Pinay Ako!

[Rocky_nBullwinkle 6]

After you ladies asked us Kanos why we married Pinay, it is time to define yourselves, for the Kanos you love, and the rest of the world, who may not understand you.

My father-in-law, after drinking some Red Horse, told me, "We Filipinos are great imitators! We can copy anything!"

My wife asks me if we can send some of the things we don't use to Philippines. I tell her, "Honey, that won't work in the Philippines. We use 110 and they use 220."

"Don't worry! They can make anything work!"

I spent some time at the Mall of Asia, and I think she is right! Everything you can think of is there, and it is Pinoy made! I can't tell the difference.

So ladies, tell us about yourselves.

--Bullwinkle

Edited January 19, 2009 by Rocky_nBullwinkle

[Rocky_nBullwinkle 6]

1. The Philippines is the third largest English-speaking nation in the world, behind the United States and England.

2. Boondocks and Boonies, words that have come to mean “in middle of nowhere” in the English language, are derived from the Tagalog word bundock, which means “mountain”. An educated guess would be that American soldiers fighting in the Philippines a century ago adopted the word. As an example, “Our units going into the boondocks to search for insurgents.” After the war, soldiers brought the term home with them, and the rest is history.

3. The Philippines is the fourth largest Catholic country in the world, behind Brazil, Mexico, and the United States.

4. Though the Republic of the Philippines is roughly the same size as Arizona in total area, it has 36,289 km of coastline. The United States, in comparison, has a “mere” 19,924 km of coastline. How is that possible? The Philippines is composed of around 7,000 islands (some are quite tiny), each of which has its own coastline. All those coastlines combined add up!

5. General Douglas MacArthur, known for his “Return” to the Philippines, was the son of Arthur MacArthur, a Brigadier General in the Army who played a major part in pacifying the Philippines during the Philippine-American war at the end of the 19th Century.

6. The Philippines has the longest accessible underground river in the world.

7. With a total membership exceeding 3 million, the Philippines has the third largest Boy Scouts organization in the world, behind the United States and Indonesia.

8. The first recorded intermarriage of a Filipino to a westerner occurred in 1565, when Isabel, the daughter of a Cebuano chief, Rajah Tupas, was married to a Greek by the name of Maestre Andrea. A widow, Isabel was one of the first Cebuanos to be taught the Catholic faith.

Edited January 19, 2009 by Rocky_nBullwinkle

[Rocky_nBullwinkle 6]

Even if you’re new to Filipino culture, politics, or entertainment, odds are that you’ll recognize at least a few of the names below. By the way, since this site is targeted primarily at western husbands of Filipinas, "famous" Filipinas must, by necessity, by Filipinas a western man would recognize even before being immersed in Filipino culture. As an example, while Vilma Santos is a superstar among Filipinos, the average American male has absolutely no idea who she is. So she wouldn't be included below.

Also, a Filipina, for the purpose of this list, is simply a female who has at least one Filipino parent. Thus, a Filipina may also be an American, for example.

Isabel Rosario Cooper ("Dimples"): General D. McArthur's Filipino mistress

Miriam Quiambao, Miss Philippines 1999, and 1st Runner Up, Miss Universe

Imelda Marcos (you've probably heard the name somewhere before...)

Tia Carrera, actress (Wayne's World, True Lies, etc.)

Lia Salonga, singer (Miss Saigon, Les Miserables, singing voice of Jasmine in "Aladin", Mulan, etc.)

Jessica Rodriguez, actress and one-time girlfriend to Jean Claude Van Damme

Angela Perez Baraquio, Miss America 2000 (also Miss Hawaii)

Phoebe Cates from "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" fame (mother is Filipina, father is American)

Edited January 19, 2009 by Rocky_nBullwinkle

[Rocky_nBullwinkle 6]

Ferdinand Magellan is the first European known to have visited the Philippines. He spotted the islands around March 16, 1521, during his circumnavigation of the globe. Point of fact, the Spanish explorer was the proverbial male driver: lost, but unwilling to admit it. Still, his ships were falling apart and his crews were sick and malnourished and constantly whining, “Are we there yet?” so there was some pressure on the big guy to find land, or at least ask somebody for directions. Of course, there wasn’t anyone Ferdinand could ask for directions, since these were uncharted waters, which is why he must have been ecstatic when he found his ships surrounded by what we now know as the Philippine islands. He dropped anchor off Cebu , claimed the islands for King Charles I of Spain, and went ashore, glad that his trials at sea were finally over.

