MODULE 8 1

MANNERS OF RESISTANCE  The target is unaware or not immediately aware

of the resistance or who is resisting
OPEN RESISTANCE  Bring immediate benefits to the resister
 EX:
o Sarcasm
Spectrum of Resistance
o Criticizing superiors behind their back
o Cheating an employer
 Organized and confrontational
o Language usage in-jokes
 Subtle, indirect, non-confrontational ones
o Deceit and foot-dragging
o Physical harm to properties like an
Two Dominant Modes of Analysis of Resistance
ambush
o Forms of flight, such as leaving
 The study of macropolitical forms
landlords or employers
 Micro-politics of everyday resistance
o Informal and unorganized resistance of
the powerless and ordinary people (non- Pasyon at Revolution
confrontational and indirect; “lowkey
protest”)  By Reynaldo Illeto
o Power of the ordinary people  By examining the events from the vantage point
of the masses, the mass’ own categories of
meaning shaped their perceptions of events and
Weapons of the Weak (James Scott)
their participation in them
 Weapons of powerless groups, power of the
Clash of the Spirit
ordinary people
 Effective resistance could be found in thought
and symbolism: Understand how ordinary  By Filomeno V. Aguilar, JR.
people give meaning to their actions using their  Sought to reconstruct the indigenous system of
contexts knowledge
 “Watch what I do, and you will know what I
mean.” The symbolic significance of the people’s actions.

 EX: Foot dragging, dissimulation, false Greg Bankoff

compliance, pilfering, feigned ignorance
 Adopted Scott’s approach but contextualized his
Hidden Transcript (James Scott) study in the Philippines noted from the previous
studies
 A dissonant political culture that exists among  Filipinos expressed their resistance against
the subordinates away from their masters; the colonial rule through acts of insubordination
word of anger, revenge, and assertion or the
alternative meanings given to public texts Manners of Resistance
 Group formed by a resisting group without the
knowledge of the group being resisted against  By Fernando Santiago
 Characteristics  Focused on whether the bad manners of
o Specific to a given social site and to a Filipinos are considered resistance
particular set of actors — EX: Black
people RUDE AND VULGAR BEHAVIOR OF FILIPINOS
o Range of practices not limited to speech
— EX: Illegal poaching, thievery, etc. 3 Characteristics of Filipino Rude Behavior during
o The frontier between the public and the the 19th Century
hidden transcript is a zone of constant
struggle between dominant and  The scale is small, usually an individual or a
subordinate group with no formal organization or leader
 EX: Folktales, gossips, rumors  The target is unaware or not immediately aware
of the resistance or who is resisting
OPEN RESISTANCE IN THE PHILIPPINES  Bring immediate benefits to the resister

Everyday Politics in the Philippines Sinabaldo de Mas y Sans

 By Benedict Kerkvliet  Hindi tumatayo ang mga Filipino officials kung

 People embracing, complying with, adjusting to, may papasok na Espanyol.
and contesting norms in quiet, mundane, and  Hindi siya binibigyan ng kaukulang respeto
subtle expressions and acts that are rarely kahit may prinesenta siyang pasaporte.
organized  Hindi sumunod sa utos ng isang prayle ang isang
 Avenue for ordinary people to express their Filipino na inutusang itali ang kabayo.
resistance  Pagtulog sa trabaho ng isang manggagawa sa
 No confrontation isang hacienda at paghahamon nito sa kanyang
amo.
Characteristics of Everyday Resistance  Hindi nagbibigay daanan ang mga Pilipino.
 Pinagtatawanan siya, at hindi sinasagot ang
 The scale is small, usually an individual or a kaniyang mga tanong. May pagkakataong hindi
group with no formal organization or leader siya pinagbebentahan ng mangga.
 2

 Ayon sa kaniya, Pilipinas lang niya naranasan

ang ganitong ugali, at dito lang siya
nangailangan ng mahabang pasensiya. Filipinos are Non-Confrontational

