super marts and department stores where people can be seen hurrying to and fro, doing a last minute buying of the things they will need in preparing for the occasion. Such a typical Filipino setting indeed and so much like Christmas Eve, the difference is it's not Christmas and it's not for the living. It is All Soul's Day and it's for the dead.

This tradition goes back to ancient years and as history repeats itself so too this popular wont had been passed to one generation after another. But what really is the celebration of All Soul's Day? Do other religious sects have their All Soul's Day celebration? An informal interview was conducted to make way for the beliefs and traditions maintained by different religious sects. Read on…

Catholics make way for the All Soul's Day

Popularly identified as "All Soul's Day", this is the day set apart in the Roman Catholic Church for the commemoration of the souls of the faithful dead. It falls on the 2nd of November albeit in this country, most Filipinos celebrated it as early as November 1. The tradition is said to have started in the 10th and 11th centuries and was based on the (Catholic) doctrine that "prayers of the faithful on earth may help purify souls in purgatory". The offering of prayers and masses are solely for the repose of the souls who died not in the state of grace. Prayers and masses are offered to ease whatever pain and suffering they are in. To complement to such thoughtful cause, loved ones offer a spray of flowers and lighted candles. Flowers serve as a living memory reminding us that once these people had remained close to us and they, like us, had once been fascinated by the beauty and color of life. Lighted candles likewise signify that the love, hope and joy they shared with people they had left behind shall be kept forever burning and alive even though they may have found their destiny somewhere or even in the arms of the Heavenly Father.

In a Muslim's way

"Hindi kami naniniwala sa "Araw ng mga Patay", replied Salem Malako, a Muslim residing in one small Muslim community seated somewhere Brgy. Concepcion, Naga City, when ask if Muslims believe in the so-called All Soul's Day celebration. He went on to relate that in their religion which is Islam, "Ang kamatayan ay ang katapusan…at hindi na namin inaalala ang mga namatay." (Death is the end and we do not keep remembrance of the dead.) Salem and his other companion, Said, went on to illustrate, while citing some teachings from the Koran, that those who died were like on a deep slumber.

Malako and Said's illustration of the burial customs in Islam suggested that traditional Islamic burials are carried on conservatively. Initially, the corpse is bathe and cleanse and thereafter wrapped in a soft white cloth. It shall be allowed a three-day stay in the house for family members, relatives and friends to pay a quick visit. Forbidden activities include that of gambling or playing similar games and eating. A too intense expression of sorrow like lamenting and mourning is much forbidden for the main reason that "nahihirapan ang patay.", as was quickly interposed by Salem Malako during my interview bout. When asked why a family member or a relative or a friend perhaps cannot grieve for the dead, Salem simply told me "dahil ang buhay ay pinahiram lang naman". An answer which in all fairness has every speck of truth in them.

After the initial preparation and three-day stay in the house, the final step is the burying of the corpse. A cave is exhumed and the corpse is placed underneath. No flowers nor candles adorned the graveyard. The dearly departed carried with him nothing but a simple clothing wrapped around him. His personal belongings, which are to be later on donated to others, are retained by the family members.

Upon the death of the person, two angels named Monkar and Nakher stood before the dead person and judged him based on his past conducts and acts. Unlike Catholics, Muslims oppose the existence of a purgatory. For the Muslims, it's either "Paraiso" (Heaven) or "Impierno" (Hell). The "paraiso" has eight (8) levels while the "impierno" has only seven (7) levels and where a person may go depends upon the actions he had done during his past life.

Notions and Beliefs of other Sects

"Sa abo ka hale, sa abo ka man mabalik". A biblical statement which affirms the very reason why Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) followers do not believe in the celebration of the All Soul's Day.

Iglesia Ni Cristo or the Church of Christ, another known religious denomination in the country, has quite a different explanation on why they do not share the special celebration of the All Soul's Day. Such explanation is in accordance with some Biblical teachings and doctrines that man's origin is from dust and from it he shall return. This is further exemplified through their belief that man is composed of three (3) parts: hawak (body), espiritu(spirit) and kalag(soul). The body being the one visible and living in this world while the soul is considered, termed in the local vernacular as the, "hinangos kan tao" (breath of man) which man only borrows from God.

