Benguet State University

College of Arts and Sciences

DEPARTMENT OF HUMANITIES
La Trinidad Benguet

AH 22
PHILIPPINE POPULAR CULTURE
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Cover Photo taken from munette Benguet State University

Philippine Copyright 2020 by Benguet State University

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in
any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical
methods, without prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations
embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

ISBN

Author: Tyrene Joy B. Basal

BSU, La Trinidad, Benguet

Published by:
Benguet State University 2601 La Trinidad, Benguet, Philippines
Email: www.bsu.edu.ph
Fax Number: 442-2281
Telephone Number: 422-2127/2402

Printed in the Republic of the Philippines

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 Introduction

Philippine Popular Culture is about the new forms in art, music, and literature arising from
opportunities and demands of mass audiences, markets, and mass media, and their social and
economic, and political contexts (CMO 20 s. 2013). This is a three-unit course providing
students with critical perspectives in examining Philippine Popular culture through cultural
studies emphasizing on mass media exploring its roles and influence on people’s daily lives by
understanding the phenomenon with the aid of critical and theoretical approaches providing
students with tools of critical evaluation on the multi-discipline art focusing on the power of
commercial interests shaping cultural tastes of the masses through various media such as print,
broadcasting, movies, internet, and games. This course encompasses the evolution of pop
culture in the Philippines from local to global platforms and its functions in society to the current
digital age. The knowledge, skills, and insights that students gain from this course may be used
in their other academic endeavors, their chosen discipline, and their future careers as they
compose and produce relevant oral, written audio-visual, and/or web-based output for various
purposes.

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UNIT III Identity

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify the cultural convergence of American culture in the

Philippines and its divergence to re-emerge its own identity.
2. Discuss the various identities, perspectives, and phenomena in the
evolution of Philippine popular culture.
3. Showcase various performances presenting the roles, influence, and
effect of identity concepts of popular culture in Philippine society.

Topics:

9. The American convergence in the Philippine pop culture to its

divergence
10. Ethnicity in Philippine popular culture
11. Subcultures
12. Gender and sexuality
13. The emergence of new perspectives

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Topic 9: The American Convergence in Philippine Pop
Culture to Divergence of Philippine Art

ENGAGE

EXPLORE
Review
How did Americanization bring pop culture to the Philippines?

EXPLAIN
You have learned in your history subjects about the US colonization period in the
Philippines and its impact on the Philippines, especially in pop culture. Even when
the Americans gave Filipinos their independence, they kept their friendly
relationship. Their influence in the Philippines has become vital that the colonial
mentality lasted up to this present time.

The convergence

Here are some notable American influences in the Philippine pop culture:

Taglish
Foreigners who visit Manila or other urban areas in the Philippines for the first time are struck by
the phenomenon of hearing snatches of conversation that they can understand because part of
the conversation is recognizably in English, but at the same time feel completely lost when
listening to the other parts of the conversation. The experience is repeated when they open an
English newspaper and see an advertisement in English but with a long stretch of Tagalog thrown
in, or a news item with English and Tagalog quotations from government officials, or a feature
interview with both the interviewer and the interviewee switching between English and Tagalog.

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When they turn on the TV set, they hear interviews, panel discussions, and sportscasts in the
same code-switching variety. If they drop in on a classroom or a church, they may listen to a
lecture or a sermon delivered in the same way.

This is Taglish, or Tagalog-English code-switching or Tagalog-English mix-mix, the alternation of

Tagalog and English in the same discourse or conversation (Gumperz, 1982); it is the use of
Tagalog words, phrases, clauses, and sentences in English discourse, or vice-versa. The term is
also occasionally used generically for the switching between a Philippine language (not
necessarily Tagalog) and English.

Observers of the local scene have always been aware of the two types of Taglish. On the other
hand, Bautista (1999) labelled these two in her studies as:

1. Deficiency-driven code-switching
The person is not fully competent in using one language and therefore has to go back to
the other language.
Example
Mother: Francis, why don’t you play the piano for your godmother?

Francis: Mommy, I don’t want. It’s so hirap eh.

2. Proficiency-driven code-switching
The person is competent in the two languages and can easily switch from one to the
other for maximum efficiency or effect.
Example
The other variety is seen in an interview of Catriona Gray (CG), after winning Miss
Universe with Boy Abunda (BA).

