Virtual Ethnography 101: Rizal Conference

As part of the weekly exercises of my graduate students in Anthropology 225: Philippine Society and Culture, I wanted my students to explore places and write ethnography using the method of participation-observation.

In celebration of the sesquicentennial (150th) birth anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal, the Philippine's national hero, I asked my graduate students to visit museums that exhibit memorabilia for our dear renaissance Filipino man Jose Rizal, attend local and international academic symposium on The First World-Class Filipino Jose Rizal, travel to his ancestral house in Laguna, or pay respect to one of Asia's great intellectuals enshrined at Luneta Park, and so on...

I am posting in my blog with the writer's consent selected ethnography penned creatively by my students to contribute to the emerging sub-discipline of anthropology called 'Virtual Ethnography'.

Basically, virtually ethnography is also referred to as Webnography. We cannot deny the fact that with increasing use of technology and the Internet, there is now a demand for online spaces on various ethnographic accounts.



»Was? Es dürfte kein Cäsar auf euren Bühnen sich zeigen,
Kein Achill, kein Orest, keine Andromacha mehr?«
-Friedrich Schiller, Shakespeares Schatten
“Qué? No podria un Cesar presentarse
En vuestras tablas? No más un Aquiles,
Un Orestes ó Andromaca mostrarse?

-Rizal’s Translation

Ethnography by Frances Cruz

Rizal in the 21st Century was an International Sesquicentennial Conference held in UP Diliman last June, in celebration of the hero’s 150th anniversary. In light of the celebratory atmosphere, the conference took place in the recently-opened GT Toyota Building, with its inviting white walls and modern architecture, open towards Filipinos and foreigners alike.

Filipino students are likely to encounter Rizal three times in their academic life. Once in high school, when the Noli is taken up, the second time for the study of El Fili, and last but not least, in the required college course on Rizal. While there may be other extraneous encounters with some places Rizal once inhabited, many still understand Rizal as part of history – not as part of one’s everyday life. This conference’s theme begged to differ. Indeed, Rizal’s relevance across time and space was implied by the conference’s umbrella theme, 21st Century local and global perspectives.

The lectures highlighted a wide range of topics, which included Rizal in the Digital Age and Popular Culture, Rizal in the Filipino Diaspora, Politics and Rizal, and Foreign perspectives on Rizal. It is not unknown to most people that Rizal was a well-traveled psycho-and allocentric, in addition to being the face of Philippine nationalism. But particularly striking about the program was just how international the roster was, how much Rizal mattered to people from all over the world. Visitors from as far as France, Belgium and Spain were invited to the Philippines just to participate in the conference. What was interesting to me was how holistic the significance of Rizal actually was, crossing fields such as anthropology, media, literature, politics and linguistics. The continuing construction and re-construction of the hero in the 21st Century was also a poignant theme of the discussions.

As for me, I was curious about how Rizal was viewed by foreigners. What could they possibly wish to learn from a hero who fought for Philippine nationalism? My interest stemmed perhaps from my experience as an undergraduate, when a German professor of mine from Heidelberg told me stories about Rizal’s statue and park in Wilhelmsfeld, Germany, a municipality not far off from Heidelberg itself. One of the very first reports delivered on Rizal’s significance to foreigners was related to his ‘Malayness’, whereby the scholarly ascent of the “Malay Cultural Industry” in other South-East Asian countries has somehow dismissed Rizal’s thought, or even Malay-ness.



It is not difficult to see why defining a particular identity has become of socio-political importance in Malaysia, where there the political field is divided among ethnic lines; an issue which carries little weight in our own domestic politics. Yet Rizal was instrumental in trying to recapture the agency of South East Asian culture in the face of ethnocentric Western anthropological claims, as Michael Tan discussed in his lecture. In the case of Dr. Tan’s report, Rizal’s importance for a wider target group (Malays, South East Asians, Colonized countries, etc.) was stressed, and could perhaps serve as a counterpoint to the exclusion of his contributions in some regional literature. But could Rizal be considered as transnational? This was taken up in one of the symposia called Nationalism and Transnationalism. The presentation of Milagros Guerrero used a historical approach to describe how Spanish political conditions distracted the government from the propaganda movement coming from the periphery. Later, during the open forum A question was raised about the degree to which Rizal could be considered ‘transnational’, as Rizal did not live in a time when phenomena like transnationalism were acknowledged. Instead, his passion for nationalism was emphasized, as opposed to the borderless appeal of transnationalism.

I wondered, if, despite the historical approaches used in the Nationalism & Transnationalism panel, Rizal wasn’t in fact a national hero that had managed to grow with times. He had been important to many other countries, including Russia, where it was reported that he is of great interest to Russian Filipinologists, as well as scholars from other countries that wish to study Rizal’s literature, translations, socio-cultural and political significance and his life story itself. In terms of the cultural exchange that occurred through Rizal, it also works the other way. Rizal was inspired by foreigners in turn, as seen in his incorporation of Schiller’s Shakespeares Schatten and Heine’s Goetter im Exil in his writings. A colleague of mine in the German section, who wrote her thesis on this subject, was unfortunately not able to present her paper due to torrential rains.

To sum up, it is clear that even in this age of globalization, the image of Rizal is widely passively consumed by millions of Filipinos, even if they are not interested in Rizal from a scholarly perspective. During the conference, Vladimir Gonzales reported on Rizal as metatext: the possibilities of Rizal as a fan fiction material, where he studied selected pieces of Rizal-themed fan fiction on the Internet, revealing an interesting link between pop culture and what one often regards as ‘high’ culture. I had already encountered some of the expressions of Rizal as a Pop Cultural Icon on the net, when I visited the homepage of Gerry Alanguilan, a comic artist from Laguna, who draws comics of an alternate time where the Philippines is a first world country and Rizal makes use of his talents to invent new technologies. Whether through digital art, literature or political movements, it seems as though no matter what the context, Rizal, is recreated to serve present realities, here and elsewhere. Just like any classic.

Virtual Ethnography 101:The Great Man in Luneta

As part of the weekly exercises of my graduate students in Anthropology 225: Philippine Society and Culture, I wanted my students to explore places and write ethnography using the method of participation-observation.

In celebration of the sesquicentennial (150th) birth anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal, the Philippine's national hero, I asked my graduate students to visit museums that exhibit memorabilia for our dear renaissance Filipino man Jose Rizal, attend local and international academic symposium on The First World-Class Filipino Jose Rizal, travel to his ancestral house in Laguna, or pay respect to one of Asia's great intellectuals enshrined at Luneta Park, and so on...

I am posting in my blog with the writer's consent selected ethnography penned creatively by my students to contribute to the emerging sub-discipline of anthropology called 'Virtual Ethnography'.

Basically, virtually ethnography is also referred to as Webnography. We cannot deny the fact that with increasing use of technology and the Internet, there is now a demand for online spaces on various ethnographic accounts.



Ethnography by Zy-za Nadine Suzara

My last exposure to Rizal Park was back when I was an undergraduate student in junior year sometime in 2003. It was likewise intended as a fieldwork to conduct interviews with foreign tourists for a class paper. I have the vaguest recollections about those weekend visits in the park, let alone what the park looked like back in the day. However, I do remember that my group mates and I would avoid the benches, prefer sitting on the grass picnic-style, ‘strategically’ choosing a spot where we saw people walking to and fro, where we thought those foreign tourists would pass. Whether we successfully met our research objective, I do not recall anymore. Had I kept my old notes and scribbles it would have been interesting to draw comparisons between then and now.

On Thursday afternoon, the first thing I noticed upon getting off the van that took me to Luneta was the hubbub of the commuters along Taft Avenue. It was around 5:30PM. A few meters from the pavement was an arc, freshly constructed it seems. It bannered the 150th year of the national hero’s birth in huge letters that read: “Rizal at 150” on the left side, “One Stop Heritage Trail” on the right, and “SALAMAT PO” right in the middle. I wondered where exactly the heritage trail was.

A few more steps and I noticed more banners of green enfaced with the iconic image of Rizal, announcing his 150th every 6 or so meters apart. Yes, I’m Rizal Park, I thought. There were too many things to take note of given that in my haste to get to the park, I forgot to bring a camera!

I had always had the impression that Luneta was quite benign. I was wrong. There were too many activities going on all at the same time! I realised that there was no way I could observe everything, what with my limited time and the dark rainclouds threatening to spill more rain that afternoon.

I was a mere two meters away from the arc down the ‘trail’, I suppose, when I general, I observed a very diverse crowd of people. To my right was a group of students in their PE uniforms practicing their dance routine. To my left was that huge Philippine map in the man-made lake where even more people converged – friends, lovers, cliques taking pictures, posing and smiling by the railing-enclosed man-made lake.

I also noticed that there were photographers roaming around. When I walked closer to the area, one photographer even approached me, offering to take my picture in broken English. I had to politely decline adding, “Manong hindi po ako Koreana. Pwede po kayo mag-Tagalog.” At that I walked along the pathway around the man-made lake. The dreaded rain started to fall. I fished out my umbrella and continued to observe. Interestingly, the people seemed unfazed by the raindrops! Some opened their umbrellas but they pretty much stayed where they were, chatting and relaxing lazily amongst themselves, perhaps because it was a gentle rain anyway.

As I walked around, I had the urge to talk-up individuals who where in the park. But seeing how they were spending time with their friends, and the couples were getting cozy with each other, I decided against it. I won’t disturb, I thought. I carried on with being a mere observer.

