By Cate de Leon

Tagline: Send comments to catgdeleon@ yahoo.com or drop the author a line at http://writer-cat.livejournal.com.

I RECENTLY attended an anthropological lecture on Philippine tribes by Prof. Cherubim Quizon at the UP College of Arts and Letters. But what interested me more was not the lecture itself, but the very first question posed by a woman in the audience, a professor in speech communication. Her words:

“While I honestly enjoyed learning about our ancient origins, I have to admit that I’ve always had a very colonial mindset. Because it seems that if we were to go back to our roots, the result would be entirely regressive. I don’t even know how to answer my students’ queries on nationality; because when they graduate, the only jobs waiting for them are those in call centers. So kindly help me out. Right now I can’t see the point in cultivating who we really are as Filipinos.”

It was a question I have also been asking myself—and I wondered if anybody in the room was capable of answering it objectively. And not with irrelevant passion and poetry, which was all being Filipino had become to me.

A man in the audience stood up and started his speech by clarifying that he was not a nationalist, but a humanist. He said he specialized in analyzing the structure and maximizing the potential of the human being.

Referring to Quizon’s lecture, he re-stated that three very important words in the Filipino psyche are ‘kamag-anak’ (kinship), ‘kasama’ (companionship), and ‘kakilala’ (acquaintanceship).

To more effectively explain the given terms, he gave both new and old examples, like how he once brought home a can of corned beef, knowing it was his family’s favorite. He returned a week after to find the can untouched. Why didn’t they eat it, he asked, and they explained that the neighbors might catch a whiff of the food as they cooked it, and then they’d feel obliged to share.

He also cited how hospital rooms in our country have to have two beds—one for the patient, and another for the bantay (caregiver). And if you plan on bringing a get-well-soon gift, it must be food so that the bantay can have some as well.

The fact that we like to eat in groups was also taken into consideration. Whether it’s lunch, dinner, or merienda at a fishball stand, we like to invite other people to eat along. And when we see a friend eating by himself, we ask why he is alone and if he’s alright, even offering him our company.

If you’ve ever thrown a party, you probably know the frustration when no one calls the R.S.V.P. number. Now the thing about R.S.V.P. is that you’re asking the person individually if he/she is coming to your party. But Filipinos don’t like the thought of showing up alone at social gatherings. As a result, all the days leading up to the party are spent asking around and waiting for confirmation from friends on whether or not they are going as well—because as guests we want to make sure we’ll have enough people to talk to (kausap) when we get there.

The speaker also gave examples highlighting our other traits, like how we prefer to have all the sauces and seasonings laid out before us so we can concoct our own dips, as opposed to how in restaurants abroad, people simply eat the food as it is served.

He added that even the recurring tendency among Filipinos to be late for everything, such as dates, classes, meetings, and appointments, is due to how we’ve always had a timeless concept of time. The terms “sharp” and “on the dot” most certainly didn’t come from us. In band rehearsals, for example, the processes of tuning up and making music often overlap; there is no definite end to the former and beginning to the latter.

Recall too how at the end of social gatherings, we linger in each other’s company. Even the goodbyes take forever. One moment we’re saying goodnight, the next we’re laughing and sharing a short anecdote, which for some reason we forgot to tell earlier when it was still time for exchanging stories.

The speaker summarized, “As a people, we’ve always been highly relational and participatory. We are not innately individualistic and authority-centered as the Americans are—as we’ve been trying to be. That’s why most of us don’t follow traffic rules, and we throw our trash where the sign says we shouldn’t—because we’re not used to simply being told what to do by some “other.” Instead, we’re geared towards co-creation and cooperation when setting goals and accomplishing tasks. But sadly, these qualities have not graduated into a civic consciousness. (Not to mention that) we have absolutely no national consciousness.”

Hearing him say these things, I began to understand that perhaps the real problem lies not in how we’ve been falling short of certain standards, but in how we still knock ourselves out trying to be something that we’re not.

For the most part of my life, I’ve been guilty of having (and denying) a colonial mindset. But I don’t blame myself for it because as a young and eager-to-learn student, it was all I was made to understand. The concept of being proudly Filipino was taught to us in abstract and vague terms. We never really knew what to be proud of.