Fedor Hagor  Zeus Salazar

o “Watch what I do, and you will know
 Hindi maayos ang pragtrato sa mga private what I mean.”
Spanish travelers. o Non-confrontational and indirect
 Kailangan muna niyang magbayad bago  Edward Hall
pasakayin ng isang kutsero. o High context: Filipino culture; uses
symbols, body language, and gestures
John Foreman (actions speaks louder than words)
o Low context: Spanish culture, direct
 Nauunang mag-usisa sa mga bahay ang mga expression
Pilipino bago humingi ng permiso.
 Sanay din silang tawagin sa malayo ang isang Subsistence Ethics
tao kaysa lapitan ito.
 Mahilig silang magsinungaling, lalo na tuwing  The peasant cultivators seek to avoid the failure
nagsusugal. that will ruin him, rather than attempting a big
 Pandaraya sa pagbebenta upang makatanggap ng but risky killing. (Filipino farmers in 19 th
mas malaking bayad. century)
 Hindi nagbabayad ng utang kung hindi  Symbolic opposition is the safest option. (risky
sinisingil. ang rebellion)
 Minsan ay magsisinungaling upang makautang  The increase in coercive power also means
nng pera. Kung tatanungin nang maigi ay increased risk in challenging the norms, Thus,
gagawa ng kwento. challenging the norms was done indirectly. This
 Unti-untiin ang pagtatanong sa mga Pilipino led to the expression of vengeance and defiance
hanggang sa mabuo ang katotohanan. through symbolic means and bad manners.
 Naniniwala ang mga Pilipino na hindi kasalanan
ang pagsisinungaling; kailangan ito paminsan- Filipino Emotionalism
minsan.
 Tinuro sa mga bata na masasama ang mga  Hiya or shame as an irritation or vexation at
Kastila. Panakot sa mga bata ang salitang being made an object of amusement or foil for
Kastila. someone’s aggrandizement.
 To subject someone to this state of shame is
Sir John Bowring hiyaiin.
 To this extent, to be in a state of hiya is to be in
 Mahilig maki-usyoso sa mga liham at maging sa a vulnerable position available to receive another
mga ginagawa ng mga prayle. blow, whether physical or figuratively.
 Maingay at feel at home sa mga kumbento.  “Filipinos rejoice when you lose patience and
 Matapang at mayabang. — “Making give him a beating, for he goes and boasts of
unreasonable requests” having put into his master passion. To irritate the
 Hindi sinasarado ang pinto. indian, you must take no notice to his
 Hindi alam paano gawin ang isang bagay ng shortcomings.” — Fr. Gaspar San Agustin
tama.
 Madalas nakakabasag ng mga plato at Pikon or Asar-Talo
nakakasira ng mga kagamitan.
 Hindi marunong sumunod sa utos.  The one who loses temper is the loser (it’s a
 Hindi nagbabayad ng utang. victory to annoy an authorities)
 Filipinos are not rude.
Major George John Younghusband o Paul de la Gironeir — Mixture of vices
and virtues of good and bad qualities
 “Lazy, insolent, ignorant, and feckless
individuals.” “I made a firm resolution never to allow
 Hindi marunong utusan. a gesture of impatience to escape me in
their presence, even in the most critical
FINDING MEANING moments and to preserve at all times
unshaken calmness and sangfroid.”
 James Scott
o Beneath the dominant theme, there o Jean Mallat — Mutual politeness was
exists different sets of values, which are, extreme (mabait sa mabait, rumerespeto
to a certain degree, adhered to among sa rumerespeto din sa kanila)
certain social groups and which function o Joaquin Martinez de Zuniga — Humble,
as a kind of counterpoint to the leading proud, bold, and cowardly, cruel and
melody. merciful, indolent and industrious, all at
o Myths, jokes, songs, linguistic usage, the same time and attribute to them a
religion thousand and one contradictions

Rude and vulgar behaviors were forms of protests or

expressions of dissent.
 3

 Given the fact that popular consciousness of the

past was mediated by awit poetry, the revolution
RUDE AND VULGARITY AS POWER. happened.
 Contrary to the insistence of some ilustrados that
 Symbolic resistance occurs in a community of the masses’ utter ignorance, exemplifies by their
oppressed and powerless individuals belief in fairy tales, was a stumbling block to the
 Signs of this symbolic resistance were found in revolution, it was the so-called pobres y
everyday rude and vulgar behavior of the ignorantes who formed the bulk of the
Filipinos during the 19th century. revolutionary armies that fought against Spain
 Vulgarity and rudeness were used to inflict and the United States.
damage to colonial order.
REVOLUTION

 An instrument of change and often an attempt to

promote equality and combat oppression.
BERNARDO CARPIO, AWIT, AND
REVOLUTION HISTORIA FAMOSA

AWIT  Author is unknown

 Has not been regarded as literary milestone of
 Constraints imposed by censorship and other the Tagalog
forms of intellectual repression during Spanish  Overshadowed by the more polished and urbane
rule Florante at Laura
 Took the form of religious tracts and metrical  Narrative line is derived from legends
romances surrounding the Spanish royalty and their
o The various pasyon—poetic versions of Moorish adversaries
the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus  This reveals a popular perception of the past
Christ—became virtual social epics upon which Filipino nationalist hinge their
o The people’s familiarity with the separatist aspirations.
narrative of Christ gave meaning to a  Author states that he has selected details from
life-and-death struggle for Bernardo Carpio’s life
independence-a struggle, imaged as a
single redemptive event that unfolded STORY IN THE READINGS
itself with man’s participation
TWO IMPORTANT RESPECTS FOR THE STUDY
While the language of folk Christianity flowed into the OF THE REVOLUTION
language of nationalism and revolution at the turn of the
century, there is a danger of overstressing the impact of The Appropriation of a Spanish Hero by the
Christianity in all this. The story of Christ was Tagalogs
meaningful insofar as it was appropriated by society
itself and mirrored its deals.
 The story enabled a people without a history of
themselves to imagine a lost past, as well as
 Reveal a popular perception of the past upon their hopes of liberation from the Spanish rule.
which Filipino nationalist hinge their separatist  Borne out of evidence from local histories of
aspirations. central and southern Tagalog towns.

