Response to the post "Filipinos Are Not Hispanic"

I stumbled upon this post by FIl-American Jon Torres over the popular site Associated Content. I would like to share my response to all my reader to some of his well intentioned subjects regarding his reaction as a Filipino to 'being referred to as Hispanic', something that is a common experience for those Filipinos who lives close to big Latino communities in the US. (All the italics are mine)

Filipinos Are Not Hispanic

A Few FAQ's I Keep Having to Answer

By Jon Torres, published Mar 21, 2007

Yesterday I was making a remark to my friend about my Asian heritage and he replied, "Asian? But I thought you were Filipino!" I could only laugh (politely, of course) at his statement, not only because it sounded wrong, but also because I had heard it once too often. This cannot be dismissed away with some flippant remark I'm tempted to make, like "Don't you ever wonder why there's no Filipino food at Taco Bell? "

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*This is quite common in the States, Filipinos - are being recognized as Hispanics, mainly because of the last name, facial feature & religion but Filipinos historically are Hispanics. Our Hispano culture makes us Hispanics. Mistake is made when hispanization is equated with blood relation and geography.

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There seems to be an all-too prevalent belief among the many westerners I meet, which is the notion that Filipinos are Hispanic. While I can see (more or less) how this could be reasoned in a roundabout way, and make its own odd sense, it is nonetheless wrong. To someone who has grown up in the Philippines, it does sound plausible from a certain point of view, yet still very strange for a number of reasons. I will address some questions I frequently get asked on this apparently novel piece of information.

Where is the Philippines? According to Wikipedia ( as well as every single one of my social studies teachers) the Philippines is in Southeast Asia. At this point, I rather think this should end any further explanation. We are much, much closer to Taiwan, China, Japan, Indonesia and Singapore than any country in Europe or Latin America. The geographical neighborhood alone should clue you in to the probable ethnicity of the Filipinos. Perhaps it is simply this lack of awareness as to where the Philippines actually is, that causes many people to guess and consequently, make mistaken assumptions based on that.

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Our location makes us Asian, but this does not undue our Hispanic roots for the simple reason that hispanization refers to history, language and culture. So if I were to answer the question "if Equatorial Guinea (an African nation) is a Hispanic nation?" my answer would be yes, not only because they speak Castilian but also because hispanization has taken root in their culture and society. Their geography, being a small state in the middle of the African wouldn't nullify their identity. Same with ours and some of the pacific islands that were under Spain then.

If one is to travel to China, Japan or Thailand - a Filipino would almost immediately feel like in a different world, an alien, "Asia was never at home with us", Nick Joaquin said and this is true, Manila is a city with little similarity with cities like Bangkok, Beijing and Tokyo etc etc - theirs is an oriental culture, ours is of Hispano origin. On the other hand, if you were to visit Mexico and all the other Latino countries - you would be awed how strikingly similar our culture is with them. So don't be surprised if American's see them in you.

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How do you explain the 80% Catholicism, which is obviously from Spanish colonization of the Philippines? This is true. We were converted from mostly earth-based, ancestral worshipping spiritual beliefs, and baptized as Catholics in the 16th century. This was instrumental in Spain's control over the Philippines for over three centuries as colonial property, by using organized religion along with political manipulation (without separation of Church and State). This had the effect of having Filipinos subservient to Spanish rule, without enjoying the benefits of being citizens. In short, we were the property of Spain, but we were not Spanish citizens.

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Part of the reason why Americans looks at Filipinos as Hispanic is because of our religion. Most Asians are seen as Orientals in the US, Orientals for them practices Buddhism, Hindu or religions they see as unfamiliar and mystical. Since Filipinos are Asians in their mind, they would be surprised to see Filipinos practicing the religion of the immigrant Latinos.

Since hispanization is the process by which a place or a person absorbs characteristics of Hispanic society and culture. We are Hispanos more than asianos. Unfortunately, most are not aware of this fact.

"Property of Spain?" - I think this author never heard about the Cadiz constitution - anyway we were all subjects, under a monarchy that translates to citizenship. This is the reason why Filipinos with means then were able to study, live and travel abroad, they were Spanish by right. Could you imagine the Ilustrados, founding a liberal paper called La Solidaridad in the heart of Spain? If they were not protected by their right as Spanish citizens they could've been easily executed. In the days of the Yankees, anyone who stood up here and oppose them was blasted into oblivion, they only ceded leadership after they've been able to guarantee that they would still be in control, in terms of economic policies and the nations resources.

In the American years, it would be good to review that we never became citizens under their commonwealth, they never wanted us even with the noisy clamor of the federalistas. I'm sure all Filipino immigrants know that it is not an easy process to go there and work - this is how we were repaid. Our glorious stand with the Americans during WWII and all the service we render under their flag is all but forgotten now. While The Japanese and Germans, on the other hand, who fought against them, today, can freely travel in the US without being bothered by the process we usually face. Talk about history and how it is easily forgotten by this western power.

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But don't Filipinos speak Spanish? I get this question several times a year, almost on a monthly basis, and every time I want to say a resounding "No!", they point out my own particular situation, because I happen to speak it passably well. In my case, as I believe is the same with many Filipinos living in the United States, I learned it here: both from Mexican friends and the local community college. The truth is, most Filipinos do not speak Spanish at all. Almost none of us do. From the 19th century American occupation, English has long replaced Spanish as the western lingua franca of the country, and has been for a hundred years.

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We used to speak Castillan as a nation, but when the American's came it slowly eroded but it is, as it was pointed out the 'lingua franca' back in the days. The American system then recognized literacy based on the use of the English language. Regardless whether you speak or write in Tagala or Castilian you would still be tagged as illiterate if you would neglect the use and study of this foreign language and since there is no way for someone to progress in the new American standard of education if one would not take up English, everyone had no choice but to learn it.

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It certainly doesn't help that Filipinos are generally adaptable, and being from a country with over a thousand local dialects, will be averse (or too polite!) to saying they do not understand, or are unable to learn a certain language. We eventually pick up enough of the local language to get by. True, our main dialect, like many others, is in fact peppered with Spanish words, making it fairly easy for us to learn Spanish if we tried. But what few Spanish words that we use in our daily colloquial speech are mostly pidginized and remarkably different from their original meanings (Get this: "leche" is a mild curse word in Tagalog!). Also, we have much more of the neighboring language groups in our vernacular: mostly Malaysian, Chinese, Arabic, and more recently, plenty of English.

