Name: Aquino, Charyz Oddie L.

Timbangan, Jevy A.
Course & Section: BSY11
Subject: Mga Babasahin Hinggil sa Kasaysayan ng Pilipinas
Professor: Mr. Jumel Estrañero
University: De La Salle University - Dasmariñas

“Detoxifying Filipino Toxic Trait: Colonial Mentality and Its Influence Towards the
Postmodern Era Filipino Perceptions of 'What is Beautiful'”

ABSTRACT

Throughout history, the definition of 'what is beautiful' seems to change in alignment

with society's definite standard of beauty. Since then, it has been known that beauty is one of
the things individuals seek because it is a power on its own. In the Philippine context, the
colonial mentality has something to do with the beauty standard instilled in the minds of
Filipinos. Colonial mentality is known as a form of internalized oppression, contributing to
the strong perception of ethnic and cultural inferiority, which profoundly influences the
Filipinos on their perception of 'What is beautiful'. Filipinos did not just become the subject
of colonization but rather continued to live along with its adverse effects.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the factors related to beauty; social status, novelty,
and intelligence. It was found out that these three were always associated to foreign
countries, hence the colonial mentality affecting the beauty standards established in Filipino
society. Furthermore, it was revealed that western/colonial ideals deeply influenced Filipinos
negatively resulting in skin color and body dissatisfaction. The researchers also delved deep
into the things which can be done to detoxify this toxic trait of Filipinos and investigated if
and how the process of decolonization of the mind transpired within them. The detoxification
of these toxic traits was conceptualized by understanding and looking into the history to
understand the present, from the pre colonial up to the modern era. Thus, this provides a basis
for future work in promoting attitude change and getting rid of such toxic mentality. In
addition, This study also found that there are also many contributing factors in today’s
society that enable these traits to be carried out to this very day, and potentially be adapted in
the future.
I. INTRODUCTION

In Greek mythology; Hera–the goddess of marriage and childbirth, Athena–goddess

of wisdom and war, and Aphrodite–the goddess of beauty once fought for an apple inscribed
with “For the most beautiful.” So whoever received such an apple will hold the title of being
the fairest among them all. Zeus, knowing that whoever he chose will surely bring chaos,
decided to pass the judgment to a mortal named Paris. The three goddesses, in hope of
acquiring the title, bribed Paris. Hera offered ownership of lands. Athena offered skill and
wisdom in battle while Aphrodite offered the love of the most beautiful woman on Earth.
Paris ended up choosing Aphrodite. His decision later caused the infamous Trojan war. Albeit
the story came from mythology and no hard evidence proves its occurrence in real life, it
shows the fact that beauty is one of the things that humans seek because beauty is a power on
its own, or rather, perhaps, a privilege on its own.
This is why throughout history, humans have always been in pursuit of beauty; be it
in art, clothing, etiquette, propriety, dance, music, etc. This shouldn’t be a problem if our
perception of beauty is subjective, where each and every one of us has their own definition
of beauty since that means there’s a huge probability that all of us will have that pretty
privilege. Thus, what if people’s definition of beautiful was unconsciously or
consciously taking its own the same form to each and every one? Succinctly, what
problem would arise if we set a definite standard of beauty? Of course, the majority will try
to reach and fit that standard to possess the power, the privilege of being beautiful.

In the Philippine setting, when the Philippines was colonized, one cannot ignore the
fact that it did bring positive changes. For example, the colonialism of Spain introduced
health institutions such as hospitals, although it was mainly for sick or wounded Spaniards
who were not accustomed to the climate and environment in the Philippines. The very first
hospital established in the country was in Cebu in 1565 called Hospital Real. Later, during
the American period, the Commonwealth Act of 430 enabled the creation of the Department
of Public Health and Welfare [1][2]. And of course, the improvement in the educational
system during the American period which continually enables many Filipinos to be more
literate, aware, and knowledgeable. Still, that positive changes won’t invalidate all the
unnecessary blood that has been shed, all the lives that have been lost, all the sufferings
because of inhumane oppression, and of course, there seem to be never-ending consequences
that present Filipinos still feel and experience today. One of which is the internalized racial
oppression, the strong perception of ethnic and cultural inferiority–the colonial
mentality. It is deeply rooted in centuries of colonialism however, nowadays, it has become
one of the Filipino toxic traits particularly on how it influences Filipino beliefs on “What is
beautiful?”
Hence, with all that being said, this paper aims to recount the evolution of beauty
standards throughout Philippine history. Moreover, the researchers also aim to scrutinize
factors related to beauty and how these factors resulted in colonial mentality with regards to
beauty standards. In addition, this paper also explores today’s effects of the beauty standards
established because of colonial mentality such as the lengths people, Filipinos, will go in
order to be called beautiful. And lastly, what can be done to detoxify this toxic trait identified
as colonial mentality and ameliorate the negative effects of today’s beauty standards.

II. BODY
A. The concept of ‘What is beautiful’ for Filipinos throughout time

TIME DESCRIPTIONS

Pre-Colonial Period (15th to 16th Century) Particularly in the Visayas—the Pintados

because they were “painted”—tattoos were
a representation of man’s valor; it is like
today’s medal of honor, a proof and only
given after a man performed an outstanding
feat especially during wars. Hence, one
would surely be handsome the more
tattoos he has. In addition, the process of
getting a tattoo is already painful, therefore,
if one has a tattoo on the parts that would
Figure 1: Tattooed Visayans (From Boxer surely bring so much pain the process like
Codex) on the eyelids, the face, etc., they are
deemed to be more handsome for it shows
physical fortitude.