I noticed that in the periphery of the man-made lake were pictures of places that had anything and everything to do with Jose Rizal. Each of these pictures had anecdotes and was enclosed in glass frame, mounted on two poles. Like those green banners, they lined up the walk, commemorating, indeed valorizing the national hero evermore. These included:

1. Calamba Church – where Rizal was baptized
2. Kamestizuhan District – where Rizal was said to have paid a visit while recruiting members of La Liga Filipina
3. Rizal’s Grave at Paco Par
4. Rizal Fountain at Roxas Boulevard
5. Rizal Execution Site at Roxas Boulevard

Save for one black tourist who quipped to his Filipina companion, “Hey take a picture of that (referring to the image of Rizal’s house in Calamba Laguna), no one actually paid attention to the frames - not the people who were hanging out, the Middle Eastern couple strolling hand in hand, or the couple sitting right under one of the mounted frames. (Yes, they were smooching. When they realised that I was taking too long reading the caption, they exercised discretion and left the spot. I chuckled to myself as soon as they were gone.)

I found out later on from the roaming guard that the frames I took time to observe one by one were very recent additions to the park fixture. In fact, I had an informative conversation with this guard about the frames, area security and a little bit of the park’s demography.

Apparently, the commemorative frames were specifically mounted for the occasion of Rizal’s 150th. According to him there were about 30 of them (I forget the exact number) around the man-made lake. They were constructed in March to late April and unveiled in the month of May. I asked him if people who visit the park pay attention to them. He replied, “Mangilan-ngilan lang po”, validating my initial observation.

Ironically, despite my idea of Rizal Park as a benign place in the city – with the exception of El-Shaddai and such gatherings held there on some occasions as I hear in news radio - I had previously thought of Rizal Park as a very unsecure place where pick-pocketers and snatchers threaten personal security. In essence, I have in my mind a very disjunctured impression of Luneta: static, unevolving seemingly locked in history, on one hand, yet an uninviting and unsafe petty crime scene, on the other.

Of course, this was debunked by the information I gathered from the security guard that the premises is held secure 24 hours a day 7 days a week by 23 roaming guards excluding 4 security heads. This means that there is a total of 27 guards patrolling the whole park day in and day out. Not too bad, I thought.

As I chatted more with the guard, I learned that many students from nearby schools and universities like to hang out in the park. It has become a temporary “shelter” for the homeless, though the word is quite inaccurate since the open area doesn’t give much protection in times of cold and rain.

I was a bit impressed at how attentive and sharp the guard was when he posed his constructive observation in question-form about my lack of knowledge about and immersion in Luneta. “Ngayon lang po ba kayo nakapunta dito?”, he inquired. I guess my questions about the demography of the park, what else there was to see further down the Roxas Boulevard side, struck him as common-sensical.
With a little shame on my part, I replied, “Hindi naman. Matagal lang akong hindi nagpunta dito.” Before I departed, the guard also kindly informed that there was a light and sound exhibit on the execution of Rizal. “Kaya lang po, baka sarado na kasi umuulan”, he added. It is ironic to me that the commemoration of Rizal’s birth is very much inseparable from his execution and death. At the Taft entrance, there is announcement about his 150th birth, yet somewhere near the Roxas end, there is an exhibit showcasing the culmination of that birth in death through no less than that heroic gunshot.

I walked further into the heart of Luneta and noticed even more people sitting on benches holding their umbrellas to shield them against the drizzle. I spotted several calesas, noting how their presence did not seem odd in those surroundings. To me, it was the lamp posts in the park, the Hispanic architecture of the old government buildings nearby like the Department of Toursim to my left and the National Museum to my right, that made that old form of transportation appear more ‘romantic’ than bizarre. Had those calesas been somewhere along the Makati Central Business District, it would have been stupefying to some.

I was also going to meet up with my cousin who was at nearby Intramuros shooting scenes for a TV show. She and the cameraman initially intended to shoot at Luneta upon my suggestion to meet up there. However, they had to move to a discreet street in Intramuros because park authority noticed the professional camera gear and halted the shoot. Park regulations forbid shooting with such intimidating gear.

When we finally met up, she relayed the details of this small anecdote. I noted that indeed, park security was foremost afterall in Luneta. The guards aren’t negligent, I thought. They do their job. According to my cousin, the administrator (if I remember right) explained that this was because courtesy must be observed. There are people at the park like the joggers or the passersby who do not wish to be visible on national TV. My cousin said, the administrator especially made mention of the homeless who have sought “shelter” in the park.

Upon learning this, I immediately tried to locate who these people were. Which among the diverse hundreds converged in Luneta were they? I guess, I was not observant enough, for I failed to locate anyone who would qualify as “homeless”. That, or it was simply getting too dark. I thought I would see beggars or disheveled people and kids however, I saw none. Could it be that they are banned from the premises? I had forgotten to ask the guards about them. If so, does that then make Luneta a wee bit exclusive to the “civilized” city people to a certain extent?

I shrugged off those lingering thoughts in favor of exploring more, taking advantage of the fact that the sky cooperated at last with me and my cousin. We were by now left alone by her colleague, the cameraman. Strolling just like others in the park, we stopped to chat with an adorable 8-year boy, slouched on a monobloc chair, happily munching one of the Indian mangoes they were selling. The conversation went something like this:

Me: Hello. Magkano ang mangga?
Boy: 20 po isang supot(beaming while munching on the mangga)
Cousin: Ikaw ata umuubos ng tinda nyo eh.
Boy: (chuckling)
Me: Sinong kasama mo dito?
Boy: Yung ate ko po.
Me: Araw-araw?
Boy: Opo
Me: Eh saan ka umuuwi?
Boy: Sa Tondo po. (still munching on his mangga)
Me: Umiikot rin kayo pag nagbebenta ng mangga?
Boy: Hindi po, dito lang kami (referring to one of the intersection within the Luneta)
Me: Marami rin bumibili ng mangga sa inyo?
Boy: Opo, paminsan nauubos.
Me: Eh anong oras kayo uumuwi?
Boy: Hindi ko po alam. Basta pag madilim na madilim na.
Me: O sige, salamat ha. Alis na kami. Wag mo uubusin tinda nyo.

As we left the little boy, we came across one of the calesa drivers who approached us offering to take us around the park. After my cousin and I politely declined, we likewise talked to him about his transport business. “May dalawampung-taon na ako dito sa Luneta”, he related. I probed, trying to find out if his sense of time would be like the boy’s. I wondered if the boy’s inability to say what time they leave the park was simply a function of not knowing to tell the time or something else, i.e., that clock time is not all too relevant in Luneta. Maybe another indication of this is that no one was in a rush to leave the place.

“Mga anong taon po kayo nagsimula magcalesa dito?”, I asked. “Hindi ko alam, basta matagal na.” My initial thought was that specificities in terms of time do not seem important to them but those that involve monetary transactions are.

Still trying to persuade us to take a calesa ride, the old man qualified his fare scheme, “Pag local, 50 lang ang sinisingil ko. Pag mga foreigner, 5 dollars, 10 dollars. Depende.”. It struck me that he was pricing his rides in dollars! Forex, hey! He clearly distinguishes between locals and foreigners, with his fare scheme pegged at two currencies!

***

There are speakers in some spots in the park creating varied atmospheres and moods depending on the crowd converged in a specific area. At one intersection, “Kapag tumibok ang puso” was blaring in the speakers, reminiscent of Filipino flicks where the characters indeed converge in none other than Luneta and suddenly, break into dance and song. At least, that night no one was dancing but I observed the cheerful happy expressions in the faces of families, of moms or siblings running after the toddlers.

At another juncture some old Filipino love song was playing. My cousin and I christened it, “the Lovers Lane” precisely because down the path of benches and lamp posts were lovers seated close to each other. Some even had their mats sprawled on the ground, complete with picnic food. Of course, most of them were camera-ready, documenting time spent in the grounds of Luneta.

Near the huge fountain, another speaker was playing a sentimental song that went, “Parang kalian lang, ang mga pangarap ko’y kay hirap abutin.” And as if on cue, the rain started to fall again. Heavily this time! I was distracted and by then oblivious to the rest of the crowd as my cousin and I ran to find shelter. Our stroll was cut short before reaching Rizal’s bantayog! It should have been the highlight of the evening!

In any case, we took temporary shelter at the nearest restroom pay booth we saw. As we waited for the rain to cease, we noticed the Sinic architecture to our right, trying to determine whether it was Japanese or Chinese. As much as we wanted to go around some more, the rain wouldn’t stop.

We then decided to call it a night and come back another time, sharing the same observation that contrary to our common speculation, there is what we roughly termed, “a park culture” in the Philippines; that like the Europeans and Americans we saw on TV, hanging out in a park was not something alien to the average Filipino. Luneta, afterall, provided the space for that.

As we finally walked again in the downpour, we saw my cousin’s cameraman colleague (he left earlier) approaching with his huge umbrella. He failed to get a ride along Taft Avenue, he said. I was wondering where all the people went. In the darkness, I could not see the people we earlier passed by from where we were.

Unfortunately, it continued to rain harder. The three of us could not find a roofed structured in the vicinity. The winds were blowing stronger and so the cameraman walking ahead of us stopped at a monument. My cousin and I followed suit. When I checked out which monument it was, I absent-mindedly read aloud: “Ang Lugar na Pinagbarilan kay Rizal”. When it dawned on us where we actually were, we all ended up laughing with an ensuing conversation about Rizal’s execution initiated by the cameraman that went:

Cameraman: Saan nga ba ang West?
Me and Cousin: Ummm…
Cameraman: Ay dito ang East (faces the direction of Taft avenue and re-enacts under his huge umbrella the famous scene of Rizal’s execution - complete with the foot and body twist.)

My cousin and I laughed harder at this stunt pulled under the heavy rains.

Cameraman: Di ba nakatalikod sya sa West? Kaya nga sya humarap nung binaril sya kasi parang gusto nyang iparating hinarap nya ang mga kalaban? Di ba nga Westerners sila?
Me and cousin: Seryoso ba yan?
Cameraman: Oo, seryoso yan. Tapos di ba sa Paco sya inilibing. Nasa east naman iyon. Hindi naman daw sya totoong namatay. Fabricated lang daw iyon. Bumangon nga daw sya eh. (poker face)
Me and cousin: Ha? Saan mo naman napulot yan?
Cameraman: Ah yun, hindi na totoo yun.

