There is no doubt that the Philippines has been greatly influenced by a previously dominant culture. It has been widely accepted by scholars that the culture of a more powerful country would dominate that of a less powerful territory. By power, we mean economic and military supremacy.
At the height of its rule, the Greek empire’s culture dominated that of their subdued lands. It is one of the main reasons why the Greek philosophers were able to impress their way of thought and behavior over what already existed in controlled territories. The same thing happened at the time of Rome. When gladiatorial combat for instance was created as a form of entertainment sport in the capital, arenas of the same sort propped up all throughout the Roman Empire. Archeological data suggests that these kinds of stadiums, although smaller, existed to as far as Great Britain to the north and Palestine to the south. Togas and tunics were the fashion of the day. Roman baths and aqueducts were also built. All these influenced and eventually took over an already existing way of life in the acquired states at least up until the empire crumbled and another more dominant culture took its place.
The same occurrences happened to the Philippines at the arrival of the Spanish and the Americans. These countries, which we now call the “colonialists,” imposed their culture on the Filipinos who had already painstakingly shaped and developed their own way of life, customs and traditions. It would be safe therefore to conclude that what ancient Filipinos have labored for ages were just wiped away by an oppressive foreign power in just three centuries. After all, isn’t it oppression if they enforce their sophistication and intrude into another’s ethnicity?
There are traditional myths about Philippine civilization shaped by colonialists and mimicked by the Filipinos themselves. Everyone must agree that these long-established fictions should be carefully analyzed and scrutinized by Filipinos.
At the height of its rule, the Greek empire’s culture dominated that of their subdued lands. It is one of the main reasons why the Greek philosophers were able to impress their way of thought and behavior over what already existed in controlled territories. The same thing happened at the time of Rome. When gladiatorial combat for instance was created as a form of entertainment sport in the capital, arenas of the same sort propped up all throughout the Roman Empire. Archeological data suggests that these kinds of stadiums, although smaller, existed to as far as Great Britain to the north and Palestine to the south. Togas and tunics were the fashion of the day. Roman baths and aqueducts were also built. All these influenced and eventually took over an already existing way of life in the acquired states at least up until the empire crumbled and another more dominant culture took its place.
The same occurrences happened to the Philippines at the arrival of the Spanish and the Americans. These countries, which we now call the “colonialists,” imposed their culture on the Filipinos who had already painstakingly shaped and developed their own way of life, customs and traditions. It would be safe therefore to conclude that what ancient Filipinos have labored for ages were just wiped away by an oppressive foreign power in just three centuries. After all, isn’t it oppression if they enforce their sophistication and intrude into another’s ethnicity?
There are traditional myths about Philippine civilization shaped by colonialists and mimicked by the Filipinos themselves. Everyone must agree that these long-established fictions should be carefully analyzed and scrutinized by Filipinos.
Apathy for instance may not have originated from the effects of how the Filipinos are geographically divided. It could have been a result of a brilliant diplomatic manipulation using the principle of “divide and conquer.” At the onset of the Spanish colonization, the Philippines were divided into several enclaves each with rulers of their own. We will note that that Magellan was able to convert Rajah Homabon and his followers to the Christian faith while the island of Mactan had to be taken by force. When the conquistadors landed in Cebu, why did not the rajah resist while the warriors of their neighboring small island, although presumably more inferior and lesser in number withstood the might of the foreigners? Why? Was there a rift between Homabon and Lapu-lapu? No record of conflict between the two native rulers has ever been recorded. Military strategists could have assessed that Cebu, which was the bigger realm, could have easily repulsed the invaders. As a “good” neighbor, Lapu-lapu could have sent reinforcements to the big island had the need arose. Why did Homabon help the Spanish in their attempt to subdue Mactan? Meanwhile the people of Mactan just stood by and waited until Magellan directly assaulted them. At this point, we can safely assume that Magellan may not have only been a daring explorer but also a sly and cunning political tactician as well. What else could be the explanation of the chasm between Homabon and Lapu-lapu?
The perceived submissiveness of the Filipinos is not innate. It is a result of very severe and often violent events during the early decades of the Spanish rule. When the survivors of the Battle of Mactan reported back their kingdom about the death of their leader and the discovery of the Philippines, the Spanish court wasted no time in assembling another expedition with objectives to: first, avenge the death of Magellan and second, be at the forefront of a full scale invasion (under the guise of exploration) and stake their claim on the archipelago before the Dutch and the Portuguese beat them to it. From then on, wave after wave of Spanish arrived in the Philippines. There are supposed to be records showing that Spain’s refuse were among those sent. To name some: cold-blooded cutthroats, deserters, bandits and even noblemen who fell from grace. After all, the islands were supposed to be the Spanish empire’s farthest outpost. Lands were freely given to these individuals who lost no time in savoring their newfound affluence. But there was a problem: the lands were already inhabited. Force was used to solve this setback! The authorities would never know anyway because the colony was thousands of miles away from them. Facing a seemingly invincible race, natives were forcibly driven from their settlements. Those who stayed became servants. Most of the former settlers fearing for their safety, simply submitted themselves to their new masters. It wasn’t long before others followed suit. It was a better option than bloodshed.