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It seems that the author of this failed to research on how many Spanish words there are in what most scholar's claims as 'pure' tagala. Aside from thousands of Castilian words in the recognized national language, a study of the Spanish language would also highlight that some of the common words we use that we thought were ours were from the Castilian language. Adapted to suit local pronunciation.

I don't even want to describe what "leche" means as a curse. :)

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Why do you have a Spanish last name? Doesn't that mean you have at least one Spanish bloodline? A Spanish surname is very common among Filipinos, and this understandably can lead to confusion. It's like meeting a Japanese person named Park, or more commonly, a Caucasian person named Lee. It however, does not reveal a person's ancestry automatically. In the case of most Filipinos, the mass-conversion also led to our being relabeled with 'Christian' surnames. Genuine intermarrying was probably quite rare back then. I can confidently say that I am no more Hispanic than your roll of "Scotch" tape has been anywhere near Glasgow.

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Your last name has nothing to do with your identity. You could be Chinese and possess a name like Juan de la Cruz but you would still be Chinese when you wake up in the morning not unless you got that name from the history and culture of your people - only then that it would mean something. Ancestry and places of origin does not define an identity. Again, there is confusion in the definition of nationality, location, ancestry and identity.

It was not just "relabeling" - it was in effect, creating identity for the natives the aside from of course the benefits it would provide the Government then.

They say, your name says a lot of things about you, this is true, a Hispanized name tells the history of adapting to the Spanish ideals of society then, as it was enforced by Claveria, the fact that it was accepted (voluntarily or involuntarily) means our ancestors assimilated into a Hispanic society.

These are 'Christian' names as he pointed out goes back to the process of hispanization. The one thing that the author failed to study is the process of becoming a "Filipino" . The review of this would bring one closer to our real identity. The author already mentioned the Catholic religion earlier, that's Filipino identity along with the culture and heritage.

Some backward thinking folks would elect to go back to the old tribes for which I'd rather not, what we have, we should keep and respect.

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So I hope it no longer seems to you a bold statement to say that Filipinos are not Hispanic, not from Latin America, do not speak Spanish nor are even of mostly Spanish ancestry. I encourage you to look up even more information on sites such as Wikipedia, and if possible, find some Filipino friends and raise a discussion, which I have no doubt will be a lively one. And have share some Filipino food while you're talking. We like to think it's better than Taco Bell, anyway.

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I think everyone would be in agreement that our dish is the best in the world!

By the way, thanks to Jon for improving my calligraphy. I happen to take interest in this old art, his on line videos were awesome.

See it here

A Hispanized Philippines: A Good Option?

A Hispanized Philippines: A Good Option?
© Elizabeth Medina, Santiago, Chile, March 30, 2000

Recently a Filipino friend who lives in the U.S., Rafael Onrubia, asked me why I thought it feasible and positive for the Philippines to be hispanized, and my answer was as follows:

The Philippines has 479 years of written history (from 1521 to the present), and 379 of them have been recorded in Spanish. It is a fact that we have a documentary legacy that is untranslated into English and that therefore we are unable to read - a motherlode that has hardly been mined by our historians. Aside from this, the works of modern Spanish historians, who have researched and published innumerable works on our Hispanic culture and past with such dedication and skill, are accumulating in libraries without the Filipinos' being able to make use of such an invaluable store of new contributions.

It is undeniable and curious that the Spanish wrote much on the Philippines, and I suspect that they wrote more about her than about the majority of their American colonies. This surely is due in part to the fact that the Philippines only became independent 88 years after Spanish America. However there can be no doubt that the Philippines in and of herself was a fascinating geographical and cultural space that captured the imagination, scientific interest and human sensibility of the many scholarly Spaniards who spent long years living among the people.

Speaking as a non-expert and basing myself on what I have been able to gather from the few contacts I've had with Filipino academics and their writings, from my own inquiries and those of independent researchers, it seems to me that the Spanish-language documentation overflows with gems that still wait to be rediscovered by the scholars of Philippine history. Our historians have not paid them much attention, preferring to study the writings of Anglo-Saxon historians and the few works written by Spaniards and translated into English, for a very simple reason - because unless one has profoundly assimilated Hispanic language and culture, it is impossible to penetrate the deep, implicit levels of meaning in the documentation.

We therefore have a double magnification of the problem. Filipino historians and scholars cannot read Spanish documents on one hand; on the other, they study their own history by reading Anglo-Saxons' interpretations of the Spanish documents. Thus they study it from third hand, through the cultural filters of researchers who, though they may possess an operative knowledge of the language, nevertheless have cultural filters that invariably select only those contents that reinforce the particular way of knowing that characterizes their non-Hispanic sensibility and understanding.

Therefore, no matter how sincere their interest in penetrating into the profound messages ciphered in the documents, they lack the pitons that they need to scale that cultural glacier. Without pitons and all the specialized equipment that only profound experience and study of the culture that has produced that documentary wealth can give, it is impossible to receive its messages and capture its spirit. This is because, even more important than the external information that they offer, is the inner landscape, adequately grasped and then deployed, that equips a researcher for perceiving all the other information - implicit, invisible, unstated - that underlies the external linguistic content.

The result is that, although data and interpretations of apparently great scientific value are accumulated, the human and spiritual significance of that history remains unapprehended.
And if we assume - as I do - that knowledge must always incorporate a cultural and spiritual component that goes far beyond mere accumulation of neutral data, that concerns itself most of all with giving orientation to human development, then this manner of proceeding ought to be corrected and reoriented, without further loss of time and effort.

Culture, I am convinced, is the gold mine of this new century. It is the last undiscovered continent and the greatest wealth of nations. If a people discovers the way to create in other countries a vivid interest in their culture, and they materialize that fascination in marketable products, they can assure themselves of an inexhaustible source of earnings. Spain has created markets for her music, literature, architecture, fashion; Italy has done the same, particularly through her gastronomy and haute couture; Germany with her engineering know-how, her cars; likewise France, and of course, the U.S., whose products fill our homes to overflowing, even our brains, and everywhere on our planet.

