Popular Culture in the Philippines PDF

GE2101 what is now we consider as folk culture is really a rudimentary form of...

GE2101 what is now we consider as folk culture is really a rudimentary form of Popular Culture in the Philippine Perspective popular culture that existed among ancient societies. From there, Wertz identified three (3) popular culture milestones during this time: Table of Contents wedding ceremonies, music, and fashion. Origins and Spread of the Concept of 1-2 Weddings and religion are inextricable, as weddings are solemn rites Popular Culture dedicated for two (2) humans to form a pact between them to love From Folk Culture to Renaissance 1 each other and make their lives work as one -- usually under the Globalization of Popular Culture 1-2 providence of their preferred deity. The Industrial Age 2 Popular Culture, Society, and Technology 2-3 With weddings becoming more elaborate, so too did the music. Music The Icons and Trends of Philippine 3 - 10 began to evolve since Western composers began to commit their Popular Culture music into paper during the Renaissance -- allowing it to be shared. The Pre-Colonial Philippines and their Myths 3 Meanwhile, Eastern music was still dedicated to the passing of music When Spain Came to Colonize 3-4 through practice and memory (where musical composition in the East The American Dream and the Filipinos 4-5 came much later). The Flourishing Pop Culture After WWII 5-6 The Recent Years: Entertainment Boom 6 - 10 References 10 As for fashion, it boomed when aristocrats and the royalty (as established during the feudal time of the Medieval period) began to As we have discussed previously, popular culture stems from the wear clothes that took these pieces of clothing beyond functionality. ideas and tendencies of the working class to sort out the ones that With them, the working class began to emulate these outfits. Outside shall be kept for their importance and consumer value. The ones that the West, the East was still guided by cultural castes -- which limited the working class's options in terms of fashion (but so did the upper did not make the cut are sometimes wholly forgotten by generations classes, as they had little to no connection to the West in terms of to come. However, as stated also, the concept of popular culture stems beyond our history -- even before the term is given to describe fashion aesthetics). it! One (1) thing to note from Wertz is his special mention of William Origins and Spread of the Concept of Popular Culture Shakespeare, the man regarded by many to be one (1) of the many In the study of popular culture, it is difficult to separate the spread of "superstars" of popular culture. This is because his works bridged both fine art and popular art, making his works appeal to many. the idea from the Western perspective -- particularly the American perspective (Kooijman, 2013). With this prerogative, we shall try to introduce some Asian highlights that coincide with the Western side of Globalization of Popular Culture development. Whenever we hear the word "globalization," we immediately think of the Internet, satellite televisions, and radio. But globalization does not require such technologies -- it can occur even with simple From Folk Culture to Renaissance We have established that culture, from a sociological perspective, is conveniences such as pen and paper! the formation of traditions and trends that pervade a common group of humans (Wertz, n.d.). Therefore, whenever humans congregate to Globalization of popular culture occurred during the Age of Exploration -- the time when Westerners began to explore the open seas and live together, traditions, beliefs, and everything related to folk culture is deliberated and agreed upon. As such, as early as prehistoric times, began trading (with most of the time conquering) with other civilizations. What we know is this: whatever popular aspects of their 02 Handout 1 *Property of STI  [email protected] Page 1 of 10  GE2101 culture are brought to these "new" lands, they brought some of the Popular Culture, Society, and Technology popular culture aspects of the "others" back with them on their way As technology improved, so did the living standards of society. home. We can look at the following examples of globalization of Technology also paved the way for more aspects of folk and high cultures below. cultures being accommodated into the hands of the hungry consumer In the Philippines, the opening of the Suez Canal allowed us -- generating more popular culture icons. As an example, the access to the popular cultures of the West, which included novels, development of the sewing machine paved the way for the mass knowledge, and music, among other things. production of high-end clothes now accessible to the working class. In China, however, the introduction of opium to them almost ruined Each category of popular culture was brought upon by the increasing