Insights on the movie: Batad: Sa Paang Palay

The Self and the Other: 
On Being Local and Global

The movie “Batad: Sa Paang Palay” showed to me different kinds of thoughts, feelings and reactions. Looking into the movie’s quality per se, it showed that it can stand with its underlying theme, story, and essence. As for this reflection paper’s case, I will be reacting to some ecological and socio-spatial issues that I have seen in the movie by analyzing it by looking into two of the most common binary opposites in the study of geography, the dichotomy of the self and others and the local-global debate.

The movie was interesting and intriguing in a way for me, as anthropology major and as a Filipino. It showed a new kind of viewing the notions about indigenous people in the contextualization of an indie-film. In this film, the idea of how do the characters in the movie see themselves on the context of comparing their self vis-a-vis other locals and with the outsiders coming to Batad was very evident. One of the points I have seen in the movie possessing some ecological and socio-spatial issues was the notion of comparing the economic, social and cultural differences of both the locals of Batad and the immediate outside (for the movie’s case, Baguio City) and the far outside (the foreigners).  The idea of looking to the notion of the self in comparison to outsiders can pose a critical assessment on the question of why do they look different from the rest. In the movie, the main character had a certain focus on the idea of having a pair of shoes. He then questions his nature and capabilities on as to why he was not capable of having his own pair of shoes. The idea of the other being civilized, ordered and properly dressed (including the idea of having footwear) poses the idea that he is different from the others because he is not the same as the other. Adding up the idea that he doesn’t have enough money to buy his own shoes because of his obligation to help his family financially and the question of the importance of the shoes in their place give an intriguing issue on as to how their very own idea of the self as a reflection of their individuality tends to be in line with their conceived notions of the other. I remember one of his friends questioning the need for him to have a pair of shoes saying that “Hindi naman yan kailangan dito sa atin.” justifying that he doesn’t need a pair of shoes in Batad. In this argument, I saw a direct relation of their notions on how they are portraying their own notions of their selves on contrast and in comparison with their idea of the others.

Another important point that can be seen as an idea of the self and other was with the idea of the commodification of the cultural traditions and material culture. The socio-spatial conditions of the place, being a tourist destination, depict a clear manifestation that the exoticization of the others can be a market of interest for tourism purposes. Like in the movie’s case, the idea and the act of selling the bul’ul, the Igorot’s God for harvest, was a taboo for them because it will bring bad luck to the person selling it. But despite this tradition, there are cases in the movie wherein some traditional artifacts were sold in exchange for money due to its “exotic nature” simply because they are conceived as marketable for the other’s (foreigners/outsiders) fascination with indigenous culture and artifacts. Another one was when the main character started to wear their indigenous clothing so that he can be an attraction for photo opportunities thus being able to generate income. Due to their need for a more stable source of income, the materialization of the self and others came into the contextualization of the socio-spatial issues and condition of Batad.

On the idea of local and global, another important thing I noticed in the movie was their issue of keeping their tradition of rice cultivation and the inheritance of heirloom lands. Some of them sold their agricultural lands for them to able to find jobs outside the country. The idea of having high paid jobs outside the country is primarily the reason why they choose to go outside the country; for them the income coming from rice cultivation is not sufficient and the idea of planting rice in a traditional manner has been out of the global context. In this regard, the issue of the ecological and socio-spatial conditions can be seen as a manifestation of the emerging global perceptions of the new and modern world entering the community of Batad. The notion of having good paying jobs outside the Batad or even out of the country is the best way to survive the emerging need for subsistence and living. It was the modernity offered by the global progress that made the residents of Batad question their local living. I even remember the main character asking his mother the question on as to why his father chose to live the traditional Igorot life, relying most on the ecological and traditional way of life offered by the space they occupy. The power of language has also been seen as an integral issue on the notions of socio-spatial considerations primarily on the superiority of globally influential language like English in making a mark as a progressive and effective medium of expression. In the movie, the main character has this notion that if he was able to speak English he has more opportunities of earning. On the other hand, they can also be a mixing of global and local influences that can be seen in the presence of folk Catholicism depicted in the mixing of the folk religiosity and Christianity practiced primarily in their community during their agricultural activities.