Unfortunately, Ferdinand’s trials on land were not over, a fact he could have hardly missed when a local chief killed him.

But Magellan’s murder didn’t keep the Spanish from sending still more expeditions to the islands in the decades that followed, and they finally set up a settlement in 1565. The Spaniards decided to make Manila the capital of the islands because of its excellent bay and the productive farmlands that surrounded it. They also decide to name the islands the “Philippines”, after King Philip II of Spain, who reigned from 1556 to 1598. I think it would have been interesting if they’d named the islands after King Charles, instead. After all, he was the king when the islands were found, right? Then the Philippines would have been called the Charlenes, or perhaps the Charlie Islands, or perhaps even the Charlie Chain.

On second thought, “Philippines” works for me.

Spain figured it could use the Philippines as a base for the lucrative spice trade. Back then, spices were hot commodities, worth their weight in gold, and most of the spice trade was centered in the Far East. Spices were to the Far East then what cocaine is to Central America today – and like drugs, spices brought spectacular profits to dealers. The only difference is that the spice trade, unlike today’s drug trade, was quite legal. Sniffing pepper was pretty uncommon, and even if it were not, it would be fairly easy to catch the addicts. They’d be the people who were sneezing all the time.

Surprisingly, the Spanish failed to turn the Philippines into a spice-trading hub. They also failed to capitalize on the rich mineral resources of the islands. In fact, a long string of inept and corrupt colonial administrators ensured that the Philippines would remain a financial liability to the Spanish Empire for over three centuries. Sadly, today, many Filipino politicians continue to mimic the bad habits of their former colonial masters.

The Spanish could have learned a few things from the Chinese, who had been using the Philippine islands as trading posts long before Magellan stumbled upon them. Once Spain claimed the islands, Chinese traders began to migrate to Manila in droves, hoping to capitalize upon the islands’ new prominence in the world theatre. In a short time, there were actually more Chinese than Spaniards in the archipelago, a fact not missed by a disapproving Spanish colonial government. An animosity between the Spanish and the Chinese populations quickly manifested itself.

In contrast to their failure to make the Philippines economically viable, the Spanish were spectacularly successful in what they viewed as an equally important endeavor: converting the pagan natives to Catholicism. Church friars were given extraordinary powers in the islands and in many ways the “friorocracy” was much more powerful than the Spanish colonial government itself. Church Orders had extensive land holdings and almost single-handedly managed tax collections, education, and health care. They appointed local leaders to office, including local police officials, and kept tabs on possible insurrectionists. The conducted censuses and kept all birth and baptismal records. In fact, the friars were so powerful that they compelled every Filipino to take “Christian” (Spanish) names, like Lopez, Rodriguez, etc. I’m not sure if Bingo was around yet, but if it was, you can bet the Friars held all the cards.

Unfortunately, many Church leaders abused mistreated the Filipinos over whom they had domain. That abuse, in addition to the fact that Filipinos were denied high positions in the Church, would come back to haunt the Spanish.

In those olden days, soccer had yet to be created, so the Europeans spent their spare time waging wars against one another. Such was the case in 1762, when the British East India Company captured Manila from the Spanish in a thrilling game that went into double overtime. The British victory party went on for two years. Eventually, though, all good things must end, and a peace treaty was signed. The Brits packed their bags and stumbled back to their ships, patting random Spaniards on the back and mumbling, “I love you man!” The Spanish watched the English ships sail off, resumed control of the islands, and tried to clean up the mess in all the hotel rooms.

[rockhouse 1]

^isn't that gal that posed nude and ended up online half pinoy? Jennifer Hudson. The highschool musical girl.

Also Manny Pacquiao, Nonito Donaire, Brandon Vera...to name a few awesome fighters from the PI. I'm down with the PI....cool people and place.

[Rocky_nBullwinkle 6]

It would be a serious understatement to say that most Filipinos are Catholic. That would be like calling the atomic bomb a firecracker.

Filipinos are, by and large, VERY Catholic. In fact, the first thing the Spanish did when they landed in the islands four centuries ago was to start educating the pagans they found there about the merits of Christianity, Catholic style. It was an education that lasted from around the year 1565 to 1899, when the United States drove the Spanish from the Philippines. A popular expression goes that the Philippines spent “300 years in the Convent”, and that’s not far from the truth.