The Philippines necessarily must learn to create external markets for her culture, not just the culture of folklore and tradition, which leads to not much more than a proliferation of objects. Most important, the innate talents of the Filipino people, which are already recognized worldwide, must be developed - in the culinary, plastic and visual arts, music, fashion, inventiveness and - something that today is just beginning to arise - the creation of a new literature that gives witness to the marvelous complexity and richness of our historico-cultural experience. All of these things have their deepest roots, their creatives sources, in the culture of the Hispanic-Filipino past.
This, without mentioning another issue of extreme importance, which is the development of our trade relations with the Spanish-speaking countries of the Pacific Rim.

An Invisible World that Refuses to Die
The 377 years of Filipino hispanization gave birth to a culture and a past that some have tried to annihilate and that is still under siege -- but that refuses to disappear and die. It is a culture and a past that only become visible when -- like the Little Prince of St. Exupéry -- one learns to see with the heart.

If one doesn't know how to speak Spanish fluidly, one cannot realize what a wealth of Castilian words there are in Tagalog and in so many other Filipino dialects. If one doesn't carry Hispanic culture within oneself, one cannot recognize the Hispanic culture that informs and suffuses Filipino social customs and practices.

If one has no familiarity with the landscapes of Spain and Hispanic America, with their imposing buildings from the Middle Ages and the Colonial Era, one will be unable to recognize the Hispanic past whose faithful witnesses are the old churches, homes and towns of the Archipelago.

The Responsibility of the Cultural Guardians of Filipino Society
The fact that the majority of our years of written history took place during the Spanish colonial period and that they are recorded in the idiom of our Hispanic-Filipino culture necessarily places the guardians of culture and education in a position of heavy responsibility. To erase the past is to erase the future. The greatest cultural problem that we Filipìnos face, in my opinion, is that fact that we do not have the habit of reflecting deeply on cultural and educational issues in the Philippines, because as we have said, we were not clarified about the importance of profound culture. Part of the blame rests without doubt on our old Spanish administrators; another on the North American educational system that was implanted afterwards, which necessarily tried to erase the cultural past in order to impose an Anglo-Saxonized present and future.

But another portion of blame rests squarely on those who have governed the country and have allowed the love of the old generations for Hispanic-Filipino language and culture to be abandoned under the new conditions of independence, when they surrendered themselves completely to the new foreign power, to the detriment of their own identity and historical legacy.

Therefore, though our new proposal cannot be an attempt to flip the cultural tortilla from one day to the next, and - just as English was imposed on us - to impose Spanish this time, what is indeed indispensable is the modification of the educational canon so that our historians, sociologists, anthropologists, writers, architects - all of our agents and formers of culture - may recover a full awareness of the past and be given the option of undertaking profound studies, whether in the Philippines, in Spain or in Latin America, in Hispanic-Amerasian history and culture, in the Spanish language.

I am likewise convinced that cultural exhange between Hispanic America and the Philippines cannot but lead to a new synthesis that in turn will produce a blossoming of the best in each one of our countries, thanks to the new climate of brotherhood and unity that it will tend to promote. A synthesis that will help lead our relations with Spain to a new level of maturity and mutual cooperation.

The foregoing does not mean that I advocate the separation of the Philippines from her Asian family, which would be absurd, a new backlash under the sign of the very same purism of those who today advocate our fanatic separation from our Western past. The fact is that we Filipinos are a living link between East and West. We come from both worlds, and both worlds are ours. The naturalistic and deterministic look, first of the Spanish and the North Americans, and now of ourselves in front of ourselves, said that we were Indians or Asians and therefore we had to be what we were and nothing more.

And this is the origin and the root of the continuing absurd debate about whether the Philippines should be hispanized once again, or not. When the Philippines has always been hispanized, except that the "Filipinos" born from 1901 onwards rapidly suffered, first of all, a cultural switch and the suppression of the past, and later, the outright deformation and annihilation of their historical consciousness.

In synthesis, I would say, in answer to the question of "Would it be positive for the Philippines to be hispanized once again?" that the Philippines already is hispanized. All that is lacking is for the Filipinos to realize this truth and make it work for their own benefit, to enrich themselves and progress, instead of impoverishing themselves and regressing. Because regression - unlike progress - has its limits, and it seems to me that we have already reached those limits.

Comment on the article by Alfredo Chicote, a Spaniard born in the Philippines, residing in Madrid, who considers himself Hispanic-Filipino:

"As you know, I am in complete agreement with your thesis. It is a fact, without the Filipinos' knowing it, that the Philippines is a hispanized country. I believe the article is well written and argued. It is necessary to know Spanish in order to dig into one's own past. We must see things as they are: the Philippines - for good or ill - was born as a country under Spanish dominion and her history -- as W.E. Retana well saw it -- must be read in that language, as well as in English, Tagalog, Bisaya, etc.

To give you an example to illustrate your thesis of the deformation of Philippine history, I cite a passage from a tourist brochure that I've just gotten:

"In the 19th century, Spain's colonies were racked by corrupt administration and internal disorder. Liberal ideologies fired the spirits of enlightened manileños (residents of Manila) like Philippine national hero José Rizal, who studied abroad, and Filipino rebel leader Andrés Bonifacio, who read books on revolutionaries and philosophers........"

"But freedom would not come so easily, for the Filipinos found themselves under their erstwhile ally, the Americans. Under the new conqueror, Manila spread outwards, roads and bridges were built and schools taught Filipinos Western culture in a new language -- English. Democratic processes were introduced; and Neo-Classical government edifices rose around the old city..."

Not one word about the Revolution and the war between the United States and the Philippines, which cost more lives, perhaps, than all the years under Spanish rule! And of course, they also taught the Filipinos Western culture -- as if Spain had not done. But Spain, aside from being Western, is also mestiza [of mixed blood] -- is Jewish, Arab, Roman and Phoenician; in other words, she is as mestiza as her former colonies. Therefore perhaps she has a greater capacity to understand the Philippines than the North Americans.

From another brochure, written at least by a Spaniard, I send you this very brief passage:

"When Magellan landed on the island of Homonhon in 1521, he claimed these islands for King Philip II and called them 'Felipinas'." Well, my dear, I don't know who taught this writer his history -- two huge mistakes in just one short sentence! The king at that time was Carlos I, and the name 'Felipinas' was coined by Ruy López de Villalobos in 1542 for part of Mindanao or Leyte -- we do not know with precision. Only with the passing of time was the name used for the entire archipelago. At that time, in 1521, it was known as the Western Isles or the Spice Islands, the latter because it was believed that spices grew there, as in the Moluccas Islands.