Predictably, we laughed harder, more for the delivery than the unheard of Rizal joke itself.

That night, the rain cleared the park of the diverse groups of people hanging around in it. My cousin and I left with the conclusion that though we observed a “park culture” among the locals in Luneta, they, however, seemed oblivious or at least appeared detached from the historical and commemorative artifacts and fixtures around the area. During the hour I observed, not one took the time to read the captions and anecdotes of history etched in varied monuments in the park.

Virtual Ethnography 101: A Look Back on Jose Rizal's Family Genealogy

As part of the weekly exercises of my graduate students in Anthropology 225: Philippine Society and Culture, I wanted my students to explore places and write ethnography using the method of participation-observation.

In celebration of the sesquicentennial (150th) birth anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal, the Philippine's national hero, I asked my graduate students to visit museums that exhibit memorabilia for our dear renaissance Filipino man Jose Rizal, attend local and international academic symposium on The First World-Class Filipino Jose Rizal, travel to his ancestral house in Laguna, or pay respect to one of Asia's great intellectuals enshrined at Luneta Park, and so on...

I am posting in my blog with the writer's consent selected ethnography penned creatively by my students to contribute to the emerging sub-discipline of anthropology called 'Virtual Ethnography'.

Basically, virtually ethnography is also referred to as Webnography. We cannot deny the fact that with increasing use of technology and the Internet, there is now a demand for online spaces on various ethnographic accounts.

Ethnography by Candice Joyce Aragon

Our national hero, Jose Rizal (nickname Pepe), celebrated his 150th birth anniversary with various programs and exhibits all over the country and even overseas. Although we might proudly say that we know him so well, his life and works are still being much reviewed and commemorated.

Last weekend I passed through the place where he was executed - the Rizal Park or Luneta. Efforts have been made there to display his monument and other memorabilia for the public to meaningfully remember him and be able to trace back his life as a student up to his last valiant days. It was for this reason that the Department of Tourism launched the “Rizal Passport” program so tourists could visit the places where our hero left his indelible marks as well as for them to better appreciate Rizal. Tourists should have their “Rizal Passport” stamped in every designated spot within the park and within Intramuros as well. Much to my desire to try this new activity, time did not permit me to. Instead I went to Fort Santiago.

Aside from the Rizal Park, Fort Santiago in Intramuros is also a much visited place. Here, people are given a rare opportunity to see how our hero was held prisoner. I went there to see what has been improved since I last visited the place a few years ago. Inside Fort Santiago, everything looked the same. I chanced upon a Rizaliana Furniture Exhibit in the Baluarte de Sta. Barbara. I read the description and it said that the Rizals owned elegant wooden pieces of furniture which reflected how well-off they were. Dining set, four-poled bed, study table, side tables – these were turned over to the government by the great grand children of Pepe’s sisters. Some of them were taken from their house in Calamba while others were from Hongkong, where the family was exiled.

I also saw this framed family genealogy of our hero hanging on the wall. My knowledge about his family was refreshed by remembering that his forefathers were Chinese immigrants. My fellow visitors were, at the same time, fascinated by this fact. Adjacent to the baluarte and dungeon is the Fort Santiago museum which showcases Jose P. Rizal’s sculptures, family pictures, dentistry apparatus, fencing swords, copy of his novels, the lamp that had been used to send his last letters to his family, a few of his winter clothes, his Mi Ultimo Adios poem in different translations, family tree, and most of all, his holding cell. My attention got stuck at Pepe’s displayed family genealogy again and remembered that Bahay Tsinoy also has this type of exhibit. From here, I thought of researching and exploring other facets of our hero’s life.

Jose Rizal’s genealogy, based on the display, can be traced back to the last name Cua. His paternal ancestor Sian-co Cua, was married to a certain Zun-nio, from mainland China. Their son, baptized as Domingo Lam-co, was an immigrant and known for his leadership skills. He settled in Binan and married Ines Dela Rosa, daughter of a Chinese rice dealer in Manila. They had a son they named Francisco Mercado. Francisco was married to Bernarda Monicha, an orphan Chinese mestiza. They had two children, Juan and Clemente. At the young age of 22, Juan took a Chinese mestiza wife by the name Cirila Alejandro, and they were blessed with thirteen children. The youngest in the family was Pepe’s father, Francisco, named after his grandfather. He was known for his agricultural skills. Meanwhile, Pepe’s maternal grandparents were said to have a prominent resemblance of a Chinese – Lorenzo Alberto Alonzo, the municipal captain of Binan who was married to Brigida de Quintos, a well-educated woman. She bore a child they named Teodora Alonzo. The surname Alonzo was later changed to Realonda. Francisco Mercado married Teodora Alonzo, a native of Manila. They had 11 children, Pepe was the 7th child.

This goes to show that Jose Rizal was not only a product of mixed descent but most importantly, of skillful and intellectual lineage which greatly accounted for his intelligence, cognitive abilities, and aesthetic talents. With his numerous sacrifices and accomplishments not just to himself but to our country, Rizal is the best epitome of what a Filipino is and should become.

Sources:

Austin Craig. “Lineage, Life and Labors of Jose Rizal, Philippine Patriot.” Kessinger Publishing (2004). 18-24, 38-43

Maria Stella Sibal Valdez, et al. “Doctor Jose Rizal and the Writing of His Story.” Rex Book Store, Inc (2008). 54-55

Virtual Ethnography 101: May Rizal sa Amin

As part of the weekly exercises of my graduate students in Anthropology 225: Philippine Society and Culture, I wanted my students to explore places and write ethnography using the method of participation-observation.

In celebration of the sesquicentennial (150th) birth anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal, the Philippine's national hero, I asked my graduate students to visit museums that exhibit memorabilia for our dear renaissance Filipino man Jose Rizal, attend local and international academic symposium on The First World-Class Filipino Jose Rizal, travel to his ancestral house in Laguna, or pay respect to one of Asia's great intellectuals enshrined at Luneta Park, and so on...

I am posting in my blog with the writer's consent selected ethnography penned creatively by my students to contribute to the emerging sub-discipline of anthropology called 'Virtual Ethnography'.

Basically, virtually ethnography is also referred to as Webnography. We cannot deny the fact that with increasing use of technology and the Internet, there is now a demand for online spaces on various ethnographic accounts.

Ethnography by Bernadette Senado

Different poses, gestures like presenting him with a point and writing, oftentimes standing straight with his eyes on one direction, sometimes his hand carries a book on top of his chest or if not a hat place on one side however it is usual to see his hands bare. This sight could be seen on statues, pedestals, obelisks and staircases which vary in height but definitely taller than the others all the time and in shape which is trapezoidal, columnar and spherical with cartouches, plaques and transcriptions. These symbolic memoirs are observed not just all throughout the country but in some parts of the globe. On the contrary, more than these depictions, we have to decide on what does it really mean to create such? What impact does it generate in such creation and for failing to construct one among peoples?

I visited Vargas Museum in the University of the Philippines Diliman on July 13, 2011 and it was a lucky day for me because UPians are free to enter every Wednesday. The place seemed so quiet because no one was there to view the collections except for the security and other staff. I don’t know if nobody cares to visit the museum on that day, no one knows that a privilege awaits them when they come in or nobody is interested to witness how the museum joins the commemoration of Rizal’s 150th celebration (that I think is irrational) or it’s just that I am the only left and the rest has gone there already. So much of that, I started viewing the exhibition. The museum allotted the first and third floor for Rizal’s collections which started since May 17 up until July 17.

While I was on the first floor, something really captured my attention “May Rizal sa Amin”
and I really wonder why that set of photographs of Rizal’s monuments and later I found out that that those were scattered all over the country. In fact, there are around 430 monuments in the country. Photographs were taken, submitted and collated following the call of Vargas museums for images and recollections of Rizal monuments here and abroad.. Some were put forwarded via email, and facebook while others were collected by the University of the Philippines professors Nilo Ocampo of the Department of Filipino and Philippine Literature and Eloisa Mary Hernandez of the Department of Art Studies. For the former, this is to see how Rizal is commemorated in the locality and fin other sites that recognize Rizal like in the streets, parks etc. while the latter is to respond to the suggestion of a colleague to document Rizal’s monuments.

It’s really interesting to note that Rizal’s monuments are all over the country and we are accustomed to see them on public setting like plaza complex, municipal offices, churches, schools, markets, malls streets, parks and other government and non-government institutions. And it is intriguing to know all the more that Rizal’s monuments extend in some parts of the globe like in America and Spain. This prompted me to discover on how Rizal’s fame is represented among Asian countries if they really do. And since I cannot afford to visit countries in Asia due to lack of time and budget, I just decided to enter a chat room from which I had a culture shock. I think the last I entered a chat room was 2004.

Moving on, the experience taught me to go straight to my intention because almost all chatters intend to make friends, marry you right away and have sex (ouch!). My goal was to know if they know Rizal and if he has monument on their place. Fortunately, I met people with different intention (I’m not sure) but I was able to fish information and relevant opinion to validate my claim. I met sandeep (codename) from India who was quite intellectual and equated Jose Rizal to Mahatma Gandhi but he said that no Rizal monument is erected on their place and they don’t study Philippine history that’s why subscribed on Wikipedia first to search on Jose Rizal. I was able to speak with an OFW in Saudi Arabia, his codename is mangubat primo and he said that Arabs are interested to Philippine culture and they get to know Jose Rizal once marry a Filipina or visit the Philippines but he didn’t see any image of Rizal in public because it’s a Muslim country. Another is hussain_hussain (codemame), a Syrian lady who is quiet interested with history and have seen pyramids of Egypt and Garden of Eden in Iraw but she said that she has never heard Jose Rizal yet.