BA: The last time you were on that seat – remember? Choosing for the Miss
Universe, that’s where you declared that you were Miss Universe of 2018.
CG: I know.
BA: You remember that?
CG: Yes and I was giggling through it din eh! That’s what makes it so crazy. Being
in this studios again and then remembering back to the last time that I was here –
it’s just to see where I am now it’s like the dream has been fulfilled. Do you know
what I mean? It’s just iba yung feeling eh.
……………
BA: Bakit napakatahimimk ng pagbabalik mo dalawang beses?
CG: The most reason one, we came in early because we needed to prepare the
parades, so different fittings, different shoots. Just so we could give the best
performance or the best for the people – for the parades. I wanted to make sure I
sat down with my team, my designer, si Mak Tumang, the designer of my gowns
during the competition also made my homecoming outfits. It was really important
to me that I put on the best for the homecoming, for everyone.

Suppose you are going to watch movies and TV series in the 80s. In that case, you will hear
many of this Taglish which also became famous as the coño language or the language of the
sosyal such as mestizo/mestiza, and the rich Filipino children who were taught to speak in
English as their first language (L1).

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 https://www.eaglenews.ph/taglish-or-mother-tongue/

https://usapingfilipino.wordpress.com/2016/11/26/conyo-ing/

A clip from Carlo Hornilla’s “Adik sa Bato” in Ampalaya Monologues

Hindi porket sanay ka na hindi sa akin mag-

reply ay sanay na rin ako na hindi
maghintay. At akala mo di ko alam na yung
mga love letters kong pinaghihirapan
dinederetso mo lang sa basurahan. Sayang
naman yung lettering…

Habang ang mga bida sa pelikula ay

tinatangkang ang kalawakan nila’y isalba ay
tinatangka kong magkaroon ng tapang
habang ang aking kalawakan ay sinasakop
ng iba. Hindi ba ito sakop ng anti-piracy
law?

Bakit ako naging isang Ash na na-stuck sa isang Pikachu na

ang dami-dami kong pagpipilihan pero palaging I choose you.
Nasayang lang ang effort, ang oras, ang limang piso araw-araw
na pag-ga-gatsby wax ko. Ilang legendary pokemon na kaya
ang nakalampas sa akin kakasunud-sunod ko sa ‘yo. Kailangan
kong maghabol I gotta catch them all…

So nagpaikot-ikot ako sa paligid ng bahay niyo. Selfie ganyan, che-

check-in yung mga pinto at natuklasan ko na bukas yung bintana ng
banyo ninyo at may nakapatong na bato. Yung panghilod. Kinuha ko ‘to
– remembrance, souvenir, memento, kuntento na ‘ko dito. Hindi ko
man nakuha yung puso mo nakuha ko naman yung panghilod mo.
Parang – parang same thing lang din naman kasi parehas lang silang
bato.

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US Copycat
Ever since America colonized the Philippines and the people embraced the American culture, the
colonial mentality has been strong even until now.

Colonial mentality is defined as the perception of ethnic and cultural inferiority and a form of
internalized racial oppression. It is deemed a direct consequence of the Philippines’ long history
of colonialism.

Colonial mentality, according to David and Okazaki, is the perception of ethnic and cultural
inferiority, a form of internalized oppression, that is “a specific consequence of centuries of
colonization under Spain and the U.S., and it involves an automatic and uncritical rejection of
anything Filipino and an automatic and uncritical preference for anything American.” That includes
the entertainment industry. That is why many Filipinos who are informed with both local and
foreign films quickly see the similarities between the Pinoy flicks and foreign movies.

The succeeding examples are the dominant pop culture highly inspired by Americanization:

1. Movies and TV series

The Breakup Playlist (2015) vs Begin Again (2013)

The Breakup Playlist is a romantic drama about aspiring professional singer Trixie David
(Geronimo) and rock singer Gino Avila (Pascual) and how music defines their love affair.
The movie starts with Trixie and Gino in the middle of a heated argument that leads to a
breakup, not quite the typical Filipino romance movie's opening scene. Their love story then
unfolds – the highs and lows of each phase of their relationship, inspiring a certain song. The
first track goes back to 2009, where Trixie and Gino meet in a music camp. Trixie is a law

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 student (a course was chosen for her by her mother) whose true passion is in music, while
Gino is the egocentric rock star who is one of the camp's mentors. He later tries to convince
Trixie to join his newly formed band (taken from Review: The Breakup Playlist by Irish Eden
Belleza in gulfnews.com).

Begin Again focuses on a young musician, Greta (Keira Knightley), who has recently been
left by her boyfriend, Dave Kohl (Adam Levine), a rising star in the music industry.

