The significance of recognizing cultural barriers to effective communication, as well as the specifics and common aspects of several cultures that allow for building mutual understanding of the target audience. Thus, the integration of effective tools for communication between the group in question and the rest of the community will be possible. This paper will examine different aspects of the Filipino folklore, paying particular attention to the tales and children’s narratives as a part of the traditional narratives and literature. Although the focus on shaping the characteristics such as obedience, empathy, and sense of justice as the key characteristics of children’s literature worldwide, remains evident in Filipino folk tales, the emphasis on history and the spiritual component are expressively unique characteristic of Filipino folk tales.
The research in question will be based on the paper by Avila, who provides a careful and meticulous overview of Filipino folk tales and the key narratives represented in them. The specified source provides an extensive and comprehensive analysis of the Filipino folk narratives and comparing them to other cultures, particularly, Indonesian one, demonstrating a thorough understanding of the unique characteristics of the specified culture and the role that tales as a part of the folklore play in its cultural legacy (Avila 4). The researcher’s approach, while being centered not only on Filipino culture, but also on Indonesian one, allows for an in-depth look insight into the ideas underlying the folk tales in question, thus, allowing the reader to distill the key values and ideas that these tales serve to convey. As a result, a close assessment of Filipino folk tales as a part of Filipino culture, as well as a social tool for shaping children’s behaviors and attitudes, becomes possible.
Thus, this paper will discuss both the content of the tales and the social implications that they are expected to produce on their target audience. Specifically, the social cues that the tales in question convey, as well as the spiritual aspect of the narratives in question, will be discussed. This paper will seek to examine the way in which Filipino folk tales shape children’s perception of social interactions, define their understanding of the major values of the Filipino community, and warn them about the specific issues that they are likely to encounter in the process. Therefore, this essay will posit that Filipino folk tales serve to define children’s perception of the world by warning them about potential threats and demonstrating them specific behaviors, while also introducing them to critical values of Filipino culture.
The group in question, namely, Filipino people, has a long and complex history, which has, unfortunately, been affected by colonialism to a significant extent at some of its more recent stages. Considering the effects of colonialists on Filipino culture and its further development, one must mention the overwhelming impact of Spanish conquistadors, who have defined the presence of the Latino cultural elements in the Filipino sociocultural context. Moreover, one is not to underestimate the effects of American culture, which became ubiquitous after the emergence of the U.S. Therefore, the presence of American narratives and the elements of American culture in Filipino one can also be traced quite easily. Specifically, the impact that the American education system has had on the Filipino nation and its culture can be described as overwhelming (David 31). Due to the cultural dominance of the U.S., the Filipino perceptions and values have been shaped significantly toward the western ones, as Avila explains (3). Indeed, aspects of the specified impact can be observed in the way in which some of the folk tales have shaped, reflecting some aspects of the western values. However, when examining the impact of the Western cultural elements on Filipino folk traditions, particularly, on its folk tales, one will notice that the latter have undergone comparatively little change (Avila 5). Namely, while the structural elements may have been shaped, affecting the way in which the narratives are old, the general ideas and concepts behind the stories have remained intact.
As emphasized above, the strong influence of Western culture on Filipino people and their culture has defined the presence of a plethora of Western cultural elements in the values and philosophies that Filipino people uphold as the traditional ones. Therefore, when considering the activities in which the target group engages, one must mention the ones associated with traditions and rituals promoting spiritual growth, as well as the ones linked to the development of manufacturing activities, such as weaving and pottery. Remarkably, both are reflected in traditional Filipino folk tales. Although not all folk narratives include the specified activities, the jobs that characters perform and the place that they take in the Filipino social hierarchy is typically detailed, pointing to their significance for and role in the community (Rodriguez-Tatel 16). Furthermore, the readings in question feature quite a range of mas-produced materials, such as pottery, which emphasizes the importance of the specified industries in the lives of Filipino people. Namely, Rodriguez-Tatel outlines the active mentioning of the Filipino ceramic tradition in a significant number of its folk narratives (14).
Additionally, when discussing the activities, ritual, and traditions detailed in the folk narratives under analysis, one must address the fact that a vast range of Filipino tales focus on the importance of family connections. Javier et al.’s paper emphasizes the role of familial ties for the Filipino community (4). Therefore, folk tales of the culture in question can be seen as the key factors in shaping children’s attitude toward the idea of a family and the significance of relationships between its members.
