A decade of many “firsts”, it was a period

when the Filipino began to manifest a sense

of nationalistic pride.

“Man of the
Philippine Pop Culture Masses”
President Ramon
What is considered as pop culture? MAgsaysay wore
the Barong Tagalog
Philippine Pop Culture in his inauguration
and in all official
Examples of pop culture items include film, affairs - the first for a Filipino to don the
television programs and commercials, video national garment.
games, internet memes, brand names and
symbols, sports, slang words and catch 1950s
phrases, clothing fads and even foods. The first golden age
of Philippine Cinema
1950’s with the booming of
During this decade, the Philippines can be the Filipino film
best described as a nation trying to establish industry. Four big
its own identity. production studios
{LVN Pictures,
Sampaguita Pictures, Premiere Productions
and Lebran International)
In !969, Gloria Diaz won
1960s the first-ever Miss
The decade witnessed the demolition of the Universe crown for the
traditional Filipino gender culture with the Philippines.
emergence of Filipinas and their renewed role
in society. On June 18, 1960, the Bureau of
Women and Minors was created under the
Department of Labor, with the purpose of
protecting the welfare of working women and 1970’s
minors. It was opened by the visit
of Pope Paul VI in1970,
Filipina actresses Vilma making him the first-ever
Santos and Nora Aunor were leader of the Catholic
discovered, who eventually Church to set foot.
became superstars for their
generation and beyond. President Ferdinand
Marcos’s declaration of
Filipiniana dress was Martial Law in 1972 fueled
popularized by former first political awakening
Lady Imelda Marcos, which among Filipinos
later became a notable during that time.
fashion statement.
Filipina beauties continued to shine brightly as Gabi Bayan were easily identifiable for
Aurora Pijuan bagged the MIss International Filipinos, too.
title in !970 followed by our second Miss
Universe crown by Margie Moran in 1973.
It was also in this
decade that the
1980’s country’s first transit
It was an era of breakthroughs and novel system, the Light Rail
ideas. Transit !, was built.
THese developments
Noel Cabangon and rooted in originally
the rest of his band spurred the Filipinos
buklod emerged in the on to the next decade.
local music scene with
socio-political-cultural 1990’s
hits such as “Tatsulok”
and “Kanlungan.” 1990s
Original Pinoy Music
Proudly local shows like flourished. One of the most
Balibot, That’s prominent acts of the
Entertainment, Ipaglaban decade was Master
Mo! And magandang Rapper Frances
Magalona. His
groundbreaking hit “Mga
Kababayan Ko” on 1990 served as the 2000s
foundation of Filipino Rap music. Asianovelas have become a staple of every
channel’s daily programming. Following the
Several acts followed suit, trend, local TV networks started remaking
including legendary some of the popular shows such as My Name
alternative rock band is Kim Sam Soon, Lovers in Paris, Temptation
Eraserheads who wrote of WIfe, and My Girl because of its huge
the “PAra sa Masa” in following.
1997, sung by various
artists including Noel
Cabangon, Barbie Biggest celebrities
Almalbis, Ebe DAncel, and also came from
YAel Yuzon to name a few. reality and talent
competition
programs in the
Despite the 2000s like Pinoy
Calamities that Big Brother,
occurred, Filipino Startstruck, and
spirit remained Star Circle Quest.
resilient with music
as its sanctuary.

This decade also

started bizarre
makeup and beauty trends. Crimped hair and
chunky highlights were everyone’s favorite
hairstyles. Thin eyebrows, glossy lipsticks,
colorful eyeshadows and dark eyeliners was
the decade’s version of makeup on fleek.

PHILIPPINE POP CULTURE

An earmark of Pinoy Pop is imitation. Filipinos

love to copy everything. Singing stars copy
the styles of pop idols. Movie makers pirate
movie plots. Restaurants, shops, fashion,
architecture and interior design and glossy
magazines copy all the latest foreign trends.