Colonial mentality, however, was more concretely demonstrated to us. A perfect example was how popular I was with my high school teachers and classmates, just because I spoke fluent English. I highly doubt they would have looked up to me as much had I been just as skilled at speaking Tagalog. It was only in my college years at the University of the Philippines that patriotism started to make practical sense, and was no longer just a sentimental, moral obligation.

As music majors, though we studied the works of western classical composers, we were also educated on and constantly reminded to practice and cultivate our own music—especially if we were to go on international tours.

“So what if you can give them a perfect rendition of, say, Bach’s choral works?” one of my professors used to say. “They’ve heard such pieces countless of times before. And don’t you think it would be absurd to travel all the way to these faraway countries just to give them yet another taste of their own music?”

If you apply the same reasoning to how we look up to English-speaking people, you’d realize how pathetic and inferior it is for us to prize something that is so common to the British and Americans—which is why I have since ceased to be ignorantly cocky about being ingglisera (English-speaking).

Not that speaking foreign languages, flying to other countries, and learning from other people is a bad thing. It’s one of our biggest assets: how easily we can communicate, relate, and adapt to other cultures, especially since the advent of globalization.

But we’re also urgently in need of finding our true identity. And until we do, we’ll be perpetually stuck trying to fit into governmental and societal structures handed down to us by our colonial captors. Until we figure out a system of living that will truly work for us, especially in this modern age, our society will remain just as dysfunctional as it has been for the longest time, with most of our fresh and highly educated graduates trying hard to ease into fake, second-rate American accents in order to get by.

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By Gigo Alampay

It could all begin with the fact that we are an archipelago, a collection of islands—some big, some small, some gone when the tide is up—separated from one another, and bound together only by legal fiction.

Similarly, as a people, we are more like a collection of tribes or regions or provinces. It is easier to talk about the traits, quirkiness, and stereotypes (fair and unfair) of Batanguenos or Ilocanos or Ilonggos or Muslims or the people from Imperial Manila, than it is to define what exactly it is to be a Filipino.

So ask the ordinary man or woman on the street what binds all these disparate folks together beyond an arguably common shared history, and we will get various, even conflicting, responses.

There are our traits. Are we condemned by crab mentality? Or are we uplifted by our sense of bayanihan?

Are we famously resilient because we can laugh at ourselves and our problems? Or are we hopelessly hampered by an inability to take things seriously, laughing even when there is nothing to laugh about?

Is our faith—and the Church—our saving grace, or our ironic cross?

Who is Juan? Who is Juana? Or maybe it is the name itself? Juan is a Spanish name, one that did not exist in these Islands before we were conquered. Do we reject “Juan” as a non-Filipino name? Or do we embrace it as an undeniable part of who we are today given our history?

It is easy to stereotype the OFW as a prototypical Filipino today. Counting OFWs and their friends and loved ones left behind, they comprise a huge majority of our population who share common experiences—the displaced sense of family, the heroic notion of sacrifice, the pasalubongs when one returns, the jeepney loads of relatives that accompany them to the airport when they leave, and of course, the remittances that collectively keep this country afloat.

And yet, we all know the Filipino is more than just the OFW. There are millions of farmers and fisherfolk, thousands of youthful call center agents and ICT workers, and dwindling numbers of indigenous peoples. They, too, are Filipinos.

So, what does it mean to be Filipino? What does it matter? Why does it matter?

The answer to this question is important, not least because the lack of a common and shared sense of identity could be one major reason why we cannot seem to get our acts together, and live up to our full potential as a nation.

This is a basic theme that we should explore and discuss, and most importantly, pose to anyone (especially the young) who might listen—if only so that they will not take their identity for granted.

Unfortunately, the question also often sounds hackneyed (gasgas na gasgas na) and, indeed, corny. Worse, many times even, the people calling for unity (many of them in government, the church, and the media) are only self-interested, and are those we would really rather ignore.

We need to ask the question, and to propose some answers—but in a manner that is not off-putting or intimidating, and in a way that allows people to seek and find the answers just for themselves without feeling awkward or forced.