Effective Colonial Weapon The Awit Reveals a Form of Meaningfully

Structuring Events
 Awit and other related forms replaced the
indigenous literature that the Spanish priests  Structuring would later be used by nationalists to
destroyed soon after the conquest. communicate their political ideas to the people
 Native priests and laymen were quick to adjust
to the limits within which they could compose
FOUR NATIONALISTS
Tagalog poetry
 By the eighteenth-century, cheap editions of
awit were “printed in the cities and towns and Jose Rizal’s Interpretation
then hawked, sold in sidewalk stalls, and
brought to the most remote barrios by itinerant  Bernardo’s last journey is derived from pre-
peddlers.” Spanish beliefs in pilgrimages to the underworld
to wrestle with spirits as a test of one’s inner
Dramatic or Sung in Public strength.
o In El Fili, a cart driver’s firm believes in
Bernardo Carpio, and Jose Rizal
 So powerful was the impact of awit on the
entertains the possibility of armed revolt
popular imagination that the average indio in the
against Spain.
nineteenth century can be said to have dreamt of
o Unlike other patriots, as we shall see,
emulating chivalrous knights riding off the
Rizal was careful to separate the
Crusades or saving beautiful damsels from
“mythical” and what he considered the
distress.
“national” in his writings.
 Juxtaposing various aspects of Awit and
nationalist writings
 4

o In 1888, while Rizal was in London Again, the Awit frame is indispensable
doing research for his annotations on to Del Pilar.
Morga’s History of the Philippines, a o His readers understood images of
somewhat different historical piece, a “people power” because of their
poem of sixty-six stanzas titled Hibik familiarity with strikingly similar
ng Filipinas sa Ynang España descriptions, in Awit, of Christians
(Filipina’s Lament to Mother Spain) fighting Moros.
was being secretly distributed in the
country. Its author, Hermenegildo Andres Bonifacio
Flores, was a teacher, poet and
“propagandist” who joined forces with  Grew up in the world of Awit poetry
well-known nationalist writer Marcelo  Bonifacio was an actor, and his favorite Awit
del Pilar to bring the anti-friar issue to was Historia Famosa.
the Tagalog reading public.  He used this awit to enlighten and explain to its
followers what is really happening to them in the
Hermenegildo Flores and Marcelo del Pilar hands of the Spaniards. He used it as a medium
of explaining to the people that they can also
 The poems of Flores and Del Pilar were all free themselves from the hands of their
about the oppressive behavior of the friars. oppressors
 Flores enumerates the methods by which the  Historia Famosa provided Bonifacio with an
friars’ wealth was accumulated through the insight as to how to communicate the idea of
various types of taxes, “voluntary” contributions separation from Spain to a mass audience
forced on the people, the disposition of debtors composed mainly of so-called pobres y
and others oppressed to flee to the hills. ignorantes.
 In the Historia Famosa the past, as narrated by  Bonifacio’s poem illustrates the point of
the awit’s characters, is always shaped by the intersection of his personal experience and
idiom of personal relationship. To the nationalism.
audience/readers, the laments (mourns) serve as  Effectiveness of Bonifacio’s writings can be
a reminder that Bernardo has not experienced a attributed to their ability to evoke damay for the
parent’s love. Flores and Del Pilar used laments country, which is personified and given a past.
in order to evoke from their audience a sense of
damay or empathy, participation, and a similar The continual presence of King Alfonso as the supreme
state of receptivity for the nationalist message. authority-figure and patron enables the author to test the
 HIBIK BY FLORES limits of utang na loob when this is challenged by the
power of love. Not that utang and love are contradictory
o “Hibik,” the country Sapin is portrayed forces; ideally, they coexist and bring permanence to a
as the Mother and our country relationship.
Philippines is its daughter.
o Flores used laments as a frame in the  ANG DAPAT MABATID NG MGA
first place. In his poem titled “Hibik”, TAGALOG (1896)
the country Spain is portrayed as the o Bonifacio portrays the early Filipinos
Mother and our country Philippines is fighting Chinese and Dutch invaders out
its daughter. of loyalty to Spain, only to be rewarded
o The last ten stanzas of the Hibik with treachery instigated by the friars.
summarized the Philippines' past Filipinos were “made blind,” their
relationship with Spain; Spain had sent character debased, and when they “dared
the friars here, and because we had to ask even the slightest compassion, the
“utang na loob” to Spain for her invariable reply was exile, separation
protective care, we gave friars all they from the company of [their] beloved
wanted. The friars reciprocated with acts children, spouses and old parents.”
of cruelty.  PAG-IBIG SA TINUBUANG BAYAN
o Delivered the importance of layaw for
 SAGOT NG ESPANA SA HIBIK BY every Filipino, of how Filipinos long to
MARCEL DEL PILAR be with their families, and call out the
o Published and circulated illegally in oppression of his homeland.
Barcelona o With this, he leads and molds the
o An old and helpless mother asks for her Filipinos to live in the world of awit.
daughter’s sympathy and offers advice. o Noble, selfless deeds are the products of
o Uses the notion of layaw to crame the a hero’s constant awareness of past
narration of the Philippines’ past begun relationships. The image of past
by Flores. moments of wholeness propels him to
o Del Pilar’s readers would not have create the future in these terms.
found this excursion into European o Having kindled in his audience a feeling
history alien to their experience. Awit for the homeland as a mother and loved
had freely drawn from European events, one, Bonifacio then dwells on the theme
real or legendary, for their raw material. of separation and how the gap between
o Del Pilar uses this act to expand his past and present can be closed by a
readers’ consciousness of contemporary heroic act.
political realities and possibilities. o To have compassion and utang na loob
for the mother country means
 5

