GEC 12 Module 2

Republic of the Philippines
CENTRAL BICOL STATE UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE

Sta. Rosa Del Norte, Pasacao, Camarines Sur, 4417
Website: www.cbsua.edu.ph
Email Address: ca.pasacao@cbsua.edu.ph
Trunkline: (054) 513-9519
GEC12 Philippine Popular Culture

Course Module
A. Course Overview
GEC 12 (Philippine Popular Culture) course introduces and allows students
to explores the concept of popular culture within the Philippine context. A
multi-disciplinary approach will be utilized to explore the evolution of pop
culture in the country, providing the students with the necessary tools of
analysis to explore the various mediums in which it is embedded in. The
course will discuss how pop culture is present in everyday life: how it
simultaneously influences and is being influenced by the feelings,
performances, and identities of the Filipino people.
B. Course Calendar
Week Topics Assessment
Week 1 Introduction  Lecture
VMGO Discussion
Quality Policy  Slides
Course Outline, Grading Presentation
System and Classroom  Recitation
Policies
Week 2-3 Module 1 Introduction to  Lecture

Popular Culture Discussion
 Slides
Module 1.1 Definition, and Presentation
concept of popular culture  Recitation
Module 1.2 An overview of
different cultural theories
 Define and frame the

concepts of culture and the
Module and Learning Management System
popular
 Understand the concept of
Pop Culture
 Understand the
Relationship between
Media and Pop Culture
Week  Lecture
4-5 Module 2 Discussion
 Slides
History and Evolution of Presentation
Pop Culture in the Philippines  Recitation
Module 2.1: Arts and literature
Module 2.2: Lifestyle, Fashion,

and Foods
 Identify arts and literature in

t Philippines.
Recognize the lifestyle, fashion,
and foods in the Philippines
Week 6 Assessment
Week  Lecture
7 Module 2.3: Media and urban Discussion
legend  Slides
 Information literacy, media Presentation
literacy, and technology  Recitation
literacy and their roles in
Philippine Pop Culture
 How they can use
information literacy, media
literacy, and technology
literacy to identify fake
news
Module 3 Foreign Influences  Lecture

Week 8-10 that affect Philippine pop Discussion
culture.  Slides
Presentation
Module 3.1: Mexican and Korean  Recitation
Novela
Module 3.2: Japanese Animation
Module 3.3: Hallyu culture and

Virality
Week 11 Module 4 Philippine Popular  Lecture
culture and the new form of arts Discussion
 Slides
Module 4.1: Flip top Presentation
 Recitation
Module 4 Philippine Popular  Lecture
culture and the new form of arts Discussion
Week 13-14
(Continuation)  Slides
Presentation
Module 4.2: Stand-up comedy  Recitation
Module 4.3: Vlogging
Module 5 The rise of social  Lecture

Week 15-17 media; The experience economy Discussion
 Slides
Lesson 1: Facebook, Reels, Tik- Presentation
Tok, and YouTube  Recitation
Lesson 2: Meme-ology 101
Lesson 3: The experience

economy
Week 18 Assessment 3 Pen and Paper  Lecture
Test Discussion
 Slides
Presentation
 Recitation
C. Professor
D. Assessment
Assessment Type % Course Due Date Graduate

Learning Attributes
Outcomes
Week 1-6 Pen and 30%

Paper Test
Paper Test
Paper Test
Synchronous Classes (Google Meet)

Week Date Synchronou
No. s
Class No.
2 2
3 3
4 4 https://meet.google.com/nob-
6 6 gxzo-ssj?
7 7 hs=122&authuser=0
GEC 12 8 8
9 9 https://meet.google.com/eic-
10 10 bnnu-zdp?
11 11 hs=122&authuser=0
13 13
14 14
15 15
16 16
17 17
E. Module
Module 2 History and Evolution of Popular Culture in the Philippines

2.1 Arts and literature
2.2 Lifestyle, Fashion, and Foods

2.3 Media and Urban Legend
(Week 4,5,7)
Introduction
Popular culture basically describes as new world which is created by young

generation. Popular culture has changed the point of view of our life in many way. It has
made our life more enjoyable than ever before. Popular culture has many positive
benefits personally as well as on our society by entertainment, by TV shows and
commercial ads, as well as by art and artist.
On the other side Pop Culture slowly destroys culture. Many Filipinos’ lives are
influenced by Pop Culture, from the music they listen to. the shows they spend hours
watching, to the icons they support. Pop culture undeniably has many positive effects to
people, some even improve their lives, but there are still lots of adverse effects.
Because of all the influences of Pop Cultures, many Filipinos are having a hard time of
determining whether particular practices, beliefs, and culture is Filipino or not. They fail
to show the values that Filipinos upheld. They start to neglect their own culture and
practices and tries to imitate other practices instead. This issue, therefore, questions
whether the Philippines should regulate the influx of Pop Culture or not. To discuss
Philippine popular culture, this essay will examine the impact of popular culture on the
erosion of traditional cultural practices and beliefs, as well as its influence on the
development of ethnocentrism.
Pop Culture has greatly influenced the Filipino people. Indeed, it has been
beneficial to many, but its adverse effects slowly deteriorate the Filipino Culture. It has
caused many Filipinos to lean toward other cultures instead of their own.
Before we proceed with all the negative side of the ethnocentrism, let us
discuss and be able to familiarize the evolution of the popular culture in the Philippines.
Module Overview
In this module we are going to study why it is important for us to study arts and literature?
Why Art and literature are fundamental to the human experience.
Art and literature allow people to express themselves and to connect to one another. All
human cultures produce some form of art; it is a universal human cultural touchstone.
Philippine literature can be a unifying force to make us realize and appreciate our
shared sentiments and aspirations as a people. Throughout its history, the Philippines
has developed a rich and diverse arts and culture scene, encompassing literature,
music, theater, visual arts, and film.
Motivation
What do you know about Art and literature? Can you name some of it?
Pre-Competency Check
List down Ten (10) Literatures that you know.
World Literature Philippine Literature

1
2
3
4
5
.
Learning Resources
Internet Resources:
1. History of the Philippine Art. https://www.preceden.com/timelines/631577-history-
of-philippine-art
2. Philippine art a timeline. https://prezi.com/p/mdpbq7nnne9c/philippine-art-a-
timeline/
3. National Museum of the Philippines (2020)
https://www.facebook.com/nationalmuseumofthephilippines/posts/this-weeks-
troweltuesday-is-timely-following-our-worldrhinoday-post-in-this-feat/
3615463045144654/
4. Ling ling -o. https://villagepipol.com/lingling-o-jade-trade-during-the-neolithic/
5. Lingling-o. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lingling-o
6. Manunggul Jar. https://palawan-news.com/quezon-town-kicks-off-16th-
manunggul-festival-with-vibrant-parade-and-activities/
7. Evolution of Media in the Philippines. http://prezi.com/evolution of media in the
Philippines
8. https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/
AYycGvSOgRS3_K0I5XVFVHNq42xz72egMBiCJP2f3I3jsVvGoeoccks/
9. Islamic Art in the Philippines. https://artesdelasfilipinas.com/archives/115/islamic-
art-in-the-philippines
10. National Museum of the Philippines Photos.
https://www.facebook.com/nationalmuseumofthephilippines/photos/a.195151237
175869/4344479045576380/?type=3
11. https://www.facebook.com/nationalmuseumofthephilippines/photos/
a.195151237175869/4344479045576380/?type=3
12. https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/508062401710374455/
13. Weaving. https://fameplus.com/touchpoint/weaving-the-islands
14. Television. https://www.spot.ph/newsfeatures/the-latest-news-features/70422/7-
fascinating-ways-filipinos-amused-themselves-before-television-a1114-
20170612-lfrm
15. Philippines. Philippines,My Philippines Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/PMPonFB/photos/a.256836091122592/39120209435
2657/?paipv=0&eav=AfbMOPOCfYK6PxwceMHcLgK48joV1hxWd36LLC35-
1ZMyRBjsXnUUt7fUZVsyyHtIz4&_rdr.
16. The world in a Pocket. The World in a pocket
https://theworldinapocket.com/contentindex/vn569d8l71t9l03y4w40it8gvbsxw9
17. Rice. Rice Matter the Philippine Official Blog
https://ricematters.wordpress.com/2011/06/02/history-of-rice/
18. Garcia, A, (2021). Business World.
https://www.bworldonline.com/editors-picks/2021/08/12/388560/so-what-were-
we-eating-before-magellan-came/
19. Guide to the Philippines. https://guidetothephilippines.ph/articles/what-to-
experience/philippines-street-food-guide
20. Walker, S. (1986). Contemporary Art Issues
https://www.contemporaryartissue.com/what-are-the-7-forms-of-art-a-complete-
overview/
Explore
Module 2
History of Philippine Art and Literature
I. Pre-Colonial Art (1685 BC -1520 AD)

