Indonesia's Tari Pakpak Reminds Me of the Philippines' Itik Itik

-

One look and one may think this is from the Bangsamoro Region. Instead, this is an Indonesian dance from Sumatra. A study of Filipino history reveals that Indonesians were among the settlers in the Philippines. That would explain why Muslim Mindanao would be like Malaysia and Indonesia in their culture.

As I look at the gestures, I'm reminded of my high school Buwan ng Wika (Month of the Language) programs. Several Filipino dances in Mindanao are similar to those of Malaysia and Indonesia. After all, most Filipinos share the same direct ancestry as Malaysians and Indonesians. 


As a Chinese Filipino, it's hard for me not to think of the Itik Itik dance. The two dances are similar yet different. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Japan PM Kishida's Stepping Down Due to Scandals vs. Philippine Politicians' Lack of Shame

-
Image
It's often said that the Philippines doesn't need a change in the form of governance but only a change of governance. It's really something to read the comments section of the GMA-7 Facebook page , concerning Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, where some Filipinos wish that Filipino politicians had that kind of accountability. However, they're also quick to say, "No to charter change! Only character change!" I can talk about why parliamentary systems are superior. However, some still insist that it would mean going back to reliving the horrors of the Marcos Years (all because the late dictator's son Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos Jr. is now the president from 2022 to 2024). Once again, do I need to remind people why the Marcos Years weren't under a real parliamentary? Their "proof" was in having a prime minister named Cesar Virata. However, the Philippines was still presidential, even as the late Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. admitted it...
Read more

Rethinking Why Typhoons Are Necessary

-
Image
I was watching this Tagalog video on YouTube. It made me think about the ecological role of typhoons. The Philippines is prone to typhoons the most, while Indonesia is prone to tsunamis. As I was looking at people who wish storms will never come, they never realize the ecological role that storms play. But first, let's look into the reason why typhoons are common in the Pacific Ocean . THE PACIFIC IS WARMER Sea surface temperatures (°C) around the world on July 14, 2016. Image credit: NOAA/ESRL/PSD Warm sea surface water is the fuel that drives tropical cyclones. If you ignore large-scale anomalies like El Niño and La Niña, the waters in the Pacific Ocean are usually warmer than those of the Atlantic Ocean, and the temperatures stay pretty toasty through almost the entire year . If you were to take a swim in the water off the coast of the northern Philippines, it would feel like you dunked yourself into a freshly drawn bath, just as it would if you took a dip in the ocean at a beac...
Read more

Let's Be Real: Term Limits Cause Political Dynasties to Spiral Out of Control

-
Image
Inquirer There's always the obsession with political dynasties. There's also the obsession with term limits . Back in the 1990s, I remembered fearing charter change . I was afraid that the late Fidel V. Ramos might become a dictator. The talks that if a president would rule for more than six years--would be considered "frightening" or "nakakatakot" in Tagalog. I wrote an article where I wrote one staggering truth-- a  long reign isn't necessarily tyrannical and that a short reign isn't necessarily benevolent . In my discussion, I highlighted both Pol Pot and Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr.--both deceased dictators. Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge dictatorship murdered millions in contrast to Marcos' regime. Of course, some people will say Pol Pot would've caused Cambodia to go extinct if he rhad eigned longer. I remember the logic that I was told back in elementary school. I was told that the reason why term limits are imposed is to prevent another Marcos-...
Read more

"Animal" (2004): A Controversial Satire Against the Chiong Sister Case Inconsistencies [Warning: Read at Your Own Discretion]

-
Image
After many years of self-studying the Chiong Sisters Case , I have written several entries on the matter. In fact, I created what I call an "almost-ever-updating" review on Give Up Tomorrow , which was a documentary that challenged my views. I was hesitant to write this review, as it involves another sensitive issue. Some time later, I wrote an entry discussing another aspect of the Chiong Case, specifically  the issue of the late Federico "Toto" Natividad Jr. himself . I always thought it was an unethical issue. However, I was able to watch the film on YouTube (via a poor quality upload), and it doesn't seem that anyone from Natividad's estate is interested in fighting for the film's right to be distributed , not especially that Case Unclosed already came out in 2008, now available on GMA-7's official YouTube channel . Kara David did a meticulously good job featuring the Chiong mother, the Uy mother , and even another member of the " Run for Pa...
Read more