The activities in question, particularly, the tradition of telling the folk tales that shape children’s understanding of the key Filipino value system and the related beliefs, thus, promoting the acceptance of certain social roles and behaviors. For instance, the focus on familial relationships as one of the cornerstone aspects of the Filipino folk tales promotes the related values, allowing children to recognize the importance of building connections with family members and relatives thus, making the community stronger (Avila 557). Furthermore, the reinforcement of the family bond as the essential value that represents the core of the community values should be mentioned as the foundational goal of any activities within the Filipino community, particularly, the use of folktales. Specifically, Avila states that “Kinship and social relations were also displayed in the given folktales as the main characters required interventions in order to accomplish tasks in the stories” (554). Notably, the family-oriented values serve not only as a side note to the narratives represented in Filipino folk tales, but also as their crucial constituents, therefore, allowing the community to grow and unite.
Arguably, the described characteristic of the Filipino folk tales is not as unique as one might have thought. Studies show that other cultures also show the propensity toward using folk tales and similar stories to introduce the audience, particularly, young children, to the notion of familial ties and the importance of support across the community. For instance, the article by Reese outlines a similar concept: “Mexican-origin families constructed narratives with story-like elements as they shared family history, cultural experiences and folklore, or news and gossip, and they worked together to construct meanings nuances of unfamiliar texts” (Reese 279). However, what makes Filipino folk tales special in this regard is their propensity to connect the notions of a family bond, key cultural traditions, and the role of community in encouraging the relevant values. Thus, the folk takes in question contribute significantly to reinforcing the importance of unity within the target group.
The observed phenomenon is quite natural given the vast impact that Filipino culture has experience as a result of the multiple colonial attempts to affect the Filipino community and subjugate it. Helping Filipino people to counteract the specified drastic situation, these folk takes have created the opportunity to retain the uniqueness of the Filipino culture while absorbing innovative ideas that came from the dominant cultures. Moreover, the tales in question represent the promotion of the essential values to children while also teaching them the key principles of safety and security. The active us of Filipino mythology have also contributed to the specified effect. For instance, Filipino tales feature a significant range of mythological creatures strongly associate with the local culture.
As a result, the opportunity to explore the relationship between the character and the external; threat that a specific monster represents emerges. While having an admittedly impressive effect on children, being rather frightening, these mythical creatures serve the function of cautioning the target audience about the threats that they may face when interacting with strangers or dealing with specific scenarios. Independently. Thus, in certain way, the tales in question can be seen as the tools for teaching children critical lessons about gaining independence and functioning in the adult world. For instance, the monsters such as Buso, being completely unrealistic, embody the fears and threats that the target audience may face in the real life, thus, encouraging them to become more resilient and resourceful (Avila 5). The described effect of Filipino folktales is very similar to the tales of other cultures, which become the basis for children to learn about interactions within the adult world (Avila 4). Therefore, being distinctively original and unique in their characters, Filipino tales serve similar functions as tales belonging to other cultures.
While Filipino folk tales share quite a range of characteristics with the rest of the world’s folk narratives aimed at children, specifically, owing to the emphasis on promoting empathy justice, and obedience in young people, it also has a distinctively unique quality of introducing the elements pf the Filipino history and spirituality into the narrative. Thus, the specified aspect of the Filipino folklore can be considered a unique representation of the Filipino people’s culture and, more importantly, a kind of language used to convey essential messages to the target audience. Remaining an essential part of the Filipino folklore to this day, folk tales of the specified culture serve the purpose of connecting the spiritual, the material, and the verbal, thus, uniting the essential cultural components in a single entity.
Works Cited
Avila, Roi Christian James Escolano. “Delineating the [D/J] iwa: Dissection of Selected Filipino and Indonesian Folktales.” 3rd Asian Education Symposium (AES 2018). Atlantis Press, 2019.
David, E. J. R. “Testing the Validity of the Colonial Mentality Implicit Association Test and the Interactive Effects of Covert and Overt Colonial Mentality on Filipino American Mental Health.” Asian American Journal of Psychology, vol. 1, no. 1, 2010, p. 31.
Javier, Joyce R., et al. “Voices of the Filipino Community Describing the Importance of Family in Understanding Adolescent Behavioral Health Needs.” Family & Community Health, vol. 41., no. 1, 2018, p. 64.
Reese, Leslie. “Storytelling in Mexican Homes: Connections Between Oral and Literacy Practices.” Bilingual Research Journal, vol. 35, no. 3, 2012, pp. 277-293.
Rodriguez-Tatel, M. J. B. Panagburnay: Imaging the Iloko-Filipino in a Philippine Ceramic Tradition. Proceedings of the 2007-2008 Nakem Conferences, Nakem, pp. 1-19.