literature

Filipino Identity: Part I

Deviation Actions

Published: Apr 27, 2013

904 Views

Literature Text

After seeing a fellow Filipino deviant’s journal about what he saw in TV Tropes describing Filipinos' 'National Stereotypes,’ I think its time to share what I’ve learned regarding ‘Filipino Identity and Culture’ during an orientation I took for a cultural exchange trip I took a while back. During the orientation, a local anthropologist from one of the universities shared his study and knowledge about what being a Filipino is and what is their identity now.

But, of course, one should know at least a general meaning of ‘identity’ to begin with. According to the professor we had there, “identity is a basis of selfhood and in the past, traditions have controlled the kind of person individuals should become.” Traditions are usually connected with our past; therefore he added that, since it is now modern times:

"Modernity makes identities more complex

But identity itself is intricate.

We have the “self” but then we

Also have the “ethnic identity”

Filipinos pretty much have an issue with ‘ethnic identity." They may or may not be aware of it but, in their cultural society, there is ‘a struggle' and it is usually 'between their ethnic and their traditional identities.' Probably, it would be safe to say that this was a result of spending over three hundred years in the covenant [Spain] and about fifty in Hollywood [America]: these colonial periods helped shape today’s familiar Filipino culture. Since the Philippines’ official independence back in 1946, Spain and America no longer act as extreme direct influences towards the Philippines and its people. However, the raise in globalization and easy access to imported media could present itself as a threat for Filipinos performing what is called ‘identity negotiation.’

“Identity negotiation is trying to keep one’s bond with their origins, culture and traditions as a defense mechanisms from threatening impacts (e.g. globalization, colonization, assimilation).”

The Filipinos surprisingly live in one of the more developed nations of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) ranking as one of the regional organization’s major six economies[1] and performing better in terms of development compared to the CLVM (Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar)[2]. Their nation is still considered a 'developing country' and still has social problems regarding their politics and unequal distribution of wealth. However, despite these issues and poverty, the Philippines is a country with abundant resources and opportunities for business deals. The country is, yes, poor, but there is always hope for it to be a wealthy nation soon. [3] Of course, wealth is not the only thing that Filipinos long and dread about. Filipinos, like any other nationality, have their ethnic and traditional identities to be aware of, along with their more known ‘mediated identities’—which are best characterized as everyone else’s view about them being the text capital of the world [4] and their fatalistic yet optimistic view towards varying circumstances and situations[5]. The state of being rich and being poor is certainly not the only things Filipinos wish and worry about—the state of their "identities" comes along with it.

Next: "'What is a Filipino?': Part II" [COMING SOON]

EDIT: Replace "the term "Third World" here with "Developing Country". [link]. I did say that there can be inaccuracies in the terms and everyone is open to point out any

Thank you for point out the mistake

Notes:

1. Philippines is a founding nation of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) which aims for the acceleration of economic growth, cultural development and social progress within its member nations. Philippines has been the fifth major in the ASEAN in terms of its nominal GDP. Source:[link]

2. CLVM (Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Myamnar) are the nations that are behind in development compared to the ASEAN-6 (Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and the Philippines)

When Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia joined ASEAN in the late 1990s, concerns were raised about a certain developmental divide regarding a gap in average per capita GDP between older and the newer members. In response, the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) was formed by ASEAN as a regional integration policy with the principle goal of bridging this developmental divide, which, in addition to disparities in per capita GDP, is manifested by disparities in dimensions of human development such as life expectancy and literacy rates. Other than the IAI, other programs for the development of the Mekong Basin - where all four newer ASEAN members are located - that tend to focus on infrastructure development have been effectively enacted. In general, ASEAN does not have the financial resources to extend substantial grants or loans to the new members. Therefore, it usually leaves the financing of these infrastructure projects to international financial institutionsand to developed countries. Nevertheless, it has mobilized funding from these institutions and countries and from the ASEAN-6 (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Brunei Darussalam, Singapore, and Thailand) themselves for areas where the development gap needs to be filled through the IAI program. Other programs intended for the development of the ASEAN-4 take advantage of the geographical proximity of the CLMV countries and tend to focus on infrastructure development in areas like transport, tourism, and power transmission. Source:[link]

Read more about the programs that support the CLVM here: [link]

3. Goldman Sachs estimates that by the year 2050, the Philippines will be the 14th largest economy in the world, Goldman Sachs also included the Philippines in its list of the Next Eleven economies. HSBC projects the Philippine economy to become the 16th largest economy in the world, 5th largest economy in Asia and the largest economy in the South East Asian region by 2050.

The Philippines has been named as one of the Tiger Cub Economies together with Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.

Source: [link]

I would also like to add that the Philippine economy has grown to an enormous rate in recent years that the country is now being called 'The Next Indonesia.' Indonesia too had a similar boom, but that was during the rule of Suharto . (Forgive me for calling out Suharto here Indonesian readers )

4. Yeah, this was prevelant during the 1990's and 2000's. But since the intro of Facebook and Twitter, the use of SMS is declining. However, cellphone use is still robust in the Philippines and even the marginalized have even the old models of the Nokia cellphone to communicate with friends and family.

Source(s): [link] [link] [link]

5. "Fatalism" or the "'Bahala na mentality" is what pretty much makes Filipinos unique for we tend to leave things as they are and let our fate be left to God. We can look pretty happy with this view, but it can be a double-edged sword. You see, our sense of fatalism is what makes us Filpinos a little too contend about living in poverty and leaving our country into such low standards of living for the marginalized.

----

I'm not gonna say who made that journal- for now, at least. But I can share to you the link of National Stereotypes in TV Tropes:[link]

Forgive me for any inaccuracies in the terms and insensitivities made.
Much of the info used in the main material was sourced from incomplete notes.
I just thought of sharing, that was all