INC followers believed that when a person dies, he is but on a deep sleep so that he is no longer aware of the things that are made in his favor. The offering of prayers, masses and indulgences, according to INC tradition, will not likely benefit the dead because a person's destination, be it heaven or hell, depends on how he conducted his life while he was still living.

Contrary to the popular belief of the Catholics that after a person's demise, he shall be judge according to his past doings, INC advocates do not share such idea. Rather, they cited "Hindi babangon ang mga patay kundi sa araw ng paghukom ni Cristo" (in bicol vernacular), a specific biblical statement which attested to this disparity.

Sharing the same biblical foundation as INC does, followers of the Jehovah's Witnesses likewise do not share the celebration of All Soul's Day. For them, no specific biblical teaching can prove out the existence of the All Soul's Day celebration.

Chinese Customs on the All Soul's Day

Chinese traditions on the celebration of All Soul's Day have some similarities like those of the Catholics. Floral offerings, fruits, and other foodstuffs are being offered to the souls, believing that they (souls) too share in that simple feast. Two sticks of Chinese "incense", instead of candles, are lighted for the souls while three are said to be offered to God. Material possessions, in the form of paper-made "playhouse", "car" and "kim" (Chinese money) are made available to the dead person's tomb intending prosperity for the departed souls.

I am a devout Catholic and I believe in the celebration of the All Soul's Day. On those two days of my interview stint, I had gone to places I had not been before. I had set foot on grounds that were unfamiliar to me. And a whole lot of truths, which I respected, are known and revealed to me making me realize then, as a person, that regardless of what you believe into, one truth remains, that we, humans, are but destined to only one - to our Creator.

And for me as a Catholic, All Soul's Day is not about ghosts, eeriness or cold gray air. All Soul's Day is more than the floral offerings, lighting of candles, praying or visiting the graveyard of our dearly departed. Perhaps, the celebration of the All Soul's Day is also an opportune time for living ones to ponder on to their life's mission while they are still on earth.

Filipino Treasures Part 9: Tinikling

I used to be in a group that danced Tinikling, and it was the greatest experience of my life, and this traditional Filipino folk dance is so beautiful and at the same time so fun to dance to, and just fills you up with happiness and pride inside for your own Filipino culture. Tinikling is a Filipino treasure.

Tinikling in Historic Philippines

This is one of the many videos we're working on for the upcoming launch of our new website, Filipino Magazine. I hope you guys like it, the song is from the Tinikling, a traditional Filipino folk dance. There will be an online video gallery full of videos related to Filipino culture, including songs by Pilita Corrales, Bamboo, Francis Magalona, and much more.
Special thanks to Ms. Isabel Preysler and family. These childhood photos are of her and her family in this special video tribute to her home country and our home country, the Philippines.

Tinikling
Tinikling is the most popular and best known dance of the Philippines, receiving acclaim as the national dance. The dance is similar to rope jumping, but instead of a spinning rope, two bamboo poles are hit against blocks on the floor, and then raised up and hit together. Tinikling actually means "bamboo dance" in English. The dance requires one person to operate each end of the poles, and one or more dancers to move in and out of the poles.

Tinikling originated in the Visayan Islands, on the Island of Leyte. Dancers imitate the tikling bird's legendary grace and speed as they walk between grass stems, run over tree branches, or dodge bamboo traps set by rice farmers.

Different stories regarding the origin of tinikling have been passed down through oral histories and folklore. Tinikling is performed on certain Sundays in the Philippines.

Filipino singer-actor Antonio Morales Barreto "Junior" serenades Vilma Santos

Filipino singer-actor Junior (AMB or Antonio Morales Barreto) serenades Vilma Santos in Good Morning Sunshine (1980) with his hit song that he wrote and produced, Yakap.

Junior is the father of current hitmaker Shaila Durcal. Junior is 64 years old now and the oldest of 5 siblings and the Barreto sisters are 28 to circa-40 years old now (yes, they are, money does wonderful things in keeping you young looking and beautiful), and Filipino families are big so it's not uncommon to have cousins and immediate relatives that are twenty even thirty years older than you. But I don't have to tell you that, you probably already do.

