Blake Clinton Y.

Dy/March 31, 2007

National/Transnational: S !"ect #or$ation an% Me%ia in an% on the &hili''ines The conce't o( the nation has al)ays !een the s !"ect o( %e!ate thro *ho t the history o( the aca%e$e. +hile it is si$'le in %e(inition, !ein* $erely a share% i%entity !et)een a si,a!le *ro ' o( 'eo'le the s'eci(ics o( its e-istence, o'eration an% alteration ha.e .arie% (ro$ a thor to a thor. +here %oes in%i.i% ality en% an% the share% i%entity !e*in/ +hat !rin*s a!o t chan*e in the national i%entity/ This iss e is ( rther $ %%le% )ith the intr sion o( (orei*n i%eas intro% ce% !y a con0 erin*/he*e$onic 'o)er an% the ine.ita!le inter$in*lin* )ith other nation *ro 's % e to *lo!ali,ation, tra%e an% $e%ia. The en% res lt is that the in%i.i% al is le(t )ith a h *e $orass o( co$'etin* tterly %i.er*ent i%eas (ro$ )hich to co!!le to*ether a )orkin* i%entity (or hi$sel( that is a co$'ro$ise o( his or her in%i.i% ality an% the nation1s collecti.e i$a*e. This is 'ointe%ly %e$onstrate% !y the )o$an )earin* !oth nati.e an% )estern *ra! %e'icte% in the !ook1s co.er an% re(erre% to in the intro% ction. The latter so rce in 'artic lar na$ely $e%ia has !eco$e 'o)er( l in the last %eca%e in s !"ecti.ely %e(inin* the nation, !ein* !oth a so rce o( chan*e an% a re(lection o( the nation1s c rrent 'ercei.e% state o( !ein*. 2t is also thro *h its .aryin* re'resentations o( the &hili''ines that )e can clearly )itness the inter(acin* !et)een the nation3s'ace an% he*e$onic 'o)er, !et)een national an% transnational in the nation1s s !"ect (or$ation 2t is (or this reason that 4olan%o Tolentino has taken 'artic lar interest in this (iel% o( st %y. 2t is in his !elie( that

$e%ia re'resentations ha.e !eco$e the 'ri$ary terrain in )hich the inter(acin* $ani(ests itsel( into !ein* an% that it 'ro.i%es !oth tension an% .aryin* %e*rees o( a**ra.ation to the analysis o( c lt ral 'olitics. Thro *h the st %y o( $e%ia re'resentations )e can locate the %is" nct res or chan*es o( the .aryin* $o%es 5s !.ersion, ne*otiation, %o$ination, etc6 o( the inter'lay o( 'o)er in s !"ect (or$ation. 7 co$'rehensi.e analysis o( s ch )o l% yiel% a !etter n%erstan%in* o( the 'o)er relations !et)een the national an% transnational (orces that sha'e the &hili''ines1 i%entity. Tolentino acco$'lishes this task !y 'resentin* to s a series o( essays that locate the .ario s sites o( 'o)er 'lay in s !"ect (or$ation. This is %one !y the scr tiny an% analysis o( .ario s $ani(estations o( the $e%ia on ho) they sit ate% the #ili'ino !o%y in the national an% transnational s'ace. 8e then *oes ( rther to sho) s the reasons an% $oti.ations (or s ch a 'ortrayal an% cross

re(erences s ch i%eas )ith e-istin* $e%ia %isco rses !oth national an% transnational in ori*in. The a thor has %i.i%e% his )ork into three sections, the (irst section )hich he has title% National/Transnational Dis" nct re, 'resents .ario s conten%in* iss es in the (or$ation o( the nation. The to'ics !ein* 'ri$arily associate% )ith national in(l ences )hich ha.e arisen in the )ake o( the co ntry1s .aryin* 'erio%s o( coloni,ation. The (irst essay, #ili'inas in the Transnational S'ace %isc sses the sit ation o( the $ail or%er !ri%es 'ro.i%in* an analysis o( their $arketin* $o%es 5letters, 'acka*in*, catalo*s, etc6 at the c lt ral le.el 5racial stereoty'es, *en%er roles, etc6 an% the socio'olitical le.el 5econo$ics,

