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Barriers to Filipino Intercultural Communication

The beauty of movies is in how they mirror society. So I chose two whose scenes really stuck out to me.

Teddie saving face in “Four Sisters and a Wedding”

SYNOPSIS: In the movie "Four Sisters and a Wedding", the youngest and only son, CJ, convinces his four older sisters, Teddie, Bobbie, Alex, and Gabbie, to return home for his wedding. Throughout the movie, his family, the Salazars, and his fiancée's family, the Bayags, engage in a series of altercations to stop the wedding - from the Bayags forcing CJ to sign a prenuptial agreement, up to the Teddie attempting to get dirt on the Bayags' massage business. Their conflict reaches an all-time high at a charades game to determine which dresses will be worn, when the Bayags began to heavily insinuate that Teddie is a maid. Their mother, Grace, felt insulted and ended the game to confront Teddie about it.

Teddie reluctantly reveals that she lost her teaching job abroad, so she secretly took up two jobs as a waitress and as a maid to continue sending money to her mother. She explains that she only did that to maintain her family's perception of her as successful.

ANALYSIS: Teddie "saving face" is a good example of a common barrier in intercultural communication. Oftentimes, Filipino households prescribe its members with social roles and identities, resulting in power dynamics between them. As the eldest daughter and arguably the favorite child, Teddie felt a responsibility to live up to her mother's expectations of her, and to serve as a role model for her younger siblings. Thus, she spun an elaborate web of lies just so that her family will not look down on her. However, when Bobby revealed that she actually saw her working at a bar on her visit abroad but chose not speak to her, nor tell her mother about it so that she would not feel embarrassed, Teddie realized the love and respect her siblings had for each other that transcended their socioeconomic status.

"I'm not perfect, but I am your mother. I will always love you in the best way I know how."

This barrier may be resolved through positioning, wherein people acknowledge and address their power dynamics, social roles, and identities in intercultural communication. In the movie, each of the children confessed their shortcomings as a sister/brother, and as a daughter/son. Even their mother, Grace, apologized for unknowingly treating them unfairly, and promised to become a better mother to them.  By recognizing their own positions and the impact of their actions on each other, they were able to overcome their conflicts and rebuild their relationship on a new slate. This shows how effective positioning is in resolving conflicts and enhancing intercultural communication within families and even broader social interactions.

The Tragic Tale of John Denver in "John Denver Trending"

SYNOPSIS: In the movie "John Denver Trending", John Denver's life turned upside down when he was accused of stealing his classmate Makoy’s iPad. His classmates, who have been bullying him for a long time, took his bag and went through his belongings despite his innocent pleas. Enraged, he beat up Makoy, while another classmate recorded the fight and uploaded it on Facebook. He became a social pariah overnight, and was subject to national scrutiny with the school, the police, the town mayor and the DSWD who were all trying to get him to wrongfully confess to the crime, despite the lack of decisive evidence. Unbeknownst to everyone else, his classmates were plotting to take him down by spreading rumors around the school, posting false testimonies against his character online, and even lying to the authorities.

ANALYSIS: Even before the viral video circulated online, John Denver’s reputation was problematic- his father left his family, he owes his neighbor money, and he has multiple disciplinary records at school. Thus, despite the lack of decisive evidence pointing to him as the thief, the entire school, town, and even the country were so quick to condemn him because he fits the negative stereotype of a juvenile delinquent. Knowing that he had no way of defending himself, his classmates posted dirt on him online- how he steals food from his classmates and beats up people when he gets angry, among others. Thus, the community's prejudice against John Denver was fueled by their preconceived notions on what they saw on the viral video and social media posts by his classmates defaming him. As a result of harmful stereotypes and prejudices against him, John Denver was discriminated against by his peers, the school administration, the local government officials and the police. Despite his innocence, he was treated unfairly because of the misleading viral video that failed to communicate the whole context.

"Mahirap lang ba ang pwede magnakaw ng iPad?"

