Pinoy ako!

Alvin Concha | Sociology of Development | MASOR Gender Studies | Ateneo de Davao

University
Submitted to Dr Mae Ursos | 28 January 2006

I am presently reading the book Pinoy Pop Culture1, and I love it so far. It is
the first and successful attempt of Bench, the Filipino-owned chain of clothing
and lifestyle retail shops, to delve into the culture (? cultures) that the Filipino
masa creates and proudly calls our own. For the past weeks that we have
been reviewing and critiquing sociological theories, there is probably wisdom
in reconsidering our cultural home, and seeing for ourselves if we can detect
what would seem like building blocks for theories of our own.

The book is as colorful as the cultures it describes. It celebrates, most of

all, the Filipino penchant for assortment. We have all kinds of kakanin, from
biko, puto maya, puto bumbong and puto manapla to kutsinta, suman,
palitaw and bibingka. Then, we have the layered sapin-sapin, the pinaka-
kakanin for those who cannot choose among kalamay na ube, kutsinta or
maja mais. We also have the ubiquitous halo-halo which contains at least half
a dozen kinds of things: nata de coco, saging na saba, minatamis na langka,
red beans, white beans, kaong, rice crispies, evaporated milk, shaved ice,
leche flan, gulaman, sago, sweet corn... name it. And our crackers do not
usually come unflavored. We have bacon-flavored crackers, adobo-flavored
crackers, as well as ham-flavored and pizza-flavored ones. And who could
miss the merry assortment inside the big can of M.Y. San or La Pacita crackers
that we love to bring home to the province? Bestselling breakfasts would be
tapsilog, tosilog, lekasilog, primasilog, bangsilog or porksilog. And for those
who are not happy with one kind of meat, there’s tatosilog, porbangsilog
or lebangsilog.

It doesn’t stop in foods. There are lots of Santo Niño rebulto versions as well.
The Santo Niño de suerte is dressed in green to represent dollars and the
Santo Niño ng intsik is in yellow. Then there is a Santo Niño dressed as a
teacher, an engineer or a firefighter, or one that carries a baker’s shovel or a
ladle. And, of course, there’s a Santo Niño in sando and briefs for those who
want a bit more freedom to choose what to dress the statue with.

Then, there could really be nothing like the Pinoy malls. We love to go to the
malls because they offer everything. You can buy anything from tabo, steel
wool and garbage bags to clothes, shoes, pandesal, fresh fish and
vegetables, old books, burloloys and whatever pasalubong. Then, you can
have your pictures developed there, and while waiting, you can hear mass or
go to the gym or play Bingo or watch the cooking demo. Of course there’s
also a post office or an LBC or an Aboitiz where you can send money to your
brother or sister who is in college somewhere else in the country. There is
also a playroom for kids, a shoe shine corner, a merry-go-round and a
fastfood center that has everything from pizza, sweet spaghetti and bread to
ginatan, pinakbet, burgers, French fries, Belgian waffles, Thai food,

1
Cordero-Fernando, G. and Chaves, M.G. Pinoy Pop Culture. Bench/Suyen Corp. 2001.
shawarma, sushi, relyenong talong, ice cream, gulaman at sago, pansit and
buko juice.

It is within us all along. Filipinos are masters of the art of variety and
eclecticism. Why decide on one, when you can have all? Why concentrate?
Why specialize? The more, the merrier. Bakit hindi! I propose a postmodern
reading of our pop cultures. Multiple, diverse, decentered, polyphonic and
non-hierarchical. Gusto ko lahat, masarap lahat! A love for the
“miscellaneous,” an aversion for anything monolithic, anything singular
(read: boring, flat, corny, KJ). One just has to start extrapolating and
accommodating these concepts to the social problems that we face. Who
knows? We might just be able to pull through hard and trying times by simply
gaining strength from what is already in us. Konting diskarte lang! Ang saya-
saya!