Archive for the ‘Philippine Culture’ Category

Ink-ful Philippines PEN

Pen compels one to write and what one has written when published will gain one pals and enemies as well, just like for example the admired and killed journalists.

Writing is another means to express what is in our mind aside from verbally expressed it, which could last forever our thoughts preserved on our writings even though we already dead physically. But on verbal expression, in a split of seconds what we have spoken has gone, unless it is recorded on audio or video technology. Thus, writing is the economical and best way to achieved and records our thoughts and emotions than buying audio or video gadgets just only to record what’s in our mind. All you need is a pen and a paper and a reliable folder to archived our thoughts. Moreover, writing is one of the most important human activities we have now in our planet wherein actually last December 4 and 5 2010 the Philippines host the annual writer’s conference held at Montebello Villa Hotel in Cebu Philippines which attended by local and international writers. The writer’s conference was brought and organized by the Philippine PEN (Poet, Playwright, Essayists, Novelists)

The Philippine PEN is an organization of all Philippine poets, playwrights, essayists and novelists Filipinos in the Philippines which was founded by the National Artist for Literature, F. Sionil Jose since the late 1950s which celebrated its golden anniversary last 2007.The Philippine PEN is one of the members of the International PEN  or international writer’s organization in the world.

This year 2010, the writer’s conference was attended by international writers from Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Africa, USA and Europe; they were:

1. Ignacio Martinez de Pison of Spain

2. Nguyen Bao Chan of Vietnam

3. Nori Nakagami of Japan

4. Alvin Pang of Singapore

5. Robin Lim of Indonesia

6. Lina Zeron of Mexico

7. Ruth Elynia Mabanglo of USA

8. Marianne Villanueva of USA

9. Joseph Akawu Ushie of Nigeria

The purpose of the writer’s conference is of course to foster and enrich the writing industry in the Philippines because without the talented writers in the Philippines some industries and aspects of living in the Philippines will not be as good as now, just like the print media, how can the Philippines able to know and learn what is happening around the Philippines without Newspapers and News journals and magazines?

In the movie and film industry, without a writer how can the film and movies exist and what will be the entertainment portals of Filipinos if Filipinos were or are known to be movie and film lovers and patronizers? Similarly on TVtube, how can a story or show exist without the talented writers behind the cameras or behind the TV show that is shown on TV tube which every Filipino people able to watch?

Also on forming a government, how can the laws and rules be preserved and enacted without the brains and pen of a writer, will there be government without a single writer?

Therefore, writing and writers are very important in a country and they serve as one of the life-bloods of nations of the world.

Therefore, writing is way of life for every one of us, however, some just don’t like to transcribe their thoughts and ideas and emotions in a paper in order for their thoughts to survive even though their physical body no longer exist. Thus, every one of us have the gift to be a writer, one have only to take care of it and nurture in order to become a great and excellent writer: a great and excellent essayists, a novelists, a poets, a song writer, or whatever style and expertise of writings one will possess or developed if one concentrate and nurture his or her gift of writing.

So therefore, one must not be afraid or shrug or ignore one’s gifted ability to write for it is a good thing that one is able to write and transcribe ones’ thoughts and ideas than not to.

Therefore,The Philippine PEN is a living proof that there are many artistic Filipinos in the Philippines yet only some are unknown in the Philippine public eye and some do not want to develop the gifted skills one possessed due to influence motivation to seek primarily Money first that the gift of Talent one have like writing.The Philippine PEN is a good writer’s organization that will help budding Filipino writer enhance their writing skills and give them the needed break and recognition for one’s literary works.

However, some good writers today were up to script writing genre because there is money on it rather than on writing a novel book. Film Productions today needed badly a creative writer to boost their film outfit by producing high quality and well crafted stories for their movie projects.

Bygone But Not Gone

Though we Filipinos seldom heard the classic Filipino play songs like “Leron, leron Sinta”, ”Sitsiritsit”, ”Tongtongtongtong” and many others from children playing in the streets nowadays because they have been eclipse by modern technology of playing games, they are still not gone and forgotten by our hearts singing them when one reminisce the times we sang them during our childhood times when they were popular and hit during our childhood days. Moreover, they were also immortalized in our Philippine cultural books and were taught on our public and private schools and universities in the Philippines.

The most recent celebration and recollection of them is the concert of the Philippine Youth Symphonic Band at CCP (Cultural Center of the Philippines) last November 27, 2010 entitled: “Laro! Child’s Play at the CCP” which features the singing of well loved classic Pinoy play songs like of course : “Leron Leron Sinta”, “Sitsiritsit”, ”Tongtongtongtong”, ”Dandansoy” and “Sarungbangi” together with the exhibits of children’s furniture designed by well known Filipino designers after the singing activity.

