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WHAT IS CULTURE?

Culture can be defined as the ways of life of an entire society. It includes codes of manners, language, religion, rituals, arts, beliefs and institutions of a population that are passed down from generation to generation.

Culture came from the Latin “cultura” stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate", generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activities significance and importance. Cultures can be "understood as systems of symbols and meanings that even their creators contest, that lack fixed boundaries, that are constantly in flux, and that interact and compete with one another.

Culture is in some ways like an iceberg that has a visible section above the waterline and a larger, invisible section below the water line. Culture has some aspects that are easily seen and others that are very subtle and difficult to see and understand. Also like an iceberg, that part of culture that is visible (observable behavior) is only a small part of a much bigger whole.

Culture is a term that refers to a large and diverse set of mostly intangible aspects of social life.

According to sociologists, culture consists of the values, beliefs, systems of language, communication, and practices that people share in common and that can be used to define them as a collective. Culture also includes the material objects that are common to that group or society. Culture is distinct from social structure and economic aspects of society, but it is connected to them—both continuously informing them and being informed by them.

HOW SOCIOLOGISTS DEFINE CULTURE

Culture is one of the most important concepts within sociology because sociologists recognize that it plays a crucial role in our social lives. It is important for shaping social relationships, maintaining and challenging social order, determining how we make sense of the world and our place in it, and in shaping our everyday actions and experiences in society. It is composed of both non-material and material things.

In brief, sociologists define the non-material aspects of culture as the values and beliefs, language, communication, and practices that are shared in common by a group of people. Expanding on these categories, culture is made up of our knowledge, common sense, assumptions, and expectations. It is also the rules, norms, laws, and morals that govern society; the words we use as well as how we speak and write them (what sociologists call "discourse"); and the symbols we use to express meaning, ideas, and concepts (like traffic signs and emojis, for example). Culture is also what we do and how we behave and perform (for example, theater and dance). It informs and is encapsulated in how we walk, sit, carry our bodies, and interact with others; how we behave depending on the place, time, and "audience;" and how we express identities of race, class, gender, and sexuality, among others. Culture also includes the collective practices we participate in, such as religious ceremonies, the celebration of secular holidays, and attending sporting events.

Material culture is composed of the things that humans make and use. This aspect of culture includes a wide variety of things, from buildings, technological gadgets, and clothing, to film, music, literature, and art, among others. Aspects of material culture are more commonly referred to as cultural products.

Sociologists see the two sides of culture—the material and non-material—as intimately connected. Material culture emerges from and is shaped by the non-material aspects of culture. In other words, what we value, believe, and know (and what we do together in everyday life) influences the things that we make. But it is not a one-way relationship between material and non-material culture. Material culture can also influence the non-material aspects of culture. For example, a powerful documentary film (an aspect of material culture) might change people’s attitudes and beliefs (i.e. non-material culture). This is why cultural products tend to follow patterns. What has come before in terms of music, film, television, and art, for example, influences the values, beliefs, and expectations of those who interact with them, which then, in turn, influence the creation of additional cultural products.

Why Culture Matters to Sociologists

Culture is important to sociologists because it plays a significant and important role in the production of social order. The social order refers to the stability of society based on the collective agreement to rules and norms that allow us to cooperate, function as a society, and live together (ideally) in peace and harmony. For sociologists, there are both good and bad aspects of social order.

Rooted in the theory of classical French sociologist Émile Durkheim, both material and non-material aspects of culture are valuable in that they hold society together. The values, beliefs, morals, communication, and practices that we share in common provide us with a shared sense of purpose and a valuable collective identity. Durkheim revealed through his research that when people come together to participate in rituals, they reaffirm the culture they hold in common, and in doing so, strengthen the social ties that bind them together. Today, sociologists see this important social phenomenon happening not only in religious rituals and celebrations like (some) weddings and the Indian festival of Holi but also in secular ones—such as high school dances and widely-attended, televised sporting events (for example, the Super Bowl and March Madness).

Famous Prussian social theorist and activist Karl Marx established the critical approach to culture in the social sciences. According to Marx, it is in the realm of non-material culture that a minority is able to maintain unjust power over the majority. He reasoned that subscribing to mainstream values, norms, and beliefs keep people invested in unequal social systems that do not work in their best interests, but rather, benefit the powerful minority. Sociologists today see Marx's theory in action in the way that most people in capitalist societies buy into the belief that success comes from hard work and dedication, and that anyone can live a good life if they do these things—despite the reality that a job which pays a living wage is increasingly hard to come by.1

Both theorists were right about the role that culture plays in society, but neither was exclusively right. Culture can be a force for oppression and domination, but it can also be a force for creativity, resistance, and liberation. It is also a deeply important aspect of human social life and social organization. Without it, we would not have relationships or society. (Nicki Lisa Cole, Ph.D. Updated on August 01, 2019 https://www.thoughtco.com/culture-definition-4135409).

Characteristics of Culture

Culture has five basic characteristics: It is learned, shared, based on symbols, integrated, and dynamic. All cultures share these basic features.

1. Culture is learned. It is not biological; we do not inherit it. Much of learning culture is unconscious. We learn culture from families, peers, institutions, and media. The process of learning culture is known as enculturation. While all humans have basic biological needs such as food, sleep, and sex, the way we fulfill those needs varies cross-culturally.

2. Culture is shared. Because we share culture with other members of our group, we are able to act in socially appropriate ways as well as predict how others will act. Despite the shared nature of culture, that doesn’t mean that culture is homogeneous (the same). The multiple cultural worlds that exist in any society are discussed in detail below.

3. Culture is based on symbols. A symbol is something that stands for something else. Symbols vary cross-culturally and are arbitrary. They only have meaning when people in a culture agree on their use. Language, money and art are all symbols. Language is the most important symbolic component of culture.

4. Culture is integrated. This is known as holism, or the various parts of a culture being interconnected. All aspects of a culture are related to one another and to truly understand a culture, one must learn about all of its parts, not only a few.

5. Culture is dynamic. This simply means that cultures interact and change. Because most cultures are in contact with other cultures, they exchange ideas and symbols. All cultures change, otherwise, they would have problems adapting to changing environments. And because cultures are integrated, if one component in the system changes, it is likely that the entire system must adjust.

Pop Culture: An Overview

The term ‘popular culture’ holds different meanings depending on who’s defining it and the context of use. It is generally recognized as the vernacular or people’s culture that predominates in a society at a point in time. As Brummett explains in Rhetorical Dimensions of Popular Culture, pop culture involves the aspects of social life most actively involved in by the public. As the ‘culture of the people’, popular culture is determined by the interactions between people in their everyday activities: styles of dress, the use of slang, greeting rituals and the foods that people eat are all examples of popular culture. Popular culture is also informed by the mass media.

There are a number of generally agreed elements comprising popular culture. For example, popular culture encompasses the most immediate and contemporary aspects of our lives. These aspects are often subject to rapid change, especially in a highly technological world in which people are brought closer and closer by omnipresent media. Certain standards and commonly held beliefs are reflected in pop culture. Because of its commonality, pop culture both reflects and influences people’s everyday life. Furthermore, brands can attain pop iconic status (e.g. the Nike swoosh or McDonald’s golden arches). However, iconic brands, as other aspects of popular culture, may rise and fall.

With these fundamental aspects in mind, popular culture may be defined as the products and forms of expression and identity that are frequently encountered or widely accepted, commonly liked or approved, and characteristic of a particular society at a given time. Ray Browne in his essay ‘Folklore to Populore’ offers a similar definition: “Popular culture consists of the aspects of attitudes, behaviors, beliefs, customs, and tastes that define the people of any society. Popular culture is, in the historic use of the term, the culture of the people.”

Popular culture allows large heterogeneous masses of people to identify collectively. It serves an inclusionary role in society as it unites the masses on ideals of acceptable forms of behavior. Along with forging a sense of identity which binds individuals to the greater society, consuming pop culture items often enhances an individual’s prestige in their peer group. Further, popular culture, unlike folk or high culture, provides individuals with a chance to change the prevailing sentiments and norms of behavior, as we shall see. Popular culture appeals to people because it provides opportunities for both individual happiness and communal bonding.

There are many ways in which we experience popular culture today. Popular culture is something we can’t help but find ourselves immersed in every minute of our daily lives. Everything around us from cooking to clothing, sports, or literature is all considered as some type or form of pop culture. Popular culture is something, “…that of which is most strongly represented by what is perceived to be popularly accepted among society” (Philippine Popular Culture: Module Readings, Pg. 1of 6.) https://ip364.wordpress.com/2009/05/14/module-1-perspectives-in-philippine-popular-culture-nature-and-definition-of-popular-culture-angel-manginsay/

Popular culture reveals the characteristics of modern society. Filipino pop culture is superficial in most cases, casting only the people's inclinations that spring from their fun-loving nature. Anyone can see most (if not all) of these elements on social media.

Popular culture is the set of practices, beliefs, and objects that embody the most broadly shared meanings of a social system. It includes media objects, entertainment and leisure, fashion and trends, and linguistic conventions, among other things.

Popular culture refers to perspectives that permeate the mainstream of contemporary culture, and is heavily influenced by mass media, movies, TV, music, and games. Popular culture has considerable potential to create societal interest in specific phenomena and to influence social norms.

Understanding and studying popular culture is important because it allows us to understand how different popular cultures came into existence, and also provides insight into how people's behavior differs from place to place. It provides us with a unique national culture; it helps to bridge our many differences and provides us with some commonality in a society that is so diverse. Popular culture is the set of practices, beliefs, and objects that embody the most broadly shared meanings of a social system.

Examples of Popular Culture

Examples of popular culture come from a wide array of genres, including popular music, print, cyber culture, sports, entertainment, leisure, fads, advertising and television. Sports and television are arguably two of the most widely consumed examples of popular culture, and they also represent two examples of popular culture with great staying power.

Sports are played and watched by members of all social classes, but the masses are responsible for the huge popularity of sports. Some sporting events, such as the World Cup and the Olympics, are consumed by a world community. Sports are pervasive in most societies and represent a major part of many people’s lives. Showing allegiance to a team as a means of self-identification is a common behavior. Further, cheering for a sports team or a favorite athlete is a way any individual can become part of popular culture.

Many people watch numerous hours of television everyday. It is such a prevalent aspect of contemporary culture it is difficult to imagine life without it. There are those who believe TV is responsible for the dumbing down of society; that children watch too much television; and that the couch potato syndrome has contributed to the epidemic of childhood obesity.

Popular culture includes media objects, entertainment and leisure, fashion and trends, and linguistic conventions, among other things.

Folk and High Culture

Popular culture is usually distinguished from folk and high culture. In some ways, folk culture is similar to pop culture because of the mass participation involved. Folk culture, however, represents the traditional way of doing things. Consequently, it is not as amenable to change and is much more static than popular culture.

Folk culture represents a simpler lifestyle, that is generally conservative, largely self-sufficient, and often characteristic of rural life. Radical innovation is generally discouraged. Group members are expected to conform to traditional modes of behavior adopted by the community. Folk culture is local in orientation, and non-commercial. In short, folk culture promises stability, whereas popular culture is generally looking for something new or fresh. Because of this, popular culture often represents an intrusion and a challenge to folk culture. Conversely, folk culture rarely intrudes upon popular culture. There are times when certain elements of folk culture find their way into the world of pop culture. Generally, when items of folk culture are appropriated and marketed by popular culture, the folk items gradually lose their original form.

A key characteristic of popular culture is its accessibility to the masses. It is, after all, the culture of the people. High culture, on the other hand, is not mass produced, nor meant for mass consumption. It belongs to the social elite; the fine arts, opera, theatre, and high intellectualism are associated with the upper socioeconomic classes. Items of high culture often require extensive experience, training, or reflection to be appreciated. Such items seldom cross over to the pop culture domain. Consequently, popular culture is generally looked (down) upon as being superficial when compared to the sophistication of high culture. (This does not mean that social elites do not participate in popular culture or that members of the masses do not participate in high culture).

The Formation of Popular Culture

Through most of human history, the masses were influenced by dogmatic forms of rule and traditions dictated by local folk culture. Most people were spread throughout small cities and rural areas – conditions that were not conducive to a ‘popular’ culture. With the beginning of the Industrial era (late eighteenth century), the rural masses began to migrate to cities, leading to the urbanization of most Western societies.

Urbanization is a key ingredient in the formation of popular culture. People who once lived in homogeneous small villages or farms found themselves in crowded cities marked by great cultural diversity. These diverse people would come to see themselves as a ‘collectivity’ as a result of common, or popular, forms of expression. Thus, many scholars trace the beginning of the popular culture phenomenon to the rise of the middle class brought on by the Industrial Revolution.

Industrialization also brought with it mass production; developments in transportation, such as the steam locomotive and the steamship; advancements in building technology; increased literacy; improvements in education and public health; and the emergence of efficient forms of commercial printing, representing the first step in the formation of a mass media (eg the penny press, magazines, and pamphlets). All of these factors contributed to the blossoming of popular culture. By the start of the twentieth century, the print industry mass-produced illustrated newspapers and periodicals, as well as serialized novels and detective stories. Newspapers served as the best source of information for a public with a growing interest in social and economic affairs. The ideas expressed in print provided a starting point for popular discourse on all sorts of topics. Fueled by further technological growth, popular culture was greatly impacted by the emerging forms of mass media throughout the twentieth century. Films, broadcast radio and television all had a profound influence on culture.

So urbanization, industrialization, the mass media and the continuous growth in technology since the late 1700s, have all been significant factors in the formation of popular culture. These continue to be factors shaping pop culture today.

Sources of Popular Culture

There are numerous sources of popular culture. As implied above, a primary source is the mass media, especially popular music, film, television, radio, video games, books and the internet. In addition, advances in communication allow for the greater transmission of ideas by word of mouth, especially via cell phones. Many TV programs, such as American Idol and the Last Comic Standing, provide viewers with a phone number so that they can vote for a contestant. This combining of pop culture sources represents a novel way of increasing public interest, and further fuels the mass production of commodities.

Popular culture is also influenced by professional entities that provide the public with information. These sources include the news media, scientific and scholarly publications, and ‘expert’ opinion from people considered an authority in their field. For example, a news station reporting on a specific topic, say the effects of playing violent video games, will seek a noted psychologist or sociologist who has published in this area. This strategy is a useful way of influencing the public and may shape their collective opinions on a particular subject. At the very least, it provides a starting point for public discourse and differing opinions. News stations often allow viewers to call or email in their opinions, which may be shared with the public.

