We need to create a mythology

MANILA, Philippines - I used to work as a wedding videographer in Sydney. The city was such a cultural melting pot that I got assigned by my Cantonese boss to cover Lebanese, Greek, Vietnamese, Chinese, Cambodian, Laotian, Yugoslavian (with subsets of Serbian, Croatian and Macedonian) ceremonies.

Now, what struck me about these weddings was the connection these second and third generation immigrants had with their culture. I have this haunting image of a Greek grandmother singing to her granddaughter as she is being dressed by her bridesmaids. At the reception, Greek men got drunk on Johnny Walker, jumped up and down, dancing with so much passion to their music.

Another time, I was impressed by the number of wedding singers required at a Vietnamese wedding. Later, I was informed that the number of singers performing at a Vietnamese wedding is directly proportional to the wealth of the groom. Or is it the bride?

The Yugoslavs just held hands and danced all night long in a big circle. And the food was always amazing at Chinese weddings — 14 courses. It’s mind- boggling how people manage to consume 14 courses of food!

Cultural Connections

As a Filipino living in Australia at that time, I couldn’t help but envy these strong cultural connections. Other nations have stories that they believe in. Their cultures fueled passions that showed during weddings.

It dawned on me that this is what we Filipinos lack. A mythology that could serve as a glue to hold us together. 

The Japanese have Bushido. As a kid, I was so into the epic battles between the Samurai and Ninjas. Nothing fascinated me more than the rigid code of honor that the Samurais lived by. (Even if I secretly cheered for the Ninja.) Later, I would discover that the whole thing was contrived. Developed by the powers that be to instill pride in their people. A lot sepuku for nothing. Yet this belief, this mythology, was so strong that it drove the Japanese to almost conquering the whole of Asia.

The Aussies, on the other hand, have a thing called the Anzac Spirit. Here’s a little background: A group of Aussie soldiers gets sent the wrong coordinates of where to land on a Turkish shore. Not realizing this, the Aussies charge up a steep hill. The Turks have installed a machine-gunner at the top. They charge straight into their deaths; and into the collective consciousness of a nation. To this day, the sacrifices of these soldiers from WWI are celebrated and their spirit taught in schools and drummed into the kids from an early age. The last Anzac died yet the veterans from each subsequent conflict still march during Anzac day.

National Mythologies

You can see where this is leading. Whoever wanted to spread the code of Kalantiao, had the right thing in mind. I wasn’t really surprised when I found out that the code was bogus and Kalantiao never really existed.

It got me thinking. What mythology do we have? What can we hold on to? The Filipino weddings that I have attended display nothing but contemporary culture. The costumes, maybe a Filipiniana theme, but when was the last time you danced the tinikling at your cousin’s nuptials?

So we need something big to believe in as a people. A meta-narrative. A belief system to spur us to action and onto greater heights. Where do we start? Here are some suggestions.

• The art of Franciso “Botong” Francisco. I took my fiancé to Manila City Hall a few months back. I wanted her to see the mural done by Botong in their city council’s session hall. The Struggle of the Filipino People through History I think is the title. In Botong’s universe, the Filipino is strong. She is beautiful. Pre-Hispanic Culture is painted in all its ripped and powerful glory. His treatment on the various colonizers is a sight to behold. He portrays them in exactly the opposite light. Comical. Sinister. A pictorial antithesis to the greatness and nobility of the Filipino. The study of his art and its meaning should be mandatory teaching in all our schools.

People Power

• Ninoy Aquino, “The Filipino is worth dying for.” No other statement captures the essence of what every Filipina and Filipino should be thinking and believing. What a story to teach our kids — that our freedom was once taken away by an overstaying dictator, and a man came back to win back our democracy. A shot rings out in the tarmac of the then Manila International Airport. The image of him, clad in white, sprawled on the floor, in a pool of his own blood, shakes the nation to its core. We knew then that the days of the dictator were numbered. We, the Filipino, are worth it. We are worthy of this sacrifice.

• 1986 People Power Revolution. What a defining moment for our people. For our nation. A bloodless (relatively speaking) revolution that toppled a dictator and sent him packing to Hawaii. Millions repay the sacrifice made by Ninoy on that tarmac. Millions turn out on that stretch of road to use themselves as human shields against tanks and APVs. All we were armed with were love and a belief that change, seismic change, was possible and it was coming. This was our defining moment and the world suddenly took notice. The lessons of EDSA should become our bushido. The big difference being ours is real.

The Power of Mythology

I write this on the eve of the inauguration of a new president — a president greatly assisted by the power of mythology. I hope P-Noy builds on the stories that have impacted his life. The art of Botong, the memory of his father, the spirit of EDSA — these are but a few, but it’s time to enshrine these. Once we believe in things bigger than us — things that will drive us to sacrifice; to do bigger and better things — then we can progress.