This barrier may be resolved through reflection, wherein people examine and reflect on their cultural biases, opinions and behaviors and take action to rectify these through intercultural communication. In the movie, the school principal met with John Denver, his mother, Makoy, and Makoy’s mother. Each party tried to understand the other, but their arguments came to a stalemate with neither side backing down. The situation worsened when the bullies showed no remorse for their defaming of John Denver, and went as far as to falsify evidence just to punish him even further. In the end, when John Denver was cornered by so many people who pressured him to admit, he took his life. Ideally, these people should have reflected on how their thoughts and actions affect others, especially since the victim is part of a marginalized sector of society. By engaging in introspection and self-reflection, people could develop a better understanding of their point of view and that of others, thus fostering empathy and creating the potential for more meaningful and effective communication.

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Shattering Stereotypes: Unveiling the Patriarchal Lens in Filipino Media

Foreword

After more than 300 years of colonization, Filipinos are left with a deeply-ingrained patriarchal culture that was perpetuated even more by print media. Although not all media representation is reality, these serve as a reflection of society. From the portrayal of women as homemakers and sexual objects, to the portrayal of the queer people as comics and entertainers, these two sectors suffer the most from stereotypes brought about by the patriarchal lens in print media. As a result, women are objectified and harassed in society, while queer people are being ridiculed for expressing themselves. Hence, it is imperative to be critical of how different sectors of society are being represented, less these sectors will suffer from harmful effects brought about by stereotypes. It is also necessary to critically examine our perceptions of these sectors and to advocate for more inclusive and authentic representations of Filipinos.

A Curious Case of Calendar Girls: The Sexualization of Women in Alcoholic Advertisements

A Filipino house would not be complete without one or more of these calendars from liquor companies depicting a slim, fit and fair-skinned woman dressed in swimwear or lingerie and making provocative poses. As a child, I never understood why women were the ones endorsing alcohol. It wasn't until later on that I understood that it's because the target market of alcohol are men. How is it seemingly no one bats an eye that women are portrayed as sexual figures in order for brands to appeal for the physical desires of the public?

Kylie Versoza as Tanduay's Calendar Girl for 2023.

In "Social Inequality and Media Representation” by Croteau and Hoynes, the authors said that the creation of media caters to a patriarchal view- portraying men as dominant and career-driven while portraying women as homemakers or sexual objects. In print media, photos of men are often close-ups of their faces, while photos of women are often shown with their full bodies, and in as little clothes as possible to leave room to the imagination. As a result, women in society are often disrespected and are sexualized in broad daylight. It's disgusting.

I don't think Filipino women are portrayed fairly in these types of print media. Not all women look like these calendar girls, and the lack of diversity and representation of body types subtly enforces a sexist agenda that women should look a certain way to pander to men's interests. But most importantly, I feel furious that these advertisements seem to invite women in society to also be sexualized by men. It reinforces the harmful notion that women are free to be objectified because it's okay in print media to do so.

Ria Atayde as White Castle's Calendar Girl for 2023.

However, a new era for Calendar Girls has come with Ria Atayde carrying the banner for curvier girls. When I first saw this calendar, I felt seen. As someone with a similar body type, I feel connected with this representation of a Filipino woman. While this body type may not be traditionally sexy or beautiful, this form of print media comes across as embracing that aspect of femininity and taking charge of it. Hence, with more representation of different kinds of women, print media may be able to rewire the patriarchal view of media into one that is more holistic and representative of women, rather than catering to the desires of men.

Philippine Drag Culture and The Queer Community

Drag serves as a way for people, queer or not, to challenge traditional gender norms and embrace their identity by expressing their creativity and artistic talents, a characteristic that is so undoubtably Filipino.

Precious Paula Nicole wearing a red and yellow indigenous-inspired attire, with beads, bracelets and earrings.