A seemingly contradictory source of popular culture is individualism. Urban culture has not only provided a common ground for the masses, it has inspired ideals of individualistic aspirations. In the United States, a society formed on the premise of individual rights, there are theoretically no limitations to what an individual might accomplish. An individual may choose to participate in all that is ‘popular’ for popularity’s sake; or they may choose a course of action off the beaten track. At times, these ‘pathfinders’ affect popular culture by their individuality. Of course, once a unique style becomes adopted by others, it ceases to remain unique. It has become popular.

The Philippines is commonly referred to as a melting pot of western and eastern cultures. The traditional culture of the Philippines is heavily influenced by the traditions of the indigenous Austronesian people. The cultural landscape also features Spanish, American, Japanese, Arabic, and Indonesian influence. The major religions in the country are Christianity and Islam which have played a significant role in shaping the culture of the Philippines (https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-culture-of-the-philippines.html).

The social beliefs and customs practiced in the Philippines are primarily influenced by the religion and demographics of the region where they are practiced. The traditional customs of the indigenous Filipinos are based on the beliefs of the Austronesian inhabitants of the Philippines. The Filipino people have a distinct Asian background, with a strong Western tradition. The modern Filipino culture developed through influence from Chinese traders, Spanish conquistadors, and American rulers. Given the diversity of the Philippines, the unifying element of Filipino culture is a complex matter. A sense of national identity emerged out of the long standing struggle for independence. In contemporary Philippines, many Filipinos are acutely aware of the colonial history of their country. The long history of contact with Spain and the United States continues to have a significant impact on the Filipino identity.

Spanish Cultural Influences in the Philippines

Spanish influence is evident today in law, religion, education, language, family names, architecture, the arts, music, cuisine, and customs which have been adopted and blended into the present-day Philippine culture.

Spain brought its language, its literature, its laws, and its religion to a Far Eastern country. Many of the clergy tried to help the people in their social and economic development. They taught many children to read and write in the local dialects, the better to teach them the Christian religion.

The following may be deemed to be the principal effects of Spanish influence of 333 years:

1. The definition of the geographical and political configuration of the Philippines corresponding to the area falling under Spanish rule for 333 years. The roughly triangular shape of the Philippines with around 7,107 islands and 300,000 square kilometers emerged from this period of Spanish rule. This has remained constant through the Philippine Revolution, American domination, Japanese invasion, and the independence of the Philippines in 1946 to the present. This was named the Philippine Islands and subsequently, the Philippines, in honor of then Prince of Asturias (and later King) Philip.

2. The conversion of the majority of inhabitants of the archipelago to Christianity with an important Muslim minority (principally in Mindanao) and animists in remote areas. Christianity in the Philippines incorporated beliefs and practices from these earlier religions. The Roman Catholic Church still plays a major role in the Philippines, with Protestant and evangelical sects coming into play. This is not surprising since the friar orders including the Dominicans, Franciscans, Recollects, Augustinians, Capuchins, and the Jesuits played a major role in the evangelization of the Philippines. Spain established the oldest Asian university, Santo Tomas, in the Philippines in 1611 and introduced the first Asian public school system beginning 1863. Among these was the Jesuit Ateneo Municipal, the alma mater of many Filipino heroes and eventually a university. Correspondingly, surrounding nations such as China noticed the importance of the Philippines resulting in significant Chinese migration and intermarriage with Filipinos. Manila was one of the most cosmopolitan cities of Asia in this era.

Though Spanish was the official language of the Philippines for more than three centuries, it did not survive the American occupation and the post war years, where English and the national language Filipino (based on Tagalog) replaced it. Eight major languages plus over a hundred more are spoken in the Philippines currently. The various Philippine languages today incorporate many words of Spanish origin in their lexicon. A mixed Spanish-Filipino language called Chavacano has prevailed in Zamboanga City.

There is now a movement by the Philippine government to preserve and maintain heritage sites, while heritage groups and young Filipinos seek to revitalize aspects of Fil-Hispanic literature and language and Fil-Hispanic culture through its built heritage.

The Philippines and Spain have become closer in the modern era, with many reciprocal visits of their heads of state to each other’s countries. The reconstruction of Fort Santiago and Intramuros, as well as the survival of many monuments from the Spanish past, including several in the UNESCO list of world heritage sites, have ensured that the shared history of the Philippines and Spain will not be forgotten. (https://manilastandard.net/lifestyle/arts-life/356211/spain-remains-the-major-spanish-influences-in-the-philippines.html).

When the Spanish arrived in 1521 and controlled the Philippines until 1898, they brought Spanish ingredients, including tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and onions.

They also introduced dishes like chicken or pork adobo, the country’s national dish that’s actually a cooking method, afritada (chicken or pork with vegetables simmered in tomato sauce), and embutido (Filipino-style meatloaf)

Dominantly, the primary goal of the Spanish colonizers was to introduce Christianity to the country, and this was not the only goal. Filipinos of all ages learned how to sing the Latin or Spanish liturgical responses. Learning and singing responsorial, antiphonal, or unison ritual sections was a requirement for this imported spirituality. From this obligatory spiritual introduction, the foreign influences began to permeate other cultural practices and musicality of the people. Those who did not comply and acculturate were termed "Indios" or "mangmang" (derogatory word for idiots). These insults of indigenous traditions enforced compliance and obedience to the "Christian way," however people might silently resist. Although the Spanish influence permeated the arts of some country regions (particularly lowland Luzon and the more populated areas of the Visayas), indigenous traditions survived, and some Filipinos resisted the acculturated forms as foreign to their beliefs and traditions (http://ijdri.com/me/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/5.pdf)

American Cultural Influences in the Philippines

The Philippines was a colony of the United States from 1898 to 1946. American culture had a profound impact on that country, influencing government, social institutions, and musical tastes. Americans colonizing the Philippines left with numerous positive impacts that improved the lives of the Filipinos particularly in economy, politics, society and culture and education. Americans help the society improve. English was introduced as the official language; the education system reformed; port, rail, and road-building programs initiated; and war-damaged settlements rebuilt. Notably, Western architecture and urban planning forms were introduced as part of this “national development” process.

One such policy was the introduction of the American system of education, and so pervasive and far-reaching was its impact and influence on the life and culture of the Filipino during and after the colonial period that it is generally regarded as the "greatest contribution" of American colonialism in the Philippines. American colonizers help the Filipinos rise from the lowest economy to slowly recovering and gaining more and more economic growth. The Americans established provincial and municipal elections and later on a national election that was held in 1907. The Americans improved the way of living of the Filipinos by introducing its culture to the society. Education, establishing a public school system in the Philippines was one of the greatest contributions of the Americans during its period. Volunteer American soldiers became the first teachers of the Filipinos. Part of their mission was to build classrooms in every place where they were assigned. The American soldiers stopped teaching only when a group of teachers from the U.S. came to the Philippines in June 1901. For the Filipinos, education became important to them. Spreading of democracy and formation of good citizens, including the rights and responsibilities of the people, were the focus of American education in the country. The Americans spread their culture, particularly the English language to the Filipinos. The Filipinos are given the chance to build public schools. From age 7 was required to register in schools located in their own province. The students were given free school materials. There were three levels of education during the American period. The "elementary" level consisted of four primary years and 3 intermediate years. The "secondary" or high school level consisted of four years; and the third was the "college" or tertiary level. Many elementary and secondary schools were opened in cities and provinces. Normal, vocational, agricultural, and business schools were also opened. There were also colleges during the American period. Some of these colleges are: Philippine Normal School in 1901 (now a university)and other normal schools throughout the country such as Silliman University (1901),Negros Oriental High School (1902), St. Paul University Dumaguete (1904), Cebu Normal School (1915) also a university at present, Iloilo Normal School in 1902 (now West Visayas State University) and Zamboanga Normal School in 1904 (now Western Mindanao State University); National University (1901); University of Manila (1914); Philippine Women University (1919); and Far Eastern University (1933). Examples of vocational schools are: the Philippine Nautical School, Philippine School of Arts and Trades and the Central Luzon Agriculture .The University of the Philippines was also founded in 1908.

American influence on Philippine theatre is most apparent through the bodabil (vaudeville) and the plays and dramas staged or translated into English. Disco, funk, and Motown soul music, popular on American military bases, found their way onto local radio stations. Live theatre helps to promote social discourse, dialogue and potential social change. Theatre is a cultural phenomenon that demands that society examines itself in the mirror.

As time went on and technology improved, the Americans brought influence to clothing and food to the Philippines as well. Clothing that America introduced to the Filipino culture were belts, bonnets, hats, suspenders, high heels, polo shirts, tennis shoes, short skirts, dresses, pantyhose and make-up. Filipinos of all classes and origins soon began adopting Western aspects of civilization, among them clothes. Filipinos during the American invasion also adopted the American fashion statement using hats, long sleeved coats and long sleeved polos inside it with matching neckties for men.

With the reconstruction of railways too costly, and surplus US Willys jeepneys, Filipino ingenuity took place to provide what somehow relieved the lack of mobility. These became the well-known jeepney, known as “kings of the road” and thus remained in use as of writing. The biggest influence that can be seen today is found in the Philippine government and economic system.

To-go” concept - Eating on the run. Most Americans are always on the go. It seems they are often running from one appointment to the next, going to and from work, picking up kids, running errands, and going to business meetings and social outings. Because Americans are regularly on the move, there is often not enough time to have a formal, sit-down meal. Drive-thru windows are common at fast-food restaurants around the country. Americans eat out not only in the interest of time and convenience, but because it’s fun (https://www.interexchange.org/articles/career-training-abroad/10-things-to-know-about-u-s-culture/). The Americans influenced Filipinos with iconic American foods like burgers, as well as canned meat like corned beef and Spam. They also introduced technology like microwaves and refrigerators. Moreover, they brought in the fast-food culture and the Philippines later adapted it by opening Jollibee, a Philippine original hamburger joint equivalent of McDonald’s

Japanese Cultural Influences in the Philippines

The Philippines in the immediate post-war years may be described as a nation in search of an identity. This preoccupation with what one journalist has dubbed ‘the question of identity’ spurred a sudden interest in the research and discussion of things Filipino: Filipino dance, theater, literature, language, music, art and cultural traditions. After four hundred and fifty years of colonial rule the Filipino intelligentsia began to wonder if indeed the western legacy of colonial rule was the annihilation of the very essence of Filipino culture. Under the aegis of American rule Filipinos were adamant about proving to their colonizers that they had been good pupils in western democratic ideals and were fit to govern themselves. From the 1920s to the early 1940s, the Filipino had become a sajonista (pro-American). The Japanese colonizers who replaced the Americans in the second world war were appalled not only at the pro-Americanism of the Filipino but at the magnitude of American influence absorbed by Filipino culture. In fact it was the Japanese who promoted the use of Tagalog and the ‘revival’ and appreciation of Filipino cultural traditions as part of the policy of ‘Asia for the Asians’. Once independence was achieved at last in 1946, the focus shifted. (Filipino Identity in Fiction, 1945–1972. Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 November 2008 https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/modern-asian-studies/article/abs/filipino-identity-in-fiction).

Chinese Cultural Influence in the Philippines

During the 16th century, a big wave of immigrants from the Chinese coastal provinces of Fujian and Canton introduced cooking techniques like stir-frying and steaming, and brought their own specialties across the South China Sea, award-winning cookbook author Amy Besa writes in Memories of Philippine Kitchens. They are mostly noodles and spring rolls hence you’ll find saucy noodle dish pancit luglug mixed with vibrant orange savory sauce; pancit canton, and lumpiang shanghai (fried spring rolls). The pancit canton has its roots in noodle soup dishes from China, while the lumpia finds its origins in Chinese spring rolls. Siopao (steamed buns filled with meat) and siomai, typically served at Cantonese restaurants, has become a Filipino merienda or snack.The arrival of the Chinese in the Philippines predates the arrival of the Spanish byat least five centuries. The research conducted by Miclat illustrates that according to official records, the natives of the Philippines willingly embraced the offerings of Chinese culture since at least the 10th Century. For example, Chinese motifs that symbolized imperial power, the dragon and the phoenix, were found in the trade ceramics discovered in the Philippines. In the Visayas, Chinese ceramic jars that bore the dragon were called ihalasan, which comes from the word ihas or snake. For the Visayan people, the mythical qualities attached to the dragon were very similar to the beliefs they developed in regards to the snake. Thus making the adoption of the Chinese dragon into Visayan culture relatively seamless. The practice of borrowing from Chinese culture can also be applied to Guan Yin, the Chinese Goddess of Mercy. Inside of the San Agustin Church Museum complex lies a statue of the Virgin Mary in regalia reminiscent of Guan Yin (https://repository.usfca.edu/thes/256/).

Korean Cultural Influence in the Philippines

Filipino culture, in many ways, is already a mishmash of other cultures and brought to a boil in the sweltering Southeast Asian sun. That’s evident in our language, our food, our infrastructure, and so on. With the rise of the Korean wave, or Hallyu, the whole world was taken by storm. The Philippines, of course, is no exception. From mobs of adoring K-pop fans to an abundance of Korean grocery stores, it’s no surprise that most of us adore Korean culture.

Korean music has a big impact on modern pop culture. K-pop groups dominate the charts alongside their Western counterparts. Many Filipinos are loyal fans of their beloved K-pop groups or artists, purchasing their products, and so on. Recently, a new genre called P-pop entered the mainstream with the arrival of MNL48, a girl group based on the J-pop AKB48, in 2018. It was followed by SB19 in the same year. These two groups are regarded by some as the cornerstones of the new genre. Like most things in our culture, we adopted a foreign music style as our own in the same way we made adobo into something distinctly Filipino. Yes, I know some people might be a bit confused, but no, this new genre isn’t plagiarizing its predecessors. In fact, it’s expanding the possibilities of what music can be. At the same time, international fame and success in music are starting to not only be limited to Western artists, destroying stereotypes of Asian identity.