II. Spanish Colonial Art (1521-1898)
III. American Colonial Art (1898-1946)
IV. Post Colonial Art (1946-1986)
V. Contemporary Art (1986-Present)
Arts and Literature
Art is something that stimulates an individual's thoughts, emotions, beliefs, or ideas

through the senses. Works of art can be explicitly made for this purpose or interpreted
on the basis of images or objects.
Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or
imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or
conceptual ideas – Wikipedia
Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for
writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose, fiction, drama,
poetry, and including both print and digital writing. - Wikipedia
Seven Forms of Art
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a
solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the
base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and airbrushes, can
be used.
It is the expression of ideas and emotions, with the creation of certain aesthetic
qualities, in a two-dimensional visual language. The elements of this language—its
shapes, lines, colours, tones, and textures—are used in various ways to produce
sensations of volume, space, movement, and light
Sculpture- the art of making three-dimensional representative or abstract forms,

especially by carving stone or wood or by casting metal or plaster.
Literature – is a collection of written works in which expression and form, in

connection with ideas of permanent and universal interest, are characteristic or
essential features, as poetry, novels, history, biography, and essays. written works,
especially those considered of superior or lasting artistic merit. “a great work of
literature"
Architecture - Architectural monuments are cultural symbols that define not

only a location, such as a city but also an era. They are a historical witness of a
particular period as we have always strived towards grand achievements with our
architecture.
Theater - Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses

live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or
imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage.
Film- also called motion picture or movie, series of still photographs on film,
projected in rapid succession onto a screen by means of light. Because of the optical
phenomenon known as persistence of vision, this gives the illusion of actual, smooth,
and continuous movement.
A popular form of mass media, film is a remarkably effective medium for
conveying drama and evoking emotion. The art of motion pictures is exceedingly
complex, requiring contributions from nearly all the other arts as well as countless
technical skills (for example, in sound recording, photography, and optics).
Music -Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some
combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise expressive content.
I. PRE-COLONIAL ART (1685 BC -1520 AD)

The Pre-Colonial period refers to the art before the Philippines had their first
colonizers. The Philippines back then already had art that was considered one of a kind
and rich. Traditions were orally passed than written. Even before colonizers came,
indigenous Filipinos already had their own art, literature, and architectures. It includes
their cultures and rituals which is beyond mere craft (Stone weapons and jewelry)
Rituals are their earliest form of theater.
Two Forms of Literature:
1. Oral- Chants, Stories and Songs
2. Written- Cave drawings and writings.
Two kinds of Visual Arts:
1. Paintings
2. Sculptures – Pots, figures, and jewelries.
In Paleolithic period or Old Stone Age, Ancient technological or cultural stage
characterized by the use of rudimentary chipped stone tools. Cave is considered as
the architectural structure/design during that era.
Paleolithic Tools – It is Flake-stone tools that are made from stones that have
sharp edges when broken and include spear points, arrowheads, knives, scrapers and
drills.
Neolithic Art - art was created in the form of statues, tools, paintings, and
architecture. The megalith was created during this time period. Megaliths are massive
structures made of stones. Often, these structures had religious or spiritual significance
and were functional. The only "megalithic" structure in the Philippines were the massive
stone and coral churches built by the Spaniards. Based from the National Museum,
Archaeologists argue that the lack of prehistoric megalithic structures in the country
may be attributed to its landscape, constant extreme weather disturbances.
The most famous Neolithic sculpture is considered to be Stonehenge, which is a
circular arrangement of large stones created on the Salisbury Plain from around 3,000
BC to the second century BC. Stonehenge is also known as the most important site of
human development.
Shell Bracelets and Pendants are made into tools and ornaments.
One of the Magalith Structure is the Angono Petroglyphs
Discovered in 1965, the Angono Petroglyphs are believed to be the oldest

known artworks in the Philippines. Located in Binangonan, in the province of Rizal,
the petroglyphs date to the third millennium B.C. and are a collection of 127 figural
carvings engraved on the wall of a shallow cave of volcanic tuff.
Other important works
1. Lingling-O (2000 BC-1000 AD) -ear pendant, it is an excellent ancient

craftsmanship of jade carving. Earlier historians have posited that the
earliest lingling-o artifacts found in the Philippines were created outside of the
archipelago, but an expedition to the northern Philippine province of Batanes,
led by archeologist Peter Bellwood in the early 2000s, led to the discovery of
a lingling-o workshop, complete with construction tools and fragments. The
find provides evidence of indigenous Philippine manufacture as early as

2,500 years ago. Lingling-o manufacturing survived until around AD 1000 in
the Philippines
2. Manungul Jar (890 BC-710 BC – Secondary ancient burial jar discovered

In Tabon Cave, Palawan.
Pre-colonial Art Forms- contains religious symbols, everyday life, specific art pattern
and exchange of art with other country traders.
Pottery
Weaving
Tattoo
Jewelry- Prior to the Philippines' colonization by the Spaniards, jewelry was
prevalent in barangays and tribes as part of our pagan roots. Amulets, talismans,
charms—the now folkloric anting-anting and agimat—were woven into the beliefs that
linked people with religious ceremonies and status.
Philippine Pre-Colonial Gold Artifacts and Jewelry
Carving
Metal CraftBay
bayin
Pottery
Islamic Period
It started when an Arab named Sayyid Abbubakar came here in the Philippines,
specifically in Sulu. He spread the religion called Arabic mostly in Mindanao and was
embraced by the Magindanaoan, Tausog, Yakan, Samal, and Badjao. Bible in their
religion is called Quran which serves as their Literature. The church that they call as the
Mosque is one of their prime architectures. They have a sculpture called Ukkil/ Okir
which focuses on sculpting, molding pottery, weaving with patterns.
The Sheik Karimol Makhdum Mosque is located in Barangay Tubig Indangan,

Simunul, Tawi-Tawi, the Philippines. It is the oldest mosque in the Philippines and in
Southeast Asia.
Batik
II. SPANISH COLONIAL PERIOD - 1521-1898
Spanish Colonial Art introduce paintings, sculpture and architecture and Catholic
religion-based art works. Spanish Aesthetic adapted Spanish style of furniture carving
and design. It all started when a Portuguese explorer, Ferdinand Magellan arrived here
in the Philippines. This era was focused on Christianity and Catholicism. A lot of
architectures were introduced such as the Catholic Church that is formed like a Latin
cross, churches are designed with Baroque features and details, Plazas were built and
Bahay na Bato/ Bahay na Tisa was also became te primary shelter of the people.They
focused also on sculptures that includes saint figures, wall details for churches, Caroza-
mainly used as a stand of Santos and Santas in processions.
Music and Dance were also very actively use as an entertainment in this era.
Pabasa- occurs in Holy week, Kundiman- a way to please or court love ones, love songs
are used. Carinosa, Tinikling, Pandanggo sa Ilaw and many more dances were
introduced. Doctrina Christina was made as the bible's auxiliary. This is their form of
literature. Theaters are finally introduced for the entertainment.
Theater Art - Sarzuela, Senakulo, Komedya, MOro-moro and Araguio are the
examples of the theater art that is shown in this period.
Lastly, the visual arts that were established are mostly to show rebellion against
Spain. Basi Revolt, Carta Hydrogapica y Chorographica de las Yslas Filipinas,
Spolarium, and Virgenes Christianas expuestas al Populacho are some of the visual
arts
Spanish wood carving and design

Church in Iloilo Philippines adapted Spanish architecture from Church in Murcia, Spain
Filipino artist in Spanish ERA
Damian Domingo (Father of Filipino Painter)
Juan Luna (The Spolarium ) Spoliarium was the kind of painting that lent itself
to the patriotic needs of the Filipinos and on which Rizal and others projected a
nationalistic symbolism that helped rouse the Filipinos to rise up against the political
oppression of their Spanish colonizers. He spent 8 months completing the painiting
which depectsa dying Gladiators. The painting was submitted to the Exposicion
National de Bellas in 1884 that gathered 1st gold medal.
Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo a Filipino Artist known as “Great Filipino Painter”

(1855 - 1913) was active/lived in Spain, Philippines. Felix Hidalgo is known
for Impressionist portrait, landscape and religious subject painting.
III. AMERICAN COLONIAL ART (1898-1946)
After winning from being the colony of Spain, Americans took over. Most
architectures were modernized, and cities had a major development in this era. A theater
show which focuses on comedy was released and they called it Vaudeville (a light often
comic theatrical piece frequently combining pantomime, dialogue, dancing, and
song)
A man named Daniel Burnham commissioned to develop and design Manila and
Baguio. Painting specifically by Fernando Amorsolo was emerged perhaps because it
reflects the Filipino culture. The sculpture of the Oblation that was made by Guillermo
Tolentino in 1935 and the Bonifacio Monument were also appreciated.
Paintings of Fernando Amorsolo