participating in the act of freeing her, Hermandad de la Archi-Confradia del Glorioso

and by this one becomes “Filipinos.” Señor San Jose y de la Virgen del Rosario
 KATAPUSANG HIBIK NG PILIPINAS
o States the injustice of the Filipino  Brotherhood of the Great Solidarity of the
population. Glorious Lord Saint Joseph and of the Virgin of
o This is about the sorrow, pain and lack the Rosary
of confidence of Filipinos not having the  In 1832, Apolinario helped organize a group of
freedom to talk against the Spanish 19 provincemates.
government and fear that if they do, they  From 1832 to 1840, it was unnoticed by the
will be punished. authorities.
o Also sparked lots of hope for Filipinos,  Religious function was to practice pity and the
that the Filipinos have the chance to performance works of charity
achieve freedom if they fight for it.  MEMBERS’ DUTIES:
 The writings of Bonifacio illustrate his personal o Visit the sick and dying people to urge
experience and nationalism. them to receive sacraments and persuade
 The effectiveness of Bonifacio’s writings can be infidels to receive baptism
attributed to their ability to evoke damay for the o Attend the funerals of the dead
country, which is personified and given a past.
o The myth of Bernardo Carpio is Expansion
translated into the history of the Tagalog
people, which feeds into the  Expansion from 1839 to 1840
construction of a Filipino people.  The original nineteen members are now called
Bonifacio’s writings were no more than fondadores.
signs leading individuals who, it must o Dispatched representatives to the towns
again be stressed, lived in the world of of the provinces of Tayabas, Laguna,
awit, to come to their own conclusions and Batangas.
about the way the story should end. o Those who could enroll a dozen can be
called cabecilla or headman.
SUMMARY: o Cabecillas had one vote each in the
supreme council.
 This portrays how the Spanish government tries  Members are to pay a real for their monthly
to manipulate and confuse the “Indios” or masses and rituals held every 19th of the month
Filipino by using “Awit.”  OCT. 19, 1840: One Confradia reunion was
 But little the Spaniards know that this “Awit” raided.
will cause the revolution and start to open the
minds of the Filipino people about oppression. Rituals and Prayers
 The story is about love and revenge. A young
prince destined to be a king when come to a  To join the Confradia, a Tayabas peasant should
certain age. made his intentions known to cabwcilla and
he/she will undergo some rituals. Will be
brought by hermano mayor to the town church
to attend a Misa de gracia. They also went to
PASYON AT REBOLUSYON: confessions to purify themselves from the sins of
POPULAR MOVEMENTS the past.

David Sweet  To join, a Tayabas peasant should make his

intentions known and undergo some rituals.
o They are brought by the hermano mayor
 Wrote an account about the October 1841 revolt
to the town church to attend a Misa de
o Spanish government battled for 10 days
Gracia.
in Tayabas
o They are sent to confessions to purify
o Precursor to the nationalist movement at
themselves from their past sins.
the turn of the 19th century
 Frequent prayers on Apolinario’s letters:
o Led by Apolinario dela Cruz or
o Holy Rosary: Recited in full, including
Hermano Pule
all 15 mysteries
 The event is a response of the peasantry
o A hymn (Dalit)
 States that the religious character of the
 Calulhatian sa langit na
movement was strength rather than weakness
cararatnan ng mga banal
 Hymn to the peace in heaven
APOLINARIO DELA CRUZ (HERMANO PULE)
that will be attained by the
peaceful
 Born around 1814 in Lucban, Tayabas  First published in 1645
 Entered monastic life at 15, leading him to  A poem of forty-two stanzas
Manila in 1830 found among the Confradia
 Became a lay brother at San Juan de Dios papers in the form of a little
Hospital handwritten prayer book.
 Became a member of Confradia de San de Dios  “This is what will be seen by
those who ascend beginning
CONFRADIA DE SAN JOSE Feb. 19, 1840.”
 6

