Philippine Literature in English Ricardo de Ungria Philippine Literature in English has its roots in the efforts of the American

forces at the turn of the century to pacify the Filipino people and instill in them the American ideals of "universality, practicality, and democracy." By 1901, public education was institutionalized, with English serving as the medium of instruction. Around 600 educators who arrived in that year aboard the S.S. Thomas replaced the soldiers who also functioned as teachers. The people learned the language quickly, helped no doubt by the many support systems, e.g., books, magazines, newspapers, etc., outside of the academe. Today, around 80% of the population could understand and speak English The founding of Philippine Normal School in 1901 and the University of the Philippines in 1908, as well as of English newspapers like the Daily Bulletin (1900), The Cablenews (1902), and the Philippines Free Press (1905), helped boost the spread of English. The first ten years of the century already saw the verse and prose efforts of the Filipinos in such student publications as The Filipino Students Magazine (first issue, 1905), which was a short-lived quarterly published in Berkeley, California, by Filipino pensionados (or government scholars); the UP College Folio (first issue, 1910); The Coconut of the Manila High School (first issue, 1912); and The Torch of the PNS (first issue, 1913). But it was not until the 30s and 40s that Filipino writers in English emerged into their own. Newspapers and magazines were foundedlike the Philippines Herald in 1920, the Philippine Education Magazine in 1924 (renamed Philippine Magazine in 1928), and later the Manila Tribune , the Graphic, the Womans Outlook, and the Womans Home Journalthat helped introduce to the reading public the works of Paz Marquez Benitez, Jose Garcia Villa, Loreto Paras, and Casiano Calalang among others. Cash incentives were given to writers in 1921 when the Free Press started to pay for published contributions and awarded P1,000 for the best stories. The organization in 1925 of the Philippine Writers Association and in 1927 of the U.P. Writers Club, which put out the Literary Apprentice, also helped encourage literary production. In 1939, the Philippine Writers League was put up by politically conscious writers, intensifying their debate with those in the "art for arts sake" school of Villa. Among the significant publications of this fertile period were: Filipino Poetry (1924) by Rodolfo Dato; English-German Anthology of Filipino Poets (1934) by Pablo Laslo; Jose Garcia Villas Many Voices (1939) and Poems of Doveglion (1941); Poems (1940) by Angela Manalang Gloria; Chorus for America: Six Philippine Poets (1942) by Carlos Bulosan; Zoilo Galangs A Child of Sorrow (1921), the first Filipino novel in English, and Box of Ashes and Other Stories (1925), the first collection of stories in book form; Villas Footnote to Youth: Tales of the Philippines an d Others (1933); The Wound and the Scar (1937) by Arturo Rotor, a collection of stories; Winds of April (1940) by NVM Gonzalez; His Native Soil (1941) by Juan C. Laya; Manuel Arguillas How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife and Other Stories ( 1941); Galangss Life and Success (1921), the first volume of essays in English; and the influential Literature and Society (1940) by