IV. POST-COLONIAL ART (1946-1986)
It was considered as the darkest period of the Philippine History. It destroyed most
of the arts that were made. Modern Art was slowly getting into the Art world in this era.
Victorio Edades with Calos Francisco and Galo Hernandez considered Triumvirate
pioneered the modern art.
Various art like abstract, public painting, modern and conservative arts
were introduced. Malls, Real Estates, and many more advanced architectures were
made.
1970s to Contemporary
1970 – present
Medias such as Multimedia, mixed media and Trans media were introduced.
Figurative and non-figurative arts were also developed. Modern Architectures like malls,
real estates, condos, hotels, resorts, commercial buildings and many more architectures
were built.
Ethnocentrism
Some says Pop Culture slowly destroys culture. Many Filipinos’ lives are
influenced by Pop Culture, from the music they listen to the shows they spend hours
watching, to the icons they support. Pop culture undeniably has many positive effects to
people, some even improve their lives, but there are still lots of adverse effects.
Because of all the influences of Pop Cultures, many Filipinos are having a hard time of
determining whether practices, beliefs, and culture is Filipino or not. They fail to show
the values that Filipinos upheld. They start to neglect their own culture and practices
and tries to imitate other practices instead. This issue, therefore, questions whether the
Philippines should regulate the influx of Pop Culture or not. Pop Culture has greatly
influenced the Filipino people. Indeed, it has been beneficial to many, but its adverse
effects slowly deteriorate the Filipino Culture. It has caused many Filipinos to lean
toward other cultures instead of their own.
A. Popular Entertainment
The Entertainment industry in the Philippines has been a powerful force in

defining popular culture, often the culture of the time is characterize but what was being
played in the radio, what was being watch, and what was popular in general public
Television – Has part of the daily life of Filipinos, they gather information
through news and gets entertainment through dramas. Three Giant television
networks are ABS-CBN, TV-5, and GMA.
Cinema- Popular Cinemas in the Philippines continuous to boom. There

are increase in the popularity of foreign film. Romance, action and independent
(indie) production are the hottest picks and favorites of the Filipinos.
Music- Philippine Poplar music is a mix of European, American and
Native sounds. Music was influenced y Western rock and roll, hip-hop and
popular music from US and the folk music. Modern pop music in the Philippines
are heavely influenced by the 70s Manila sound genre by APO-Hiking Society,
Asin, Rey Valera, and Sharon Cuneta became the pioneer of the genre
followed by the OPM such as Prokya ni Edgar, Fransics Magalona, Eraser
Head, River Maya, Gary Valenciano (Original Pilipino Music). Foreign music
from the US and Korea has also dominated Philippine Music Culture (Modern
Filipino Music)
Video Games – Video genre’s popularity in the Philippines has become
a huge part in modern day youth culture changing the idea of art and
competitive sports. It has become an industry the arose n late 20th century
and continuous to grow. Some of it are Mobile Legend, etc. Streaming and
Online Personalities, Game development, Sports, and competitive gaming.
B. Popular Sports – There are three main categories of popular sports in the
Philippines.
1. Traditional sport has following type/category:
a. Arnis/ Eskrima. Arnis is the national martial arts sports of the
Philippines. July 27, 2009 when President Gloria Macapagal
Arroyon signed Republic Act No. 9850 into Law, declaring Arnis
as the Philippine National Martial Arts and Sport.
b. Sipa is a traditional sport in the Philippines, players are required

to have a high skills of ball control, speed and agility.
2. Individual sport has an individual competitor that competes in a

match with the other individual with the following:
a. Billiards
b. Power Lifting,
c. Combat sports such as Boxing.
3. Team Sports are played by a team of 2 or more individuals that

plays against another team.
a. Basketball, Volleyball, and football(soccer)
C. Popular Politics-modern Philippine politics has been shaped by two powerful

families during the 20th century, the Marcos Family and the Aquino-Cojuanco
Family which forever changed the political landscape of the Philippines. Other
notable figures in Philippines political that are hailed by their loyalist and at the
same time critized by others are the Duterte Family, Miriam Defensor-Santiago,
Laia de Lima, Cyhnthia Villar, Bong Revilla and many other rising politician
Module 2.2 Timeline of Popular Lifestyle, Fashion, and Foods

LIFESTYLE
Pre-colonial period
A theater show which focuses on comedy was called

Vaudeville
Bull and Tiger Fight 1900s
Football
 Fashion
1500s
1700s-1840s
1890s
Maria Clara Dress

1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
The 1990s fashion remained popular during the early years of the first decade of the
21st century. 2000s fashion was considered a mash up of different styles. In the first
part of the decade, the concept of innerwear as an outerwear was popularized resulting
in the popularity of spaghetti strap clothes. Men still followed the 1990s fashion with hip-
hop inspired of clothing, wearing cargo pants and oversized T-shirts. By the mid-2000s,
colorful clothes began to rise again. Men started wearing flannel and checkered polos.
At the end of the decade, people saw the mixture of clothing from boots worn with short
shorts and t-shirts to dresses worn over with leggings.
2010-present
Due to the development of social media, many Filipino women and men were
exposed to different styles. Also due to the rising economy of the country for the first
time since the 1986 People Power Revolution, as well as the constant building of
shopping malls and shopping centers, many Filipinos began buying more clothes.
The early 2010s began with a continuation of some of the late-2000s fashion; however;
in 2011, a change began as people started to move away from the rock influenced
2000s fashion and create a more distinctive 2010s fashion.
FOODS
Filipino cuisine is steadily gaining popularity around the world for its spice-packed
flavorful dishes. Over thousands of years, other countries’ occupation in the Philippines
have influenced the Filipino food we know today. Filipino cuisine is constantly growing
and changing –– from the their first encounter with the Chinese, who introduced the
small group of islands in the Pacific to rice, soy sauce, and the egg roll (aka future
lumpia), siu mai (hello pockets!) to their interaction with the Spanish, who introduced
cutlery, tomatoes and cattle-raising, and the Americans who brought canned meats and
kitchen appliances. While the cuisine is always evolving, traditional Filipino culture and
cooking are still represented in each dish, some even with a hint of peaceful resistance.
Pre-colonial Philippine cuisine is composed of food practices of the indigenous

people of the Philippines. Different groups of people within the islands had access to
different crops and resources which resulted in differences in the way cooking was
practiced. Native fruits, root crops, nuts and vegetables were eaten in the islands such
as mango, Pili Nuts, Coconut, ginger etc. Meat and seafood
Cebu-based historian Louella Alix was the speaker at a talk by Gabii sa Kabilin, a
heritage initiative by the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. The July 30 talk, titled
“From Sutukil to Kumbira: 300 Years of Culinary History during the Spanish Colonial
Period,” discussed not just that, but also the precolonial civilization (and its way of
eating) that the colonizers encountered.
Ms. Alix pointed out the origins of the word sutukil (the name of a popular
restaurant). It is a portmanteau from three precolonial cooking methods:
sugba (roasting over live coals),
kilaw (eating meat raw with vinegar and spices), and
tuwa or tinuwa (cooking with liquid).
“Some wise guy in the ’80s or ’90s started opening his restaurants and called it
‘Sutukil’ (a pun on the grisly phrase ‘shoot-to-kill’),” she said. “Which [of the dishes] was
the first?” Though the abbreviation places “sugba” as first, Ms. Alix believes that
precolonial Filipinos served their earliest meals as kilaw. “Everybody ate raw or semi-
raw food, not knowing what to do better,” she said. Sugba may have come later, but
she’s firm that at least in those times, tuwa (or soup) pointed to the most advanced
cooking method. “To cook with liquid is something that requires technology,” she said.
That meant that those early people had to make vessels to cook in, with Filipinos using
clay pots. “To knead and to mold clay means that people had time, means, and brains
to think of producing the item.”
she also pointed to a linguistic difference in “sugba” and “asal (as
in inasal).” Sugba is roasting just pieces of meat, while asal meant roasting the whole
animal. Cebu lechon (a whole roasted pig), a famous delicacy, began to be called so
only after Hispanicized Tagalogs settled in Cebu, lending them the word.
According to her, the natives back then served the Spanish explorers tinuwa (pork with
soup), grilled pork and fish, and Pigafetta recorded that fish was also eaten raw
(kinilaw). She also mentioned a version of adobo, which made the Spaniards marvel
that it was similar to something they also made at home (that is, stewed in lard and
vinegar; which was how we got to give it a Spanish name). She also listed down the
meats used for feasts and meals, as recorded by Pigafetta: deer, pigs, shrimp, crab,
wild boar, chicken, carabao, and fish.
Because Magellan perished in the Battle of Mactan, the Spanish influence on our
cuisine would not be seen until some 40 years later, after the landing of Miguel Lopez
de Legazpi, who eventually came to sit as the first Spanish Governor of the Philippines
and established Manila as the island groups’ capital.
Ms. Alix listed down vegetables and fruits which we have since taken for granted, but
were actually transplants from the Galleon Trade: these included tomatoes, sayote,
chico, pineapple, camote, and jicama. The Galleon Trade also brought cacao here,
known and enjoyed by Cebuanos as sikwate (which itself comes from the Nahuatl
word xocolatl, the root for “chocolate”).
A non-cooking aspect of Spanish colonization led directly to some of the sweetest of