In other words, two vivid examples that illustrate your thesis:

An absolute lack of knowledge about one's own past -- no doubt inherited from an equally ignorant "Thomasite" -- that no one throughout the years has bothered to correct.

An utter disregard for the achievements of the Hispanic period. In the Philippines, before the Americans arrived, there was nothing -- only corruption and disorder. Western civilization and democracy reached the islands with Merritt's soldiers (the Cádiz Constitution never existed). And Manila, far from being the vibrant and beautiful city that the chroniclers describe for us (See Morga), did not have a single building worth mentioning, until the "Neoclassical" government buildings were built (might they be copies of those in Washington, D.C.?).

Worst of all, Elizabeth, is that the people who publish these brochures really believe these things. There are a lot of false beliefs that must be changed! Long live Sr. Gómez and his grain of sand![*]
Regards,

Alfredo

[*] Refers to Prof. Guillermo Gémez, Head of the Spanish Department, Adamson University, Manila, who to this day publishes two Spanish-language newspapers in that city.
Everybody is invited to discuss this article on our Discussion Board.
See also by the same author:Who was Wenceslao Emilio Retana?
The book "Rizal According to Retana: Portrait of a Hero and a Revolution" is available from the author.

Feliz Cumpleaños

Papa with his sons, Bernardo y Samuel

Just wanted to greet mi Padre, Señor Bartolome Arnaiz y Rivera, feliz compliaños! Born on August 24, he was named by his parents after San Bartolome, whose feast falls on the 24^th day of the month.

A proud Ilonggo but very humble man, soft spoken and during his younger years, this mestizo was a tall, well-built looker, guapo si Nonoy. He's the hardest working man I have ever known in my life.

I'll never forget how he takes good care of his hair, which is, unfortunately - all gone now. He just turned 72.

Godfather for the second time around

I would like to thank my friend, JJ and his charming wife, Maybelle for allowing me to be one of the godfather of their little princess, Zoë Isabel.

Obviously, a Catholic, I have a soft spot when it comes to this kind of events. Its a special one since it's a sacrament, a very traditional rite that I always cherish for it reminds me of the love and compassion of our Lord.

This marks the day that their child has entered the Catholic faith and I'm proud that I was part of it all. May it be a fruitful journey for this beautiful child of theirs.

It was unusually warm for an afternoon at this time of the year, the sun was up but it was cloudy. This is the first time I visited this beautiful church of St. James, so there was a lot of things new to me.



The baptismal rite was solemn and was very meaningful, in life and in spirit, as it was discussed during the seminar for the parents. Being a godfather is an experience since its an obligation as a follower of the church, I've been taught to held it seriously by my parents - my Nanay would always say prayers for her inaanaks during mass, I guess that compensates on her inability to give monetary gifts during Christmas time! - Zoë would always be in my prayers from now on, just like my Nanay - it would be my way of compensation!

There was a lovely diner at a posh restaurant in Alabang, Poquito I believe was the name - they serve traditional Spanish cuisine, very good serving. The meal was great! It was heavy - but I like it that way.

Welcome to the Catholic fold, Zoë!

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I'm really poor at finding directions, and I did for awhile got lost trying to find the church of St. James in Ayala Alabang.

The Village has very good security, well if you have high profile people living inside you must have good people manning the watchtower. I heard Pres. Ramos lives there.

Entering Ayala Alabang can be an intimidating experience, I'm just not used to seeing huge houses with multiple cars on the garage. The only people you see walking around in Ayala Alabang are maids who walks those expensive dogs, if not that, residents who seems to struggle trying to get fit by jogging and biking with their ipod's on.

The rich people are always inside - their houses or their expensive cars, they could be seen outside, but one should go to the Ayala Town Center. My trip here displayed before my eyes a world of difference from the usual scenes of shoebox houses and squatter neighborhoods I pass by whenever I drive to the office.

What does a street name look like?

I was then in grade school when my parents decided to move to Makati from Manila. I was old enough to remember, the hardships made it even more unforgettable. We live in a baranggay called San Antonio, a street named Bagtican. The town was made popular because Mayor Binay was one of its citizens. Almost all of the streets in the area are named after indigenous trees, with the exception of Estrella (the former Mayor) and St. Paul, one of Makati's patron saints.

Bagtican, was an old street, our place was within the vicinity of the Paulinian lands, where there was a four-storey library & bookstore, a simple but lovely chapel and a seminary, where my brothers once attended.

We lived across the Magcale's, a well-known family in the area, rich and generous, they have befriended even the poorest tenants of the calle, almost all of the Magcales' children at some point became tv actors, like their dad. Their household left a lasting mark on me because it has an enormous book collection that was made available to me by Señora Amparo, the matriarch of the family; the whole neighborhood affectionately calls her Mommy.

We had an alatiris tree in front of our house, a fruit tree that was brought to our shores by the friars, renowned for its sweet marble sized fruit, magnate for flies and bats who enjoys consuming its ripe figs. I love eating those cherry like fruit until my stomach hurts, you see even as a child, I already took interest in eating. There was a time that trees do grow in Makati, now everything are concrete pavements, no one bothers to plant trees anymore. Makati has changed especially those small barrios, near the Ayala area.

When I was a kid, I was told that Bagtican (latin Shorea & Parashorea) is a tree. But when I ask people if they have seen one, they would tell me that it can only be found in the high mountains. Since then, I have this strong urge to see and touch one.



Last Saturday, I did some hiking at the foot of Maquiling entering it through the Botanical garden area of UP. It would not be long that I would be acquainted with a Bagtican tree; it was so high that touches the clouds up above. What a majestic looking tree! They are known for their resistance against strong winds and a lumber that is often used for joinery.

It is also known as White Lauan, with its natural color of pale to light red it is widespread in our country. The name Bagtican could have originated from Teak, another tree of a large deciduous family. It is know locally as Teka or Tekka, its Malayan name, far superior I was told than Bagtican as wood.

When we moved to Bagtican the house was the typical post American design and creation, we later on lost the land against its eventual owner Vic Chua. It is now an ‘imprenta', printing stuff I don't know what, the area is ugly. With its high iron gates, noisy printing machines, greased pavements, I could hardly recognize that this was the place where I spent most of my childhood years.

There's always history behind everything, every name and every place. I love digging the one's that I have come across with personally - its an addiction, I've got to find the meaning behind things I don't know.