Salvador P. Lopez. Dramatic writing took a backseat due to the popularity of vaudeville and Tagalog movies, although it was kept alive by the playwright Wilfredo Ma. Guerrero. In 1940, the first Commonwealth Literary Awards were given by Pres. Manuel Quezon to the following winners: Salvador P. Lopez for Literature and Society (essay); Manuel Arguilla for How My Brother Leon Brought Home a Wife and Other Stories (short story); R. Zulueta da Costa for Like the Molave (poetry); and Juan C. Laya for His Native Soil (novel). During the Japanese Occupation when Tagalog was favored by the Japanese military authority, English writing was consigned to limbo. After the war however, it picked up anew and claimed the fervor and drive for excellence that continue to this day. Stevan Javellanas Without Seeing the Dawn (1947), the first postwar novel in English, was published in the USA. In 1946, the Barangay Writers Project was founded to help publish books in English. Against a background marked by political unrest and government battles with Hukbalahap guerrillas, writers in English in the postwar period honed their sense of craft and techniques. Among the writers who came to their own during this time were: Nick Joaquin, NVM Gonzalez, Francisco Arcellana, Carlos Bulosan, F. Sionil Jose, Ricaredo Demetillo, Kerima Polotan Tuvera, Carlos Angeles, Edilberto Tiempo, Amador Daguio, Estrella Alfon, Alejandrino Hufana, Gregorio Brillantes, Bienvenido Santos, Dominador Ilio, T.D. Agcaoili, Alejandro Roces, Sinai C. Hamada, Linda Ty-Casper, Virginia Moreno, Luis Dato, Gilda Cordero Fernando, Abelardo and Tarrosa Subido, Manuel A. Viray, Vicente Rivera Jr., and Oscar de Zuniga, among many others. Fresh from studies in American universities, usually as Fulbright or Rockefeller scholars, a number of these writers introduced New Criticism to the country and applied its tenets in literature classes and writing workshops. In this way were born the Silliman Writers Summer Workshop (started in 1962 by Edilberto and Edith Tiempo) and the U.P. Writers Summer Workshop (started in 1965 by the Department of English at the U.P.).To this day, these workshops help discover writing talents and develop them in their craft. The Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards in Literature were instituted in 1950 and became synonymous with quality literature and the new writers rite of passage to fame. It g ave awards in the various genres in English and Pilipino, and more recently, expanded its range to include categories for regional writings. Government recognition of literary merit took a turn for the better through the Republic Cultural Heritage Awards (1960), the Pro Patria Awards for Literature (1961), and the National Artist Awards (1973). Only the last survives today, and such honor and privilege had been given only to the following creative writers: Amado V. Hernandez and Jose Garcia Villa (1973), Nick Joaquin (1976), Carlos P. Romulo (1982), Francisco Arcellana (1990), NVM Gonzalez, and Rolando Tinio (1997) (Ed's note: Edith Tiempo was named National Artist in 2000). The prestigious international Magsaysay Award has also been given to just three Filipinos for their literary achievements: F. Sionil Jose, Nick Joaquin, and Bienvenido Lumbera. To this day, yearly awards are handed out by the Philippines Free Press and Graphic magazines for the best poetry and fiction published in their pages.

Like the Veronicans in the thirties, writers continued to form groups, the better to compete with and advance one anothers writings. Notable of these literary barkadas are the Ravens in the fifties (with Adrian Cristobal, Virginia Moreno, Alejandrino Hufana, Andres Cristobal Cruz, and Hilario Francia Jr., among others), the Bagay poets of Ateneo in the sixties (Rolando Tinio, Bienvenido Lumbera, Jose Lacaba, and Edgar Alegre), and the Philippine Literary Arts Council in the eighties ( Gemino H. Abad, Cirilo Bautista, Ricardo de Ungria, Alfrredo Navarro Salanga, and Alfred Yuson). In spite of a lack of a critical tradition, poetry and fiction in English continue to thrive and be written with depth, sophistication, and insight. Among the important and still active fictionists of recent years are: F.Sionil Jose, Erwin Castillo, Ninotchka Rosca, Antonio Enriquez, Resil Mojares, Renato Madrid, Wilfredo Nolledo, Alfred Yuson, Amadis Ma. Guerrero, Jose Dalisay Jr., Jaime An Lim, Eric Gamalinda, and Charlson Ong. And among the poets: Emmanuel Torres, Cirilo Bautista, Gemino Abad, Federico Licsi Espino Jr., Ophelia Alcantara Dimalanta, Emmanuel Lacaba, Marjorie Evasco, Simeon Dumdum Jr., Ma. Luisa Aguilar Carino, Anthony Tan, Elsa Coscoluella, Ramon Sunico, Ricardo de Ungria, and Marne Kilates. Dramatic writing never really took off after Guerrero and Joaquin, due perhaps to the awareness by the writers, especially in the seventies, of the implausibility and severe limitations of using English on stage. Nevertheless, theater in English continues to be presented through Broadway adaptations and the like by Repertory Philippines and other small drama groups. Not yet a hundred years old, Philippine writing in English has already established a tradition for itself and continues to help definetogether with the literatures in the regionsthe self and soul of the Filipino.

