Abelardo G. Belleza

Dr. Beatriz  Lorente

ELL 312 – Language Planning and Policy

The inroads to the Bicol linguistic landscape are long, winding, narrow and not without the complexity shared by the overall linguistic landscape of the Philippines. Being one of the most linguistically diverse speakers in the general linguistic panorama of the country, the Bicolanos take  pride in having Tagalog as the first language of nearly half the inhabitants of Camarines Norte, considering its being adjacent to Southern Tagalog. A mix of Cebuano, Waray and Hiligaynon is spoken in the southern parts of Sorsogon and Masbate primarily because of their close proximity to the Visayan group of islands. In the province of Albay alone where I come from, starting from the municipality of Daraga which is still part of the 2^nd congressional district until the 3rd congressional district the inhabitants of every town speak a variant or a dialect of the Bicol language making the Albayanos one of the most diverse speakers of the Bicol language in the region. 

One of the hardest hit by super typhoons and volcanic eruptions the more notable of which are Mayon in Albay and Bulusan in Sorsogon over the last five years, the region has gradually yet steadily recovered from the economic slump. I would say that there have been numerous improvements that shaped the time and space of the physical layout of the region that reveal its linguistic landscape.  The restoration and the preservation of the Catholic Churches for instance have been given priority by the respective local government units in close coordination with the National Historical Institute and the Government of Spain through the Spanish Embassy. This is just one facet of the linguistic landscape of the region that helped define and shape its identity, the region being considered as one of the most religious regions in the country.

Be that as it may, let me just focus on the poster/tarpaulin presented above which caught my attention. I took the picture at the Albay Astrodome the venue of the event. To put this text in context, the province of Albay is right now celebrating the Magayon Festival 2012, a month-long celebration showcasing Bicol cultural heritage. One of the major events of the festival is the street presentation showcasing mythical and legendary characters from folklore in the region. The language used and the mythical characters during the street dancing are obvious manifestations of the linguistic landscape. The use of Bicol language in chanting during the street presentation and the use of local names for the characters portrayed were evident. So as not to report the obvious nor to gloss over it, I decided to look around and find out for myself what is different in this year’s celebration of Magayon Festival. Providential as I may call it or attribute it simply to luck, I chanced upon a poster with this text “ANG SIR KONG POGI” PAGEANT OF UNIFORMED MEN. Military men taking the romp? I became more curious and   intrigued, so I took a picture of the poster.  In terms of its layout it would pale comparison with the other posters hanging by the walls and gates of the Albay Astrodome. Staring at it for quite some time I found it interesting, and even more fascinating than I expected.  Admittedly, not everyone may agree with me and perhaps even take this observation as downright silly or even dismiss it as irrelevant. 

Pageantry is often associated with women of wit, charm and beauty in searches for the most beautiful women such as the Miss Universe, Miss World, or Mutya ng Pilipinas. Not to take second fiddle, the men have likewise an array of pageants showing their flesh and wit in Mr. International or Mr. Body Beautiful to name a handful of pageants for men. The flair for pomp and pageantry though is for both men and women. Although at times this longing for beauty, charm, wit and pomposity could best characterize those who would come in between or perhaps those who prefer one gender over the other depending on their choice.

But a pageant for men in uniform is not a common sight in the Philippine context. Celebrities and other theatrical personalities do take the role of police officers and even show off their military uniforms on the romp either for entertainment or for a cause. It is very unlikely though for military personnel to take the romp and carry himself/herself with poise and elan. I have not heard of any similar event or occasion were men in uniform purportedly from all branches of the Armed Forces of the Philippines take the romp.  Is it one way for the local government to attract both local and foreign tourists? What image of the province’s military men is being promoted by this pageant? Is this a political or cultural statement of the provincial government of Albay?

 The event dubbed “Ang Sir Kong Pogi” can be read an effort on the part of the provincial government of Albay to present these men in uniform in their most “fashionable” form trying to dismantle the image of the fat-bellied police officer or the not-so-trustworthy representation of these men in uniform. It could be  a form of subverting the not-so-good image of these military personnel by presenting them fully armed with the romp as their “battlefield.” They are in complete battle gear not to fight their enemies or to apprehend an erring citizen but to entertain the audience.  But this showcase of armed men in their finest form goes beyond sheer entertainment. This event becomes an opportunity for them  to sustain, strengthen and nurture the bond between the civilian and the military. The romp as their “battlefield” softens the stigma of the Bicolano audience. Being one of the hot spots in country, the region is host to underground movements either from the leftist or the rightist wings and some other extremist groups. Encounters between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and members of the New People’s Army is common place in the region although over the recent years the atrocities between them have subsided.

This pageant for “uniformed men” may not be the highlight of the Magayon Festival. Or could it be?  The usual favorites as highlights are the search for the Mutya ng Magayon  and the street presentation. But interestingly why would these men in uniform take the romp? Is this a scheme “in order to arrest falling tourist numbers (Yeoh, 2000). Or is it also “partly driven by the state’s interest in . . .maintaining local identity, economic development, and tourism (Yeoh, 2005). Is this an effort of the local government of Albay of  putting  “into urban image-making and branding” the pageant as “both self generating and somehow peculiar” (Jansson, 2003 as cited in Yeoh, 2005)

The linguistic landscape is one way of “enriching the local cultural and entertainment scene. . . by fostering national pride” (Yeoh, 2005). The culture of a place can look, think and communicate as it does because of the need to accommodate and adapt to the pressures and forces that influence the culture as a whole. Few people pay attention to the subtleties of commonplace events and circumstances. They focus on the mainstream infra and superstructures, to borrow from Marxism, and become oblivious to the powerful forces that create and maintain cultural differences primarily through its linguistic landscape.