Jesse (Southern Cailfornia)
by Tiki Tattoo in Lacey, WA 

Are we really related?

If you go online and use the words Filipino and Polynesian as keywords, you’ll actually find out that Filipinos are being questioned as to whether have Polynesian lineage as well since we have the same resemblance. Some say we are and others say there’s no connection at all. A number of blabbermouths argues that we are both.

The truth is, Filipinos are Asians but also geographically located in the Pacific Ocean or Oceana (Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia) in which inhabitants are called Pacific Islanders. And so, since our country lies within the boundaries of Pacific Ocean, did just make us Pacific Islanders or Polynesians? No. Though Philippines is located within the boundaries of Pacific Ocean, it isn’t a part of Oceania. Polynesia is polys or many and nesos or island and not many Asians just like some of us believe.

Marn (Toronto, Canada)
Sun, 3 Stars, Consummatum Est by Chris of Adrenaline
“My ink represent my love for the Philippines. And the Latin script below is what Jose Rizal said before he was shot.”

Rizal’s reign, is it finished? Uh-oh. When we hear the name Jose Rizal the first thing that pops up in our minds is the word hero. Little did we know that for some, he is the real Son of God. In the Philippines, a group based in Bataan called Banal na Iglesia ng Bathalang Buhay venerates Rizal as if he is the real Messiah.

If one takes a deeper look, members of the group or Rizalians’ belief is quite intriguing. Rizal as the Son of God may not be acceptable for devoted Catholics as he was excommunicated by the Church throughout his time. Just imagine the chaos that might have occurred when Rizal was proposed to be elevated to sainthood during the 1980s.

Only in the Philippines!

Jeng (Texas)
3 Stars and the Sun by Monster Tattoo

Mirasol is sight of the sun in English translation. But it can also be a sunflower and even someone else’s last name just like the owner of the tattoo above (now you know his complete name). Having said this, have you ever wondered why most of the Filipino last names are of Spanish origin?

Back then, during the colonial period, Spanish officials were going gaga every tax collection activities since members of the same family did not have the same last name. The father can be a Bonifacio and the son can be a Rizal. So, to make things more organized, Governor General Narciso Claveria issued the Alphabetical Catalogue of Surnames, mainly of Spanish names. It has been said, though not proven, that Filipinos should pick up a name from the catalogue and the rest of the members of their families must bear the same last name.

Gerald Genus (Sac-Town, Cali)
“For my Catholic Religion. To forever wear a cross on my neck.”

Getting inked is something. A tattoo of a seemingly-necklace with a cross as the pendant is another thing. It just shows devotion to Catholicism.

Despite being a predominantly Catholic nation, Philippines was able to produce just one saint in Lorenzo Ruiz’s persona.

He was born of a Chinese and Filipino parents, both Catholic. Ruiz’s devotion started out as early as his childhood days when he became an altar boy and later on a calligrapher for the Dominican friars.

Also known as San Lorenzo de Manila, Ruiz was beatified in the Philippines during Pope John Paul II’s 1981 Papal visit. This ceremony was the first beatification held outside the Vatican City. The saint was canonized due to his resistance of giving up his Catholic faith which lead to his gruesome death after painful tortures enacted by the Japanese.

Robbie (MPLS, MN)
Where I’m From by Tom Alvarado of Steady Tattoo
“Sun and Stars. Plain and Simple.”

For those who are not aware, did you know that the Philippine Flag may not be used as a tablecloth, as a covering for objects, as part of motor vehicles, as trademarks or label design, or as part of a costume or uniform? And that failing to do so will lead you to one year imprisonment with five to twenty thousand pesos fine? Well, it is just the Philippine Flag Law Section 34 who’s reminding us. Actually, the list goes on but we don’t want you to bombard with it.

Having said this, are you still thinking of getting inked with our very own three stars and the sun? Don’t be afraid that someone may arrest you for having a tattoo of what could be a resemblance to our very own flag. As long as you can justify the design and why you’ve chosen it, stand up and be proud.

Francis E. (San Diego, CA)
Culture, Born, and Raised by Tiger Jimmy’s Tattoo

According to statistics, a massive number of 46,000 Filipino Americans (Fil-Am) within a community is located in the county of San Diego making it second to top of the places in the United States which constitutes the most number of Fil-Am. But how did the migration of these Asian Americans started? Let’s do a short recap.

The first wave of migration started way back 1973 when some Filipino seamen who were part of the Galleon Trade and located in Acapulco crossed the Gulf of Mexico to a bay in Louisiana called Barataria. These Manilamen started the establishment of a number of villages in America.

Mass migration occurred at the beginning of the 20th century when demand for laborers in Hawaii and California increased and when the US Navy recruitment started

Aside from SD, Filipino-Americans are most distinctly visible in the states of Hawaii, Washington, New York and New Jersey.

James Bryan (Honolulu)
Flip Pride

Filipinos’ firm religious belief has long surpassed the colonial period it underwent and never was shaken by any threats of imperialism. Now, with 81% of its population as Roman Catholics, Philippines is known as the third largest Catholic nation in the world next to Brazil and Mexico.

Catholicism is a good object of discussion of debates for its controversial beliefs and practices. Pressing issues on veneration of saints, opposition to contraception, and its separation from the State are among others. Despite all of these, Filipinos remain steadfast to its teachings.

On what makes Catholic a subcategory of Christianity or what’s the difference between Catholicism and Christianity is still a mystery for the author and an amply vague topic to be discussed.

Vincent Antonio (Quezon City)
Blood Compact by Ynah Pilarta

Considered as the first international treaty, Spaniard Miguel Lopez de Legazpi entered into a pact called Sandugo with Bohol chieftain Datu Sikatuna ensuring friendly relations with the Filipinos on March of 1565. Sandugo or blood compact is a Visayan term which fuses the words isang and dugo meaning one blood.

One ironic thing about the blood compact is its aftermath. Performing Sandugo was relatively significant to the Bohol natives as it symbolized brotherhood and peace. Howbeit, Lopez de Legazpi took possession of the island in the name of King Phillip II few days after the compact. It was the commencement of the 256-year rule of the Spaniards; reason why Spanish influence is very much obvious in Filipino’s culture

Just Ray (San Diego)
Embrace Your Roots by Gurut Tattoo (San Diego)
“Don’t bite my ish.”

According to a 2008 study by Population Reference Bureau, USA is the third most populous country worldwide with a population of 304.5 million; Filipinos surprisingly made up the 0.77% of the total number, which started at a lower rate and went higher as years  passed by. Having all these said, we can hence conclude that migration is a phenomenon gaining popularity in the Philippines.

Now due to the growing number of Filipinos wanting to leave the country in hopes of finding a greener pasture, it isn’t surprising that kids today prefer My Chemical Romance over Pinikpikan, Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series over Jessica Zafra’s Twisted, or Baked Macaroni over Palabok. Reality bites.

Let this tattoo serves as a reminder that regardless of who and where we are, we should always be sublimed of our roots, of being Filipinos.

Chris (East Coast Virginia)
Sabong by Chris Garcia Ocean Mystic Virginia Beach

Sabong or cockfight, which is believed to have started during pre-Hispanic era, is a turf of activity for Filipinos where demarcation between the rich and the commoners blurs. A game enjoyed by both young and immemorial, sabong is often tagged as a male-oriented “national past time” in which gamblers and playgoers, regardless of one’s social status, place on their bets in equal amount. Sabong can also be a very good window of Filipinos’ traits, one as being innovative. Slain roosters are either deplumed for feather duster or cooked in different dishes.