their countrymen because the British covertly brought the drug demand for technology (we have already mentioned some of them with them during their voyage and illegally sold them to the prior to this discussion, but it will be better if we mention them again Chinese black market. for convenience). Europe got hold of chocolate because of their conquest of the Americas, where cacao beans grow in abundance. Originally used in Mesoamerican rituals, it became an instant hit to the European market, which also caused the slave trade to boom. Back then, knowledge was sacred because everything had to be copied painstakingly by hand. Because of Johannes Gutenberg's invention of the movable-type printing press, knowledge began to spread further and became more accessible via mass-reproduced books. The Industrial Age As technology boomed, so did the availability of some cultural aesthetics. What was considered folk and high cultures were rapidly becoming part of popular culture. Theater plays became accessible to people who wished to study drama, music pieces being written down in sheets for people to play with -- and with the advent of film and television, more people began to rapidly consume any cultural aesthetics shown to them. As an example, Filipino cinema started as a form of high culture in 1897 by showing moving pictures at the Salon de Petierra in Manila. In September 1919, the first original Pinoy film directed by José Figure 1. The four (4) most-common technological media for popular culture: radio, film, television, and the Internet Nepomuceno was entitled Dalagang Bukid, which paved the way for the masses to access the once-high culture aspect of film viewing. José Nepomuceno pioneered filmmaking in the Philippines and is The entertainment category started out with the advent of printed considered as Father of Philippine Cinema. media in the form of books, journals, newspapers, and eventually comic books and other similar visual media. When radio became accessible, music and radio dramas became smash hits. Televisions paved the way for more popular culture content, which eventually evolved into films. 02 Handout 1 *Property of STI  [email protected] Page 2 of 10  GE2101 The lifestyle category dramatically improved with the introduction fibers. Using native minerals (such as iron, copper, and gold) and of the sewing machine for fashion. For food, cookbooks became pearls, as well as tattoos, were also fashionable during this period. a thing, and education for culinary arts became accessible. The camera allowed the masses to create their own art through still Through bartering with nearby traders, early Filipinos got silk, images, which also gave them a way to "freeze" moments in time. condiments (such as soy sauce and spices), porcelain, and other Dance evolved from an expression of culture into an expression prized objects. Early Filipino architecture includes the nipa stilt of the performer. houses and bamboo houses. Folk and tribal dances such as the Tinikling, Singkil, and the Maglalatik were practiced. The sports, news, and politics categories boomed with the advent of mass communication, such as newspaper coverages, There is nothing much going on in the sports, news, and politics radio hosting, and televised events such as competitions, press categories because the country was in a "warring tribes" period. releases, and government announcements. Slave trade was common during this period, which gave rise to the aliping namamahay (i.e., peasants or serfs) and the aliping The technology boomed when people started to intertwine saguiguilid (i.e., prisoners-of-war turned into actual slaves). accessibility and function. From telegraphs to mobile phones, the Famous sports include the various Filipino martial arts (of which transfer of communication drives people to create new ways to include Sikaran, Yaw-yan, Daga y Latigo, Panantukan, and Arnis stay connected. Eventually, everything became even more de Mano, among others), wrestling, archery, sipa (our traditional accessible with the dawn of the Internet and of social media. sport closely related to sepak takraw), and sabong (cockfighting). The Icons and Trends of Philippine Popular Culture Technology: Early Filipinos, through trading, got to experience We have already heard about the different trends that popped up from and learn new techniques in metal forging, pottery, weaving, and the West. Here in our country, we also have popular icons and trends navigation, among other acquired skills. Writing was also a valued that we have grown up with. We can list some of them below using the technology, of which engravings and wall writings such as the categories of popular culture discussed earlier. Angono petroglyphs, baybayin, and the Laguna Copperplate Inscription are examples. The Pre-Colonial Philippines and their Myths Entertainment: Since the country during the pre-colonial period When Spain Came to Colonize was