A Take on Filipino Identity

Angono Petroglyph
Image from Laz'andre

I am a true-blooded Filipino. My mother hails from Aklan and my father is from Bulacan. I have lived all my life here in the Philippines, and my feet had never touched foreign ground. I eat adobo, bagoong, nilaga, sinigang, bulalo, and all Filipino food you can think of except Durian (to the guys who like Durian, I did try but this is the part where I believe in "acquired tastes"). I believe in the Filipino Spirit, the pride of being Pinoy, the fierceness of our race and the beauty of our women. Yet, a question remains in my head. What is the identity of the Filipino?

The Angono Petroglyphs tell us people have been living in our country for at least 5,000 years. That means as a race, we can claim we're not that young, although not that advanced as the old civilizations of the planet. There's a huge gap in our history and our scientists are continually researching to uncover how our ancestors were for 4 and a half milleniums ago, but only so much can be uncovered by the experts. It might be safe to say most of the details have been lost.

Women's Sexuality in the Old Philippines

Much has been said about the political and economic situation of the Old Philippines in the history books. There's been something written and published about the campaigns of the Spanish Conquistadors, the Missionaries, the Galleon Trade and the likes. History classes taught us all of these milestones but very briefly about the lifestyle and culture of ours during the different centuries of our history. One thing not readily available is sexuality.

In the late 15th century, a certain historian and Jesuit priest, Pedro Chirino wrote about his stay in the country, as well as the behavior of our ancestors. He, like the other missionaries, were quick to see the practices of early Filipinos.