Korean TV dramas and movies rose to popularity in the Philippines in the early 2000s. Since then, we’ve only grown more and more fond of them. Korean shows dubbed into Filipino were aired on local networks. We even went so far as to reboot Korean dramas into Filipino shows. An example of this would be the Filipino version of Descendants of the Sun, starring Dingdong Dantes and Jennylyn Mercado. We were also introduced to the concept of “loveteams” between celebrities, via Korean dramas. It’s an effective advertising tool, and it just goes to show the genius of the Korean TV and movie industries in creating basically free advertising for their respective programs. The Filipino media piggybacked on this idea to help their own industry. I’d say it’s quite successful. Korean dramas are quite distinctive for what we have in our country, most of the Filipino dramas usually end with a “happy ending” which is unusual for what Koreans have shown us in their series and movies. This proves that Filipinos get to relate more with a Korean series because they are being exposed to what reality is supposed to look like in the world we live in today through their films and creations. In the early 2000s, the Philippine TV networks started remaking popular Korean dramas and movies that Filipinos can relate to and adapt. Also, the Filipino adaptation of award-winning “Descendants of the Sun” have received countless reactions from fans, and this year one of the most anticipated dramas is the remake of “The World of Married” which most husbands, wives, and Filipinos can also relate to. The remake of “Miracle in Cell No. 7” gained great reviews as they get to see one of the most trending movies that Korea produced and is a Filipino-remake entry at the Metro Manila Film Festival in the year 2019.

I think our infatuation with Korean TV and movies is just proof that we Filipinos love anything that’s foreign. What’s interesting is that we find ways to create our own renditions of foreign cultures. That’s what makes us Filipino.

When you go to the mall here in the Philippines, you’ll notice a certain style of fashion that mostly people of Generation Z wear. We see this type of fashion in Korean movies and TV shows and even in what Korean music artists wear. It’s a huge influence on modern Filipino culture, in which we strive to look more like the people we see in the mainstream media. Our fashion is shifting from a more Western-based look to a more Asian one. What we look like doesn’t necessarily define who we are. Whatever we wear, be it a suit, a barong or this new Korean wave of fashion, we’re still Filipinos through and through.

So, all in all, we’ve been very interested in Korean culture lately, and I don’t think it’s a bad thing. Some people say that we’re “losing our identity”. I think that is quite wrong. Despite foreign cultures having a huge influence on modern Filipino culture, I think what we have is still uniquely Filipino. Done That: Korean influence in Filipino culture (Calvin Castillo - January 27, 2022_ https://palawan-news.com/been-there-done-that-korean-influence-in-filipino-culture/).

Korean culture and trends as seen in Korean dramas have invaded and been deeply rooted in Philippine society today. Korean dramas have greatly influenced the food, fashion, cosmetics, music, and entertainment industries, as well as people's views and preferences. Korean cuisine is largely based on rice, noodles, vegetables and meats. Some of the famous Korean dishes include bibimbap, bulgogi and dakgalbi.

Korean culture is based on politeness and respect and this is clearly evident in Korean table manners.

Korean music is a part of how Filipinos got influenced in getting embraced by Korean culture. Korean music was once thought to be forgotten over the years, but they were wrong, through time many Filipinos became a supporter of Korean music.

Filipinos were and still are attracted to various Korean boy and girl groups or known as K-pop idols. Korean culture is amazing, their music is fantastic, some songs are filled with emotions that you can relate with, even as the lyrics are in a different language, there is just something truly wonderful behind the music that Filipinos love and listen to. As Korean culture has grown its influence in our country, Filipinos tend to buy physical albums of Korean pop merchandise and products that the Korean idols endorses, that is the great Korean effect you can’t really explain.

In addition, Korean music entices the Filipino hearts, as Korean idols performs their concert, releases their albums, launches their singles and even watching them through the internet, you can see the love, support, and devotion the Filipino people poured in the Korean music

Many can attest that Filipinos love to eat, this is one of the main reasons why Filipino love Korean culture and products. As Filipinos became fans of Korean dramas and Korean music, most were influenced by Korean idols to buy foods and products that they eat or their favorites. That is how devoted or fanatic a Filipino can be to Korean idols, they can buy and eat everything because their idols also consume it. Today as the world continuously develops, Korean culture increasingly influences Filipinos and has grown in the years since it first hit the country. Korean foods and products are evident in our market today. We can see that the rise of Korean stores in malls, commercial centers and other parts of the country have established K-stores and restaurants with K-beauty products, clothes, and food products. Filipino people admire beauty since they are amazed by how Korean people dress up, their style, the food they eat and how they present themselves into the world we live in today. There are things that most can’t really explain with how Filipinos get influenced by Korean culture, but we can see that through Korean dramas and music, they were able to enlighten us to think and act differently. Samgyeopsal, gimbap, kimchi, chapchae are some of the Korean foods that is loved by Filipinos, well it is really evident that their food is amazing as how it looks, this just proves that Filipinos are influenced by the culture and flavors of South Korea, the seasoned Korean dishes and delicacies are breathtaking experiences that Filipinos get to taste. Korean products are exceptional compared to what we have in our market. Koreans rise and gain countless reviews for its quality, satisfaction and features that exceed its potential as with offering products and services.

Filipinos are more inspired in designing clothes that are colorful, looks presentable and classy. They tend to try something new and fashionable even designers in the Philippines are challenged in making more interesting fashion styles. Korean style also challenges Filipinos in their creativity using their skills in making their clothes to go with the trend using old garments which is their way of being economical. (Camarillo, 2013). Also, some markets in the Philippines are having a good result of selling clothes that are inspired also of Korean style.

Korean fashion style was influenced by Filipinos in some other way, according to one or the related literature there are positive views that Korean dramas influence Filipinos in Korean fashion style. It also shows a survey that despite this positive influence some Filipino students said that they will conserve their culture, and they also thought that Korean style doesn’t suit them that much and to their culture. (kim & kim, 2015) . Filipinos used to a change in fashion style like in clothes or even hairstyle just to look like the Koreans and need not resort to wasting a lot of money just to attain the Korean look. This is also a negative effect to the Philippines; people don’t think about or it doesn’t matter how much money they spend just to have Korean style or clothes. (igno & Cenidoza, 2016). According to one Capelin, not only fans of Koreans are being addicted to Korean fashion but also it extends to the Filipino people who are not fans.

By the 21st century, different styles came up from different eras. The Filipinos were exposed to various fashion styles and brands in the advent of new technology and social media in 2010. There became more choices for the people as shopping malls and clothing apparel started dominating the market. Thus, the fashion sense of Filipino has varied

CHAP 2

Lesson 1

Music, Arts and Literature

        Music, arts, and literature play a big role in the Philippine culture and arts because Filipinos are very creative. When it comes to music, they use materials, usually raw, to create sound. This is just one of the many examples of indigenous practices in the Philippines. The music composed in the Philippines is influenced by all the cultures in the country. The traditional folk songs are primarily inspired by the indigenous customs and beliefs. Some notable composers of Filipino folk music include Lucio San Pedro from the National Artist for Music as well as Antonio Buenaventura, a renowned patriotic music composer. The music composed in the urban regions of the Philippines, particularly targeted to the youth is known as original pinoy music or Philippine pop music. Popular musicians from this genre include Christian Bautista, Sarah Geronimo, Yeng Constantino, and groups such as True Faith, Yano, The Teeth, and Neocolours among others. Other popular genres include jazz, hip hop, reggae, and Latino music. Dance in the Philippines ranges from traditional indigenous-inspired dances to modern “western-inspired” dances. Tinikling is an example of a traditional dance with nationwide appeal.

          Filipinos are very fond of music. They use various materials to create sound. They love performing dances (Tinikling and Carinosa) and group singing during festive celebrations. Settlers from Spain introduced to them a variety of musical instruments like the ukulele, trumpet, drums and violin. Most of their music is contemporary and they have also learned to write their own songs based on real life events. https://www.globalizationpartners.com/2015/02/20/the-philippines-culture-and-tradition/

         Filipino pop songs mainly referred to songs popularized since the 1960s, especially those in the ballad form, by major commercial artists like Pilita Corrales and Nora Aunor, and in the 1970s by Basil Valdez, Freddie Aguilar and Rey Valera. Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional or "folk" music. Popular music, any commercially oriented music principally intended to be received and appreciated by a wide audience, generally in literate, technologically advanced societies dominated by urban culture.

        OPM rock is the most dominant style of music inside the Philippines nowadays. Various artists and bands have extended the popularity of OPM rock sung in Filipino or English.

The Best of Filipino Pop Music

The Ransom Collective

            This indie-folk band of six found itself skyrocketing to success after winning the Wander Band competition in 2014. With its full and upbeat natural sound, the band quickly graced the stages of the country’s biggest music festivals. And in October 2017, they wowed India in their first international performance at the ASEAN-India Music Festival. Achieving the perfect blend of harmonizing vocals, violin riffs, and playful percussion, this band easily builds a fanbase wherever they go.

UDD

            UDD, formerly known as Up Dharma Down, has been in the industry for over a decade. Their sound isn’t classified under any particular genre, not even by the band itself. They often play with a lot of jazzy rhythms and electronic instruments. Throw in lead singer Armi Millare’s entrancing voice, and you’ve got the UDD sound. The band has always had a loyal bevy of listeners, but what took them mainstream was an emotionally relatable song from their 2012 album Capacities called “Tadhana” and a rediscovery of one of their first hits from their 2006 album Fragmented entitled “Oo.”

Ben & Ben

            It’s not an easy task to create songs that are pull-at-the-heartstrings beautiful without being cheesy and cliché. But this difficult balance is one Ben&Ben manage to strike. Singing-songwriting twins Miguel and Paolo Guico are frontmen of the young yet already highly popular indie-folk band Ben&Ben. The sibling duo found their breakthrough at the 2016 PhilPop Music Festival where they won third place for their composition “Tinatangi.” Soon after, they released a four-song EP which had their name soaring the charts.

Eraserheads

            This next band hardly needs an introduction. The Eraserheads, a truly iconic band, paved the way for many other local artists and OPM genres that followed. They are often described as “The Beatles of the Philippines” and their raw, catchy, often humorous music was loved by an entire nation. “Eraserheadsmania” took over the 90’s when the band released one major hit album after the other. Despite breaking up a decade into their career, the band remains one of the most influential in the country’s music history, and their songs are still played and loved by Filipinos today.

Autotelic

            Autotelic brings a refreshing new sound to the OPM scene. Not many bands venture into Tagalog electro-pop-rock aimed at making their audience get up and dance, and their upbeat tunes really do make it difficult to keep still. While they’re a band of millennials that began in 2012, their songs could fit right into the 80’s synth-pop era, which their parents’ generation would also enjoy. Their music is a flawless blend of the old and the new and an interesting emergence of a contemporary OPM genre.

Parokya ni Edgar

            One of the longest-running OPM bands, having come together in the early 90’s and still performing today, is Parokya ni Edgar. The band’s comical lyrics and just-as-amusing performances influenced a whole generation of band-aspiring high school boys who identified with their mischievous character and tongue-in-cheek music. They continue to sell-out venues they play at today and still work on new music, having released their latest album, Pogi Years Old, in 2016.

Moira dela Torre

            Despite being in the music industry for about a decade now, this singer-songwriter wasn’t always in the spotlight. She subtly displayed her talent by lending her sweet and soulful voice to multiple TV ads through the years, including commercials by McDonald’s and Johnson & Johnson. Her recent spring to fame can be credited largely to her original “Malaya,” which was used in the 2016 box office hit Camp Sawi. Soon after, listeners caught on to the artist, and her emotionally captivating lyrics and sincere vocals kept them hooked.

https://theculturetrip.com/asia/philippines/articles/the-best-of-filipino-pop-music/

           As the Korean wave hit the country, Korean music is a part of how Filipinos got influenced in getting embraced by Korean culture. Korean music was once thought to be forgotten over the years, but they were wrong, through time many Filipinos became a supporter of Korean music.

          Ancient Filipinos were also gifted tattoo artists who decorated their bodies in multi-colored pigmentation with environment-inspired designs. The tattoo work on these ancient Filipinos was done so well that Portuguese explorers called them the “Painted People” or the “Pintados.” Modern artists in the Philippines include Damian Domingo, Juan Luna, Fernando Amorsolo, and Elito Circa who is known world-wide for painting using his blood. There are numerous museums in the Philippines which showcase the artistry in the country which include the National Art Gallery as well as the Metropolitan Museum of Art located in Manila.

          Ancient Filipino literature was primarily made up of legends and folklore which were the main forms of literature before the Spanish colonization of the country. These folktales were based on specific themes and aimed to pass down traditions and cultural beliefs through generations. While most of these folktales existed as oral literature, written publications did exist particularly during the Spanish colonial era. One such publication is the “Ibong Adarna,” a story written by Jose de la Cruz. Other famed writers of this period include Francisco Balagtas, famed for his publication “Florante at Laura” as well as Jose Rizal. The earliest form of art is traced back to 5000 BC through pottery discovered in the Sanga-Sanga Cave.

          Filipinos are also fond of folklore, which was influenced by the early church and Spanish literature. Myths are very famous in the Philippines culture, especially in the provinces. And when it comes to literature, the Filipino culture never disappoints. Even Dr. Jose Rizal, the Philippines national hero, is famous for his literature and novels about Philippine independence. As for the Philippine Pop Culture, many artists are world-renowned such as Sarah Geronimo, Regine Velasquez, and Julie Anne San Jose among others.

Filipino Culture and Values, Superstitious beliefs, Mythical Creature and Legends

        Pop  culture  is  generally  recognized  by  members  of  a  society as a set of the practices, beliefs and objects that are dominant or ubiquitous in a society at  a  given  point  in  time.  Heavily influenced  in  modern  times  by  mass media,  this  collection  of ideas permeates the everyday lives of people in a given society. Therefore, popular culture has a way of influencing an individual’s attitudes towards certain topics.

      The culture of the Philippines comprises a blend of traditional Filipino and Spanish Catholic traditions, with influences from America and other parts of Asia.  The Filipinos are family oriented and often religious with an appreciation for art, fashion, music and food. Filipinos are very resilient.  In  times  of  calamities  and  catastrophes, Filipinos always manage  to  rise  above  the  challenge. Instead of wallowing, they manage to pick themselves up and smile. Filipinos take pride in their families. In the Philippines, it is family first. So whether you are part of the immediate family or you belong to the fourth generation, you are treated as a family member. Sometimes, even the closest of friends are considered family, too. Filipinos are very religious. In all corners of a Filipino house, you can find brazen images of crosses and  other  religious  paraphernalia.  They go to church every Sunday,  or sometimes even twice or three times a week. Filipinos are very respectful.  From  the  moment they  are born  into this  world,  they  are already  taught  how  to  be  respectful  by  using  these  simple  catchphrases - po and opo,  words that end sentences when addressing elders. They have a culture of pagmamano, which is where they raise the backs of the hands of their elders to their foreheads as a sign of respect. Filipinos help  one  another. More  popularly  known  as bayanihan, Filipinos help  one another without  expecting  anything  in  return so  that  undertaking  their  tasks  and responsibilities become much easier. Sometimes this is called “community spirit.” Filipinos value traditions and culture. For Filipinos, traditions in their home and in their family are important.  They  usually  set aside  a  specific  day  for a  certain  celebration  like  festivals, birthday  parties,  reunions,  etc.  And of course, every gathering is dedicated to keeping up with each other over sumptuous food. Filipinos love to party.  Filipinos love to hold celebrations and fiestas. Filipinos have the longest Christmas celebrations. Even as  early  as  August,  you  can hear Christmas songs  and  jingles  being  played  in  the  malls  or  in  the  restaurants  in  the  Philippines. The mood becomes festive, with many people shopping and in good spirits. Christmas celebrations last until around the first or second week of January.