I was able to talk with people from Pakistan, Indonesia and Bangladesh who don’t have any idea about Rizal and OFWs from China, Japan and South Korea who haven’t seen public depictions of Jose Rizal. Let me clarify, my goal was not to check entirely Rizal’s popularity among Asians but unintentionally, this has been shown so as to attain how Asians are affected by public representations of our National Hero in their place.

Going back to the title, May Rizal sa Amin, is a form of declaration. Yes Rizal is with us! It sounds like edification, venerating Rizal as Christ. His presence conveys significance which vary among peoples. For the commons who are used to see his image in public places enlighten them that Jose Rizal is not way different from them. He is an ordinary guy just like any other who is fully committed to public service. His monuments that extend in the northernmost and southernmost and northernmost part of the country remind us that we are all Filipinos despite our multi-ethnicity. And Rizal’s image abroad will help the homesick identify themselves to Rizal and this is a symbol of a good diplomatic relation with others.

Virtual Ethnography 101: Si Rizal at ang Bahay na Bato sa Biñan

As part of the weekly exercises of my graduate students in Anthropology 225: Philippine Society and Culture, I wanted my students to explore places and write ethnography using the method of participation-observation.

In celebration of the sesquicentennial (150th) birth anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal, the Philippine's national hero, I asked my graduate students to visit museums that exhibit memorabilia for our dear renaissance Filipino man Jose Rizal, attend local and international academic symposium on The First World-Class Filipino Jose Rizal, travel to his ancestral house in Laguna, or pay respect to one of Asia's great intellectuals enshrined at Luneta Park, and so on...

I am posting in my blog with the writer's consent selected ethnography penned creatively by my students to contribute to the emerging sub-discipline of anthropology called 'Virtual Ethnography'.

Basically, virtually ethnography is also referred to as Webnography. We cannot deny the fact that with increasing use of technology and the Internet, there is now a demand for online spaces on various ethnographic accounts.

Ethnography by Jo-ann Gimenez Grecia

“Boss, ano ‘tong bahay na ‘to dati?”
“Bahay ni Don Alberto, kapatid ng nanay ni Rizal. Dyan nga siya tumira nang saglit noon eh.”

Naiinis ako lalo na nitong mga nakaraang taon nang hindi sine-celebrate, o ipinagdiriwang, o pahapyaw lamang na nababanggit sa TV o dyaryo ang kaarawan ni Rizal. Dismayado talaga ako dahil hindi alam ng lahat na birthday niya – at National Hero pa natin ito nang lagay na ‘yan! Sa akin lang, lahat ng Pilipino ay dapat nasa puso ang June 19 bilang kaarawan ni Rizal. Oo nga’t may punto naman na minsanan lang ang selebrasyon para ito ay maging tunay na espesyal, ngunit hindi ba pwedeng exception to the rule na si Rizal? Kung tutuusin, utang natin sa kanya at sa iba pa nating bayani ang kung ano mang klase ng kalayaan mayroon tayo ngayon. Hindi ba’t sapat lamang na i-celebrate iyon taon-taon?

Ako, ang Biñan, at ang Pagkamulat kay Rizal

Isang tricycle ride na mga 15-20 minutes ang layo ng bahay namin sa mismong sentro ng bayan ng Biñan. Ito ang mismong sentro ng lugar kung nasaan ang dating munisipyo, simbahan, palengke, plaza, at kung anu-ano pa. Maraming mga bahay na bato bago dumating sa mismong bayan. Isa na dito ang mga marker sa bakuran na “Rizal in Biñan.” Hindi halata ang bahay sa loob ng bakuran dahil ito ay nahaharangan ng mga puno at nasa may bandang likod pa ito ng lote. Ngunit halata naman ang marker dahil ito ay kulay itim sa peach na pader at may grills pa. Nadadaanan din ito ng mga dyip patungong Biñan kaya talagang mapapansin ito.

Habang ako ay lumalaki at nagkakaisip, hindi lingid sa akin na minsan tumira sa Biñan si Rizal. Tubong-Biñan kasi ang kanyang amang si Francisco maging ang inang si Teodora. Ito ang naisip ko noon, “Aba, I have something in common pala with Rizal! Parang kababayan ko na rin pala siya!” Parang dumoble talaga ang pagkaproud ko sa kanya! Hindi ko masyadong mapaliwanag pero may sense of pride ako kapag sinasabing kong taga-Biñan ako dahil iniisip ko si Rizal. Siguro, lalo na para sa mga tubong-Calamba, ‘di ba? Overwhelming with pride malamang.

Lagi akong tumitingin sa marker na iyon kapag dumadaan ang dyip sa bahay na iyon at tinatahak ang Gen. Mateo Capinpin St. Noon pa man ay curious na kasi talaga ako sa pamamalagi ni Rizal dito sa Biñan. Alam kong saglit siyang nag-aral dito sa patnubay ni Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz. Common knowledge na si Rizal ay sadyang maalam na kaya nasabi ng maestro na wala na itong maibabahagi pa kay Rizal – alam na niya ang lahat ng dapat niyang malaman. Bibo kid pala itong si Rizal! Batid ko rin na siya ay nakaranas ng pangungutya mula sa ilang kamag-aral dahil sa laki ng kanyang ulo kumpara sa kanyang katawan. Ngunit dahil sa angking talino, pinayuhan siya ng maestro na magpatuloy ng pag-aaral sa mataas na antas.

Sa paglalakbay
Nalaman kong noo’y
Miminsa’y napaunlakan
Mumunting bayan ko

Sa Biñan na kinagisnan ko
Namalagi ka nang saglit
Nag-aral nang maigi
Sa bahay na pawid

Natuto ka nang husto
Sa maestrong mahigpit
Napasubo sa hamon
Mag-aaral na pilyo

Ang Lihim ng Bahay na Bato

Napakaiksi lamang ng mga nasusulat tungkol sa pansamantalang pamamalagi ni Rizal sa Biñan, at kadalasang ito ay umiikot lamang sa kanyang pag-aaral. Kahit sa dyaryo at brochure ng Biñan, naiuugnay lamang ito sa unang pormal na pag-aaral ni Rizal. Ngunit sa iksing mga naisusulat na ito, marahil ang pinakasikat na elemento na naiuugnay kay Rizal at sa bayan ng Biñan bukod sa kanyang pag-aaral ay ang “bahay ng kanyang ina” na matatagpuan dito.

Sa katunayan, kung nasaan ang marker na nasa peach na pader ay hindi ang bahay na bato na sinasabing bahay ng ina ni Rizal kundi ang bahay ng mga Gonzalez, prominenteng pamilya sa Biñan, ayon kay Jasmin G. Alonte, Tourism Officer ng Biñan (personal na komunikasyon, Hulyo 4, 2011). Sa bakuran ng mga Gonzalez dating nakatayo ang kubong ginawang paaralan ni Maestro Cruz sa estudyanteng si Rizal at iba pang mga mag-aaral. Sa kasamaang-palad, ang kubo ay nasira noong pagsalanta ng bagyong Milenyo noong 2006. Sadya lamang tama ang lugar kung nasaan ang marker dahil doon sa lugar na iyon natuto si Rizal bilang isang mag-aaral.

Kaya’t ang tinutukoy na “bahay ng ina ni Rizal” ay ang bahay na bato sa sentro ng Biñan, ang tinaguriang Alberto House. Ngunit bakit may quotation marks pa sa “bahay ng ina ni Rizal”? Ito ba ay paglalagay lamang ng emphasis o sadyang may kaakibat na interes? Ito ay dahil may mga panayam sa TV kung saan ang inapo o descendant ng mga Alberto, si Gerardo Alberto, ay sinasabing kapatid lamang sa ama o kaya naman ay pinsan ng kanyang lolo, si Jose Alberto, ang ina ni Rizal na si Teodora Alonzo (Ocampo, 2010). Ang mga Alberto ang may-ari ng sinasabing bahay ng ina ni Rizal. Sa ibang salita, illegitimate o anak sa labas si Teodora. Kung gayon, hindi talaga pagmamay-ari ng mga Alonzo ang bahay na bato sa bayan ng Biñan kundi naiuugnay lamang kay Rizal. Gayunpaman, sa kadahilanang dito siya namalagi noong 1870-1871 habang ito sa nag-aaral, mayroon pa rin itong historical significance (Ocampo, 2010).

Sa TV special ni Howie Severino ng GMA 7 na I-Witness pinamagatang “Ang Lihim ng Pamilya ni Rizal” pinalabas noong Enero 31, 2011, ipinaliwanag ang sinasabing relasyon nina Jose Alberto at Teodora Alonzo. Nakapagtatakang sa isang family tree na ginawa ni Rizal, detalyado ang pamilya ng angkan ng kanyang ama ngunit natigil ang sanga ng angkan ng kanyang ina sa ngalan nito. Wala nang ibang pangalan na idinugtong si Rizal sa angkan ng kanyang ina. Winawaring ito ba ay nagsasabing may lihim ang angkan ng kanyang ina kaya’t hindi niya kinumpleto ang kanyang family tree.

Maraming kontrobersiyang umiikot sa bahay na bato kung saan sinasabing lumaki ang ina ni Rizal at si Jose Alberto. Sa lahat ng kontrobersiyang umiikot sa kaugnayan ni Lolo Jose at Lola Teodora at ang bahay na bato sa Biñan – mula sa pagdududang bastardo o hindi lihitimong anak si Jose o kaya naman si Teodora, hanggang sa pagtatangka umanong paglason sa asawa ni Jose na Teodora din ang ngalan, hanggang sa ‘di umanoy pagkakaroon bawal na relasyon nina Jose at Saturnina, anak ni Teodora at nakakatandang kapatid ni Rizal – nangangahulugan lamang ito na makasaysayan ang lugar na ito. Matatandaang ang pagbibintang na tangkang paglason ni Teodora sa asawa ng kanyang kapatid ang dahilan kung bakit siya kinulong at ang pagkakakulong niyang ito ay ininda ng batang si Rizal. At ang pangyayaring ito ay isa sa mga kawalang hustisya napuna ng batang si Rizal.