As a result, the Philippines is the third largest Catholic nation in the world, behind the United States and Brazil. Images of the Virgin Mary and Jesus are absolutely everywhere in the Philippines. Crucifixes and rosaries abound. Most homes have at least a shelf, if not a full-blown shrine, dedicated to the Virgin and Child. It is usually adorned with small figurines, weathered palm leaves, vials of holy water, or other religious memorabilia. Church attendance is unquestioned and frequent, especially among females. In Pampanga, during Holy Week, flagellants whip themselves in the streets and a few even get nailed to a cross, reenacting the tribulations of Christ. Visions of the Virgin Mary are widespread and stories of miracles are widely circulated and rarely questioned. Divorce is illegal, largely because the Catholic Church is opposed to it.

You get the idea. Don’t jump to any conclusions just yet, though. In the Philippines, many things are more complicated than they appear. Here are some things you might want to know...

If you’re not Catholic, you might think that you’re automatically disqualified from consideration as a potential mate for a Filipina. Not true. Most Filipinas are quite amenable to non-Catholic men. It helps tremendously, though, if you’re Christian, or as most Filipinas put it, “God Fearing”. As an example, I’m not Catholic, but that’s never been an issue in my marriage. If you’re not Christian, or perhaps not religious at all, you’ll probably have a harder time finding an admiring Filipina, though if you express respect for the lady’s beliefs, that will go a long way toward her acceptance of you.

Not all Filipinas are Catholic, of course. In fact, the percentage is around 85%, which means that there are still tens of thousands of Filipinas who are not Catholic. The other 15% is composed largely of, and Muslims.

Many Filipino Protestants worship in small churches that are united under an umbrella organization called the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP). This includes, notably, former President Fidel Ramos. Protestantism has existed in the Philippines for only a short period, roughly a century, and consequently has vastly fewer converts than Catholicism. At the conclusion of the Spanish-American War in 1899, American Presbyterian and Methodist missionaries began to trickle into the islands, but found limited success among the diehard Catholic population in the lowlands. Conversion in the highlands, where Catholicism had not yet taken root, was considerably easier.

Today, you’ll find a sampling of almost all Protestant denominations in the Philippines, to include Methodists, Baptists, Church of God, etc. There are also a few indigenous Protestant movements that you may not be aware of.

Consider, for example, the “Iglesia ni Kristo”, literally translated as “Church of Christ” - though it’s not affiliated with the Church of Christ in the United States. It’s a uniquely Filipino brand of Protestantism that claims one of the largest Protestant congregations in the islands. A Filipino, Felix Manalo Ysagun, founded the church in 1914, and almost all church members are Filipino, even in those churches that exist outside the Philippines. The biggest doctrinal difference between this faith and traditional Protestantism is that the Iglesia ni Kristo portrays Jesus as a mere prophet. I have no firsthand experience with this church, but it’s reputed to be extremely strict and authoritarian, with church leaders wielding absolute power over their flock. Reportedly, only members of the Iglesia ni Kristo faith are allowed to attend church services (i.e., no visitors of other faiths). Also, importantly, an Iglesia ni Kristo follower may not marry anyone who is not also of the Iglesia ni Kristo faith. Thus, marriages between westerners and Filipinas of this faith are almost unheard of.

Then there’s the Philippine Independent Church. When Filipino revolutionary leader Aguinaldo returned from his Hong Kong exile at the request of the Americans, he appointed Rev. Fr. Gregorio Aglipay as Military Vicar General of the Revolutionary Government. There was no love lost between Aguinaldo and the Catholic Church, yet the young leader knew his followers desired spiritual guidance. Consequently, he charged Aglipay with providing it. Though Aguinaldo, Aglipay, and their followers lost their war against the Americans, Aglipay’s ministry continued. He formally broke from the Catholic Church in 1902, blaming the Church for many of the ills his countrymen had suffered, and began the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (Philippine Independent Church). The faith itself is usually referred to as Aglipayanism. The Aglipayan church has suffered a bit a schism in the 1930’s, when Aglipay began professing what was tantamount to a Unitarian viewpoint, which included a rejection of the Trinity. Church members unwilling to reject the Trinity rebelled in large numbers, yet they still considered themselves Aglipayans. These dissenters sued for the right to call themselves the real Aglipayan Church, and ultimately won both that right and all church properties. The victors have since associated with the Protestant Episcopal church of the United States.

Islam in the Philippines is ages old, and the entire archipelago would have probably ended up Muslim were it not for the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th Century. Islam had already taken root in the southern islands and was progressing north at a steady pace until the Spanish missionaries arrived and put a Christian roadblock in the Visayas. Then, and in later centuries, many thousands of lives were lost in the southern Philippines as Spanish, American, and Filipino nationalists (predominantly Christian) tried to subdue the Muslim tribes there. That battle continues to this very day, in fact, with groups like the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) and MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front) engaged in frequent firefights with government forces. Almost all this activity occurs on the island of Mindanao and a few adjacent isles.