This strange desire has made me knowledgeable of my environment, people should start researching and getting to know the story behind their local places - the more local the better, it is a fascinating interest, who knows you might stumble upon something better than what a tree looks like.

my telemarketing days

i posted this at my other blog recently, it was fun trying to remember what work was like more than 4 years ago...

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The Outbound that was APAC

A few years ago a call center transferee with hopes of earning more and being close at home moved into a four storey building on the isolated portion of Alabang – the newly developed Filinvest area, now a quintessential place of the country’s outsourcing business structure and technology. I just stepped into APAC country.

Before other corporations even began planning and constructing their own sites – like “Convergys”, “HSBC”, “GE” and “First Source” – APAC was already in business, operating on a single deck located on the 4t floor, it was composed of pocket groups that represented the company in sales and medical insurance.

After a year, the sales segment was dissolved; talented outbound agents were merged with what the company would convert itself into, an absolute, customer service contact center. In the process some friends elected to leave, probably unable to envision themselves in the new title the company extended for them.

Gone were the days of product marketing, the festal celebrations, the solicitations, ‘cantiaoan’s’, colleague heckling, tribal like dancing after each completed sale and what I liked the most, the announcement, made famous by the deafening voices of the outbound team leaders, proclaiming to the world who just made a sale. I never heard my name that often though.

The place felt like it was hacked out of the meadows, building C stood alone facing the Bellevue hotel. Surrounded by talahibs and some trees, one could see as far as the road that leads to the Filinvest exit on a clear day. Tricycles were the only means of transport. Rare birds are heard chirping in the morning occasionally disturbed by sudden laughter and shouts of profanity by some childish chum, an askal who frequents the ground floor for scraps of food became the unofficial mascot of the employees. It was almost rustic, I use to enjoy the stroll going home – the smell of freshly cut grass, the windy breeze, rarity of passing cars – the rural feel, yes here, where all this towering buildings now stands.

If you desire to buy cheap meals there was this guy who sells pre packed lunch, it clears out pretty fast, so it was always a good idea to make a reservation, they’ll inscribe your initials on the styro pack so you can come back later to claim it. If you’re a little more adventurous and you have wheels, you can go to some village in Las Piñas where one can buy a heavy tapsi meal for lunch. For me I’m contented with the gas station half kilometer away, buying sodas and snacks, which by the time I get back my break has almost run out. Some would be seen with their baon, leftovers possibly from their diner tables at home -- there was a time when people would have to fall in line to use the microwave, the fridge piled to the rafters.

Then during dawn, when the sun is about to rise, I would feast my eyes on the abundance of color appearing from the sky, the bay and the hills providing the picturesque backdrop, sunrise tinted -- proclaiming the coming of a new day on the east side, which is where we are, beauty a great God can only create.

This would also mark the warming of the environment inside for at that time the building had an issue maintaining a constant cool but this, we really didn’t mind since we are all headed home in the coming hours. All are just about ready to hit the clock and smoke outside, ever eager to share the shifts unforgettable and forgettable incidents. Some would even go as far as going someplace to drink beer and play some rounds of billiards.

During Christmas time the company would hand out keso de bolas. People really know each other then, the gift of a small world. The guards were strict and stiff then but in time they adapted, just like everybody else– it felt like family. An issue would affect everyone, a resignation, pay dispute, system failures, terminations – it was a knitted community of employees.

We loved the free coffee that the vending machine dispenses, people would brag about their excessively priced coffee mugs, if I have some change then I would go for the 10 peso chocolate drink and huff about it inside. The station is home, not uniform, untidy, the creature comfort it provide made people treat it as if it was their own room – with spades of faith it did turn into little kingdoms. There was even this cubicle of a friend, which he decorated with his semi-nude female fantasies – only to be taken down the next day by our overly zealous team leader, who did nothing but scold us with our scant statistics.

In the outbound campaign, people would play music, sometimes forgetting that the floor is a place of business. There were no ipods then just cd players hooked with tin-sounding puny speakers. Ample idle time did gave us periods to pursue our pastime, I spent mine reading and listening to my very own play list, others chit chatting, ironing hair, playing chess, fidgeting some new gadget -- it just didn’t look busy enough to be a call center more like a civic center. The informality has spawned a homelike taste. This I’m sure will never be seen again at such level. It was crazy, wacky and yes amusing.

Every second Friday we would all collect our paycheck, this is my favorite day of the week. Depending on the company that you keep you could get drunk and wasted during the weekend or spend it shopping with your dearly beloved, with all the money and commission money they worked hard to get, this is how people then release their stress, I’m quite sure not much has change. Then everybody starts anew come Monday shift.

When new business arrived, waves of people were hired. The company began constructing new cubicles, offices, meeting rooms and pantries –there was the 3^rd, the 2^nd and finally the 1^st floor – finished all in a short span of time. It won’t be long that the next building would be annexed, and then there was talk of a rising Cubao office -- now already a created site. Changes I just heard from the grapevine turn out to be the company’s future. So much progress accomplished, almost instant. Somewhere along the way, the old has been forgotten, everyone was in the fast lane. The new created a fresh path, on ward with dreams that aspires to be bigger than what it already is.

Yes, this was APAC, such as it was. Life changed after the years of expansion, if it was any consolation, the sacrifices made by the pioneers paved the way to the creation of opportunities both for the organization and employees. I haven’t check who still among those people I knew then stuck by, I’m afraid that there’s not much left but that plays little importance for the mirthful memories of the old APAC lives – inside all of us who were there when it all began.

San Juan Bautista Church in Calamba

A brief history of this historic Iglesia we recently had the chance to visit last month.

Considered by our local church official as one of the 'jubilee churches'(old pre Spanish churches in Laguna) alongside with the shrine of Sto. Sepulcro in Landayan, SanPedro and the other old century old churches in Laguna (Nagcarlan, Pila, San Pablo, Mabitac, Paete, Pangil, Pakil, Pagsanjan, Majayjay...)

In 1759 the Jesuit Missionaries purchased a big portion of land called Hacienda de San Juan, but the parish was established only in 1779 by the Franciscan Friars.

In this church, Fray Rufino Collantes baptized our national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal, on June 22, 1861. the original altar was burned in 1862 but immediately rebuilt by Fray Leoncio Lopez. the first Filipino priest, Fr. Angel Villaruz, served this church for 43 years since 1901. the incumbent Parish Priest is Fr. Menorca.