The classic Pinoy play songs were sang in a blend of new melodies that appeal not only to children but also to those adults who experience singing them during their childhood. However, if you wanted to watch the concert yet have already missed it, don’t worry because the concert was recorded live and was produced on a 10-track CD that can be bought on leading music bars nationwide. Let’s wait for its release. The purpose of the 10-track CD is to bring to the present generation of Filipino the taste and memories of the bygone Pinoy children eras, where play station, video games, online internet games, and pop musics were not yet still existing then; to tell our present children how beautiful the old Filipino play songs also compare to the play songs today and to give them an experience of the music, early Filipino children enjoys and cherish back then.

Some Lyrics of the famous play folk Filipino songs :

(1) Leron Leron Sinta

Leron Leron Sinta
Buko ng Papaya
Dala dala’y buslo
Sisidlan ng sinta
Pagdating sa dulo’y
Nabali ang sanga
Kapos kapalaran
Humanap ng iba.

(2) Tong,Tong,Tong

Tong, tong, tong, tong, pakitong-kitong
Alimango, sa dagat
malaki at masarap
mahirap
mahuli sapagkat nangangagat
tong, tong, tong, tong, pakitong-kitong.

(3) Sitsiritsit Alibangbang

Sitsiritsit alibangbang

Salaginto’t Salagubang

Ang babae sa lansangan

kung bumirit parang tandang

Santo nino sa pandakan

Putoseko sa tindahan

Kung ayaw mong magpautang

Uubusin ka ng langgam

Mama mama namamangka

Pasakayin yaring bata

Pagtading sa maynila

Ipagpalit ng manika

Ale ale namamayong

Pasukubin yaring sanggol

Pagtading sa malabon

Ipagpalit ng bagoong

These are just sample of the lyrics of these three famous Filipino play songs or children’s songs or some Pinoys called them or categorized them as one of the Filipino Folk songs which the Philippine Youth Symphonic Band will sing at their concert at CCP (Cultural Center of the Philippines).

The Philippine Youth Symphonic Band (PYS) are composed of young and talented Filipino musicians that promote traditional Filipino musics. Its main purpose is continually immortalized or make alive the long gone but not gone traditional all Filipino music that shape the music industry back then in that era of the Philippines. It is a way to teach the modern Filipinos our rich musical heritage how the music industry back them hears like. It is their way or preserving and archiving the old Filipino folk songs and children’s songs through singing them again and bring them back again into the mainstream public consciousness, which is indeed a very good idea.

“Today, the PYSB is a versatile ensemble of 64 young, dedicated, talented and skilled musicians. Our membership age ranges from 8-24 years old. We have recently finished cutting our second CD with a varied sampling of the band’s capabilities.
By training our youth for an artful livelihood, the PYSB is well on its way to making the community band tradition a viable source of economic upliftment.”

— Philippine Youth Symphonic Band (PYS)

Leaf and Wrap
No food holder? Go banana. It has been a usual custom for most Filipinos that if they do not have any plates, bowls, spoon or pork for eating, they go banana. No, they do not go nuts but they go on their backyards to find help from a banana plant. Most Filipinos, I bet, already know what I am talking about, that is, Filipinos will cut then banana leaves and will use it as their plates or food holder and eat with their bare hands. This style of eating of most Filipinos has been adopted by a food restaurant in the Philippines, the Binalot Fiesta Foods.

Binalot Fiesta Foods is the first and so far the only Filipino restaurant that uses banana leaves as an alternative food holder for the food one will order for dine-in in their restaurant, as well as banana wrapper for the food one will order for take -out. And this “green” style of them of serving foods to their eating customers is not left unnoticed by the Asian Forum on Corporate Social Responsibility (AFCSR) which rewards annually business organization that enforces and practice environment friendly programs and corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects in their business undertakings. For Binalot Fiesta Foods received the Intel-Aim Corporate Social Responsibility Award for 2010.
Amidst the high-technology and improvement in the business sector, Binalot Fiesta Foods resort back to basics despite of criticism they will get from some people that will see and treat their way of food serving as a primitive way of handling food plus the risk of bad micro-organism that will be induce on foods they serve by doing such handling. But Binalot Fiesta Foods never mind such detractions and concentrate of their “leaf of faith” on banana leaves instead.