Soon after their breakup, a miserable Greta crosses paths with ex-record executive Dan
Mulligan (Mark Ruffalo), who, being newly unemployed and estranged from his wife and his
daughter, Violet (Hailee Steinfeld), is equally distressed. When Dan listens to Greta perform at
a local pub, he is overjoyed. Believing he has finally found a new talent, he gives her his
business card, and they begin their journey together towards getting Greta her break in the
music industry (taken from Film Review: “Begin Again” finds a great ending for a new beginning
by Gitika Nalwa in stanforddaily.com).

You’re My Boss (2015) vs The Proposal (2009)

In You’re my Boss, Georgina (Toni Gonzaga) works in a small airline's marketing

department. She's been left in charge of the entire department while her boss is away on
vacation. She's been told to work with her boss' assistant Pong (Coco Martin) in the meantime.
The two don't get along, Georgina's caustic and bossy demeanor clashing with Pong's laid
back attitude. They start work on an important deal with a potential partner for the airline. When
the client refuses to entertain talks with Georgina, she pretends that Pong is her boss. Pong
plays along with the charade for the sake of Georgina, but he isn’t above teaching her a lesson
or two while he’s holding the reigns (‘You’re My Boss’ is the Local Romcom Formula Done
Mostly Right by Philbert Dy in clickthecity.com).

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 The Proposal. When high-powered book editor Margaret (Sandra Bullock) faces deportation
to her native Canada, the quick-thinking exec declares that she's actually engaged to her
unsuspecting put-upon assistant Andrew (Ryan Reynolds), who she's tormented for years. He
agrees to participate in the charade, but with a few conditions of his own. The unlikely couple
heads to Alaska to meet his quirky family (Mary Steenburgen, Craig T. Nelson, Betty White).
The always-in-control city girl finds herself in one comedic fish-out-of-water situation after
another. With an impromptu wedding in the works and an immigration official on their tails,
Margaret and Andrew reluctantly vow to stick to the plan despite the precarious consequences
(taken from MovieWeb.com).

That Thing Called Tadhana (2015) vs Before Sunrise (1995)

That Thing Called Tadhana is a story about heartbreak, and for positive-minded
moviegoers, it is also a story about second chances in love. The story started in Rome, at the
airport where we meet the two main character Mace (Angela Panganiban) and Anthony (JM
De Guzman). Mace was trying to unload some of her excess baggage to accommodate her
baggage allowance for the flight. This metaphor of excess baggage sets the tone of the movie
as Anthony cockily volunteered himself to carry some of Mace’s baggage. This gesture and a
plane ride together from Italy to Manila gave the two characters a chance to start an unusual
connection. No romantic sparks were flying just yet mainly from the distraught Mace, who
slowly revealed her being jilted by her lover in Rome. The connection was more born out of
irritation from Mace of Anthony’s constant imposition in her depressing state. Upon deplaning,
they managed to set a trip from Manila to Baguio to Sagada (taken from Movie Review: That
Thing Called Tadhana in littlemisshoney.com).

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 Before Sunrise. On his way to Vienna, on a train, American Jesse (Ethan Hawke) meets
Celine (Julie Delpy), a student returning to Paris. After long conversations forge a surprising
connection between them, Jesse who was jilted by his girlfriend convinces Celine to get off the
train with him in Vienna. Since his flight to the U.S. departs the following day and he has no
money for lodging, they wander the city together, taking in the experiences of Vienna and each
other. As the night progresses, their bond makes separating in the morning a difficult choice
(taken from fandango.com).

Sumigaw Ka Hanggang Gusto Mo (1999) vs Scream (1996)

Sumigaw Ka Hanggang Gusto Mo! is sometimes described as Philippine's answer

to Scream , but the only thing it shares with Scream is that it tries to be a whodunit. It follows
the survivor of an opening backwoods massacre as he gets questioned by cops for any
information he could remember regarding his and his friends' attacker. Unfortunately, the
trauma blocked most of the kid's memories of the event, which meant our dutiful investigators
have to find another way to get their answers, thus leaving our traumatized teen out to defend
himself not only against accusing schoolmates but also a killer who's out to finish what they
started (taken from redandsticky).

Scream (originally titled as Scary Movie). A year after her mother's death, Sidney
Prescott (Neve Campbell) and her friends started experiencing some strange phone calls. They
later learned the calls were coming from a crazed serial killer, in a white-faced mask and a
large black robe, looking for revenge. His phone calls usually consist of many questions, the
main one being: What's your favorite scary movie? Along with much scary movie trivia, ending
with bloody pieces of innocent lives scattered around the small town of Woodsboro (taken from
imdb).