This church was literally just a stone throw away from the Rizal residence, I was told by a friend that its original location was in the front of the Rizal shrine before -I was not able to verify this but there was what looks like old pre-Spanish foundations where the current vidokes, sari sari stores and carinderia is located, all this establishments fronting the shrine, what an eyesore.

I'm quite intrigue by the piece of a scanned document that hangs in the wall inside the Rizal shrine which declares Father Lopez as the signatoree of Rizal's birth certificate when it was in fact a different friar who conducted the baptism, Fray Collantes. I also heard that Rizalista's makes a connection of Rizal being baptized here in the church of San Juan Bautista, comparing it to Jesus undergoing the same rites under his cousin San Juan Bautista, they took it for its divine meaning -as if Rizal was baptize by St. John himself. I really can't blame this people, Rizal is a fascinating man, aside from his intellectual feats it seems that this renaissance of a man is a clairvoyant - based on what I've read about him this man is a believer in the supernatural, very pinoy - very superstitious.

This church has been the center of the activity of the town - like fiestas and other town functions. This is the genius of the Spanish city planning, every town built around an Iglesia or convento, it seems that all roads will lead you back to the church, a poblacion is never without a great Iglesia. Calamba's town and this church has been conceived the same way - bringing the people closer to God and the town's government.

Pearl of the Curacy

Nuestra Señora de la Paz y Buenviaje, originally uploaded by Arnaldos' shutter.

My recent visit to the Antipolo church has brought back one of my fondness memory of mahal na araw rituals - the lenghty hike from our residence in Makati to its hilly footway. A spiritual cleansing through physical distress. I've only done it once but who could've forget such an exhausting tread at very a young age.

Its one of the most critical iglesia's during the Spanish era, friars and secular's contested to secure its ground. Nick Joaquin cited on one of his book how it was bitterly fought for, the Recollects protesting the appointment of a creole clergy in the 1860's, this only goes to show how strategic and rich the church was then.

During the WWII it was heavily bombed by the Americans forces. It was levelled to the ground, the resilient Antipoleños and the committed friars would have to raise it from the ground on the following years.

The church now have a hall at the back of the altar that acts as a semi museum. In display are colognes, dresses, crowns and other memorabilia's in its collection. It also have a fascinating life-size panoramic pictures and informative information that labels it.

Rizal was taught by his mother to patronize the Lady. He has written beautiful works dedicated to the patron of peace and good voyage. A known devotee in his early years and through out his adult life, he is known to call upon our Lady for unharmed and sound tours. He has even etched the image in one of his leather cases.

Anitpolo now has become an overly urbanized province, it has been city for years but I still consider it a countryside. It has been trying to cope with the rapid urbanization -- commerce, vehicles and beggars abound but one just need to go around and observe to notice the town's history.

Though the M commercial logo tower of Mcdonalds tries to compete with the M symbol of the church's tower (A Marian emblem) Anitpoleños lives has still cycled around the famed iglesia of Marian devotion - from commerce to devotion. All leads to the prominent symbol of the faith's 'pearl curate'.

Tayo na sa Antipolo!

Historic Pagsanjan

The Historic Pagsanjan Church, originally uploaded by Arnaldos' shutter.

I went to this place under the cover of wanting to take the boat ride to the falls but the history nerd that I am-of course was more interested in finding sites that would be of interest and it was not hard to find one for Pagsanjan is such a historic place. This was last year and I was reminded of this place today while driving and seeing one of the buses with its ad showing Pagsanjan (and its current Mayor) as a tourist destination.

It was Despujol who said that to ‘decatholicize’ is to ‘denationalize’ us - a remark he made to defend his action of sending Rizal to Dapitan. He must’ve been referring to towns like Pagsanjan and the other great domains founded or was made into a community by the religious orders. The main road leads to the town’s great church and true to its name (Pinagsangahan) the ways that would lead you to the other neighbouring town is through this small town’s crossroads.

Though the barrio was believed to have been established by Chinese traders and some enterprising folks who made a living from betelnuts and other agricultural activities, the then barrio was elevated to township on the mid 17th century by Governador General Bonifaz and due to its strategic location was made La Laguna’s capital. The capitolship lasted for more than a century.

The church was no longer the original one founded by Fray Magdalena with the help of the piuos locals, like in many other places it was destroyed by American bomb attacks(like the many other historic sites during the WWII). The then image of our Lady of Guadalupe was destroyed, it would be years later that the Mexican people would be once again be generous enough to give the old town its new life size image as a gift, making the same gesture that their catholic nation as brothers to us, has made when they brought to shore together with the missionaries the first image through the galleon trades.

Reading Dr. Zaide’s PAGSANJAN: In History and Legend I was moved by its historic contibutions not only to the province of Laguna then but on a wider scope, for a diminutive size in comaprison to other towns it was a giant. It has provided the nation wih great sons and places of significance to the revolution. You wouldn’t really know unless you travel to this far flung places and whenever I do I often imagine how long it must’ve took then to travel from what we know now as metro Manila to this places. Rizal in his diary told us that Calamba to Manila is a 10 hour journey. We don’t have an excuse not to tour around for we have faster means.

Aside form the rich historical role it is also blessed with natural wonders, I had great time shooting the rapids - make no mistake about it. I was strolling at dawn the next morning we arrived and was surprised that people attends dawn masses, they have this all year round unlike us here in the metropolitan. The town is still very traditional although one can see imposing traces of urbanization.

I’m always discouraged when I see commercialization stand together with the old, somehow our track record as a nation shows that this has been disastrous for eventually the new would destroy the old. I have never condemned urbanization for it benifits society economically but I’ve seen how such venture would have the old lose. In Makati for example, we had pre American structures who were sold by the next generation of owners since the market was just irresistable - the old houses never stood a chance. In its place now stands building.

After leaving the town, passing the historic Pagsanjan arch, I was in deep thought if the people I’ve met in the town have in them the desire to keep the gifts that time had given them, almost three centuries in the making. How would they preserve the old tradition alive to pass on to the next generation. People seem content with time slowly passing, life’s still simple there and I have dreams of building a house in the banks of its river where i can throw my fishing line and hope to catch ayungins, hito and tilapias. One day I will.

