Overall Title: I Love Taguig
By: Lia Gandionco
Section: T
Strategy on organizing the order of the tasks:
The Strategy I used to accomplish all the tasks was to figure out a social map based on interviews and the tasks closest to where I was at the start of the field work was the first place I went to and the last place was back where i started.
TASKS 1: INTERVIEWS AND SOCIAL MAPPING
Key Informant/s or Person/s Interviewed:
1. Roy Manada - Driver
2. John Sta. Maria - Guard
Mr. Guard and Roy Manada
#guard #driver #interview #taguig #label #status #roles #individuals
3. Tanya Gandionco - Student living in Taguig
Tanya Gandionco
#sister #student #living #taguig #interview #label #status #roles #individuals
#socialmap #religious #political #economic #touristspots
In terms of sociology, what we have here is labeling. This shows how labels affect the way people act and behave to conform to the labels. We also take note of the use of status and role in relation to the labeling. Each of the person i interviewed has a status and roles to fulfil each status.
TASK 2: CHURCHES
St. John Mary Vianney Parish
The Parish Seemed like it was new or newly renovated. When I got there it was clean both inside and out. there were middle aged women of the lower classes and their young children hanging outside the church talking and just sitting, as if it was their daily ritual. Inside, there was and information booth with no one inside and a small "sari-sari" store selling religious artefacts, like rosaries and statues. They were even selling candy!
No one was inside the church except for a young man mopping the floor. The foundation of the church were arches showing the common architecture of most churches in the past. I wasn't allowed to enter the real church but was allowed to visit the prayer area.
The prayer area was a small place with a few windows. The windows were small but the whole room was filled with light. Numerous chairs were laid out for people to pray. It was a quite room that had a certain ambiance to it. You could totally feel the holiness of the place.
When i asked the women outside, the young man who was mopping and the other people around, no one knew why the Parish was named St. John Mary Vianney Parish. They just accepted the name and no further questions asked.
The Parish Seemed like it was new or newly renovated. When I got there it was clean both inside and out. there were middle aged women of the lower classes and their young children hanging outside the church talking and just sitting, as if it was their daily ritual. Inside, there was and information booth with no one inside and a small "sari-sari" store selling religious artefacts, like rosaries and statues. They were even selling candy!
The prayer area was a small place with a few windows. The windows were small but the whole room was filled with light. Numerous chairs were laid out for people to pray. It was a quite room that had a certain ambiance to it. You could totally feel the holiness of the place.
When i asked the women outside, the young man who was mopping and the other people around, no one knew why the Parish was named St. John Mary Vianney Parish. They just accepted the name and no further questions asked.
St. Nicholas Parish
While driving along on my way to the next church I passed by this cute little Chapel. In some way it caught my attention. The doors were closed, and no sight of anyone around who was willing to visit.
The church seemed really old in age. It was as if it had been there for the longest time maybe even since the Spanish period. It was made out of cement and stone and was dirty all over as if there was no plan to maintain it. There was a fence all around the church with only a few entry points.
Again when I asked the only person there, a young teenage girl, a "tindera", why was the church named after St. Nicholas, she had no clue, at all.
Mater Delorosa Parish
This church was beautiful decorated in stained glass portraying events in the Bible. It was Guarded by a gate and before entering the church there was an information booth where a young woman sat. the front of the church had stained glass everywhere. When you went inside the different colors of the stained glasses gave light to the church.
When I asked the information girl why the Church was named Mater Delorosa, all she told me was that it was named after the mother of some saint. She didn't know who the saint was. in my opinion, she was named after Mother Mary, mother of all peoples.
St. Michael the Archangel Chapel
I think among all the Churches i visited, this Church is my favorite. Im not exactly sure why, but I think it has something to do with how it looks like a Church that I went to back home in Cebu. It was the biggest church in terms of size among all the rest. Even the inside was huge. Lines and lines of pues. When i got there there was and middle aged woman on the stand praying the rosary. Many of the church goers were old women of the prominent classes.
#church #pray #religion #catholic #saints #culture #values #beliefs #community #individual #structuralism #social #functionalism #conflict #behaviour #socialaction #meso #level #theory #smallgoups #society
The reason for the Church to be named St. Michael the Archangel is because he defends us in battle, against the wickedness and snares of the devil. People felt that they should commemorate St. Michael for being our shield.