Pinoy dishes. Construction of Spanish churches, which used coral stones from the sea,
were strengthened by a binder called agramasa, using tree sap from the law-an, lime,
and egg whites. “Can you imagine how many egg yolks were collected?” said Ms. Alix.
“Surely the housewives then would not have thought of wasting all these egg yolks.”
This construction method led to the creation of leche flan, tortas, tocino del cielo,
and yema.
The Spaniard taught us stewing techniques, with ingredients brought over from Spain
and its colonies: tomatoes, olive oil, chickpeas, and peppers. Nuns, and friars’ cooks
meanwhile, taught the cooking methods to local assistants or students, which was how
stews and baked goods (broas, still popular in Cebu, being one of them) spread around
the islands.
Ms. Alix did point out that Pigafetta noticed cakes made of cooked millet — one still
present on Cebuano tables as budbud kabug. Luckily for us, a lot of the precolonial
meals were preserved, mostly due to a practical reason: “The Spanish dishes… are not
served for daily fare. We have relegated it to fiestas and celebrations, as it is expensive
to cook them.” They also brouth with them the version of preservicng meats through
stews.
Tinola in articular has a special place in our history and literature A flu-curing ginger
broth fit for a friar, its appearance in Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere set the tone for the
rest of the subversive national novel.
Liberation! The post-war era was a period of growth and novelty, but also a struggle for
many to make ends meet. A common thread among Filipino minds was the
entrepreneurial spirit. But still, we were unyielding in our love for food and the
community.
And so the first carinderia and turo-turo franchises spread in the 1940s. The 20th
century marked the birth of Filipino restaurants, serving cheap filling dishes that
reminded people of home.
Other Filipino Foods and Delicacies

Lechon
Lumpia (Spring Rolls)
Balut (Fertilized Duck Egg)
Balut is a fertilized duck egg that is hard-boiled and consumed as street food. It is
popular in the Philippines, China, Vietnam, and various other countries in
Southeast Asia. The egg is incubated for up to 21 days until the embryo forms
feathers, eyes, a beak, and all the other usual bird parts. A week after hatching,
the egg is cooked and eaten as a delicacy.
Adobo
Adobo is another important food in the Philippines. It is a national dish that you can find
almost anywhere in the country.
Bicol Express (Spicy Pork Stew)
Bicol Express is a creamy stew. It comes from the Bicol region of the Philippines,
which is known for its spicy dishes. The main ingredient is coconut milk mixed with
chilis. Today there are some variety of Bicol express.
Tinapa (Smoked Fish)
Street Foods
Street foods are ready-to-eat foods and beverages prepared and/or sold by
vendors or hawkers especially in the streets and other similar places. They represent a
significant part of urban food consumption for millions of low-and-middle-income
consumers, in urban areas daily. Street foods may be the least expensive and most
accessible means of obtaining a nutritionally balanced meal outside the home for many
low-income people. In developing countries, street food preparation and selling provides
a regular source of income for millions of men and women with limited education or
skills. Thre are so many street foods in the Philippines that become the daily meal/food
of people especially by the low-class earners.
The risk of serious food poisoning outbreaks linked to street foods remains a threat in
many parts of the world. A lack of knowledge among street food vendors about the
causes of food-borne disease is a major risk factor.
Although many consumers

attach importance to hygiene in
selecting a street food vendor,
consumers are often unaware of the
health hazards associated with
street vended foods.
Some street foods are Isaw,

Fishballs, Kwek Kwek, Balut Bana
Que?Kamote Que, Buko Juice,
Lugaw,or Goto, Mais etc.
Module 2.3 Media and Urban legend (2.3.1 & 2.3.2

2.3.1)
Media Culture in the Philippines
Media culture is a society or culture that has been heavily influenced by mass media
whereby communication occurs instantly across massive populations. This represents a
dramatic and relatively recent shift from traditional cultures that were formed with a
process of person-to-person communication.
In cultural studies, media culture refers to the current Western capitalist society that
emerged and developed from the 20th century, under the influence of mass media. The
term alludes to the overall impact and intellectual guidance exerted by the media, not
only on public opinion but also on tastes and values. Wikipedia
Mass media is communication -whether written, broadcast, or spoken- that reaches
a large audience. This includes television, radio, advertising, movies, the Internet,
newspapers, magazines, and so forth. Mass media is a significant force in modern
culture, particularly in America.
What is the feminist approach to media?

Though most journalists aim to create an objective view of their subjects, feminism has
long been portrayed in a negative light. Feminism's portrayal is fueled by the idea
that the media seems to lean toward opposition; pinning women again men creates the
mostly negative roles women become portrayed by.
Significant impact of social media on the lives of the Filipinos
 Increased connectivity
Social media has allowed Filipinos to connect in ways that were not possible
before.
 This increased level of connectivity has helped create a sense of community,
allowing individuals to share their opinions and experiences with their peers.
Media in the Philippines - statistics & facts
The gradual shift to digital or online media platforms transformed the overall media
market in the Philippines. Despite limitations in network infrastructure, Filipinos were
among the biggest audience of online or digital media which they access not only for
entertainment purposes but also for news consumption. In fact, in 2020, the Philippines
was among the top five countries with the highest online media market value. As
with other countries globally, print media has slowly lost its relevance in the media
market forcing the industry to turn digital. Meanwhile, social media and streaming
services became alternative sources of news and entertainment.
Different types of media platforms?
There are different types of mass/social media -
1. Print Media
 Newspaper
 Magazine
 Books
 Banners
 Flyers
 Brochures
2. Broadcast Media
 Television
 Radio
 Cinema and Video Advertising
3- Internet Media
 Social networks/websites: - including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,
YouTube, Tumblr, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Quora, Reddit, Pinterest, etc.
these networks Called as Relationship Network.
 Podcast: - a series of audios on a particular topic or theme. We can
listen to Audio and the theme on a computer or a mobile phone.
 Online forums: - (Reddit, Quora, Digg, etc.) an online place where we
can share knowledge, comment, message, or discuss a particular topic.
 Photo Sharing:- Instagram, Imgur, and Snapchat
 Video-Sharing:- YouTube
 Blogging and Publishing Networks:- WordPress, Tumblr, Medium
 Consumer Review Networks:- Yelp, Zomato, TripAdvisor
 Social shopping Networks:- Polyvore, Etsy, Fancy
 Discussion Review:- Facebook, Reddit, Quora
 Out-of-home media or OOH is a media that reaches people when they are
outside of their homes like billboards.
A. Pre-Spanish and Spanish colonisation

Prior to colonisation, indigenous Filipinos had their own ways of communication, writing
on trees, leaves, and bamboo tubes using saps of trees as ink (Agoncillo and Guerrero,
1978). A town crier called the Umalohokan served as the announcer of important
news such as new laws or policies enacted by the town’s chieftain (Philippine Cultural
Education, 2015). Colonisation changed the social, political, and cultural structure of the
Philippines. In 1521, Ferdinand Magellan came to Philippine shores, the start of a 300-
year colonisation by the Spaniards.
 The first newspaper, Del Superior Govierno, was established in 1811 by the
Spanish Governor General Manuel Fernandez de Folgueras served as the
editor whose aim was to bring news about Spain to local Spaniards (Rosario-
Braid and Tuazon, 1999).
 The first daily newspaper La Esperanza, was established in 1846 and also
catered to the Spanish elite;
 the first regional newspaper El Ilocano and the first publication for and by
women, El Hogar, were published in 1893 (Rosario-Braid, and Tuazon, 1999).
These publications dealt with history, science, and religion to avoid being
censored.
First Newspaper( 1846)