o Prayer (Dec laration): Declaration of  They moved their location in a higher and more
submission to the beloved Lord St. strategic area called Aritao.
Joseph o Open field between two rivers, protected
by the slopes of San Cristobal
Apolinario’s Teachings o A cannon was installed that was looted
from the fight
 Letters were addressed either to the brethren or
to the hermano mayor, Octabio San Jorge King of the Tagalogs
 Letters were read to the assembled confrades as
part of the activities of their monthly reunions  Apolinario spent his time secluded in a small
 The problem that Apolinario addresses in the house beside the chapel, surrounded by trusted
letters is the wavering of the loob. men prepared to die for his protection and
o The test of loyalty and commitment to devout women who attended to his every need.
the brotherhood and to the Holy Family  “Golgotha of Hermano Pule”
o Ability to withstand persecution of the  Denied by Apolinario in a statement made after
outsiders and resist the temptation of his capture
living an easier life by withdrawing
October 31
Raid
 An advance party of the government troops was
 OCT. 19, 1840: The confradia reunion was attacked by the confradia members waving a red
raided by Fr. Sancho and several flag
gobernadorcillo and principales  Fight lasted for 4 hours
 243 members of the confradia were arrested  300 to 500 rebels were killed, and 500 confrades
 Cash bank was confiscated were arrested\
 Apolinario escaped but was captured the next
Early 1841 morning
 He underwent a trial and was sentenced to death.
 Situation in the Confradia became worse
 Fr. Sanchez persuaded Principal Governor THE NEW JERUSALEM
Ortega to order the gobernadorcillo of Lucban to
stamp out the confradia  According to Spanish records of 1870,
 Apolinario continued to write and tell them to Apolinario de la Cruz, together with his disciple
not be afraid Apolonio Purgatorio and the Virgin Mary,
appeared to several persons.
TAGALOG CHRIST  The new confradia was called “Cofradia of St.
Joseph, St. Apolinario, and St. Apolonio”
 Apolinario’s relationship with the Cofradia can  Spanish authorities discovered the confradia and
be gleaned from occasional passages in his its leader Januario Labios who is the son-in-law
letters. of old confradia member Andres Labios
 He has two seemingly contradictory images in  New confradia does not pay tributes and has cut
the Confradia ties with the Church
o A poor and lonely person  They believed that their Church was in the
o Source of authority, knowledge, and mountains
compassion
 Molded after the pasyon image of Christ Cult in Mt. Banahaw

THE ARITAO COMMUNE  A punitive expedition to Mount Banahaw in

1970 gave a first description of a cult on the
 1840: Order of excommunication against the slopes of the mountain and its sister slope, Mt.
Cofradia failed San Cristobal
 Curate of Lucban worked with the  1887: French explorer Marche gives a fuller
gobernadorcillo and the provincial governor to description
intimidate the Cofradia o To the inhabitant of the region, the holy
 Forced the Cofradia to transfer its center to land is Mt. Banahaw. One finds there
Majayjay, Octabio San Jordge;s hometwon in such spots as the river Jordan, Purgatory
Laguna un early 1841 and Cavalry, all regarded as having been
 The leaders, with Apolinario who escaped arrest sanctified by Apolinario himself.
in Manila, are now armed and considered o Temples and holy places were
outlaws. represented by rocks, trees, and streams
 They marched towards the western slopes of
Mount San Cristobal, reaching the barrio of
Isabang.
 They made a call to confrades in all regions to
hold a 9-day novena in Isabang.
o 8 to 9 thousand responded to their calls
o The governor tried intervening, but the
number of the confradia overwhelmed
his party, leading to his death.
 7

 While they were isolated in a single place

before, the Chinese have now integrated into the
Filipino community.

Reduced to Stereotypes

 Filipinos now think that all Chinese live the

same lives and have the same lifestyles
 It’s like a “one size, fit all” situation

MODULE 6
DEFINITION OF TERMS
CHINESE IN THE PHILIPPINES
Sangley
SPANISH CONTROL OF THE CHINESE DURING
THE EARLY YEARS
 Siang-li: Travelling merchant of pure overseas
Chinese ancestry
Taxation
 Mestizo de Sangley: Mixed Chinese and Filipino
ancestry
 Bigger tax for the Chinese o Not restricted in terms of business
 Traders and outsiders
because not purely Chinese
 Sangley is from outsider’s (Spaniards)
Segregation perspectives