Filipino Values and Social Norms The Filipino society could be understood by looking on the peoples common and shared thought of social standards and a deeper sense of values system which set by its kahalagahan, kagalingan and kabuluhan that a social being should be able to follow to find him/her accepted in the collective group. I personally believe, that norms and values system of a society is a changing standard. Why so, because the consciousness of the people depends on their social practice. The determinants of Halaga: Katangian, Kagalingan and Kabuluhan varies a lot on what social class looks at it and what prevailing culture affects mainly the ruling and middle class. In the early communal times Filipinos used to pray to the anitos and bathala who lets nature give them abundant supply of food for their well-being and sustenance, for their protection and guidance. During the time that we still dont have doctors for the barrio, the albularyos and babaylan heal us by a mixture of herbal medicines and prayers to the gods an d beings. In a communal society, babaylan and albularyo who prays to the anitos and bathala for the well-being of a person or a groups endeavor is given a high social regard. They also play an important role to the society while their authenticity is challenged by how effective their healing process and prayers were. The people of cordillera the kalinga have a strong valuing system of life. They consider a wound by an evil doer to his victim as a threat to the life of the person. This evil doer is dealt with by the tribe accordingly; to kill or attempt to kill a member of the tribe will involve the tribesmen killing the villain to obtain justice. Life valuing of the Kalinga basically evolves in about life by respecting your own and that of others. The people of cordillera also have a high regard to their ancestral land being the land of their ancestors and the land where their children were raised and their people lived in. The valuing of ancestral land seems to be universal as this practice is not only seen in the practice of Filipino indigenous people but as well as of other races in some parts of the world too. During the Spanish colonization, Filipinos were forcibly subjected to accept a foreign culture even a foreign god. The Spaniards baptized, dressed and made us talk and understand espaol. Babaylans were murdered and condemned as they introduce to us a new religion: Catholicism: the holy family and the saints. A Filipino woman who used to dress in barot saya is made to wear European dresses. They were made to embody the characteristics of the Virgin Mary who was depicted to be meek, obedient, silent, prayerful and forbearing. The Spanish culture of sugal such as card games, mahjong and cockfighting as well as siesta permeated the culture of those who cannot and refuse to resist. Then presently we have the Americans, our valuing system was affected by what is in and acceptable in the American culture. The American standards influences as not only physically but psychologically and politically too. American music: pop, rock, ballad, r and b, and rap, American food: chocolates, apple, oranges, grapes, canned goods etc. The concept of beauty

became someone who possesses a white skin, high bridged nose, blue eyes, long legs and other Barbie doll characteristics. Truth has become so colored Filipinos can no longer define by himself what and who he really is. Sovereignty is jaded by the scare that we are a terrorist hotbed and a militarily weak country so we need to keep up Uncle sams help. Soverei gnty is sovereignty with uncle sams thumb meddling on our internal affairs such as the case of Nicole whose American rapist Daniel Smith was convicted by the Manila tribunal court but was rejected by the Supreme court through the aid of political pressures from the US of A. Today, we only have a few remnants of original and good Filipino values and norms. The large and overarching understanding of us as a people has become badly permeated by the culture of another posing Supra country. Making our true culture a subculture of another will affect the social practice and consciousness of a people thus, the norms and values system too. It has been terribly affected to show a social norms and values system detached from reality. To understand the norms and values system of the current generation, we must first consciously struggle to decolonize our minds. Look around, our alignment to the global competition has affected even the beggars; drop a coin and hell say thank you instead of salamat while I write about my peoples norms and valuing system in a foreign tongue.

Philippine Pop Culture Pop culture is short for popular culture. It refers to products that are generally recognized and enjoyed by the majority of the people. They are most often trendy, representing or playing upon current interests while at the same time building upon previous working formulas. Their popularity may not last but their influence is quite strong while they are popular. Pop culture has visual, auditory, technological, and gustatory aspects. Usually media influences play a large role in the popularizing of these aspects of culture. Its consumers are the general public, the masa (masses) and the bakya (uncultured). In the Philippines these people comprise 95 percent of the population, so Philippine culture is actually dominated by pop. Many of the elite see pop culture as lowbrow and look down on it. Love of pop culture is often stereotyped as a sign of poor taste and cheapness but in fact, within the general category of pop culture there are still degrees of quality. There are types of pop culture that are so much a part of Philippine life that all Filipinos have an attachment to these; there are those loved by particular groups, such as hip-hop or rock; there are those that seem lacking in value and quality but attract the uneducated. Philippine pop culture is easily recognized. Pinoy pop culture is an urban phenomenon. Often imitative, it is a fusion of folk, ethnic, foreign, and the masa. Most of all it is about the Pinoys.