The Center for Art, New Ventures and Sustainable Development’s (Canvas) Looking for Juan Outdoor Banner Project—opening at the University of the Philippines’ Academic Oval on Independence Day (June 12, 2009)—is an attempt to provide that venue, that opportunity.

We asked dozens of artists, writers, musicians, and poets to provide—through their art, words and music—their answers to the question, What does it mean to be Filipino? Their responses were then transformed into art banners and will be displayed so that people can enjoy them as they walk, bike, or drive around a 2.2 kilometer oval under the magnificent acacia trees of the University of the People.

It is an engaging, and completely relaxed environment, especially on Sundays when the whole place is closed to traffic, and joggers jog, children play, and families come out to relax and just be with one another. It will be fun, and we hope to see you there.

And best of all, the answers (and sometimes even more questions) are given almost subliminally by artists, writers, poets and musicians who, by definition, are engaged in work and lifestyles that force them to think and express thoughts and things bigger than they are.

We also like to think that this show is even more special in that, collectively, it gives a snapshot of what some of the best young creative talents think when asked about what it means to be Filipino, at this particular point in our nation’s history.

In the end, of course, there is no single correct answer to the question, What does it mean to be Filipino?

Which is as it should be, because for many of the important issues confronting us today—as individuals and as a nation—understanding the questions is often more important than providing the answers.

(Canvas is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting greater awareness and appreciation for Philippine art, culture and the environment. For more information, visit the Canvas website at www.canvas.ph or its blog: www.lookingforjuan.com. You may also email info@canvas.ph.

The Looking for Juan Outdoor Banner Exhibit will be on view from June 12 to July 11, 2009 around the University of the Philippines’ Academic Oval in Diliman, Quezon City.

At the end of its run, the banners will be converted into tote bags by two women’s communities in Antipolo and Laguna, and sold as original works of functional art. Proceeds from the sale will benefit Padyak, a UP Mountaineers-led movement to promote cycling and environmentalism as healthy lifestyles, as well as other Canvas efforts to promote greater awareness and appreciation for Philippine art, culture, and the environment.)

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By OSCAR F. SANTOS

Coconut Industry Reform Movement (COIR)

FLAG day seeks to promote love of country. These days, everywhere, we see big flags emblazoned with the words, “Pilipinas Kong Mahal.”

But do we really love our country? Maybe so, but we certainly have a funny way of showing it.

The Philippines is blessed with an abundance of natural resources—forests, seas, rivers, lakes, and marine and wildlife. But what do we do?

We pollute the air we breathe, ravage our forests, defile our lakes and rivers, ruin our corals and poison our fish and aquatic life. We litter our streets and dump garbage on our waterways. We treat our natural resources as if they do not belong to us.

Many behave as if they have no pride in being Filipinos. Four out of 10 Filipinos want to leave the country and reside elsewhere. Many are even ashamed of being identified as Filipinos when they go abroad. Our so-called educated avoid speaking their native tongue. To speak with a pronounced native accent is considered “un-cool.” Many struggle to speak English, no matter how broken, because not to be able to is looked down upon.

We are unmindful of our responsibilities as citizens. We close our eyes to the corruption around us. We blatantly break the law, traffic rules most especially, every chance we get. We love to stress our individual rights, but we ignore other people’s. We clean our own backyards, but dump the trash on our neighbor’s side of the street.

We sell our votes and elect plunderers and nincompoops to the highest offices. We give known cheaters seats of honor. Our public officials behave like masters, forgetting that they are public servants. They abuse authority, take bribes, get involved in scandalous contracts, take liberties with public funds, and treat our institutions with utter disrespect.

James Fallows once said that we remain underdeveloped because of our “damaged culture,” having been under Spanish, American and Japanese rule for the last 500 years or so. Randy David puts it this way: “This trait goes by other names. It is the barbarism of mindless profit-seeking, of getting something for almost nothing, of doing brisk business on the despair of others. It is the culture of shabbiness, of mediocrity, of neglect, and of perpetual improvisation. It is the absolute contempt for the public.”

Why do we have no pride in being Filipino? We are so unlike our South Korean neighbors who, when their country was in dire straits, donated their jewels and precious possessions to help fund their government. We are so unlike our Japanese neighbors who care and hold sacred their hills and mountains. To them, the faintest suspicion of wrongdoing can make top officials jump off a cliff. To them, one’s honor comes first, and failing to do right by their country is unforgivable.