Some Filipinos were comparing Claudine Barreto to Shaila Durcal, measuring their beauty against one another as if they were competing celebrities, but they're family by blood, Jesus Christ. But I guess it's normal since Filipinos always compare the beauty of Filipino actors/actresses with their sons/daughters or siblings, speaking of which, in my humble opinion, Gretchen is much more beautiful than her sisters, hehehe. I didn't like it before, but anyway I guess it's all fun, what fun is it having celebs if besides idolizing them, we can't also evaluate their beauty and compare them with each other, hehe.

Thanks to VSTProductions for sharing this great clip with Filipinos!

Antonio Morales Barreto "Junior" in Hola Magazine

So I'm finally talking about Junior, and this was my latest edit on Junior's article from that "encyclopedia" and I'm very happy about it, I added a lot of parts, a lot a lot of parts, including his Filipino movies and the tri-lingual part just because some Pinoys have this presumption that some Filipinos who have Spanish blood lived in an enclave amongst themselves in the Philippines where they only speak Spanish and drink wine and lounge at the pool, it's the image burned into their brains from the stereotypes from Filipino movies, ridiculous because Junior is as Pinoy as any other Filipino out there, and he wrote his songs in Tagalog, and speaks in Tagalog as well, and both of his parents are Filipino, it's just that his father just happens to be of Spanish descent, but he was born and raised in the Philippines making him a Filipino. It's really funny how Filipinos viewed Junior as a "Spaniard foreigner visiting the Philippines" during his popularity and didn't even realize that he's Filipino and still to this day sometimes until I posted this video of his song Yakap on Youtube, and Spaniards view him as a Filipino. It's because some Pinoys don't understand that's why, that the Spanish-speaking world is different from the English-speaking world in that their cultures and history are very, very different, so the Spanish-speaking world today doesn't really focus on race and racial fractions and quantities of a person, it's the country you were born in and your culture that determines who you are. Even though many Latin Americans and Filipinos have Spanish blood, they're not identified as Spanish when they go to Spain, they identify with the country that's close to their heart, the country they were born in. And for Junior, that's our Philippines, always. We'll post more pictures later, I'm trying to keep the posts short, which is impossible because I'm a writer and writing has always come naturally for me so I embellish a lot in what I write about, which is I guess good for a blog format, since that's what it's all about. Junior with daughter, singer Shaila Durcal: (their family is fond of stage names since "Junior", "Shaila Durcal", and "Rocio Durcal" are all artistic names, but not their real names, I guess it's a good way to keep your showbiz life separate from your family life)

Claudine Barreto and her sisters are his family by blood because his mother is a Barreto, and there's only one Barreto clan in the Philippines, and if you like San Miguel Beer, be grateful to their ancestors as San Miguel Corporation, Southeast Asia’s first brewery was established on Oct. 4, 1890 by Enrique Maria Barreto de Ycaza. A few of them have done business with and are friends of my cousin who works in Advertising and Public Relations for TV and print media, no he's not just a Kapuso or Kapamilya, that's ridiculous, and it's also a very successful marketing plan from the TV networks to draw in viewers from the C-D classes by making them feel like "family" (Kapamilya) and drawing in their "heart" (Kapuso), it's a great marketing plan for both networks, since it's obviously working considering the passionate online debates I've seen that Kapusos have versus Kapamilyas, that stuff is hilarious, anyway business is business and he works for both and has worked for both TV networks doing all that kind of stuff that he does, I don't care, hehe, anyway, the Barretos are from Manila and they own a bunch of companies, and Junior's from that one. And Junior was born in Manila. If you're confused about why his mother is a Barreto but his name is Antonio Morales Barreto, a lot of Filipinos were when I posted the video, it's because in Spanish naming conventions, the father's surname goes before the mother's. I believe that the way Filipinos do it now, where the middle name became the place to put the mother's surname, was just a clever adaptation our ancestors made to keep part of their heritage alive when they were told by the new colonizers after 1898 that you could only have one surname. So they found the loophole, "since there's no more space for our mother's surname, we'll put that in place of the middle name." And I theorize that that's how it came about. I can't be sure, because Filipino historians are so, like they don't care sometimes about researching these important things, so there's a lot of holes to fill in for us Filipinos about our history, but think about it, what other logical explanation is there for it? Putting your mother's surname as your middle name is certainly not a British or American tradition, in their middle names, they put names that are similiar to first names, but never the mother's surname because it's not the cultural tradition.