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 Ang Titser kong Pogi (1995) vs Kindergarten Cop (1990)

Ang Titser Kong Pogi. Joey Perez, a policeman, goes to Subic as a Kindergarten teacher
to secretly investigate the case where he was framed up. He becomes attached to Cynthia, a
co-teacher and Jimbo, his student--- both relatives of his suspects. Later on, the suspects find
out where he is and plan to kill him. Not only Joey has to protect himself but also his subjects-
-- for him to prove his innocence (taken from imdb).

Kindergarten Cop. John Kimble (Schwarzenegger) and his partner Phoebe O'Hara (Pamela
Reed) are in pursuit of notorious drug dealer Cullen Crisp (Richard Tyson) and his scabrous
mother Eleanor (Carroll Baker). John learns Cullen is searching for his ex-wife and his little
boy, and Kimble plans to nail them when they find the former wife, who is believed to have $3
million of Cullen's drug profits. John and Phoebe follow the trail to Astoria, Oregon, where they
believe Cullen's son is attending kindergarten. Although the child and his mother have changed
names, John hopes they can pick up some clues. By coincidence, Phoebe used to be a
schoolteacher and the school board permits her teach the kindergarten class, but Phoebe gets
food poisoning and John is forced to teach the six-year-old whippersnappers himself (taken
from showtimes.com).

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 Wanted Perfect Father (1994) vs Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

Wanted Perfect Father. Roy (Dolphy) is a salary man who lives with his cousin and
nephew. One day, Lily (Dawn Zulueta), a single mother with her two children rented a space
in their house. Roy had love at first sight but for Lily – not so much. He helped Lily settle and
even got her a job in the company he works. One night, while walking at night he was robbed
of everything. Without money for a ride he walked all the way home. Things turned upside
down when Roy found out from his cousin Bobby (Babalu) that they thought he was dead
only to realize that the dead body belongs to the robber. Roy decided to play dead so that
Lily can get the insurance since he put the mother and her two children in his will. Though to
stay close to them he pretended to be a lady baby sitter with costumes, cosmetics and
makeup to make him look like the new role he’s playing.

Mrs. Doubtfire. Troubled that he has little access to his children, divorced Daniel Hillard
(Robin Williams) hatches an elaborate plan. With help from his creative brother Frank
(Harvey Fierstein), he dresses as an older British woman and convinces his ex-wife, Miranda
(Sally Field), to hire him as a nanny. "Mrs. Doubtfire" wins over the children and helps Daniel
become a better parent -- but when both Daniel and his nanny persona must meet different
parties at the same restaurant, his secrets may be exposed (taken from fandango).

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Television Shows
Even without the synopsis, you can get the gist on what these TV shows are all about.

Tabing Ilog vs Dawson’s Creek

G-Mik and TGIS vs FRIENDS

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 2. Comics

Captain Barbell vs Shazam (originally Captain Marvel)

The story of Captain Barbell begins with Tenteng, an asthmatic young man who is constantly
bullied by his four half-brothers, Bruno, Badong, Baldo and Banong. He wishes to be strong so
he can stand up against his half-brothers and get the girl he likes. Tenteng’s life changes when
he releases a genie from a bottle. In return, the genie (spelt Genii in the comics) gives him the
barbell that brings him power. Tenteng then uses his powers to fight evil forces (taken from
ffemagazine.com).

Captain Marvel. In the origin story printed in Whiz Comics #2, homeless newsboy Billy
Batson is led by a mysterious stranger to a secret subway tunnel. An odd subway car with no
visible driver takes them past seven statues depicting the Seven Deadly Enemies of Man
(Pride, Envy, Greed, Hatred, Selfishness, Laziness, and Injustice) to the lair of the
wizard Shazam, who grants Billy the power to become the adult superhero, Captain Marvel. A
stone above Shazam's head immediately falls and crushes him, but his ghost says he will give
Batson advice when a brazier is lighted in this chamber. In order to transform into Captain
Marvel, Billy must speak the wizard's name, an acronym for the six figures who had agreed to
grant aspects of themselves to a willing subject: the wisdom of Solomon, the strength
of Hercules, the stamina of Atlas, the power of Zeus, the courage of Achilles, and the speed
of Mercury. Speaking the word produces a bolt of magic lightning which transforms Billy into
Captain Marvel; speaking the word again reverses the transformation with another bolt of
lightning (taken from dc fandom).