The bayanihan spirit was forced on these settlers-turned-servants. If they had concerns and problems, they only had each other to turn to. Their lands were no longer theirs now. The new landlords could have them evicted anytime. The natives’ ingenuity took over. Instead of building permanent structures like they used to, they designed new architecture wherein their dwelling could be transferred from one location to another. So, if the landowner had of some use for the land you were living in, there was no need to dismantle the structure and assemble it somewhere else. All you had to do was seek assistance from all of your able-bodied neighbors, servants all.
Again, the early Filipinos were not exactly democratic. Remember that different leaders like rajahs, and datus all of whom were not popularly selected by their constituents ruled the islands before the mestizos arrived. These leaders were chosen according to their own traditions: by birthright, divine selection and even by mortal combat. None of these systems were close to being democratic. A legislative assembly chosen by the inhabitants did not pen the notorious Code of Kalantiaw. Laws were based according to what was customary not to equality. There were tribes who immediately meted out severe penalties depending on the nature of the offense. Those in charge, be they high priests or chieftains, were the judge, jury and sometimes executioner. Laws were not taught by lectures but by actual examples. Justice was meted out not in some enclosed edifice but in public or in front of the whole tribe.
There is no question about the Filipino value of respect for women. It is a divine and universal law. But in the early Filipino culture, the role of women in society was already defined like that of today. In the early Philippines, there were already certain traditions about do’s and don’ts for women. The division of labor for example was already being implemented in the household. If the males came back with game from a hunt, it was the females who prepared it for storage. In other words, house management was the primary role of the women seconded by assisting their husbands in their work whatever it may be: hunting, fishing or building. Running of the home included taking care of the farm’s produce. The wives took care of the domesticated animals and the garden. Skeptics even say that the early Filipino women were greatly involved in farming itself. At present, there are still areas in the Philippines where this practice is still prevalent.
All these logical misunderstandings of our socio-economic-political life should be taken into consideration, documented and explained thoroughly to the Filipinos if we are to come up with a true mirror of Philippine culture . There is a saying that, “The past is a lesson for the present and a guide for the future.”
We were and still are a culturally influenced country. But at least, we still can manage to call ourselves a country. That’s what counts the most because history tells us that it has always been a very good start.
The perceived submissiveness of the Filipinos is not innate. It is a result of very severe and often violent events during the early decades of the Spanish rule. When the survivors of the Battle of Mactan reported back their kingdom about the death of their leader and the discovery of the Philippines, the Spanish court wasted no time in assembling another expedition with objectives to: first, avenge the death of Magellan and second, be at the forefront of a full scale invasion (under the guise of exploration) and stake their claim on the archipelago before the Dutch and the Portuguese beat them to it. From then on, wave after wave of Spanish arrived in the Philippines. There are supposed to be records showing that Spain’s refuse were among those sent. To name some: cold-blooded cutthroats, deserters, bandits and even noblemen who fell from grace. After all, the islands were supposed to be the Spanish empire’s farthest outpost. Lands were freely given to these individuals who lost no time in savoring their newfound affluence. But there was a problem: the lands were already inhabited. Force was used to solve this setback! The authorities would never know anyway because the colony was thousands of miles away from them. Facing a seemingly invincible race, natives were forcibly driven from their settlements. Those who stayed became servants. Most of the former settlers fearing for their safety, simply submitted themselves to their new masters. It wasn’t long before others followed suit. It was a better option than bloodshed.
The bayanihan spirit was forced on these settlers-turned-servants. If they had concerns and problems, they only had each other to turn to. Their lands were no longer theirs now. The new landlords could have them evicted anytime. The natives’ ingenuity took over. Instead of building permanent structures like they used to, they designed new architecture wherein their dwelling could be transferred from one location to another. So, if the landowner had of some use for the land you were living in, there was no need to dismantle the structure and assemble it somewhere else. All you had to do was seek assistance from all of your able-bodied neighbors, servants all.
Again, the early Filipinos were not exactly democratic. Remember that different leaders like rajahs, and datus all of whom were not popularly selected by their constituents ruled the islands before the mestizos arrived. These leaders were chosen according to their own traditions: by birthright, divine selection and even by mortal combat. None of these systems were close to being democratic. A legislative assembly chosen by the inhabitants did not pen the notorious Code of Kalantiaw. Laws were based according to what was customary not to equality. There were tribes who immediately meted out severe penalties depending on the nature of the offense. Those in charge, be they high priests or chieftains, were the judge, jury and sometimes executioner. Laws were not taught by lectures but by actual examples. Justice was meted out not in some enclosed edifice but in public or in front of the whole tribe.
There is no question about the Filipino value of respect for women. It is a divine and universal law. But in the early Filipino culture, the role of women in society was already defined like that of today. In the early Philippines, there were already certain traditions about do’s and don’ts for women. The division of labor for example was already being implemented in the household. If the males came back with game from a hunt, it was the females who prepared it for storage. In other words, house management was the primary role of the women seconded by assisting their husbands in their work whatever it may be: hunting, fishing or building. Running of the home included taking care of the farm’s produce. The wives took care of the domesticated animals and the garden. Skeptics even say that the early Filipino women were greatly involved in farming itself. At present, there are still areas in the Philippines where this practice is still prevalent.
All these logical misunderstandings of our socio-economic-political life should be taken into consideration, documented and explained thoroughly to the Filipinos if we are to come up with a true mirror of Philippine culture . There is a saying that, “The past is a lesson for the present and a guide for the future.”
We were and still are a culturally influenced country. But at least, we still can manage to call ourselves a country. That’s what counts the most because history tells us that it has always been a very good start.
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