Case Unclosed on the Chiong Sisters

-
Image
Apology: I'm sorry that the video above is in Tagalog, so sorry in advance to non-Filipino readers. As long as an injustice happens, nobody should shut up about a case unclosed . Like the Vizconde Massacre case, nobody really knows who did the crime. With Davidson Rusia's story put into question, one must wonder what really happened in detail. I still believe that the body found in Carcar is really Marijoy Jimenea Chiong . However, the claim that the sperm of the main suspect, Francisco Juan "Paco" G. Larrañaga, and the rest weren't found, makes you wonder who did the autopsy. In my case, the body found in Carcar wasn't formally identified until fingerprints were taken by the police. Nobody claimed the body of the woman found in Carcar.  It's easy to say that Give Up Tomorrow is biased because the maker of the video, is a "relative" of Paco (read here ). However, Marty Syjuco is the brother of the brother-in-law of Paco. The brother of one's ...
Read more

Lee Kuan Yew and Mahathir Mohamad: Just a Matter of Strong Leadership Without a Good System?

-
Image
Jakarta Globe It's very easy to talk about how we need character change only, not a charter change. I say that having a charter change (better termed constitutional reform ) will lead to character change. The old saying of some boomers goes, "It's common sense that nothing is wrong with the system, just the people running the system." However, when I ask something like, "If that's so then why do other nations have better leaders? What about Mahathir Mohamad and Lee Kuan Yew?" Their answer is, "Well, that's proof that the system isn't defective, it's just the leader." This can also come from people who believe what Atty. Hilario G. Davide Jr. said that there's nothing wrong with the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines, that it's the "best in the world". The arguments are clearly illogical at best . Some say that the parliamentary system worked in Malaysia and Singapore because those heading it aren't corrupt. T...
Read more

The Philippines "Buwan ng Wika" May Be More Appropriately Called "Buwan ng Kasaysayan"

-
Image
It's August, meaning it's time for Buwan ng Wika . It's called the  Month of the Language in English. As always, please be reminded that I'm a Chinese Filipino. That means I'll be posting some videos in Tagalog (without subtitles), and I'll apologize in advance. August became the designated month for the celebration of Buwan ng Wika.  I'd like to recall how the Buwan ng Wika programs are being done. I remember being a participant (but never the star of the show) during my high school days. What happens is that Buwan ng Wika almost feels like a repeat performance of the National Heritage Month , which is done during May. Is it because of the schedule where children take their vacation from April to May? Well, there are college students and some of those who need to take summer classes, because they failed a certain subject. Cebu has the "Gabii sa Kabilin" or "Night of the Heritage" during May. However, I tend to overlook that, in favor of ...
Read more

Why Jose Rizal Made Simoun's Terrorist Plot Fail in "El Filibusterismo"

-
Image
As it's Buwan ng Wika or Buwan ng Kasaysayan, I'm tempted to dig into some of my high school Filipino lessons. Right now, I have no idea where my former Filipino teachers are teaching. I recall being told that, since I'm a good writer, I should focus on peaceful resolutions rather than following the path of hatred and violence. I watched the Jose Rizal film back when I was in college. I was asked a provocative question: why Rizal never made Simoun (who was actually Crisostomo Ibarra from Noli Me Tangere ) succeed in the violent revolution.  Casa Grande Vintage Filipino Cinema Facebook Page I noticed some people tell me El Filibusterismo was a boring book. However, I felt that something was wrong with the Philippines, and I felt that peaceful means weren't going anywhere. Where was my talent in writing heading? I was already more than desperate to move away from the Philippines. That's why I wanted to take Information Technology, even if I sucked at mathematics. It w...
Read more

Facts vs. Gossip: Why Fat Acceptance Isn't as Cool as the Gossipers Say

-
Image
Back in college, I recall having the idea of exercise being "too complicated". It doesn't have to sound complicated. I have my journey from 2013-2023 where I really lost much weight. After having a Mi-Band, I thought about how losing weight was something.  I ended up running into the video of this attractive blonde girl. I admit that I watched it partly because she's pretty. Then again, some videos with really ugly-looking people are entertaining when they have very good content. I watched the video and I could really laugh (and cringe) at the stupidity of the fat people in the video. Hearing them whine is really that annoying. The girl really talks about some sense in many of her videos. A lot of people are simply trying to become what they're not and try to defy the facts. It's just so stupid how fat acceptance people even shame people who are trying to lose weight. I've watched some weight loss stories and found out some of them had suffered a lot of he...
Read more