In terms of sociology, Religion is very much apart of our culture as Filipinos. Majority of pur population are Catholics, thus, we have numerous Catholic Churches in all our cities. This has something to do with our values and beliefs as individuals and as a community. in a way, using Structuralism, which includes Structural Functionalism and Conflict perspectives, we see how the structure of the Church and Religion in general, help in directing human behaviour.
Structure gives certain arrangements. In Religion, there are rules like the 10 commandments, to follow thus, help shape people as individuals and a community. We can also see how Religion can be a social action. According to Weber, Our religious perspectives create a society through our action as well as serves as an ongoing construction of our culture. In Fact, religion is a Meso-Level theory which connects the Mico and Macro levels. this theory, refers to communities. The Religious community in our country help connect the small groups and our culture society.
TASK 3: LOCAL CEMETERIES
Although we were only asked to visit one cemetery, I went to 2. I was actually quite curious how different the Manila American Memorial and Cemetery was to Heritage Park Cemetery. I always thought that cemeteries were creepy, but instead, when i visited, it was one of the most overwhelming feelings I have ever experienced. in a way, I gained a sense of life appreciation. Looking at the different grave stones and different names made me think how all these people had lives and were taken away from them at a young age or at an old age or even because of nationalism.
Manila American Memorial and Cemetery
The first cemetery I visited was the Manila American Memorial and Cemetery. It was beautiful. Vast lands with tiny crosses sprouting out of the ground as gravestones. Almost all these people buried here had died in war. along the years 1942 to 1945. All these people are considered heros.
Heritage Park Cemetery
The second cemetery I visited was the Heritage Park Cemetery. It was huge. There were even small houses where the graves were with rooms and bathrooms so that the relatives can stay over while they pray on all sould say. Most of the people who died here I assume died because of sickness. Most of them reached a respectable age.
#cemetery #heritagepark #manila #american #memorial #graves #birthday #death #values #beliefs #culture #bury #restinpeace #socialaction #interactionalism #interpretation #special #meanings #symbolic #gesture
The second cemetery I visited was the Heritage Park Cemetery. It was huge. There were even small houses where the graves were with rooms and bathrooms so that the relatives can stay over while they pray on all sould say. Most of the people who died here I assume died because of sickness. Most of them reached a respectable age.
I had a hard time getting around and looking for gravestones with later years. The only gravestones I could find were the more recent ones. I spent an hour walking around the park and could only find people who died in the 20th century. The oldest grave i could find was on 2007 and the newest one was 2012.
In terms of sociology, cemeteries like Religion represent values and beliefs. It is part of our culture to bury the dead so that they can rest in peace. through this action, we can see Interactionism, where in the symbolic gesture of burying the dead has a significant and special meaning that has numerous interpretations. To understand these actions it is helpful that we also participate.
TASK 4: ART GALLERY
Instead of visiting a Museum, I went to an Art gallery. I think it is in local Art galleris where in we are able to really see Filipino local art at its greatest.
I visited an Art gallery, at the second floor of Serendra, Verite. It was Featuring a local artists. There was only a lady in charge and the artists were not there. Sadly, she wouldn't allow me to take a picture of her. (hehe) When I asked her about the artists, she told me that they were new and is only starting to make a name for themselves. They are from average to prominent families that can support their career.
What makes Filipino Art different from American and European art is that there is a sense of nationalism. We can see how Filipino artists like to stick to what they can see in their environment and in our country. In a way, it is as if they are portraying the daily lives of Filipinos. The depth of Filipino art goes so far that it tells us a story; story on how and where they live. Filipino art emphasises communities and individuals in our society.
#nationalism #pinoy #filipinoart #localart #representations #everydaylife #society #culture #socialself #socialexperiences #personality #reality #socialinteraction #symbol #paintings #art #artist
In terms of sociology, these works of art are presentations of the artists everyday self and the self of our community in general. Looking at the theory of social self, the social experiences of each artist develop their personality that can be seen through their work. In a way the art shows a perception of how we see our society and how we think society sees us. We can also see in the paintings a sort of reality we live in shaped by social interaction of the community to the artist, as a mode of storytelling. Lastly, art is a form of culture, like language and symbol, it is one of the subfactors in creating our society.