Philippine Beliefs and Superstitions

Philippine beliefs and superstition have grown in number throughout the various regions and provinces in the country. These beliefs have come from the different saying and superstitions of our ancestors that aim to prevent danger from happening or to make a person refrain from doing something in particular. These beliefs are part of our culture, for one derives their beliefs from the influences of what their customs, traditions and culture have dictated to explain certain phenomena or to put a scare in people. Some are practiced primarily because Filipinos believe that there is nothing to lose if they will comply with these beliefs. The following are some of the different superstitions in the Philippines. Pregnancy All windows and doors should be wide close for the laboring mothers easy delivery. Krista Marie Gutierrez Pregnant women should avoid witnessing her husband, so that when born their babies would not have the habit of winking the eyes abnormally. An expectant mother should not act as sponsor in a baptismal ceremony to avoid difficulty in delivering her baby or to avoid the death of the fetus or of the newly baptized child. Sitting on the threshold of the house by a pregnant woman will result in a difficult delivery. Taking pictures of a pregnant woman will cause an abortion or a difficult delivery. An expectant mother should have her house neither constructed nor remodeled to avoid difficulty in delivering her baby. Do not partake of the food being eaten by an expecting mother. If you do, you will either become sleepy or will feel drowsy or sick. The new mother should avoid itchy or scratchy foods like gabi, and round fruits or root crops such as citrus, ube, tugui, and coconut for three weeks so her inner organs can return to normal. Do not leave the ladle on top or inside of the rice kettle, but set it aside until more rice is needed. This is done so that childbirth will not be difficult. A visitor must not sit or stand on the ladder or at the door, but come inside so that delivery will not be hard. The mother should not eat shellfish. These are slippery and if they are taken from the brook, the baby may be expelled from the womb. An expectant mother should not eat fish from pointed shells lest the baby have too much mucus or drool too much. A pregnant woman is not allowed to cut her hair, she will give birth to a bald baby.

Pregnant women should not cry because they will suffer a difficult birth, and the baby will become sensitive and a crybaby. Miscarriages only occur during the odd-numbered months of pregnancy. Taking a bath before delivery will hasten the birth of the baby, as well as of the placenta. An expectant mother should not participate in funeral activities. Doing so would endanger the mother and the baby during delivery. If a pregnant woman wears clothes which were hung overnight, the fetus will be affected. It is believed that when denied the food a pregnant mother likes, her child will salivate profusely and will be prone to vomiting. A pregnant woman should eat all the food on her plate, so that when she delivers, everything will come out, leaving her womb clean. A comb is submerged in coconut milk with sugar to make the mother's breast full of milk. General Health Sleeping after taking a bath during daytime or at night will result in blindness. A menstruating woman should not eat sweets lest blood flow stop and cause illness or death. Let a dog lick your wounds, and the wounds will be healed. Sleeping with wet hair makes one crazy. When one is wounded during high tide, much blood will ooze out. After circumcision, a boy should not step on a mortar or pestle; otherwise, his organ will grow as big as these. When one is sick with smallpox, he must be given all the things he wishes; otherwise he will die. The successive birth of four children of the same sex is believed to endanger the life of the parent of the same sex. Children are advised not to bite banana leaves, as this is believed to cause tooth decay. One should not eat mollusks when he has wounds, otherwise, his wounds will grow big. A sick person is always believed to grow worse when the moon is full. If the patient does not recover before one lunar month has elapsed and the moon once more assumes this phase, the case is considered hopeless. Taking a bath at night will cause anemia or low blood pressure. Taking a bath on New Years Day and/or Good Friday will cause one to get sick. If the family is eating and a member arrives, he is not permitted to join the others in the meal, for if this rule is violated and a member of the household becomes ill, the others may become ill too. Menstruating girls should not eat papaya to avoid whitish blood, nor liver or blood, as they will cause a strong flow. Asthma can be cured by putting a cat near the throat and the chest and at the same time reciting a prayer. Sore eyes can be cured by washing the eyes with the first urine early in the morning. A child who plays with fallen unripe coconuts will suffer body swelling. Parents who despise ugly children will bear an ugly child. Parents who despise or laugh at twins will have twins. Wedding Brides shouldnt try on their wedding dress before the wedding day or the wedding will not push through.