Ayon pa rin sa TV special ni Howie Severino, ang umano’y hidwaan sa pagitan nina Jose at Teodora ay tila naipasa sa kanilang mga inapo. Nang magkaroon ng pagtitipon at magkita ang kasalukuyang angkan ng mga Alberto at Alonzo/Rizal, may hindi kumportableng hangin sa pagitan ng dalawang pamilya. Tila ba may certain degree of awkwardness. Maraming kuru-kuro sa kontrobersiya ng pagiging anak sa labas at ito marahil ang dahilan ng awkwardness sa pagitan ng dalawang pamilya.

Ang tila nakapagtatakang ‘bitin’ na family tree ni Rizal sa angkan ng kanyang ina ay tinuldukan ng isang ring family tree na ginawa rin mismo ni Rizal. Sa family tree iyon, buo ang angkan ng pamilya ng kanyang ina. Kabilang dito ang tala ng pangalan ng kanyang ina at ng mga kapatid nito, kasama si Jose. Binigyang linaw nito na tunay na magkapatid sina Jose Alberto at Teodora Alonzo. Nararapat lamang na ituring ding bahay ng ina ni Rizal ang bahay na bato sa Biñan.




Ngunit ika’y malungkot
Tila ba matamlay
Nangungulila marahil
Sa bayang sinilangan

Sabi mo pa,
“Mas gusto ko ang Calamba,
maliit kung tutuusin
ngunit mas kaakit-akit.”

Ilang luha rin ang umagos
Sa makinis mong pisngi
Sabik na makapiling
Pamilyang tinatangi

‘Di ka nakatatagal
Sabik ka nang lumisan
Tila ba ‘di lilingon
Sa bayan ng Biñan

Mula Biñan patungong Bataan

Ang panayam kay Gerardo Alberto, inapo ni Jose Alberto, ay tungkol sa planong pagdemolisyon sa “bahay ng ina ni Rizal” at paglipat nito sa Bataan para sa isang historical community o heritage resort. Pinipigilan at tinututulan ito ng pamahalaan ng Biñan at mga mamamayan nito, at ang kilusan para sa conservation ng kultura ng Biñan, ang United Artists for Cultural Conservation and Development (UACCD). Sinasabing ire-relocate ang makasaysayang bahay sa Bataan dahil naipagbili na ito sa halagang P500,000. Sa katunayan, pinakitang nasimulan na ang pagtitibag sa ilang bahagi ng bahay tulad ng sahig at bubong.

Mula sa pagbisita ko sa city hall ng Biñan, nalaman kong matagal nang nakikipag-ugnayan ang pamahalaan sa mga Alberto. Ang Public Information Office at Tourism Office ay parehong nagsabing may mga pag-uusap na ukol dito. Maraming flash reports, news updates, at TV specials na rin ang ipinalabas ukol sa planong demolisyon na ito. Paulit-ulit din ang panawagan ng mga tumututol dito na huwag hayaang tuluyang mawala ang makasaysayang bahay na bato.

Ang pamahalaan ng Biñan ay nakikipag-ugnayan sa mga Alberto para hindi na matuloy pa ang planong demolisyon. Ngunit sa parehong palabas ni Howie Severino, nakapanayam niya ang kasalukuyang alkalde ng Biñan, si Mayor Marlyn “Len” Alonte-Naguiat, na nagsabing ang bahay na bato ay hindi kasama sa heritage sites ng National Historical Institute (NHI). Ibig sabihin nito ay hindi ito itinuturing na historical kahit ito pa ay naiuugnay kay Rizal. Ang katotohanan lamang na ang bahay ay mahigit na 200 taon na ay sapat na basehan upang ipreserba ito dahil ito ay mahigit sa 50 taon nang istruktura.

Naglunsad ng kilusan ang mga mamamayan ng Biñan kasama si Mayor Alonte-Naguiat ng “Save the Alberto House Movement” ayon sa News to Go na pinalabas noong Marso 22, 2011. Sinusulong nito ang pagpigil sa pagde-demolish ng Alberto House. Sabi ng Vice-Mayor na si Arman Dimaguila, naideklara na ng city council na isang heritage site ang Alberto House kaya hindi na ito maaring ilipat o gamitin sa ibang paraan (Ozaeta, 2010). Dito sila ay nagfile ng expropriation case para bilhin ang bahay na bato. Hindi na gigibain ang Alberto House at mangangalap na lamang ng malaking pondo para sa ikagaganda nito.

Ika’y nagbalik
Sa Calambang tunay na ibig
Kung maaari’y ‘wag nang umalis
Doon na lang mamalagi

Ngunit kailangan
Kaya ika’y nagbalik
Naparito nang muli
Kahit masakit sa dibdib

Panahon ay lumipas
Dunong nagging sapat
Wala nang maibabahagi pa
Maestrong giliw na giliw

Ika’y pinalaya
Humayo kang dali-dali
Walang pag-aalinlangan
Biñan iyong nilisan

Ang Mukha ng Bahay na Bato

Sa mga kuha ng Alberto House as TV special ni Howie Severino at dating larawan, ang loob at labas ng bahay na bato at talagang nagdetriorate na. Ngayon, may nakapalibot na luntiang bakod na gawa sa yero at may makakabit na slogan tulad ng “husay at galling kaya mong pagyamanin.” Bukod sa napakalaking signage na nagtuturo kung nasaan ang pinakamalapit na Jollibee, ang Alberto House ay nagmumukhang historical landmark na. Dahil ito sa pathway na gawa sa kahel na bricks na may mga mala-Kastilang ilaw. Ito ay bahagi ng Buhay Rizal Values Campaign ng Yuchenhco Group of Companies (YGC), malaking grupo ng kumpanya sa bansa. Sa bukana ng pathwalk ay isang marker na may mukha ng Rizal at ng kampanya at nagsasabing ito ay para sa mga mamamayan ng Biñan. Pinasinayaan ito noong Pebrero 2, 2011.

Hindi pa ito marker na nagsasaad na ang lugar ay isang NHI Heritage Site o historical landmark ngunit ang paglalagay ng pathwalk ay indikasyon na pinahahalagahan na ngayon ng mas matindi ang Alberto House. Mas magara na nang hindi hamak ang harap ng bahay na bato. Kahit hindi maaaring pumasok sa bahay ay mararamdaman naman ang mas matinding pagpapahalaga dito dahil sa kalinisan ng harap ng bahay kabilang na ang pathwalk. Wala na rin mga nagtitinda sa harap ng bahay dahil mayroon nang nagbabantay dito. Dahil ito ay nasa sentro, dinaraan ito ng mga tao at sasakyan kaya naman walang nagtitinda sa harap nito. Sa gilid at likod ng bahay ay nandoon pa rin ang mga commercial establishments na dati nang may-ari ng parte ng lupain ng mga Alberto at Alonzo.

Sa aking pagtatanong sa mga kababayan ko, alam ng aking mga natanong na may kaugnayan ang Alberto House sa buhay ni Rizal. Naglalaro ang kanilang alam sa gitna ng “bahay ng kapatid ng ina ni Rizal,” “bahay ng malapit na kamag-anak ni Rizal,” at “bahay ng ina ni Rizal.” Maaaring ‘di eksakto at ‘di pare-pareho ang nalalaman ng aking mga pinagtanungan, tulad din naman ng disagreement ng mga manunulat at mananaliksik sa buhay ni Rizal. Ang maganda dito ay hindi ignorante ang mga taga-Biñan sa kung ano ang mayroon sa lugar namin at kung ano ang ginampanan nito sa ating kasaysayan.

Ang mga kawani naman ng city hall ay nagpatotoo sa mga ipinapalabas sa TV at isinusulat sa dyaryo ukol sa mga nangyayari sa Alberto House. Hindi nga lang ganoon kalalim ang diskurso na aking naranasan sa mga kawaning aking nakausap – maaaring dahil sa mababaw na nalalaman nila ukol kay Rizal dito sa Biñan – ngunit pinapatotoo din nito na alam ng kinauukulan kung ano ang bigat ng sitwasyon na kinasasangkutan ng Alberto House. Hindi bulag, pipi, at bingi sa mga saloobin ng mga taga-Biñan.

Katulad ng pathwalk sa Alberto House, ang monumento ni Rizal sa sentro ay inayos din ng YGC. Naging mas magara ito at kung titignan mula sa harap ang monument ay makikita ang Alberto House sa background. Nakakatindig ito ng balahibo dahil alam kong minsan ay tumira doon si Rizal, lumakad sa kalsadang nilalakaran naming mga taga- Biñan at ng mga dumarayo dito. Ngayon ay hinihiling na lamang na sana ay magampanan ng pamahalaan ng Biñan ang pagsasaayos ng Alberto House para muling ibalik ang dati nitong kinang, para sa kultura at pamana ni Rizal at para na rin sa mga taga-Biñan at lahat ng Pilipinong gustong malaman ang buhay niya dito sa Biñan.

Bakit tila ganito
Saloobin mo sa bayan ko?
‘Di mo nais
Pagkupkop nito sa iyo?

‘Di lingid na Calamba’y
Natatangi sa iyo
Ngunit wala bang puwang
Biñan sa puso mo?

Tamang ika’y mangulila
Sa bayang umaruga
Ngunit bakit ganoon na lamang
Turing mo sa Biñan…

Biñan ay tunay kang mahal
‘Di ka itatanggi
sigaw na sasabihin
“Nanggaling ka rin sa amin!”

(Mula sa tulang “Pagtatampo” ng may-akda, sinulat bilang requirement sa PI 100 taong 2003)


Mga Pinagkuhanan ng Impormasyon

Alatiit, G. (2011, Hunyo). Ang Biñan sa Buhay ni Gat Jose Rizal. Balitang Biñan, p. 3.