 Parians: Districts where the Chinese were INTERMARRIAGE AS MEANS OF CONVERSION

required to live — Before the Chinese were allowed to marry native
 To prevent excessive exposure to natives leading Filipinos, they had to convert to Catholicism first.
to alliances to overthrow the Spaniards
 The Chinese population outnumbered that of the
Common Chinese Jobs Before
Spaniards
 Not close to the sea but trading continues
 Chino corredor: Chinese runner or deliveryman
o Being near the sea could open the
 Chino chanchaulero: Chinese vendor
possibility of revolt
 Lechero: Seller of milk
o Pirates from China can form alliances
 Panadero: Seller of bread
Conversion
Tsino
 Dominican priests were sent to convert them
 Informal term used for Chinese
 Segregation means it is easier to convert them
 Formal terms that came from the Chinese
because they are secluded and isolated from
themselves
others
 Also meant easier way of collecting taxes
Tsekwa or Intsik
THE CHINESE NOW
 Ethnic slur against Chinese people and those
with Chinese blood
Business-minded
 Intsik: Literally means uncle
 Intsik wakang kaon kalibang. — Cebuano
 The works that allowed Chinese people were o Intsik: Chinese
limited by the Americans, so they had to start o Wakang: Work
their own businesses.
o Kaon: To eat
 They start small, then expand to bigger ventures
o Kalibang: To defecate or poop
once capable.
o Mockery of the lives of the Chinese;
 EX: Hardware → Cement businesses
isang kahig, isang tuka
Hesitance to Engage in Interracial Marriage
RELIGIOUS SYNCRETISM AMONG CHINESE
FILIPINOS
 Preserve the Chinese bloodline
 Wealth gain, i.e., What can you offer in the
marriage?  Two religions being practiced together, i.e.,
Chinese religion and Catholicism
 Christian images worshipped in a Chinese style
School Communities
 Western (Spanish) religion and Chinese
practices are mixed
 Study in expensive schools and universities  Displaying and worshipping religious images
 Have their own groups or student communities from different faith, side-by-side
in school

Integrated into the Filipino Culture

 8

o Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva: Te Tsong Ong goods to offer in the market, which ultimately
or god of the underwold and of prayers led to them gaining a lot of wealth.
for the dead
o WITH Jesus Christ, Buddha, Guanyin, The Chinese mestizos shifted their businesses and the
etc. goods they sold depending on the situation and trends in
 Chinese ritual styles to worship a non- the market.
Chinese deity
o Procession of Our Lady of La Naval de Q&A
Manila accompanied by Chinese
musicians and fireworks  How did social institutions help the Chinese and
o Two river barges (karosa) shaped like a Chinese mestizo thrive and continue to remain
pagoda to honor St. Nicholas (Protector influential in the present Philippine society?
of the Chinese) o The social institutions that help the
o Camarines Norte: Jesus Nazareno of Chinese thrive are Chinese schools and
Capalonga is worshipped in grand business associations.
Chinese style  Merchant culture is deeply
 Lady of Casaysay in Taal, Batangas entrenched in the current
o Identified as Mazu, goddess of sea and generation of Chinese
lady of seafarers  When “Chinese” is mentioned
o The Chinese associated Lady of in the Philippines, one of the
Casaysay to Mazu first things people think of is
o Local devotion have conflated the two business.
female deities claiming they are  They, along with their
emanations or manifestations of each businesses, have a very
other prominent presence in the social
 Virgen de los Desamparados (Our Lady of structure of the Philippines.
the Abandoned) o The Chinese have perfectly integrated
o The Virgen and Sta. Ana Lao Ma are the into the Filipino community and the
same various social institutions in the
o The Chinese immigrants felt that they Philippines.
were abandoned children who left their
homes to seek better livelihoods and Realizations
support their loved ones back in China
o Sta. Ana Lao Ma is a manifestation of  The Chinese value associations. They have tight
Guanyin and Mazu. kinship.
o Family and social associations are used
CHINESE MESTIZO to maintain ancestry, but also advance
their social status and businesses and
Surnames mobilize themselves in the social
hierarchy in the Philippines.
 Co, Tan, Lim, Yap, Ong, Uy  The history of the Philippines saw the Chinese
 Lacson, Landicho, Laoinco, Biazon, Ongpin, being discriminated against, segregated, and
Yuchengco, Quebengco, Cojuangco, etc. oppressed. Because of this, they developed a
 —co: Meaning elder brother mentality that constituted them helping one
another. Chinese for Chinese. In Tagalog, sino-
Business sino pa ba ang magtutulungan kung hindi tayo
lang din? In poverty and in wealth, only we can
 Chinese mestizos became the suppliers of the help each other. It was ultimately a way for them
colonial authorities, the foreign firms, and to survive the harsh treatment of colonial
residents of Manila. society, particularly of the colonial authorities.
This prevailed to the current days wherein
Chinese businesses prefer to mingle and merge
Chinese Mestizos in the Visayas
with primarily other Chinese businesses.
 Manila carried a lucrative interisland trade
with Cebu and Molo and Jaro in Iloilo
o From Cebu / Jaro-Molo, the mestizo
merchants sailed to Leyte, Samar, FAMILY LIFE AND CULTURE IN
Caraga, Misamis, Negros, and Panay to CHINESE MERCHANT FAMILIES
gather local products, like tobacco, sea
slugs, pearls, cocoa, etc.
BINONDO AS A CHINATOWN
o These goods were shipped to Manila
where they were sold to Chinese and
Establishment
European merchants.
o Returned with manufactured goods for
distribution throughout the Visayas  1594: Establishment of Binondo
 Money lending businesses  CAUSE OF ESTABLISHMENT
o Royal decree calling for the expulsion of
 Market shift from textiles to sugar: Due to
introduction of Manchester cloth in the market all Chinese from the Philippines
 They invest their money on lands and sugar
plantations, leading to more harvests and more
 9

