#philippine fashion week holidays 2012

[psychonedashone]

Filipino Celebrations Through the Decades (Rivera, Montalbo, Ona, Luya, Nazareno, Maray, Buenconsejo, Barrion, Leonzon)

Our way of life is a major impression of our extraordinary and complex history. It is affected by the majority of the individuals we have communicated with. A mix of the Malayo-Polynesian and Hispanic culture with the impact from Chinese, Indians Arabs, and other Asian societies truly add to the traditions and conventions of the Filipinos. Filipino culture is one of a kind contrasted with other Asian nations, and convictions apply each average day for the Filipinos and uncover how rich and favoured the way of life the individuals have

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Christening

In year 2012 the filipino tradition of baptism is they involves a priest baptizing a baby in private or simultaneously with other children. In a mass christening, the priest goes from one child to another, blessing them with holy water and performing the baptismal rite, as the parents and godparents respond in behalf of the children. The short church mass is held which serves as an orientation for the family, godparents, and parents. Baptism Ceremonies are important for Filipino Catholics because it is a step for welcoming the infants to being a Catholic. Sponsors (god parents) are charges Php 50. When the family of the baptized picks up the baptismal certificate a few days later they are charged an additional Php 50. Many families have a party or reception at home or fancy restaurants. It is always a big occasion for Pinoys. Also, they believe that they should get their babies baptized within three months of their birth.

In year 2017 they believe that the role of the godparents is to ensure religious educations for the children as well as caring for them in case they become orphaned. Godparents are expected to bring gifts or tokens for the godchildren during the christening celebrations. If you are chosen to be a godparent for a Filipino child, there are many gifts related to Filipino culture that you can give. They also have clothing rules for babies and for adult being baptized. For babies, both boys and girls often wear long white christening gowns when being baptized. The choice is made by the parents. For immersion baptisms, the baby wears normal clothes to the ceremony and white garments afterward to signify purity and the washing away of original sin. During a pouring baptism, the baby wears the same clothes throughout. While it is traditional for both males and females to wear white christening gowns, it is not required. A simple white nightgown or onesie is fine, and even colored outfits are now acceptable. Bring a towel to wrap the baby and a change of clothes for an immersion baptism. For adult, A collared shirt (for men) and a blouse that covers the shoulders (for women) are good choices. Some churches provide baptismal robes for adults who are being baptized, while other churches will want you to wear your own clothing. Check with your priest or church staff in advance. You should also find out if you will be baptized by immersion or pouring. If your church is providing a baptismal robe, you'll need to wear something comfortable underneath, such as shorts and a T-shirt. You could wear long pants, but you may be uncomfortable when wet. Bring a change of clothes for after the ceremony. If you will be wearing your own clothes, modesty is key -- don't wear anything tight, revealing or sexy. You'll be fine in what you normally wear to Mass on Sunday, but feel free to dress up. You may want to look your best for this special occasion.

In year 2019 they are so many requirements to do unlike the past few years. You have to go to church and inquire, attend the seminar, pass the Baptismal form and Birth Certificate a day after the seminar, and go to Church 30 minutes earlier than the official time. Also, in the year 2019 you really have to budget everything like for foods, decorations, christening clothes, cake, souvenir, baptism fee etc., And they really preparing for the baptism of the new member of their family.

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Birthdays

2000

Ccelebrating birthday during year 2000 is simple yet fun. There are many visitors invited with relatives and the extended family just to attend the celebration, even those relatives comes from other cities and countries comes homes just to celebrate. There are mostly Gifts than money, there a lots and lots of toys than money because who hates toys? Everyone loves toys. Birthdays are way more fun before (in my opinion), there are less expenses just buy a cake, toys for the games and balloons would be enough. In every birthday this game will never be lost the piñata party but instead of a horse, it will be a pot containing candies and coins, it is the most awaited event of the time and the after party is the karaoke which every Filipinos like the most.

2010

During this time, there is so much no difference other than its venue and style. Events commonly held at any restaurant, hotel or clubhouse in their city, sometimes the celebrant decides to eat than to celebrate. During events in other places except their home, the activities never change, there is still piñata party, karaoke, games with a treat and more just like the activities way back 2000.

2019

In this time, birthday parties make a twist, like 7th birthday, 18th and 21st birthday. A lot of people make save a date video, pre video and during party videos, it is for the memories and souvenir for the birthday celebrant and it is more expensive, grander and more formal party. During this time, most of the parties or at least 20% of the birthday parties don’t have a lot of Filipino games anymore unlike the year 2000 and 2010. Birthday parties celebrated with gifts and events like candles, treasures, roses, photo booth with the guests look forward to, souvenirs and more. But it is exciting, Grand celebration and formal.

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Holy Week

Semana Santa (Holy Week) is from Palm Sunday to Black Saturday, then Easter Sunday. It is traditionally a solemn occasion in the Philippines, a time for serious atonement.

Holy Week is when many people perform holy rites in fulfilment of a vow they made when they asked God a favor, such as a cure for an illness. Priests and religious statues are dressed in purple to symbolize gloom. Devout Catholics go to church everyday; some fast. Palm Sunday commemorates the entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. Following the Spanish tradition, Filipino Catholics bring palaspas (palm fronds) to church to be blessed by the priests; then they bring the fronds back home with them.

For most of the week, especially after Tuesday, the towns are eerily quiet with TV and radio stations going off the air and no loud noises or revelry whatsoever. Catholics stop eating meat, turning to fish, and the more devout ones go on a completely liquid diet. Many businesses are closed, so make sure you have supplies, especially food, stocked up.The traditional pabasa (the “reading” or chanting of verses about the suffering of Christ) starts on Sunday and ends on Maundy Thursday, which is the day when the washing of the feet is celebrated.

Good Friday (Mahal na Araw) commemorates the crucifixion and death of Christ. On this day, you will see religious figures being carried through the towns on top of carrozas (carriages). The religious images and statues are veiled in black in mourning of the death of Jesus.There’s a superstition that warns against getting hurt on Good Friday… Any wounds you get on this day will never ever heal.