First Daily Newspaper (1844)
First Regional Daily Newspaper first publication for and by women, El Hogar
(1893)
In 1888 Filipino expatriate journalist Graciano Lopez Jaena founded the newspaper La
Solidaridad in Barcelona. Throughout its course, La Solidaridad urged reforms in
both religion and government in the Philippines, and it served as the voice of what
became known as the Propaganda Movement.
According to Rosario-Braid and Tuazon (1999), Philippine free press has its roots in
nationalistic newspapers aimed to raise consciousness about the oppression
experienced by Filipinos at the hands of the Spaniards. These publications, such as
the La Solidaridad, were elitist, started by the Ilustrados (Filipino educated class)
who lived in Europe,like propagandists Graciano Lopez Jaena, Marcelo H. Del Pilar,
and Jose Rizal who were facing censorship in the Philippines (Teodoro, 1999).
The Katipunan, a Filipino nationalist organisation, was founded in 1892 and aimed
to separate the Philippines from Spain. To strengthen and widen the organisation, their
official newspaper, Kalayaan (freedom), was published in 1898 with Emilio Jacinto as
editor (National Historic Commission of the Philippines, 2012). Although only one issue
was published, historians agree that the Katipunan’s growth from 300 to 30,000 was the
publication which published revolutionary Andres Bonifacio’s two famous poems: “Pag-
ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa” (Love of Country) and “Ang Dapat Mabatid ng mga
Tagalog” (What the Tagalogs Should Know) (Rosario-Braid and Tuazon, 1999; National
Historic Commission of the Philippines, 2012). Other newspapers widely read during the
revolution were La Independencia, La Libertad, and El Heraldo de Iloilo.
B. American colonization
During the American period English became the de facto medium of instruction
(Lorente, 2013) and became the language of new newspapers in the Philippines like
The Manila Times (1898), Manila Daily Bulletin (1900), and Philippine Free Press
(1908) — most of which were published by Americans and pro-American (Rosario-Braid
and Tuazon, 1999). Nationalist newspapers such as El Renacimiento and El Nuevo
Dia were threatened with suspension after publishing about abuses of the American
government, while another newspaper called Sakdal, published in the regional language
of Tagalog, became a hit with the masses for attacking American imposed taxes and
abusive capitalists and landlords (Rosario-Braid and Tuzaon, 1999).
Sakdal was founded in 1930 by Benigno Ramos (left) and became a platform for the
oppressed “and later helped establish an underground movement that soon primed
itself as a revolutionary group against the American occupation” (Deyro,
2019). Sakdal became the official organ of the Sakdal Movement that demanded
immediate independence of the Philippines from the United States (Deyro, 2019).
According to Deyro (2019), “Readers were encouraged to share their copies with
others. In the provinces, it was said that one copy was read by more or less 10
individuals. In communities with illiterate citizens, groups of 10 to 20 people would listen
to the pages read aloud. An estimate of around 200,000 to 400,000 readers was
recorded.”
Sakdal eventually became a political party called Sakdalista Party and won national
and local seats in the 1934 elections (Rosario-Braid and Tuazon, 1999).
C. Japanese Occupation and Postwar Era
During World War II, all publications except those used by the Japanese — Manila
Tribune, Taliba, and La Vanguardia — were closed, and all publications were censored
by the Japanese Imperial Army (Rosario-Braid and Tuazon, 1999).
After the war, The Philippine press was regarded as the “freest in Asia” and was said
to be the “golden age of Philippine journalism. Most newspapers were wholly or
partly owned by businesses, as it is today. These newspapers also owned radio stations
and television channels. For example, The Manila Chronicle, owned by the Lopezes,
also owned thirty radio stations and television channels (Rosario-Braid and Tuazon,
1999).
Salvador Lopez (1984), former president of the University of the Philippines, describes
this time in Philippine journalism, “with media owned, organised, and operated by rich
families or powerful corporate bodies, it followed that they were instinctively committed
to the defense of their own clan’s interest.”
In the 1950’s farm programmes, features, documentaries and government programmes
were broadcast on the radio and television was introduced in 1953 catered to the elite,
with televisions costing $600 at the time. In 1960, local brands were made available,
making television accessible to more people. In the 60’s, most shows were canned
programmes from the United States, which were cheaper than television stations
producing their own shows (Rosario-Braid and Tuazon, 1999). According to Rosario-
Braid and Tuazon (1999, p. 301), this era saw Philippine media as “real watchdog of the
government.”
D. The Marcos Years
In the 1960’s to the early 70’s, the government began building its own information
structures to compete with private media and under Ferdinand Marcos, built the
National Media Production Centre, Malacanang Press Office, and Public Information
Offices (Lent, 1974). Marcos also acquired control of some private media
including, for example, the Manila Bulletin, which was acquired by his top military aide
Hans Menzi; the Philippine Daily Express, which reported on the good image of the
president, was founded in 1972 and was edited by Enrique Romualdez, the cousin of
Marcos’ wife (Lent, 1974). Before the declaration of Martial Law, most press and media
were owned by political-business clans (Sussman, 1990).
Marcos declared Martial Law in September 1972. Marcos ordered the press
secretary and national defense to take over all forms of media and accused the media
of disseminating “false, vile, foul, scurrilous statements, utterances, and pictures”

as well that it was used by “lawless elements” (Dresang, 1985).
Right after the announcement of Martial Law, only one newspaper, one television
station, and the government-owned radio station were allowed to continue business
(Rosenberg, 1974). The Daily Express was the first allowed to re-open, followed
by Manila Bulletin. With the shutdown of publications and broadcast media, Marcos
allowed new pro-Marcos media to open such as the Times Journal, People’s
Journal, People’s Tonight, owned and operated by Marcos’ brother-in-law (Dresang,
1985).
The press was highly controlled in this period, news reports were screened and
censored by the newly formed Department of Public Information and the media that
were allowed to operate became the ally of the government while journalists and editors
who continued to write against Marcos and his government were arrested and
incarcerated (Rosario-Braid and Tuazon, 1999). One of the first journalists to be
arrested was Joaquin Roces, publisher of the Manila Times, who had been one of the
harshest critics of Marcos. Other journalists detained include Teodoro Locsin, editor
of Free Press; Napoleon Rama, writer of Free Press; Maximo Soliven, Manila
Times columnist. Pro-Marcos journalists were “wined and dined” by Marcos and were
appointed to top government posts (Lent, 1974).
According to the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication (1984), there
were five ways that Marcos controlled the media:
1.) legal restrictions on the free flow of information through presidential decrees;
2.) indiscriminate libel cases against journalists;
3.) coordination of government press agencies with editors; 4.) unwritten guidelines or
taboo topics;
5.) military interference.
Alternative press began to emerge in the 1980’s to counter the government’s
propaganda. Among these were Veritas, Pahayagang Malaya, Business
Day, and Inquirer. “Xerox journalism” where censored news clippings from foreign press
were also disseminated to the masses (Rosario-Braid and Tuazon, 1999). Campus
publications like the University of the Philippines’ Philippine Collegian, Ateneo de Manila
University’s Pandayan, and Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila’s Ang Hasik became a
medium for voices opposing Marcos (Rosario-Braid and Tuazon, 1999). During this
period, although a chilling effect has taken over journalists, the nationalist tradition of
the press was slowly rekindled. According to Rosario-Braid and Tuazon (1999), Who
Magazine and WE Forum were the boldest and most remarkable publications of the
time, reporting about human rights victims, indigenous communities resisting
development programmes, and public sentiments.
In 1982, another crackdown on government opposition recurred and authorities shut
down WE Forum after a series of articles questioning Marcos’ credentials as the “most
decorated veteran” of World War II. By 1983, press freedom in the Philippines had
been liberalised and started returning to their pre-martial law reporting of crime of
society news, although criticisms of government in media were scant and most
continued their coverage of activities by Marcos and his family (Dresang, 1985). After
opposition leader Benigno Aquino Jr. was assassinated in August 1983, mainstream
media’s coverage of the assasination and its aftermath became more balanced and
opposition publications rose in number and popularity (Dresang, 1985).
Doeppers (1984), in an interview with Dresang (1985), notes a trend in the Philippines
where media outlets have proliferated at crucial times in the country’s history — in the
late 1800’s (revolution against Spain), in early American colonisation, and in 1945 (the
end of Japanese occupation). In 1985, at the tailend of the Marcos regime, alternative
media had gained more credibility than pro-Marcos media. According to Rosario-Braid
and Tuazon (1999, p.316), “alternative media nurtured the democratic and freedom-
loving spirit of the silent majority so much so that when the four-day revolution
happened, the Filipinos were ready for the event.”
The rise of Corazon Aquino into power was aided by the media. Particularly, the
Catholic Church’s radio station, Radio Veritas, was made available for Aquino’s
campaign. Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin also used the radio station to
urge the people to form a barricade and rally on the streets to protect the rebels,
which led to the People Power Revolution (Sussman, 1990).
According to former University of the Philippines president Francisco Nemenzo, as

