I’m starting to wonder if our so-called “local culture” is being overly romanticized by those in power. We’ve been hearing time and time again about the purity and uniqueness of Filipino traditions, but when you dig a little deeper, doesn’t it look like we’re merely selling a neatly packaged version of our past—one that’s easier to market to tourists and even our own citizens as a kind of national identity?
I’ve seen how government projects and media seem to cherry-pick certain traditions while conveniently ignoring the more complex, even messy, parts of our history. Is it really our local culture if it’s constantly being modified to fit modern narratives and economic interests? Where does that leave the genuine grassroots practices that have carried us through centuries?
I’m calling on anyone willing to examine this more critically: how much of what we celebrate as Filipino culture genuinely reflects the lived experiences of everyday people? And are we so eager to cling to this idealized past that we’re overlooking the real issues at play? Let’s discuss whether our cultural policies are a sincere effort at preserving heritage or just another tool for advancing the status quo.