The flags we are displaying these days should remind us that we are no longer under foreign control. It is time for all of us to wake up and behave like true Filipinos who could truly say with pride and dignity, “Pilipinas Kong Mahal.”

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By Walter Ang
Contributor

“What does it mean to be Filipino?” is a question contemplated by Gigo Alampay, executive director of the Center for Art, New Ventures, and Sustainable Development (Canvas).

Having lived abroad for a number of years, he said, “Without judgment, Americans find it easy to say who they are. Here in our country, it’s sometimes easier to answer ‘What is a Batangueño, or what is an Ilocano?’ than it is to answer ‘What is a Filipino?’ There may be some stereotypes for regional identities, but at least there are characteristic identifiers. However, as a nation, sometimes it’s not easy to figure out who we are.”

He added, “There’s a notion that our lack of national identity may be one of the reasons why some people feel the Philippines has not really lived up to its full potential.”

The center’s latest endeavor is the “Looking for Juan Outdoor Banner Project,” an exhibition of artworks by some of the best contemporary Filipino artists who attempt to provide visual answers to the discussion.

“The project aims to collect at least a hundred artworks that will be reproduced as tarpaulin banners that will then be displayed in two highly accessible and pedestrian-friendly venues,” said Alampay.

“The Looking for Juan Outdoor Banner Project will showcase some of the country’s best creative talents. Artists, graphic designers and photographers have been asked to express their idea of the Filipino identity,” he said.

“The project is designed to engage visitors with its art-driven messaging about the Filipino identity. It will be a new kind of experience that allows visitors to view and appreciate great art as well as explore important social themes in a non-intimidating, relaxed, and creative environment.”

The first 40 to 50 original works that will be reproduced as banners were launched at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. The artworks will be on display until June 7. This original artwork exhibit will transfer to the Alab Art Space gallery (Intellectual Property Philippines Building along Buendia St., Makati) on June 8.

Meanwhile, the first outdoor banner exhibit will be at the end of May at the new Philippine Pacific Rim Friendship Park in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. The second will be in June at the University of the Philippines’ Academic Oval in Diliman. “Just in time for opening of classes and Independence Day,” he added.

Canvas has been actively involved with The Pacific Rim Project to build a Friendship Park in Puerto Princesa. Architecture and art students from different countries like China, South Korea, the United States, Russia, and Mexico were flown in earlier this month to interact with counterpart Filipino students. These volunteers will design, present to the city government, and actually build the whole park under the artistic supervision of leading artists, architects, and urban planners in just 30 days.

After the park is completed, it is given as a gift to the citizens of the Pacific and to the host city. All parks are for the public and are directly connected to the Pacific Ocean. The park will then become part of a network of Friendship Parks ringing the Pacific. There are already four parks in US, Russia, China, and Mexico.

To date, participants in the Looking For Juan Outdoor Banner Exhibit include Buen Abrigo, Leonard Aguinaldo, Daniel Aligaen, Reynaldo Amido, Mark Arcamo, Moralde Arrogante, Anton Balao, Jeho Bitangcor, Plet Bolipata, Elmer Borlongan, Malyn Bonayog, Serj Bumatay, Michael Cacnio, Buen Calubayan, Jeff Carnay, Salvador Ching, Marika Constantino, Salvador Convocar, Dansoy Coquilla, Geronimo Cristobal, Jigger Cruz, Don Dalmacio, Kawayan de Guia, Anna de Leon, Crisanto de Leon, Maan de Loyola, Farley del Rosario, Robert Deniega, Anthony Fermin, Tina Fernandez, Karen Flores, Liza Flores, Emmanuel Garibay, Juan Sajid Imao, Agang Maganda, Lotsu Manes, Josue Mangrobang, Roel Obemio, Wilfredo Offemaria, Jr., Marcial Pontillas, Anthony Palo, Anthony Palomo, Jay Pacena II, Jucar Raquepo, Omi Reyes, Iggy Rodriguez, Tres Roman, Kirby Roxas, Mark Salvatus, Julius Samson, Andoi Solon, Aner Sebastian, Angelo Tabije, CJ Tanedo, Rex Tatlonghari, Palma Tayona, Jomike Tejido, Juanito Torres, Ian Valladarez, Wesley Vallenzuela, Migs Villanueva and Liv Vinluan.