quoted by McCargo (2003, p.20), “Without Radio Veritas, it would have been
difficult, if not impossible, to mobilize millions of people in a matter of hours.”
Another crucial support for Aquino’s presidency was the United States’ press who
reported favorably on Aquino’s campaign and which Aquino used to boost her
credentials outside of controlled local press (Sussman, 1990).
E. Post-Marcos to present-day media
A new constitution was created after the dictatorship and the freedom of the press
became protected under Article IV of the Bill of Rights. Philippine media returned to
what it was in the 60’s, in the tradition of American colonial newspapers featuring
commercial advertising (Sussman, 1990) and media ownership limited to the
business elite (Coronel, 2001). After the fall of Marcos, there was a boom in the
newspaper industry answering to people’s hunger for news. In the 1990’s, television
and radio had the most audience reach; newspapers still set the agenda and both TV
and radio got their cues from newspapers (Coronel, 2001).
The largest media, ABS-CBN, was reopened and was the leader in changing its news
model similar to the United States’ infotainment format, where coverage is crime, sex,
and occult.
Tandoc and Skoric (2010) identified the Philippine news market to be different from the
West. David et al (2019, p.334) notes:
The country has a high poverty rate of 20% to 25% (living below US$1.50 a day)
with low levels of high school completion. The population does not read
newspapers regularly, in part because of their cost. Broadsheets are written
mostly in English, which is widely understood, but English reading
comprehension is concentrated among political and business elites and the
small, albeit growing, middle class. The majority of news consumers rely on free
network television, mostly through its primetime news programs. A survey of
urban Filipinos found that 14% reported reading newspapers while 95% reported
watching television (“8 in 10 Filipinos Consume Media Content Through Multiple
Screens,” 2014).
The division between the “elite” and “mass market” has also divided news content
where broadsheets are mostly in English and contain news about politics and business
while television and tabloid news are in Filipino and contain news about crime and
entertainment (Elumbre and Carreon, 2007).
While the Philippines is said to be the “social media capital of the world” and the
Internet has grown to be a media platform where Filipinos get information,
telecommunication infrastructure remain underdeveloped in some areas, making
television and radio the main source of information in the countryside (Estrella and
Loffelholz, 2019).
Print Media
Print media in the Philippines is on a decline. In 2013, barely one in ten Filipinos read a
newspaper everyday and only 28% read a newspaper once a week (Philippine Statistics
Authority, 2013).
The two formats of Philippine newspapers are broadsheets and tabloids, with tabloids
outnumbering broadsheets in numbers and copies sold (Estrella and Loffeholz, 2019).
There are 40 national dailies (both broadsheet and tabloid), 60 regional and community
newspapers, and 14 newspapers in foreign languages like Chinese. According to a
survey conducted by Nielsen in 2017, out of the top 10 most read newspapers seven
are tabloids and three are broadsheets. Tabloids are cheaper, smaller, and mostly in
people’s native language.
Estrella and Loffeholz (2019) note that print media consumption provide a glimpse of
the demographics of Philippine news readers who prefer tabloids with sensationalised
content, the bizarre and appalling (heinous crimes and show business).
Radio
Radio remains to be the second most used media in the Philippines with 41.4% of the
population listening to radio once a week (PSA, 2013). It reaches the most remote
areas. According to the Media Ownership Monitor of Reporters Without Borders (2017),
radio is “the most pervasive media” in the Philippines. Filipinos mostly listen to FM
stations for music. On the other hand, AM stations deliver news and public affairs
(Reporters Without Borders, 2017). Ninety percent of radio stations are privately owned
and companies who also own television stations like ABS-CBN dominate the market.
Television shows get their radio spin-offs and other television shows air simultaneously
on the radio.
Television
Photo: CNN Philippines

Television is the most used and most trusted media in the Philippines with 81% of the
population watching television, 71.6% of which watch at least once a week (PSA, 2013).
In a survey by Nielsen in 2016, 58% said television is their most trusted source of
political information.
There are more than 400 television stations nationwide dominated by the two biggest
conglomerates, ABS-CBN and GMA, who have an audience share of 81%. Both
operate nationally and regionally.
Regular programming are similar across stations. It starts with early morning news
programmes, followed by variety, lifestyle shows, or cartoons; entertainment shows for
lunch; soap operas for the afternoon, followed by evening news; and another round of
soap operas or reality TV for primetime (Estrella and Loffeholz, 2019).
All television franchises are approved by the government, particularly by Congress and
regulated by the National Telecommunications Commission. Recently, ABS-CBN has
been told to stop reporting criticisms about Duterte’s drug war or else their television
franchise will not be renewed. In 2020, the Congress refused the renewal of ABS-CBN’s
franchise and the broadcasting company has stopped airing its shows.
Digital Media
The Philippines ranks first in the world in terms of time spent on social media (Camus,
2017). According to We Are Social’s (2018) Global Digital Report, the Philippines tops
the world in terms of social media usage, with 71 million users spending an average of 4
hours and 12 minutes a day mainly on Facebook.
Digital media plays an important role in Filipinos’ everyday lives and in socio-political
situations. Filipinos’ active use of digital and social media varies from being the “Selfie
Capital of the World” (Time, 2014) to using $200,000 worth of campaign funds
employing social media trolls for political propaganda (Bradshaw and Howard, 2017).
Even before the rise of the Internet, Filipinos have used technology to engage in socio-
political activities. In 2001 former president Joseph Estrada was impeached, it was
known to have been fuelled by a series of text messages used for mobilisations (Montiel
and Estuar, 2006).
Philippine media continues to be diverse, with television and radio still being the most
popular media platform for getting information. However, the rise of the Internet and
social media has made a difference in information sharing where users can
simultaneously be producers and consumers of information. Social media has been
used to discredit traditional media and has been used to proliferate disinformation for
political propaganda.
Karununan, R. (2020). https://reneekarunungan.com/2020/02/19/the-history-of-
philippine-media/
2.3.2 Urban Legend
Learning Outcomes
This lesson aims to awaken the student’s sense of community as we approach Urban
Legends in
a critical lense. As we go on, we realise that Urban Legend somehow protects a shell of
society
and also define traditions. Like passing an ancient knowledge to the young ones,
students must
be reminded that they are the carrier of this stories and traditions. You will soon assume
the
responsibility of retaining these colourful Filipino culture to another generation or let it be
forgotten.
Motivational Questions
What do you know about urban legend? Have you ever heard of any urban legends in
your house? In your community? We often heard Aswang, kapre, Babae sa balete
drive, and so many other scary stories.
Discussion
Let us first know what is urban legend. What us Urban Legend? During your childhood
what are the things that you remembered when you parents wanted you to sleep early
or get inside the house?
Urban legend, also called urban myth, contemporary legend, or modern legend,
in folklore, is a story about an unusual or humorous event that many people believe to
be true but that is not true.
An urban legend, myth, or tale is a modern genre of folklore. It often consists of
fictional stories associated with
the macabre, superstitions, ghosts, demons, cryptids, extraterrestrials, creepypasta,
and other fear generating narrative elements. Urban legends are often rooted in local
history and popular culture.
When we talk about Urban Legends, we usually assign it as scary, macabre and events
that explore mysticism that could either be of superstition or tradition. Now, we will read
an article
from CNN Philippines explaining the different angles of urban legend and its significant
to our
sense of community
Origins and characteristics
Urban legends typically combine secondhand narratives, such as those heard from “a
friend of a friend,” with contemporary settings and familiar everyday objects, such as
shopping malls or automobiles. Similar to older traditional folk tales and legends, urban
legends spread through word of mouth but are increasingly shared through print, digital,
and social media. They occur in cultures worldwide, featuring common plots and
themes with minor differences reflecting local knowledge and cultural mores. Although
many urban legends are told for their shock value or humour, folklorists believe that
urban legends reflect the anxieties and beliefs in modern society, such as fears related
to technology or crime. Thus, they hold as important a place in the study and collection
of folklore as older traditional tales.
Urban legends are also typified by short neat plots that involve a series of odd events or
unlikely coincidences followed by a twist ending. Folklorists distinguish between urban
legends and rumours, gossip, misinformation, hoaxes, and conspiracy theories, most of
which lack the urban legend’s telltale narrative structure. Prevalent themes in urban
legends include technology, business and industry, crime, medicine and disease, fast
food or contaminated food, disasters, doppelgängers or mistaken identities, and
celebrities, as well as traditional themes of death, sex, and money. Unlike traditional folk
tales, which are generally associated with rural preliterate societies or with stories told
by the very old to the very young, urban legends are shared and believed by people of
all ages, classes, professions, and education levels.
Manila (CNN Philippines Life) — In October, Robinsons Galleria launched a new

