So This Is the Philippines!
By “Awake!” correspondent in the Philippines
THE airliner dips low over green hills and flat rice paddies. Suddenly it swoops over a wide bay, close to the roofs of a modern-looking city, and onto the runway. The door swings open, and you are in the Orient, on an island in the Philippines, only 500 miles from the coast of China.
By any standards the more than 7,000 tropical islands that make up the Philippines are beautiful. And there is such variety! To the north are pine-clad mountains and cool, clear air, and in the south there are steaming jungles. In central Luzon, on the group’s largest island, wide rivers meander through beautiful flat plains. This is one of the great rice bowls of Asia, one of the most fertile areas on earth. But what many visitors especially enjoy are the palm-studded beaches—long stretches of sunlit sands washed by the waters of a warm tropical sea.
There are other attractions too. Towering active volcanoes that smoke perpetually, springs hot enough to boil an egg, and places where the ground is so warm you can hardly walk on it. Natural steam is used in some places here as a source of power. And there are waterfalls, gorgeous tropical sunsets and exotic orchids, orchids and more orchids—nearly a thousand kinds flourish on the islands!
Near Manila, the largest city, one can get a breathtaking view of the Taal volcano from the Tagaytay Ridge. An exciting ride down the rapids from Pagsanjan Falls affords another view of the scenery. Right in Manila is the ‘Nayong Pilipino’—the ‘Philippine Village’—where the different cultures of the Philippines are represented in natural settings. For those with limited time to travel, this “village” gives a bird’s-eye view of the country.
The Filipinos
When the Spaniard Ferdinand Magellan visited the Philippines away back in 1521, he found a race of slender, handsome people. Their skin was a glowing-brown color and their hair shining black. Although most of the Spanish have left, descendants of the island’s earlier inhabitants are still here. They are the ones who will check a visitor’s passport, ask if he has anything to declare, then drive him to his hotel by taxi, bus or jeepney.
The Filipinos are made up of a number of ethnic groups. Living in the mountains to the north of the island of Luzon are the Igorots, or “natives.” Many of them still worship their own pagan gods, and some do not wear the Western style of clothing.
Many visitors to the Philippines travel hundreds of miles over difficult mountain roads to see a great work of these Igorot people. Up there in a place called Banaue, the Ifugao, one of their tribes, have, over a period of 1,500 years, fashioned whole mountainsides into a gigantic series of rice terraces that are still being used today. These terraces are said to stretch a distance equal to half the circumference of the earth. They have been carved by the Ifugao patiently, using just the simplest of tools. Truly a stupendous feat of engineering, comparable to any of the great works of other ancient nations!
There are also many other Philippine peoples with which to get acquainted. There are the warm, hospitable Bicolanos from the beautiful regions of southern Luzon, and the charming and outgoing Cebuanos from still farther south. Also, the alert and progressive Tagalogs, and the patient and persevering Ilocanos. You may have already met some of the Ilocanos from northern Luzon, as they are a group that does a lot of traveling.
As evidence of the great diversity of ethnic groups, over eighty languages and dialects are spoken around the islands. Should you visit the Philippines, why not talk to the different persons you meet? Find out where they come from and what sort of customs and habits they have.
Communication Possible
But you might say: “What? With all those languages? How do you expect me to talk to them at all?”
In spite of all the languages and dialects in use, English is commonly spoken. This is due to the period of American domination. So communication is not much of a problem, once you get used to the accent.
Actually, the existence of the scores of different languages has made for a nation of very competent linguists. Any Filipino who travels has to be prepared to learn the language of the area, and people commonly speak three or four languages fluently.
A missionary of Jehovah’s witnesses tells of attending a Bible meeting away down south in the beautiful city of Zamboanga. The literature they were studying was in English, and the chairman of the study was speaking most of the time in English. Then one person raised her hand to comment, and the remark came out in the Hiligaynon tongue. Another man volunteered a comment in Cebuano. Another spoke in Tagalog, and still another made his point in Chabacano. Everyone seemed to understand, and no one seemed to notice that different languages were being used.
What to Expect
If you are coming to the Philippines for the first time, perhaps there are some things that should be mentioned. For example, if you are a white person speaking English, you are an “Americano.” You may perhaps be English, Dutch or German, but temporarily, while here, you will be thought of as an “Americano.”
Another thing we should mention is the exceptional hospitality of the Filipino. And here hospitality is closely connected with eating. You may be served tasty local dishes like kari-kari, or lapu-lapu, a local fish. Or, for a snack, there is the ever-popular pancit, or some bibingka. A deliciously cool drink is halo-halo. Chinese food, too, is popular here, and it is said to be some of the best in the world. Or, if you prefer, food is frequently prepared American or Spanish style.
In some parts of Manila foreigners are a common sight, and pass unnoticed. But in more out-of-the-way places, such as the markets around Cubao and in the old city of Pasig, you will be as much an object of interest to the locals as they are to you. The truth is that Westerners do tend to stand out a little in the Orient, what with their unusual height and pale-colored skin. So do not be surprised if, when you are inspecting the goods in some small store, you turn around to find a Filipino standing alongside comparing his own height to yours—much to the delight of his companions.
Or perhaps a group of youngsters might gather around and just stare at you in wide-eyed amazement. Some bolder youths might call out to you, “Hi, Joe,” or “Victory Joe,” reflecting the time two and a half decades ago when all American soldiers were “Joe.” The troops were then very popular in the streets of Manila, because of having recently gained victory over the Japanese occupation forces.
The thing to remember is that everybody is just being friendly. There is very little of the antiforeign feeling that one may sense in some other countries. Children might even start stroking your arm, because they like the feel of the soft hairs on your skin. Persons cannot get much friendlier than that, can they? If you get into the spirit of it, you will enjoy the informality, the lack of tension, and the friendliness that are characteristic here.
If you should visit the Philippines, why not forsake the ‘tourist belt’? Travel by the characteristic jeepney, or the distinctive bus system. See how the Filipino lives—not with a view to criticizing—but, rather, just accepting that this is the way things are here. They are different, of course, but if you are willing to accept them as they are, you can be sure of a warm welcome in the sunny Philippines.
[Picture on page 17]
The rice terraces of the Ifugaos