%e.elo'$ent, etc6. 2t also st %ies their 'osition in the transnational s'ace in the conte-t o( the colonial an% ca'italist history o( he*e$onic 'o)ers 'artic larly the 9nite% States an% ho) it s'eaks o( the relationshi' o r nation has )ith the )orl%1s sole re$ainin* s 'er'o)er. 2nan*!ayan, the secon% essay is a st %y o( %irector :ino Brocka1s t)o (il$s Bayan ;o: ;a'it sa &atali$ an% <ra'rono!is in the conte-t o( the conce't o( 2nan*!ayan, the (e$ale c lt ral re'resentation that ins'ires the 'eo'le to nationalis$. 8e also %isc sses its .aryin* inter'retations o( this conce't across .aryin* lines o( class an% nationality citin* the =DS7 re.ol tion as an e-a$'le. #inally the thir% essay, 2ss es o( the #ili'ino/a in 7sia3&aci(ic 7$erican Me%ia 7rts tackles the iss e o( the #ili'ino37$erican1s chan*in* re'resentations in the eyes o( 7$erica an% its %istinct character that stan%s se'arate o( the !lanket cate*ory 7sian &aci(ic 7$erican. The secon% 'ortion o( the !ook is calle% Colonial an% 2$'erial :ocalities. 2t %isc sses the historical 'enetration o( colonialis$ an% i$'erialis$ in .ario s areas o( the co ntry essentially sho)in* s the i$'act o r coloni,ers ha.e ha% on the national i%entity an% )hat e((ect )e ha.e ha% on the$. Nations, Nationalis$s, an% :os lti$os %e #ili'inas 5The :ast (ro$ the &hili''ines6 is an analysis o( the S'anish =$'ire on the )ane thro *h the lens o( the (il$ The :ast (ro$ the &hili''ines. 2t analy,es the 'rocess that #ranco le% S'ain, e$er*in* (ro$ a !loo%y ci.il )ar atte$'ts to (or*e its o)n nationalis$ !y $ar*inali,in* another nation1s history. The essay also 'oints o t in its concl sion the lastin* le*acy o( colonial $entality le(t !y the S'aniar%s. ;i%lat Tahi$ik in the 4hetori o( the #irst +orl% Critical Theory is a criti0 e o( #re%rick >a$eson1s analysis o(

in%e'en%ent (il$$aker, ;i%lat Tahi$ik1s $o.ies an% his %e(inition o( the Thir% +orl%. S !"ecti.ity an% Nation in #ili'ino 7 to!io*ra'hical Doc $entaries tackles iss es arisin* (ro$ a to!io*ra'hical (il$s as a $eans o( sel(3 re'resentation an% their e((ect on the national i%entity. The (inal section o( the !ook has !een ! %%e% 7sia &aci(ic 2$a*inations an% these series o( essays analy,es ho) the &hili''ine i$a*e is 'ro% ce% !y the $any nations o( the 7sia &aci(ic *i.in* s a nei*h!ors .ie) on o r o)n nation. The (irst essay, 7rchi'ela*ic S'ace an% So theast 7sian Cine$as e-a$ines the .arie% notions that se.eral co ntries ha.e on the to'ic o( nationhoo% an% %e.elo'$ent thro *h the lens o( the (il$, So thern +in%s an% ho) these notions are share% an% conteste%. ?eo'olitical S'ace an% the Chinese City #il$s analy,es .ario s (il$s set in the r!an en.irons an% treats the$ as sy$'to$atic o( the e((ect o( transnationali,ation an% $o%ernity on the re*ion in its con(i* ration o( the in%i.i% al, city an% nation. The closin* essay o( this !ook @S !contractin*A 2$a*ination an% 2$a*eries o( Bo%ies an% Nations %eals )ith 7sia1s 'erce'tion o( itsel( thro *h its cine$as. ?i.en the risin* 'ro$inence o( the re*ion 7sians ha.e ha% $ore (ree%o$ to %e(ine the$sel.es on their o)n ter$s as o''ose% to those i$'ose% on the$ !y he*e$onic 'o)ers in +est. This essay e-a$ines ho) this ne) (o n% (ree%o$ (or %e(inition a((ects the &hili''ine national i%entity. +hen taken as a )hole Tolentino o((ers a re(reshin* take on 'o)er relations !et)een 7sia an% the +est )ith the a%%e% t)ist o( %oin* so thro *h the lens o( one o( $e%ia1s $ost 'o' lar $e%i $s na$ely cine$a this tho *h can

also !e seen as its *reatest (ailin*. The se o( cine$a as a " sti(yin* (actor (or $any o( its ar* $ents act ally casts %o !t on the a thenticity o( its assertions that ha% they !een !acke% )ith n $erical an% (act al %ata )o l% ha.e %ra)n a''la se (ro$ $any a 'olitical scientist 5$ysel( incl %e%6. This 0 ite re*retta!le since in its entirety the essays containe% the in the !ook are )ell researche%. # rther$ore 2 $ st say that Tolentino1s )ork )hile *rati(yin* to (inish is har%ly an en"oya!le )ork to rea%. 8is e-'lanations are lon*)in%e% an% circ lar !or%erin* on 'reachin*, takin* se.eral 'a*es to e-'lain re'eate%ly )hat can nor$ally !e sai% an% ill strate% in less than a 'ara*ra'h or e.en a sentence 5tho *h the sa$e can !e sai% (or $ost o( the aca%e$ic co$$ nity6. 2n (act yo can *et $ost o( his core i%eas !y rea%in* his intro% ction rather than ha.in* to slo* thro *h $ost o( the te-t. 8is .oca! lary is hi*hly technical an%

co$'licate% an% this sit ation is ( rther a**ra.ate% !y the (act that he %oes not take the ti$e to e-'lain their sa*e an% $eanin*s or to 'ro.i%e a *lossary (or the !ene(it o( the rea%er. <.erall the !ook is an e-ce'tional )ell3)ritten )ork ! t it is hi*hly selecti.e in its rea%ershi'. 7ca%e$ics )o l% (in% this !ook entertainin* )hile the co$$on $an 5$ysel( incl %e%6 )o l% $ore likely *roan an% toss it !ack to the li!rary (ro$ )hence it ca$e.