The most striking feature of Holy Week celebrations in the Philippines is the sight of Filipinos publicly whipping themselves. These are reenactments of the torture and death of Jesus. Some Filipinos not only whip their backs into a bloody mess — they also have their feet and hands nailed to a wooden cross. Tourists come from all over the world for the sight! In Manila, Tondo is the place to see these flagellants. Outside the capital, Pampanga and Nueva Ecija are famous for their flagellants who cover their faces with white cotton hoods. Crowns of thorns are placed on their heads to cause blood to drip.

Moriones Festival: Carrying the Cross Moriones Festival: Carrying the Cross

Among Filipino superstitions on Good Friday is the prohibition against children playing. This is because they might injure themselves and not have their wounds heal. You will always be reminded that during this time Jesus is dead, and so everything is awry and bad things are apt to happen.

Black Saturday is when Christ is entombed. Filipinos spend the day preparing for the night vigil leading up to Easter Sunday.

Easter Sunday is a celebration of the resurrection of Christ. At four o’clock in the morning, Filipinos do a salubong ceremony commemorating how the Virgin Mary met her son Jesus who has come back to life. Her image will be brought to the image of the Christ at the local church. Flower petals will be rained down on them. Everyone is happy that Jesus is alive again and that the world is back right. On Easter day, grocery stores re-open and you can buy food.

In contemporary times, these Philippine traditions are slowly disappearing. Young Filipinos now use the Holy Week to vacation at the beach.

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All Saints Day

All Saints’ Day in the Philippines is usually celebrated on the first and second day of November. In the Philippines, this holiday is often referred to as Undas. The day is filled with music and food. There is also a prayer and religious tradition. At the end of the day, people will often camp overnight in the cemetery to pay their respects to their dead relatives. Visitors remark that Filipinos are remarkably at home among their dead ancestors. But now all saint day is just like a fashion day because of the teenagers are wear a different fashion clothes and something it look like a reunion, but the tradition in all saint day is still on they give flowers, candles, and most specially the prayer for their death 

relatives.

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Christmas

Having most resident in the country are Christian (either Catholic, Born Again, etc.), Christmas is one of the most important holidays in the Philippines as Filipinos celebrate the day Jesus Christ was born. Also, most of the families have always gathered to give presents and enjoy the day with each other. Either they will go out and make some memories in different places or they will stay at home talking and catching up with their lives. Although, some people think that Christmas lately was not enjoyable as it was 19 years ago and lost the Christmas Spirit that we had decades ago.

Back in 2000s, most Filipino felt the presence of Christmas even though it was still September, as they thought that because it was the start of BER months, most of the families already bought Christmas Parol and designing their houses with Christmas lights and Christmas tree. You can also hear many kids that nangangaroling with different houses and expected to give even a little amount although most residence just tell them “patawad” instead. The weather was also cold that time. That was the time everyone felt that Christmas was near due to the coldness. However, now in 2019, it doesn’t feel like it. Although radio station started to broadcast Christmas songs in their station, it doesn’t have the impact as what it used to. Going around, most of the houses only started decorating when it was already December, some didn’t even bother. Also, kids who was nangangaroling was lessen that you might hear it only once a day unlike before when you are too annoyed peeking outside just to shout “patawad”. It’s not also as cold as 19 years ago. Due to climate change, even in BER months, the weather was still hot and it affected the views of the Filipino that if Christmas is near, then it’s also the time when the weather will be cold. These are the few that have changed between 2000 up to 2019.

However, some traditions were still practices until now without changes, the “Misa De Gallo” o “Simbang Gabi” and the Noche Buena. As most of Filipinos are Catholics, Simbang Gabi was still one of the traditions that was never been broken by the Catholics. They attend 9 mass whether it was at night or before the sunrise. It still goes on as some people believed that if a person completed the 9 mass, their wish will come true. Whether it is true or not, people still go to masses as one of the traditions in Christmas. Another is the Noche Buena. Christmas Eve was one of the most important in the country as most of Filipinos are having countdown to greet the Christmas day with everyone. It also the time when families, some relative, and friends having Noche Buena. This was the time where most of the families have several dishes like lechon, fruit salad, puto, hamonado, and many more. Some families have a tradition of exchanging gifts and having family games that everyone was involved. These two are the traditions that no one can break in a Filipinos mind-set during Christmas.

Every year, there are changes that keeps happening around us and of them is how we celebrate holidays. Although some instances affect the way we normally celebrated the Christmas, it was still one of the holidays that most of the families reunited with one another especially being with our family and having fun with them, whether staying inside in their house or going outside to make new memories with them. And that was the real spirit of the Christmas.

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New Year

Filipinos' love for holidays and celebrations is superb - it is full of enjoyable, unique, and fun activities, alongside with some quirky traditions. In New Year's Eve, Filipinos cleans everything, scatters coins around the house to bring more luck and money, turning all the lights for the upcoming year to be bright, opening all doors, windows and such to draw in good fortune, wearing polka dots which signifies prosperity, making loud noises which is believe to scare away evil spirits, and jumping as high as you can to increase your height. But, of course no feast will be ever complete without a sumptuous meal and for the fact that food is what Filipino people love the most.

Media Noche is an old Filipino custom that is most likely inherited from the Spaniards. Whereas, family and friends gather together for midnight feast that signifies their hope for prosperity and an abundant year ahead. Food-related superstitions are also present such as preparing 12 round fruits and fruits with thorns avoided for it represents problems, noodles for a long life, eating sticky desserts for the family to stick together for the years to come, having the water and rice container full to make the whole year prosperous, and lastly not eating chicken am fish dishes because it is associated with food scarcity.

Lastly, customs does not end there -- in the New Year itself don't spend to lead to all a better financial management throughout the year and also not cleaning to keep the good fortune that came during the New Year's Eve. With this, Filipinos are truly fond of celebrations, traditions, and superstitions.