digital campaign featuring actress Alice Dixson in an effort to advertise the mall’s
recently renovated interiors. In the ad, Dixson can be seen browsing through racks of
clothing and walking into the fitting room to try them on, but she feels as though she is
being watched. A humanoid snake reveals itself — but it’s actually just a child in a
costume. In a little over a month, the campaign has reached 2.3 million views and tens
of thousands of likes, comments, and shares on Facebook. If parts of this story seem
familiar to you, you’re not alone.
The campaign makes a reference to a decades-old urban legend which claims that the
mall was a secret hideaway for “Robinson,” supposed mutant son of John Gokongwei
and twin brother of Robina Gokongwei-Pe. According to the legend, Robinson hid out in
the department store fitting rooms to prey on unsuspecting young women, and certain
versions state that he had attacked, or perhaps fallen in love with, Dixson herself.
Celebrities tend to be common elements of urban legends, after all — there’s Richard
Gere’s gerbil incident, and Lady Gaga’s secret life as a hermaphrodite.
“Urban legends are part of a broader concept that is folklore,” says Prof. Carlos P. Tatel,
Jr., anthropologist and coordinator of the folklore studies program in the University of
the Philippines.
Folklore has two root words: folk, which corresponds to people, and lore, which
corresponds to stories and narratives. “Put them together,” Tatel explains, “and it means
‘narratives [or] things about a group of people.’” Operationalized, he adds, the concept
boils down to a knowledge of people: “What [they] do, their daily lives, their ideas, their
habits, behavior, rituals, even what’s on their minds. All of it make up [the school of
thought called] ‘kaalamang bayan.’”
Collective consciousness and creating culture

Specifically, urban legends are parts of “kaalamang bayan” that are rooted in urban
areas and cities. “The thing about urban legends is that they prove that folklore is not
relegated to the rural area,” Tatel says. “Folklore is common everywhere, whether it is
rural or urban.” Regarding the dichotomy of city and province, the legends counter or
disprove the idea that there is a divide between rural and urban sensibilities. Instead,
Tatel explains, “there’s one continuous general consciousness of the people.”
More often than not, by the time we hear an urban legend, because of the speed at
which it spreads and its wide reach, it will have become difficult to point out exactly
where it came from and how it started. It gets told over and over and repeated, as
though an object in a game of telephone or pass the message, and details are blurred
and changed, resulting in different versions.
“Urban legends help you understand the nature of life, the nature of the people,
ofcollective consciousness, because [the urban setting] helps you understand
citynorms and city life.” — Prof. Carlos P. Tatel, Jr.
“People will talk about it and some will remember what happened, and they will pass it
on from one generation to another, hanggang sa maging part of the collective
consciousness,” Tatel explains. “This is no different from other forms of culture na you
don’t know when or where it started, pero people just do it. In time, it becomes part of
the culture.” This, he adds, makes urban legends a factor of culture making.
The concept of a city is fairly recent, having existed within the past 200 years or so.
Urban legends, then, are fairly modern examples of folklore. Tatel says that common
factors include “popular culture, media, capitalists, buildings and transportation, crimes,
[and other] elements that occur in or are associated with a city.” A friend of a friend of a
friend may have been injected with a syringe along Recto, only to find a note that said,
“Welcome to the HIV world.” Your mother may have told you about Agapito Flores, the
Filipino man who supposedly invented fluorescent lights. You may have found yourself
on Balete Drive, just waiting to catch a glimpse of a white lady in the rearview.
The making of a myth
The Robinsons Galleria story became mythical hearsay precisely because it’s set in a
mall, which has become a familiar part of life, if not a way of life, in Filipino
municipalities. Tatel and Dax Carnay, creative director of advertising agency
Echochannels which produced the Dixson campaign, are both familiar with the urban
legend, and each had his own recollection of having heard of it.
Tatel, who was in high school at the time, attributes its beginnings to good, old-
fashioned commercial rivalry. “You can say that it’s just a way to undermine the success
of Robinsons [by other malls], kasi may competition, and it caught on.” In a way, this
tactic seemed to have worked for Carnay, who was in elementary school when he heard
it, as he remembers that “people wouldn’t even go to Galleria because we were scared
it was actually true.”
Another urban legend that appears to have been brought about by attempts to ruin a
business is the rumor that Chinese food, specifically siopao, contains cat meat. The
success of Ma Mon Luk, one of the country’s pioneering modern Chinese restaurants,
became a catalyst for others to open restaurant of their own. Ivan Man Dy, who leads
walking tours of Binondo, Manila’s food culture called the Big Binondo Food Wok, told
Pepper.ph that the “siomeow” myth may have come from their efforts to bring Ma Mon
Luk down. Kowloon House, which also rose in popularity in the ‘90s, suffered from
similar hearsay. In the same article, the Philippine Food and Drug Administration
confirmed that inspections were conducted at Chinese restaurants, and no traces of cat
meat were ever found.
Part of the reasoning behind the persistence of this rumor is the stereotype that Chinese
immigrants are “cheap” and would prefer to slaughter stray cats than spend on real
meat. Fact checking website Snopes states that the cat meat urban legend has been
found to have been around since “the earliest years of the British Empire in England
and to the 1850s in the United States,” and even then, it was arguably rooted in racist
and xenophobic notions, perpetuated by the difference in cultures between China and
other countries.
As a historical figure, Jose Rizal is also the subject of a few strange myths. One such
story supposes that he may have been the biological father of Adolf Hitler, following a
one-night tryst in Germany or Austria. However, accounts of Rizal’s travels across
Europe prove this false, as he was in London and then France at the time of Hitler’s
conception and birth between 1888 and 1889.
Rizal’s time in London is tied to an even more interesting possibility — that he was
notorious serial killer Jack the Ripper, who struck fear and panic in the city when he was
staying there. In historian Ambeth Ocampo’s book “Looking Back 5: Rizal’s Teeth,
Bonifacio’s Bones,” he writes about this legend, noting that Rizal made a passing
reference to Jack the Ripper in an essay on the Guardia Civil for La Solidaridad.
Theorists reasoned that Rizal was roughly the same height (“Jack” stood no more than
5’7”), had a mustache, was around the same age, and even had the same initials. Jack
the Ripper killed victims with surgical precision, giving investigators the impression that
the menace may have been a doctor, and Rizal was a doctor, as well. Most interesting
is the fact that the killings are believed to have ceased at the same time that Rizal left
London.
Lore in the time of social media
Perhaps one of the most well-known local urban legends in the Philippines is that of the
above mentioned white lady on Balete Drive, which dates back to at least the 1950s. A
story published in a newspaper in the mid-2000s purports that the myth was fabricated
by a reporter in the ‘50s to make for an interesting story, combining multiple accounts.
This reporter may have been Neal H. Cruz, who wrote in the Philippine Inquirer about
his experiences investigating Balete Drive. A “friend” of the white lady shared that she
was actually a victim of a hit and-run; a lost soul looking for revenge. He also
interviewed a police captain who said he picked up a hitchhiking woman wearing all-
white, only to find that she had disappeared into thin air at the end of the street.
The police captain’s story has become a common iteration of the urban legend; only
today, it’s most attributed to taxi drivers on night shifts. In a modern spin, a Grab
passenger now claims that her driver was dropping off a passenger at Robinsons
Magnolia, only for her to vanish once they pass Balete Drive. There were supposedly
records of unpaid transactions with routes along Balete Drive. Though one has to
wonder, however, how a ghost can even create a Grab account.
“Sometimes, people spread stories because they're interesting, not necessarily