Ocampo, A. (2010, Hunyo 13). Secrets locked in Alberto house about Rizal’s mother. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. 12.

Ozaeta, A. (2010, Nobyembre 21). Row rages on over Rizal mom’s alleged house. ABS-CBN News Southern Tagalog. Retrieved July 6, 2011 from http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/11/21/10/row-rages-over-rizal-mom’s-alleged-house

Severino, H. (Host). (2011, Enero 31). I-Witness: Ang Lihim ng Pamilya ni Rizal. Quezon City: GMA News and Public Affairs.

________________ (2011, Marso 22). News to Go. Quezon City: GMA News and Public Affairs.

Virtual Ethnography 101: Yuchengco Museum's Tribute to Rizal

As part of the weekly exercises of my graduate students in Anthropology 225: Philippine Society and Culture, I wanted my students to explore places and write ethnography using the method of participation-observation.

In celebration of the sesquicentennial (150th) birth anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal, the Philippine's national hero - I asked my graduate students to visit museums that exhibit memorabilia for our dear renaissance Filipino man Jose Rizal, attend local and international academic symposium on The First World-class Filipino Jose Rizal, travel to his ancestral house in Laguna, or pay respect to one of Asia's great intellectuals enshrined at Luneta Park, and so on...

I am posting in my blog with the writer's consent selected ethnography penned creatively by my students to contribute to the emerging sub-discipline of anthropology called 'Virtual Ethnography'.

Basically, virtually ethnography is also referred to as Webnography. We cannot deny the fact that with increasing use of technology and the Internet, there is now a demand for online spaces on various ethnographic accounts.

Ethnography by Fernando Calleja Jr.

June 8, 2011. It was one rainy afternoon. After traveling for an hour and a half from Las Piñas, I finally got to Ayala Avenue. I was headed for Yuchengco Museum to visit its limited-time exhibit on Dr. Jose Rizal, entitled “Rizalizing the Future.”

Initially, I did not know what to expect from the said exhibit (which will run from June 3 to October 29, 2011). And I was not particularly concerned with what I’ll see displayed in the museum to commemorate Rizal’s legacy. I planned to observe other sightseers, follow them around, and see which pieces they paid particular attention to.

But when I entered, I realized I may be the only guest inside — no one else was there when I arrived, except for guards and a few museum staff members. It must be the rain. It might also be the day — it was Friday afternoon; even students would think of more fun things to do. I should not have stopped persuading my officemates to come with me, but they’ll have none of it. In fact, they laughed at me when I told them that I need to visit a museum. They told me no one goes to museums anymore unless it’s required. Maybe they’re right. I’m a pretty busy person myself; I wouldn’t have thought of going to Yuchengco on a rainy Friday afternoon if I had the choice.

Anyway, I convinced myself to just make the most out of my visit and enjoy the museum’s extensive collection of Rizal exhibit pieces. Needless to say, it has a lot on display — two floors of it, not including a few items on the main exhibit. The museum divided the pieces into zones, each focusing on different highlights of the life of Rizal.

The first one is Revisiting Rizal, which contained Rizal’s diplomas and certificates from Ateneo and the different schools he attended abroad, his family tree and a few anecdotes between him and his siblings, a few of his personal possessions such as his violin and the sculptures he created, photographs of him abroad, his masterpieces such as Mi Ultimo Adios, as well as a significant number of books about his life and mission. The purpose of this area, I infer, is to show Rizal’s foundations — as a gifted man with various talents, nurtured by a loving and understanding family, who had a lifelong goal to seek reforms for his country.

The second area is tagged Loving Rizal, which housed memorabilia related to his two greatest loves — Leonor Rivera and Josephine Bracken. Personal possessions of the two women were on display — including the latter’s passionate handwritten love letter to Rizal.

Honoring Rizal, the third area, contained memorabilia that sprouted in honor of Rizal — stamps, coins, banknotes, postcards, theater play newspaper ads, pictures of monuments, avenues, ships, shrines, coliseums, and the like. You name it, Rizal’s part of it. There’s also a section that introduced the Knights of Rizal. All these tend to show how extensively Rizal’s legacy is infused in Filipino life — and how we have continued to attempt through the years to commemorate him.

The fourth and fifth areas are Expressing Rizal and Spiritualizing Rizal, which contained avant-garde artwork and sculpture inspired by Rizal, such as a cyborg Rizal, items sold by Team Manila Graphics Design Studio, a sculpture of Rizal making love with Josephine Bracken, an infrared-sensitive painting of Rizal, and mystical paintings. They further prove our attempts to modernize Rizal and his legacy in our period.

I was almost done with exploring the museum, but I haven’t seen any other visitor even until then. Just one more floor to go. I told myself maybe it would be good enough to just ask a few questions to the guards and staff in the lobby. But I was surprised with what I saw next.

The next floor contained a gallery full of black frames, each with a trait of Rizal and a brief description of that said trait. But what made my day was that there were post-it notes placed on each frame, containing messages and reactions of previous visitors for that trait. The staff confirmed that visitors are free to leave notes in there as they please. It was more than what I bargained for.

Below are sample comments I collated for each trait. The comments ranged from heartfelt to comical, serious to entertaining. It gave me a glimpse of the realizations and reflections the different visitors had after they visited the museum and looked at the different zones of display.

1. Not one outstanding trait: “Giving jack of all trades the world over some hope! A man for all seasons.” (JC)

2. Wasn’t as smart as they say: “Rizal never stopped to inspire me to study harder and do my best to reach my dreams.” (Andrea)

3. Puritanical; too self-disciplined: “Influenced many people and touched many lives even in our generation.” (Anonymous)

4. He ain’t perfect: “JPR reminds me that no one is perfect; we make mistakes, but let us always remember that everything we do reflects who we are. Love the imperfection within you.” (Mitch)

5. Short and sickly: “Hoping to do great things even if I’m short.” (Zig PH)

6. Workaholic: “You and I are the same! I never liked to rest!” (Faye)

7. Will power: “If only Philippine government leaders have just a bit of Rizal’s patriotism within, we wouldn’t be in this shameful economic situation.” (CJC)

a. Another witty comment: “Just seen the movie Green Lantern and it speaks about will power, overcoming fear. Rizal is a Green Lantern.” (ARCM)

8. Stern and inflexible but gentle and kindly toward others: “A love and life like yours — outstanding!” (Sherry)

9. Strength of word: “His words won the heart of a whole country! Thank you Jose Rizal.” (Anonymous)


As a whole, comments reflect visitors who were inspired by Rizal, as though they got something positive and cathartic out of the whole experience. This is further highlighted in the post-its found in a special frame that contains the question, “Does Jose Rizal inspire you?”

• “Pinagnanasaan kita gabi-gabi. I love you!” (Edna Cortez, SLHS Professor)

• “Hoping that Philippines would rise again as a great country.” (Donna)

• “Rizal you rock like Michael Jordan.” (Aaron)

• “At first I didn’t care, but it turns out Rizal is way cooler than me!” (Anonymous)

• “Rizal is Filipino pride. Adore him!” (Nartea)

• “We won’t let you down!” (KL)

That was when I realized the purpose why we celebrated Rizal’s 150th birthday, why Yuchengco Museum exerted so much effort and energy in setting up its “Rizalizing the Future” exhibit. We all need a hero to look up to, a role model who can inspire us to be better persons. Some saw it in champions like Michael Jordan or popular fictional characters like the Green Lantern. And somehow, we have continued to attempt to keep Rizal as that ultimate role model for Filipinos, to continue to make him relevant. After all, the fact remains that Rizal is our national hero. We look back for us to never forget and for us to appreciate what he has fought for.

Furthermore, Yuchengco Museum humanized Rizal by showing different facets of his personality and some of his more eccentric interests, even highlighting some of his imperfections. At this day and age, we look for heroes who are human, who we can relate to. It encourages us to think we are also capable of achieving what he has achieved.

From the comments I’ve read, I think Yuchengco Museum was successful in achieving its goal. I just hope that more people — including my officemates — would find the time to endure the museum experience so that they’ll also get something out of it.

Virtual Ethnography 101: Asian Civilization Museum (A Visit to the Past and My Heritage)

As part of the weekly exercises of my graduate students in Anthropology 225: Philippine Society and Culture, I wanted my students to explore places and write ethnography using the method of participation-observation.

I am posting in my blog with the writer's consent selected ethnography penned creatively by my students to contribute to the emerging sub-discipline of anthropology called 'Virtual Ethnography'.

Basically, virtually ethnography is also referred to as Webnography. We cannot deny the fact that with increasing use of technology and the Internet, there is now a demand for online spaces on various ethnographic accounts.

Ethnography by Cluadette Uy

Being interested in knowing about the history and cultures as I am, I am in a perfect place right now. Living in Singapore allows me to interact with different people from nations around the world. In fact, I need not look beyond the walls of my office, where the workforce represents more than 40 nations. Naturally, it has the usual mix of Singapore’s Chinese, Indians and Malays, but there are also Malaysians, Indonesians, Thai, Burmese, Americans, Latin Americans and Europeans to name but a few.

Singapore being an eclectic mix of Chinese, Malays, Indians and many other minorities, it becomes all the more becomes very important to know the history and culture of different nations. Maybe this is why Singapore put so much stock into their museums and encourage its people and visitors to go. Also, the staff on hand can also just be volunteers (of which there are many), which requires them to study and undergo rigorous training so that they can work at the museums. Singapore has multiple museums such as the Singapore Art Museum, Pernakan Museum, Asian Civilizations Museum, National Museum of Singapore to just name a few where they preserve the different artifacts of the past and present.

Now, many associate museums as being stuffy. However, for me, museums holds the secrets to our past and secrets are much valued. Now, imagine, in addition to the usual objects open for viewing and some write‐up about these items, there being an interactive application for an exhibit in a museum, where modern technologies helps museum administrators tell the ancient stories of man. One such museum is the Asian Civilizations Museum (ACM) in Singapore. Walking amongst other visitors, I look around and see what was on exhibit that fine Friday night.