a country full of warring tribes, each tribe had its own The Spanish Occupation was equal parts good and bad. Filipinos kundiman, epics, poetry, legends, and mythologies. As an suffered for 333 years under the Spanish regime; however, Spain example, each tribe has its own god of war. Notable figures imparted much of their culture -- and other outside cultures as well -- include Lam-ang, Urduja, Bathala, Talagbusao, Ibu, Bakunawa, to us. This resulted in a cultural blending for us Filipinos. Pilandok, and the couple Malakas and Maganda. Entertainment: Spain gave us several forms of entertainment that revolved around observing religious practices such as the Our legends of aswang are also categorized here. Traditional zarzuela (sarswela), pasion (pasyon), and the cenaculo instruments, such as the kulintang, bansik, kudyapi, and kubing, (senakulo). The awit and the corrido became the dominant literary among others, also fall here. pieces accessible to the Filipinos, with Ibong Adarna, Bernardo Carpio, and Florante at Laura as prime examples. With the Lifestyle: Early Filipinos learned to adapt and survive in the harsh opening of the Suez Canal, novels were integrated into the Filipino tropical jungles of our archipelago. This is reflected in our choice literary works, with Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo as well- materials for making clothes: abaca, nipa, and other sturdy plant 02 Handout 1 *Property of STI  [email protected] Page 3 of 10  GE2101 known examples. Music (and musical instruments) from the West (with Sultan Kudarat as a prime example) and the Igorots also became integrated into our culture, such as the guitar. defending the Cordilleras over the Spanish conquerors. Lifestyle: The Western fashion sense was openly adopted in our Technology: As the Age of Exploration reached its end and culture, with barong Tagalog and the baro't saya (with the Maria ushered in the Industrial Age, technology boomed even further Clara as the baro't saya's formal variant) being prime examples. because of the advancements in the various sciences. Some The folk dances that we know were incorporated with Spanish technologies introduced during the Spanish Occupation were elements as well as introducing new dances such as the electricity, light fixtures, materials from the Galleon Trade (of pasodoble, fandango (Pandanggo), curacha, rigodon, waltz, jota, which included Mexican products), piña fiber, firearms, and books polka, and lanceros. (during the opening of the Suez Canal). Our local cuisine began to incorporate more of the different The American Dream and the Filipinos cultures in our country, with examples including adobo (this is The Americans conquered us next after they staged the Spanish- derived from the Spanish cooking term adobar -- the original American War on our native soil (where, in fact, Spain had already Filipino term lost in history), pancit, champorado, pineapples, and traded us -- along with their other territories -- to the United States). leche flan (an example of a crème caramel). What came next is the Americanization of the Filipinos, who openly embraced the American Dream, and made it our dream as well. Elements of Western fine arts (such as the Spoliarium) and formal Events of the Second World War and the abrupt occupation of Japan education (such as the Ateneo de Manila University and the in the country are also included here as well since the Americans University of Santo Tomas) became integral inclusions to our seceded from us (thereby earning our independence) by the end of culture. the Second World War. Entertainment: Americans gave us radio technology, where our Sports: The Spaniards introduced fencing and gun duels; first radio station was established in 1924. Radio lets us listen to however, only a few learned them as the Spaniards deemed that more American music, such as jazz and Western swing. Filipinos learning any Western martial art might instigate rebellion. Even then, Filipinos were already learned in the art of war. Theater, although already introduced by Spain, was developed Another sport introduced during their last stand was football (or further during the American Occupation. A noteworthy form of soccer in the United States). American entertainment was the vaudeville (bodabil). Film was first introduced by Spain in 1897, but the masses took hold of News and Politics: Some of the famous news events during this filmmaking in 1919, with Dalagang Bukid being the first pure period are the Propaganda Movement and the GomBurZa Filipino film produced. Execution, which in turn sprang forth from the Cavite Mutiny, which led to the Philippine Revolution. Other significant events Prominent icons during this time were Atang dela Rama, were the various revolts all over the country, such as the Dagohoy Paraluman, Fernando Poe, Sr., Sampaguita Pictures, and Revolt, the Silang Revolt, and the Basi Revolt. Carmen Rosales. Prominent figures of our history rose and fell, which include Jose Lifestyle: Filipinos openly embraced the American lifestyle. Rizal, Marcelo H. del Pilar, Emilio Aguinaldo, Teresa Magbanua, Fashion-wise, the Filipinos wore Americana (a suit-and-pants and Melchora Aquino. Included also are the victory of Mindanao ensemble for men) alongside the traditional attire, while Filipinas wore flapper dresses alongside the Maria Clara. 