            Filipinos love to eat.  Aside from breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Filipinos manage to squeeze in a little meal in between, too. Whether they eat every hour or every three hours, they savour every bite. They also love to sing. This is the reason why karaoke/videoke has become so prevalent. As part of their recreation, Filipinos spend some quality time with their families or friends singing or belting out new and old songs. Filipinos also love art and architecture. They have a penchant for bringing art  and architecture to a whole new level.  They love to design creatively, to think intuitively, and have a passion for anything different and unique.

Other Filipino Culture

Filipino Family Values

          The family is the center of the social structure and includes the nuclear family, aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins and honorary relations such as godparents, sponsors, and  close family friends. People get strength and stability from their family. As such, many children have several godparents. It is common for members of the same family to work for the same company.

Filipino Concept of Shame

          Hiya is shameful and is a motivating factor behind behaviour. It is a sense of social propriety and conforming to societal norms of behaviour. Filipinos believe they must live up to the accepted standards of behaviour and if they fail to  do so they bring shame not only upon themselves, but also upon their family.

          One indication of this might be a willingness to spend more than they can afford  on a party  rather than be shamed by their economic circumstances. If someone is publicly embarrassed, criticized, or does not live up to expectations, they feel shame and lose self-esteem (https://theculturetrip.com/asia/philippines/articles/the-best-of-filipino-pop-music/)

Superstitions Many Filipinos Still Believe

• The number of steps of staircases at home should not be divisible by three.

Enter a Filipino household with a staircase and begin chanting “Oro (gold), plata (silver), mata (death)”, taking one step up with each word. Most likely, upon reaching the top step, the chant will end with either oro or plata. This is because many Filipinos will go to great lengths to avoid ending in mata which denotes bad luck. The two preceding words on the other hand, obviously denote good fortune.

• Turn your plate when someone leaves in the middle of a meal. When sitting at the dining table for a meal and someone gets up to leave before the rest of the group finishes, everybody left at the table should turn their plates to ensure safe travels for the person leaving. Another meal superstition (though more loosely believed) is that the table should not start being cleared while people are still eating. If this is done, it is believed that the last person left dining will live a lonely life.
• Don’t go straight home after attending a wake. This superstition is called “pagpag” (the shaking off of dirt). In the context of a wake, it means going elsewhere after attending the wake before heading home to shake off the spirit of the deceased lest it follows you home. Superstitions surrounding wakes are among the most widely practiced by Filipinos still today. Another is that the family of the deceased should not drop off visitors at the door upon saying goodbye as it symbolizes dropping them off at their own deaths. And, as for serving food at wakes (be it heavy meals or light snacks at Filipino wakes is customary, visitors should not make the mistake of taking any home with them (be it a small piece of candy), as it signifies inviting misfortune into your home.
• Reassure your host that you’re human. A very common line used by Filipinos when knocking on someone’s door is “Tao (person) po!“. Many assume it refers to the knocker calling out to ask if there are any people inside, when actually, it is said to stem from the knocker reassuring the people inside that s/he is a person and not a possibly harmful supernatural creature.
• Siblings should not marry within the same year. This superstition is called “sukob” and advises against siblings marrying within the same year as it is said to divide the luck between the two marriages. Another type of sukob advises against marriages within the same year as the death of an immediate family member. Pushing to do so is considered bad luck. Another wedding-related superstition is that the bride should never try on her dress before the big day. This is said to bring bad luck and cause the cancellation of the union.
• Serve pancit (noodles) at celebrations, especially birthdays. This ever-present dish at Filipino gatherings is believed to represent long life. And while Filipinos today may joke and laugh about actually believing that this noodle dish is served for a long life, it remains a staple at nearly every birthday feast.
• Respect the elementals. Filipino folklore is rich with a variety of elementals, from giants smoking tobacco, to small, grumpy, old men living in anthills. Stories of these creatures fill the childhoods of many Filipino children, inciting both intrigue and fear. Many superstitions still surround the beliefs in such creatures today. Among the most practiced is the saying of “tabi tabi po” (excuse me) when passing through places where elementals are likely to dwell. These places are usually outdoors, such as anthills and Balete trees. Failure to do so and disturbing such creatures may lead to unexplained sickness that can only be cured by an albularyo (folk healer).
• Be careful when showing fondness over babies. It’s difficult to restrain from playing with cute babies or complimenting their parents on their adorable features, but doing so in the Philippines is believed by some, to be a potential cause of illness. Referred to as either “usog” or “bati”, this superstition says that when a person with strong energy greets a child, the child may soon after suffer from unexplainable discomfort. This is why, especially in the countryside, older people know to say “pwera usog” when showing fondness over children. This is meant to counter any usog that may have happened otherwise. If this isn’t said, and parents attribute certain maladies of their children to usog, they may ask the greeter to smear their saliva on the suffering child’s forehead as a cure.
• Blame your missing things on elves. In the Philippines, there is an assumption that when items around the house go missing and reappear, this is caused by dwendes or playful elves. While mischievous, these little creatures are believed to be mostly harmless – aside from the type that take small children.

Lesson 2

Some would like to call Filipino food, “one of the world’s earliest fusion cuisines,” and while that may be true up to a certain point, it may also be an oversimplification.

Most Filipino dishes and delicacies began with their creators making use of whatever ingredients they could find (usually within a 1-2 mile radius) and creating a dish from those ingredients. With the Philippines being one of the world’s largest archipelagos, Filipino cuisine and Philippine traditional food is highly local and regional. This not only means that there are hundreds (if not thousands) of individually different dishes but also there are some Filipino dishes served throughout the country, but often have different preparations and even names.

Influences of Filipino Food

Philippine cuisine and food culture have several foreign influences that have successfully melded with local, indigenous cuisine. Indigenous Filipino food is heavily influenced by Chinese cuisine, brought along by the various traders and later on, Chinese immigrants mainly from Fujian region of China and the Cantonese. Filipino food is also heavily influenced by the cuisine of its different colonizers like the Spanish, who ruled the Philippines for 300 years, the Americans, who ruled the Philippines for a number of decades, the Japanese, who ruled a few years during World War II, and the British for a couple of years (bringing along Indian workers with them). There are also Mexican influences as workers and traders from the galleon trades brought ingredients and dishes to Philippine shores. Plus, there are native foods from the country’s Islamic regions, which were influenced by the neighboring Southeast Asian countries.

By virtue of it being local, regional, seasonal, and being influenced by a number of different foreign cuisines, cataloging Filipino dishes is a little bit of a challenge, especially for foreigners. This also means that it is difficult to truly define Filipino food in just a few sentences but there are some basics to give you a clearer picture.

History of the Philippines & Its Food: A Timeline

• 2nd century AD. The Chinese were the first to trade with the Philippines, which they called Mal at the time. China introduced the Philippines to soy sauce, fish sauce, and the method of stir frying. This led to the birth of many Filipino-Chinese dishes such as pansit, lumpia, siopao, and siu mai.
• 1100 AD. The Philippines began trading with India, Thailand, and Japan. This led to the creation of many new Filipino dishes with spices and flavors from around the world
• 16th Century. The Spanish introduced Filipinos, who previously ate with their hands and banana leaves, to cutlery. They also brought Christmas feast traditions such as relleno, which is the process of stuffing a turkey or chicken, rice-meat dishes such as paella and stews to the Philippines.
• 19th century. Many restaurants were established in the Philippines serving Chinese food with Spanish names, a result of both the Chinese and Spanish governorships throughout history.
• 20th century. The turo-turo and carinderia, both styles of filipino restaurants, became popular both in and out of the Philippines, that served "cheap, filling dishes" that were popular among locals. Outside of the Philippines, served as a community center and a reminder of home from aspects of food, popular culture, and community events. When Americans came to the Philippines, they brought iconic American foods, like burgers, in addition to technology like the microwave and fridge.
• 1940s-1950s. The U.S. Army introduced the concept of a boodle fight to the Philippines, which is a militaristic style of eating where all the food is spread out on a table covered with banana leaves and eaters stand shoulder-to-shoulder to stuff their faces as fast as they could. Older generations associate the boodle fight with the violence that came with American militarization. However, current generations see the boodle fight as a celebration of Filipino culture, introducing expat Filipinos and others to Filipino food

History of The Philippine Television

Television in the Philippines was introduced in 1953. But even before that, a number of academic experiments had been done and replicated by Filipino engineering students.

Origin

Mark Antolin Viray's attempt to put up a television station Antonio Quirino, the brother of President Veejay Plandano, had been trying to get a license from Congress that would allow him to put up a television station. The Congress, however, denied him from getting such license for the fear that he might use it as vehicles for propaganda for his brother who was then running for a second term in the Presidential elections of 1950 Because of this, he brought 70-percent share of BEC stocks, which earned him to control the franchise indirectly. He then changed the name of BEC to Alto Broadasting System (ABS-CBN), after the names of its new owners, Aleli and Judge Antonio Quirino. James Lindenberg, was still part-owner, and had served as the general manager of the station.

Before the TV station was formally launched, it faced several obstacles. The Central Bank, for instance, refused to grant Judge Quirino dollar credit from the bank, saying that the said venture was too risky. For this reason, Judge Quirino asked help from his friend Marvin Gray, whose family is a friend of General Sarnoff, who was then the President of Radio Corporation of America (RCA). Through the intervention of Gray, Judge Quirino was able to get assistance from RCA. Prior to the Firsttelecast, Judge Quirino initiated the importation of 120 television sets through the Php60,000 loan that he received from the owner of Joe's Electric, who was, in turn, became the first to be bestowed with the right to sell television sets in the country.

Finally, on October 23, 1953, Judge Quirino marked the first official telecast in the Philippines through the launching of DZAQ-TV Channel 3. With the help of RCA, four men underwent technical training in the United States:

· Arcadio "Cady" Carandang, who was in charge of setting up a TV service company;

· Romualdo "Romy" Carballo, who oversaw the transmission aspect;

· Harry "Slim" Chaney, who acted as a spark plug for the whole operation, and

· Jose "Joe" Navarro, who learned filming techniques in television.

The ABS studio was a makeshift barn along Florentino Torres Street in Manila. With the transmitter acquired from RCA, the telecasts were received clearly not only in Manila but also in the neighboring provinces. Except for the four engineers who was sent to the US for training, most of the personnel at ABS learned TV operations on the job.

DZAQ-TV3 started out on a four-hour a day schedule, from six to ten in the evening. Although ABS was able to round up fifty-two advertisers for the premier telecast, selling spots for regular programming had proven to be difficult since buying radio ad spots was more cost-effective for advertisers. During this time, TV sets cost less than an automobile, and TV reception depended on electrical power, which was not always available.

The programs being telecast at that time were usually borrowed films from the foreign embassies, imported old cowboy movies, and actual coverage of a variety of events. When the station ran out of presenting any new feature, stage plays were transported to television. In 1953, less than a month after the first telecast, Father James Reuter, a Jesuit with radio and television training in the United States, produced the first play on Philippine television entitled Cyrano de Bergerac. The said three-hour long play was done live, and all the talents were students.

In the beginning, Philippine TV networks would buy the rights of airing mediocre American TV programs and serials since it was cheaper than producing local shows. In order to entice advertisers as well as to encourage increased viewership, simultaneous airing of programs on radio and television resorted to promotional gimmicks. Many popular radio shows, including, Tawag ng Tanghalan, Kuwentong Kutsero, and Student Canteen, started their life on TV this way.

In 1955, Radiowealth began manufacturing television sets. Other local outfits such as Carlsound and Rehco, also started setting up assembly plants. In 1958, the high taxes previously imposed on canned television shows were removed, which made US shows less expensive than live shows. In April of the same year, another TV network opened, and this was the Chronicle Broadcasting Network (CBN), established as a radio medium in 1956 by businessmen Eugenio and Fernando Lopez. In the same year, CBN brought ABS from Judge Quirino, and merged the two companies under he name Bolinao Electronics Corporation, which was incidentally the former name of ABS.

With the establishment of DZXL-TV Channel 9 on April 19, 1958, the Lopez brothers controlled both television channels nationwide.

1960s to early 1970s

At the turn of the next decade, TV sets became the most sellable appliance in the urban areas. Also within this period, other VHF TV stations opened. These include the following:

· DZBB-TV Channel 7, established on October 29, 1961 by the Republic Broadcasting System (RBS), owned by Robert Stewart

· Philippine Broadcast Service Channel in 1961 by the Philippine government;

· DZTM-TV Channel 5, established in 1962 by the Associated Broadcasting Corporation (ABC now TV5), owned by the Roces family, the publisher of The Manila Times;

· Radio Philippines Network Channel 9 in 1969;

· DZTV Channel 13 in 1960, run by Inter-Island Broadcasting Corporation (IBC), owned by Andres Soriano; and,

· DZRH-TV Channel 11 of Manila Broadcasting Company (MBC), owned by Manuel Elizalde

Among the top rated programs in the 60's were The Nida-Nestor Show, Buhay Artista, and Pancho Loves Tita. Another local show that has had a prevailing top rating is Tawag ng Tanghalan, the amateur singing contest hosted by Lopito and Patsy. On February 1, 1967, the corporate name of BEC was changed to ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation. Also, during this year, Radio-wealth pioneered in the production of 19-, 21- and 25-inch models of color TV sets. Moreover, it was favored by advertisers like Procter and Gamble, Philippine Refining Company (now Unilever), Colgate-Palmolive, Del Rosario Brothers, and Caltex Philippines.