History starts with our family

Not everyone can be co-host of a documentary show, but everyone can be the family documentarist. - Howie Severino

Researching our family tree is just as exciting as reviewing our nation's past. Though I hardly consider this venture a success since I haven't been able to prove many of what I thought was a link, it was still a rewarding interest that has introduced me to what my family was then - and now.

Genealogy research is a big hit in the US. Many Americans are paying good money and spending time tracing where their ancestors came from, what they were when they migrated. Americans have in their institute well kept records of immigrants from all over the world. Unfortunately we don't have an Ellis Island log but for those who does not have the benefit of kept document, oral history is just as good - researchers would just have to hurry and jot down notes while we still have the great resources with us.

My father for example was barely a teenager when he got separated from his family. It was during the chaos of Japanese raids when he lost contact with known relatives in Negros Occidental, he lost his parents and a brother. The only surviving relative is a sister who now resides in California. Listening to his story gives me a clear idea what it was like then. Those were the 'hardest days' he recalls. He found himself fleeing to Manila (14 years of age) to try to make a living with his only surviving family Norma, his sister.

In my desire to find his family and please him, I started looking into every known Arnaiz, I spoke with individuals with the same apelyido in my teen years. I also studied this man, Antonio Arnaiz the Filipino aviation pioneer (made the Manila-Madrid, 1st flight in 1935 together with his navigator J Calvo) was from the same place where my father spent his childhood. Among my subject of interest was Antonio for he strikingly resembles my father. Arnaiz made history when he circumnavigated the world with his single engine plane (he actually bought the plane himself)quite a feat for a Filipino back then. In the 90's they renamed Pasay Rd Arnaiz in his honor (though I'm in disagreement with this seasonal street changing affair. let's stop this!). His achievements later on open the doors for aspiring Filipino pilots - Arnaiz has proven that the Filipino can fly.

My research has brought me to the conclusion that this guy is probably an uncle. Ironically the year of his greatest achievement was the year when my father was born.Tatay would sometimes tell me that they lived a comfortable life, big house and stylish wooden furniture, I'm not sure if he intentionally with hold memories of his youth but there were times that he would just say 'I had a beuatiful childhood', how it was exactly the details was somewhat lacking- everything spiraled down in the succedding years, it was a case of 'bad to worst' when the Japanese invaded. In my research I came across walls but I haven't laid to rest my quest to learn more about my family - it was my intention to also engage my father with this amateurish genealogy research of mine, to have him open up but it seems that his still lil' bottled up or again he must've completely erased the ugliness those events in his life.

My father already a septugenarian seems to be content with his extended family now (he occasionally ask about his sister and her family since they write emails, he doesn't). I've observed that he really does not put any bearings on the results I tell him, how his related to this and all the other names that pops out of my book. There was this one time when a police Colonel from Bicutan who spoke with him after finding out his another Arnaiz, also a Negrense - he just reached out to shake his hand with a little chit chat he left without giving out his contact, it turns out that he was a distant relative. I haven't fully figured why my father is like this I find it weird at times but he has his reasons.

My Mother (Diaz' of Bacolod) on the other hand is also huge clan. Theirs is also as colorful and as wonderful as the history of their town - their story can fill volumes and still it would not be enough. I've research my mom's side but wrting about them would probably consume days, I'll wirte about it someday.

Our family ancestry could be as colorful as Rizal's or our other heroes or maybe not - but its worth to be revisited.

---

Additional historical information I gathered about Antonio Arnaiz:

Aviation history in the Philippines is largely forgotten nowadays, save for the founding of Philippine Air Lines (now known as the Philippine Airlines/PAL), which was the first commercial airline in Asia. Few people are aware of those great, early aviators who became heroes in the Philippines, Spain, and throughout Asia for their pioneering efforts. The most important of these triumphs were the historic Madrid-Manila flight of Spanish pilots Captain Joaquín Loriga y Taboada and Captain Eduardo Gallarza y González, of the Spanish Royal Flying Corps, and the reciprocal "Arnacal"Manila-Madrid flight of Filipino aviators Don Antonio Arnáiz and Don Juan Calvo.

In October, 1924, Captain Loriga and fellow pilot Captain Rafael Estévez y Martínezpresented to the Spanish Director General of Aviation a plan for a Madrid-Manila flight utilizing the new Breguet Type 19 biplane, which would help to further enhance Spain's reputation in aviation and bring back the Castilian flag to a former colony "where the love for Spain remains so vivid and warm."

The Director General endorsed the plan to Miguel Primo de Rivera y Orbaneja, el Marqués de Estella, the dictator of Spain and nephew of former Governor General of the Philippines Fernando Primo de Rivera. Primo de Rivera gave the proposed flight his official consent, and Capts. Loriga and Gallarza began supervising modifications to their Breguet biplanes, which were christened the "Magallanes" and "Legazpi" after the famous explorers respectively, as soon as the planes arrived in December, 1924.

The start of the Madrid-Manila flight on 8 April, 1925. Capt. Eduardo Gallarza prepares to board his Breguet Type 19 biplane, the "Legazpi."

The "Legazpi," ironically the only of the Breguets to survive the journey, leaves Macau for Aparri, Philippines on 12 May carrying Capts. Loriga and Gallarza. Portugal provided assistance in this great endeavor -- the Portuguese Navy also offered to station its cruiser "Republique" in the South China Sea in support of the Spanish aviators as they made the long overwater flight between the Portuguese colony and the Philippines. After experiencing numerous close calls with disaster, Capts. Loriga and Gallarza arrived in Manila on 13 May, 1925, completing the historic flight.

Capts. Eduardo Gallarza and Joaquín Loriga following their arrival in the Philippines, with some society women.

