Drive Around The City of Manila - Series #06 - National Museum of Anthropology: Part 2

March 2018 · 8 min read

Hello Steemians, here we go for the continuation of our Drive Around the City of Manila Series #06.

So we are done on the 2nd floor of the National Museum of Anthropology. Now, let's go to the 3rd floor.

Having viewed of the museum brings me chills. Goosebumps as every step I made, in every artifact, and every gallery shows how our ancestors pursued to live alone.

History told us that Ferdinand Magellan was the one who discovered the island of the Philippines. But little did we know that there are civilizations already when his ship anchorage on the island. Our ancestors have been trading with Chinese before any of the foreign countries colonized the Pearl of the East through the use of barter change. And here is some proof to show that we have our own culture, which in my opinion, it should've to bring success to our country if not colonized and locals adopting the culture of others.

Let's start with our national costume. Every nationality has their own types of clothes to wear. A leather coat to protect from the cold climate, and even thick coats for the white and freezing time of the year.

The Philippines has known to be one of the tropical countries. Being in the line of the equator, the sunlight directly towards us almost the whole day. So our clothing should bring us comfort and align with our climate.

Filipinos are also known to be the happiest among other nations. Despite the calamities that we've gone through, you can still see our eyes in bright and our lips never smiling. And we just laugh about the "act of God" and think that it is just another trial for us to test our faith and strength.

One example is in the wake of our relatives, whenever someone passed away, along with the candles, flowers, and white light in the event. You can see some playing cards, playing guitars, and drinking at the side. I do not how did it all start, but it brings smile and joy to bereaved. A moment to forget the incident. And we also believed that our departed one doesn't want us to feel devastated by their loss. So that we keep it that way.

With this kind of behaviors, our cultural clothing is the most colorful. Which represents our colorful country and lively lifestyle.

Since electricity has not yet discovered during those days, everything is being done manually, Filipinos are known to be creative. Wherein, weaving is the most tradable product we offer for barter change. From clothing to colorful carpets, we weave manually, and trade to things we need from other traders like wine, bread, and even meat that we do not have in the country.

These clothing, carpets and traded wine were mostly being used in an event of celebrations. I mentioned that Filipinos are happiest before being colonized. Every moment, Filipinos, every night, all the communities are gathering in one place to celebrate either successful trading or a good harvest, we do not forget to thank the gifts that bested on us by the almighty.

We drink, eat, dance all night, like the lat rave or house party that you have attended. Celebration never stops, when someone arrived from a long trip to bring home a lifeless wild boar that can feed the entire village, there is another celebration.

If I would be alive back then, maybe I am always along the beach vomiting and crawling back to my hut.

Or maybe I am one of the players of our cultural musical instrument.

I may be rocking the set and be the famous among my villagers and being grabbed by a random chick every night.

Our cultural musical instruments are mostly made out of bamboo. Hollowed yet the tougher grass and growing almost everywhere in the Philippines. Our ancestors are artistic and creative that they came up with this kind of musical instruments using the biggest grass that mushrooming all over the village and mountains. It is also being used to make a raft, fishing equipment, food storage and even bags.

Filipinos are busy in most of the time. Working hard not only for the family but for everyone in the village. If that kind livelihood is still present up to this day, no one will suffer hunger. But in the days the trading is not on a schedule. Or maybe weekends, if they have it back then. Or day-offs? Ok, during their free time, they also play games. Actually, they do play games with traders as well. It's like a businessman playing golf with an investor in order make the investment happened.

Traders back then play games for fun or sometimes to haggle an exchange. And games are an advantage of the foreign traders as it is originated from them, especially with the Chinese. But Filipino never accepts failure, our ancestors studied the game and even trade some for their own practice and still being played up to this day. Most of the games need a strategy to win, but not like the World of Warcraft that we are playing that uses computer programs, The game needs our brain functionality.

Chinese checkers and Sungka. Sungka is being played with the use of seashells and needs strategy to not all your shells captured by the opponents. Hard right?, even until now, I hate playing these games, I am getting a headache every time I play any of the two. I'd rather play Beyblade. Yes! beyblade is being played even before, only it is made out of carved wood.

Turumpo or Spinning top was the original Beyblade and is spinning through the use of a string. It also requires skills. As a player just roll the strings to the bottom part of the top and then throw to spin. But it is not easy as you launch a Beyblade. But the same playing system where your turumpo against other turumpo, he who spin for the longest time, will win.

Sadly, these happy moments of our ancestors ended when Ferdinand Magellan arrived in the Philippines and claimed to discover the island. And colonizing start. All the fun games and tradition were transitioned to war to defend our beloved country. The colorful clothing turns into armors, toys, weaving become weapons.

The party at night become chaos. Hunger and death become the normal view of the country. Dead body carried by another warrior. Rice field was filled with blood. The trading shore has become a battleground. Sword slashing and cannons firing, the laugh turns to mourn. All the dead body is being spread across the fields, prayed and burnt.

During the pre-colonial time, our ancestors were peacefully burying our departed ones through the use of jar. If nowadays, we use gravestone in order determine the place of the body of our loved ones, back then it is being located through different designs of a jar.

Warning! The next photo might bring you chills and nightmare.

The body is being stored in different artistic jars and place inside a cave.

The peaceful life of Filipino being shattered by the greed colonizing by the Spanish. The life that could've been enjoyed to this day if not because of being greedy of power. If only Filipinos stayed the way it is and did not aspire the power that have shown by the colonizing nationals.

Though colonial time has also brought us some knowledge and learning that cannot be gain if we did not team up with other nations that bring us good intentions. We are still fortunate that other countries visited our country and improved some of our way of living.

Hopefully, we bring back the camaraderie in our country and delete the thirst from power.

And for me, I will be forever in love our own traditions, marked through my Filipino blood.

See you on our next ride.

Don't forget to check on our past rides.

All the information shared in this post are mostly general knowledge of the writer gained from researching and reading materials. Some words and dialogue used were not meant to harm other people. Some dialogue used is just an expression to have an enjoyable read.

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