02 Handout 1 *Property of STI  [email protected] Page 4 of 10  GE2101 As for food, Americans gave us frankfurters (or hot dogs), fried Entertainment: The Filipino entertainment industry initially chicken, pot roasts, and cheesecake, to name a few. struggled but saw a huge commercial boom following the advent of television technology. Prominent examples are the Dances such as the foxtrot, square dance, conga, rhumba, ballet, establishments of Alto Broadcasting System and Chronicle and jive were incorporated into our dance repertoire. Broadcasting Network (which later merged to form ABS-CBN), Global Media Arts (or GMA, initially called Greater Manila Area), Sports: The Filipinos openly embraced basketball -- a ball game Radio Philippines Network (or RPN), People's Television Network that rivaled even with the country's national sport (sipa or sepak (or PTV, initially called the Government Television [GTV]), and the takraw) and played everywhere. Also introduced were volleyball Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation (or IBC, formerly called and boxing. As we embraced all things American, we also Inter-Island Broadcasting Corporation). participated in every Summer Olympics since its inception in 1924. Prominent film companies include Regal Entertainment and Seiko News and Politics: The Filipinos, despite taking in whatever the Films. Prominent film and TV icons include Fernando Poe, Jr., Americans brought with them, still saw them as a threat because Gloria Romero, Rosa Rosal, Dolphy, Nida Blanca, and Zaldy they simply replaced Spain as the new conqueror. As such, Zshornack. tensions rose within the regime; but everything changed when World War II happened. This period also marked the long-standing popular culture of forming love teams, which also include intense rivalry among fans, Notable examples are racism, the Bataan Death March, the with some examples including Corazon Noble-Angel Esmeralda, comfort women, the tokkeitai, the kenpeitai, Aguinaldo's Exile, the Carmen Rosales-Rogelio dela Rosa (Mameng at Roger), Pancho Battle of Tirad Pass, and the Filipino-American War. Magalona-Tita Duran, Nora Aunor-Tirso Cruz III (Guy at Pip), Vilma Santos-Edgar Mortiz (Vi at Bot), Richard Gomez-Dawn Notable individuals include William McKinley, William Howard Zulueta (Chard at Dawn), Sharon Cuneta-Gabby Concepcion Taft, Leonard Wood, Antonio Luna, Gregorio del Pilar, Apolinario (Shawie at Gabby), and Maricel Soriano-William Martinez. Mabini, Jose Alejandrino, Manuel L. Quezon, Jose P. Laurel, Jose Abad Santos, Josefa Llanes Escoda, Vicente Lim, and the father- This period also saw the boom of Original Pilipino Music (or OPM), son duo Arthur and Douglas MacArthur. of which some examples include Efren Montes (originally sung Kiss Me, Kiss Me), Claire dela Fuente, ASIN, Juan dela Cruz, Technology: As mentioned earlier, the Americans gave us radio Maria Cafra, and Elizabeth Ramsey. The country still left with and film. During this time, advancements in medicine (medicines, traces of love of Western culture, also listened to The Beatles, research of tropical diseases), agriculture (additional crops such Elvis Presley, Tom Jones, Barbra Streisand, and Madonna, to as atsuete, tobacco, and papaya), and food processing (such as name a few. beer and carbonated drinks) were observed. Many famous international animations were aired during this The Flourishing Pop Culture After WWII period, which includes Astroboy, Voltes V, Gumby, Teenage When the dust settled down after the Second World War, the Mutant Ninja Turtles, Thundercats, and Ghostbusters. Philippines began to move forward on its own following its independence. Our country faced many trials and tribulations, as this Lifestyle: The fashion trends in the United States quickly caught period spans four (4) decades from the early 50s up to the late 80s. up in the local scene. The Pinoy 60s saw the "flower power" decade, which reflected the hippie culture. Women imitated 02 Handout 1 *Property of STI  [email protected] Page 5 of 10  GE2101 Jacqueline Kennedy's hairstyle and wore sundresses, while men because of their invasion of Afghanistan. In retaliation, the Soviet wore floral shirts along with slacks and loafers. Union and their allies led the 1984 Summer Olympics Boycott. The Pinoy 70s is called the "disco" decade, where people wore Politics: Filipino politics was the other side of our popular culture. bell-bottom jeans, frilled sleeves, patterned shirts, cardigans, This is because most of the