Actually, it is a “green” marketing strategy in order to compete well with world known successful fast foods and restaurants like Jollibee and McDonald to get a share of the Philippine market in line of food business, which indeed goes well and have received an international recognition for their undertaking.
It is a bright “green” marketing idea that not only they could profit from it but also in the same time help the environment by reducing the percentage of usage of polystyrene packaging on fast food chains that could bring negative impacts on environment when burn or trash anywhere; plus they could give a livelihood for poor communities by hiring them for manual processing of banana leaves to be use as a natural food holder and wrapper for their food chains through their CSR program DAHON (Dangal at Hanapbuhay Para sa Nayon).
Truly, the leaf has given them a lift on their business and a reap of fruits for their “leaf of faith” on the banana leaf. Nature has paid them back by backing up nature’s healthy ways.

Eating on a banana leaf was said to be inherited by Filipinos from their ancient ancestors long before the Spaniards conquered the Philippines. It was said to be a Hindu or Indian origin way of serving food which has some connection to said to be ancient belief system of Filipinos – Maharlikan-Lemurian kind of belief system- which of course have correlation with modern Hinduism and connection to Indian people. Actually, the Spaniards call the Filipinos then “indio” mean “Indian”. The term “Pilipino” or “filipino” was just the term and labeling of the Spaniards to the true Filipinos to designate that these Indian people are now King Philip’s people, thus the Spaniards rename them and baptized the true Filipinos from Indian into now “Filipinos”; so also the Filipinos homeland, the Spaniards labeled or rename it along with King Philip’s name – Philippines

So therefore, eating on banana leaf is indeed a true tradition of ancient Filipinos whose cousins or maybe blood-brothers are Indian people. For the Indian people today have also such kind or style of serving foods, that is serving it on banana leaves and eating with bare hands.

And this ancient old Filipino tradition was used commercially by Binalot Fiesta Foods.

The Bekimon Mother

Gay men are everywhere around the world and they are increasing in population and most of them become world’s famous celebrities most especially in line of fashion, beauty and entertainment, which is indeed truly amazing.

In the Philippines there are successful and note worthy gay people in fashion, beauty and entertainment departments which the Philippines can be truly proud of. In addition to this pool of note worthy gays is the invasion of the “Queen of the Bekimons” into Philippine entertainment industry and he can be seen now regularly on ABS-CBN’s early afternoon drama series “Juanita Banana”. His invention of the word “Bekimon” has now become part of Filipino pet tag among gay people and Filipino men ad women who diligently use “gay language” in their talkings or words.

From his successful invasion of facebook, Youtube, twitter, and multiply and even on Google and Yahoo with his Bekimon virus; he has now conquered the Philippine TV tube, minus his, sad to say according to him, fall out “Junakis”

Junakis was his partner that makes “Bekimon” successfully penetrate and make a mark on modern day Philippine culture followed by the “Jejemon” craze.

The “Queen of the Bekimons” is of course, Mr. Bern Josep Persia, who is now famous because of his Bekimon invention and his YouTube videos that bring great laughter to his viewers.

One of his famous Bekimon word, which both Filipino men and women, not only gay people, most often use today is the “Eklaterang Peacock” with some variations “echoserang frog, echoserang palaka, charoterang hamster, and charoterang platypus” which simply means, a “Liar” or “someone who loves or likes making up stories”. This famous Bekimon word becomes a favorite euphemistic word of some Filipinos to their lying detractors, instead of directly saying, “Liar!”; plus it is funny on hearing.

Moreover, the “Beki” from Bekimon has become an alternative name for “bakla, bading” or for gay. Thus, instead of “bakla” or “bading”, Filipinos can call someone also “Beki”, if they spotted someone as a gay person: “Ay, Beki!”

There are some hilarious Bekimon words invented by Mudak Bekimon or by Bern Josep Persia which any Filipinos today could enjoy fully use, but one thing is commendable, that is another gay Filipino have made a mark on Philippine history and being a homosexual is indeed a blessing contrary to religious craps taught to us  regarding homosexuality.

“Most of the terms that bekimons commonly use are alterations of basic Filipino and English words such as workibells (work), kalurkey (kaloka or crazy), teh (ate or sister), anekwaboom (ano or what) and heller (hello).

Others are totally unique — from the popular jowa (spouse or boyfriend/girlfriend) to names of showbiz figures such as Carmi Martin (a term used to refer to karma).

The term bekimon (beki is a colloquial word for “gay”) took off from the growing popularity of the jejemon subculture, which refers to those who deliberately exaggerate ordinary words by adding or subtracting letters, or by using a mixture of upper-case and lower-case letters, in written communication.

—-ABS-CBN News

“Most of the terms that bekimons commonly use are alterations of basic Filipino and English words such as workibells (work), kalurkey (kaloka or crazy), teh (ate or sister), anekwaboom (ano or what) and heller (hello).

