GEEC 114: PHILIPPINE POPULAR CULTURE LDBUYAN

Lesson 3

Philippine Popular Culture: Dimensions and Directions

Popular Culture, Folk Culture, and National Culture

In his book “Revaluation: Essays on Philippine Literature, Theatre and

Popular Culture”, the National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbero defined
popular culture in contrast with folk culture and national culture of the Filipinos:

the way of living in a place in a specific

time and portrays the practices of a
certain people, and on how they cope to
survive with nature

the different ethnic cultures of pre-

Hispanic tribal communities, born of a
Folk Culture common economic matrix, constitute
Philippine folk culture, strains of which
have drift into elements of popular culture

example: “Tinikling” is a traditional folk

dance originated on the island of Leyte
where bamboo sticks are brought together
and apart in a beat, while people dance in
and out of them

the culture created through colonial

resistance with the collective of a people
on a given place and time

being the various “folk cultures” of the

Filipinos “homogenized” by
communication technology and by history
National Culture
example: “Noli Me Tangere” (The Social
Cancer), a novel by Filipino political
activist and author Jose Rizal, is a
sweeping and passionate unmasking of the
brutality and corruption of the Spanish
rule in the Philippines from 1565 to 1898.

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lives through history and is always in

relation to power – whoever wields it to
manipulate minds is likely to find its
literary and technological machinery
turned against him/her when the minds it
Popular Culture has manipulated discover its potency as a
political weapon

still has no definitive conception in the

Philippines but is always tied to mass
media-generated culture

What can be inferred from Lumbera’s formulation is the importance of

historical events in framing what is considered as popular culture in the
Philippines. This necessitates a succinct discussion of the colonial experience of
the native Filipinos where power was used to mobilize and influence the way
they think.

From their formal rule in 1965 up to 1898, the period of Hispanization

occurred where Spaniards attempted to integrate the native Filipinos into the
Spanish system. The Philippines under Spanish colonization was a time of cultural
and religious integration where popular culture first emerged and used by the
Spaniards as a tool to lure the hearts of the native Filipinos or Indios through
plays and literature (Garchitorena 2015). As territories become pacified by the
Spaniards, the first permanent Spanish settlements began replacing the native
culture with an introduction and indoctrination of Christian and European
tradition. These included forms of popular theatre and literature such as the
pasyon (a long narrative poem about the passion and death of Christ), sinakulo
(a Lenten play that depicts events from the Old and New Testaments related to
the life, sufferings, and death of Christ), korida (an extended narrative of the
life and adventures of some person/hero), and komedya (a theatrical tradition
used by the Spaniards to promote Christianity by describing conflicts between
Christians and Muslims), which helped spread the words of Christianity and
ensured the allegiance of the native Filipinos to the Spanish monarchy through
the consumption of these foreign cultural commodities (Ibid.). According to
Lumbera, popular culture, as introduced by the Spanish, was “popular” to the
extent that it was a “watering-down of Spanish-European culture for the purpose
of winning the general populace over to the ‘ideology’ of the colonial regime
(Lumbera 1997).”

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However, once the native Filipinos saw the effects of what was then
considered as popular culture and how it was used to serve as a political weapon
to hide defective integration and corruption of the Spanish system, they soon
used it to their advantage through the Propaganda movement in the 19 th century
(Garchitorena 2015). Through plays and literature, the Ilustrado class involved
in the said movement still forwarded loyalty to Spain but attacked friars who
occupied important positions in the State institutions and the Church. In the
words of Lumbera, “the native intelligentsia used the same forms of popular
culture to undermine the power of the abusive friars and rally the populace to
put an end to colonial rule (Lumbera 1997).” Examples of these include the
parodies of “Aba, Ginoong Maria” and “Ama Namin” written by Marcelo H. del
Pilar to call out abusive and corrupt Spanish friars.

Based on the book “Dasalan at Tocsohan” published in 1888, here are

examples of the parodies of Catholic prayers and biblical scriptures written by
del Pilar:

Aba Guinoong Barya

(Parody of “Hail Mary”)

Aba guinoong Baria nakapupuno ka nang alcancia ang Fraile’l

sumasainyo bukod ka niyang pinagpala’t pina higuit sa lahat, pinagpala naman
ang kaban mong mapasok. Santa Baria Ina nand Deretsons, ipanalangin mo
kaming huwag anitan ngayon at cami ipapatay. Siya naua.

Amain Namin
(Parody of “Our Father”)

Ama naming sumasaconvento ka, sumpain ang ngalan mo, malayo sa

amin ang kasakiman mo, quitlin ang liig mo ditto sa lupa para nang sa langit.
Saulan mo cami ngayon nang aming kaning iyonh inaraoarao at patauanin mo
kami sa iyong pagungal para nang pag papataua mo kung kami nacucualtahan;
at huag mo kaming ipahintulot sa iyong manunukso at iadya mo kami sa
masama mong dila.