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Fiesta

How did it get started?

During 1`500 the Spanish missionaries entered in he Philippines, they introduced Fiesta because they found out that it is the most convenient way to teach Filipinos the Roman Catholic Faith. Philippine Festivals are celebrations to express gratitude for a good harvest in honor of the town’s patron saint. For many Filipinos, fiestas are important because of the miraculous power of the saints.It is believed that the saints are responsible for all the good fortune and favor one receives.  The majority of fiestas in the Philippines also have their own peryas. here are more than 42,000 known major and minor festivals in the Philippines, the majority of which are in the barangay (village) level. Due to the thousands of town, city, provincial, national, and village fiestas in the country, the Philippines has traditionally been known as the Capital of the World's Festivities.

NEW FIESTA IN THE PHILIPPINES

1. MAHAGUYOG Festival (Mais, Halaman, Gulay at Niyog)  

March (1st week), Santo Tomas, Batangas

week-long celebration of seven-day feast in honor of St. Thomas Aquinas , 2012 when it is started

2. The Philippine International Hot Air Balloon

Fiesta is an annual four-day event held between January and February in Clark Freeport Zone, Angeles, Pampanga. It is the biggest and longest-running aviation sports event in the Philippines. Every 2nd week of February from 1994 to Present

3. AURORA DAY AND SUMAN FESTIVAL February 14- February 19 | Baler, Aurora Baler, Aurora The biggest and grandest of all feasts in Aurora is a parade of floats uniquely designed. Main streets and homes are decked with suman, a native delicacy. A weeklong celebration marked by trade exhibits, fairs and competitions capped by the Search for Ms. Aurora. Suman(súmahn) is the filipino steamed rice cake. it comes in as many different forms as there are provinces, but the basic recipe is waxy (sweet) rice wrapped in leaves, then cooked. Suman is the ritual gift of HAGISAN. It is cooked with great enthusiasm by Tayabenses because Hagisan is an opportunity to share their prosperity. Bundles of suman are gaily tied in the pabitin, which is made out of a special kind of bamboo called bagakay.

4. Mango Festival

Years Active 1999-present

The Dinamulag Festival also known as the Zambales Mango Festival is an annual festival held in the province of Zambales in the Philippines to celebrate or encourage bountiful harvest of the province's mangoes. The festival was first held in 1999. 

5. Aliwan Fiesta

Aliwan Fiesta is an annual event that gathers different cultural festivals of the Philippines in Star City Complex in Pasay City wherein contingents compete in dance parade and float competitions.  Aliwan Fiesta, which began in 2003, aims to showcase the different Filipino cultures and heritage not only to the people in Metro Manila but also to the rest of the world. The contingents, meanwhile, aim to promote their respective regions both economically and tourism-wise. It was originally organized as a visual extravaganza for the Christmas season, but it has since been held during the summer months of either April or May. Aliwan is a Tagalog word for "entertainment" or "amusement." Aliwan Fiesta festivities are covered live on DZRH News Television annually.

Here are the most famous fiestas in the Philippines:

1. Ati Atihun: Celebrating infant Jesus

The town of Kalibo, Aklan in the Panay Island rejoices in the exultations of this festival as people celebrate by performing tribal dance and music in the parade along the streets.

The festival begins with the opening mass for Santo Niño in the Church on the third Sunday of January, and the revelry lasts for the next week. The Ati-Atihan also bears a deep religious significance. The pahilot, a faith-healing tradition, is held during the festival where a Catholic priest rubs the devotee's body with the image of the Santo Niño, with the belief that it heals both the body and soul. No one is certain how Ati-Atihan started. One legend, however, says it dates back to the year 1212, when 10 datus, or patriarchal chiefs, and the companions fled from a tyrannical sultan in Sabah, Borneo, and landed on the island of Panay. Their leader, Datu Puti, traded with the chief of Panay, an Ati named Marikudo.

“Hala Bira ”

is an aklanon language meaning "pour/dispense all means". This term is also used during ati-atihan festival that most spectators are shouting on the street during the celebration. "Hala Bira" is an indispensable word during ati-atihan.

2. Sinulog Festival

Attracting millions of people every year, the Sinulog Festival in Cebu may just well be one of the biggest festivals in the country, and is surprisingly becoming even more popular each year, especially among the young people. It celebrates the image of the Santo Niño (Holy Child) that was originally brought by Ferdinand Magellan from Spain in the 16th century; hence, the words “Pit Señor” that you will constantly hear throughout the celebration, which is a plea to Holy Child.

Millions of people participated in Cebu City last Sunday to celebrate the Sinulog Festival, one of the most famous festivals in the Philippines. It was attended, not only by Filipinos, but people coming from different parts of the globe also went to witness the celebration. The magnificence of the festival made Filipinos, as well as our fellow Asians, refer to it as the “Mother of all Festivals”. From the colorful and well-made costumes of the dancers, to the beautiful dances and to the music brought by the drums, trumpets, and the native gongs, the Sinulog Festival never ceases to amaze its audience.

For 32 years, the Sinulog Festival is a traditional celebration in Cebu City held every third Sunday of January to honor the Santo Niño (Child Jesus). Basically, the festival is done by a dance ritual, in which it tells the story of the Filipino people’s pagan past and their acceptance of Christianity. The word “Sinulog” means “graceful dance”, wherein it all started in 1980 with a simple dance that represents the “sulog” (or current) of a river in Cebu.

3. Masskara Festival

Filipinos are known to be resilient people who are able find ways to smile and jest even amidst crises and adversity. This can be seen in the history of the Masskara Festival of Bacolod, which was an answer to the city’s dwindling revenue from the sugar industry. The festival is marked by dancers donning elaborate colorful masks parading all over town, backed up by Latin-inspired drumbeats. The celebration is highlighted by a beauty pageant, concerts, and sports events among its numerous activities.