It is extremely unusual for a westerner to enter into a relationship with a Muslim Filipina. It’s statistically unlikely because there are very few western Muslim men seeking Filipina wives, and very few Filipina Muslims seeking western husbands. It does happen, of course, on rare occasions. There was the much-publicized relationship between Jeffrey Schilling, a Muslim American, and his Muslim Filipina wife. The reason it comes to mind is that Mr. Schilling was kidnapped by Filipino Muslim separatists while on vacation in the Philippines and held for several months before finally being released, ostensibly because he was Muslim himself (though that fact didn’t seem to deter his kidnappers from detaining him for several weeks).

[Laura+Tom 2]

Rocky nBullwinkle, your posts are quite interesting. I like learning new things about other countries.

[HappyDancer 7]

Stay on topic!

Rocky nBullwinkle - keep it coming brother!

[Rocky_nBullwinkle 6]

Thanks for the interest. I was hoping to hear from mga Pinay themselves, to help fill out the story. This article is too long to cut and paste here, so here is the link:

CIA Factsheet on the Philippines

The other articles are from the Filipina Wives link at the bottom of the page. I am trying to get asawa ko to contribute her part here, but she is too shy, at the moment, waiting to hear from mga iba niyang kapatid muna.

--Bullwinkle

[Rocky_nBullwinkle 6]

Philippine Holidays

January 1 (and December 31 PM): New Year's Day

February 22: EDSA Revolution Day (People's Power Day)

April 9: Heroes' Day, aka Day of Valor, aka Bataan Day (Araw ng Kagitingan)

May 1: Labor Day

June 12: Independence Day

June 24: Manila Day

August 31: National Heroes' Day

Sep 11 Barangay Day

Sep 21 National Thanksgiving Day

November 1: All Saints' Day

November 2: All Soul’s Day

November 30: Bonifacio Day

December 24 (evening) and 25: Christmas

December 30: Rizal Day

December 31: Bank/Public Holiday

Holidays that move around:

Holy Thursday: mid-March to early April (Apr 9th in 2009)

Good Friday: mid-March to early April (Apr 10th in 2009)

Easter: mid-March to mid-April (Apr 12th in 2009)

While it is not exactly a holiday, you should never underestimate the importance of a Filipino’s birthday! Birthdays are BIG deals in the Philippines. They are much more important to Filipinos than they are to your average American. Forgetting someone’s birthday is a terrible offense. Keep that in mind.

[PingLocalHostess 1]

Off topic: Wasnt there a comedy series called Boondocks before? It was quite funny.

Back to topic: Oh dont forget the fiestas whereever every week. All the food.... eat all you can...buffet... homemade food.

Edited January 19, 2009 by PingLocalHostess

[Rocky_nBullwinkle 6]

Off topic: Wasnt there a comedy series called Boondocks before? It was quite funny.

Back to topic: Oh dont forget the fiestas whereever every week. All the food.... eat all you can...buffet... homemade food.

Congratulations on your recent marriage, and welcome to the United States. Please take a few minutes and tell us about the fiestas. My wife tells me any occassion must be marked with lots of food. Her favorite is pancit. She brings some to work all the time, and it has already became a favorite dish for many of her coworkers. Good luck on your next steps, EAD and AOS.

--Bullwinkle

[Rocky_nBullwinkle 6]

Off topic: Wasnt there a comedy series called Boondocks before? It was quite funny.

Back to topic: Oh dont forget the fiestas whereever every week. All the food.... eat all you can...buffet... homemade food.

Boondocks Television Series (2005-?)

[Besame Mucho 1]

5. General Douglas MacArthur, known for his “Return” to the Philippines, was the son of Arthur MacArthur, a Brigadier General in the Army who played a major part in pacifying the Philippines during the Philippine-American war at the end of the 19th Century.

Thanks for the piece on the living past. Just want to let you know that Gen. Arthur MacArthur was a part of my family's history. Gen. MacArthur, who was appointed by Pres. McKinley as the first US Military Governor of the Philippines, had my great grandfather imprisoned after Spain was defeated in the Spanish-American War in 1898.