Mga Utos ng Fraile

(Parody of “The Ten Commandments”)

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Ang manga utos nang Fraile ay sampo:

Ang nauna: Sambahin mo ang Fraile na lalo sa lahat.
Ang ikalaua: Huag kang mag papahamak manuba nang ngalang deretsos.
Ang ikatlo: Mangilin ka sa Fraile lingo man at fiesta.
Ang ikapat: Isangla mo ang catauan mo sa pagpapalibing sa ama’t ina
Ang ikalima: Huag kang mamamatay kung uala pang salaping pang libing
Ang ikanim: Huag kang makiapid sa kanyang asaua.
Ang ikapito: Huag kang makinakaw.
Ang ikaualo: Huag mo silang pagbibintangan, kahit ka masinungalingan.
Ang ikasiyam: Huag mong ipagkait ang iyong asaua.
Ang ikapulo: Huag mong itangui ang iyong ari.
Itong sampong utos nang Fraile’I dalaua ang kinaoouian. Ang isa: Sambahin
mo ang Fraile lalo sa lahat.
Ang ikalaua: Ihayin mo naman sa kaniya ang puri mo’t kayamanan.
Siya naua.

The advent of American imperialism brought, the properly and formally

so-called, popular culture to the Philippines. As discussed in Lesson 2, popular
culture is commonly perceived as a culture that only emerged following
industrialization (development of industries that manufacture goods) and
urbanization (rise of cities and towns due to the increase in the proportion of
people moving from rural areas to urban centers). This only happened when the
Americans came and institutionalized a capitalist market economy where
commodities are produced and consumed by people primarily in urbanized
societies. Through this economic system, there was an increase in the circulation
of various forms of popular culture through radio, television, and film more
specifically, Hollywood films.

During the American occupation, what was considered as popular culture

was the commercialized culture consumed through mass media. According to
Lumbera, this created disagreements from the local intelligentsia because
“popular literature as a commodity intended for a mass market was seen to pose
a threat to serious artistic work because the writers accommodated their art to
the demands of the publishers and editors who were more interested in sales
rather than aesthetics (Lumbera 1997).” Since popular culture is always linked
to relations of power, Lumbera also argued that popular culture is not created
by the masses, but by the ruling elite or by the members of the intelligentsia,
for the consumption of the general populace (Garchitorena 2015). Hence, in
order to further their political position and economic dominance, American

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colonial administrators and even native Filipino bureaucrats and businessmen

used “packaged” entertainment and art to their own advantage.

Philippine Popular Culture as the Mass Media-Generated Culture

In the present context, Doreen Fernandez in the article “Philippine

Popular Culture: Dimensions and Directions, The State of Research in Philippine
Popular Culture” argued that the Philippines is a country whose popular culture
is still in question due to the following political and socio-economic conditions:

“Philippines is a Third World, developing nation; with many indigenous

ethnic groups still definitely unurbanized; with a long history of
colonization that left behind at least two immediately discernible layers
of cultural influence, the Spanish and the American, and a less discernible
(being more deeply assimilated) one, the Chinese; in a present socio-
economic state that is still predominantly agricultural, semi-feudal (many
feudal structures, especially in agricultural practices and related lifestyles
continue, barely changed), and neocolonial (dependent on foreign
economies, especially through the pervasive presence of multinational
corporations (Fernandez 1981, 26).”

Aside from these complexities, the task of defining and framing what is popular
is not an easy job. Generally known as a product of industrialization and
urbanization, the “people” in popular culture should represent the masses who
are involved in the manufacturing and consumption of cultural commodities in
urbanized areas. However, when this assumption is applied to the Philippine
context, there is a need to look into the different levels of urbanization in several
areas and it is a must to consider that only a small percentage of these urbanized
and industrialized areas fit into the Western conception of how popular culture
is formed. Hence, a stable definition of “popular culture” in the Philippine
context has not been reached as well as its defining boundaries, theories,
methods, and concerns.

Nonetheless, mass media-generated culture is what can be properly called

popular culture in the Philippines. As defined by Abalos et al.:

“The mass media also referred to as mass communication may be defined

as a special kind of social communication characterized by a unique
audience, communication experience, and communicator. The audience
is usually large, heterogenous and anonymous. The term ‘media’ comes
from Latin, meaning ‘middle’, suggesting that media serve to connect

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people. Mass media occur as communications technology that spreads

information on a mass scale (Abalos et al. 2016).”

Some important notes of Abalos et al. regarding the elements of mass media:

• The communication experience is usually public, rapid, and transient.

Media content is for public rather than private (one on one) consumption.
• The communicator is often just one person talking to others through
electronic media, that a person works within a complex organization with
policies that govern what is broadcast.
• The mass media have an enormous effect on our attitudes and behavior.