events in our country were driven by cardigan vests, and colorful kerchiefs. political events such as the death of Ramon Magsaysay, the declaration of Martial Law, the imprisonment and death of Benigno The Pinoy 80s followed the American "fitness craze," where "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr., the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus, colorful scrunchies, casual gym wear, jackets, and windbreakers the Snap Elections, the First People Power Revolution, the victory added to the Filipino wardrobe. Women also supported power of Corazon Aquino as the first female president, the 1987 coup dressing, which includes wearing padded upper garments such as d'état (read as kuh-de-tah) led by Gregorio "Gringo" Honasan, and padded T-shirts and padded blazers, which empower them to take the 1989 coup d'état led by Honasan and former First Lady Imelda on more societal duties deemed masculine. Marcos. Certain dance crazes popped during this time, of which disco and In the sociopolitical lens, during the martial law under Marcos’ Rico Mambo are examples. regime, the abrupt cancellation and banning of Voltes V, Mazinger Z, Daimos, and other television shows quantify how censorship Slang words began to become incorporated in the Filipino under martial law affected children. It is believed that Marcos vernacular, of which some like yosi (from sigarilyo, cigarette), meddled in these shows as they represent the battles in a erpat (from father), bagets (from bagito, inexperienced), japayuki totalitarian system. (from Japan + Karayuki-san, incidents about the trafficking of Japanese women to China), tambay (from stand by), resbak (from Technology: The Filipinos got to experience the gramophone, a wrest back), salvage (most likely from Spanish salvaje, violent), device that plays vinyl disks (plaka). Some gramophones were and jeproks (from Projects, a government resettlement program in sold alongside the modern cassette radio, which plays cassette Quezon City) are examples. tapes. Cathode-ray televisions (of both grayscale and colored variants) became a smash hit in the Filipino household. Sports: Since we became an independent nation, we got to join the first Winter Olympics in 1972 and have participated in them The Filipinos also enjoyed calling through landline telephones, ever since. and people talked to each other hours on end (hence the term telebabad). Mobile phones were also a staple for the working News: Some memorable non-political events included the "Chop- class that can afford them (mobile, in this case, is a cordless Chop Lady" murder of Lucila Lulu, the death of Fernando Poe, Sr. phone with an antenna for signal reception). due to rabies, the ratification of the Rizal Law, the victories of Gloria Diaz and Margie Moran in Miss Universe, and the Some well-off middle-class families even got to experience arcade separation of Sharon Cuneta and Gabby Concepcion. machines, personal computers (either from Apple or IBM), and home consoles such as the Atari and the Nintendo Entertainment Things became more political for us during the 1980 Summer System (NES, or Family Computer [FAMICOM]). Console video Olympics Boycott when the United States and its allies (which games such as Game and Watch, Pong, Pac-Man, Punch Out, included us) spurned the Soviet Union (modern-day Russia) Super Mario Brothers, The Legend of Zelda, Galaga, Asteroids, Metroid, and Mega Man (known as Rockman in Japan) were 02 Handout 1 *Property of STI  [email protected] Page 6 of 10  GE2101 famous and long-lasting hits along with early PC games such as Sine'skwela (Science), Epol Apple (English), and Pamana (Social Prince of Persia, SimCity, and Lode Runner. studies). The Recent Years: Entertainment Boom There had been several noon-time variety shows that boomed in Globalization began to move rapidly, giving us anything and the 90s, of which Eat Bulaga reigned supreme. The other show everything instantly. Within the early 90s up to the present (i.e., the was Magandang Tanghali, Bayan (MTB). This also includes the 2020s), everything can be summed up by a quote misattributed to Latino wave of teledramas such as MariMar, Maria la del Barrio, Andy Warhol, "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for fifteen Maria Mercedes, and Rubi. minutes" -- describing the fast-paced appetite of the working class in terms of consuming popular culture. The decades 2000, 2010, and 2020 are collectively called the Entertainment: Television technology is becoming more and "Digital Age" because of the Internet's evolution from a luxury more sophisticated. The 90s became known as the "Japan" commodity into a necessity. This resulted in a rapid influx of decade because more popular anime had been aired here. worldwide content. These decades are also known as the "Hallyu Examples include the Nippon Animation's World Masterpiece Wave" because of South Korea's extensive marketing efforts for