o They were to evacuate the Pari-an, a  Father: Disciplinarian

settlement that separated the Chinese o Older family members discipline the
from other social classes family
o Spaniards realized that if all Chinese o If parental grandparents not present,
were driven away, there would be father takes on the disciplinarian role
economic losses o If father is absent, mother continues role
o Gov. Dasmariñas purchased land across in childrearing
Intramuros and gave it to prominent  Mother: Childbearing role
Chinese merchants o Matriarch is influential as she teaches
which religion to practice and what
Establishment of Binondo: Manifestation of the key role culture to follow.
played by the Chinese merchants in the colonial  Off-springs: Enjoyed the mestizo privileges
economy o Usually taught to become devoted
Catholics
 Dominican friars were assigned to the Parish of o Have access to primary, secondary, and
Binondo tertiary education
o Encouraged the Chinese settlers to o Women were sent to convents in Manila
convert to Christianity o Men had better choices in career
o Non-Catholics were baptized and
married and added to the community of Forming the Chinese Mestizo Surname & Naming
married Catholics Practices
 16th century Binondo: Very mestizo character
 Claveria Decree of 1848: Converted Spanish
House of the Chinese Mestizos subjects were to adopt a surname
 Combine the surname and personal names of
 Mestizo character of Binondo: Presence of their Chinese father
bahay na bato o Drop the last syllable of the name
o Add suffix (—co), like Cojuangco and
Bahay na bato reflected social status and their Chinese Lichauco
merchant culture.  Retain the Chinese surname
 Use the Spanish / indigenous surname of the
 The domestic architecture of mestizo houses in mother, godparent, or the father’s godfather
Binondo follow the bahay na bato structure.
 Some Chinese merchants established Kinship Terms
commercial houses, turning the ground floor of
their homes as firms  Paternal Grandfather: Ang-kong Paternal
 Others shifted their ground floors to tienda or Grandmother: Am-ma
sari-sari stores  Maternal grandfather: Gua-kong Maternal
 Turning their homes to commercial houses or grandmother: Gua-ma
living close to their commercial properties  Father: Lao-pe
reveal the strong merchant culture of the  Mother: Lao-bu
Chinese  SISTERS:
o Eldest sister: Atsei
THE CHINESE MESTIZO FAMILY o Second oldest sister: Ditse
o Third oldest sister: Sanse
Living Arrangement o Youngest: Shobe
 BROTHERS:
 Patrilocal residence: Living with the Chinese o Eldest brother: Ahia
husband’s immediate family o Second oldest: Diko
 Matrilocal residence: Living with the Chinese o Third oldest: Sangko
wives’ immediate family o Youngest: Shoti
 It was a matrimonial practice for the Chinese
mestizos to choose whether to live in a patrilocal Gender Preferences
or matrilocal residence
 Particular preference for having sons, though it’s
Size and Composition of Family not as important as in Chinese society
 Sons: Ensured patri-linear continuity
 Extended family household
 Presence of household helpers with particular Padrinazgo System:
roles, such as kasambahay, laundrywasher,
muchacho, cook, mayordoma (mui-tsai)  When a Chinese-Mestizo is born, they will be
 Extended family members would sometimes baptized after a few days.
assume the roles of household helpers  A system of ritual kinship established by
 Tight kinship in Chinese-Mestizo families was godparents
probably influenced by the belief that a wealthy  Godparents had to be Catholic Chinese mestizos
family member must take in a number of who were kin or from higher economic
relatives as it is a social responsibility to shelter background
and feed them.  Male child: Padrino or godfather
 Female child: Madrina or godmother
Family Structure  CHINESE CONCEPT OF GHOSTS
 10