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 Darna vs Wonder Woman

Darna. When young Narda witnessed a falling star late one night and went to investigate where
it landed, she found a strange little stone (revealed to be from the planet Marte, and containing
the mystical essence of the Andranika inhabitants of same) with the word Darna written on it.
Hearing others approaching, she swallowed it. Instantly, she was overtaken by a sensation of
travelling through space and collapsed. She was found by her grandmother, who took her home
and put her to bed. Later she asked Narda what had happened, and the young girl recounted
the story of her find. That when she said Darna, she was instantly transformed in a flash of
lightning into a tall Amazonian woman. Luckily Darna meant no harm, and by saying Narda,
she was able to change back.

Since then, Darna has been a constant protector of the innocent and helpless from a variety of
threats and villains (taken from internationalhero.co.uk)

Wonder Woman is Princess Diana, the daughter of Hippolyta, Queen of

the Amazons and Zeus, the mightiest of the Gods of Olympus. Diana volunteered to leave
behind her home of Themyscira and champion the Amazons' message of peace, fighting for
justice and equality in Man's World. She is a founding member of the Justice League (taken
from dc fandom).

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 3. Literature

Filipino writings in English

Ever since the American education system had a stronghold in the Philippines, all writings
shifted to English, especially with the Commonwealth Literary Awards' influence. Currently, we
have the Palanca Awards. Most of it is in English if you are going to check the famous and
award-winning literary pieces.

National artist in literature such as Nick Joaquin wrote in English. Some of his works were
made into movies.

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 Filipino songs in English

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 4. Food

Why Spam and Rice is a Filipino Food Classic

By Katrina Escalona

How has something so American ingrained itself so well into Filipino food culture? Read on to
find out how Spam reached the shores of the Philippines, and about its inevitable coupling
with plain white rice.

History of Spam in the Philippines

Just like the origins of the Hawaiian Spam musubi, the canned meat from the U.S. reached
the Philippine islands through the Second World War. Spam—a blend of pork shoulder,
potato starch, water, sugar, salt, and sodium nitrate—was a product of the Hormel Foods
Corporation, and requires neither cooking nor refrigeration. While homemakers in the United
States were initially dubious of such a meat product, its sales rose when the military saw its
potential as food for their troops overseas.

Soon, millions of cans of Spam were being sent across oceans to countries where many U.S.
military troops were stationed, like Guam and the Philippines. Over time, many Americans,
especially the G.I.s, associated the canned meat with hardship and the war. In the
Philippines, however, it was an imported product, giving it some sort of prestige.

The Philippines is notorious for retaining traces of the called “colonial mentality”, after its long
history with colonizers. A result of this mentality is thinking very highly of anything imported,
especially from the colonizers. Filipinos would attach value to many Western products, one
being Spam, which became a valued food product—so much so that it would even be given
as a gift during the holidays! Filipinos’ fondness for Spam has remained to this day.

Spam and rice

As rice is a fundamental part of the Filipino meal, its coupling with Spam (or any other meat,
really) is almost unievitable. The Spam and rice combo has become a popular addition to the
Filipino breakfast, along with tapsilog (sweet beef, fried garlic rice and egg), tosilog (sweet,
cured pork), sinangag, and itlog. Now, it’s known as spamsilog.

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 In fact today, the company that produces Spam sells a tocino–flavored Spam in the
Philippines, so both favorites can be enjoyed together.

Revamping the classic

With today’s culinary world of fusion and reinvented cuisine, the classic Spam is also
undergoing interesting developments of its own. Many Filipinos now, for example, enjoy the
merging of contrasting tastes, so before frying the salted meat they coat it in brown sugar,
resulting in a delicious caramelized Spam. Another interesting spam-rice dish now being
offered in cafes around Manila is one with a Korean twist: the plain white rice is traded for
kimchi rice. This gives the dish more complex flavors, adding in some spiciness and slight
sourness. Another increasingly popular appetizer are Spam fries, where the meat is sliced
into strips, coated in breadcrumbs, and deep fried.

Taken from: https://theculturetrip.com/asia/philippines/articles/why-spam-and-rice-is-a-filipino-food-classic/

Jollibee vs McDonald’s

It is no secret that Jollibee

copied McDonald’s.
however, there is more than
just this food chain war
between the two fast food
giants in the Philippines.

Here is an article by CNBC:

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 How two Filipino brothers staved off competition from
McDonald’s to build global fast food chain Jollibee
By Karen Gilchrist

In business, there’s nothing like a little healthy competition to keep you motivated.
Only, for brothers Tony Tan Caktiong and Ernesto Tanmantiong, that healthy competition came
early on — in the sizable form of fast food icon McDonald’s.

It was then 1981 and the brothers were just setting out on the ambitious dream of creating a
fast food empire in their native Philippines when McDonald’s arrived in town and threatened to
consume the market with its vast appetite for international expansion.