Theater such as Princess Sarah, Little Prince Cedie, Heidi, Girl of their shows and music. the Alps, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Anne of Green Gables, Little Women, and The Story of Pollyanna, Girl of Love. Some Notable Korean shows and films that were famous in the 2000s famous Shonen anime were Samurai X (Rurouni Kenshin), Ghost were Jewel in the Palace, the Endless Love tetralogy, Princess Fighter (YuYu Hakusho), Flame of Recca (Recca no Honno), the Hours, Lovers in Paris, Crash Landing on You, Start-Up, Goblin, Dragon Ball series, Pokémon, Digimon, and Monster Rancher; Hotel del Luna, Full House, Kingdom, Old Boy, Windstruck, and adapted TV series such as Masked Rider (from Kamen Rider), the My Sassy Girl to name some of them. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (from the sentai series Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger, Gosei Sentai Dairanger, and Ninja Sentai With the advancement of technology, movies have become more Kakuranger); some famous Shojo anime such as the Sailor Moon elaborate and highly produced, giving us film franchises such as series, Magic Knight Rayearth, and Super Boink; the syndicated the Marvel Cinematic Universe (which includes both movies and sentai series such as Maskman, Fiveman, Bioman, and Jetman; TV spin-offs), the Transformers series, the Wizarding World series as well as their standalone shows such as Doraemon, Mojacko, (of Harry Potter fame), and the MonsterVerse (of King Kong and Daimos, Lupin III, and the Ultraman series. Godzilla fame) as few examples. Popular music (or pop music) also boomed in the 90s, such as With the rise of Netflix, YouTube, and other social media Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Regine Velasquez, Jaya, platforms, our shows and films started to become marketable Martin Nievera, Gary Valenciano, and Bryan White. It is also the outside the local scene. Examples include Four Sisters and a decade of boybands and five-people ensembles such as The Wedding, Ang Probinsyano, A Love to Last, Be Careful with My Backstreet Boys, 98 Degrees, Streetboys, N'SYNC, and Westlife, Heart, My Husband's Lover, and Encantadia. Music-wise, singers to name a few. such as Morissette Amon, Katrina Velarde, Bugoy Drilon, Daryl Ong, and KZ Tandingan gained international audiences through In our country, the 90s were also filled with many educational YouTube. shows such as Sesame Street, Batibot, and the DepEd- commissioned shows such as Hiraya Manawari (Values For literature, the Filipino manga Trese is a sleeper hit among the formation), Bayani (Philippine history), Math Tinik (Mathematics), Filipino fanbase, which also garnered international appeal. Bob Ong and Marcelo Santos III are famous local authors that cater to 02 Handout 1 *Property of STI  [email protected] Page 7 of 10  GE2101 the current generation. Ong's famous works include games such as the Defense of the Ancients (DotA), League of "ABNKKBSNPLa AKO?" and Ang Mga Kaibigan ni Mama Susan, Legends (LoL or League), Heroes of Newerth (HoN), and Smite while Santos's works include Para sa Hopeless Romantic and The gained footing as prime movers of the Multiplayer Online Battle Iwas Sawi Project. Arena (MOBA) genre. Soon, mobile games began to follow this genre, with Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (ML or MLBB), League Love teams are still popular in the country. Notable love teams in of Legends: Wild Rift (Wild Rift or WR), and Marvel Super War this period are Alden Richards-Maine Mendoza (AlDub), Kathryn (MSW) as examples of handheld MOBAs. Bernardo-Daniel Padilla (KathNiel), Judy-Ann Santos-Wowie de Guzman, Sunshine Dizon-Polo Ravales, Marian Rivera-Dingdong Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS: GO), VALORANT, Team Dantes (DongYan), Nadine Lustre-James Reid (JaDine), Gerald Fortress 2, and Overwatch led the way to make competitive first- Anderson-Kim Chiu, and Bea Alonzo-John Lloyd Cruz. person shooting games known to a wider audience. This genre led to the development of the game Players' Unknown Lifestyle: Because of the rapid globalization in the country, many Battleground (PUBG), the pioneer of Battle Royale games, with have switched to a flexible lifestyle. People began to travel more Fortnite and Rules of Survival (RoS) as other examples. thanks to private cab services such as Grab, Uber, and Angkas, to name a few. These companies also put their feet into courier Other eSports categories include one-on-one fighting matches, service, competing with the likes of Lalamove, Food Panda, and such as Super Smash Brothers, Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, 2GO. People also traveled more pre-2020, when the COVID-19 Tekken, and Injustice, to name a few. pandemic occurred. As such, people began to switch from working in offices to hustle in various small businesses, further cementing News: Our country has faced many challenging moments. One of