The two aviators were welcomed as heroes amid shouts of "Viva España," "Viva Filipinas," "Viva Loriga," and "Viva Gallarza" by the crowds of Manileños gathered to greet the arrival of the "Legazpi"which featured the flag of the Philippines on the left side of its fuselage. Capts. Loriga and Gallarza were carried off on the shoulders of the jubilant spectators as the young Manileñas and Spanish women threw themselves on the pilots, embracing and kissing them. A motorcade ride on streets lined with waving crowds followed, which took them to the Luneta. At the Luneta, the pilots laid wreaths at the foot of the Rizal monument, as a symbolic gesture. A similar ceremony was then held at the monument to the explorers Legazpi and Fr. Urdaneta, which was followed by an even larger one at the Manila Cathedral, where a choir of a hundred men and women sung a dedicatory hymn especially composed for the occasion by Prof. Trápaga. Following a press conference at the Casino Español de Manila, the pilots were taken to the Colegio de San Juan de Letran, in Intramuros, where they received hononary degrees from the Universidad de Santo Tomás and attended an evening banquet hosted by the presitigious institution. Speaking at the banquet, Fr. Calixto Prieto enthused in "the nobility of Spain's labor in her Christian colonization of the countries discovered by her,...mixing their bloods and creating new race types." In the days that followed, Capts. Loriga and Gallarza were feted and honored by many of the country's leading business magnates (including tycoon Don Enrique Zóbel y de Ayala and media mogul Don Alejandro Roces y González, who brought the pilots to Baguio; aristocrat-cum-insurance industry titan Don Antonio Melián y Pavía, whose el Hogar Filipino led the effort to have streets in Metro Manila named after the pilots; and Secretary of the Casino Español de Manila Don Antonio Ossorio, who brought the pilots to the shrine of Nuestra Senora de la Paz y Buen Viaje at the old Antipolo Church), prominent literary figures and scholars (including 1926 Premio Zóbel laureates Jesús Balmori and Manuel Bernabé; and Dr. Rafael Palma), and politicians (including Mayor Miguel Romualdez, Governor Filemón Pérez, Councilor Francisco Beech, Consul General Emilio de Motta, House Speaker Manuel Roxas, former President Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, presidential aide-de-camp Manuel Nieto, and President Manuel L. Quezon). Prior to the two Spanish aviators' leaving the Philippines, Capt. Loriga paid a wonderful tribute to their well-wishers in the country (translated from the original Spanish):

«You, Spaniards, voluntarily expatriated, who have known to create in the midst of this hospitable country a home in which burns perpetual the sacred fire of the country, become a part of the great Spain extended over a chain of twenty sister republics and are the soldiers, unknown yet unforgotten, in that great crusade for the spiritual union of these lands, which at one time formed a gigantic empire fighting under a single standard. Viva Filipinas! Viva America! Viva España!»

Tragically, Capt. Joaquín Loriga died less than a year later in a plane crash in Spain. All of Manila was saddened by the terrible news. His death is said to have caused considerable grieving in the Spanish community in the Philippines -- especially among those of its ladies who became very close to their dashing heroes from Spain.

It was nearly eleven years later when, in 1936, a proposal for a Manila-Madrid flight finally took shape. A Filipino salesman for the Manila Trading and Supply Co. enrolled in flight training at the Valeriano School of Aviation named Juan Calvo approached his instructor Antonio Arnáiz with an idea for a Manila-Madrid flight, which he had conceived several years earlier. Arnáiz was receptive to the idea, and the two began the planning for it shortly thereafter. Don Antonio Arnáiz was a young, but capable, pilot who had trained at the Dallas Aviation School in the U.S. He belonged to a prominent hacendero clan from Bais, Negros Oriental and was able to obtain from his family the funds needed to purchase a Fairchild 24 plane.With the help of real estate broker Don Federico Calero y Ortíz, Jr. (father of legendary Filipino advertising executive Don Javier José "Jay Jay" L. Calero, a cousin of Vázquez-Prada family), the two aviators recruited publisher Carlos P. Romuloas a backer for their ambitious endeavor. However, they needed additional funding and ended up securing it from Arnáiz family friends and associates in Bais.

Having secured money for the venture, Antonio Arnáiz returned to Manila on 17 May, 1936 to supervise modifications to the Fairchild required for the trip at Nielson Airport with Juan Calvo. By the end of the month, they were ready for their record-breaking flight to Madrid.

On 27 May, 1936, Mayor Juan Posadas broke the traditional champagne bottle, christening their Fairchild 24 as the "Commonwealth of the Philippines."

At dawn of Friday, 29 May, Antonio Arnáiz and Juan Calvo climbed into the cockpit of the "Commonwealth of the Philippines" and took off at 5 AM following an exchange of waves between the pilots and the crowd of well-wishers gathered at the edge of the airfield. They arrived at Hong Kong late in the afternoon, having braved poor weather conditions (and lacking radio equipment) to become the first Filipino pilots to cross the China Sea. In Hong Kong, they were greeted enthusiastically by prominent members of the Filipino community (including Antonio's brother Don Ricardo Arnáiz) and also by a number of Americans and Britons.

The two Filipino pilots finally reached Spanish soil on 11 July, arriving at Barcelona. The Mayor of Barcelona presented Antonio Arnáiz and Juan Calvo keys to the city and welcomed them with a banquet at the mayoral palace. From there, they took off for Madrid and arrived at 5 PM, completing their historic journey and first-ever goodwill flight by Philippine aviators, dubbed the "Arnacal Flight."

Antonio Arnáiz and Juan Calvo with Juan's father Col. Juan Calvo, Sr. (center)

In Madrid, the Asociación Hispano-Filipinopresided over the welcome ceremonies for the arrival of the Filipino aviators. Madrid's entire Filipino community was present for the momentous occasion. Among those in attendance was Juan Calvo's long-lost father, Juan, Sr., who was a colonel in the Spanish Army. It would be the first reunion between father and son in many years and also their last. As the pilots stepped out of their plane, they were lifted up by the cheering crowd and carried on shoulders to the terminal, where the surviving hero of the original Madrid-Manila flight Eduardo Gallarza, now a Major, and other Spanish officials waited to honor the new heroes. The two Filipinos were the toast of Madrid and were treated to numerous receptions and even an hononary bullfight! Unfortunately, Spain was on the verge of civil war, and they just managed to escape ahead of the opening salvos. Their plane, the "Commonwealth of the Philippines," was lost when the ship carrying it was attacked by Republican forces, forcing the crew to run the vessel aground and scuttle it.

Antonio Arnáiz and Juan Calvo were commissioned as Lieutenant Colonels in the new Philippine Army Air Corps by President Manuel L. Quezon following their arrival back in Manila on 8 September, 1936. They were welcomed as heroes back home in the Philippines and honored with countless receptions. Juan Calvo went on to a career with the Iloilo-Negros Air Express Co. (INAEC), which was founded by the powerful López family. The Valeriano School of Aviation would eventually expand to become the Philippine Islands Aviation Corporation and selected Don Antonio Arnáiz to serve as Vice President and Director.