4. Dinagyang Festival,

Another celebration in honor of Santo Niño, this award-winning fête in Iloilo is marked by a street party celebrated with bountiful food and drinks, concerts, and a street dance competition where different districts and local schools participate. It also celebrates the traditions of Aklan Island’s indigenous Aeta people.

5.  Panagbenga Festival,

Also called the “Season of Blooming,” Panagbenga is a grand event in Baguio where giant floats adorned with flowers parade along the whole stretch of Session Road. A tribute to the city’s flower industry, it was first held after the 1990 Luzon earthquake to uplift the spirits of those who were affected by the tragedy.

6. Moriones Festival

The Moriones Festival is as unique as the island where it is annually celebrated. During the celebration, men and women who play the role of the “Moriones” are dressed in biblical Roman warrior costumes and intricately carved masks. They then reenact the seven-day search for St. Longinus, a Roman centurion who converted into Christianity. During the reenactment, they scare kids or conjure up surprises and tricks to draw attention. But the most exciting thing about the festival is that the audience gets to participate in the search for the person who plays St. Longinus who sometimes hides in townspeople’s homes. 

7.  Pahiyas Festival

Probably one of the most colorful celebrations around, Pahiyas Festival in Lucban, Quezon, is dedicated to San Isidro Labrador, the patron saint of farmers. Since it is a harvest festival, houses are gilded with colorful kiping (wafer made of rice) and fresh produce that you can pick for free. These décors are then judged by town officials and are given awards before the celebration culminates.

8. Parada ng Lechon (June 24 – Balayan, Batangas)

A grand parade of succulent roasted pigs. A different sight and flavor are introduced with a festival in Balayan, Batangas, popularly known as the "Parada Ng Lechon.” These succulent roasted pork form the highlight of the occasion, decked out in their platforms with all kinds of decor. Since the festival coincides with the feast of St. John the Baptist, be prepared to get wet as people observe the feast by repeating the ritual of baptism – pouring water.

9. Pintados Festival – Tacloban

If you're into tattoos and body arts then you might flip over the yearly celebration of Pintados festival in Tacloban when locals dance around the streets with inked bodies to symbolize the brave warriors of the past. Portraying the natives’ practice of idolatry along with their penchant for music and dance, this June 29th festival provides a glimpse of how the native people lived prior to the Spaniard's arrival.

10. Obando Fertility Rites – Obando, Bulacan

We'll wrap this list with a special kind of festival – the Obando Fertility Rites – held for 3 days from May 17 to 19. On these days in Obando, Bulacan, devotees do the fertility street dance to beseech the three saints, San Pascua, Nuestra Señora de Salambáo, and Santa Clara for good fortune, a spouse, or most especially, a child.

A lot of things change but also a lot of things will be the same. Filipinos will always be traditional and will always stick the things they do in terms of the celebrations here in the Philippines. That way they feel closer to their love ones each year.

[thistime-iwillbelistening]

Despair of Philippine Cinema

          The film industry is considered as an effective tool of propagating a nation’s culture, language, philosophy and beliefs. Inversely, the dominant ideologies that describes a nation can be determined on what type of film the public gives most consideration to. This paper serves as a critique of the current condition of the Philippine cinema as it highlights a few films that not only aims to entertain but intends to interrogate the audience as well.

          As of June 2016, the ten highest grossing films in the Philippines are (in ascending order): The Unkabogable: Praybeyt Benjamin (2011), My Bebe Love: #KiligPaMore (2015), Sisterakas (2012), My Little Bossings (2013), It Takes a Man and a Woman (2013), Starting Over Again (2014), Girl, Boy, Bakla, Tomboy (2013), The Amazing Praybeyt Benjamin (2014), Beauty and the Bestie (2015), and A Second Chance (2015). All of which are classified as comedy with three as rom-coms and the rest as parody-spoof like. Although this exhibits the cheerful personality which the Filipinos are known for, this also shows how film are viewed largely for entertainment but the viewers are not the only one to be blamed for. Film production companies such as Star Cinema and GMA Films nowadays prioritizes profit over content producing highly-commercialized films with clichéd plotlines. Aside from the age-old star system that uses celebrity power to attract more viewers, mainstream films also practice product placement of their sponsors throughout the movie. One such example is the Marlon Rivera’s My Little Bossings (2013) that was flooded with advertisement and ended up appearing like a 100-minute commercial. These films didn’t seem to care about their content as long as they achieve blockbuster success especially during the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) season. Thousands, even millions of Filipinos line up during the holidays to watch these brainless entertainment that will disturbingly last weeks in cinemas. With a few attempts of movies such as Enzo Williams’ Bonifacio: Ang Unang Pangulo (2014), Erik Matti’s Honor Thy Father (2015), and Brillante Mendoza’s Thy Womb (2012), substantial films still failed to infiltrate the the audience’s attention.

Historical Films in the Academe and Public Viewing

          First, the uncertain position of historical films in the industry makes them remote from the blockbuster scene. For the public, the notion of historical films being academic makes it harder to appeal to a larger audience. The idea of these films being just a narrative of historical events that are already written in books instigates such. But what the public failed to grasp is that these films weren’t necessarily directed from historical text but are mainly stories based upon historical events and famous people. These works not only intend to narrate but also create a discourse that interrogates the conventional realities that the majority believes in. One such example is Eddie Romero’s Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon? which won Best Picture in MMFF 1976. This film being set on the downfall of Japanese occupation in the Philippines centers on the journey of Kulas on his search for his personal and the nation’s identity. This portrayed historical events from the occupation but is a clear fiction that attempts to rationalize the nature of the Filipino identity. Ganito Kami Noon’s comedic tone made it more appealing to the public. Chito Roño’s 2002 drama Dekada ’70 gives off the same appeal as it focuses on the struggle of a family during the Marcos regime. It depicts the historical events of Martial Law but focuses on the torment of the family. It doesn’t necessarily narrate the events during the time but exhibits the occurrences that is not written in history books.

