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| The books that came from Gilbert Grosvenor 's collection. Gilbert Grosvenor was the founder of the famous National Geographics Magazine. His home (now a museum) is on Grosvenor Lane, just a few blocks from the author’s house. |
The time is almost 50 years ago in a place about as far from the Philippines as one can go. We (Philippine Group 39) are being trained in Burlington, Vermont in a boy’s prep school by the Center for International Living to become Peace Corps Volunteers. We were really a “mixed-bag” assortment of trainees as new and older college graduates in science or math from across the U. S. with different types of life experiences. Some folks were hippy types and others were more serious like me. My background was the least typical, a two-year leave of absence from my job as a civilian engineer in the U. S. Navy. The plan was to train us volunteers in just three months to work with Philippine math or science teachers to introduce newer science/math teaching methods into the Philippine curriculum. After observing us for a month or so, they divided us into different language groups. To be effective we would have to learn at least something of the local language where we would be assigned. The language group I was assigned was the Ilokano Group. We were informed that we were the luckiest of all the other trainees because the Ilocanos were markedly different with a more assertive middle class. The land was less productive in the Ilocos causing the people to be more industrious and frugal. I was eventually assigned, not to the Ilocos, but to Cagayan Valley, District II which included Claveria, Santa Praxedes, Sanchez Mira, Pamplona, Ballesteros, Allacapan, and Abulug. I would end up visiting almost every barangay school in these towns, sometimes walking “saka-saka” for weeks because the muddy trails between destinations. However, I spent most of my time centered in Claveria where I helped teach in the Central School for a time even though it seemed to rain half the year there. Ilokano language skills and Ilocano cultural aspects were still useful in most of the district.
The assertion that we were lucky to be assigned to the Ilokano group stuck with me, and I wondered what they might be talking about since I didn’t have any other exposure to other location in the Philippine except a mid-year conference in Cebu for a few days. I was further intrigued after my attendance at the 26thKannawidan Event in Fort Ilocandia in Laoag City with my wife (from Batac, Ilocos Norte; we have been married for 49 years) and her classmates. The function of the Kannawidan was to explore and expand Ilocano cultural studies.
In this context, I thought about some old volumes, I had come across and purchased in a used book store a number of years ago. It comprises of a three-volume set. The set is rather large and is comprised of the Report of the Philippine Commission to the U. S. Congress, submitted in 1900, shortly after the U. S. acquired the Philippines. The total number of pages exceeds 1200. The marking on the volumes indicate they were once part of the National Geographic Society Library. Based on stampings on the pages, they were likely once the personal property of Gilbert Grosvenor who was the head of the National Geographic Society and the first full-time editor of their well-known magazine.
The volumes were transmitted and ordered to be printed by the President of the United States, William McKinley, as the “Report of the Commission Appointed to Investigate in the Philippine Islands”. The commission had been appointed on January 20, 1899 and signed out from the Executive Mansion on February 2, 1900. Members of the commission included military (Major General Elwell Otis, Rear-Admiral Dewey) as well as civilian participants.
The volumes simply sat on our shelf in our home library for decades. Who has time to go through 1200 pages of old history? However, after the Kannawidan celebration, it occurred to me that it might be possible to gain some possible insights into Ilocano culture mixed into all the report’s findings. It is possible to get something from people that have an outside view of the Philippines as well as from internal discussions. Companies often employ the “outside expert” to examine their operations and improve their performance. It would be interesting to see how an outside group (the Presidential Commission) would view the Philippines in 1900 and see if there are associations with Ilocano culture.
Now, with all this introduction I need to preface this discussion with the observation that in some ways there are some obvious “unconscious biases” in the findings. Everyone is believed to exhibit some unconscious biases, but these are rather notable in the report findings which occurred over 100 years ago. The framers of report note in volume I which is something of an executive summary that the Filipinos belong to three sharply distinct races, the Negrito (Aeta), the Indonesian race, and the Malayan race. The apparently, more superior race, was the Indonesian race which was tall and well developed with high foreheads, aquiline noses, and wavy hair and abundant beards. Their skin was quite light. None of these people had been Christianized. This race was found principally in Mindanao. The more typical Filipino was of the Malayan race which included the Ilocanos. Out of an estimated 8 million inhabitants in the Philippines, 441,700 were Ilocano.