In the Philippines, popular culture is created through different media platforms:

PLATFORMS EXAMPLES
strip characters such as Dyesebel the
siren, the flying Darna, the Medusa-
Komiks like Valentina, and characters from
Philippine folklore

2020 Metro Manila Film Festival films

such as The Boy Foretold by the Stars,
Films Fan Girl, and Mang Kepweng: Ang
Lihim ng Bandanang Itim

Kuwentong Kutsero, Kami Naman, and

Radio Shows Vicks’ Variety Show

The Philippine Magazine, Philippine

Popular Magazines Free Press, and Liwayway

American pop, Filipino rock, and

Popular Music Taglish songs

Eat Bulaga, It’s Showtime, Ang

Television Programs/ Soap Operas Probinsyano, KaraMia, and Encantadia

Tiktok viral dances such as “WAP” by

Social Media Sites Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion, “Say
So” by Doja Cat, and “Pajama Party
(pamparam pam pam)” by 1096 gang

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GEEC 114: PHILIPPINE POPULAR CULTURE LDBUYAN

According to Fernandez, popular culture serves as a platform for the

building of Filipino consciousness and values (Fernandez 1981). Although the said
media platforms are perceived to be only available to the urban population in
Metro Manila and the rural areas of the country are still dominated by folk or
ethnic culture, popular culture in the Philippines are starting to touch on far-
flung regions due to rural electrification and the transistor radio. In the words of
Fernandez: “In the small, Third World, developing nation that is the Philippines,
in which the majority are the poor, the mass, the populus, popular culture is
indeed power, and therefore demands systematic and purposeful attention
(Ibid).”

LEARNING ACTIVITY
IDENTIFICATION. Identify what is asked/described in each number. (20 points)
__________1. a special kind of social communication characterized by a unique
audience, communication experience, and communicator
__________2. 2020 Metro Manila Film Festival films such as The Boy Foretold by
the Stars, Fan Girl, and Mang Kepweng: Ang Lihim ng Bandanang Itim
__________3. a long narrative poem about the passion and death of Christ
__________4. the culture created through colonial resistance with the collective
of a people on a given place and time
__________5. a theatrical tradition used by the Spaniards to promote Christianity
by describing conflicts between Christians and Muslims
__________6. a Lenten play that depicts events from the Old and New
Testaments related to the life, sufferings, and death of Christ
__________7. lives through history and is always in relation to power
__________8. an extended narrative of the life and adventures of some
person/hero
__________9. the different ethnic cultures of pre-Hispanic tribal communities
__________10. The Philippine Magazine, Philippine Free Press, and Liwayway
__________11. Eat Bulaga, It’s Showtime, Ang Probinsyano, KaraMia, and
Encantadia

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GEEC 114: PHILIPPINE POPULAR CULTURE LDBUYAN

__________12. Tiktok viral dances such as “WAP” by Cardi B and Megan Thee
Stallion, “Say So” by Doja Cat, and “Pajama Party (pamparam pam pam)” by
1096 gang
__________13. strip characters such as Dyesebel the siren, the flying Darna, the
Medusa-like Valentina, and characters from Philippine folklore
__________14. a propagandista who called out abusive and corrupt Spanish friars
through satirical parodies
__________15. development of industries that manufacture goods
__________16. historical period when popular culture was the commercialized
culture
__________17. rise of cities and towns due to the increase in the proportion of
people moving from rural areas to urban centers
__________18. American pop, Filipino rock, and Taglish songs
__________19. the social class during the Spanish period involved in attacking
friars who occupied important positions in the State Institutions and the Church
__________20. author who defined popular culture in contrast with folk culture
and national culture of the Filipinos
ESSAY. Explain the meaning and historical significance of the following satirical
parodies. Write in no more than 7 sentences for each. (10 points)
Aba Guinoong Barya
(Parody of “Hail Mary”)

Aba guinoong Baria nakapupuno ka nang alcancia ang Fraile’l

sumasainyo bukod ka niyang pinagpala’t pina higuit sa lahat, pinagpala
naman ang kaban mong mapasok. Santa Baria Ina nand Deretsons,
ipanalangin mo kaming huwag anitan ngayon at cami ipapatay. Siya naua.

Amain Namin
(Parody of “Our Father”)

Ama naming sumasaconvento ka, sumpain ang ngalan mo, malayo

sa amin ang kasakiman mo, quitlin ang liig mo ditto sa lupa para nang sa
langit. Saulan mo cami ngayon nang aming kaning iyonh inaraoarao at
patauanin mo kami sa iyong pagungal para nang pag papataua mo kung kami
nacucualtahan; at huag mo kaming ipahintulot sa iyong manunukso at iadya
mo kami sa masama mong dila.