o For the Chinese, the ghosts laid in the Death and Burial Practices
opposite ground as the gods that they
worshipped.  Black and yellow curtains were hung over the
o If the Chinese gods were to give windows to announce the person’s death
heavenly bureaucracy and order, the  The wake takes place at home and lasts for 2 to
ghosts were in control of terrestrial 3 days
bureaucracy.  If a Chinese Mestizo died, customary practice is
o Befriending those with power means to perform a combination of Catholic and
gaining wealth and prosperity. Chinese burial rituals.
 Chinese mestizo families followed the Chinese
Practice of adoption funeral practice of dressing the dead made to
wear 9 silk suits.
 Chinese merchant families practiced adoption
for economic and customary reasons CULTURAL AND SOCIAL LIFE OF THE
 Adoption meant having trade assistants MANILA CHINESE MESTIZOS
 Chinese mestizo family: Dual family
o Father already has a family in China Clothing
before going to the Philippines
o Chinese husband may leave and go back  Chinese mestiza clothing was a combination of
to his homeland Spanish and Indio influences
o Four-piece attire called a terno
ISSUE OF CITIZENSHIP AND EXCLUSION  Chinese mestizos wore clothes that were
influenced by the Spanish, Indio, and Chinese
 19th century: The Chinese were allowed to o Camisa de chino, barong, loose trousers
apply for Spanish citizenship, but their children or a European-style top hat
were to remain as Chinese Mestizos
Food
1879 Cholera Epidemic in Manila
 Combination of indigenous food, Spanish-
 The Chinese were being excluded from Mexican influenced dishes, and Chinese inspired
accessing the medical services of the Hospital de dishes.
San Juan de Dios.
 The Chinese Hospital was established because Socialization for the Chinese Mestizo
of this.
 Chinese mestizos tended to have a wider social
Non-Catholic Chinese circles than the Chinese mestizas.
 Comradazgo system
 19th century: There were exclusionary policies  Institutional spaces like gremios or in the church
that targeted non-Catholic Chinese  Parks around Binondo, opium dens, gambling,
 The Catholic Chinese were allowed to be buried prostitution houses, storefronts, workplaces
in the community cemetery, while the non-
Catholic Chinese were buried in a place called Socialization for the Chinese Mestiza
Bancousay
 Chinese cemeteries like La Loma existed but  Limited access to socialization
were initially for the Catholic Chinese only  Expected to stay at home
 1880: Non-Catholic Chinese were allowed to be  Exposed only to extended family members
buried  Limited to male and female acquaintances,
friends of parents
RELIGIOUS SYNCRETISM OF THE CHINESE  Employers and co-workers of husband

Chinese Rituals Cultural Legacies of the Chinese Diaspora

 Despite the Catholic devotion, they continued to  Influence on Filipino culinary heritage
perform Chinese rituals and practiced  Impact on existing food business (existence of
polytheistic worship. gotohan, panciterias, etc)
 Chinese converts were deemed “insincere”  Chinese (Hokkien) loanwords within the
Catholics Filipino language
 Extension of their cosmological and religious  Strengthen sense of community and localities
worldview that they were first exposed to that utilize their Chinse influence cuisine as a
 Observed by the funeral practices of Chinese- source of their identity
Mestizos
o Combined both Catholic and Chinese
practices

Padrinazgo System
Moro y Cristiano
INTRODUCTION
 Comparing the Padrinazgo system and the
Chinese concept of Ghosts
 Befriending the white devils (ghosts) can bring
them wealth and power
 11

 Short street drama, usually with dialogue and

dances, depicting the battle between the Moros
(Moors) and Cristianos (Christians)
 Popular for centuries, this dance has many
variations and names

Reconquista

 Muslims conquered the whole Iberian Peninsula.

 Christians were secluded in the northern part of
Spain.
 They slowly drove them away, until the
Muslims were secluded in Granada
 Marriage of Ferdinand and Catherine of Aragon
helped in driving the Muslims away.

TYPES

Kinabayo (Dapitan City)

 Battle of Covadonga (718 AD)

 Christian Pelayo VS Alkamah (Muslim)
 Santiago (St. James) suddenly appeared riding a
white horse amidst thunder and lightning.
 The Muslims were defeated.

Sayaw (Ibajay)

 Bisaya (Christians) VS Moors

 Capitan was praising the Sto. Niño
 The Muslim sent 2 emisarries and demanded the
image of the Sto. Niño
 The Bisaya refused.
 The Muslims and Christians fought.
 The Muslims were defeated and were baptized.

Palo-palo (Ivana, Batanes)

 Choreographed fighting remains performed by

boys, youth, and adults clad
 Christians: Blue pants and white shirts
 Moors: Red pants and vests

Sambalo (Cabagan)

 Kalinga: Unbaptized
 Ibanag: Christians

Sinulog (Calbiga, Samar)

 Christian VS Muslim
 Virgin Mary appears
 Christians defeated the Muslims
 Moros free their captives

Arakyo (Penaranda, Nueva Ecija)

 Roman prince Constantine demands Jewish

emperor Saladin to surrended his crown and his
holy cross that is hidden in Jerusalem
 Emperor Saladin refuses
 Constantine kills Saladin
 Empress Helena crowns Constantine as Roman
emperor