PHILIPPINE POPULAR CULTURE

At the end of this module, the learners should be able to:

✓ Trace the historical background of Popular culture in the Philippines.
• Folk culture
• Nationalistic culture
✓ Walk through the history of Filipino Komiks.
H I S TO R I C A L B AC K G RO U N D
Popular Culture in the Philippines
v HISTORICAL
PHILOSOPHYBACKGROUND
AND POP CULTURE

Popular culture, according to National Artist

for literature Bienvenido Lumbera in his book
“Revaluation: Essays on Philippine Literature,
Theatre and Popular Culture” (1984), is highly
different from the Folk culture and Nationalist culture of the Filipinos.

In a nutshell, Folk culture is 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. Nationalist culture is the culture created through colonial resistance with
the collective of a people on a given place and time. These two are different from
popular culture which can be traced even in the period of Hispanization of the
Philippines.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Folk Culture (Philippines)

The Aetas, pronounced as “eye-tas,” are among the earliest known migrants or inhabitants of the Philippines. Over the years, the
majority of their population managed to keep their cultural practices and traditions. But sadly, as one of the indigenous groups
thriving in the country, they also face challenges such as displacement, marginalization, and poverty.

Aetas are characterized by their skin color, height, and hair type. They mostly have dark to dark-brown skin, curly hair, and are usually
below five-feet tall. Traditionally, Aetas are hunting and gathering indigenous people. They’re actually among the most skilled when it
comes to jungle survival – they are even able to make use of plants as herbal medicine and possess tools and weapons. While they’re
nomadic, they are able to build temporary houses made of sticks.

Amalahi “Early Aeta Video Footage, Philippines” (July 16, 2010) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOlJ0ozjg50&list=PLA9F6DDE6C9C7CD5C&index=12
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Nationalistic Culture (Philippines)

According to Lumbera, Popular culture in the Philippines was created and used by the Spaniards to the
native Filipinos or Indios via plays and literature to get the heart of the natives and win it. The colonial
origins of Popular culture found in the Philippines can be traced by looking at salient developments in
Philippine literature.

The children of the native elite under the tutelage of missionaries became a core group of intelligentsia
called 'ladinos', as they became instrumental "in bringing into the vernacular, literary forms that were to be
vehicles for the "pacification" of the natives". Forms of popular theatre and literature such as "the pasyon,
sinakulo, and korido ensured the acceptance and spread of Christianity, and the komedya and awit did the
same for the monarchy." 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." Popular culture at the time was created by colonial authorities,
with the aid of the local intelligentsia, to promote the interests of the Church and the State.

Najee Medalla “The Colonial Mentality of Filipinos” (April 14, 2019) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jiAtlD7fYg
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND – Nationalistic Culture (Philippines)

However, once the native intelligentsia saw

the effects of Popular culture and knew
how to work its way as propaganda, they
soon used the Spanish weapon against
them. In the 19th century, through the
Propaganda movement, 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”; one Aba po Santa Mariang Reyna
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4dcCaGvuNY
example is the work of Marcelo H. del
Pilar when he soon used prayers such as
the 'Aba, Ginoong Maria' and 'Ama Namin' in
a sort of parody to strike against the
abusive Spanish Friars.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND – Nationalistic Culture (Philippines)

The advent of American colonialism brought, the properly so-called, Popular culture
to the Philippines. The liberal policy regarding the printing press, soon through radio,
television and film, increased the circulation of Popular
culture forms. Not only through these forms but also
in new media then, such as films. Hollywood films had
a near-monopoly in the Philippine market especially in
the absence of European movies due to World War I.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND – Nationalistic Culture (Philippines)
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The Filipino Popular culture is now adapted and practiced by many Filipinos. We can all agree that it has positive and
negative effects in our identity and country. We just have to always look at the brighter side the history has given us.