Selected students from the UP College of Fine Arts, members of Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan, various creative writers, as well as a number of graphic design and advertising studios, are also involved.

After the end of the outdoor banner exhibits, the banners will be recycled by two women’s communities in Antipolo and Laguna into tote bags and sold as original works of functional art. Proceeds from the sale of the tote bags will support Padyak, a UP Mountaineers-led movement to promote environmentalism and cycling as a healthy lifestyle.

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(Editor’s note: INQUIRER.net found this item by lpgd in the blogosphere—at www.betterphilippines.com—interesting and tracked him down. lgpd agreed to post this item, originally entitled “Basic Respect and Communication,” on the INQUIRER.net blog, but asked that he keep his anonymity.)

By lpgd

The ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC) did a great job of giving the general public a chance to get to know more about some of our presidential hopefuls. The station provided real public service with that ANC Leadership Forum.

I wasn’t able to watch the live telecast—only the replay and just parts of it so I didn’t catch all that was said. However, I did hear enough to be able to form an opinion about the first batch of participants, namely Senators Richard Gordon, Mar Roxas, Francis Escudero, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, and Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio.

Judging how they responded to the questions asked of them, I would rank the participants this way with 5 being the lowest.

1. Panlilio
2. Teodoro
3. Gordon
4. Roxas
5. Escudero

Without referring to the validity and political implications of their responses and just focusing on how they addressed the questions, I would say that Panlilio and Teodoro did well. I felt that Panlilio was the most candid. I also appreciated Gordon’s responses although I thought some of his answers were a little too wordy and circuitous. As far as these three are concerned, I’d say they did not disappoint at all, communication-wise.

On the other hand, I think Roxas and Escudero proved themselves to be bad communicators. Neither one of them provided any real substance with their responses. Roxas even thought it was appropriate to inject his “lalaban tayo (we will fight)” campaign slogan in his closing message. He did it in bad taste. Fortunately, for him, Escudero was even worse.

To most people, Escudero would probably sound like he is making real sense. But if you really listen hard to his statements, you will easily realize that there’s really nothing there. I’m sure the young senator has the brains, but unfortunately he chooses not to show it. Instead he wastes his and other people’s time—precious airtime included—with his oppositionist, motherhood crap.

Interestingly, Escudero got some of the biggest applause from the mostly young audience. This is a telling and troubling sign that Escudero’s worthless verbiage is working. It’s that or those who clapped for him were just gullible or plain dumb.

At this point, I would like to reiterate that this is not about the validity or the political implications of the statements made by Escudero and the other participants. My only focus here is whether or not they can communicate sincerely. In my book, Escudero failed miserably in this regard.

Why am I making an issue out of this? It’s simple. I equate sincerity with respect. A person who talks to you without any sincerity is basically disrespecting you. He is basically telling you that he doesn’t hold you in high regard; that he looks down on your intellect; and that he is convinced he can get away with giving you his bulls__t. It’s even more insulting if the person talking to you in such a manner is asking you to give him something as important as your vote.

I wonder about the forum audience present at the Leong Hall of the Ateneo de Manila University. They applauded Escudero’s crap. Were they not insulted at all by his manner?

I sincerely hope that come 2010, all Filipino voters will have already learned to demand respect from politicians.

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By JOEL GUINTO
INQUIRER.net

What should patriotism sound like?

Singer Martin Nievera did not sing “Lupang Hinirang” to the tune of a march, as called for by law. Does that make him less of a Filipino?

Artistic license is no excuse to violate the law, according to critics. But more than just words set to music, wasn’t the national anthem intended to unite a nation?

Other artists who failed to sing the national anthem correctly in past Pacquiao fights—Geneva Cruz (she wore a terno, did that make up for it?), Jennifer Bautista (she sang off key in the end, is she more culpable than Nievera?).

Christian Bautista forgot the words during a mall show. Shouldn’t he be in jail by now? Or will a spanking by his elementary school teachers do?