Jollibee had already grown substantially from what started in 1975 as an ice cream parlor in
Quezon City, just outside of the capital Manila. But, with just a couple dozen fast food outlets
scattered across the fractured archipelago, it was a small fry next to McDonald’s thousands of
branches in the U.S. and international markets.

Tony Tan Caktiong, chairman of Jollibee Foods Corp., speaks during the Hong Kong Asian Financial
Forum (AFF) in Hong Kong, China, on Monday, Jan. 19, 2015. Bloomberg | Getty Images

Indeed, friends told the pair as much, and advised them to retreat from the challenge,
Tanmantiong revealed in a recent episode of CNBC’s “Managing Asia.”

“When we learned that McDonald’s was coming into the country, friends were telling us to shy
away from the competition — do (like) other businesses and to not try confronting the global
giant,” Tanmantiong, Jollibee’s president and CEO, told CNBC’s Christine Tan.

But Tan Caktiong refused to hear it, Tanmantiong explained. Instead, the then-28-year-old
founder called the business together to form a plan of attack.

“We did a SWOT analysis on our strengths, our weaknesses and

what the gaps were.”
Ernesto Tanmantiong CEO AND PRESIDENT, JOLLIBEE

“What we did was to have a strategic planning internally,” said Tanmantiong.

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 “We did a SWOT analysis on our strengths, our weaknesses and what the gaps were,” he
continued, referring to a common analysis technique which aims to assess a business’
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

While McDonald’s benefited from economies of scale and decades’ more experience,
Tanmantiong said they identified one major area in which the U.S. giant could not compete:
Taste. Filipinos tend to favor sweeter and spicier flavors, he said, and it would be difficult for
McDonald’s to adapt to that without hurting the iconic American taste for which they had
become famed.

“After that strategic session, we came out quite confident. So instead of chickening out, we
jokingly said, we actually serve Chickenjoy,” Tanmantiong said, referring to the company’s core
fried chicken dish.

It’s that unique menu — which includes a sweet “Jolly Spaghetti,” hot dogs and spicy burgers
— that has fueled the now expanded Jollibee Foods’ vast international growth in the years
since. The company now has more than 3,500 stores in the Philippines and another 1,000
internationally, including under its additional brands like Smashburger, Burger King Philippines
and Panda Express Philippines.

But as the business embarks on further expansion into the U.S., one of its key strategic markets
next to China, it will again come head to head with McDonald’s — this time on the American
rival’s home turf. Earlier this year, Jollibee launched its first branch in Manhattan, New York,
one of currently just 37 outlets in the U.S.

Ernesto Tanmantiong, CEO of Jollibee Foods Corp., speaks during a Bloomberg Television
interview at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit. Bloomberg | Getty
Images

Tanmantiong said he, Tan Caktiong (now Jollibee chairman), their two other brothers and the
rest of the team, initially planned to embark on that path by by targeting Filipino customers living
overseas. But, in fact, he said, they’ve been surprised to find Jollibee’s distinct taste has a home
among non-native patrons, too. Indeed, they account for 50 percent of the company’s overseas
customer base.

That should help Tan Caktiong on his latest mission to turn Jollibee into one of the world’s top
five restaurant companies in terms of market capitalization. Having become the largest

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 restaurant in Asia in 2014, Jollibee will have to face off against the likes of Starbucks, Yum!
Brands and Domino’s to secure that accolade.

anmantiong said, however, that his brother loves a challenge.

“Tony is a visionary and he loves to dream big,” Tanmantiong said. “That’s primarily the reason
why (Jollibee Foods Corporation) is where it is today. Because of that bold vision, the entire
organization has been challenged, but it has been fulfilling trying to achieve the vision.”

Taken from: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/01/how-jollibee-beat-competition-from-mcdonalds-to-build-a-global-brand.html

Divergence

Decolonization. Strobel (1997) defined the decolonization of the mind as a process of

reconnecting with the past to understand the present. It strengthens the cultural connection to
the Filipino indigenous culture as a source of grounding, which can be exhibited in various
ways.

Original Pilipino Music (OPM)

Going back to the history of Pop culture in the Philippines. The 90s pave the way for more Filipino-
themed music in the rock and roll arena thanks to the iconic band Eraserheads. Back in the day,
colonial mentality is still strong with Guns and Roses, Metallica and other foreign bands. But
Erserheads broke that cycle by creating a new genre which is very Filipino by design known as
“Tunog Kalye”. It is still punk rock but reflects all Filipino cultures. Its style is famous for having
seemingly simple sounds but profound meanings in its lyrics. One other thing is that they broke
many stereotypes. First, they are not handsome matinee idols that can visually allure to the public
eye, especially to women, unlike Guns and Roses with their handsome vocalist Axl Rose. The
members simply look like students who got out of the university with common-looking faces and
simple fashion sense.

