- Filipinos found a modern way to celebrate and promote history through Tweets
MANILA, 30 August 2019 – As National History Month comes to a close, let’s take a look back at how Filipinos reconnect to their roots through social media. Filipinos are known to be expressive in taking pride in our culture and heritage.
As an interest-based platform, audience has become the key driver for every conversation on Twitter. It’s real-time and people can find various information that are relevant to their passions or interests.
Being a public and real-time platform, everyone is given a chance to showcase their love and support for all things proudly Pinoy. From language to visual arts, here’s how Filipinos use Twitter to tell their cultural story:
1. Celebrating the colorful Filipino languages
National Hero Dr. Jose Rizal once said: “He who does not love his own language is worse than an animal and smelly fish.” Philippines is home to about 185 listed individual languages. Though English, Filipino, and Tagalog are predominantly used; Filipinos on Twitter show pride and love for our own language as they engage in different linguistic discourses.
https://twitter.com/keiakamatsu/status/1092833386815582208
The revival of the Baybayin script has been quite a popular conversation this year. The indigenous script was last used hundreds of years ago, but was recently promoted in an effort to preserve endangered languages and other parts of Filipino heritage. On Twitter, many Filipino millennials were seen adopting the language, incorporating it into their art and encouraging others to learn it as well.
https://twitter.com/kent2fredeluces/status/1159784752947142661
2. Recreating Filipino literature in the age of social media
The rich and vibrant culture and history of the Philippines are also given a modern twist. Trends such as the #ManilaEncounters and #RP612Fic are just some of Tweeps’ favorite conversations.
With #ManilaEncounters, people pen their mini-fiction with a complete plot featuring elements of the Philippine mythology within 280 characters. The stories may be short, but it left a lot of people spooked and awake at night.
https://twitter.com/erickaxryan/status/1100285765802553344
Meanwhile, Filipinos use #RP612Fic that gives a glimpse of what our heroes would be posting if social media exist back in the day. This alternative way of telling Philippine history also showcased the humorous and playful side of Filipinos.
Leonor Rivera when she found out Jose Rizal wrote letters to other girls too. #rp612fic pic.twitter.com/fW0fAbV3P8
— chingu brainrot posting (@chingoals) June 11, 2019
3. Showcasing Pinoy-inspired visual arts
Traditional Filipino art is a reflection of how diverse our culture and traditions are. Most artworks have intricate patterns and details which shows the craftsmanship and mastery of our famed Filipino artists. Through #ArtPH, Filipinos prove that visual art is still highly celebrated as the younger generation take the spotlight to promote their equally-masterful renditions of traditional Filipino art.
https://twitter.com/HardinerHoe/status/1118341475463352320
Fruit of the Soil 🌾
A personification of Philippines as a Katutubo woman with elements from the different tribes of the country.#artph #procreate pic.twitter.com/ljzroPpPQj
— kurboi 🧷 (@kurb0i) August 18, 2019
Hi #ArtistsofSEA! I'm kami from the philippines and i like to illustrate and animate! #artph pic.twitter.com/QkSJxiVGfn
— kami 🔥 (@karekareo) January 16, 2019
As we move forward, our culture and heritage will always remain as pillars of our identity as a Filipino. Celebrate Philippine History and show your pride by joining the conversation or sharing your Pinoy-inspired art on Twitter!