Knives and other sharp and pointed objects are said to be a bad choice for wedding gifts for this will lead to a broken marriage. Giving an arinola (chamberpot) as wedding gift is believed to bring good luck to newlyweds. Altar-bound couples are accident-prone and therefore must avoid long drives or traveling before their wedding day for safety. The groom who sits ahead of his bride during the wedding ceremony will be a henpecked husband. Rains during the wedding means prosperity and happiness for the newlyweds. A flame extinguished on one of the wedding candles means the one whose candle was extinguished will die ahead of the other. Throwing rice confetti at the newlyweds will bring them prosperity all their life. The groom must arrive before the bride at the church to avoid bad luck. Breaking something during the reception brings good luck to the newlyweds. The bride should step on the grooms foot while walking towards the altar if she wants him to agree to her every whim. A bride who wears pearls on her wedding will be an unhappy wife experiencing many heartaches and tears. Dropping the wedding ring, the veil, or the arrhae during the ceremony spells unhappiness for the couple. The member of the couple stands first after the ceremony, will die ahead of the other. A bride who cries during the wedding will bring bad luck to the marriage. It is bad omen for the newlywed couple if their parents cry during the wedding. Upon entering their new home, the couple should go up the stairs alongside each other so that neither one will dominate the other. An unwed girl who follows the footprints of a newlywed couple will marry soon. If a woman is widowed during the new moon, she will marry again. A person who habitually sits at the head of the table during meals will never marry. A lingering black butterfly is a sign that one of your relatives just died. A falling spider that lands on you is an omen that someone close to you will die. Do not form groups of three or thirteen, or one of you will die. If a person dreams of having his teeth pulled out, this mean that family member will die. Sometimes the soul temporarily leaves the body while in a deep sleep. Rousing a person at this time might kill him. When a tree that was planted upon the birth of a child dies, the child will also die. It is said that the soul of the deceased returns on the third, the fifth, and the seventh days after death. A coffin should be built to fit the corpse; otherwise, a family member of the deceased will soon die. Tears must not fall on the dead or on the coffin; this will make the dead persons journey to the next world a difficult one. If someone sneezes at a wake, pinch him lest he join the dead. During a wake, never see your visitors off at the door of the chapel or funeral parlor. A widow who caresses her dead husbands face will surely remarry. Do not sweep the house until after the burial.

Death

Always carry the coffin out of the house, church or funeral parlor head first. This prevents the soul of the dead from coming back. During the funeral march, a man whose wife is pregnant should not carry the casket. Before going home, he should light up a cigarette from a fire at the cemetery gate in order to shake off the spirits of the dead. Digging a hole larger than the coffin will cause an immediate relative to join the deceased in the grave. After the coffin has been lowered to the grave, all family members should take a handful of soil, spit on it and throw it in the grave. Doing so will not only bury any evil let behind by the deceased, but also lessen the burden of grief on the family as well. After the funeral service, do not go home directly so that the spirit of the dead person will not follow you to your house. Never let a child step over an open grave lest the spirit of the dead visit that child. Give away your black dresses after one year of mourning to prevent another death in the family. Body Marks and Shapes A person with a mole on his foot is a born adventurer. A person with a mole on his face will be successful in business. A person with a mole on the center of her nose will be rich but unhappy. A person with a mole close to his eye is attractive to the opposite sex. A mole on the hand signifies wealth or thievery. A mole on ones back is a sign of laziness. A person with big ears will have a long life. Women with wide hips will bear many children. People with naturally curly hair are moody or ill-tempered. People with eyebrows that almost meet easily get jealous. Men with hairy chests are playboys. A person with lines running from the palm of his hand to his fingers is successful in business. People whose teeth are spaced far apart are liars.