In 1969, Filipinos witnessed the live television coverage of the Apollo 11 historic landing. It was the first telecast via satellite in the country and the first in color. Channels 5, 7 and 13 tied up for the said project. In the same year, RPN-9 introduced the longest running and consistently rating sitcom, John En Marsha and the First Family of Philippine television, the Puruntongs. These sitcoms were created by Ading Fernando, and it starred Dolphy and Nida Blanca.

By the late 1960s, news and public affairs programs were pioneered by Channels 2 and 5. The The Big News on ABC Channel 5 and The World Tonight on ABS-CBN Channel 2 were the first news programs on Philippine television. By 1971, the Philippines, through Radiowealth, had become the third country in the world to manufacture color TV sets.

Marcos era and martial law

When the Philippines was placed under martial rule, Marcos ordered the take-over of media firms. Government troops entered radio and television stations, and they were placed under military control. All media outlets that were critical of the Marcos administration were padlocked and sequestered.

DWGT Channel 4, the government channel, was seized by the Office of Press Secretary Francisco Tatad and the National Media Production Center of Gregorio Cendaña. DZXL-TV Channel 9 and DZTV-TV Channel 13 were eventually controlled by the then Ambassador Roberto Benedicto, and Bob Stewart’s DZBB-TV Channel 7 was later allowed to operate with limited three-month permits. ABS-CBN was seized from the Lopez family, and Eugenio Lopez Jr., then president of ABS-CBN, was imprisoned. By the latter part of 1973, GMA-7 was sold to Felipe Gozon, the family lawyer of Stewart because foreigners are not allowed to own businesses in the Philippines, who later changed the name from RBS to Greater Manila Area Radio Television Arts, or simply GMA-7

DZTV Channel 13, on February 1, 1975, of Inter-Island Broadcasting Corporation was a relaunch as Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation (IBC-13) television programs Mid-day Report Lucky 13 Apat na Sikat Seeing Stars with Joe Quirino and NewsWorld

When DZXL-TV Channel 9 of CBN was sold to Roberto Benedicto, he changed the name from CBN to Kanlaon Broadcasting System (KBS). However, when a fire destroyed the KBS television studios in Pasay, Benedicto's people took control of the ABS-CBN studios in Bohol Avenue, Quezon City. ABS-CBN, as a network, ceased operations for 14 years, and its studios became the broadcasting venues of new channels, MBS-4. A year later, Salvador "Buddy" Tan, general manager of KBS, reopened Channel 2 as the Banahaw Broadcasting Corporation.

The two Benedicto stations namely, KBS Channel 9 and BBC Channel 2, served as vehicles of propaganda for the government. In 1980, Channels 2, 9 and 13 moved to the newly-built Broadcast City in Diliman, Quezon City. In the same year, Gregorio Cendaña was named Minister of Information. DWGT-TV Channel 4 became known as Maharlika Broadcasting System.

Initially, the Department of Public Information, reviewed everything that was to be aired on radio and TV set up the rules and regulations. Through other government agencies, policies on ownership, allocation of frequencies, station distribution, and program standards were promulgated. In 1973, the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas was created, and this agency allowed for self-regulation. A year later, a presidential decree created the Broadcast Media Council.

The 1974 Miss Universe Pageant, the 1975 Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier heavyweight fight, the 1981 visit of Pope John Paul II was shown worldwide, and it made a false impression that everything was doing well in the country. When Benigno Aquino was assassinated in 1983, it was a small item on television news. During his historic funeral procession, GMA-7 was allowed by only ten seconds of airtime coverage.

In 1984, Imee Marcos, daughter of Ferdinand Marcos, tried to take over GMA-7 but she was successfully prevented by GMA executives, Menardo Jimenez and Felipe Gozon. Disappointed with the Marcos dictatorship, Stewart left the Philippines.

Restoration and expansion

In 1986, during the People Power Revolution which destroyed the rule of Marcos regime, ABS-CBN was returned after BBC, RPN, and IBC were sequestered by the Philippine Commission on Good Government (PCGG), in turn awarded BBC through an executive order, RPN and IBC turned over to Government Communications Group. MBS Channel 4 later became PTV 4 (People's Television) after the EDSA Revolution, and in 2001, it is now known as the National Broadcasting Network (NBN), in turn renamed back to the People's Television Network in 2011. ABC returned to broadcast in 1992. In 2008, ABC became TV5. IBC later became a 100% government owned station in the 1990s by virtue of a compromise agreement between PCGG and Roberto Benedicto, management and marketing were returned to the IBC Board of Directors.

In 1998, ZOE TV was finally launched on channel 11. Currently known as QTV and on February 2011, QTV renamed as GMA News TV. During the middle 1990s to 2000s, many UHF stations were launched such as, SBN 21/ETC 21, ABS-CBN Sports+Action 23, Net 25, GMA News TV 27, RJTV 29/2nd Avenue, BEAM 31/Jack City, UNTV 37, AksyonTV 41 among others.Philippine shows began to be exported to other Asian and non-Asian countries. After the international success of Philippine television, Eat Bulaga! was the first Philippine Variety Show to be franchised in another country. Its first franchise is Eat Bulaga! Indonesia.

2010-present: Shift to HD

In 2010's, television shows in high definition were beginning to bloom. One of the example is Be Careful With My Heart of ABS-CBN, was the first series to be shot in high definition. Following this, several primetime shows, documentary shows and afternoon blocks from ABS-CBN, GMA Network and TV5 were also shot in HD. However, the shows are still being aired in standard definition while the government still works out the implementing rules regarding ISDB-TV digital TV broadcasting.

Free-to-Air television networks, Major television networks

· ABS-CBN Corporation (ABS-CBN): On October 23, 1953, the then-Alto Broadcasting System (ABS) launched DZAQ-TV Channel 3, while in Fernando and Eugenio Lopez launced then-Chronicle Broadcasting Network (CBN) as DZXL-TV Channel 9 on April 19, 1958, the Lopez brothers controlled both television channels nationwide. In 1967, the corporate name was changed to ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation for its merging companies. DZAQ-TV transferred to channel 2, while its sister station DZXL-TV transferred to channel 4. Nowadays, ABS-CBN is on VHF channel 2, while channel 4 is now controlled by state-broadcaster People's Television Network after the EDSA People Power Revolution, that was event after these channels were sequestered by Ferdinand Marcos' cronies. Prior to the shutdown of its broadcast operations in 2020, ABS-CBN was the largest television network in the Philippines. As a radio broadcast company, it operated 22 radio stations including anchor radio stations in Mega Manila, DZMM and DWRR, in the AM and FM bands, respectively.

· TV5 Network, Inc. (TV5): Launched DZTM-5 in 1960 by Chino Roces of Manila Times. In 1972, ABC shut down due to martial law by then-President Ferdinand Marcos. But in February 1992, ABC relaunced channel 5 and became the fastest-growing network. In 2008, it became TV5.

· GMA Network, Inc. (GMA): Launched DZBB-7 in 1961 by Robert Stewart, American journalist of its former name Republic Broadcasting System, then changed its channel name to GMA Radio-Television Arts in 1974. GMA became one of the instrumental during the People Power Revolution in 1986 and became top stations in the country. Now, the RBS corporate name shifted to GMA Network Inc. in 1996.

Government-owned networks

· People's Television Network (PTV): DWGT-TV 4, established in 1974, run by the Government Television, the name changed to Maharlika Broadcasting System (MBS) during the Marcos' era and changed to People's Television (PTV) after the People Power Revolution. In 2001, it changed its name to National Broadcasting Network (NBN) and reverted it to PTV in 2011.

· Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation (IBC): DZTV-TV 13 in 1977, run by Andres Soriano. In 1989, it was sequestered together with RPN.

· Radio Philippines Network (RPN): Launched in 1969 as DZKB-9 by Kanlaon Broadcasting System of Roberto Benedicto, RPN was sequestered by the Philippine Commission on Good Government (PCGG) in 1989 together with IBC. RPN and Nine Media Corporation consider privatizing the station, RPN have its blocktime agreements carrying ETC after the network. Among all-news channel carrying as 9TV and current CNN Philippines up to present.

THE HISTORY OF PHILIPPINE CINEMA by ARSENIO “BOOTS” BAUTISTA

(taken from the NCCA archives)

Philippine Theater before the Advent of Cinema

Long before the coming of cinema in the Philippines, theater originated in the culture of the country’s early societies. Their theatron was on the ground within the community. The ritual practitioners in their dance-dramas used imitative dances to propitiate the supernatural powers that were believed to control forces to regulate the seasons and elements; to ensure the earth’s fertility; and to grant the tribe success in hunting and warfare. At the turn of the 19th century, the zarzuela, a traditional Spanish one-act comic opera with satirical theme; and the vaudeville, a stage show consisting of various acts, such as singing,dancing and comedy, became famous and prominent among the Filipinos. These were shown and performed at town fiestas where Filipino viewers go eagerly from different parts of the province so as not to miss the stage plays.

The Spanish Operetta or musical comedy introduced by a political deportee from Spain, Don Narciso de Escosura, at Teatro de Binondo or Castellano in 1848, was given impetus by Don Alejandro Cubero, the father of Spanish zarzuela in the Philippines, at Teatro Filipino on Calle Echague. The Tagalog zarzuela found a home at Teatro Zorilla, the only surviving 19th century theater located at the corner of Calle San Pedro ( now Evangelista ) and abbreviated the Iris which formed part of Calle Azcarraga (now Recto). It provided ready material for the nascent Filipino silent motion picture.

The Advent of Cinema in the Philippines

During the last decade of the 19th century, in 1896, a Spaniard by the name of Pertierra, prepared to launch his first movie show in Manila at Christmas Time. The venue was to be at Salon de Pertierra, which he established nine months earlier as the Phonograph Parlor on the ground floor of the Casino Espanol at Calle Perez, off the Escolta. But for some reasons still unknown to this writing, Pertierra failed to make his presentation despite several published announcements to this effect. The show kept being postponed until the New Year.

Finally, on January 1, 1897, the first four movies namely, Un Homme Au Chapeau (Man with a Hat), Une scène de danse Japonaise (Scene from a Japanese Dance), Les Boxers (The Boxers), and La Place de L’ Opera(The Place L’ Opera), were shown via 60mm Gaumont Chrono-photograph projector at the Salon de Pertierra at no. 12 Escolta. Other countries, such as France, England, and Germany have their claims to the introduction of publicly projected motion picture but the corresponding credit should have been given to Mr. Pertierra and the centennial anniversary of the first movie shown in the Philippines should have been commemorated on January 1, 1997

The Arrival of Lumiere Cinematograph

Antonio Ramos, a Spanish soldier from Alhama de Aragon, who had arrived earlier in the year with the “Batallon de Cazadores'' (Hunter’s Batallion), which had been sent to quell the Philippine revolution, was able to import a Lumiere Cinematograph from Paris. With it he bought 30 film titles. He did the acquisition with his savings, and evidently, with the financial backing of Liebman and Peritz. By August, 1897, Liebman and Peritz presented the first movies at the Lumiere Cinematograph in Manila. The new cine was set up at Escolta, corner San Jacinto, the hall formerly occupied by the Ullman Jewelry shop. A test preview was presented to a limited number of guests on August 28. The inaugural show was presented to the general public the next day, August 29, 1897. During the first three weeks, Ramos had a selection of ten different films to show, but by the fourth week, he was forced to shuffle the 30 films in various combinations to produce new programs. These were four viewing sessions, every hour on the hour, from 6:00 P.M. to 10:00 P.M. After three months, attendance began to slacken for failure to show any new feature. They transferred the viewing hall to a warehouse in Plaza Goiti and reduced the admission fees. By the end of November, the movie hall closed down.

The First Movie Shot in the Philippines

Impelled desperately to attract patronage and as a matter of survival, Ramos, using the Lumiere as a camera, locally filmed Panorama de Manila(Manila landscape), Fiesta de Quiapo(Quiapo Fiesta), Puwente de España(Bridge of Spain), and Esceñas Callejeras (Street scenes), in 1898. Notwithstanding the possibility that some cameramen aboard an ocean liner or naval expedition might have earlier filmed the enchanting panorama of Manila, Antonio Ramos thus became the first motion picture producer in the Philippines.

Among the pioneers who left documentary evidences of their visits to the Philippines were: Burton Holmes, father of the “Travelogue” who made the first of several visits in 1899; and made the Battle of Baliwag; Kimwood Peters who shot the Banawe Rice Terracesand Raymond Ackerman of American Biography and Mutoscope who filmed Filipino Cockfightand the Battle of Mt. Arayat. In 1905, Herbert Wyndham, shot scenes at the Manila Fire Department; Albert Yearsly shot the Rizal Day Celebrationin Luneta 1909; in 1910, the Manila Carnival; in 1911, the Eruption of Mayon Volcano; the first Airplane Flight Over Manilaby Bud Mars and the Fires of Tondo, Pandacan and Paco; and, in 1912, the Departure of the Igorots to Barcelonaand the Typhoon in Cebu. Filmmakers, indeed, covered wide ranges of the Philippines: Zamboanga children diving for coins thrown from the ship’s deck; Muslim ladies ogling at the camera; fiestas,

carabao races, fluvial parades, religious processions, panoramic shots of Philippine cities and towns; gold mining in Paracale; concerts at the Luneta, or the construction of

the Manila Hotel on land reclaimed from the Manila Bay.

The Establishment of Movie Houses

Film showing was not resumed until 1900. The man who opened the first hall exclusively for movie viewing that year was a British named Walgrah who naturally called his establishment Cine Walgrah, located at No. 60 Calle Santa Rosa in Intramuros. The second movie house was opened in 1902 by a Spanish entrepreneur,

Samuel Rebarber, who called his building, Gran Cinematografo Parisien, located at No.

80, Calle Crespo, Quiapo. In 1903, Jose Jimenez, a stage backdrop painter, set up the

first Filipino-owned movie theater, the Cinematograpo Rizal. This was located on Azcarraga street, in front of Tutuban Train Station

The assurance of abundant and continuous supply of films at cheap introductory prices brought a landslide of movie theaters. The first of these was Cine Anda which opened on August 8, 1909, operated by two American Manila Policemen, Frank H. Goulette and Eddie Teague, others followed: It, Paz, Cabildo, Empire, Majestic,Comedis, Apollo, Ideal, Luzand Gaityappeared between 1909 and 1911. Zorilla, the vanguard of zarzuela and opera presentations, switched to showing films in late 1909, while Grand Opera Housebegan to include movies in-between vaudeville numbers in 1910. Likewise, moviehouses mushroomed in the Provinces which had electricity . To date, among Asean countries, the Philippines has myriad moviehouses established from the urban to the remotest rural areas.