I'd also just like to say that I was really happy about what Aga Muhlach said about how the tv networks should just combine and find a way to work together, because that's what I always thought. Filipinos are always competing with other Filipinos, and we're always divided. But there's strength to be found in unity.
Junior (born Antonio Morales Barreto on May 10, 1943 in Manila, Philippines) is a Filipino singer and actor. He is the oldest of 5 sons. He was 15 years old when his family settled in Barcelona, Spain then in Madrid. He is tri-lingual and speaks Spanish, English, and Tagalog.

In 1957, he became part of the group Jump, a pioneering Spanish electric guitar group. In the group’s popularity, he was included in the movie Me Enveneno De Azules in 1969. His unstaked first themes Todo Porque Te Quiero (It’s All Because I Love You) in 1969 and Perdóname with English theme The Snake in 1973.

He became part of the group Los Brincos with Juan Pardo. His brothers Miguel and Ricky Morales were invited to join the group. Later, he and Juan Pardo left their group as Juan y Júnior. One of their songs include Spanish version of “Fool On The Hill” by John Lennon and Paul McCartney from LP titled Júnior in 1976.

In 1979, he stopped his career to manage career of his wife late Rocío Dúrcal whom he has 3 children, including singer Shaila Dúrcal who is dedicated not only to her mother but also to her mother’s namesake Rocío Jurado and Colombian diva Soraya who have been cancer victims.

In 1980, he starred in the Filipino movies Good Morning Sunshine with Vilma Santos, Bongga ka Day, and Disco Madhouse and released an album in Tagalog for the Philippines. One of his most popular songs that he wrote and produced was "Yakap". ^[1]

Filipino fashion during Spanish colonial period: Part 5

New York University
Sheer Realities

Filipino fashion during Spanish colonial period: Part 3

New York University
Sheer Realities

The paintings below displayed the preferred skin type for mestizos in the Philippines: white, however, I've included a photo of real historical mestizos which in itself shows that not all mestizos necessarily had white skin, in fact, many times white skin only shows up in castizos or those with more than 50% European or Chinese blood. But of course, as to be expected in most books written about the Philippines, the writer of this article didn't use the historically correct term of castizo or criollo, because like most writers are who write about the Philippines, he was probably not as educated in the colonial history and social stratification system of former Spanish colonies, which is so important to understand if you're going to understand Filipino history and lacking in most writers who write about the Philippines, which leads to the miseducation of the Filipinos and inevitably, the world about our country's history.

Historical preference: the Philippines has its chosen few.
(Special Section: The Philippines Survey) John Andrews.

Most developing countries encourage a sense of
their uniqueness. Nationalism, patriotism,
chauvinism: all play their part in exorcising
memories of colonial inferiority. Some countries,
like Singapore, speak explicitly of "nation
building"; others-for example, Arab
countries-stress a golden age which may yet
return.

The Philippines is different. True, there is a
sense of national identity. Newspaper columnists
(dozens of them, each capable of churning out a
couple of thousand entertaining words a day)
deplore the way foreigners, be they American
multinationals or Australian sex-seekers, exploit
brave but innocent Filipinos. Senators and
congressmen rail against America's bases as an
affront to Philippine independence. Taxi-drivers
and shop assistants say Cory should now let Marcos
return "because he is a Filipino".

But the sense of nationhood is a tide moved by
external forces. Television, radio and the
ubiquitous pop music are Americanised, or anyway
westernised. Over 400,000 Filipinos work overseas;
thousands more would like to join them. Bar girls
dream of finding an "Americano" husband to
transport them "stateside". Even cabinet members
cherish green cards that permit work and residence
in the United States. Objectively, it is a
national tragedy: each woman who goes as a maid to
Hong, kong or as an "entertainer" to japan, each
man who goes as a crane driver to Saudi Arabia
represents a family broken for two, three or more
years. But those involved react subjectively-the
lure of foreign wealth and sophistication is a
powerful antidote to heartbreak, and a stint
abroad confirms the belief that foreign is better
than Filipino.

