Pinoy pop culture's big influence

 Manila Bulletin
 10 Jun 2018

According to the great Nick Joaquin, “the identity of the Filipino today is of a person asking
what is his identity.” We get what Mr. Quijano de Manila is talking about; cultural identity is an
ever-evolving concept that can only be qualified at any given moment. How? The best
approximation is through pop culture. Who we summed up by what we like, who we emulate,
what we listen to, and the clothes we put on our backs. And these change as surely as time passes
by. Here’s a quick rundown of our culture throughout the decades.
The 1950s
During this decade, the Philippines can be best described as a nation trying to establish its own
identity. The postwar years became a pivoting point for the Pearl of the Orient, who by then had
just recently attained freedom from 450 years of colonial rule. A decade of many “firsts,” it was
a period when the Filipinos began to manifest a sense of nationalistic pride. “Man of the
Masses,” President Ramon Magsaysay wore the Barong
Tagalog in his inauguration and in all official affairs — the first for a Filipino President to don
the national garment. The 50s was also labelled as the first golden age of Philippine Cinema with
the booming of the Filipino film industry. Four big production studios (LVN Pictures,
Sampaguita Pictures, Premiere Productions and Lebran International) were all in their prime, on
top of the industry releasing an average of 350 films a year. Then, there was matinee idol
Rogelio de la Rosa on the pinnacle of his career, first to be a Filipino film actor turned politician.
(Jules Vivas)
The 1960s
Following a decade of many “firsts” are more years of new initiatives, including efforts to
empower women. The decade witnessed the demolition of traditional Filipino gender culture
with the emergence of Filipinas and their renewed role in society. On June 18, 1960, the Bureau
of Women and Minors was created under the Department of Labor, with the purpose of
protecting the welfare of working women and minors. In the same decade, Filipina actresses
Vilma Santos and Nora Aunor were discovered, who eventually became superstars of their
generation and beyond, undoubtedly shaping the landscape of film industry in the years that
followed. It was also during the 60s when the Filipiniana dress was popularized by former first
lady Imelda Marcos, which later became a notable fashion statement. Nothing would have been a
better way to cap off the decade than another first for the country: In 1969, Gloria Diaz won the
first-ever Miss Universe crown for the Philippines. (Kevin Rebultan)
The 1970s
This time marked significant milestones for the country that highly influenced and shaped the
society that we have today. It was opened by the visit of Pope Paul VI in 1970, making him the
first-ever leader of the Catholic Church to set foot here. President Ferdinand Marcos’s
declaration of Martial Law in 1972 fueled political awakening among Filipinos during that time.
Meanwhile, Filipina beauties continued to shine brightly as Aurora Pijuan bagged the Miss
International title in 1970, followed by our second Miss Universe crown by Margie Moran in
1973. (Jessica Pagiwayan)
The 1980s
It was an era of breakthroughs and novel ideas. Filipinos were highly creative at this point in
time. Not only was there an overwhelming need to express long-buried sentiments, there was
also an equally vast freedom to do so, especially after the restoration of democracy. Noel
Cabangon and the rest of his band Buklod emerged in the local music scene with socio-political-
cultural hits such as “Tatsulok” and “Kanlungan.” Proudly local shows like Batibot, That’s
Entertainment, Ipaglaban Mo! and Magandang Gabi Bayan were easily identifiable for Filipinos,
too. Films such as Himala starring Nora Aunor, set the bar higher for local cinema. It was also in
this decade that the country’s first transit system, the Light Rail Transit 1, was built. These
developments rooted in originality spurred the Filipinos on to the next decade. (Angela Casco)
The 1990s
After witnessing the breakthroughs of the past decade, Filipino creativity continued to be the
focal point of the 1990s, especially as Original Pinoy Music flourished. One of the most
prominent acts of the decade was Master Rapper Francis Magalona. His groundbreaking hit
“Mga Kababayan Ko” in 1990 served as the foundation of Filipino rap music, proving that
patriotic anthems can come in different forms. Several acts also followed suit, including
legendary alternative rock band Eraserheads, who wrote “Para Sa Masa” in 1997, sung by
various artists including Noel Cabangon, Barbie Almalbis, Ebe Dancel, and Yael Yuzon to name
a few. Despite the calamities that occurred, like the Luzon earthquake in 1990 and the eruption
of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991, the Filipino spirit remained resilient with music as its sanctuary. (Ally
Quirante)
The 2000s
The 2000s were a great time for the Philippine pop culture. Asianovelas have become a staple of
every channel’s daily programming. Following the trend, local TV networks started remaking
some of the popular shows such as My Name is Kim Sam Soon, Lovers in Paris, Temptation of
Wife, and My Girl because of its huge following. Today’s biggest celebrities also came from
reality and talent competition programs in the 2000s like Pinoy Big Brother, Starstruck, and Star
Circle Quest. This notable decade also started bizarre makeup and beauty trends. Crimped hair
and chunky highlights were everyone’s favorite hairstyles. Thin eyebrows, glossy lipsticks,
colorful eyeshadows, and dark eyeliners was the decade’s version of makeup on fleek. (Ankrizel
Santos)