FLIP TOP: MODERN DAY POETRY

Poetry had long since been

considered as a form of classical art. It is a
literary endeavor than purposely uses
aesthetic and rhythmic qualities of language.
The fullness of each line's meaning is not
dependent on the linguistic and grammatical portray the experiences the earlier Filipinos
completeness of the sentence, but rather on had during their time.
the deeper thought buried underneath the
statements that were used. The totality of the Even after knowing how majestic
poem could not be grasped by merely poetry is, we couldn't deny the fact that at
reading; it entails a more intricate present, it wasn't as well-viewed as before.
understanding of the matter at hand. It is You wouldn't see a random person who would
usually sublime, so those without the keen sit under a tree with a paper and pen, silently
intellect and right perspective were bound to absorbing the aura of his surroundings and
fail in trying to make sense of each piece. taking inspiration for his literature. You
Poems serve as an effective vehicle to couldn't make students write poems without
convey emotions, beliefs and principles. hearing them complain about how this activity
During the old times up until now, even the would make their heads ache and their noses
criticisms regarding social issues were bleed. You wouldn't even have friends who
creatively hidden behind flowers and flattery. would rather read poems than Wattpad
Here in the Philippines, who would ever forget stories, or blogs for that matter. Unlike in the
our precious literary pieces? We have an earlier times when it was considered as a past
abundant collection of awit, korido, and epics, time, poetry nowadays was removed from the
all written in poetry. And of course, the ever everyday activities, so less and less are being
famous Balagtasan by Baltazar tops our list. inclined to it. However, we also cannot say
These forms provided a large part of our that it doesn't exist anymore. Truth is, as time
indigenous history; the elements of these went by, as society and leading ideologies
works reflected the social structure and changed, poetry was also transformed into
condition of our forefathers. The stories itself another form.
 lines used in Fliptop could be very offensive,
Who says balagtasan is already dead? Make seemingly attacking the opponent in a rather
way for Fliptop, our contemporary Pinoy personal level. There were even times when
poetry. the physical aspect of the player, more so his
upbringing, was being put into the center of
Often coined as the "modern day ridicule. If this is so, why do we consider
balagtasan", it is a battle between two people Fliptop as something similar to balagtasan,
using words as their weapon. They use the particularly as a literary art?
balagtasan-style of debate, the art of publicly The Digital Age Has Changed
arguing in an extemporaneous, scaled and Culture, Communication and Business
rhymed format. It is a form incorporated with Management Skills
rap, and as we all know, rap was also a huge
artistic phenomenon before. As a combination Communication has an incredible
of rap and balagtasan, Fliptop easily entered effect on our lives. It is how we interact with
the Filipino culture. It was founded as an each other, gain information, and learn new
organized movement by Aric 'Anygma' Yuson things. Communication takes many forms and
in 2010, and it steered a huge crowd in mediums throughout history; from oral
Youtube. It was a big hit for people of all histories and stories, to cave paintings, to
ages, especially for the teenagers. However, town criers and newsboys shouting "Extra,
as its popularity and influence shoot up, extra, read all about it on" street corners, to
criticisms arose as well. Some people take twenty-four hour news cycles. We just can't
fault in its comparison to Balagtasan. For seem to get enough communication. In
them, Fliptop is nothing but a street smart's today's digital age, it is easier than ever to find
game, senseless and vulgar. Apparently, the information, but what impact has this new-
found accessibility had on our perceptions, young child in a completely unconscious
our culture and the way we manage manner, by osmosis so to speak. Words and
business? the meaning of words predispose the child to
think and act automatically in certain ways.
The serious study of the impact media [...] Electric technology fosters and
has on culture began some 50 years ago encourages unification and involvement. It is
when Marshall McLuhan published his impossible to understand social and cultural
famous work, Understanding Media: The changes without a knowledge of the workings
Extensions of Man. This seminal piece of of media." (Emphasis added)'.
literature builds upon his famous theory and
coining of the term "The medium is the The Digital Age Has Changed Everything
message." Twenty years later he expanded
on his original theories in The Medium is the To understand the workings of media,
Massage: An Inventory of Effects. In it. as McLuhan advised, one must also
understand that the format, the medium, and
McLuhan died in 1980, the same year the shape of the way we project,
CNN launched. His insights about the impact communicate, or demonstrate our ideas
of media still resonate today. shapes the message itself. Today's digital
devices demand our constant attention,
"Societies have always been shaped completely changing the ways we interact,
more by the nature of the media by which advertise, work, entertain, gain knowledge,