In the end, the notions of the self and other marked by local and global influences has been an analytical tool in looking at the different ecological and socio-spatial issues faced not just by the residents of Batad but of almost indigenous Filipino communities. The notion of their “traditional and local self” has been marked as a conservative counterpart of the “modern and globalized others” primarily due to the existence of globalization and emergence of modernity among the human cultures. As for my own opinion, this argument is certainly dependent on the ideas on a contextual definition of the so-called self in the context of valuing differences among everyone; that in the context of humanity, the idea of being others and global would still matter on a firm sense of being a localized self, unique yet open for differences and similarities. As what one of the characters has said, “Isip lang ng tao ang nag-iiba, hindi ang buhay.”

***(A Reflection Paper submitted as a requirement for Geog 173 (Cultural Geography), 05 September, 2014)***

Reflecting on the notions of the "Self" and "Other"

SELF AND OTHER

In the course of defining the self, we always associate the related term “other.” In its broader sense, self is usually negated with the concept of other. Self is translated in Filipino as the sarili but if you will try to look for a direct translation of other in Filipino the closest word that can be identified is iba but the most commonly used term by Filipinos is kapwa. In this sense, we usually think that the other is a word that is entirely separate from the so called self since there has been a distinct diving line between the self and the other. Looking in a more complex rationality, the term kapwa is a joined representation of looking into others as a collective group joined and in connection with our own selves. In a simple sense, sarili can never be separated with the kapwa.

Pakikipagkapwa-tao is a popular value that is mostly shared by Filipinos. This value has been thought to everyone since childhood and is expected to be practiced until maturity. We also have this favorite line na “Palagi kang makipagkapwa-tao.” If I will be asked on how do I perceived the notion of self and others I must say that the other and self are just separate entities in terms of semantic consideration but looking at it through the lens of Philippine culture this two things are different and connected in a way. Different natures of existence are possessed by these two different terms. The self is seen as a representation of who you are, what you do, what you think, what you act, what you like or don’t like, what you wish and so on and so forth that has a reference towards the inside, the you, the self. On the other hand, the term other can be seen as what are they, what they do, what they think, what they act, what they like and don’t like, what they wish, thus, the point of reference is still coming the self in relation to what is about the people around the one pertained to as the self. In a broader sense, in order to define the self you must see the other; looking at them as binary opposite. They are different in a distinct sense of difference but connected in rationalizing the essence of the two.

Looking at it through anthropological perspective, the notion of the “other” has been linked to colonialist and imperialist view of the West over the non-West nations. It has been a derogatory term that has been linked several unequal at irrational thinking of describing and looking to other peoples in the world. But as for me the notion of “other” or “kapwa” in the Philippine context has been linked to our social and cultural awareness that the sense of being a human has been always and will always be linked to the existence of the others. We value differences thus we must accept and believe that the other is always a part of our self. The interrelatedness and difference of the self and other lies on the existence and rationality of both terms. In the end, what matters most was the reality that one can’t stand alone. The self is different from the other but there will never be an “other” if there was no existence of the so called “self.”

***(A reflection paper submitted as a requirement for NSTP-CWTS class, 01 September, 2014)***

Gumaca's Spanish Fortifications

Hi again! 

Yayyyyyyyy! And now I want to share something about my hometown, the "Pinagpalang bayan" of Gumaca. Gumaca was one of the earliest towns founded during the Spanish colonial era here in the southern part of the Philippines. As a result, it had gone various social and cultural transformations. One of the cultural gems here in Gumaca that fascinated me ever since I was a child was the kastilyo, as what we popularly call it, or the San Diego de Alcala Fortress (Kutang San Diego). To give you more background about it, I'm sharing this paper I have made for my archaeology class last year about linking history and archaeology or popularly known as Historical Archaeology. In this exercise we are asked to looked for valid historical documents about a historical site and verify these historical accounts through analyzing the archaeological context of the chosen site. And for that exercise, I looked into the fortifications established in Gumaca, Quezon during the Spanish colonial era. So here is it:

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Anthro 111 Paper
Historical Archaeology Exercise
Submitted: October 4, 2013

Integrating Historical Documents and Archaeological Sites:

Looking into Gumaca’s Spanish Colonial Fortifications

Gumaca, a town 11 years younger than Manila and found at the southernmost part of the Province of Quezon, was known to exhibit a wide array of rich cultural treasures dating to as far as the Spanish colonial era. Gumaca is situated at the mount of what is known as Pipisik River and within the foot of Sierra Madre mountain ranges. It was a settlement founded at the southern bank of Palanas River in the 14^th century by a group of settlers from Borneo and Malay Peninsula. At present, it is dubbed to be the center of commerce and trade and labeled as the melting pot of the southern part of Quezon supporting the 3^rd and 4^th districts of the province.