TASK 5: PUBLIC MARKET
When i went to a public market, it was a fun and kinda new experience for me. I am used to going to supermarkets like Rustans. So when I went to a public market, I was amused by the people who kept staring at me taking videos of them and shocked by what you can find there at cheap prices.
Most of the things that can be found there are made locally or found locally. you can find all the different kinds of meat, vegetable, fruits, candy and etc. It felt like a small community in there, where everyone depended on one another for the different things they needed. Its not like a grocery store where you go to one place and find everything under one owner. In a public market you can find different things from different people. What is similar about public markets and supermarkets is that you can honestly find everything. AND I DO MEAN EVERYTHING!
#publicmarket #meso #level #theory #community #social #functionalism #conflict #role #construction #socialorder #gocerystores #inequality #socialstructure #labeling #upperclass #lowerclass
It is because of social structure that goods are sold at a higher price for the rich and at a lower price for the poor and at different places as well. There is a division between the social classes that is extremely evident in public markets and grocery stores. Lastly, there is labeling. In a sense, I broke the norm by going into a public market which is why many people stared at me. they labeled me to be from the upper class because i was holding a nice phone while i labeled them to be poor because they were in a public market. This is a sad reality that we live in. :(
TASK 6: LOCAL FOOD
Right beside the public market was a "Carenderia" a place where people sit to eat. In a way it is parallel to a food court. It wasn't hard to find local dishes. I guess it is the preference of most Filipinos. Technically, these local foods can be found all over the Philippines.
Taguig doesn't really have it's own local food but rather a variety of the local foods in our country. some of these local foods are sinigang, adobo and more. In a way, i guess you can say that these dishes have changed throughout the generations. In fact, these dishes were passed on from mother to daughter and the preference of each could change the way the dish is made.
#food #culture #socialaction #materialthing #nation #society #wayoflife #socialconstruct
In terms of sociology, food is part of our culture. Food is a form of act in preparing as well as a material thing that helps put together a people's way of life. Food defines who we are as a nation. Like art, food tells a story of generations. It is a social construct that helps in creating the society we live in.
TASK 7: GHOSTS
When i asked around, many had nothing to say about scary stories but Manong Roy told me one.
In the road by the cemetery, Manila American Memorial and Cemetery, connecting Forbs to Mckinley Hill, many of his driver friends told him stories where in they would drive the road at night and they would have an extra passenger sitting in the backseat or beside them. What makes this story even scarier is that along that road there are no street lights. The only way of looking ahead is using the car lights. The question on everyones mind is: why aren't there street lights? no one really knows. Most people think that because it is sort of a private road the owner doesn't want to spend. No one really ever bothered to ask... but the ghosts still remain wandering.
#stories #scary #ghosts #culture #beliefs #society #behaviour #formation
#stories #scary #ghosts #culture #beliefs #society #behaviour #formation
In therms of sociology, these stories are very much a part of our culture. It is part of our beliefs which help contribute to the formation of our society. These beliefs also affect peoples behaviour! Manong Roy told me that at night he doesn't want to pass there even if it is a shorter way because he doesn't want to see the ghosts. He would rather go all the way around than to take the risk. As we can see, His belief affects his behaviour. Lastly, our beliefs affect us as individuals and as a people in the formation of our society.
WORDS BY ME: LIA GANDIONCO
I would say that the most difficult thing about this fieldwork would be that for those who werent able to go to Baguio had to go alone. In fact, the tasks were not as hard, but it would take more time if you did it individually. This fieldwork would have been more efficient if I was part of a group. But the worst thing about this fieldwork was the traffic all around. it was extremely hard to go to all the different places when you would get stuck on the road from one place to another for an hour!
All in all, I had fun doing this field work (except for the individual part) and learned a lot about Taguig city. I came to realize how beautiful this city is and appreciate it even more now. In truth, I have fallen in love with Taguig city.
-Lia Gandionco
Sources: Emily Roque's lecture power points and Interviews of Manong Roy, Mr. Guard and Tanya Gandionco.
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