KINTANAR – LOMBOY – LUMOGDA - MASAYON

Humans have become increasingly unkind toward

those who differ in terms of race, ethnicity, religion,
sex, gender or socio-economic class. We have made
“differences” an excuse for prejudice and discrimination.
Ethnic and religious have turned into full-blown armed
conflicts which have annihilated numerous lives. Hence,
building tolerance for diversity becomes an imperative in
a world where hatred for differences has become a
justification for violence.
 Is the negative
feeling or attitude
towards a person or a
group even if it lacks
basis (Allport, 1958)
Refers to the
negative opinion about
a person or group
based on incomplete Refers to
knowledge negative actions
toward members of a
specific social group
that may be
manifested in
avoidance, aversion or
even violence
(Franzoi, 1986)
 There are diverse theories as to origin,
transmission and maintenance of prejudice. One strong
theory on its cause is the Social Learning Theory
(Altemeyer, 1981). Prejudice is simply passed along,
sometimes for generations, and is reinforced in various
institutions including the family, school and media.
Prejudice is said to stem as well from ignorance or from
lack of information (Bethlehem, 1985). It may also be
due to one’s tendency to think highly of oneself and of
the group to which one belongs, resulting denigration of
the attributes of others outside it (Social Identity
Theory, Tajfel & Turner, 1979)
RACISM – the belief that one’s own cultural or racial heritage is innately
superior to that of others, hence, the lack or respect or appreciation for
those who belong to a “different race”

SEXISM – a system of attitudes, actions and institutional structures that

subordinate women on the basis of their sex (Mcginnis & Oehlberg,
1995).

HETEROSEXISM – negative attitude toward lesbians and gay men.

CLASSISM – distancing from and perceiving the poor “the other” (Lott, 1995)
LINGUICISM – negative attitudes members of dominant language
groups hold against non-dominant language groups (Chen-Hayes,
Chen & Athar, n.d.)

AGEISM – negative attitudes held against the young or the elderly

LOOKSISM – prejudice against those who do not measure up to set

standards of beauty. The usual victims are the overweight, the
undersized, and the dark-skinned (Nario-Galace, 2003)

RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE – prejudice against those who are followers

or religions other than one’s own
Those who are unable to Bobo (slow), loser, mangmang (ignorant), indio
speak good English (stupid), mahirap (poor), engot (stupid), aktibista
(activist), taga-probinsya (from the province

Those who are on the heavy Baboy (pig), pangit (ugly), masiba (gluton), walang
side (no) love life

Those who are too smart Boring, loner, jologs (unfashioned), sipsip (apple
polisher), teacher’s pet, walang kaibigan (no
friends), mapangmata (condescending), walang (no)
social life, weird
Those who are very good Bading (gay/lesbian), mayabang (proud), maarte
looking (stagy), slut, social climber, bilib sa sarili
(conceited), bobo (slow), suplado (snob), kikay
(flirt), maldita (bitch)

Those who are from the Baduy (unfashionable), uncivilized, jologs

rural areas/province (unfashionable), losyang (unfashionable), katulong
(domestic helper), tanga (stupid), aswang (witchy),
ignorante (ignorant)

Those who are fair-skinned Maarte (stagy), feeling superior, mayaman (rich),
matapobre (condescending), mayabang (proud)

Those who are dark-skinned Pangit (ugly), poor, squatter, masamang damo
(black sheep), di mapagkakatiwalaan (cannot be
trusted), magnanakaw (thief), construction worker
Those who are fair-skinned Maarte (stagy), feeling superior, mayaman
(rich), matapobre (condescending), mayabang
(proud)
Those who are dark-skinned Pangit (ugly), poor, squatter, masamang damo
(black sheep), di mapagkakatiwalaan (cannot
be trusted), magnanakaw (thief), construction
worker
Those who are rich Matapobre (condenscending), mayabang
(proud), nagtratrabaho sa gobyerno (works for
the government), madamot (miserly),
mapanag-api (oppressive), maselan (picky),
user, corrupt
Americans Mayabang (proud), egoistic, manipulator,
oportunista (opportunist), racist, materialistic,
walang galang (rude), arogante (arrogant),
feeling superior
Muslims Kidnapper, violent, traior, terrorist, killer, pala-
away (war freak), bandido (goon), agresibo
(aggressive), fanatics
Elderly Self-righteous, all knowing, sensitive, cranky,
istrikto (stict), useless, narrow-minded, old
school
Children/youth Sutil (stubborn), irresponsible (irresponsible),
pasaway (brat), walang alam (knows nothing),
marupok (bold), rebellious, bastos (rude),
destructive, egocentric
Men (boastful), superior, bolero (phony), babaero
(womanizer), sugarol (gambler), manyak
(maniac), basagulero (war freak), batugan (lazy),
agresibo (aggressive), egoistic, power tripper
Women Emotional, fickle-minded, mahina (weak),
bungagera (nagger), tsismosa (chatty), flirt, sa
bahay lang dapat (house bound), mababaw
(superficial), vain, materialistic, iyakin (cry
baby), maarte (stagy)
THE TWINNING PROJECT BETWEEN MIRIAM COLLEGE AND RAJAH MUDA HIGH
SCHOOL

A “twinning project” exist between Miriam College (MC), a

private Catholic school located in Quezon City, Metro Manila, and
Rajah Muda High School (RMHS), a public school attended by
Muslims located in Pikit, Cotabato, a conflict-affected are in
Central Mindanao. The theme of the project is “Building Bridges
of Understanding and Peace” and its preliminary objective is to
enable both MC and RMHS students to gain a better
understanding of each other’s culture and to break down the
barriers of prejudice that currently exist between students of the
two schools and pen friendship have developed.
 The Twinning project has gone beyond mail exchange.
A joint newsletter is regularly published that features
reflection-essays, poetry and drawings that are contributed
by students from both schools. Their contributions showed
how they appreciated the experience of writing to each other;
developing friendships with one another; realizing the
problems of the Rajah Muda community because of the
armed conflict; and understanding the need of justice,
cooperation, solidarity; And mutual respect and acceptance
despite differences. The name of the newsletter is “pag-asa”,
a o word that means hope and is used in both Tagalog and
Maguindanaon, the languages of the students. It is fitting
name of hope is an essential element of peacebuilding.
 A high point of the project came when the students were
given the chance to meet. The workshop gave the pen friends a
venue for dialogue and a step further to promote intercultural
reconciliation.
Indeed, the society we live in has a long list of divided, like
the gaps between differing cultures, religions and ethnicities.
These are gaps that can very well be narrowed. The two schools
embarked on one simple yet meaningful project to address this
gap. And we now see that they are seceding gradually in bridging
it.