Others are totally unique — from the popular jowa (spouse or boyfriend/girlfriend) to names of showbiz figures such as Carmi Martin (a term used to refer to karma).

The term bekimon (beki is a colloquial word for “gay”) took off from the growing popularity of the jejemon subculture, which refers to those who deliberately exaggerate ordinary words by adding or subtracting letters, or by using a mixture of upper-case and lower-case letters, in written communication.

—-ABS-CBN News

Bekimon or Becky is now considered the new Filipino word for “gays or homosexual male” in the Philippines or to designate Filipino gays aside from “Bakla” and “bading”.

Though these invented Filipino words ( bekimon, bakla, bading) are somewhat sarcastic in hearing and calling and somewhat discriminating among the homosexuals in the Philippines when they were called by such callings by others who may not know them personally, Homosexuality in the Philippines is well accepted in the Philippine community not like to other morally strict society of other countries.

Cheers for Gay Philipppines!

The Marikina Shoe Industry

Marikina city is known in the Philippines and even also outside the Philippines as the Philippines’ Shoe Capital and the pioneer of the Marikina Shoe Industry, Laureano M. Guevara or so-called “Kapitan Moy”, as the “Father of the Shoe industry” in the Philippines. However, because of tight competition with cheap China shoes, the Marikina Shoe Industry have slow down and somewhat going down. The problem is, Marikina shoes may have been cheap in price but the designs of the shoes being produce is somewhat “cheap” in the sense that the design is already obsolete and the China shoes design are more trendy, upgraded and creative; and this is the edge of the cheap China shoes against cheap Marikina Shoes. Some shoe buyers would prefer not only cheap in price but also the design of the shoes, as well. From the design category, Marikina shoe falls and continue going down, unless those who are concerned about it will do something and would not let the Marikina shoe industry succumb to death.

However, some supporters of the Marikina shoe industry clarifies that it was not yet too late because the Marikina shoes may not have the designs which the modern masses looks for but it has the high-quality that could save shoe buyers money from buying another pair of shoes because of defective quality. For the Marikina shoes are carefully handcrafted, thus, any shoe buyers could be assured that what he or she bought is high-quality shoe though its designs are not kind of trendy compare to China shoes which are manufactured on machine that have a probability of less quality made.

Thus, the high-quality of the Marikina shoes could still be the best bet to compete and will save the Marikina shoe industry from collapsing into bankruptcy.

The designs could be upgraded anyway, if Marikina shoe supporter are willing to pay the price of improvement and upgrading and if the Marikina shoemakers are willing to cooperate for the upgrading and improvement of the livelihood which gave them income.

However, the local government of Marikina city is really doing their best to keep the legacy of Marikina shoes alive by creating a Sapatos Festival and crafting the world’s largest shoes, particularly the biggest pair of men’s shoes.

Moreover, a Shoe Museum is also erected to display the legacy of it and be the first and unique Museum in the world today.

Design Week in Manila

The recent concluded Manila Design Week has brought forth promising talented design artists that will for sure be the next future professional designers. These fresh winners of the concluded Manila design Week are five students, namely, Claudine Delfin of Ateneo de Manila and her “Askaldereta” art, which become the top winner; Balaram Das Ochangco of UST’s “Calesa” got the second place; Terence Nino Eduarte and his art “Lend a Hand”, of UST, which become the third winner; Kervin Don Doctor’s “Ang Dalagang Anak ni Inang Kalikasan” of Mapua becomes the fourth winner; and finally John Efren Solis’ “Jejegirl” of Asia Pacific College is the fifth placer.

All the five winners were glad to be winners of the 2^nd Manila Design Week whose pioneer is still a young bachelor like them. The Manila Design Week is an annual celebration of all types of design works; from print designs and photo to motion and music designs. Its aim is to bring into the mainstream attention the Philippine graphic arts and to give graphic artists a chance to be noticed and recognized. For the founder of Manila Design Week is also a graphic artists wherein he was not supported by his parents back then when he was in schooling times. Thus, he conceptualized this kind of show to give his fellow graphic artists a needed boost and chance to be recognized and be valued for their craft or skills.

Mindanao Art Artists’ Chance

Usually, it is the Manila based art artists were given chance to show their talents and works on both local and international prestigious painting exhibitions, but now the Mindanao based art artists were given once in a lifetime chance to show off their hidden talents and works which was usually neglected, not known, and eclipse by the work of the Luzon based art artists.

Thanks to Brenart International who accommodates Filipino Mindanao Art artists to do an exhibit in their premier art galleries in Belgium. Yes Brenart International is premier art galleries in Belgium.