Does it matter? The answer must be yes.
Resource-poor Taiwan, South Korea and Singapore
have all prospered through will-power and hard
work. Just think what the Philippines, so blessed
with natural resources, might have achieved with
even a modicum of national discipline and
cohesion. Instead, a country which 30 years ago
was arguably Asia's richest after japan is now
almost as poor as Indonesia.

Who is to blame? Filipinos, uniformly devout in
Asia's only Christian country, will attribute
responsibility to God, the Americans and the
Spanish. In all cases, they are right. Divine
decree has sprinkled the Philippines over a
typhoon-prone Pacific archipelago of around 7,100
islands. Anthropologists claim there are Ill
different cultural and racial groups speaking some
70 different languages, from Muslim Malays in the
southern islands of Sulu to Episcopalian Igorots
in the Cordillera mountains of Luzon. Nobody would
pretend it is a promising recipe for a sense of
national integrity.

What makes it still less promising is the
country's nuances of class and colour. "Filipinos"
exist only as a definition of citizenship. Reality
is a brown-skinned peasantry of Malay origins and
an elite whose skins have the lighter hues of
Spain and China. Filipinos are too friendly to be
bigots, and the melting pot of history-Chinese
traders and Spanish soldiers needed local wives or
concubines-rules out fantasies of ethnic purity.
But all Filipinos are aware of their place in the
spectrum: peasant women whiten their faces before
going to a dance; and in last year's campaign for
the Senate the high-born candidates would publicly
apologise for suntans caught on the hustings.

The phenomenon is not unique to the Philippines.
There are, for example, parallels in Brazil and
Venezuela. Nor should the impact on individuals be
exaggerated. It is probably easier being a brown,
Malay-faced Filipino than being dark in America.
But the harm is in the implied social rigidity.
The Philippines, despite almost a century of
democratic institutions, remains a feudal society.
The top one fifth of the population receives half
the country's income. Famous family names-Lopez,
Laurel, Romulo, Soriano, Zobel, Cojuangco, Ayala,
Aquino-crop up constantly in the arenas of power,
both political and financial. Too often, the name,
not the policy, is the key to success. One
academic claims the economy is effectively
controlled by a mere 60 families. A matter of
birth Blame both Spain and America. The former, in
over three centuries of colonisation, created the
Philippines' elite; the latter, in an occupation
lasting from 1898 until 1946 (with an unkind
japanese interruption from 1941 to 1945),
preserved it. At the top came the mestizos: those
whose blood was mixed". The best mestizos had
mainly Spanish blood, with just a dash of indio-or
native-genes. The next best were Chinese mestizos.
Both groups prospered. They leased land from the
Catholic friars and sublet it to the indios. They
gained still more land because the law limited an
indio's debt to just 25 pesos. The indio would
evade the law by selling his land to the mestizo
with the right to repurchase it later. It was an
early form of loan-sharking; invariably the indio
failed to find new money with which to repurchase
his land.

And so the fair-skinned mestizos became rich. The
lines between Chinese and Spanish blood were
blurred into a more-or-less single aristocracy as
the Chinese hispanicised their names (the
syllables of the Aquino name and the president's
own Cojuangco clan tell the tale). By the end of
the nineteenth century the top educated families
were the ilustrados-the "enlightened" who would
lead the fight for independence against a selfish
Spain. In the event, they were pre-empted by
America, which had gone to war with Spain over
Cuba. America's victory meant Spain's surrender of
not just Puerto Rico but also Guam and the
Philippines. In the process, the ilustrados were
co-opted by an America which could not quite admit
to building an empire. Instead, America, with a
patronising concern for its "little brown
brother", would help the Philippine elite turn the
country into a "showcase of democracy".

The concept has a soothing logic. Why not enlist
the favoured few in the evolution of a system that
will help the less fortunate? But there is a flaw
beneath this veneer. Democracy is based on the
will of the majority; by definition, the elite is
a minority. And the Philippine elite, like any
other, is hardly likely to surrender its
privileges voluntarily. Indeed, hardly any
criticism today attaches to the Laurel family for
collaborating with the japanese: they and others
were preserving the continuity of Philippine
leadership "in the interests of the people".

The Economist, May 7, 1988 v307 n7549 pS4(3)
COPYRIGHT Economist Newspaper Ltd. (England) 1988