FEU – Alabang

Lot 1, Corporate Woods Avenue corner South Corporate Avenue

Woods District, Filinvest City, Alabang, Muntinlupa City
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Research Paper in Disciplines and Ideas in the Social Sciences

Redefining Feminism and Masculinity in the Philippine

Society

Submitted by:

Espinosa, Ciarra Magdalene

Bustamante, Erin Thomas
Bhasa, Giannah Audrey
Teruel, Nixon Raphael
Lorenzana, Alexandria
Bitun, Claire Jeanne
Luceño, Luis Angelo
Morada, Vanessa
Yu, Julia Andrea
Jo, Hyun Chul

Submitted to:

Ms. Jan Marjorie D. Punzalan

JANUARY 2019
 I. Introduction

In the Philippine context of gender, it is defined as a cultural aspect that is learned about
sexuality. In which the ideas of a person regarding gender is caused by the society he/she belongs
and interact to. The ideas then, are retainable and can be shared through communication and
learning. The consecration of roles in binary genders are constantly changing over time. It only
shows the truth about the ideas of gender, which bound in the beliefs of the society that can be
changed due to advancing and social change. (Antonio et. al, 2017)

Gender describes how a person views himself/herself according to the cultural factors in his/her
society. The Philippines is a country that is rich in culture, despite of the colonization from different
countries throughout different centuries. According to Saldua (2012), in rooting from the pre-
colonial background of the Philippines (before the Spanish arrival), Filipinos had a simple culture,
where the roles of men and women harmoniously work together for the common good of their
community. Men and women treated each other equally exercising their equal rights. However,
the Spanish arrival during the 16th century emulated the equal status of men and women, which
have been part of the Filipinos in their culture. The Spanish brought and introduces their idea of
assigned and limited roles for the men and women, in which men became the ideal dominant
gender in their society and women were dictated to be submissive.

The great extension of the Spanish colonialism embedded an inequality culture among
Filipinos. In which in the modern society, the conception about women as full-time homemakers,
as subordinated to men, and as sexual objects were existing. (Anonuevo, 2000) Meanwhile, with
the existing cultural and social norms about male roles in the precolonial period were combined
with the colonizer's representations of Western masculinity and patriarchy. (Cañete, 2014)

Gender and culture intertwine, that made an impact of changes among Filipinos. Creating
assigned roles which have been part of the Filipino culture – leaving stereotypes and
misconceptions on how a Filipino perceive men and women in the society. This study aims to
redefine feminism and masculinity in the Philippine society. Despite of the changes that
continually arise that affect genders (men and women), through redefining the ideas of feminism
and masculinity, it could be a significant endeavor to educate Filipinos who still take and live the
culture of misconception among genders (men and women) brought by the Spanish. It could also
lead in eliminating stereotypes about female and male, regarding on how each gender should
work and act to the society he/she belongs to. Lastly, it could be the gateway for a better society
in which equality and equity among genders will be prevalent.
 II. Body

The gender situation in the Philippines is characterized by sharp contradictions in which it

graphically showcases samples of women’s advancement in politics, academic and professional
excellence, and even legislation but at the same time, it is contrasted by images of prostituted
women, battered wives, economically disadvantaged women and exploited migrant workers
(Anonuevo, 2000).

In Filipino studies on gender, masculinity and femininity are both conceptualized as being
composed of both socially desirable and undesirable traits. Often, the discussion focuses on how
a “positive” or socially desirable trait becomes undesirable when someone of the “wrong” gender
possesses or exhibits it. These characterizations have a tendency to be the prescriptions of,
rather than descriptions of gender traits in a culture such as that in the Philippines. As for the
Filipinos, the family and larger kinship network is at the core of society, and fitting in, and meeting
the expectations of the group, including that of gender traits and roles, is the key (Jocano, 1998).

As for gender traits and roles, most women are viewed to play a central and valued role in the
family (Aguilar, 1989; Estrada-Claudio, 1990) but despite that, there are still existing stereotyped,
sexist expectations of their weakness and with being entirely dependent on men (Jimenez, 1983).
This has been manifested via the belief that self-fulfillment would only be achievable for these
women if they enter a marriage or motherhood (Rojas-Aleta, Silva & Eleazar, 1977). In connection
to that stereotypes, the Philippine society usually describes and requires its women to be modest,
refined, demure, nurturing, sweet, clean, affectionate, generous and sensitive (Acuna & Naui,
1985; Jimenez, 1983a; Jocano, 1988; Liwag, De La Cruz, & Macapagal, 1998; Mendez & Jocano,
1974). Also, they are also expected to have no major vices, to be submissive, and loyal and
forgiving to her partner who is most likely expected to stray (Go, 1992; Sevilla, 1995).

As violence against women increases and as women’s right experienced oppression, the
feminism movement emerged and has been practiced for years now. In definition, feminism is an
awareness of women’s oppression and exploitation in society, in work, and within the family, and
conscious action by women and men to change this situation.

Filipinos are known with the idea of feminism. According to Soto (2017) It is something that
everybody should understand because it affects both sexes. She also added that, it is not female
dominance, but it is gender equality so we should empower and respect one another. In her
statement, truly feminism is considered to bring about equality rather than being a sex dominant
over the other.
 According to our current vice president Robredo (2016) is that, Feminism is not about women
ruling the world so that their gender will never ever have to face abuse. It is about building bridges
of understanding so that the world will no longer need a strict ruler to work, she added. In her
statement, it is evident that she is informing the Filipino’s; especially the women, on what really is
the goal and definition of the movement.