Photo taken from esquiremag.ph

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 The Eraserheads are one of the most important artists in the history of Pinoy rock music.
Often described as the Philippines' own Beatles, the Eraserheads brought their melodic
guitar rock and keen wit from Manila's underground scene and into the mainstream. The
group can be compared to Nirvana in how they knocked superficial pop from the airwaves
and the charts, triggering a wave of commercial acceptance for alternative music. The
Eraserheads formed at University of the Philippines in 1989. Schoolmates Ely Buendia
(lead vocals, guitar), Marcus Adoro (lead guitars), Buddy Zabala (bass), and Raymund
Marasigan (drums) played covers at several universities. The band became disillusioned
at how poorly they remade other artists' songs so they began writing their own. In 1990,
the Eraserheads started performing at the alternative hotbed Club Dredd, quickly
establishing an impressive fan base. However, record labels were not interested in the
group, and their demo album, Pop-U, faced continual rejection until the band produced a
new version of one of its tracks, capturing the attention of BMG Records (Pilipinas).

In 1993, the Eraserheads released their first album, Ultraelectromagneticpop, for the
label. The record was a bona fide smash. Just as Nirvana achieved stardom in America
with stripped-down rock and an unassuming image, the Eraserheads topped the charts
in Manila with their independent spirit and distinctive sound. In 1996, the Eraserheads'
album Cutterpillow went gold via pre-release sales before record stores even had copies;
the album was eventually certified platinum eight times, the highest-selling album ever in
the Philippines. In 1998, the band extended its visibility beyond the Philippines by
releasing a compilation of remastered greatest hits, Aloha Milkyway, to the Asian market.
In 1999, the Eraserheads even received limited airplay on the influential Los Angeles
alternative rock station KROQ. In 2001, the Eraserheads released Carbon Stereoxide.
~by Michael Sutton, Rovi taken from: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7374lH6kwx9uQATYQ9H3Cp

Their most iconic song Ang Huling El Bimbo received international recognition in
the 1997 Asian MTV Music Awards as the Viewers’ Choice Award, and has
become the most favorite E-heads song. It was even made into a musical.

Here is the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lajnSJZpI34&ab_channel=EraserheadsVEVO

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Eraserheads opened the gates to Pinoy bands, and the rest followed.

Phot taken from Reddit

Song include: Song include:
214 Buloy
Elesi Halaga
Kisapmata Inuman na!
Awit ng Kabataan Harana (inspired by Eraserheads’ Harana)

Photo taken from spirit-of-rock.com Photo taken from: fruitella1211

Song include: Song include:
Alaala Halik
Sa Kanya Luha
Dahil Ikaw Mahal na Mahal Kita
Huwag na lang Kaya? Basang-basa sa Ulan

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The Further rise of Literatures in Filipino

Spoken Word Poetry

Spoken word poetry or slam is gaining popularity with the aid of technology. Back in the day it is
only an underground scene of poetry in bars and coffee houses. Now, with youtube, poets can be
famous through Youtube’s content creation by posting videos of these poets while performing on
stage. The popular poets are the serious and intense Juan Miguel Severo with his breakthrough
Ang Huling Tula na Iaalay ko Para Sa ‘Yo, the funny Carlo Hornilla with his Adik sa Bato, Mark
Ghosn the founder of Ampalaya Monologues. Female poets also take the stage such as the sweet
Abby Orbeta with Lipat Bahay, Louise Meets with Dayuhan, and Kat Roxas with Ina. There are
many spoken word poets; the mentioned are only some of the few.

Many of these poets have extended fame as invited TV guests and commercials. Now, even their
poems are made into short films such as Adik sa Bato in iWant Original Anthology Series and
others.

With the fame of such a genre, the spoken word groups also rise to fame. These two are some of
the well-known groups.

Words Anonymous (WA), of which artist Juan Miguel Severo is

a member. As their facebook shows, “Words Anonymous is a
spoken word group in the Philippines that aims to promote this
art form all over.” Aside from Sivero, many of the famous female
poets are members of this groups such as the abovementioned.

Ampalaya Monologues is an episodic play that features a

collection of short monologues about love, heartaches and
bitterness, as founded by Mark Ghosn. Inspired from Eve
Ensler’s play Vagina Monologues, the show is set in an actual
bar and tells the inspiring stories of diverse individuals who’ve
tasted the different flavors of bitterness that love has to offer.