As I was walking along the hallowed halls of the museum with discreet staff aiding visitors and also, guarding the museums treasures, I noticed interactive TV screens where you can learn more about a particular topic pertaining to the exhibit. In a particular exhibit area showcasing the jewelries of different Southeast Asian communities, they had put them up with holographic images so as to give the visitor a view of how they were worn before. Also, they had provided some areas where you can listen to any audio recording pertaining to the exhibits as well. There were also areas where you can “participate” as they have provided spaces for presenting a particular theme such as the living area of the West Asian communities. In addition to these, they even had an iPhone application available for download for one
of the exhibits. Specifically this was for the Chinese terracotta warriors. It enables you to follow the exhibit, providing more background and even some role playing on the events that might have occurred during the time. This makes a tour more enjoyable and you can do away with a tour guide.

Now moving on to the exhibits themselves… I was pleasantly surprised that there was the exhibit on the Chinese terracotta warriors. I headed straight for this as I only had an hour and a half before the museum closes. It was a fairly small exhibit however. Looking at the intricate warriors and at the various other items from China, I was very impressed with the intricate detail of the warriors and the other items on display.

The Terracotta Army was built by the first Emperor of Qin in 210‐209 BC, where its construction started when the emperor was 13 years old. It is now part of the funeral compound of the emperor where its purpose was to help rule another empire with Qin Shi Huang in the afterlife. As such, they are also sometimes referred to as "Qin's Armies." The figures of the infantrymen were different from each other and the level of detail is so fantastic that there were even rumors that these were actually real men of the army who was buried with the Emperor! Imagine that! Other items on display were some objects found in the tomb of the Terracotta Army such as a bell, the horse drawn chariot of the Emperor, as well suits of armor!

It’s incredible that these survived until present day, but of course, not without the scars of battle. Some infantrymen look beheaded as the figures were built separately and not as one whole figure. Paints of the figures/items have been chipped off. However, this does not in any devaluate the Terracotta Army, in fact it brings, more pride since these were created when there was no modern technology to help in building these. Being a 2nd generation Chinese Filipino, I am proud of my Chinese heritage, where the Chinese is known for its advancements even in the centuries that have passed.

This does not diminish the fact that I was born and raised in the Philippines and I quickly looked for the rest of the museum’s offerings in the other galleries. The ACM divided the remaining areas into West Asia, North East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia and of course a specific gallery for Singapore exhibits. Heading quickly over to the Southeast Asian section, I was looking for any exhibits of the Philippines. Sadly there was none! There included the aristocratic art of Khmer sculptures, Javanese temple sculpture, Buddhist art from Burma and Thailand, Sinicised temple art of Vietnam. There were also Pernakan gold, Malaysian textiles, tribal ornaments and theatrical masks. Squelching my disappointment of not being able to see any Philippine items on exhibit in a Singaporean museum, I notice the commonalties and influences of the other regions in our way of dress, jewelry, textiles based on what I remember of the Philippine history, especially looking at the Malay exhibits of textiles, tools and weapons! I distinctively remember thinking, “oh hey, that’s what I saw in my history books before!”

However, no matter how many things may be common with other nations, looking at how rich our Philippine ancestry has become with many influences, Philippines has forged its own identity. And maybe one day, there will be special and permanent exhibits showcasing the Philippine heritage in one of the pioneer museums specializing in pan‐Asian cultures, civilizations and history. And, I shall look forward to that day.

Virtual Ethnography 101: Of Churches and Temples

Last summer I asked my college students in Anthropology 1, aside from learning anthropological concepts and theories inside the classroom - to explore places, experience cultural happenings, and then apply their learning through writing ethnographic accounts using the method of participation-observation.

I am posting in my blog with the writer's consent selected ethnography penned creatively by my students to contribute to the emerging sub-discipline of anthropology called 'Virtual Ethnography'.

Basically, virtually ethnography is also referred to as Webnography. We cannot deny the fact that with increasing use of technology and the Internet, there is now a demand for online spaces on various ethnographic accounts.

Ethnography By Seth Yao

A Disclaimer of Sorts

Given both my family and personal background, I have found the religion of Buddhism very enticing. There are many specific and biased reasons for this but I will go through the more rational ones. To put all this simply, I will try to compare and contrast a Buddhist temple with a Catholic church since this is most familiar to me.

Façade

The Catholic Church is basically an oversized house, a sanctuary to all people, in principle, that is. The church designs vary from the Rock Church in Norway, St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, to the Notre Dame in Paris. For the most part, these churches and cathedrals tend to come in different shapes and sizes since the Medieval and Renaissance bourgeoisie competed amongst themselves to prove whose local church was the most magnificent at that time. This is not unfamiliar to our culture, where the grandest festivals and church ceremonies are sought after throughout the nation.

The Buddhist temple is often very simple. It has taken many forms such as the stupa, pagoda, or even a giant bronze statue of Buddha sometimes, but the idea is to be in harmony with the universe, not to be fixated on worldly things but on the path to enlightenment. The idea behind this is to inspire inner and outer peace.

Purpose

The church is sacred place for Catholics. This is where they celebrate most of their religious milestones like baptism, confirmation, marriage, and for some people, their wake when they have passed away.

The Buddhist temple is not so much a sacred ground as it is a silent retreat, a kind of religious coffee shop. The point of going to a Buddhist temple is to find peace within oneself and meditate along with a community that tries to accomplish the same thing. This way, the environment is conducive to focus and detachment from the world.

Décor

Given the history of the Catholic Church as a medium of colonization, colonizers tended to preach to aboriginal people in a language not understood by the locals. Instead of paying attention to the priest or friar, these people focus their attention on the colorful stained glass windows, statues, and paintings covering every inch of the structure. This is why churches tend to be vibrant and ornate inside.

Buddhist temples are the exact opposite of these churches. As much as possible, there is nothing stimulating inside the temple. The objective is to facilitate the people’s overcoming of sensual desire and excitement, to rid oneself of extreme joy and depression. Instead, a relaxed sense of neutrality is achieved, a step closer to enlightenment. Aside from the cushion or pillows meant for kneeling, sitting, the full lotus position and such, the temple is bare.

Environment

In a church at any time, there is most probably a distinct din of murmuring, of people talking, praying, begging, gossiping, and asking for forgiveness. At certain times there are melodies coming from Christmas carolers or the church of choir. Then passages, rejoice, repent, and make promises to God.

In a Buddhist temple, there is mostly silence, accompanied by the sound of heavy breathing as people clear their minds and focus on nothing but their breathing. Sometimes there is music playing not dissimilar to those often heard in spas; in both instances, this is done to help people relax. Other than that, barely anything else is heard.

A view from the ground

I experienced and observed all these things myself. I grew up a Catholic. From weddings in Manila Cathedral to tours in the Sistine chapel in Vatican City, I have had my fair share of Catholic churches. These are vibrant, sacred, solemnly prayerful places where different people plead their own cases to their magnanimous God. Being mostly Chinese, I have visited a lot of Buddhist temples in my time as well. From pagodas to giant bronze Buddha statues and modern monasteries (like the Ocean Sky Chan Monastery), I have noted how the world is suddenly left behind as I step over the threshold into a Buddhist temple. Children wonder at the instantaneous serenity in their environment but other than their wide eyes and slack jaws, the peace is maintained. This ethnography is not an attack on the Catholic Church or an attempt to proselytize for Buddhism; it is merely the musing of a curious traveler and scholar.

Parting thoughts

Like most ideologies, the two religions discussed here have been twisted and transformed throughout centuries; such is the nature of most things and like the philosophies that have evolved, their place of worship or religious practice has changed as well. The once hidden and plain houses for worship turned into magnificent cathedrals spread throughout the entire world, inspiring awe and for some people, spiritual distraction. From my travels, I have witnessed all sorts of grand cathedrals like the ones I have already mentioned from France and Italy, not to mention the great Saint Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow’s Red Square.

For Buddhism, however, the unimposing stupas that Siddharta Gautama’s followers meditated around have spanned a vast continent and even most of the world and became pagodas, monasteries, and, like I said, a giant bronze statue of Buddha (found in Korea). These are havens for the disturbed soul rushed through hectic city streets and swept through rushing traffic; in these places they find their way back to their path to enlightenment and overcoming the suffering that is intrinsic to human life.

Virtual Ethnography 101: 7th Heaven

Last summer I asked my college students in Anthropology 1, aside from learning anthropological concepts and theories inside the classroom - to explore places, experience cultural happenings, and then apply their learning through writing ethnographic accounts using the method of participation-observation.

I am posting in my blog with the writer's consent selected ethnography penned creatively by my students to contribute to the emerging sub-discipline of anthropology called 'Virtual Ethnography'.

Basically, virtually ethnography is also referred to as Webnography. We cannot deny the fact that with increasing use of technology and the Internet, there is now a demand for online spaces on various ethnographic accounts.


Ethnography By Llenel de Castro

When we think of religious sites, we often think of the most ostentatious – the Vatican, Sagrada Familia, Angkor Wat, Borobudur, and Mecca. We think of those pilgrimage sites where thousands or millions of people flock to show their faith. In the Philippines, we think of Quiapo, Manila cathedral, and all our other grand churches. Rarely do we think of those small, simple, close-knit non-Catholic groups. In fact, except for Iglesia ni Kristo’s iconic architecture, we barely notice the other Christian dominations at all.

Because I used to watch the 7th heaven marathons during holy week on Studio 23, it’s small Christian churches that have always interested me. Unlike in the large Catholic churches where the priest barely knows his congregation, the pastors from small fellowships almost always come from the community they serve. The members are usually less than a hundred and if not for the fact that my best friend’s dad is a pastor, I wouldn’t probably know where to find one.

