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what's the titles for nb filipinos?

it’s filipinx for non-binaries. please, have respect for them and use filipinx to refer them as!

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PSA; this blog isn’t just dedicated to Filipinos in the Phillippines or America. It is also dedicated to Filipinos around the world! I am a British-Filipino going to school in America. I still apply British traditions into my Filipino ones. My family hardly celebrates the Fourth of July (Independence Day).

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The Best Prop in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

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Jacob Batalon singing and playing the guitar on Preston & Steve’s Daily Rush

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Young Adult Novel ‘Something in Between’ Gives Voice To Undocumented Students

When author Melissa de la Cruz published “Something in Between,” her young adult novel about an undocumented Filipino-American high school senior, she had no idea that the country was about to embark on a national debate about immigration that would make her work more timely and relevant than ever.

“Something in Between” follows Jasmine de los Santos, a California honor student whose world is shaken to the core after her parents reveal that she, along with the rest of the family, is undocumented. (x)

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From Trace's InstaStory.

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Pia & Iris.

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As a history nerd and a fantasy/sci-fi geek, I have long been enamored by the history of the fantasy world of George R.R. Martin’s The Song of Ice and Fire. That world and its myriad of cultures, religions, magic and dragons, with its intrigues and the feudal families’ vying for power, is almost a faint echo of medieval Europe, if not almost mirroring the mudslinging political families in Philippine politics. And so when I saw this video of Filipino musicians performing Game of Thrones’ OST on facebook last weekend, in anticipation of the release of Season 7′s Episode 1: Dragonstone last Monday, I got all the more excited.

The musicians are none other than Kontemporaryong Gamelan Pilipino (Kontra-GaPi), the resident Ethnic Music and Dance Ensemble of the UP Diliman’s College of Arts and Letters. And the musical instruments they use come from some of the indigenous peoples of the Philippines, which are almost similar in shape and size with the other instruments used in some parts of Southeast Asia (a link that certifies our common bond with our Asian neighbors). 

As Filipinos, it is unfortunate that most of us are not familiar with our own musical instruments, as much as (let’s say) a Westerner is familiar with the piano, the flute or the cello, etc. Just trying to study them and appreciate them, even if we don’t know how to play them, dignify these instruments and the peoples who produced music out of them. Indeed, music is a big chunk of our Filipino identity that we still try to redefine. And these musical instruments are evidence of cultures that were already flourishing in the islands even before the Spanish colonization. These instruments are also a testament to the enduring cultural diversity and richness that we have in the Philippines–truly a “nation of many peoples.”

I took the liberty of taking a screenshot of each of these instruments on the Kontra-GaPi music video in order to practice my familiarity. 

1. Kulintang 

While Kulintangs are widespread in Philippine cultural shows, the real kulintangs are found in the Maranao and Maguindanao communities (even in other parts of Southeast Asia), where a friend described it to me as like hearing drops of water hit a thousand crystals. Beautiful and tingling to the ears. Beginning in the 12th century “Kulintang” has come to denote an ensemble of instruments, almost similar to the Gamelan ensemble in Bali and Java in Indonesia. Hence, the video featured here a Kulintang Ensemble. 

2. Agung 

The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) defines it as “knobbed metal gong of the Philippines used in various communal rituals. Suspended in the air by rope or metal chains, the musical instrument is also employed by some indigenous groups as a means to announce community events, and as an indicator of the passage of time.” 

3. Kubing

It is a bamboo-made jaw harp in the Philippines, used by Maguindanaon, Maranao, and other non-Moro ethnic groups in Mindanao and Palawan.

3. Dabakan

The one used in the music video seem to be a variation of the Dabakan, a goblet shaped drum, usually with inlaid wood carving of okir (intricate patterns common to Maranao design). The drumhead is usually made of goat or carabao skin. It is the only non-gong instrument in the five main instruments of the Kulintang ensemble. 

4. Gabbang

Our counterpart to the xylophone, ours is made of bamboo. Ethnic groups that usually use this are the Yakans, the Palaw’ans and the Tausugs. Kontra-GaPi seem to play two variations of the Gabbang. 

5. Gandingan

It is a set of four hanging gongs, as compared to Agung which may have one gong or two. Gandingan gongs are also thinner than Agung. It is usually seen in the Kulintang ensemble as the second main instrument that follows the melody of Kulintang. The gong can also be used by the Maguindanaons to communicate to each other especially in long distances. It is said that the tune produced by the gong are similar to the Maguindanao language. 

6. Saronai

It is a set of 8 brass/iron plates, and is tuned and played like the regular-size Kulintang. It is considered as a practice instrument for beginners due to its small size, but can also be played by advanced kulintang players. It is common among the Maranao. 

****A tumblr friend corrected me when I called this instrument “small kulintang.” Whoever you are please send me a msg again so I can tag-credit you. The message gets erased when replied to so I lost your tumblr handle. :)

Did I miss anything? Don’t hesitate to reblog and add to the identification of these awesome instruments. :)

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THIS BLOG IS NOW MY FAVORITE SOURCE BLOG FOR FILIPINX ACTORS!!!! THANKS FOR CREATING IT:)

you’re welcome, dear anon. :)

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Favorite Songs: 1/13 - Higher from Allegiance

“Push me higher, push me higher, push me I can’t wait.” Her mama would push a couple times but there was laundry still to do, so she learned to use her own strength, pull her own weight, push on through.

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I grew up in a predominantly Caucasian community, and most of my friends had blonde hair and blue eyes. So I was always straightening my hair, wearing colored contacts, and I never tanned, if I could help it.

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Favorite Preformers: 2/14 - Lea Salonga (b. 1971)

“Love your enemies… it’s not always an easy tenet to live by… and I have more often than not been inclined to wish my enemies ill than well.”

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Make Me Choose: Anonymous asked: Sam Milby or & Dan Stevens

“Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.”  -C.S. Lewis

Send me two things

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“It is okay to struggle with anxiety. It’s normal, you’re not alone. It is okay to wake up in the morning and feel like you’re not good enough. It’s normal, you’re not alone. You’re not a selfish person. (…) This world today does nothing but put pressure on people and you are just like everyone else, you’re not alone in your insecurities. Nobody’s perfect, but you have the ability to love yourself and that is the strongest weapon you will ever have against anything in your life.” -  American Dream: Backstage at Miss Saigon with Eva Noblezada

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Kathryn Bernardo during her 18th birthday!

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From The Filharmonic's story