          On the other hand, when information in the film directly contradicted the historical text, people often falsely recalled the misinformation portrayed in the film or condemns the film for its inaccuracy (Everding 2009). Popular film’s potentially inaccurate nature often hinders its way to the academe. Although Jerrold Tarog’s Heneral Luna (2015) made its way to the mainstream, its take revolving Emilio Aguinaldo’s involvement on the death of both Andres Bonifacio and Antonio Luna is still questioned on its historical basis. Despite such, using a historical film in teaching history can be used to pave the way towards new and transformative discourses that push the boundaries of both history and film as sites of contradiction (Flores 1998 cited in Campomanes 2015). This gives room for discourse on interpreting historical narrative rather than crediting it without inquiry and could be a way of interrogating the audience about the current condition of the nation in comparison to historical events.

Film Industry’s Depiction of Beauty

          As a tool of propagating ideologies, the film industry’s depiction of beauty disfavors its own nation’s features for women in particular. Film became an institution that creates a standard of Western and European White beauty by informally privileging lighter skinned women (Renault n.d.). In 1924, Vicente Salumbides employed Hollywood film-making techniques and images on the Filipino production Miracles of Love. In the film, the American beauty was launched in Philippine cinema in the person of Elizabeth “Dimples” Cooper (Pilar 1978 as cited in McFerson 2002). Up until today, the most popular actresses such as Anne Curtis (2008 Baler), Toni Gonzaga (2014 Starting Over Again), Jennylyn Mercado (2014 English Only, Please), Bea Alonzo (2015 A Second Chance), and even the most respected actresses such as Vilma Santos (1984 Sister Stella L.), Sharon Cuneta (1996 Madrasta), Maricel Soriano (2007 Inang Yaya) are lighter skinned than most Filipinas. Curtis, Alonzo and even other actresses such as Marian Rivera (2007 Bahay Kubo), Rhian Ramos (2011 The Road), Kim Chiu (2012 The Healing) are celebrities with foreign blood. This implies that Japanese, Korean, and Chinese women who are lighter skinned than Filipinas are considered the ideal Asian beauty, while also continuing to adhere to Western standards of White beauty (Glenn 2008 cited in Renault n.d.). All of this while the natural brown complexion remained in supporting and minor roles. Natural Filipina skin doesn’t have enough and better representation not only in films but in media and fashion industry as well, that it has its own connotation of “dark beauty”. As a result, stereotypes and negative images of women with darker skin are contributing to the desire for them to resort to facial procedures to reconfigure their race, such as skin-lightening and cosmetic surgery. But this is not always the case in the Philippines.

          During the height of Nora Aunor’s career on the 70’s and 80’s, she defied racial and class ideals of Hollywood-patterned film industry (Tadiar 2004). As a poor, small, dark-skinned and uneducated actress, she dominated the cinemas with his role in films such as Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos (1976), Ina Ka ng Anak Mo (1979), Himala (1982), Bulaklak sa City Jail (1984), Andrea, Paano Ba ang Maging Isang Ina? (1990), The Flor Contemplacion Story (1995) and 179 more films as of the present. Numerous Filipinas idolized and even devoted Aunor as they identify themselves with her than any other actresses that established her a huge fanbase. Nora not only made Filipinas became confident about their skin but also empowered them into realizing their own capacity and that they can be something beyond familial responsibilities and domestic labor.

LGBTQI+ Representation in Films

         Not only the women has a troublesome representation in films but also the LGBTQI+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex) community. As the Philippines’ dominant heteronormative standpoints, the LGBTQI+ community is not given authentic representation as it reinforces stereotypes. The most common portrayal of queer people is the stereotype of parloristang bakla (beauty parlor gay) for the effeminate. Usually given as supporting or minor roles, typically the protagonist’s sidekick or best friend, these are gays who are loud and funny that sometimes cross dresses and are always portrayed to have sexual desires for straight men. These roles are usually placed in films to add to its comedic features and more often than not, became unidimensional as it only highlights the role’s queerness. Even films with gay lead roles reinforces such stereotypes such as Markova: Comfort Gay (2000), Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros (2015), Zombadings 1: Patayin sa Shokot si Remington (2011), all of Vice Ganda’s movies such as the Praybeyt Benjamin duology and even Lino Brocka’s Ang Tatay Kong Nanay (1978). Masculine gays, on the other hand, are always depicted as “still in the closet” gays. Suddenly shrieking, wearing pink tops, and lifting of pinky finger as he drinks are just few of the gay signals that implies that all gays eventually will dress and act like women (Tagudina 2012). It is just recently where masculine gays are represented accurately such in the films Olivia Lamasan’s In My Life (2009) and Jason Paul Laxamana’s The Third Party (2016). Both films did not sensationalized the sexuality of the men but rather sheds light on their relationship with one another and with the people around them.

         Films together with television and other visual mediums that uses the queer or has homosexual characters in its cast could create false assumptions in terms of activity and personality of the LGBT community (Tagudina 2012). The lack of films with accurate queer representation implies that the Philippines still has a long journey into accepting the community and not just tolerating them. This is substantiated by the absence of lesbian, bisexual and transgender portrayal in mainstream films as the public only tolerates gay-themed movies as long as they are portrayed with comedic value for the audience’s entertainment. Despite a few attempts of some filmmakers, heteronormative and homophobic views in films will continue to flourish as long as the majority reinforces stereotypes and as long as the audience doesn’t support films that defies such norms and interrogates the current dominant stand towards the LGBTQI+ community.