The painting exhibit is entitled “Tanaw Mindanao”, which show cases of course the art works of four Mindanao artists, namely Rameer Tawasil, Joel Geolamen, Kublai Ponce-Millan and National Artist for Visual Arts Abdulmari Asia Imao.

The painting exhibit on Brenart International will be special because this is the first time a Filipino art works will be featured on the galleries of Brenart International wherein mostly a Belgian art works, the pre-Columbian, ancient Oriental and African arts are displayed or exhibited. So, it is really a very rare chance among Filipino art artists and even more the Filipino art works are Mindanao’s best art artists’ masterpieces wherein their audiences are European people.

Filipino Police Brutality Origin

Recent Philippine news reports another acts of Filipino police brutality which was caught on video, wherein it ruins again the image and reputation of Filipino police and that Filipino police cannot be trusted because they treat their captives as not humans and act bestially toward their captives. This is already very alarming which the Philippine National Police (PNP) should amend and do something. Why this brutality and bestiality traits towards their captives does dominates Philippine police force in their way of policing. Is this taught on the national Philippine police academy, to treat captives as not humans? Or is this just an abuse of authority and personal boastfulness?

Un my opinion, I don’t trust much Philippine police because sometimes they attack their own assets and use them as their sacrificial lamb for their own mistakes or sins, just like for example about the rub-out cases and the ambushes of alleged car napping groups wherein they massacre them with their bullets not considering the innocent people that will be affected by their actions. This is Horrible!

Similarly, this is also done in Philippine military camps because the Philippine police force is directly connected to it, wherein I suspect that the brutality and bestial acts originated and derives from the hazing activities,”pahirapan”(made to suffer),and hard punishment systems of the military police academy or schools in the Philippines, as well as what was done on ROTC course on colleges and universities in the Philippines. But where do they have this mind-set to put into great suffering a cadet or a neophyte?

I bet this comes from international military group elites who oversee military and police tributaries in the world to impose a reptilian (bestial) way of disciplining their cadets. This is indeed not good! ; For the reptilians are working against the human race which some humans unknowingly know about their secret stratagem.

The Most Respected Gays in the Philippines

Philippines is one of the countries who could sympathize and have a heart for gay and lesbian people though the Philippines is predominantly Catholic and Christian country; the Catholic and Christian religion is actually the major ones who demonized the third sex rooting from Judaism and even mostly the Islam have demonize it also. But now, people are opening up their understanding and the sexual discrimination mellows, though there are fanatic Catholics, Christians and Muslims who still shows discrimination and prejudice against gays and lesbians.

In the Philippines, there are numbers of gays that are well respected and admire despite of their sexual preferences. There are top three respected gays in the Philippine I can name and are renowned:

1. Ricky Reyes – he is the most respected gay in the Philippines being the top successful hairdresser in the Philippines who gave the Philippines a great pride when he won some prestigious international hairdressing competitions. He is known as the “mother” of Philippine hairdressing and also known for his famous line “ang ganda”.

2. Inno Sotto –he is known as the “Manila’s Prince of Fashion”;the most successful gay fashion and design guru in the Philippines.

3. Boy Abunda –the Philippine TV’s “King of Talk”; he is the most successful gay talk show host in the Philippine TV.

Filipino’s Search for Balikbayan Box

The Balikbayan Box is already a symbol for the hard work of many Pilipinos working abroad or outside the Philippines just to earn a decent income for their families in the Philippines. It is a package box filled with variety of stuffs from garments to household needs to personal stuffs like soaps, shampoos and towels, wrapped and compressed into a one large box, either sent prior to the homecoming of a Pilipino worker outside the Philippines to their respective families in the Philippines or it is together with the cargo of a Pilipino worker when he comes home as a “pasalubong” (a present or gift) which signifies his or her hard work outside the Philippines.

The word Balikbayan is equivalent to the English words “back home”, thus a Balikbayan box represents a present to their respective families in the Philippines when they come back home.

However, not all Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) are fortunate to send or to bring a Balikbayan box when they got home in the Philippines because some experience maltreatment and abuses from their foreign employers and the worse sometimes some Overseas Filipino Workers end up being jailed abroad or even killed unjustly, which brings greater bitterness, tears, and sorrows to their respective families in the Philippines rather than a Balikbayan box that brings smile and joy.

The desire to find a better pasture outside the Philippines results into finding hungry wolves that devours joy and Hope. Only few Pilipinos outside the Philippines are fortunate to found a greener pasture or a Balikbayan Box that they could send or bring home to their loves ones in the Philippines.