The Acculturation and Colonial Mentality of the Philippines

Even before the formal establishment of the Republic of the Philippines, the Philippine Islands have been subjected to thousands of years of cultural assimilation and acculturation. Other Southeast Asians, South Asians, Eastern Asians, and even European powers have each held their grips of political and socioeconomic power in the Philippine Islands. Originally consisting of various independent chiefdoms, rajahnates, and sultanates, Western powers began dominating the Philippine Islands from the mid-1500s, notably the Spanish Empire, the British Empire, the Empire of Japan, and, of course, the United States of America. Although each of these states may seem different in every way, they share one driving attribute: imperialism.

Overall, the imperial power that has had the most lasting influence on Philippine culture is the former Spanish Empire. From Spanish language and vernacular being “Philippinized” into the Filipino language to Catholicism becoming the Philippines’ predominant religion, the 333-year occupation of the Philippines by the Spanish crown was managed by the harsh encomienda system, underlined and displayed by the indentured servitude and forced slavery by Spanish peninsulares onto the indios, or Filipino natives. Spanish acculturation was forced rather than being a gradual assimilation through this system.

Corruption and selfish desires in Philippine government can be traced back to before the establishment of the Republic of the Philippines. The Aguinaldo-Bonifacio conflict and the assassination of General Antonio Luna are two notable internal conflicts that occurred during the Philippines’ fight for independence. These conflicts, arguably perpetuated by Emilio Aguinaldo himself, displayed the lengths a Filipino leader would go in order to maintain executive power.

The Philippine Revolution was the greatest series of events to occur for Filipino nationalism and identity, but this self-governing state would not last for long. The terms of the Treaty of Paris of 1898 after the Spanish-American War essentially sold the Philippines off to the United States of America. This occupation lasted forty-five years, from 1901 to 1946, until just after the end of World War II. This time period proved to be crucial to the state of Filipino culture and identity, as it marked the start of American acculturation in the Philippines, or “Americanization”. World War II is seen as the apex of this acculturation.

The Second World War saw the Philippines look at the Americans as their “saviors” from the clutches of the Empire of Japan, who occupied the Philippine Islands from 1942 to 1945. The Philippines, after all, was the last line of defense for the Japanese from invasion of the Japanese Islands themselves. This reclamation of the Philippines by the United States saw democracy return from the previous Japanese fascism. Reclamation was quickly succeeded by independence on July 4, 1946, as the United States government saw to it that the Philippines could and should be an independent nation.

This mentality, however, of Filipinos looking at Western powers and their cultures as superior or favorable over themselves–the colonial mentality–starts to fester. The dominance of the Spanish, Japanese, and Americans over the Filipino people over the span of 380+ years proved to be detrimental for the state of Filipino identity and a true independent culture. Even today, the Philippines relies on the United States and other major world powers for economic and military power. In order for the Philippines to be truly self-sufficient, they must be less reliant on these powers and develop internal industry and production.

The potential for the Philippines to develop a unique, Southeast Asian-Austronesian culture could have reached fruition if it were not for the greedy clutches and desires of Western imperialism. Throughout history, the Philippine Islands were constantly colonized and assimilated for its strategic geographical location and natural resources. It does not help now that corruption now runs rampant–and has always run rampant–in the present Republic of the Philippines, further deterring independent cultural progress.

In order for the Philippines to be respected in this global society, I believe it to be to the utmost importance that its people have an underlying identity of solely Filipino. Filipino multinational corporations such as Jollibee have seen the effects of “Filipinization” on Western cuisine, or the efforts of making Western cuisine more appealing to the Filipino palate and peso. Original Pilipino Music and its predecessor, the Manila Sound, were formed on the basis of Western musical tastes such as disco and rock and roll. OPM has now evolved into a vast expanse of various genres, many of which are closely tied to both Western music and Filipino cultural roots. The point is that Filipino culture itself is based on a unique blend of influences that make it special. Filipinos should celebrate this blend of influences not as being a deterrent of progress but as being the catalyst for future Filipino success.