Clichéd Plot lines and Hollywood Rip-offs

         Such setbacks mentioned above are intensified as filmmakers only recreates recurring plot lines making films that are considered as sellable to the public. Hundreds of drama and romantic-comedy films about a boy/girl torn between two lovers proves such as they share common stories with Carlos Vander Tolosa’s Giliw Ko (1939). Films will change the location, timeframe, the character’s social status, and many others but the plot will still end with two lovers being happily together as the other sacrificed and leave. One such variety of this plot are star-crossed lovers, most commonly with different social status, will defy all odds and still ends up together. Filipino films became unoriginal and formulaic that most of the movies will click to the scheme characters’ introduction – handful of ecstatic events – climactic challenge – against all odds resolution – happy ever after. Some films not only reimagines storylines but even replicate Hollywood films’ plots. Some examples are Wanted Perfect Father (1994) and Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Unofficially Yours (2012) and Friends With Benefits (2011), That Thing Called Tadhana (2015) and Before Sunrise (1995), The Break-Up Playlist (2015) and Begin Again (2013).

         Philippine cinema are capable of producing substantial and original films such as Orapronobis (1989), Magnifico (2003), Muro Ami (1999), Aishite Imasu 1941: Mahal Kita (2004) and Bata, Bata… Pa'no Ka Ginawa? (1998) but most of the mainstream films are still those with clichéd storylines. The potential of the cinema as circulating national discourse and interrogating socioeconomic condition of the country is overlooked because of the commodification of the industry. Filmmakers failed to produce more insightful, progressive, relevant and fresh stories as the public pays attention to films with more entertainment value (Matti 2016). Mainstream films especially the comedy movies only reaffirms the current ideologies in the country and doesn’t even attempt to challenge the audience’s minds. If only filmmakers realize the power of the cinema to create national discourse and actually instigate social change, the quality and substance of films today will heighten. At the same time, if only the audience views films not only for entertainment but also for education and enlightenment, more valuable and significant films will be produced. In this two-way improvement, a better and notable Philippine film industry could be achieved.

 References

2014. 5 Reasons Why Philippine Mainstream Cinema  is Going Downhill. May.

Campomanes, Alvin. 2015. A Study Guide for  Heneral Luna.  http://henerallunathemovie.com/files/Heneral-Luna-Study-Guide.pdf.

Everding, Gerry. 2009. "Historical movies help  students learn, but seperating fact from fiction can be challenging." Phys  Org.

Flores, Patrick. 1998. "Ang Pinilakang  Himagsikan. ." In Wika, Panitikan, Sining, Himagsikan., by  Raymund Arthur Atoy Navarro, 183-187. Quezon City.

Masigan, Leonardo Garcia Jr. and Carmelita. 2001.  "An In-depth Study on the Film Industry In the."

Matti, Erik. 2016. The Future of Philippine  Cinema is not Bright. January.  http://www.philstar.com/supreme/2016/01/09/1540571/future-philippine-cinema-not-bright.

McFerson, Hazel. 2002. Mixed Blessing: The Impact  of the American Colonial Experience on Politics and Society in the  Philippines. London: Greenwood Press.

Payuyo, Louise Abigail. 2012. "The Portrayal of  Gays in Popular Filipino Films, 2000 to 2010." In Philippine  Sociological Review, 291-322.

Renault, Kristin Baybayan. n.d. Filipino Women  and the Idealization of White Beauty in Films, Magazines and Online.  University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Tadiar, Neferti. 2004. "The Noranian  Imaginary." In Fantasy Production: Sexual Economies and Other  Philippine Consequences for the New World Order, 230-264. Hong Kong  University Press.

Tagudina, Iman. 2012. ""The Coast is  Queer": Media Representation of the LGBT Community and Stereotype's  Homophobic Reinforcement." Ateneo de Manila University.

2016. Top 10 Highest-Grossing Filipino Movies Of  All Time. June.  http://www.juan-republic.com/top-10-highest-grossing-filipino-movies-time/.

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5 Steps We Took to Reach Location Independence (+Tips For You)

In this article, I’m going to share the 5 steps we personally took to go from budget backpackers with no jobs, to fully location independent business owners — while learning a variety of useful skills along the way.

It’s been 8 years since we became location independent, and we’re incredibly grateful that we took the leap into a life of remote work and financial independence back when we did.

It seems that now in 2020, remote work is becoming the norm rather than the exception.

These days, more than ever, it’s imperative to have financial freedom and the ability to work from anywhere in the world. I hope this information gives you some tips and ideas while shedding a little light on the current climate of remote work.

This is our story and our experience, with actionable steps and information to help you on your journey as well!

Us in the Philippines in 2012 – we’ve come a long way since then!

1. Teaching a Language

Changing someone’s life by showing them the gift of language is a very rewarding feeling.

For us, that language was English, but you could teach your native tongue as well. There are many companies that you can teach online (some, you don’t need a Bachelor’s Degree).

Volunteering

Our first teaching experience came when we were in the Southeast Asian country of Laos in 2009. At a cafe, we saw an ad posted for volunteer work and jumped at the opportunity.

In between exploring the historic city of Luang Prabang in the morning and wandering the vibrant night markets in the evening, we would sit with children and teenagers and help them with their English conversational skills — through chatting and reading books.

Where our love for teaching started! Us in Laos 2009 reading and speaking with teenagers to improve their English.

The second experience was when we were in Myanmar in 2012. We met up with a small group from Taiwan who were there to teach English to the children in a rural village near Hsipaw.

They welcomed us to join, and the next 7 days were spent in the village teaching everyday vocabulary words to our students through physical objects, drawings, games, and songs.

Teaching in our makeshift classroom in rural Myanmar – one of the best weeks of our lives.

Evenings were spent dining with the villagers while enjoying the homecooked meals they prepared for us.

The lessons took place on a tarp on the dirt ground, with pigs and chickens roaming through the classroom. The excitement, interest, and giggles from the Burmese children were priceless.

Those two volunteer jobs that we took on really gave us a love for teaching. Aside from travelling, this became our new passion. But, in order to live and travel around the world, we needed to earn an income from this profession. 

So, we moved to China in June 2012 and got a job in a private school.

Dinnertime in the village in Myanmar. So much fun preparing food, and it was delicious!