the flexible lifestyle. the most prominent news to ever grace the airwaves is the "I LOVE YOU" virus, a computer virus that has disrupted thousands People also turned to social media for various purposes, from of businesses and lost millions of dollars worth of revenue. Other creating content to staying updated on the news. issues in this period are the Dacer-Corbito Double Murder Case, the "chop-chop lady" murder of Elsa Castillo (which became a film Filipinos also began to appreciate more cultural food outside in 1994), the murder of Jennifer Laude and the acquittal of Laude's American and Chinese food -- Japanese (ramen and sushi), killer, the gender discrimination case of Gretchen Diez, the death Korean (kimchi and ssamgyupsal), Vietnamese (pho and spring of Fernando Poe, Jr., and the victories of Pia Wurtzbach, Catriona rolls), Thai (milk tea and pad thai), Indian (curry and tikka masala), Gray, and Megan Young in Miss Universe (Wurtzbach and Gray) Indonesian (mie goreng and sate ayam), Mexican (burrito and and Miss World (Young). taco), and Arab (shawarma and kebab) cuisines are becoming increasingly popular and affordable. The Korean concept of Charlene Gonzales also stood out for her famous counter- mukbang is increasingly becoming popular on the Internet, of question, "High tide or low tide?" regarding the question about the which Jollibee is always the focus of people who want to taste country's number of islands during her stint in 1994 Miss Universe. Filipino-style fast food. Vegan cuisine is also on the rise, as more and more younger people become health-conscious and But perhaps the three (3) most harrowing news to ever grace the environmentally aware. local airwaves were: 1. The 2010 Manila Hostage crisis, where the Philippine National Sports: Some computer games have evolved from a casual Police (PNP) failed to rescue 20 Hong Kong tourists and five experience into a competitive one. Since the dawn of eSports, 02 Handout 1 *Property of STI  [email protected] Page 8 of 10  GE2101 (5) Filipino tour crew at the hands of former PNP officer websites were Friendster (a customizable social media platform Rolando Mendoza, resulted in eight (8) confirmed deaths. pre-Facebook), Imeem (a music-sharing platform pre-Spotify), Multiply (an easy-to-use short blogging site pre-Tumblr), Yahoo! 2. The ravage of super typhoon Yolanda last 2013. The super Messenger, Vine (a short-video editor pre-Tiktok), and the now- typhoon decimated the Visayas, resulting in death counts iconic ones such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tiktok (or reaching thousands (as it is still believed that the body count Douyin in China), Tumblr, Spotify, and Wattpad. was way above the official count of 6,300). For people doing businesses online, such as art commissions, 3. The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines started in music covers, and sketch comedy, Patreon is the go-to choice of January 2020, which quickly escalated (Edrada et al., 2020). online creators. This also includes OnlyFans -- however, as This resulted in the 2020 lockdowns, of which there are Patreon has stricter guidelines, more people use OnlyFans to view several labeled "levels" of community quarantine. As it is still inappropriate content more liberally. evident today, this section will be updated once the crisis has passed. Video content is easier thanks to sites such as YouTube. As more and more people have created online content, some websites Another popular icon in this period is Greta Thunberg and her were eventually made specifically for these kinds of environmental activist movement Skolstrejk for Klimatet (School entertainment. Some people gravitate towards Twitch, a Strike for Climate), which challenges global leaders for climate streaming platform that allows patrons and casual viewers alike to change mitigation to save the planet. instantly donate to the streamer (either cash or through user subscriptions). Some people gravitate to SoundCloud, a music Politics: Over the course of four (4) decades (i.e., 1990-2020), platform for cover artists. our country has undergone many upheavals in the government, such as the impeachment and overthrow of Joseph Estrada, the However, traditional media persists to this day. Televisions have Hello Garci scandal, the NBN-ZTE deal, and the Priority evolved from cathode-ray tubes into plasma televisions and, as of Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam. Such events gave 2021, liquid-crystal display (LCD) televisions. This allows video us infamous figures such as Virgilio Garcillano, Janet Lim games to also evolve. While there are some that remain "PC Napoles, Benhur Luy, and Leandro Mendoza. purists," many have converged to consoles because they begin to rival the power of personal computer technology. Famous Other popular political issues in the country were the Laglag-Bala consoles include the Sony PlayStation (or PS, with