Filipino martial arts

A collection of training weapons used in an eskrima class. Includes a padded stick, a rattan stick, a wooden training knife, and a collection of modern aluminum training knives, or "trainers" made by Keen Edge Knives. Filipino Martial Arts refers to ancient and newer fighting methods devised in the Philippines, the most popular of which are known as Arnis/Eskrima/Kali. The intrinsic need for selfpreservation was the genesis of these systems. Throughout the ages, invaders and evolving local conflict imposed new dynamics for combat in the islands now making up the Philippines. The Filipino people developed battle skills as a direct result of an appreciation of their ever-changing circumstances. They learned often out of necessity how to prioritize, allocate and use common resources in combative situations. Filipinos have been heavily influenced by a phenomenon of cultural and linguistic mixture. Some of the specific mechanisms responsible for cultural and martial change extended from phenomena such as war, political and social systems, technology, trade and of course, simple practicality. Filipino martial arts have seen an increase in prominence due to several Hollywood movies and the teachings of modern masters such as Venancio "Anciong" Bacon, Dan Inosanto, Cacoy Canete, Mike Inay, Remy Presas and Ernesto Presas. History Today there are said to be almost as many Filipino fighting styles as there are islands in the Philippines. In 1972, the Philippine government included Filipino martial arts into the national sports arena. The Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports also incorporated them into the physical education curriculum for high school and college students. Knowledge of the Filipino fighting skills is mandatory in the Philippine military and police.

Filipino Martial Arts are considered the most advanced practical modern blade system in the world and are now a core component of the U.S. Army's Modern Army Combatives program[1] and used by the Russian Spetsnaz (special forces).[2][3][4] Weapons

Traditional bolos from the Visayas (ginunting on the left, and three talibongs). Filipino martial artists are noted for their ability to fight with weapons or empty hands interchangeably and their ability turn ordinary household items into lethal weapons. Weaponstraining takes precedence because they give an edge in real fights, gears students to psychologically face armed opponents, and any object that can be picked up can be used as a weapon using FMA techniques. Empty hands training is then taught as the stick is merely an extension of the hand. Another thing to note is that the Philippines is a blade culture. The Southern Philippines with the Moros were never really conquered by the Spaniards and the Americans; nor the Northern mountains of Luzon with their feared headhunter tribes so they kept their weapons and their fighting skills. For the more "civilized" provinces and the towns where citizens had been "disarmed", bolos (a cutting tool similar to the machete) and other knife variants are still commonly used for general work (farming in the provinces, chopping wood, coconuts, controlling talahib (sword grass), which could grow higher than roofs if not cut, etc.) and of course, the occasional bloody fight. Production of these weapons still survives and there are a few who still make some. In the province of Aklan, Talibongs are still being made in the remote areas.[5] Until the 80s, balisong knives were still commonly used in the streets of Manila as general purpose pocket knives much like Swiss army knives or box cutters until new laws on allowable kinds of knives made it illegal to carry them in public without a permit or proof that it was a vital to one's livelihood (e.g. Martial arts instructor, vendor). They're still openly sold in their birthplace of Batangas, in the streets of Quiapo, souvenir shops and martial arts stores, wielded by practitioners and of course, street gangs. Thus, even when fighting systems were outlawed by the Spaniards, Filipinos still maintained their centuries-old relationships with blades and blade fighting techniques that survive from ancient times and are still much alive as they have been adapted and evolved to stay relevant and practical in colonial and modern times.[6] What separates Filipino Martial Arts from other weapon-based martial arts like Japanese Kendo & Kenjutsu, European Fencing and traditional Chinese Martial arts that teach the usage of classical Chinese weapons is that FMA teaches weapon use that is practical today: how to use and deal with weapons that one can actually encounter in the streets and how to turn ordinary items into improvised weapons. No one walks around with sabers, katanas or jians anymore, but knives, machetes and clubs are still among commonly encountered weapons on the street and in the field, thus making FMA very practical and geared towards military and street fighting.