men communicate than by the content of the conduct business, create, communicate and
communication. The alphabet, for instance, is so much more.
a technology that is absorbed by the very
 Now, you can talk to anyone at any gather together in far-flung global
time. Ideas can flow quickly and are often communities. They can easily gather in chat
quite explosive. Managers are finding they rooms, YouTube communities, and online
need to communicate with younger forums to share personal stories or provide
employees in a whole new manner. advice. Business managers will need to do
Businesses that do not understand the more to ferret out these new communities in
explosive nature of the digital communication order to find advocates and influencers who
network can often find themselves struggling can help them build a brand message.
to catch up with a negative storyline. If
McLuhan conjectured that "The goose quill As a result of photography's,
put an end to talk," should we also ask perpetuated by digitization, impact, we have
ourselves, "The internet put an end to what?" become a much more visual society. Images
and photography have become an integral
The digital revolution has given us the part of our culture and understanding. In fact,
ability to easily copy and replicate things. Maria Popova took Susan Sontag's On
While this maybe helpful in championing a Photography and applied it to today's media
product on the digital highway, it also means obsessed culture in "The Susan Sontag Guide
managers will need to work harder to protect to Photography in the Age of Digital Culture."
their original ideas, product innovations, and While Sontag observed that there are a great
copyrighted insights. Culturally, digital has number of images grabbing for our attention,
changed the way we identify with one another "[...] photographs alter and enlarge our
and form communities. While 20th century notions of what is worth looking at and what
consumers bonded in tight-knit we have a right to observe," Popova
neighborhoods, today's target demographics concludes that events only happen now to be
photographed and put on our "timeline" or share very personal things about themselves.
"profile," saying they were filled with notable [...] [On the other hand] out spills rude
moments. "Ultimately, having an experience language, harsh criticisms, anger, hatred,
becomes identical with taking a photograph of even threats."""This feeling of over-familiarity
it, and participating in a public event comes confers undue credulity and equality on even
more and more to be equivalent to looking at the most pedestrian of bloggers. "No one
it in photographed form, ""6 knows your credentials or lack thereof, so you
are taken as seriously as everyone else."8
Now we are overrun with images,
meaning that businesses will need to work How can businesses stand out in what is now
even harder to stand out in a world of visual considered to be an equal playing field where
overload. Imagery and photographs used in everyone and anyone can create a website or
communication and marketing must be clear, blog, and say what they want? Perhaps they
precise and meaningful. They need to add to can take a lesson from the way today's
the storylines that consumers are creating for celebrities, who are learning to interact with
themselves. their fans in a whole new way. "Prior to
computers, magazines and cinema were the
Digital Has Changed the Way we sole outlets influencing your perception of
Communicate beauty." Now, "[Stars'] lives are chronicled on
a daily basis thanks to Twitter, blogs, online
The dynamics of communication change in magazines and other easily attainable media,
cyberspace; people are more open and do not creating an almost intimate relationship
use as many filters as they would in face-to- between the public and the stars."10 While
face communications. "Sometimes people stars and celebrity fan sites may be focused
on perceptions of gossip, beauty and the introduction of the printing press."13
popularity, business managers can use these Recently, we have faced another revolution of
very same outlets to build similar, almost communication, the digital age. But even he
intimate relationships with the consuming might have difficulty formulating an effective
public. approach to today's employees, business
colleagues and consumers.
Our Sense of Self-Identity is Changing
Online capabilities allow people to take Building upon the evolution from quill
on virtually any personality or body form. pen and printing press to cyberspace, what is
There are "Avatar representations of who you today's business managers to do to maneuver
are,' but you can change them as you wish." this revolution of technology, communication,
This flexibility of personality makes it possible and identity in order to appeal to their target
for celebrities to occupy multiple identities at audience? They could rely on the skills of
once (such as Beyonce/Sasha Fierce), and anthropologists and ethnographers to help
for multiple people and graphics to occupy the them understand the cultural changes in
same identity or role/function, similar to the society, and their business sensibilities,
Lara Croft, the pope, and kings." advising them accordingly to adapt.
This blurring of the individual, cultural,
and societal lines makes managing and
marketing even more challenging in the 21st
century. "McLuhan recognized how our
society had changed radically with the
introduction of the visual language of writing
and the further widespread impact following