Unlike Catholics who spend only an hour in church on Sundays, my friend spends her whole day serving the Lord and the community. In the morning, they have the service for adults that includes time for praise and worship, bible study and the sermon. In the afternoon, kids from the community come to sing and dance, read the bible, create artwork and eat what sometimes is their only meal for the day.

Along with one of our other friends, I came to help out for the children’s worship. A few minutes before the session started, with her pastor dad (who also happens to be a physicist) on electric guitar, we practiced the action songs. We waited for the kids to trickle in and when there were enough for us to start, we sang and danced Christian songs, including my favorite Welcome to the Family which my best friend (forever) and I learned in preschool together and their favorite Father Abraham which had us all throwing our arms up in the air, stomping our feet, nodding our heads and turning around and around.

After singing and dancing, the kids recited their memory verse, a verse from the bible that they learned from the week before. Those who were able to recite the verse got candy and a chance to shine. The small group activities about the lesson for the day, humility, came next. The big kids read passages from the bible and were also given some English exercises. The middle group practiced their reading skills and made figures with pistachio shells. Since the smallest kids couldn’t read yet, the teacher explained the bible story to them and they colored some sheets of paper. When the kids finished their activities, it was time to eat. That day, they got spring rolls and rice. If they didn’t finish their food, they asked to have leftovers placed in a plastic bag, which they brought home.

What struck me about the church is its simplicity. Compared to the huge places of worship with all the most expensive cloth, accessories and artwork, this little church had nothing. It was just a 50 square meter apartment. But what it lacked in majesty, it made up for with an abundance of love and kindness.

It’s hard to find faith in big churches because it’s so easy to think that the congregation is being corrupted and when religions clash, it’s hard to believe in anything at all. What I felt that afternoon was the exact opposite. The children’s worship is a special program that they made for the kids of the Philcoa area. Some of these kids sell sampaguita near Jollibee, some are children of the vendors in front of McDonalds and the big kids work as barkers. The people of the church take time out on Sundays to help these kids, to teach them and to hopefully guide them on the right path. Unlike priests or pastors in big congregations, they don’t get anything in exchange.

The theme for this week’s ethnography is a spiritual journey to a religious site. While there are tons of fancy religious sites, there have been very few that have made me feel spiritual and my afternoon at the Bible Christian Fellowship is one of them. Unlike the normal hour-long Sunday masses that I just routinely stand and sit through, last Sunday’s session had me dancing and jumping up in the air. I remember smiling as we sang songs while simultaneously thanking God (whether he or she be a Hindu, Muslim, or Christian) for letting me be there that day. On the way home, I thanked the invisible forces at work for letting everything work out perfectly so that I was able to spend an afternoon full of fun and laughter with my friends and most importantly for making my childhood dream of being in 7th heaven come true.

Virtual Ethnography 101: Life-changing Experience at Golgulsa Buddhist Temple

Last summer I asked my college students in Anthropology 1, aside from learning anthropological concepts and theories inside the classroom - to explore places, experience cultural happenings, and then apply their learning through writing ethnographic accounts using the method of participation-observation.

I am posting in my blog with the writer's consent selected ethnography penned creatively by my students to contribute to the emerging sub-discipline of anthropology called 'Virtual Ethnography'.

Basically, virtually ethnography is also referred to as Webnography. We cannot deny the fact that with increasing use of technology and the Internet, there is now a demand for online spaces on various ethnographic accounts.


By Lianne Kristel Belamide

When I was an exchange student in South Korea, am and my closest friends would travel to different places every weekend. We’d plan the trip during the weekdays 9in our classes) and after that we’d spend the word to everyone else and would start packing our bags on Friday nights.

We arrived at exactly four in the afternoon at Golgulsa Temple. It was during autumn when we went there and the weather was really nice. The leaves were changing colors and as we drove all they way up, the view was breathtaking. It wasn’t as far as I thought it would be. It probably took us just about an hour and a half to reach the place. After paying a cost of 50,000 won (Php 1,971) we were escorted by a monk to our rooms. He was wearing gray-colored clothing that covers his arms and legs, white socks with white shoes which had thick laces wrapped around his ankles. He gave us our uniforms which consist of colored brown with very loose cotton shirt and pants.

The dorm was separated from the main temple. Our room, like any other places in Korea, was very clean and warm. There were no beds except for these thin cushions laid on top of one another which we would be using for the night. We were going to sleep on the floor. This didn’t surprise me at all for sleeping on the floor which is common in Korea. I have been to different jimjjibang’s or saunas and these places provide common sleeping area (floor) in a vast room.

The Temple Stay program offers a peek into temple life. This includes early morning chanting, sitting and walking meditation, tea ceremonies, bowing, temple food, and community work. One can also experience sunmudo, a type of martial arts every morning.

We were oriented briefly about the activities for the following day. Then he headed to bed as early as 9:30 pm coz lights were off at exactly 10:00 that night. Then we had to wake up before 4:30 am.

Waking up at 3:30 am was quite hard. Only after four alarms in my clock did I wake up and rushed off, afraid to be scolded for being noisy at the corridor.

We headed out in the temple for meditation at 4:30 am. In 30 minutes, monks started to chant in Korean. We quietly sat while listening to them and followed their gestures. After an hour of meditation, both sitting and walking meditation, I observed what everyone was doing – I closed my eyes and tried to relax my body. The sitting meditation tricked me a bit that I started to drift off. That made me sleepy. I did that for 30 minutes but started to do the walking meditation. The cool breeze suddenly awakened my senses. As I walk and meditate, I was totally amazed at how the monks tried to connect with nature peacefully.

At 6 am, we had our breakfast as we joined the monks. They strictly informed us of proper etiquette in dining. Four bowls were served – for rice and kimchi, vegetable, and a bowl of water and a soup. In lieu of meat, they’d rather eat tofu. Tofu tasted better but the other viands were not. No left over was strictly obeyed. Monks eat for life and flavor. Then, we washed our dishes, rinsed it with fresh water, and made sure the water was totally clean.

We roamed around as we had visited various Buddha sculptures. I saw cave temples and atop the shrine, an amazing view of the valley overjoyed me. Naturally, monks didn’t pay attention to our quirky amazement. I also guessed because of language barrier.

The food were repetitive every meal. I didn’t eat much but stayed in my room while my friends took part of the tea ceremony, although one of them brought me a cup of tea that made me better. There was dinner and then sunmudo training again. Having been trained in taekwondo, the moves were completely different. So I headed to my room to sleep already.

The experience of living a life with the monks in a temple was enlightening. Monks constantly meditate and do martial arts training – routinely and religiously. I was impressed how devoted they were. In there, I felt how simple could be – away from life’s complexities and absurdities. Everyday was enriching and beautiful. Hence, I recommend this to those who plan to go to Korea to feel this life-changing experience.

Virtual Ethnography 101: Spiritual Journey to a Hindu Temple

Last summer I asked my college students in Anthropology 1, aside from learning anthropological concepts and theories inside the classroom - to explore places, experience cultural happenings, and then apply their learning through writing ethnographic accounts using the method of participation-observation.

I am posting in my blog with the writer's consent selected ethnography penned creatively by my students to contribute to the emerging sub-discipline of anthropology called 'Virtual Ethnography'.

Basically, virtually ethnography is also referred to as Webnography. We cannot deny the fact that with increasing use of technology and the Internet, there is now a demand for online spaces on various ethnographic accounts.


Ethnography By Dyan Barrion

During my first two years in college at the University of the Philippines Manila, I got the chance to visit several religious sites such as churches and temples. When I was in first year, we had a field trip in one of our History subjects. Since our professor wanted us to take first hand-information about other religions, he decided to bring us outside the classroom and brought us to various religious temples.

The first temple we visited is a Hindu temple. It was not surprising to see images of Hindus’ gods (Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu). We sat down on the floor and listened to the lecture of the head monk. For some reason, I was pretty surprised when I come to know that the head monk was a foreigner. He is British and not a sort of Indian descent. Honestly, the images of the gods of the Hindus kinda creep me out sometimes. It’s amazing to see how different cultures perceive their gods.

During the lecture, I came to know that most Hindus are vegetarians. The head monk said that as much as possible it is better to avoid eating meat. One of the beliefs in Hinduism is the infinite cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth. Perhaps, this is one of the reasons why Hindus prefer vegetable diet. There is this infinite cycle called Samsara (continuous flow) – that you’ll never know if a pig you have feasted was your father reborn as a pig after he passed away.

The head monk also talked about the good and bad deeds of a person in his previous life that has still an impact to him in his next life. If one was possessed by bad karma in previous life, then it would not be surprising if in his next life he’ll experience a lot of misfortunes. This ‘payback’ time does not directly inflict you but you can still suffer from it when bad karma inflicts suffering to people you hold dear to you.

Also, he said that people who practice Hinduism live a free life. Hindus live a life believing freely that is why blasphemy is immaterial to their religion. The high priest told us that Hinduism is actually a very open religion – very open that they can believe in Jesus Christ, Allah, and Buddha, and to other gods. This makes Hindus live freely and happily because of this much freedom to believe.

After the insightful lecture, they showed us how to sing and dance to their joyful mantra of Hare Krishna. We watched ladies as they dance in circles. The rhythm and beat turned to be lively; it did not take long for us to have it memorized and follow the tune.

Soon the ladies encouraged us to join them and I must admit that it was totally refreshing and fun. As I think about it now, I might have sung Hare Krishna with more feelings compared to when I sing along with the choir in the church when I hear masses. In the temple, they taught us to greet and wish each other a good life by saying Hare Krishna to each other.

When we left, they gave us booklets about Hinduism and shared us some food. I remember it was like a mashed potato.

In out religious immersion, we also visited Taoist and Buddhist temples, including a mosque of Muslim believers. But as I reconstruct my visits to various places of worship to write about ethnography on religion, the Hindu temple struck me most. Hence, I always deem that despite of different faiths around, I think like Hindus, we should be more open to various beliefs to live freely and happily.