because they’ve been verified to be true. In social media where likes and shares
are a currency, urban legends and fabricated stories will inevitably arise.” — Mac
Arboleda
In the early days of the internet, urban legends would be diligently and routinely passed
along as“warnings” through forwarded emails. In the age of Twitter threads and
Facebook posts, the viral nature of hearsay has only intensified. Various classic urban
legends have actually begun popping up again and gaining thousands of interactions on
Twitter, from the sperm cell in one student’s tissue sample in class to the kiss with a
necrophiliac that results in body horror.
It can be said that it’s now much easier for such stories to get out of hand. Case in
point: You may have heard that religious groups protested and demanded the
cancellation of The Killers’ concert in Manila in 2013 because of their band name. But
the truth of it was that it was a satirical Facebook post meant only for a small group of
people to see and laugh at.
“It was mostly inspired by the absurdity of the actual protests that happened when Lady
Gaga did a concert here,” says Mac Arboleda, who wrote and posted the fake article.
He had done it to poke fun and to point out what a ridiculous idea it was, but when his
friends began commenting, he realized that they actually believed it. “The entire time I
really thought they would understand that
it’s a joke, but apparently not.” The post reached nearly 3,000 shares overnight, and it
was even picked up by news sites and other websites.
Arboleda eventually used the event as a basis for his undergraduate thesis, which
revolved around online audiences and satirical news. “With social media, it’s so much
easier now to spread misinformation,” he says. “But many people still lack the literacy
needed to be able to distinguish [what’s] satire from what’s not, the motivation to read
entire articles, etc. Being familiar with current news also helps, and the problem with
people who aren’t aware of what’s happening around them could easily be fooled by
stories that are even just a tiny bit believable.” And as with most urban legends, details
are constantly being blurred the more it’s passed on —
especially online, where knee-jerk reactions have become a normal part of the
conversation. “Sometimes, people spread stories because they're interesting, not
necessarily because they’ve been verified to be true,” Arboleda adds. “In social media
where likes and shares are a currency, urban legends and fabricated stories will
inevitably arise.”
Making sense of the world
Tatel posits that if urban legends reveal anything about us and our customs, it’s that “we
are indeed a very folkloric people.” It’s ingrained in our beliefs, our culture, and how we
interact with the world around us. “[Folk tales] did not leave us when we supposedly
became more modernized or urbanized. They’re a part of our lives.” He adds that
folklore, by nature, is passed down orally —
keeping the story alive and sustaining it by continuing to tell it.
“Urban legends aren’t just stuff that we hear; they create a world that we [don’t
necessarily] see,” Carnay says. “They stick with us because we learn about them when
we’re kids, trying to figure out the world.” Eventually, we outgrow these beliefs, but he
says that the wonder never really goes away. “You choose to believe [or hold on to it]
because it’s more interesting. It makes our lives interesting as people.”
According to Tatel, however, urban legends also have social relevance beyond giving
us tales to tell around a campfire: “Urban legends help you understand the nature of life,
the nature of the people, of collective consciousness, because [the urban setting] helps
you understand city norms and citylife,” he says. “They help you understand society
better.”
Urban legend is story that has humor and caution elements mixed in it. It is spread to its
readers/consumers as a true event, but evidence is not available to prove the story’s
claim. Its elements of humor and caution are important part of it. The combination of
these elements show that urban legend sets a standard of morals.
The article is informative. It shares the definition of urban legend, its characteristics, and
its origins. It also emphasizes that urban legend is new and city-invented. Another thing
mentioned in the article is the fact that urban legend has paved its way to Filipinos
because of
economic reasons and social reasons. First, the Robinson monster integrated itself in
the lives of Filipinos because of the big part of malls in the Philippines. Second, urban
legends are used for marketing purposes. Third, some urban legends came about
because of racism and other
negative factors.
In the article, media has had a great influence in spreading urban legends in the
Philippines. One example in the article is the creation of the story “Balete drive”.
Cautionary tales have spread even more because of Facebook and other over the top
warnings. Many shared them out of humor.
Other Known Urban Legend (Stories) in the Philippines
1. Aswang
2. Multo
3. Kapre
4. Nuno
5. Tikbalang
6. Tiyanak
7. Mananaggal
8. Sigbin
9. Mangkukulam
10. White Lady
11. Diwata
12. Duwende
As a conclusion, urban legends are not only stories. They represent a culture of a
society
Lesson Summary
Urban legends connect many generations together, uniting them in belief and shaping
ideals. As Filipinos, we love to add a little bit of lore in stories whether it is a ghost in
abandoned schools or crossing through a thick smoke after a funeral. We use urban
legends and lore to ‘spice’ things up. We use these urban legends as signs of
precaution against harm and to somehow be at the safer side of our superstitions.
References
Britannica (2023, September 29). Urban legend https://www.britannica.com/art/proverb
Statista. https://www.statista.com/topics/6119/media-industry-in-the-philippines/
#topicOverview
Wikipedia. Urban legend https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_urban_legends
Journal News.Terrifying monster and urban myths in the Philippines
https://journalnews.com.ph/terrifying-monsters-and-urban-myths-from-the-philippines/
References:
https://www.preceden.com/timelines/631577-history-of-philippine-art
https://prezi.com/p/mdpbq7nnne9c/philippine-art-a-timeline/
National Museum of the Philippines (2020)
https://www.facebook.com/nationalmuseumofthephilippines/posts/this-weeks-
troweltuesday-is-timely-following-our-worldrhinoday-post-in-this-feat/
3615463045144654/
https://villagepipol.com/lingling-o-jade-trade-during-the-neolithic/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lingling-o
https://palawan-news.com/quezon-town-kicks-off-16th-manunggul-festival-with-vibrant-
parade-and-activities/
http://prezi.com/evolution of media in the Philippines
https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/
AYycGvSOgRS3_K0I5XVFVHNq42xz72egMBiCJP2f3I3jsVvGoeoccks/
https://artesdelasfilipinas.com/archives/115/islamic-art-in-the-philippines
https://www.facebook.com/nationalmuseumofthephilippines/photos/
a.195151237175869/4344479045576380/?type=3
https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/508062401710374455/
https://fameplus.com/touchpoint/weaving-the-islands
https://www.spot.ph/newsfeatures/the-latest-news-features/70422/7-fascinating-ways-
filipinos-amused-themselves-before-television-a1114-20170612-lfrm
Philippines,My Philippines Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/PMPonFB/photos/a.256836091122592/391202094352657/?
paipv=0&eav=AfbMOPOCfYK6PxwceMHcLgK48joV1hxWd36LLC35-
1ZMyRBjsXnUUt7fUZVsyyHtIz4&_rdr
The World in a pocket
https://theworldinapocket.com/contentindex/vn569d8l71t9l03y4w40it8gvbsxw9
Rice Matter The PPhilippine Official Blog
https://ricematters.wordpress.com/2011/06/02/history-of-rice/
Garcia, A, 2021. Business World
https://www.bworldonline.com/editors-picks/2021/08/12/388560/so-what-were-we-
eating-before-magellan-came/
Guide to the Philippineshttps://guidetothephilippines.ph/articles/what-to-experience/
philippines-street-food-guide
Walker, S. (1986). Contemporary Art Issues
https://www.contemporaryartissue.com/what-are-the-7-forms-of-art-a-complete-
overview/

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Republic of the Philippines

CENTRAL BICOL STATE UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE

GEC12 Philippine Popular Culture

Week 2-3 Module 1 Introduction to  Lecture

 Define and frame the

Module 2.1: Arts and literature

Module 2.2: Lifestyle, Fashion,

 Identify arts and literature in

Module 3 Foreign Influences  Lecture

Module 3.2: Japanese Animation

Module 3.3: Hallyu culture and

Module 4.3: Vlogging

Module 5 The rise of social  Lecture

Lesson 2: Meme-ology 101

Lesson 3: The experience

Assessment Type % Course Due Date Graduate

Week 1-6 Pen and 30%

Synchronous Classes (Google Meet)

Module 2 History and Evolution of Popular Culture in the Philippines

2.2 Lifestyle, Fashion, and Foods

Popular culture basically describes as new world which is created by young

World Literature Philippine Literature

I. Pre-Colonial Art (1685 BC -1520 AD)

Arts and Literature

Art is something that stimulates an individual's thoughts, emotions, beliefs, or ideas

Sculpture- the art of making three-dimensional representative or abstract forms,

Literature – is a collection of written works in which expression and form, in

Architecture - Architectural monuments are cultural symbols that define not

Theater - Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses

I. PRE-COLONIAL ART (1685 BC -1520 AD)

One of the Magalith Structure is the Angono Petroglyphs

Discovered in 1965, the Angono Petroglyphs are believed to be the oldest

Other important works

1. Lingling-O (2000 BC-1000 AD) -ear pendant, it is an excellent ancient

find provides evidence of indigenous Philippine manufacture as early as

2. Manungul Jar (890 BC-710 BC – Secondary ancient burial jar discovered

Philippine Pre-Colonial Gold Artifacts and Jewelry

The Sheik Karimol Makhdum Mosque is located in Barangay Tubig Indangan,

II. SPANISH COLONIAL PERIOD - 1521-1898

Spanish wood carving and design

Filipino artist in Spanish ERA

Damian Domingo (Father of Filipino Painter)

Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo a Filipino Artist known as “Great Filipino Painter”

III. AMERICAN COLONIAL ART (1898-1946)

Paintings of Fernando Amorsolo

IV. POST-COLONIAL ART (1946-1986)

The Entertainment industry in the Philippines has been a powerful force in

Cinema- Popular Cinemas in the Philippines continuous to boom. There

b. Sipa is a traditional sport in the Philippines, players are required

2. Individual sport has an individual competitor that competes in a

3. Team Sports are played by a team of 2 or more individuals that

C. Popular Politics-modern Philippine politics has been shaped by two powerful

Module 2.2 Timeline of Popular Lifestyle, Fashion, and Foods

A theater show which focuses on comedy was called

Bull and Tiger Fight 1900s

Maria Clara Dress

Pre-colonial Philippine cuisine is composed of food practices of the indigenous

A non-cooking aspect of Spanish colonization led directly to some of the sweetest of

Other Filipino Foods and Delicacies