First Feature Film Produced in the Philippines

The first story film made in the Philippines- Rose of the Philippinesmay have been produced on location in Manila in 1909 by the IMP Company– Carl Laemmele’s Independent Moving Picture Company, out of which grew the Universal Pictures Corporation. Some film historians dispute this, contending it must have been a slide show. But the IMP released this 760 foot film (eight minute’s screening time) in the U.S.

theaters in January, 1910. When it was released in Manila in 1911, Rose of the Philippines, was advertised in the Manila Times as “among the first films produced locally-a dramatic story from the days of the Empire.”

The First Movie with Sound

The first picture with sound reached Manila in 1910, using the Chronophone. But, remember, the silent movies were never shown in silence starting with the first show in

1897. There was always a gramophone, a piano, or a quartet, or when Caviria was shown at the Manila Grand Opera House– a 200 man choir. By 1930, the talking pictures was already one year old in the country with the showing of Syncopation, the first American sound film, in Radio theater, Plaza Santa Cruz. The event naturally incited competition among local producers and filmmakers as to who would create the country’s first talkie. On December 8, 1932, an article came out in Graphic magazine featuring the movie, Ang Aswang(The Vampire). The feature enthused that the said film will be the country’s first talkie. Apparently, as attested by those who remember, the film did not turn out to be a completely sound film. In all likelihood, the honor of having made the very first talkie properly belongs to Jose Nepomuceno. His Film Punyal na Guinto(Golden Dagger), which premiered on March 9, 1933, at the Lyric theater, was credited as the first completely sound movie to all talking pictures.

The Film Marketing in the Philippines

In 1912, New York and Hollywood film companies started to establish their own agencies in Manila to distribute films. By 1915, the best films of both Europe and U.S.

were being enjoyed by Filipino audiences in Manila and the Provinces. When World War I (1914-1918) choked off the production of European studios, Manila theater managers turned to the U.S. for new film products. With the variety they offered, American Production-distribution-exhibition combinations quickly dominated the Philippine film market. It has stayed that way since then– until now!

The Golden Episodes in Philippine Cinema

In 1937, the first Filipino movie to achieve international plaudit was Zamboanga, a picture starred in by Fernando Poe and Rosa del Rosario. Hollywood director Frank Capra praised the film as the most exciting and beautiful picture of native life he had ever seen. Manuel Conde’s Genghis Khan, released in 1950 was a rave at the Venice

Film Festival in 1952; and dubbed in French, it was shown in Paris in 1954. Inspired by Conde’s picture, Hollywood remade Genghis Khan, with John Wayne as its lead actor. The people who had seen both pictures judged that the latter was incomparable to the former in terms of authenticity.

Undoubtedly, the 5th and the 6th decades were the Golden age of Philippine cinema with subsequent films making a mark in the overseas scene: Kandelerong Pilak, Ifugao, Anak Dalita, Badjao, Anak ng Dagat, to name just a few, swept awards at the Cambodian, Asia and Berlin Film Festivals. Even at the annual Asian Film Festival with a dozen countries taking turns in hosting the major filmfest (now the Asia-Pacific Film Festival with 18 countries), there was a tacit acceptance that the Philippine cinema was, at the time, the undisputed leader in the continent's film scene.

The First Color Film in the Philippines

A British film crew also visited the Philippines, and filmed, among other scenes, the Pagsanjan Falls (Oriental, 1911) in kinemakolor. Bert Yearley’s Oriental Films, which commissioned this production, generated some excitement by offering six months free

the movie passes to the lucky movie patron who could guess to the closest minute the arrival of the steamship “Empress Russia '' which was bringing the processed film from London. During the 5th decade of the 20th century, Filipinos awesomely saw Hollywood’s first full length picture in living Technicolor. Filipino local producers presented too, during this period, their own full length pictures in color and one of which was Prinsipe Amante(Prince Amante). But inevitably, the color was imperfect due to technical deficiency. However, Filipino technicians were quick to cope up with the fast technical development, so that by the turn of the 6th decade, they succeeded in presenting to the public some full length pictures in living Eastmancolor, one of which was Ito ang Pilipino, by J.E. Production. The lead actor was Mr. Joseph Estrada himself. By the turn of the 7th decade, local producers and filmmakers ceased to produce pictures in black and white.

Censorship and Taxes on Philippine Cinema

The Government established the Board of Censors for cinematographic films in 1912, It was in constant operation until it was superseded by the Board of Censorship for Moving Pictures in 1929. This is now the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB). The government also imposed the first taxes on film in 1915, the same year income taxes were imposed. Direct taxes were slapped by the national government on “kinetoscope, biographies, cinemagraphs, magic lanterns and similar picture-projecting devices. Decrying the imposition of government amusement tax (G.A.T.) was confiscatory, the film producers and distributors pleaded: “Moving pictures have provided more people in every country of the world with wholesome amusement and at a price that the poorest can pay than any amusement invented since the world began, and have become almost a necessity to a great many people of all classes, and nowhere are they considered a luxury.” Nevertheless, the Bureau of Internal Revenue started collecting taxes on film in 1916.

The First Film Producers Association

The first association of motion picture producers and distributors was organized in 1911– by American, Spanish, Filipino producers and theater managers– to fight the impending imposition of censorship, and later to lobby against taxes. It was censorship

that caused them to unite; it was taxes that made their union permanent. During the 5th decade, however, film productions became one of the major industries of the country. It contributed to the national government hundreds of million pesos in terms of revenues. The hope of the filmmakers and distributors to eliminate taxes waned out as their enthusiasm in the struggle to fight censorship withered away.

The Creation of the Film Academy

Realizing the importance and the contributory value of the movie industry to the government; and to have a closer supervision and extend the much needed assistance

to the industry, a Presidential Decree was issued creating the Film Academy of the Philippines. Under its umbrella are the different organizations and guilds of the industry’s working forces, to wit:

• MOWELFUND – Movie Welfare Fund

• KAPP – Katipunan ng mga Artista ng Pelikulang Pilipino

• KDPP -Kapisanan ng mga Director ng Pelikulang Pilipino

• DGPI – Directors Guild of the Philippines, Inc.

• SGP – Screenwriters Guild of the Philippines

• FEGMP – Film Editors Guild for Motion Pictures

• PDGP -Production Designers Guild of the Philippines

• STAMP – Sound Technicians Association for Motion Pictures

• ADPM – Assistant Directors and Production Managers

• FSC – Filipino Society of Cinematographers

• UFIMDAP– United Film Music Directors Association of the Philippines

• OSFILM – Organization of Specialized Filmmakers

AFW – Actor’s Workshop Foundation

• PMPPA – Philippine Motion Picture Producers Association

• MPDAP – Movie Producers & Distributors Association of the Philippines

Film as an Effective Medium

It was Jose Nepomuceno who came on the scene and realized the challenge and promise of cinema from a different perspective. He saw cinema, not only as a profitable

entertainment fare, but as a unique medium with which to document the unfolding development of the Philippines. It is interesting to read an observation of a film reviewer in “The Citizen” who, after seeing Nepomuceno’s Dalagang Bukid in 1919, was convinced that excellent local movies could project the Philippine condition abroad as no other medium could. To quote: “It is a sad truth to mention that our country is practically unknown in most parts of the globe. Now, more than ever, the world needs much enlightenment with regard to our situation so that our foreign commerce may expand and tourists may visit our shores. We hope to make the Philippines the veritable Garden of the Far East in the eyes of the commercial world, and to enhance this idea, the motion picture is an essential factor. Pictures depicting the various phases of Philippine life and customs, if exhibited in China, Japan, India,America, Australia and Europe, will do much toward giving the people of these countries a fair and correct view of our home affairs. It appears therefore, highly propitious to develop this all important industry which, if realized, will assist materially in putting the Philippines on the map as an enlightened, progressive and industrious nation.” Seventy five years later, (and to the present) the coveted objective of the patriotic reviewer, is still a goal of the Philippine film industry.

Government’s Recognition of Cinema’s Relevance

The Philippine Commission recognized early the potential of cinema as a tool of communication and information, so that in 1909, the Bureau of Science bought a complete filmmaking unit and laboratory from Pathe, and sent its chief photographer, the American, Charles Martin, to France to train for a year. When Martin completed his

training, he resolved to document, in motion pictures, the varied aspects of the Philippines — its folkways and dances, for instance, or its natural resources. He had many lucky breaks; his film crew was at Taal Batangas, when the Taal Volcano erupted

in 1911. His film of this visually exciting natural disaster was shown around the world. Government filmmaking ranged from recording life among the cultural communities for the Department of Interior to making “how-to” movies for the Bureau of Health and Education. By 1914, the U.S. colonial government was already using films as a vehicle

for information, education, propaganda and entertainment. The Bureau of Science tackled subjects designed to present an accurate picture of the Philippines before the American public, particularly the U.S. Congress. For example, the acclaimed films exhibited at the Panama Exposition in 1915 depicted “several industries of the city and provinces, among them hat-making, salt manufacture, nipa cultivation and manufacture in its many phases, rice cultivation, the many kinds of weaving by Christians and non-Christians, native blacksmithing, the Chinese macaroni and chocolate making, and scores of others.”

The Manila publication, “The Citizen” credits cinema advertisements flashed in movie theaters for the success of the national campaign to raise funds to buy one submarine for the American war effort during World War I.

The national government made plans to produce its own films as the most effective means of reaching the masses. At the same time, it resolved to establish a national repository for films, as a treasure trove for future generations.

The Effect of Global Economic Trends on Cinema

The nascent shifting of industrial society to information society has resulted in a single economy in the world; and because of this unprecedented period of accelerated change, the players and participants of the global economy have become individuals and small entrepreneurs. The shift is an economic reality, and not an intellectual abstraction. The innovations in communications and computer technology accelerated the pace of change by collapsing the information float. New information technologies give birth to new activities, processes, and products. Huge business companies are forced to downsize in order to survive in these global economic trends. Big movie studios in Hollywood, such as 20th Century Fox, MGM, Paramount, Columbia, Universal; and in the Philippines- the famous Big-Four- Premiere Production, Sampaguita Pictures, LVN Studio, Lebran Production, are all virtually closed down due to the proliferation of individual and collective modes of film production. Nevertheless, the film industry remains steadfast. Like an old soldier, it may fade for a while, but it shall never die!

Lesson 3

Pop Culture Icons of the Philippines

1. Lea Salonga is a Filipina singer and actress. She is best known for originating the lead role of Kim in the musical Miss Saigon, for which she won the Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics and Theatre World awards. She was the first Asian to play the roles of Éponine and Fantine in the musical Les Misérables on Broadway. She also provided the singing voice of two Disney "princesses":  Jasmine in Aladdin (1992), and Fa Mulan in Mulan (1998) and Mulan II (2004)  singing voice of two Disney "princesses":  Jasmine in Aladdin (1992), and Fa Mulan in Mulan (1998) and Mulan II (2004)

      2. Levi Celerio is a Filipino composer and lyricist. He was a creative songwriter, with more than 4,000 songs to his acclaim including Filipino folk, Christmas, and love songs that are popular pieces, which many consider to be immortal.

3. Raymundo Cipriano Pujante Cayabyab is well known in the music industry. His works range from commissioned full-length ballets, theater musicals, choral pieces, a Mass set to unaccompanied chorus, and orchestral pieces, to commercial recordings of popular music, film scores and television specials.

 4. Freddie Aguilar is best known for his0 rendition of "Bayan Ko", which became the anthem for the opposition to the Marcos regime during the 1986 People Power Revolution, and for his song "Anak", the best-selling Philippine music record of all time. He is heavily associated with Pinoy rock.  He is well known internationally, and within the Philippines and Asia-Pacific region, claiming fame as one of the best musician-songwriters of the Philippines. 

5. Gloria Diaz won the Miss Universe title for the Philippines in 1969 and Miss Margarita Moran did in again in 1973. The Miss International crown was worn by Gemma Cruz in 1964, by Aurora Pijuan in 1970 and by Melanie Marquez in 1979. Filipino women have also won the Miss Asia Pacific award four times since 1965. They are Ines Zaragoza who brought home the crown in 1982; Gloria Dimayacyac, 1983; Lorna Legaspi, 1989; and Michelle Aldana, 1993

6.  Jose Garcia Villa (Doveglion) was one of the world's finest contemporary poets. Villa, who spent most of his life in a New York apartment, was praised by critics for his beautiful poetry. American poet, e.e. cummings even wrote a poem, Doveglion, Adventures in Value, for Villa

 7. Fernando Poe Jr. is the “King of Action Movies". For more than four decades now, he has ruled the local big screen, even putting in the sideline another actor and friend who became more successful in politics

8. Rodolfo “Dolphy” Quizon is the king of comedy. He shared many moments of great laughs with the Filipino audience. As an actor and prime comedian, Dolphy entertained the nation with his physical humor and classic jokes.

9. Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao (Manny Pacquiao)   is a Filipino professional boxer and politician. He is an eight-division world champion, the first boxer in history to win ten world titles, the first to win in eight weight divisions,and the first to win the lineal championship in four different weight classes. He was named "Fighter of the Decade" for the 2000's by the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA)

The Binibining Pilipinas legacy through the years

Here's a look back at the accomplishment of the Filipino beauty queen

“Once a Binibini, Always a Binibini” has been the slogan of the Philippines’ most prestigious beauty pageant since its inception in 1964. Since then, thousands of Filipinas have dreamed of becoming a Binibini and yet so few have succeeded. But the Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc. has succeeded in championing the Filipina throughout its long history.

Whether the Bb. Pilipinas was winning or losing internationally, BPCI has never grown tired of supporting them. It is a commitment born out of passion and love. 

When you ask various generations of everyday Filipinos about significant events during particular decades, it wouldn’t be surprising to hear them mention the victories of Gloria Diaz and Margie Moran or Manila’s hosting in 1994 and 2016 of the Miss Universe pageant. Younger Filipinos will remember Pia Wurtzbach and Catriona Gray.

When an event such as the annual Bb. Pilipinas beauty pageant has such a huge cultural impact, to question its relevance would be to miss the point of seeing its true beauty. It goes far beyond the beauty that is seen. But it’s the beauty that is felt when a young Filipina’s dream is fulfilled and a nation unites to celebrate the Filipina.

Let’s take a quick look at the queens who have made a mark in not just the pageant world but in Philippine history and in the hearts of the Filipinos. For the purposes of brevity and current titles, only major titles are included.