In fact, the Philippines is home to some of the most talented drag queens in the world- from seasoned artists like Paolo Ballesteros to up-and-coming stars like Marina Summers and Taylor Sheesh. In 2022, the internationally acclaimed "RuPaul's Drag Race", a reality competition television series between drag queens, entered mainstream Filipino media.

Marina Summer stuns in an exclusive photoshoot with MEGA DRAG PH, a Filipino media company publishing print magazines and e-magazines on fashion.

Despite being a largely conservative nation, the show was well-received among the masses, thus elevating what was once only enjoyed within the confines of the LGBTQ+ community, into the rest of the country. But could the acceptance of drag culture in the Philippines signal a broader acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community as well?

Paolo Ballesteros and The Golden Gays on the cover of MEGA DRAG PH.

In "Social Inequality and Media Representation” by Croteau and Hoynes, the authors noted that the portrayal of the LGBTQ+ community in media has been problematic ever since the 1930s. The LGBTQ+ community were stereotypically depicted as promiscuous, flamboyant, and ridiculous to the extent of only providing comedic relief. Despite the significant improvement in the media's portrayal over the last century, to this day, people only tolerate, if not accept, queer representations in media as long as it is entertaining.

While I'm proud that more Filipinos are being recognized as pioneers of fashion and beauty in drag culture, I can't help but feel frustrated that the masses may not take them seriously and thus reduce them to caricatures rather than respect them as individuals.

Bibliography

Croteau, D., Hoynes, W., & Milan, S. (2011). Media/Society: Industries, Images, and Audiences. SAGE Publications.

Flores, Zhaira Wincy, "Sexualization and Objectification of Women in the Philippines" (2019). Gender & Sexuality Studies Student Work Collection. 39. https://digitalcommons.tacoma.uw.edu/gender_studies/39

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Blog your Selfie

We take selfies to remember moments—on days when we feel beautiful, on days filled with unforgettable moments, on days we spend with loved ones, and even on days we are burdened with troubles. While my selfies may be able to capture my physical appearance and my personality, they are not able to fully represent who I am, but only who I am in that moment of time.

For instance, before I got braces, I never showed my teeth when I smiled. I would even stifle my laugh just so others wouldn’t see how horrible my teeth looked. I felt insecure about my appearance, so I attempted to hide it by closing my mouth when smiling. To any other person looking at my selfie, they wouldn’t immediately notice my insecurity, and instead see the self that I projected. On one hand, we have a tendency to misjudge others for who we thought they would be, rather than who they truly are. On the other hand, taking selfies allows us to express ourselves but it also sets the stage for us to curate our selfies as to how we would like to be perceived- whether we want to look prettier, friendlier, more intimidating, or the like.

Now that I have braces, I feel more confident in my appearance that I’ve been taking more selfies and grinning in them more often. One of the ways I would improve my selfies is to angle my face according to my face shape. Since I have a square face shape, it’s more flattering for me to angle my face to the side and then point my chin up to accentuate my jawline, rather than facing straight to the camera.  Another improvement is to make sure that my outfit matches the background. It would look bizarre, not to mention uncomfortable, if I wore streetwear in the countryside, or if I wore business attire at a gym. Lastly, I try to take my selfies in natural light so that my skin looks fresh and natural. Personally, I’m not a fan of using AI filters, since most of them look obvious. Instead, I try to edit my selfies with minimal enhancements using photo-editing apps. 

While the camera angle, my facial expression, the setting, and even the post-processing of the photo contribute to how I am portrayed in my selfie, these elements are not enough to encompass the entirety of my thoughts, personality, and passions. I don’t consider these selfies as a representation of who I am, but as puzzle pieces made up of my memories and experiences. They provide insights into certain aspects of my life, but they are not enough to define me. Instead, these selfies allow me to freeze moments in time, so I can look back on my ongoing journey of loving and accepting myself. Perhaps in a few months or years, I can revisit these selfies and reminisce about the moments that have shaped who I am today.