Being a town formed and molded during the Spanish colonial era, it is known to house different historical and cultural traces of a rich and highly valuable gems of the Philippine history. According to Leaño (1973), Gumaca can trace its influential Spanish aura as far as during the coming of the first apostles of the province of Tayabas (now Quezon) which were the Franciscans (Provincia de San Gregorio Magno) during the 16^th century. Gumaca was registered in the Franciscan annals in 1582 and this led to the assumption of acknowledging this year as the foundation date of the first visita erected in this town. According to some historical accounts, the most probable founder of the town could be Fr. Diego de Oropesa or Fr. Esteban Ortiz, for they were the first Franciscan missionaries assigned to evangelize the said area.

After being under the long colonial influences of the Spanish government through the governing forces of the friars assigned in Gumaca, several Spanish-influenced structures has been evident throughout the town. And the ones that called my attention were the fortifications established to surround the town during the late 18^th century, namely the San Diego, Santa Maria, San Rafael and San Miguel Fortresses. This paper shall look into the authenticity of the historical and cultural contexts of these fortresses as valuable archaeological sites. It will look on the available writings that tell about the long and rich history of these structures as a marker of an influential colonial era and prove justifications on considering it as a potential archaeological site.

The Fortifications

It was 1751 when the erection of the four stone fortresses (watch towers) which would defend the town began and in 1781 the last of those fortresses was finished (Castro et al., 1953). These fortresses were made through the supervision of Franciscan Father Francisco Coste. According to Guerra (1862), Gumaca must have been on a great fought of pirates considering the situation that it occupies and the remnants of the defenses that are still preserved.  As per written by Castro et al., these fortifications were made to defend the town and serve as a watch tower to warn the people of any impeding attack from Moro invaders and pirates. Being a town facing the vast water body of Lamon Bay, Gumaca has been prone to attacks by the Moro pirates and invaders. In fact, during the transfer of the town in a barrio called Silangan on Alabat Island, Dutch invaders burned the town in 1665 destructing all the houses including the church and the convent (Leaño, 1973). In this context, Fr. Francisco Corta when he initiated the construction may have this arrangement in his mind of establishing these fortifications to protect the town and its people.

Front view of Kutang San Diego (image from: en.wikipedia.org)

These are some of the cannons inside the fortress.
They are used as primary weapons during wars against pirates or invaders.

According to Castro et al. (1953), these fortifications were made of large brown stones and lumber with tiled roofs throughout. As they had elaborated, lime with water which has been mixed with pounded “puso-puso” and a little molasses from sugar cane was used for cementing purposes. The first one to be erected, the Santa Maria Fortress was constructed in 1751 and was finished in 1781. It was built on the southern end of the wooden bridge over Gumaca River (Pipisik River). San Rafael which was finished in 1769 was built on the south of the upper part of the Gumaca River in line with Santa Maria. The San Miguel which construction began in 1751 and finished in 1771 was built on the eastern part of the town to guard the shores of northeastern side of Lamon Bay. And lastly, the only remaining fortress out of the four, the San Diego Fortress was built on the northeastern part of the town directly facing Lamon Bay on the southern bank of the mouth of the Gumaca River. As what Castro et al. (1953) had expounded, Santa Maria was destroyed back in 1905 when the bridge over the river was widened, San Rafael was destroyed in 1889 while San Miguel was destroyed by the strong earthquake that struck the town on 1882.

It is also interesting to know that these fortifications were constructed in a stage by stage process and just until the half of the 19^th century that the Franciscan friars had so fortified the town. As per Guerra’s (1862) description of the fortresses which said as follows:

…a solid wall runs across the beach, beginning at the river which gives the town its name. Over this is a wooden bridge, which links the town to the bulwark of Santa María.  Over the portal of the fortification, which opens to the road leading to Atimonan, are preserved carved in stone the imperial eagle of the house of Austria (Hapsburg), a coat of arms also displayed at the ruinous walls of the casa tribunal. A wall encloses the settlement on the seaward side with its castle of San Diego (de Alcala).  The construction of this fortification demonstrates a competent hand and the solidity of its construction have maintained the fortification in good condition after so many years.  On its platform is a heavy iron cannon.  With these two fortifications and two others named San Rafael and San Miguel is defined a quadrilateral. (p. 97)

 These movements made by the friars were part of the mechanisms planned by the Spanish colonizers to establish a “ministerio”, a “vicariato” and “Pueblo Civil.” Evidence that might support this argument is the construction of a palisade of molave and other hard wood built around the town claimed to protect the town from the southwest monsoon in 1787.