In the Philippines, where colonial mentality plays a role in appropriating western feminism in
the country’s situation, many young feminists see Western feminism as the primary model of
feminism, disregarding the fact that the Filipina’s situation differs from the Western woman.

On the other side, most often, feminism is mistaken simply as women hating men. Feminism
does not aim to relegate men. Men are as much victims as women. They have been conditioned
by society through images and roles determined for men, having to succumb to appearances of
male domineering attitudes or roles (Luna, 2016). In truth, feminists are against the oppressive
patriarchal system or gender equality existing therein where women do not have the freedom to
choose, where women are defined/boxed in stereotype “feminine” roles, where women are paid
less and given less opportunities just because they are considered the lesser sex.

In Khan and Bhasin’s words, “it does not take a peasant woman very far even if she becomes
equal to a peasant man who is himself brutalized, exploited, and oppressed by society.” RA 9262,
for example, is an equitable law that has given women more leverage. However, there are still
some critics such as the Diego Silang Movement who see this action as putting the woman above
the law but in truth, it was an act that certainly did not make the man and woman unequal. Rather,
it made the woman equal to men.

As there is a stereotyped view of femininity, there is also a counterpart which is machismo that
is characterized by the male privilege and virility (Rojas-Aleta, Silva, & Eleazar, 1977). In its
concepts, men were encouraged to prove and practice their power and virility to such extent that
being a man is associated with the stereotypes of overcoming obstacles, losing one’s virginity,
and having a “healthy” libido (De Castro, 1995).

In terms of masculinity ideology, Filipino men are expected to be the “ama ng tahanan” or
the economic providers in the home; and the satisfactory performance of this role is the ultimate
indicator of a truly masculine male (Jimenez, 1983; Jurilla, 1986; Macrohom, 1978; McCann-
Erickson Survey Group, 1995; Robles, 1986). Tan (1994) for example talked about the four
archetypes of fathers and their differing perceptions of fatherhood. The first is that of a
procreator who see himself mainly as a provider and reproducer of the species. The second is
the dilettante who may be a weak but is able and willing to develop a warm relationship with his
children while the third is the determinate father who does not particularly enjoy spending time
with his children, and has views to control his children’s destinies in life. Lastly, the fourth is the
generative father who sees himself as a guardian and finds personal fulfillment in rich-quality
family life and becoming a competent parent cooperating in his child’s activities and
development as a person (Tan 1994: 28-33). Each of these categories has a counterpart
masculine identity which demonstrates the varieties of masculine behavior in the fatherhood
experience alone, let alone that of a husband, son or brother.

Socialization into gender roles, from childhood to adulthood, shape men’s and boys’
proclivities for certain things like guns, and forms of behavior like womanizing, and forms of
leisure like long-range shooting, gambling, and drinking. These proclivities are glorified in
movies and television shows that display hyper masculine and homosocial behavior along with
images of guns, gangs, gore, and girls. Women, violence, and forms of violence against women
mark many of these films.

These expectations and more enforce the prevailing notion of masculinity in the Philippines.
Through this, as Lim (2016) says, societies in the Philippines “recognize maleness, creating and
recreating ‘it.’” Beyond the historical context, there are other factors like the media which can
change the way that masculinity is seen and understood. Lizada (2016) sees it in the way that
the need to be affirmed or validated as it is by the speed and breadth with which information is
shared on the internet explains why social media has such a great ability “to position particular
ideals.”

Twitter and Facebook feeds can change the way people think as exemplified by Lizada
(2016) in which he remembers a staged video he’d seen of a woman yelling and hurting a man
in public. As it has reached different kinds of people, it became a way to show there is a double-
standard and that there are men who are also abused by women. Still, there is no uniting local
movement to discuss the rights of men and how they’re affected specifically by the role they’re
expected to play in Filipino society.

On the other side, Almario (2017) suggested an idea, that men could be redefined by raising
boys as just decent humans instead of a stereotypical “man”. “The idea then on maybe create
the notion that people with male sex organs should be defined by their character and not by
what they ought to do with those”, he added. Within this, the possibility of masculinity being
redefined and not being associated with the stereotypes has a chance if it influences the
Philippine society.

According to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (2015) Masculinity can be
redefined by professional-class males with a complex, psychological, imbued with a softer and
more considerate attitude among women and other genders. They added that the new “macho”
is a metrosexual, characterized by a diverse range of talents and skills that can possess
stereotypical women acts such as cooking and modeling. This idea redefines a term associated
with masculinity that could be more open with equality among genders, avoiding ideas such as
patriarchy. This can open opportunities for the other men to really showcase their true self and
capabilities that could contribute towards a more progressive society in the country.

III. Conclusion

The situation of gender in the in the country is described by contradictions. It shows samples of
women’s advancement in different aspects. Also at the same time, it is contrasted by economically
disadvantaged women.

Masculinity and femininity in the Philippine society have been perceived with socially desirable
and undesirable traits. It focuses on how a positive trait becomes undesirable when someone of
the wrong gender possesses such. These characterizations have a chance to be the prescriptions
of gender traits in Philippine culture. The family and larger kinship network in the country is at its
core.

The current definition of feminism and masculinity can be redefined into a more positive effect.
Redefining the movement of women as to empowering one another towards equality instead of
women being dominant than men could influence the Filipino society being more considerate with
the movement. On the other hand, redefining masculinity into a more open way rather than being
associated towards the stereotypes, could help the men; specifically in the Philippine society, on
being more active and free towards what they choose to do within themselves.

The redefinition of feminism can help the Philippine society in understanding its goal and what
it truly is. It is a movement for equality among genders. While the redefinition of masculinity can
help the society of the country to be more open on how they perceive men in our time today.
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