PS5 as its controversy, the Philippine War on Drugs, the Republic Health latest incarnation), the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (or Act, the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Expression SNES, which evolved into the GameCube, the Wii, and its latest (SOGIE) bill, the establishment of the Philippine Space Agency incarnation, the Switch). Microsoft also joined the bandwagon with (PhilSA), and the charter change issue. their console, the Xbox (with its latest incarnations, the Xbox Series X / S). Technology: Technology and Filipinos are inseparable. With the advent of cellular phones, our country became the "Text Capital Handheld game devices were the biggest craze of this period, of the World." As these mobile devices improved, so did our where children got to play simple games -- before mobile devices appetite for more content. Social media became the spiritual dominated the handheld scene. In our country, whenever we say successor of instant messaging, where people communicate handheld game devices, the majority of the older generation will online for various applications. Famous social media apps and fondly remember the Brick Game, a two-dimensional pixel game system that uses "bricks" to simulate games such as tank battles, 02 Handout 1 *Property of STI  [email protected] Page 9 of 10  GE2101 racing, or even the still-famous Tetris. Millennials will best References: remember owning either a PocketStation (a small handheld Belleza, I.E. (2017). Popular Filipino love teams through the years. Gulf News. device that can be ported directly to the PS1), a Tamagotchi (a https://gulfnews.com/entertainment/pinoy-celebs/popular-filipino-love- small game device that lets you care for a pixelated virtual pet), a teams-through-the-years-1.2019232 De Guzman, N. (2018). The grisly history of 'chop-chop ladies'. Esquire. Digivice (a small game device that lets you take care a pixelated https://www.esquiremag.ph/culture/lifestyle/chop-chop-ladies-a1729- Digimon, similar to Tamagotchi), or a Nintendo Game Boy (either 20180830-lfrm4 the standard Game Boy, a Game Boy Color, or Game Boy Edrada, E.M., Lopez, E.B., Villarama, J.B., Salva Villarama, E.P., Dagoc, B.F., Advance [for the slightly affluent]). Generation Z will most likely Smith, C., … , Nicolasora, A.M., & Solante, R.M. (2020). First COVID-19 remember owning either a Game Boy SP, a Nintendo DS, or a infections in the Philippines: A case report. National Institute of Health's PlayStation Portable (PSP). National Center for Biotechnology Information. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7154063/ For connectivity, the Internet in the Philippines, once considered Fernandez, D.G. (1989). Mass culture and cultural policy: The Philippine as a luxury (because of its pre-paid access through various experience. Philippine Studies. https://philippinestudies.net/ojs/index.php/ps/article/view/3547/6440 Internet Service Providers (ISPs) such as ISP Bonanza), became Fernandez, D.G. (1981). Philippine popular culture: Dimensions and a necessity because, on a global scale, people have fought for the directions. The state of research in Philippine popular culture. Philippine privilege for Internet neutrality. This led to the current post-paid Studies. nature of the Internet. And, now with the evolution of mobile https://philippinestudies.net/ojs/index.php/ps/article/view/4772/6475 devices, Wireless Fidelity (or WiFi) became a staple feature of Fernandez, D.G. (1981). The cultural traditional media. Philippine Studies. ISPs, as it allows laptops and mobile devices, such as https://philippinestudies.net/ojs/index.php/ps/article/view/1134/6422 smartphones (either iOS or Android), to connect online. Fernandez, D.G. (1977). The emergence of modern drama in the Philippines (1898-1912). Philippine Studies. https://philippinestudies.net/ojs/index.php/ps/article/view/1687/4645 Free Press (n.d.). Save the Internet. Author. https://www.freepress.net/issues/free-open-internet/net-neutrality Kooijman, J. (2013). Yes We Can, This Is It: America and Celebrity Culture. In Fabricating the Absolute Fake: America in Contemporary Pop Culture - Revised Edition (pp. 147-168). Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press. Retrieved August 2, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt6wp7ck.11 Ohiagu, O.P., & Okorie, V.O. (2014). Social media: Shaping and transmitting popular culture. CORE. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/268593901.pdf Rodriguez, M. (2020, September 13). The voltes V-martial law crossover you probably didn't know about. SPOT.PH. https://www.spot.ph/entertainment/movies-music-tv/83558/voltes-v- martial-law-explainer-a4362-20200913-lfrm Wertz, J. (n.d.). Pop culture history from acnient times to today. HistoryNet. https://www.historynet.com/pop-culture-history-from-ancient-times-to- today.htm 02 Handout 1 *Property of STI  [email protected] Page 10 of 10