Traditional weaponry varies in design, size, weight, materials and usage but because of the similarity of techniques and that the human being can move in only so many ways, any object that can be picked up can be turned into a weapon by a Filipino martial artist as a force multiplier. Unarmed Mano Mano: (lit. hands to hand) Incorporates punches, kicks, elbows, knees, headbutts, finger-strikes, locks, blocks, grappling and disarming techniques Sikaran: Kicking techniques, also a kick-based separate art practiced in Rizal province Dumog: Filipino style of grappling. Buno: Filipino style of wrestling. Yaw-Yan or Sayaw ng Kamatayan: (Dance of Death) Yaw-Yan closely resembles Muay Thai, but differs in the hip-torquing motion as well as the downward-cutting nature of its kicks, and the emphasis on delivering attacks from long range (while Muay Thai focuses more on clinching). The forearm strikes, elbows, punches, dominating palms, and hand movements are empty-hand translations of the bladed weapons. There are 12 "bolo punches" which were patterned from Arnis. Impact Baston / Olisi: Short sticks, traditionally crafted from rattan or kamagong Bangkaw / Tongat: Staff, rod or pole Dulo-Dulo: Palmstick Tameng: Shield Improvised weapons: pens, keychains, keys (push knife grip), umbrellas, rolled-up newspapers/magazines, walking sticks, etc.

The walking stick in the middle of photo just left of the three arrows and right of the Luzon shield, doubles as an improvised weapon coming apart into two pieces, both with fixed blades on a long and short stick.

Pictured above is a closer look at the carving of a Negrito/Filipino man on top of the stick.

Also, a braid/weave encompasses the top portion of the walking stick to ensure a good grip.While partially unsheathed, we see the two blades hidden inside.Very rare from late 19th to early 20th century, beautiful weapon and great example of ingenuity and master craftsmanship of the people. Edged Daga/Cuchillo: Spanish for dagger or knife. Traditional varieties include the gunong, punyal and barung or barong Balisong: Foldable butterfly knife Karambit: Small blade shaped like a tiger claw Espada: Spanish for sword. Includes kampilan, ginunting, pinuti and talibong Kalis: Poison-bladed dagger, also known as kris Golok: Machete or broadsword Sibat: Spear Sundang: Single-edged thick short sword Lagaraw: Single-edged flexible long sword with a bent tip. And longer balls. Flexible Latigo: Whip Buntot Pagi: Stingray tail Lubid: Rope

Sarong Cadena / Tanikala: Chain Tabak-Toyok: Two sticks attached together by rope or chain, similar to nunchaku, but with shorter sticks and a longer chain Improvised: Belt, bandana, handkerchief, shirt, towel

Projectile Pana: Bow and arrow Sibat: Spear Sumpit: Blowpipe Bagakay: Darts Tirador/Pintik/Saltik: Slingshot Kana (as in Indian Pana Kakana-kana/kakanain kita): Darts propelled by slingshots used by street gangsters Lantaka: kerosene-propelled bamboo cannon Luthang: gas-powered mini bamboo cannon Training

Signs and symbols The triangle is one of the strongest geometrical structures and stands for strength. Many training halls incorporate the triangle into their logo. It represents numerous underlying philosophical, theoretical and metaphysical principles in the Filipino martial arts. Applications of the triangle are found in defensive and offensive tactical strategies, including footwork, stances, blocking and disarms. During training, non-verbal gesture communication and recognition is used in teaching and identification. This sign language, utilizing hand, body, and weapons signals, is used to convey ideas, desires, information, or commands. Basic tactical ranges The three combat ranges in the Filipino martial arts are corto (close-range), medio (mediumrange) and largo (long-range). Hakbang: general term for footwork Corto Mano: close range, short movements, minimal extension of arms, legs and weapons, cutting distance