The most emotionally charged description was reserved for the Negritos (Aetas) with an estimated population of 25,000. It was stated that the Negritos were a disappearing remnant of a people which once populated the entire archipelago. They were physically weaklings of low stature, with black skin, closely-curling hair, flat noses, thick lips, and large, clumsy feet. In the matter of intelligence, according to the Commission’s report, they stood at or near the bottom of the human series, and they were believed to be incapable of any considerable degree of civilization and advancement.
Personally, I had a number of interactions with Aetas in my Peace Corps assignments and grew to admire their capabilities and resourcefulness in the dense forest. I have even met US special forces a few years ago who had received training from the Aetas in jungle warfare. In their world I would be the one with clumsy feet and a lack of intelligence. The Aetas are truly a resource for the Philippines with different skill sets and a positive point of diversity. If I were a businessman, I would think of copyrighting an Aeta sportswear logo that would be a nexus for a new line of clothing for hiking and camping.
It wasn’t until the third volume of the Commission’s findings that one encounters specific information that would distinguish the Ilocanos from other Filipino groups. One of the areas that appears to have captured the Commission’s attention was the large role that women occupied in Philippine society. They note that Philippine women are dominant relative to the sale of farm products, purchasing farm animals, or in pursuing industries because they were better fitted for dickering and negotiation than men (page 382). They cleaned cotton, spun it, colored it, and wove it for domestic purposes. In this effort the Ilocano women were models of industry, and the blankets they produced were highly valued in Manila. Where indigo was produced it was the women who prepared it by an operation that was extremely hard and unhealthful, placing it in maceration, pounding it, and extracting the juice, which they placed in earthen pans designed for this purpose.
The authors of the report also allude to the role of women in hemp production and their role in small industries like making hats and small sacks. Regarding children, boys by preference were involved with taking care of draft animals and supporting the older menfolk. Both girls and boys, without distinction, shared in the work of pounding rice and making dinners. As the children grew older, they became a great help to their parents, whom they usually respected and obeyed. The girls, from their early years, showed great shrewdness and good judgement. They went to the market to buy and sell their wares. The Commission’s report reserved some judgement for the boys who they felt were not so diligent and attentive.
The Commission also devotes some efforts describing construction of houses in the Philippines which appears to focus on methods for erecting nipa-type dwellings. They note that cleanliness in the houses was apt to be lacking except among the Ilocanos who were so clean that no European would be disgusted at living in their houses and using their things even though the family may have been poor (page 381).
Other features relevant to all Filipinos were discussed like strong proclivity for music and skills for picking up other languages. Again, they allude to the role of women who were noted to be diligent and industrious. According to the Commission, they had exceptional ability for weaving, embroidering, and lace making, producing work equal to or better than that of Europe.
In summary, the large effort undertaken by the Commission does make some notable observations even though there are underlying tones of unconscious bias. Culturally, cleanliness and industriousness appear to be standout features of Ilokano practice. A strong role of female participation is noted with an emphasis on excellence seems to be highlighted. It is perhaps somewhat curious that all the comparisons are to European rather than American performance, i.e. cleanliness, handicrafts, etc. One suspects that the authors realize that American standards may be below par to that of the European in when making their comparisons. Regardless, it appears that the report authors, though somewhat biased have made very positive assertions regarding the Ilocano life style. Their findings make a useful addition to understanding Ilocano cultural values and help me to see that I was really lucky to be assigned to the Ilocano Group in Peace Corps training.
Acknowledgement: My wife Noralyn Onto Dudt assisted in editing this discussion.
Philip John Dudt is a retired civilian engineer/architect for the United States Navy, worked in research and development for submarine design. In 1970, he took a two year-leave of absence to join Peace Corps and was assigned as a Science teacher-trainer in Cagayan Division 2 with the Bureau of Public Schools for 2 years. He is married to the former Noralyn Onto of the City of Batac.