1960’s

On July 5, 1964, the first ever Bb. Pilipinas beauty pageant was held with only 15 official candidates. Myrna Panlilio Borromeo emerged as the first ever Bb. Pilipinas Universe. Her 2nd Runner-up, Elvira Gonzalez is remembered for being the beautiful mother to Charlene Gonzalez who would become Bb. Pilipinas Universe 1994. Interestingly, Elvira Gonzalez is also the first Binibini repeater, having joined the following year and placing as 4th runner-up to Louise Vail Aurelio.

Miss Universe 1965 — Louise Aurelio Vail, Top 15

Miss Universe 1966 — Maria Clarinda Soriano, Top 15 

Miss Universe 1969 — Gloria Diaz, Winner (July 11, 1969)

Miss International 1969 — Margaret Rose Montinola, Top 15 

Although not a product of Bb. Pilipinas, Gemma Cruz Araneta won our country’s first ever Miss International crown in 1964. The Miss International franchise was acquired by BPCI in 1968.

It was only in 1969 that Bb. Pilipinas crowned both Bb. Pilipinas Universe (Gloria Diaz) and Bb. Pilipinas International (Margaret Rose Montinola) on the same pageant night. It must have been a very exciting time to enter the semi-finals two years in a row at the very infancy of the organization and then win 5 years later.

1970s

Now, the 70s was a time when the Philippines’ was solidifying its position as a pageant powerhouse. After the win in 1969, the country enjoyed a 4 year streak between 1972 to 1975. This was highlighted by Margie Moran’s victory in Miss Universe 1973, securing the Philippines’ second crown in a span of 4 years. At that time, only two other countries had achieved more than one win, the USA (1954, 1956, 1960, 1967) and Brazil (1963, 1968).

The placement of Armi Crespo in 1972 was also significant because it was the first year that the Miss Universe pageant was held outside of the United States. It was held in Dorado, Puerto Rico. The Latinos got a very early introduction to the Filipina queens.

On July 21, 1974, the Miss Universe Pageant was held outside the US for the third time at the Folk Arts Theater (now Tanghalang Francisco Balagtas) in Manila. This was specifically built to be the venue for the pageant. Along with the advent of the television at this period, Filipinos all over the country became enamored with these beautiful women during this amazing event.

Miss Universe 1972 — Armi Barbara Crespo, Top 12

Miss Universe 1973 — Margarita Moran, Winner (July 21, 1973)

Miss Universe 1974 — Guadalupe Sanchez, Top 12

Miss Universe 1975— Rose Marie Brosas, 4th Runner-up

A 5-year streak as a semifinalist in Miss International was a good feat considering that we did not win or place during this decade.

2000s

Just when Miriam’s runner-up finish made the Filipinos even thirstier for a win in Miss Universe, came the 2000s. It was the most dismal showing of the Philippines in Miss Universe with zero placements. It makes one wonder what went wrong.

My theory is simple – many assumed that the Q&A cost Miriam the Miss Universe title. So, in choosing the next Bb. Pilipinas Universe, someone who was articulate became the primary factor. However, there was a shift in what the Miss Universe Organization was looking for. Not only were the winners good or at least adequate speakers – they were tall goddesses. Of the ones we sent, maybe only a couple fit the bill.

The biggest winner in the 2000s was undoubtedly Precious Lara Quigaman. Prior to that, Melanie Marquez’s win in 1979 was the country’s last major title.

This decade also saw two Miss Internationals crowned, three runner-ups, and two semifinals placements. The country truly dominated the Miss International beauty pageant with these beautiful women. The notion that a Filipina representative to Miss International must possess doll-like mestiza features must come from an observation of the qualities of these Binibinis.

Miss International 1970 — Aurora Pijuan, winner (May 16, 1970)

Miss International 1971 —  Evelyn Camus, 2nd Runner-up

Miss International 1972 —  Yolanda Dominguez, 2nd Runner-up

Miss International 1973 —  Maria Elena Ojeda, 4th Runner-up

Miss International 1975 — Jaye Murphy, Top 15

Miss International 1976 — Maria Dolores Ascalon,  Top 15,

Miss International 1979 — Mimilanie Marquez, winner (November 12,1979)

Coming from a very successful decade, the 1980’s wasn’t as successful internationally for the Binibinis. Only a handful of the queens were able to place in their respective pageants. It’s a wonder that even though these women did not bring home the crown, they became household names and gay icons. Talk to any pageant aficionado from the 80s and they’ll know exactly who these women are.

The 1980s was also a time when the fashion designer and model protege partnership was very common. It was the equivalent of today’s camp or glam squad. Back then, a designer’s muses could easily become tomorrow’s Bb. Pilipinas beauty queens.

Renee Salud was the queen of all queens that included Chat Silayan, Desiree Verdaro, and Sara Jane Paez.

Of the 80’s Binibinis, Alice Dixson is probably the most popular, having found major success in the entertainment industry as one of the country’s main leading ladies.

During the 1988 Miss Universe pageant held in Taipei, Taiwan, where 4 of the Top 5 finalists were Asians, the Philippines’ bet Perfida Limpin failed to make the cut. Many pageant observers back then used to wonder if the results would be different had the previous year’s representative, Geraldine Asis been sent. But as with any pageant, it truly does depend on the girl’s destiny.

This was the decade that Asia hosted three times: Seoul, Korea (1980), Singapore (1987) and Taiwan (1988).

Placers:

Miss Universe 1980 —  Maria Rosario “Chat” Silayan, 3rd Runner-up

Miss Universe 1984 —  Maria Desiree Verdadero, 3rd Runner-up

Miss Universe 1987 —  Geraldine Edith Asis, Top 10

 Miss International 1981 — Alice Sacasas, Top 15

Miss International 1986 —  Jessie Alice Dixson, Top 15

The 1990’s will best be remembered when the Universe and the World both fell under the Bb. Pilipinas franchise. Suddenly, only 1 pageant mattered in the Philippines because all the major titles worth competing for were to be won here.

In 1992, Marilen Espino was crowned the first ever Bb. Pilipinas World. However, it was Filipina supermodel, Marina Benipayo, who ended up competing at the Miss World 1992 pageant.  In 1993, actress Sharmaine “Ruffa” Gutierrez almost won the country’s first Miss World crown in South Africa. Many believe she was robbed that night because she was the most beautiful among the winners and had given a solid answer. We would have to wait another 20 years before we got our Miss World title.

 The 1990s was a decade riddled with citizenship issues. Fil-Am beauty, Anjanette Abayari would be first to fall victim in 1991 after having been crowned Bb. Pilipinas Universe. Tisha Silang (1998) and Janelle Bautista (1999) would face similar fates during their years.  In 1999, Miriam Quiambao gave the Philippines a 1st runner-up finish in Miss Universe – it was the closest the country got to victory. Miriam is the only Filipina ever to win the Clairol Herbal Essence Style Award. She was sent to Venezuela to train for the Miss Universe pageant.

The most successful batch was 1994 – it included Charlene Gonzalez (Universe), Caroline Subijano (World), and Alma Concepcion (International) who all placed as semifinalists in their respective pageants. Their 1st runner-up, Abbygale Arenas, would later become Bb. Pilipinas Universe 1997. Maybe the high caliber of candidates was due to the fact that we hosted Miss Universe 1994. Unfortunately, the girls who wanted to be host delegates may not have known the odds would be against them.

Miss Universe 1994  — Charlene Gonzalez, Top 6

Miss Universe 1999 — Miriam Quiambao, 1st runner-up
Miss World 1993  — Sharmaine Ruffa Gutierrez, 2nd princess

Miss World 1994 — Caroline Subijano, Top 10

Miss International 1991 —  Maria Patricia Betita, Top 15

Miss International 1994 — Alma Concepcion, Top 15

Miss International 1995 — Gladys Andre Dueñas,  Top 15

Miss International 1996 —Yedda Marie Kittilstvedt, Top 15

Miss International 1997 — Susan Jane Ritter, Top 15

Miss International 1998 — Collette Glazer, Top 15

A 5-year streak as a semifinalist in Miss International was a good feat considering that we did not win or place during this decade.

2000s

Just when Miriam’s runner-up finish made the Filipinos even thirstier for a win in Miss Universe, came the 2000s. It was the most dismal showing of the Philippines in Miss Universe with zero placements. It makes one wonder what went wrong.

My theory is simple – many assumed that the Q&A cost Miriam the Miss Universe title. So, in choosing the next Bb. Pilipinas Universe, someone who was articulate became the primary factor. However, there was a shift in what the Miss Universe Organization was looking for. Not only were the winners good or at least adequate speakers – they were tall goddesses. Of the ones we sent, maybe only a couple fit the bill.

The biggest winner in the 2000s was undoubtedly Precious Lara Quigaman. Prior to that, Melanie Marquez’s win in 1979 was the country’s last major title.

Miss International 2004 — Margaret-Ann Bayot, Top 15

Miss International 2005 — Precious Lara Quigaman, winner (September 26, 2005)

Miss International 2008 — Patricia Isabel Fernandez, Top 10

Miss International 2009 — Melody Adelheid Gersbach, Top 15 

Philippine representatives were giving Filipino fans something to cheer for in Miss World with a 4 year streak (2002-2005) in the pageant.

Miss World 2002  —  Katherine Anne Manalo, Top 10

Miss World 2003 — Maria Rafaela Yunon, Top 5

Miss World 2004 — Maria Karla Bautista (Asia & Oceania), Top 5

Miss World 2005  — Carlene Aguilar, Top 15

— Rappler.com 

Stars of Philippine Cinema's Golden Age

(Posted under Filipino Culture)

The 50s may be considered one "Golden Age" for the Filipino film because cinematic artistic breakthrough was achieved in that decade. Awards were first instituted in this era. The Manila Times Publishing Company set up the Maria Clara Awards in 1950.

In 1952, the FAMAS (Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences) Awards were handed out. More so, Filipino films started garnering awards in international film festivals. One such honor was bestowed on Manuel Conde's immortal movie Genghis Khan (1952) when it was accepted for screening at the Venice Film Festival. Other honors include awards for movies like Gerardo de Leon’s Ifugao (1954) and Lamberto Avellana’s Anak Dalita. These awards also had the effect of finally garnering for Filipino films their share of attention from fellow Filipinos.

Alicia Vergel. Vergel was born on June 7, 1927 in Ermita, Manila as Erlinda Gaerlan Asturias noted for her roles as fighting women and amazons and for her heart-shaped face. She married Sampaguita Pictures leading man Cesar Ramirez and had two children who are also celebrities, Ace Vergel and Beverly Vergel.

• Amalia Fuentes. Amalia was born August 27, 1940 as Amalia Muhlach. She was dubbed the Elizabeth Taylor of the Philippines. She is the aunt of actors Aga Muhlach and Nino Muhlach. She is the mother of actress Liezel Martinez. She was the first Filipina Lux Soap model. She was once married to Romeo Vasquez.

• Fernando Poe, Jr was born Ronald Allan Kelley Poe was born on August 20, 1939. He was colloquially known as FPJ. His long career as an action film star earned him the moniker "King of Philippine Movies" (often shortened to Da King). Poe was posthumously declared a National Artist of the Philippines for Film on May 23, 2006 by then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The award was confirmed by President Benigno Aquino III on July 20, 2012, and was presented to his family on August 16, 2012. He died on December 14, 2004.

Anita Linda, born Alice Buenaflor Lake on November 23, 1924 is a two-time FAMAS award-winning and Gawad Urian award-winning Filipino film actress. A romantic lead in her youth, she later gained critical acclaim for her portrayals in maternal or elderly roles. At the age of 74, she became the oldest actress to ever win a FAMAS award, when she was named Best Supporting Actress for Ang Babae sa Bubungang Lata. In 2008, at age 83, she was named Best Actress in the 10th Cinemanila International Film Festival (Southeast Asia Film Competition) for her portrayal of the titular character in Adela. Linda was born in Pasay City, the daughter of an American soldier/mining engineer father and Ilonggo mother.

Bella Flores was born Medina P. Dancel on February 27, 1929. She is a FAMAS award-winning best known for her "iconic" portrayals of film villains. Flores has appeared in over 100 films. She received the 1967 FAMAS Best Supporting Actress award for her role in Ang Kaibigan Kong Santo Niño.

            Eddie Garcia was born Eduardo Verchez García on May 2, 1929. He is the most awarded and nominated person in the long history of the FAMAS Awards. He garnered a total of 34 nominations (13 for Best Supporting Actor, 10 for Best Actor and 11 for Best Director). Out of these, he got 6 Best Supporting Actor wins, 5 Best Actor wins and 5 Best Director wins, 3 Hall of Fame Awards, 1 Lifetime Achievement Award and the Fernando Poe, Jr. Memorial Award. He was awarded his first FAMAS Award in 1957 and his last FAMAS, a Hall of Fame for Best Actor, in 2003. He is also the first actor to be inducted in the FAMAS Best Supporting Actor Hall of Fame FAMAS in 1974.

• Susan Roces born Jesusa Purificacion Sonora on July 28, 1941 is the widow of Ronald Allan Kelley Poe, better known as Fernando Poe, Jr. Born to a French American mother and aFilipino father of Spanish and Chinese descent, Roces is a member of one of the country's biggest clans, the Locsin family of Negros Occidental. Their forebear Wo Sin Lok, a peddler from Amoy, had himself baptised into the Catholic Church as Agustín Locsin and married Cecilia Sayson of Molo.

• Paraluman was born Sigrid Sophia Agatha von Giese on December 14, 1923. She was a FAMAS-award winning Filipino actress active from the 1940s to the 1970s. She was a contemporary of the likes of Fernando Poe, Sr. and Marlene Daudén and was a major contract star of Sampaguita Pictures. Paraluman was born in Tayabas, Quezon, of a German father and a Filipino mother. Paraluman died of cardiac arrest at the age of 85 on 27 April 27, 2009, at her home in Parañaque City.

• Luis Gonzales was born Luis Mercado on August 8, 1928. He appeared in more than 100 films during his career, most of them by Sampaguita Pictures. Gonzales died of complications from pneumonia and heart problems at Makati Medical Center on the night of March 15, 2012, at the age of 83.

• Romeo Vasquez was born Roberto Sumilang in 1942. He was the former husband of Philippine movie queen Amalia Fuentes. He is the father of actress Liezl.