Serrada: "split step", short range footwork, quick, split action, front and back, low stance. Serrada footwork is the base of a triangular framework methodology Largo Mano: long range, extended movements, full extension of arms, legs and weapons, creating distance Fraile: short range footwork, hopping action, balanced position, short hop, pushing off from the lead foot Ritriada: short range footwork, shuffling action, pushing backward by pushing off the lead foot, giving six to eight inches of range per action. Banda y banda: side to side action Basic tactical methods Filipino martial arts contain a wide range of tactical concepts, both armed and unarmed. Each art includes several of the methods listed below. Some of these concepts have been taken in isolation to serve as the foundation for entire fighting systems in themselves. Solo baston - single stick Doble Baston - double stick Bati-Bati - butt of stick methods Dulo-Dulo/Dulo y Dulo - palm stick methods Bantay-Kamay, Tapi-Tapi- "guardian hand" or "alive hand", auxiliary weapon used in conjunction with the primary weapon for checking, blocking, monitoring, trapping, locking, disarming, striking, cutting, etc. Examples include the empty hand when using a single stick or the dagger when fighting with sword and dagger Mano Mano, pangamut, pamuok - empty hands Baraw - knife and dagger Mano y Daga - hand and dagger Baston y Daga - stick and dagger Daga y Daga - pair of daggers Espada y Daga - sword and dagger Latigo y Daga - whip and dagger Tapon-Tapon - hand thrown knives and weapons tactics Numerado - striking and blocking by the numbers, refers to the most basic strikes and angles Cinco Teros - five strikes, refers to the five most basic strikes and counters Doblete - two-weapon blocking and countering method of doubles Sinawali - "weaving"; rhythmic, flowing, striking patterns and tactics, utilizing two impact or edged weapons. Redonda - circular double-stick vertical downward pattern of six strikes Ocho ocho - repeating pattern, strikes and tactics, such as the figure-eight. This also refers to a dance move. Palis Palis - meeting force with force Abaniko - fanning techniques Witik - whipping, snapping back or picking movements Lobtik - follow-through strikes; horizontal, vertical, diagonal methods Crossada - cross blocking methods, hands and weapons

Gunting - "scissors"; armed and unarmed scissoring techniques aimed at disabling an opponent's arm or hand Lock and block - dynamic countering, attacks based on the striking and blocking methods of the system Free flow - live interaction and play, flowing practice, rapid, rhythmic, weapons tactics Kadena De Mano - chain of hands, close quarters, continuous, empty-handed combat Hubud Lubud - to tie and untie, continuous trapping methods Trankada - joint locking and breaking techniques Kino mutai - a sub-section of pangamut that specializes in biting and eye-gouges Panganaw - disarming techniques Panantukan / Panuntukan, kulata, sumbagay - dirty street boxing method with elbows, headbutts and low kicks Pananjakman, Sipa, patid or sikad - low kicks (heel impact point) Suntukan - empty-hand striking (usually with closed fist) Dumog - wrestling or grappling methods with an emphasis on disabling or controlling the opponent by manipulation of the head and neck. This also refers directly to a wresting competition on muddy ground. Other traditional or "common sense" techniques: Balitok - acrobatic flip or back-flip to evade attacks. This can also be used in combination of kicking to hit opponents. Bikil, sapiti or sapid - hitting an opponent's center of gravity to cause imbalance Bunal, bangag or puspos - downward striking with a blunt weapon Bungot sa kanding - a goatee sported by men to supposedly intimidate or distract an opponent. Busdak - throwing an opponent down to the ground Dunggab, duslak or luba - stealthy stabbing stroke Dusmo - to push an opponent's face to the ground Hapak or sumbag - packed punch aimed to take down an opponent Hata - fake movement intended to open up opponent's defensive stance Kawras or kamras - scratching attack to sensitive parts such as the eyes Ku-ot or kumot - stealthy grabbing and grappling of body parts such as hair Kulata - combo punches to disable or overwhelm an opponnent Laparo or tamparos - slapping using the lower part of the palm Lihay - evading attacks Lubag - twisting of joints to unnatural position to disable a physically stronger opponent. This includes a lethal twisting and snapping of the neck. Luglog - forward striking (or stabbing) and immediate withdrawal with a blunt weapon. It could also refer to poking sensitive body parts such as the eyes Pa-ak - biting Pakug - headbutting Sablig - throwing natural eye irritants such as sand to the unwary opponent Sagang - blocking of striking attacks

Tigbas - slashing and cutting stroke Tu-ok - strangling or locking the neck Esoteric practices Agimat: An eskrimador's amulet worn to protect against misfortune and increase the chance of victory. Also known as habak or anting-anting. It was superstitiously believed that Manny Pacquiao possessed one. Albularyo: A shaman who carries out the initiation ceremony and treats injuries Hilot: A traditional system of herbalism, massage and first-aid that was traditionally taught alongside martial arts Kulam or Barang : Witchcraft or spell-rituals carried out by witch-doctors. Also known as barang in Visayas. Oracion: Special prayers, incantations or mantra that may be recited before battle as a protective armor. This is also used for driving out or summoning spiritual entities. This is usually written in Latin language.