My great grandpa was released from prison by William Howard Taft, then the Civil Governor of the Philippines, who later became president of the United States. Now, you, non-history buffs, know after who that main thoroughfare in Manila called Taft Avenue was named after. (By the way, the other famous strip that hugs the sea was originally named after MacArthur's buddy, Admiral George Dewey, the hero of the Battle of Manila Bay.)

Now, I wonder how the Philippines might have been had Mother Spain not ceded her to the Americans. There could be millions of good looking mestizos or mestizas, and furthermore, we could still be watching "juego de anillo" during town fiestas. But then, there could have been the insurgents, such as Rizal, Bonifacio, Aguinaldo, the Silangs, et. al., creating turmoil.

¡Pues, hasta luego, damas y caballeros!

[Rocky_nBullwinkle 6]

Mi Ultimo Adios

Farewell, my adored Land, region of the sun caressed,

Pearl of the Orient Sea, our Eden lost,

With gladness I give you my Life, sad and repressed;

And were it more brilliant, more fresh and at its best,

I would still give it to you for your welfare at most.

On the fields of battle, in the fury of fight,

Others give you their lives without pain or hesitancy,

The place does not matter: cypress laurel, lily white,

Scaffold, open field, conflict or martyrdom's site,

It is the same if asked by home and Country.

I die as I see tints on the sky b'gin to show

And at last announce the day, after a gloomy night;

If you need a hue to dye your matutinal glow,

Pour my blood and at the right moment spread it so,

And gild it with a reflection of your nascent light!

My dreams, when scarcely a lad adolescent,

My dreams when already a youth, full of vigor to attain,

Were to see you, gem of the sea of the Orient,

Your dark eyes dry, smooth brow held to a high plane

Without frown, without wrinkles and of shame without stain.

My life's fancy, my ardent, passionate desire,

Hail! Cries out the soul to you, that will soon part from thee;

Hail! How sweet 'tis to fall that fullness you may acquire;

To die to give you life, 'neath your skies to expire,

And in your mystic land to sleep through eternity !

If over my tomb some day, you would see blow,

A simple humble flow'r amidst thick grasses,

Bring it up to your lips and kiss my soul so,

And under the cold tomb, I may feel on my brow,

Warmth of your breath, a whiff of your tenderness.

Let the moon with soft, gentle light me descry,

Let the dawn send forth its fleeting, brilliant light,

In murmurs grave allow the wind to sigh,

And should a bird descend on my cross and alight,

Let the bird intone a song of peace o'er my site.

Let the burning sun the raindrops vaporize

And with my clamor behind return pure to the sky;

Let a friend shed tears over my early demise;

And on quiet afternoons when one prays for me on high,

Pray too, oh, my Motherland, that in God may rest I.

Pray thee for all the hapless who have died,

For all those who unequalled torments have undergone;

For our poor mothers who in bitterness have cried;

For orphans, widows and captives to tortures were shied,

And pray too that you may see you own redemption.

And when the dark night wraps the cemet'ry

And only the dead to vigil there are left alone,

Don't disturb their repose, don't disturb the mystery:

If you hear the sounds of cithern or psaltery,

It is I, dear Country, who, a song t'you intone.

And when my grave by all is no more remembered,

With neither cross nor stone to mark its place,

Let it be plowed by man, with spade let it be scattered

And my ashes ere to nothingness are restored,

Let them turn to dust to cover your earthly space.

Then it doesn't matter that you should forget me:

Your atmosphere, your skies, your vales I'll sweep;

Vibrant and clear note to your ears I shall be:

Aroma, light, hues, murmur, song, moanings deep,

Constantly repeating the essence of the faith I keep.

My idolized Country, for whom I most gravely pine,

Dear Philippines, to my last goodbye, oh, harken

There I leave all: my parents, loves of mine,

I'll go where there are no slaves, tyrants or hangmen

Where faith does not kill and where God alone does reign.

Farewell, parents, brothers, beloved by me,

Friends of my childhood, in the home distressed;

Give thanks that now I rest from the wearisome day;

Farewell, sweet stranger, my friend, who brightened my way;

Farewell, to all I love. To die is to rest.

Jose Rizal was executed on December 30 1896. He was imprisoned in

Fort Santiago Intramuros, he was a revolutionary and his writings were said to entice insurgency. However I don’t think the Spanish needed to much of an exuse.

Jose Rizal, before his execution by firing squad at Rizal or Luneta Park, wrote Rizal’s last poem Mi Ultimo Adios or My Ultimate Goodbye

Interestingly enough his original writing was said to have no title, the title Mi Ultimo Adios was given by Mariano Ponce.