Igharas, Apple Mac

SW 121

2012 05086

Professor Parreo
Ang Pambihirang Buhok ni Raquel

Weve all been there. Our parents late for fetching us due to some errand or another, the
security guard of our school adamantly refusing to let us run around the school area, and we
eventually end up in the library. For most of the kids I knew then, the library was a place of
boringness and sleep. They went there for the air conditioner that was in full in order for them to
cool down after an hour or so of horsing around. It was where they always got shushed for being
too rowdy because instead of reading books, they gossiped and made raunchy jokes about the
strict librarian.
That was not me however. The library was my fortress of solitude where I went to gain
knowledge on things. The air conditioner was certainly a perk for it certainly afforded a different
level of reading that I did not usually have at home. The librarian whom the other children
disliked, I had taken a liking to mainly due to the fact that she let me borrow more than the
number of books that were allowed. Plus she usually shared what snack she had for the afternoon
with me, usually comprising of kakanin and chocolates. All of that aside, what pulled me most to
the library were the books. The multitude of books astounded my then young mind and tickled
my urge to read every single one of them. That I did. I read books from the textbook range to the
various novels that were contained within the treasure trove in the school. I especially loved the
stories that were to be found in them. One such story was Ang Pambihirang Buhok ni Raquel
to which this paper is entitled after. I usually reserved the short-length, thin books for when I was
really bored and could not pick what to read for I thought them too childish for my liking. That
and the fact that reading a book meant for little children embarrassed me, especially since I
wanted to look all adult and mysterious about back then. Thinking back on it, such books were a
great pleasure for me because of the sincerity of the works and the obvious simplicity of the
story that was easy to recall. Proof of that is my being able to recount the whole story even after
a decade has passed since I last read the story.
Ang Pambihirang Buhok ni Raquel starts with a little girl named Ana, a probinsyana,
who is envious of her cousins hair, Raquel. Her cousin lives in Manila and visits her every
summer. For Ana, her cousin is the epitome of beauty: a wonderful hair with varying colors, a
flawless skin, dimples on her cheeks when she smiles, and graceful movements. She even knows
how to speak English fluently! Ana often imitates her cousin in all aspects due to her feeling of
inferiority, hoping to be someone like her. What constantly amazes Ana is her cousins kindness
and the natural friendship that they have whenever they play during the summer break. She does
not hesitate to recognize Ana as a companion and refuses to look down on her cousin merely by
living in the province. Interestingly, Raquel would often mention how lucky her cousin was,
something Ana never understands. Ana is finally able to experience the city life when she and her

family are the ones to visit her cousin every summer. She experiences a longing for her province
every time but remains fixated on her cousins hair. That is until she discovers the secret behind
her cousins wonderful hair: leukemia. It was this disease that has caused her cousin to lose all of
her hair and use wigs instead. Ana empathizes with her cousin and recognizes the courage that
Raquel has, bringing them even closer together.
It was a simple story for my young mind. Whats sweeter than a sisterhood that provides
continuous support through thick or thin? I deemed it too simple and romantic to be considered
seriously then. On the other hand, the story takes a whole other meaning as I applied what I have
learned during the entirety of my stay in UP. Especially when taking into consideration Zeus A.
Salazars work, Pantayong Pananaw.
There are three points I would like to consider three salient points in the story when the
Filipino spirit truly shines.
The first instance is when Ana compares herself to Raquel. She who is a probinsyana
considers herself ugly and inadequate, lacking the grace while moving and the exterior
characteristics that are often attributed to beauty. It is striking to note that Ana used the Western
definition of beauty to describe her cousin. To quote from the book,
For she is truly pretty, with flawless skin, she has dimples and moves
gracefully. She even speaks English fluently. And she has this really fantastic
hair
-

Ana

From a perspective, Ana may be considered the Filipino and Raquel an inhabitant of the
West, most probably the Americans. This situation is not merely a happenstance that rarely
occurs but a consistent variable in what makes the Filipino nowadays. The Filipino culture has
been incredibly adapted to the Western culture that ones own definition of beauty disavows what
can be found natively. A white skin that resembles that of a Western individual and a
gracefulness that is never attributed to the Filipino is the embodiment that the media and other
social institutions regularly perpetuate. Indeed this is not something that is merely limited to the
definition of beauty. Speaking in English is always considered a standard for being educated in
the Philippines. During the Americanization period in the country, people believing in the power
of the dollar abound. Having the capacity and opportunity to fly abroad was a badge of wealth
that a lot of people were clamoring to have. Everything American is the fad. However it is not
only limited to the Americans that is currently in vogue. There are the Koreans, Japanese,
British; so many cultures into our society so much so that it begs the question: Does the Filipino
still truly exist today?
The next instance I would like to point out is the feeling of loneliness a Filipino gets
whenever they travel to anywhere outside their homeland. Simply stated by Ana,

I got bored in Manila. There were no fireflies in Raquels backyard. Or

sineguelas trees to climb.
-

Ana

Every overseas Filipino worker or even those merely taking a vacation always mention
the feeling of homesickness that they acquire whenever they step off their motherland for a
period of time. They would mention the numerous recipes they miss to eat, the trees they could
climb and the atmosphere that is uniquely Filipino. It is quite ironic considering how adamantly
these people would leave the country, only to say that they would like to return immediately
afterwards. Upon returning however they find the country distasteful and backwards, longing to
return once again to where they previously were. This creates a cycle of confusion that seems to
have no end. Of course the OFWs are a different case but other than them, it is as if the Filipinos
would like to have the best of both worlds but cannot incorporate the differing cultures they
experience.
The last instance that I would like to point out is how despite all the complications and
dilemmas that Filipinos face, there is still the capability to laugh and make jokes. Case in point,
this time by Raquel:
And she had this big, big smileDid I scare you? she jokingly asked.
-

Raquel

This occurred after Raquels release from the hospital and she and Ana meet once again.
This depict how even in the darkest of times, a Filipino will still find an opportunity to crack a
smile and laugh. Indeed this is something that has often captured the bewilderment of foreigners
cannot comprehend such a characteristic.
Out of all these situations, what struck me the most was the first one, hence my
application of Pantayong Pananaw, the concept of studying the Filipino and our culture with the
Filipino influence. Often has our culture been framed in the Western language and culture that
we slowly lose grasp of what makes us. Our own perspective of who we really are disappears
and we just let it. We continuously imbue ourselves with ideals that are not our own that one
even has the toughest of time to define what a Filipino is. Indeed, no one has actually been able
to genuinely define a Filipino. Some may say that it poses no problem for it means that we are
adaptable and know how to survive under any weather. But I say to that, our adaptability is
slowly eroding an ideal that has not even been fully recognized. Is it such a good thing after all? I
believe that the Filipino must first seek its own identity, solidify and foundations and propagate
itself, for there to be a true definition of what a Filipino is.

Resource:
http://gemtheliteratureprincess.blogspot.com/2011/03/raquels-fantastic-hair.html