Teaching English and Living in China

Yangzhou, China would be our home for one year while we taught children aged 4 – 16. By actually moving to China rather than teaching online, we were able to be fully immersed in the culture and made many lifelong friends along the way. 

Finally, we were earning an income, and returning to our home in Canada for work wasn’t necessary.

At the time, we were able to make around $1,400 per month each from working 20 hours a week. Housing, healthcare, taxi costs, flights to and from China, a year-end bonus of $1,000, and our TEFL certification were included in our contract. 

We were happy with the position and enjoyed our year in Yangzhou! Teaching English really was the catalyst that sparked our life of fulltime travel and remote work, and we’re forever grateful that we decided to give it a try.

Having fun with some of my students in class in Yangzhou, China

Actionable Steps to Take

These days, teaching online (rather than in-country) is a much more common way to teach. With many schools, you can work from your laptop, while living anywhere in the world.

Teach students from your villa in Bali, or your house in the USA, it’s up to you!

If you want to move abroad and have a more immersed cultural and teaching experience, you’ll want to make sure you get your TEFL certification through a company that offers job placement and assistance.

There are many reasons to get TEFL certified, but knowing you’ll receive help with finding work is a big one. 

Here are some of our best teaching posts to get you started:

7 Best Online TEFL Courses For Aspiring English Teachers

10 Best Companies To Teach English Online

Teach English Online Without a Degree: 10 Companies That Pay

If you’d like to learn more, have a look at our teacher interview series:

Teaching English in China and Cambodia (and online!)

Teaching English in Nanjing, China 

Teaching English Online While Living in the USA

2. Starting a Website

Creating this website was the best thing we ever did.

As teachers, we worked for someone else, but by becoming digital marketers, travel bloggers, and content creators, we’ve been able to generate income through our own sources and be our own boss.

Starting Goats On The Road

Back in 2012, we read an article from a fellow blogger who said he was earning around $2,500/month from his travel blog. To us, this was a lot of money and we couldn’t believe it was possible to earn an income from sharing travel stories!

We bought the domain name, www.goatsontheroad.com, while travelling in the Philippines, but it wasn’t until a few months later when we were teaching in China, that we used much of our free time to actually build up the website.

The first photo we have of blogging! 2012 in El Nido, Philippines

We shared musings from the road, information on how people could travel to the places we had been, and photos and blog posts on what it was like living and teaching in Yangzhou. 

Goats On The Road is our baby and our flagship site. Everything (well, almost everything!) that we’ve gone through in our lives since 2012 has been written about here. As our travel style and lifestyle has evolved, and as we’ve grown, so too has this website. 

Earning an Income Through Blogging

We earned our first money in 2013, and from there, this website has grown to be one of the top travel blogs online, with a large and loyal readership. 

There has been a wide variety of ways that we’ve diversified our income streams through blogging. Our most profitable ones are affiliate marketing through SEO, in-content advertising, sale of digital products that we’ve created ourselves, and press trip opportunities. 

One of the coolest press trips we’ve had – creating a new trekking route in Kyrgyzstan

We’ve been fortunate to earn enough money from this website to travel full time, live abroad, and save money for our future. We’re proud of the business we’ve created and are grateful for the continued support from our “Tribe” (that’s you!).

Actionable Steps To Take

Think of a topic that you’re knowledgable and passionate about. Are you into fashion and beauty? Cooking and meal prep? Tech? Animals? Golf?

If so, start a website around that topic and share your useful, first-hand information with the world — while earning an income along the way.

Do you have a skill that you want to turn into a business — construction, landscaping, pet sitting, hair styling? If so, you’ll want to start a basic website to show what you can offer to your clients.

Many people think that having a website is simply for blogging and telling stories, but as you can see, that’s not the case! 

One of the many blogging offices we’ve had

If you’re interested in starting a website today (in any genre), you can get your website up and running in around 10 minutes. If you use this link, you’ll receive our Beginner Blogger Course, and blogging tips ebook for free. 

By starting a website and creating content in the way that the course outlines, you’ll see an audience grow over time and you can earn money from your site in as little as just a few months (as Nick has proven with his newest website).

3. House Sitting & Pet Sitting

Can you imagine living in a penthouse in New York City, on a vineyard in Italy, or a beachfront bungalow in the Caribbean? Well, it’s possible through house and pet sitting, and those are all job opportunities that we’ve personally received!

Our Experience House Sitting and Pet Sitting

While we were on the road, we started to hear about house sitting but didn’t really think much of it. After our teaching contract in China was up in July 2013, we travelled on the Trans Mongolian and Trans Siberian Railway into Central Asia and Iran.

We weren’t sure what to do when that 5-month trip was over. So, we set up our house sitting profile with Trusted Housesitters and crossed our fingers. 

Sunset in the Kaluts of Iran. We set up our housesitting profile during this trip

Within a week, we had received an offer to “Take care of a Divine Dog in the Caribbean”. We took the job and spent a good portion of 2014 in Grenada. And yes, he was the most divine dog.

Since then, we’ve taken care of dogs in Barbados, Grenada, and Costa Rica, while enjoying free accommodation and wonderful experiences along the way.

While we haven’t utilized the house sitting platform since 2016, it was a great way to supplement our income when we were getting Goats On The Road off the ground.

The best part, however, was being able to have a pet for a while — something that isn’t conducive to our nomadic lifestyle. 

The diving dog, Spare. So many adventures with this sweet boy.

Why House Sitting?

When a homeowner goes away for a holiday or other reasons, they need someone to take care of their beloved fur baby and property. Most of the time there is an animal included in the job, but there are some cases where you’ll just be there to take care of the home.

In exchange for loving and caring for the pet(s), you’ll receive free accommodation in the owner’s home. Depending on the job, you may also receive a vehicle for you to use and payment. 

The perks of this job are endless. Live and travel around the world for free while fully immersing yourself in the country and living like a local, rather than a tourist. 