Nievera can’t speak straight Filipino, even if he has been in Philippine show business since the 1908s. How can he be expected to sing “Lupang Hinirang” correctly? But that’s a different story.

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By Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan

1. We are strategically located at the heart of East Asia.

Northeast Asia (Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong) and Southeast Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos) combined makes East Asia. We are only at most four hours away from every major city in East Asia. If the Philippines were a real estate venture in a commercial area, ours is a location to die for. We can be the shipping and air transport hub of East Asia. We can be the top tourist destination of the region. We can be the cultural center of the region for performing arts.

2. We are No. 1 in aquamarine resources worldwide.

“We have the most diverse aquamarine ecosystem in the entire world which, if managed properly, will feed not only our hungry people but will be a source of huge revenue coming from a world in dire need of aquamarine resources such as fish, seaweed, and other similar products. We can be the seafood basket and aquamarine resource center of the world, the aquamarine resource powerhouse of the world.

3. We have a huge tourism industry potential.

Our people are by nature extremely friendly and hospitable. We only have some 3 million tourist visits every year, while our neighbors are doing 4 or 5 times more with 12 to 15 million tourist visits annually. It has been said that other countries in the ASEAN are doing so much more with so little in terms of natural wonders and beautiful sites while we are doing so little with so much. With the right infrastructure such as highways and airports and seaports in place, we can be the number one tourist destination in ASEAN if not Asia.

[Read the rest of this entry »]

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HAVE you seen the latest TV advertisement where celebrities like Ely Buendia, Angel Locsin, Lito Alvarez, Maxene Magalona, Chris Tiu, Susan Fernandez, Fr. Martin de Jesus, Mark Nicdao, Ramon Bautista, Fr. Martin de Jesus, Charice Pempengco, Edu Manzano, Arnel Pineda and Efren Penaflorida are saying, “Ako Mismo”?

The TV advertisement posed a challenge to everyone: “Ano ang gagawin mo para sa kinabukasan ng bayang ito?” Then all the celebrities said they were committing to help move this country forward, as they declared, “Ako Mismo.”

Towards the end of the advertisement, they were shown wearing dog-tags with the national colors and the words “Ako Mismo.” According to akomismo.org, the dog tag symbolized courage, but among the military it was used to identify soldiers during the war.

The movement’s website further said that “Ako Mismo is a movement where you can show your patriotism and compassion, and make these traits infectious. It’s about action that eradicates hopelessness in every Filipino.”

The movement encouraged people to initiate change within themselves by writing their commitments.

Last time I checked, the total number of pledges on the movement’s website is 20,944.

“In AKO MISMO, you get to choose the cause you wish to pursue. No cause is too small as long as it is a noble one. All we ask is that you make a pledge to do it,” it said.

This movement was launched amid the upcoming 2010 elections. Would apathy still reign in today’s youth? Or is it time to make a stand and act towards change and development?

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CALIFORNIA, USA — People showed up to protest government spending, bailouts, taxes, and the economic crisis in the United States.

Do you have a similar video, photo or story? Send it to dropbox.yousendit.com/inquirerbox.

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THE cold breeze blowing through the Dianara Viewpoint in Banaue did not bother the three mumbakis (medicine men). They started chanting their prayers to the gods Monday night, and they drank tapuy and chewed betel nut and leaf until Tuesday morning. This ritual, which they called “Alim,” is a form of thanksgiving and a request for blessings especially during planting and harvest season. I witnessed this recently, as they performed this ritual from nine in the evening to eight the next morning.

“Hindi namin inaalam dahil yun na ang itinuro sa amin ng mga ninuno namin. Hindi pwedeng bawasan ang oras, di rin pwedeng dagdagan. [We did not ask (our ancestors) why they’re spending a long time doing the ritual. This kind of ritual was what they taught us. We cannot change it],” said Jack Yadang, 58 years old and the youngest among the three mumbakis.

Part of the ritual is this ritual is the offering of palay, chicken, tobacco, lime, wine and pig. The slaughter of the pig is the culmination of the ritual, said Yadang.

“Habang kinakatay, ino-offer namin kay Likdum. [We offered the pig to Likdum while it was being slaughtered],” Yadang said.

[Read the rest of this entry »]

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