San Diego de Alcala Fortress (image from: www.choosephilippine.com)

Archaeological Context of the Fortresses

Upon looking into these historical accounts telling about the long history of these fortresses, we can see the distinct and valuable role of these structures in building the cultural and historical heritage of Gumaca. Its traces which can be dated as far as the early Spanish colonial times can provide a clear context that might establish an argument of accepting this legitimate historical site as a possible archaeological site. Each fortress was supplied with small cannons (Castro et al., 1953) and these facilities can justify the persistence of a conflict or war that might have occurred during instances of the attack of Moro pirates and invaders. Another important feature of San Diego was the tunnel which used to be between the said fortress and the San Diego de Alcala Cathedral, the town’s Catholic Church. This tunnel can be an area where artifacts that might serve as a time marker can be found. The relative position of San Diego which is on the Northeastern part of the town directly facing Lamon Bay can be a supporting claim on the feasible existence of artifacts that might resemble economic activities like exchange and trade among these coastal towns during the early times.

Another factor that can give a cause in considering the fortresses’ sites as an area of archaeological research is the potential excavation of the used to be locations of the Santa Maria, San Rafael and San Miguel Fortresses in order to effectively assess the architectural form of these fortifications. It’s also good way to look into the functions of the different facilities and features of the fortresses. Through these processes, reconstruction of the deconstructed fortresses might also be feasible through the results of the archaeological research and excavation.

Through History and Archaeology

Through the power of history and archaeology, these fortifications’ role in establishing the rich cultural heritage of Gumaca can be well understood. It can cater to community members a feasible archaeological exploration and research that might be able to deepen their knowledge and awareness on the real essence and importance of these fortresses in building a credible account of Gumaca’s past.

In the end, the most important thing is that through archaeology community members might be able to appreciate these historical sites more than just a physical structure but also a structure comprising Gumaca’s identity. I hope that the San Diego, Santa Maria, San Rafael and San Miguel Fortresses will not just remain as a physical structure considered part of the past but will also remain a symbol of Gumaca’s rich heritage that can provide a deeper sense of a continuous pride and honor in the future. I do really hope that everything in the past will be immortalized; so that in the end, we might be able to see the present as a continuation of the past through the integration of history and archaeology.

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References

Castro, L., Mendoza, A., Tañada, S., Davila, L., Guinto, F., Tañafranca, L. & Arganda, L. (1953). Other important historical events and public improvements in Gumaca. In Yap-Diangco, R. (Ed.), Political history of Gumaca: Province of Quezon (pp. 176-178). Makati City: Keystone Printers.

Guerra, J.A. (1887). Viajes por Filipinas: de Manila á Tayabas. Madrid: Imprenta de Fortanet.      

Leaño, E. (1973). Appendix I. In Yap-Diangco, R. (Ed.), Political history of Gumaca: Province of Quezon (p. 175). Makati City: Keystone Printers.

Yap-Diangco, R. (1982.), Political history of Gumaca: Province of Quezon. Makati City: Keystone Printers.

Prologue

Mabuhay! Hi there guys!

I'm Lursh Almojano! So yesssss, I'm now starting this blog for various reasons. And here they are:


First, to create a new space wherein I can share my thoughts, insights and realizations in life. Secondly, to provide a new avenue for my wonders and wanders and through that I may be able to work my advocacy in life to continually discover and rediscover new things for myself. Thirdly, is to create a new pastime (cause yeah, life is sometimes boring!), a new and exciting mode of exercising my freedom of expression (as you can see from my URL, I'm "sometimes" a harsh lursh but I believe it's for a good cause and I know my limits) and to uphold the greatness and wonders of life and humanity. 


These are my reasons because I believe that the best things in life are not just for personal satisfaction but a reality to be shared. And one way to effectively and efficiently share the greatness of life is by putting up a blog. Through this blog, I'm going to share with you the different perspectives and pictures of my life. I can also provide some things about my interests soon. So for the meantime, I'm very glad and excited to welcome you to my blog, my very own Kulturtrӓger... :)