Just for kicks, here is a clip of Severo’s Ang Huling Tula na Isusulat Ko Para Sa ‘yo

dahil minsan may nakapagsabi sa ‘kin na ang taong hindi raw marunong magpatawad ay
hindi makapagsusulat
kaya mahal sa pagkakataong ito
sa huling pagkakataon na magsusulat ako ng tula para sayo
gumawa tayo ng kasunduan, patatawarin kita pero patatawarin mo rin ako.

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 Patawarin mo ako sa hindi ko pagtahan at patatawarin din kita sa hindi mo pagluha
Patawarin mo ako sa hindi ko pananahimik at patatawarin kita sa hindi mo pagsasalita
Patawarin mo ako sa hindi ko pag alis at patatawarin kita sa hindi mo pananatili
Patawarin mo ako sa hindi ko sayo paglimot at patatawarin kita sa hindi mo sa ‘kin pagpili
Mahal, gumawa tayo ng kasunduan patatawarin kita pero patatawarin mo rin ako.

Newer Literature in Filipino

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Here is Eros Atalia’s

White Lady sa aking Sulating Pormal

Ganito ang ipapasa kong essay sa Sulating Pormal para sa buwan ng Nobyembre. At
ang pinakamalapit na paksang pwedeng isulat ay tungkol sa mga nakakatakot. At isa
sa pinakatipikal na kinatatakutang ng lahat ay ang mga White Lady.

Hindi biro ang maging White Lady.Dapat consistent na malinis at maputi ang damit.
Hindi pwedeng naninilaw. Hindi pwedeng nangingitim. Parang walang karapatang
makapanakot ang white lady kung hindi sya pwedeng maging endorser ng sabong
panlaba at bleach.

Dapat laging long hair at bahagyang magulo. Saka mas okay kung medyo may eye
bag. Wag ding kalilimutan na iba ang dating kapag simputi ng damit ang mukha. Yun
bang ginawang kanin at ulam ang gluthathione.

Uy, at ang pinakapanalo sa lahat, lumulutang dapat ng isa o dalawang piye mula sa
lupa. At lahat ng ito ay dapat mangyari at maipakita kung gabi. Parang may color
coding ang mga white lady. Sa gabi lang pwede lumabas ‘ika nga. Bago magliwanag,
garahe na dapat.

Kapag umaga, malamang beauty rest ang mga white lady. Hindi sila naarawan kaya
siguro mapuputi sila. At sa palagay ko,madalas nilang ikula ang kanilang mga damit
sa araw kaya no-show sila kapag hindi pa present ang kadiliman. Kaya siguro laging
malalaki ang eye bag ng mga white lady, always puyat kasi.

Sya nga pala,bakit laging solo-lakad ang white lady? Never pa silang lumakad ng
may kasama.Otherwise, ang lagi sana nating sinasabi ay ‘white ladies.’
I don’t know kung ano ang qualifications para maging myembro ng sorority ng mga
white lady. Kasi paano kung may mag-aplay na aprikana, aeta, negrita at mga lahing
may kaitiman ang kulay. May height requirement ba? Kasi wala pa tayong
nababalitaang unanong white lady. Wala pa rin akong nakikitang medyo oberweyt na
white lady.

Oo nga pala.Bakit puro ladies na lang? Di ba pwede ang mga lalaki dito?
Hindi makukumpleto ang talaan ng mga kinatatakutan nating nilalang kung wala ang
white lady.

Kaya pahalagahan natin ang white lady.

Ang white lady ay parang teacher ko sa Filipino, may silbi naman sa mundo. Di ko
nga lang alam kung ano.
Ano kaya ang magiging grade ko? Sa tingin nyo? Kakanta na lang ako. Be My
(White) Lady.

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 ELABORATE
Just for a thought!

Why do you think Filipinos eventually shifted to creating more

content in the native language than in English?

EVALUATE
Task 7: Reaction Video

A Reaction Video is exactly what it sounds like: a footage of people reacting

to things. (nytimes)

Create a reaction video about Eros Atalia’s White Lady sa Aking Sulating Pormal.

Requirements:
 In Filipino Language, it can be Taglish but dominantly Filipino.
 Maximum of 3 minutes.
 ORIGINAL (plagiarized works are automatically equivalent to zero)

Criteria Description Points Score

□ Gave insightful responses with
accurate information
Ideas and content □ Related to the theme 10
□ Logical
□ The opinion is backed up by facts
Originality and □ Responses are all original
10
creativity □ Creative in giving responses
□ Clear and easy to understand
Voice 10
□ Voice is modulated

Total
30

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