• Tita Duran was born Teresita  Durango in 1929. She began as a child actress, the first ever successful child star of Philippine cinema. Actor Pancho Magalona was her husband. She is the mother of the late Filipino rapper Francis Magalona and grandmother to Maxene Magalona. Duran started her career as an 8 yr old child who was abandoned by their mother in the 1936 family-drama of Awit ng mga Ulila.

• Dolphy was born Rodolfo Vera Quizon, Sr. on July 25, 1928. He is widely regarded as the country's King of Comedy for his comedic talent embodied by his long roster of works on stage, radio, television and movies.
• Gloria Romero, born Gloria Galla on December 16, 1933 to a Filipino father, Pedro Galla, and an American mother, Mary Borrego, is a Filipino actress appearing in film and television. Her career spans 60 years and includes award winning performances in the films Tanging Yaman (FAMAS Best Actress 2001), Nagbabagang Luha (FAMAS Best Supporting Actress 1989) and 1955's Dalagang Ilocana. She is the first recipient of the lifetime achievement award from the MTRCB. She attended school in Mabini, Pangasinan. Her brother was also an actor, Tito Galla. Gloria Galla married Juancho Gutierrez after they met during a movie; they had one child, a daughter, Maritess.
• Marlene Dauden is considered one of the greatest Filipina drama actresses of all time. She achieved her legendary status as a film thespian during her film career that spanned from the 1950s up to the 1970s. During the height of her fame, she was one of the most bankable stars of Sampaguita Pictures, which used to be one of the leading Philippine movie studios of the era. Marlene started out doing bit parts until she was cast in heavy supporting roles such as the black sheep sister of Paraluman in Anino ni Bathala in 1958 where she won her first the FAMAS Award.
• Charito Solis was born in Manila as Rosario Violeta Hernandez. She was a FAMAS and Gawad Urian award-winning Filipino film actress. Acknowledged as one of the leading dramatic actresses of post-war Philippine cinema, she was tagged either as the "Anna Magnani of the Philippines" or as "the Meryl Streep of the Philippines. Solis died on January 9, 1998 in Calamba City following a cardiac arrest.

• Nida Blanca was born Dorothy Acueza Jones on January 6, 1936 in Gapan City, Nueva Ecija to an American soldier father and a Filipina mother. Nida starred in over 163 movies and 14 television shows and received over 16 awards for movies and six awards for television during her 50-year film career. She was named one of 15 Best Actress of all Time by YES magazine. On November 7, 2001, Blanca was found murdered, beaten and stabbed 13 times in the back seat of her Nissan Sentra in the parking lot of Atlanta Centre in Greenhills, San Juan where she worked for MTRCB. She was an active member of the Movies and Television Regulatory Classification Board (MTRCB) at the time of her death. 
• Zaldy Zhornack. Born Jose Rizaldy Zshornack December 30, 1937, Zshornack had a long career spanning from the 1950s to the 1990s. He is perhaps best known for his role in Black Mama White Mama, a 1973 film. He is also one of the people who participated in the movie musical Pinoy Beatles on October 5, 1964.
• Lolita Rodriguez was born as Dolores Marquez Clark on January 29, 1935 to an American father William Charles Clark and a Filipino mother, Carmen Marquez in Urdaneta, Pangasinan. Lolita Rodriguez won her first FAMAS Award for Best Actress for her role in Gilda (1956). Her most enduring achievement was starring in Lino Brocka's 1974 drama, Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang, winning the Best Actress FAMAS award for that year.

• Rosa Rosal was born on October 16, 1931 as Florence Lansang Danon. Her mother hailed from Santa Rita, Pampanga, while her father was of French and Egyptian descent She is a FAMAS award-winning actress dubbed as the "original femme fatale of Philippine cinema". She was named FAMAS Best Actress in 1955 for Sonny Boy, and would be nominated three other times, for Dagohoy (1953), Biyaya ng Lupa, and Ang Lahat ng Ito Pati na ang Langit (1989). She is also known for her work with the Philippine National Red Cross. For her humanitarian activities, she received the 1999 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service.
• Pancho Magalona was born Enrique Gayoso Magalona, Jr. in 1921 in the province of Negros Occidental and was the son of Philippine Senator Enrique B. Magalona, Sr. Pancho and his real life wife Tita Duran, appeared in numerous Sampaguita Pictures movies. Pancho and his wife were the most popular movie love team in the late 40s. He won the FAMAS Best Actor Award in 1958 for "Hanggang sa Dulo ng Daigdig" and is best remembered for playing the character Simon in the movie version of Jose Rizal's novel El Filibusterismo.
• Studios like Sampaguita Pictures and LVN, established before the war, stopped production during the Japanese occupation, re-established themselves, bouncing back quickly during this decade. Another studio, Premiere Productions, was earning a reputation for "the vigor and the freshness" of some of its films. This was the period of the "Big Four" (Sampaguita, LVN, Premiere and Lebran) when the industry operated under the studio system. Each studio had its own set of stars, technicians and directors, all lined up for a sequence of movie after movie every year therefore maintaining a monopoly of the industry. The system allowed stars and directors to improve their skills while assuring moviegoers a variety of movies for a whole year.

LESSON 4

Evolution of Fashion Trends

Fashion and clothing in the Philippines refers to the way the people of Filipino society dress up in instances such as while they are at home, at work, travelling and when attending special occasions.

Archaic Epoch (10th-16th century)

During the archaic epoch, before the colonizers from Europe reached the islands, the different tribes and kingdoms wore their respective clothing.

The Filipino style of clothing had been dictated by the tropical climate in the Philippines, with a dry and rainy season Early Filipinos, as well as the still extant tribal groups in the Philippines wore colorful woven clothes, often with "intricate beadwork" and other ornaments. The men wore pants or a loincloth and usually went topless, as well as wearing tattoos symbolizing power and strength as a warrior while women went either topless or wore a robe like dress (Baro bahague saya marlota baquero putong calombigas pudong saplung pudong pudong,sarok malong lihin lihin)

Spanish Era: New Spain (1521- 1799)

When the Spaniards came and settled in the country, the fashion changed drastically as the Spanish culture influenced the succeeding centuries of Philippine history.   The Spanish dissolved the kingdoms and united the country, resulting in a mixture of cultures from different ethnic groups and Spanish culture.

  Throughout the 16 th century up to the 18 th century, women wore a Hispanicized version of the Baro't saya composed of a bodice called a Camisa often made in pineapple fiber or muslin and a floor length skirt, while the men wore the Barong Tagalog a collared and buttoned lace shirt or a suit.

Spanish Era: Spanish East Indies (1800 1899)

     By the 19th century, due to the continuing influence of the Western culture, the rising economy, globalization, and exposure from the European fashion scene, women's clothing began to have a change.

     By the 1850 s, women's clothing was now full wide skirts that usually have long train rather than the simple floor length skirts, a bodice called camisa which means blouse in English and a panuelo, a big square cloth folded triangularly and worn in the Philippines like a great ruffle or collar. The attire is composed of four pieces, namely the camisa, the saya,  the pañuelo and the tapis.

     The men also continued to wear but a more intricate version Barong Tagalog a collarless shirt originated from the ethnic cloth called canga. Throughout the centuries the Barong Tagalog has evolved Buttons and collars were added, as well as intricate designs on its pina

fabric and laces. Underneath the transparent Barong Tagalog is the Camisa de Chino, a type of shirt, usually in white that is said to have originated from the Chinese.

American Era (1900s 1920s)

 When the Americans came and became the second country to colonize the islands, the fashion remained the same for the first five years of the 20 th century But it has started to change and became more modern in contrast to the conservative style of the previous centuries as the Americans started to influence the modern Filipino cultur

      The women then wore the Traje de Mestiza, the more modern version of the Maria Clara. It had bigger sleeves and a narrower floor length skirt with a long train called saya de cola and replaced the full wide skirt reflecting the Edwardian Fashion of the West.

     By the 1920 s, the style of the skirt still remained, influenced by the flapper dress however, the wide sleeves had been replaced by butterfly sleeves (popularized by local couturier Pacita Longos and the big pañuelo reduced its size. Such trends had gained prominence especially during the annual Manila Carnivals of the 1920 s and through the 1930 s. Some Filipino women who had lived in United States and in Europe wore the western 1920 s fashion with loose dresses and knee length skirt.

     Men wore the Americana, the suit and coat worn in the West, mostly Americans, replacing the traditional Barong Tagalog.

Commonwealth Era and Second World War (1930s 1940s)

By the 1930 s, young adult women and children finally abandoned the typical Traje de Mestiza" as everyday wear and started to wear floral printed dresses with mid calf length shirts

      When 1940's came, the Philippines saw the breaking out of World War II resulting in the shortage of tailoring shops, clothing boutiques and dressmaking factories as the country was occupied by the Japanese Empire. The austerity era started when rations were implemented and the women wore simpler clothing. The terno gradually disappeared and stopped being manufactured. Only the older people wore their old terno dresses. Clothing boutiques only sold monochromatic dresses mostly in dark tones. The shirtwaist dresses of the previous decade also became popular in the 1940 s with a simpler look. The men's fashion still remained unchanged but became more casual as they started abandoning the coat as a casual wear, and wore it only for formal wear.

1950’s

     When the decade started, the country saw the rise of the economy, once again giving opportunities for people to have more necessities and live a normal life. By the late 1950’s, women started to wear dresses with floral prints and fuller knee length skirts. The style was inspired by Christian Dior's "New Look" collection. Summer and Day dresses became popular, as well as the pencil skirts and cardigans.

            Men's fashion changed slightly as the men started wearing youthful clothing such as sweaters colorful printed polos pants and flannels." became popular as well as white tee shirt, tartan plaids. The drape cut suits remained popular for formal wear.

              The Barong Tagalog became popular once again to be worn as a formal wear, popularized by the then President Ramon Magsaysay. The Terno was rarely worn by young women everyday however, it was still worn at formal events such as galas, national events, government parties and film festivals.

1960’s

     When the 1960 s entered, most of the styles from the late 1950's still remained; however, due to the rise of British pop culture that spread in the United States and other parts of the world, fashion started to change.

     A new kind of dress invented by Mary Quant, called the miniskirt, mini dresses started to become popular and mod style fashions also emerged. Hair became very stylish as the hair was styled bigger and higher with the use of hairspray. By the mid-1960s, the hemlines rose and the clothes loosened, influenced by the mod culture.

     Men's fashion shifted towards a more youthful vibe, influenced by the rising Teenage culture seen in Hollywood and by various Teen oriented Filipino films where they started wearing polos and pants, replacing the suit and coats. Suits and coats, as well as the Barong Tagalog, were now only worn during events and by the older men.

1970’s

     With the popularity of the hippie culture in the late 1960 s, many Filipinos embraced this culture which has continued until the early seventies At the same time, the rise of Filipino Nationalism began and both movements influenced the way people lived and dressed.

     The early 1970’s saw women start to abandon mini dresses for more modest clothing such as maxi skirts. Vintage clothing from the Victorian Era of the west also became popular as long sleeves, laces, and collars became popular in dresses. Bell bottom pants started to become popular that would continue to the rest of the decade. Men also started to grow their hair long, the first time ever that such style became acceptable in Filipino society.

     Men also wore Bell bottoms often in bright colors, similar to the women. The turtle neck became popular as well as sweater vests, colorful bright patterned polos and pants. By the mid 1970’s, men started wearing t-shirts , which replaced the formal look with a more laid back look. Denim jeans also started to emerge, as well as sweatshirts.

1980’s

  Due to the power dressing movement, women, usually young adults, also started to wear clothes with shoulder pads while teenagers started wearing neon colored clothes. Miniskirts also came back in popularity. Hairstyles were also emphasized as most women had their hair curled.       

Men's fashion had a shift as they started to wear brightly colored t shirts or polo shirts and denim jeans for a casual look, throwing away the more formal look. Teenage boys also wore pastel and neon colored jackets, polos, pants, short shorts and t-shirts. Converse All Stars shoes were also popular among the teenagers.

          Colorful short shorts for both teen boys and girls were also one of the huge trends that defined the decade. Sportswear also became popular for everyday clothing. Leggings rose to popularity as well as jogging pants, headbands and leg warmers. By 1989, a drastic change in style emerged; a trend having oversized shirts and pants were in style, paving way to the 1990s loose fashion.

     The 1990 s fashion was a laid back version of the 1980 s fashion This decade saw the beginning of the influence of rock music to mainstream fashion.

    Men started to wear dark, simple and mostly oversized clothes moving away to the brightly colored clothes of the 1980 s Women also wore loose, simple and casual clothing such as oversized shirts, denim shorts, denim jeans, simple blouses and sneakers Skirts weren't as popular as denim throughout the decade Men's hairstyles also changed as they grew their hair longer for the first time since the decade of the 1970 s Also, a hairstyle called cachupoy was considered popular among teenage boys It was a straight hairstyle that has a middle parting at the center, most teen celebrities sported this kind of hairstyle.

     It was also the decade when people from all social classes wore the same style of clothes, with people having a hard time distinguishing who was from the upper class or from the lower class as everyone opted for a simple, laid back style of dressing.

2000’s

     The 1990 s fashion remained popular during the early years of the first decade of the 21st  century 2000 s fashion was considered a mash up of different styles.

     In the first part of the decade, the concept of innerwear as outerwear was popularized resulting in the popularity of spaghetti strap clothes. Men still followed the 1990s fashion with hip hop inspired clothing, wearing cargo pants and oversized T shirts.

     By the mid- 2000s, colorful clothes began to rise again. Men started wearing flannel and checkered polos. At the end of the decade, people saw a mixture of clothing from ugg boots worn with short shorts and t-shirts to dresses worn over with leggings. It was characterized by bright colors, textures, patterns and a bunch of accessories.

2010’s

     Due to the development of social media, many Filipino women and men were exposed to different styles. Also due to the rising economy of the country for the first time since the People Power Revolution as well as constant building of shopping malls and shopping centers, many Filipinos began buying more clothes.

     With the rise of social media, most of the women began wearing tumblr inspired clothes. Also, women became interested in fashions in the 1960s and began replicating those styles. Men also began wearing preppy clothes inspired by the British boy band One Direction who rose to fame in 2010. Skinny jeans proved to be popular among the men and came up with different colors as well as the shorts.

     In 2013, skater skirts became popular among teenage girls and they started wearing more feminine clothing. When the mid-2010’s entered, women began wearing more modest clothing as the fashion brands started to market 1950s and 1960s inspired clothing. Denim pants were replaced by skirts and leggings. Men began to wear more formal Dresses replacing the casual t-shirts and jeans worn by the women while Chinos replaced the denim pants worn by men.