Let us watch this video by Brooke Nazareno “Filipino Custom and Traditions” (November 27, 2017)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7OpGyeHfDo
 F I L I P I N O KO M I K S
Popular Culture in the Philippines
v FILIPINO KOMIKSAND POP CULTURE
PHILOSOPHY

The first Filipino komik, as the Comics Cube! has pointed out, was Jose Rizal's "Ang Matsing at Ang Pagong" ("The Monkey
and the Turtle"). In summary, Jose Rizal, our national hero who fought against the Spanish oppressors of the time, crafted a
tale about how a turtle outwits a monkey, even though he still loses the prize they fight for. The only thing the monkey loses
is its face—and this is important.

At the being oppressed by a bunch of foreigners leaves

the locals really with very little apart from their dignity
and their sense of humor. The prideful tyrants during
the time of colonial rule really placed a lot of stock in
their demeanor, so to embarrass them, even in the face
of defeat, is considered a victory by the little guys.

Pinoy BK Channel “Si Pagong at Si Matsing | iStoryang Pambata”

(October 17, 2018) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DMwwrHQtb0
FILIPINO KOMIKS

Fast forward to 1929, and the Spaniards have been driven out by
Americans right after the Spanish-American War. Most history books
will mention this war but never mention the Philippines, but yes, we
were involved and we became an American territory right after. It
makes sense that we got a lot of stuff from American culture then,
including commercial comic strips.

Kenkoy is a pop icon, and was our first

recurring comic character. He was a
satirical portrait of a Filipino always
trying to keep up with the Americans,
going with the latest fashions, slang, and
all the other aspects of American
culture that were working their way
into our society at the time.
FILIPINO KOMIKS

After the Americans is the

Japanese invasion. The new
breed of Filipino komiks
showcased a lot of American
influence, from characters
such as the detective D.I.
Trece to Mars Ravelo's
characters, the most notable
of which is Darna.

Co-created by Nestor Redondo, Darna is Superman, Wonder Woman,

and most prominently, Captain Marvel, all rolled into one package. She's
our premiere superhero, and she's a little girl named Narda who
swallows a magic stone, enabling her to switch to the superpowered
form of Darna.
FILIPINO KOMIKS

Flash Bomba
He was cursed by a tikbalang (to be short, that's a horse that
walks like a man) to have big hands and feet. And so he fights
crime, with his big hands (capable of creating thunderclaps)
and feet (capable of climbing up walls)!

Bondying is a grown man who still dresses and behaves

Dyesebel like a baby, playing on the Filipino predilection for such a
The mermaid who has kind of comedy. Like Kenkoy, not only has Bondying been
also been adapted the subject of multiple adaptations, but the word
into multiple TV "bondying" has entered our language to mean "a big
shows and movies. person who is still considered a baby."
FILIPINO KOMIKS

Martial Law controlled the media, and the government made it difficult for newspapers to stay in business, and they
hoarded newsprint. Newsprint, the cheapest paper to get, was all of a sudden being sold in the black market. So anything
involving newsprint was no longer cost-efficient.

Martial Law was lifted in the early 80s and we went through a revolution in 1986. The Philippine comic industry
got a bit of a shot in the arm, but with globalization and the proliferation of comics stores,
as well as the widespread use of TV back then, it was no longer the big form
of entertainment that it used to be. These days, local artists work for
the conventional.

Many Filipino writer continued and those who are really talented in this
art actually made it to the international arena. Here are some of them:
https://www.spot.ph/newsfeatures/newsfeatures-peopleparties/70284/
12-local-comic-book-creators-a462-20170531-lfrm

Let’s watch this: “History of Philipine Komiks Industry” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrd2J1cNDlM

FILIPINO KOMIKS

As we all know that most of the komiks character we

discussed were put into a movie and television series.
Darna for example, became so popular that many film
producers created their own versions. Captain barbel
is also popular that it was put into a movie in the 90’s
and television series today.

“The comics are a powerful institution in Filipino life,

they are an accepted form of communication.
Comics are more widely read than newspapers,
more far-reaching than television, and perhaps consume
more time than going to church in this predominantly
Roman Catholic country. They are a mirror on Filipino folk
life.”

- Soledad Reyes, a literature professor

at Manila's Ateneo University
. SEATWORK

We learned that old Filipino komiks became part of the Filipino culture,
what do you think the new komiks do/contribute to our modern culture?
Danielle Frid (October 1, 2015) Elem

ents of Art Poster =

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