And, of course, enjoy the company of a furry friend!

One of our house sitting jobs in the Caribbean

Actionable Steps to Take

If you love animals, travelling around and are a responsible individual, then house and pet sitting may be right for you. Not all gigs are in exotic, tropical destinations — many are in the UK, USA, Australia, and Canada. 

Create your house sitting profile with all of the required information (and video). The homeowners will contact you, or you can reach out and apply for the job.

We’ve always utilized Trusted Housesitters for our gigs. Have a look at the current jobs on offer, and sign up here to receive the latest housesitting jobs directly in your email inbox.

4. Freelance Writing

A great way to make an income from writing is through freelance gigs — either in print or online. This is another one of the stepping stones we utilized along the way to earn an income remotely. 

Our First Freelance Writing Jobs

During our first house sitting and pet sitting job in 2014, we were growing Goats On The Road. In order to get our name out there, we decided to reach out to a few online travel magazines and companies to see if we could share our travel stories with them. 

Working from a hammock – not the most ergonomic, but Nick loved it

Our first freelance gig was with a well-known travel website where we received a twice-weekly column! We were over the moon. At the time, we earned $50 per article from them. 

A couple of months after that freelance job, we received another consistent offer with a credit card and finance website. We wrote 4 posts a month for them while receiving $250 per article. 

Our articles were also published in the Southeast Asia Backpacker Magazine, The Globe & Mail newspaper, and the Vancouver Sun newspaper in Canada. We were thrilled to see our names in print!

We received a few more writing jobs back then in 2014 and 2015 and for a while, we were writing 30 articles a month. This gave us a great income boost, and combined with house sitting, we were able to travel around Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. 

Working with wine in the evening – had to get those freelance posts done!

Actionable Steps To Take

No matter what topics you’re interested in, there will be a company that you can write for. Freelance writing is a great way to promote your brand, gain links back to your website, and earn an income. 

Of course, even if you don’t have your own website, you can still be a freelance writer. 

We’ve compiled a list of the top websites that pay aspiring travel writers. The pay varies depending on the magazine (in print and online), but you can find a gig that pays upwards of $4,000! 

Another great way to find writing opportunities (on a variety of topics), is through the company called Solid Gigs. They siphon through all the online freelance job boards and only send you the top 1% legitimate, well-paid gigs to your inbox each week. To find out more, click here and use promo code GOATS2 to receive the first month for just $2.

Finally, you could sign up for Upwork and see what sort of writing jobs are available on that platform.

5. Creating Digital Products

Why not create a product that you own and can sell to your audience? Work hard to create a useful digital product, and reap the benefits of selling it for years afterward. 

After a few years in the blogging world, we started to realize that we were quite knowledgable on the topic and that we were able to quickly and easily grow and monetize websites.

So, we decided to teach new bloggers how to start a website, and how to then turn that website into a profitable business. We created digital products to share with our audience to ultimately help them on their path to blogging success.

Nick working on his course for Goats On The Road

The eBooks

First, we started with what seemed easiest at the time, an online book. Ebooks were really popular (and still are), but even more so back when we created them in 2016. 

We chose to make our first ebook free for people who sign up for our weekly newsletter. It’s titled: 101 Ways to Earn Money and Pay For Travel and you can still get it for free if you sign-up. 

That was our first ebook and once we got the hang of it, Nick decided to put all of our best blogging tips together into one place. The second ebook is titled: “The Absolute Best Blogging Tips: Advice For Making Money From Your Blog”. 

Initially, we were selling that ebook on Amazon, but since then, we’ve changed and it’s now available on our site for $4.99. 

Online Courses

From ebooks to online training! We kicked it up a notch and went from writing to video. Virtual courses and training are much more interesting, and valuable for students. 

We remember all too well the mistakes we made when we first started our website in 2012. Our Beginner’s Blogger Course aims to help bloggers and website owners start their sites quickly, and correctly. We wish this was available when we started out!

It took a while to get it “right” and to figure out how to do a video course vs. just a simple ebook.

Nick updates the course from time to time to keep it current, and ultimately, it’s been our top product to date. We offer the course for free when people start a website through our link. Or, we also sell if for $69.

Start a website through our link, get a discount on hosting, and our course and ebook for free

The second video course is more advanced. Once you have your website up and running, you’ll want to take it to the next level by learning how to monetize it and have your content seen. The best way to do this is through search engine optimization (SEO). 

Nick created an actionable, useful digital course and has received amazing feedback from his students! Check out the free 1-hour mini-training, to see if it’s right for you. 

Actionable Steps to Take

If you feel comfortable on camera and are somewhat savvy when it comes to computers and all things digital, then I recommend skipping the ebook stage and heading straight for online course creation. It’s more lucrative as well. 

But, if you feel you want to ease into creating digital products by making an ebook first (like we did), then I recommend Canva. It’s free, easy to use and there are quite a few graphics and design options available to make a nice book.

When it comes to online courses, we use and recommend the program Teachable. It’s easy for you as the course creator to set up, upload your content, and manage. And, it’s really simple for the course students to navigate as well. 

Create your own digital products and give yourself the freedom to work from anywhere in the world…such as Argentina.

Initially, we had a membership plugin attached to Goats On The Road. It was very difficult to set up, and in the end, it wasn’t compatible with our website and we had so many issues! Stick to Teachable and save yourself the headache and to keep your own website running fast and smooth.

In Conclusion

There you have it! The past 8 years of our lives in a nutshell. I hope you found our story and the steps we’ve taken to get to this point in our lives useful and inspiring. 

As you can see, our journey to location independence started long before the creation of this website. Every step of the way we’ve learned something new, been inspired to try another creative outlet, and have always followed our Personal Legend and the path of least resistance. 

Thanks for reading and being a part of our Tribe!

If you’re searching for ways to work remotely and become more financially and location independent, give some (or all!) of the ideas in this article a try. You never know what you may discover. As always, thank you for reading.

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