On the other hand, tattoos are also a symbol

and a standard of beauty for women. Still, a
woman’s pride and beauty are also on the

Figure 2: Ancient Filipino beauty with
chignon extracted from
https://www.buzzfeed.com/candacelowry/w
atch-100-years-of-filipina-beauty-in-a-little-
over-a-minute
Spanish Period (16th century to 19th
century)
Figure 3: Maria Clara (Illustration by
Roselle Gaw)
great mass of their hair, making
ankle-length tresses into a chignon as large
as their head [3].
With the colonization of Spaniards, the rise
of Christianity in the Philippines soon
became the norm together with the
religion’s traditions, beliefs, and culture
that’s been strongly integrated into
Filipinos’ lives and consciousness. This
means that even this time’s standards of
beauty are solely associated with the said
religion. One is deemed to be beautiful if
they are faithful devotees of God which can
be reflected in the way they move, talk,
think, and act. A woman, for example, must
be a good follower of God if she dresses
appropriately (which means she’s clothed
down to her heels without exposing too
much of her skin) for it conveys she’s not
a source of temptation—one of the roots of
 all things God forbids to do such as
adultery, premarital sex, etc. She must be
faithful to God if she’s modest; that is
when she doesn’t attract too much
attention towards herself by laughing out
loud, doing unfeminine things, and many
more for it means she must be seducing or
charming men which will lead to the
mentioned sins [4].

Figure 4: Leonor Rivera—the inspiration

behind Maria Clara extracted from
https://peoplepill.com/people/leonor-rivera

1900s to 2000s Around the same time when Americans

came to the Philippines is the emergence of
televisions and of course, along with it are
actors and actresses acting in films, movies,
series, etc. Not long before that, print media
introduced by the Americans such as the
Manila Bulletin (1900) which aims to
spread news faster and wider were already
established. And hence, although televisions
were rare at this juncture, it is no surprise
that the actors’ and actresses’ faces were
Figure 5. Colorized photo of Gloria Romero also exposed to the said print media that
in 1950s extracted from
were accessible to common folks, slowly
https://pixelatedplanet.net/2020/02/take-a-lo
ok-at-iconic-movie-queen-gloria-romeros-ti changing the beauty standards from the
meless-beauty/
Spanish period which are closely related to
Christianity.

Although Filipinos’ faith in Christianity

remains the same, it’s becoming a lesser

Figure 6. Colorized photo of Eddie Garcia
in 1950s extracted from PhilStar Facebook
Page.
2000s to present
Figure 7. Jung Ho Yeon, a South Korean
runway model and actress extracted from
https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/cele
brity/article/3152429/squid-game-star-jung-
ho-yeons-overnight-success-runway
issue if a woman’s heel is exposed or if they
wear fewer layers of clothes than before.
Gloria Romero became one of the most
well-known icons of “ideal beauty” which
is—fair skin, pointed nose, oval-shaped
and slim face, round eyes, red lips, etc.
The same goes for men. The standard of
handsome is like Eddie Garcia, Fernando
Poe Jr., Dolphy, etc. [5].
The Western beauty standards not only
continue but also intensified until today
through make-up and whitening products
but also most especially by the use of plastic
surgery. However, in recent decades, there
seems to be a somewhat change in the
beauty standards here in the Philippines.
Western beauty standards are still dominant
however, it is slowly being rivaled with
Korean beauty standards which are still
having fair and white skin, but with
dainty noses instead of pointed ones,
slanted eyes instead of the round ones,
and most especially, a “glass skin”
together with very slim body structure.
For men, having a perfectly defined
jawline, thick brows, pointed nose, red
lips, toned and tall body, and
 oppa-hairstyle are the standards of
handsome.

Figure 8. Jin from BTS, renowned as

worldwide handsome extracted from
https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/cele
https://yaay.today/kpop/Why-is-Jin-from-B
TS-called-Worldwide-Handsome-20210103
-0008.html

In the Pre-colonial period, notice that the ancient Filipinos based one’s attractiveness
on their tattoos. A man is surely attractive the more tattoos he has for it is a symbol of man’s
valor and/or a man’s honor. Looking at today's Philippines, one will be greatly discriminated
against if they have tattoos all over their body. Tattoos are no longer a symbol of honor and
herald of handsomeness but a symbol of evil, people tend to avoid since tattoos are now often
associated with being an ex-convict, thug, gangster, etc. Moreover, tattoos are seen as a sign
of “uncleanliness” thus, at work, they should be hidden properly.
Since when did it become like this? When Spaniards started to come to the
Philippines along with Christianity. The rise of Christianity in the Philippines soon became
the norm together with its traditions, beliefs, and culture that’s been strongly integrated into
Filipinos’ lives and consciousness. One of many Christian beliefs is that a person’s body is a
temple of God therefore, it shouldn’t be tainted by any form of paint for it will seem like
they’re tainting God’s temple and is considered as a sin. And so, the stronger the faith of the
Filipinos in this religion, the more they’ll adapt to its beliefs, and of course, the less likely
they’ll continue tattooing their bodies. Religion is given such importance during this point of
history that even the standard of beauty changed along with it. At this point of time, one is
deemed to be beautiful if they are faithful devotees of God that can be reflected with the way
they move, talk, think, and act such as in the way they dress, they must be covered down to
their heels. They shouldn’t attract too much attention towards themselves by laughing out
loud for instance. This is why Filipinas were often shown holding an abanico or a fan which
they used to hide their giggles. Hence, the standard here is based on modesty.
When Americans arrived, the standards changed and now strongly emphasized having
white and fair skin along with the rise of various kinds of media. This is the time when skin
color is being greatly emphasized as a standard of beauty that still continues today.

III. ANALYSIS
One may argue that it’s only natural for Filipinos to adapt to the changes their
colonizers brought to them in order to survive, be it in the case of beauty standards. However,
the Philippines is now an independent country with no one oppressing them and with their
own Constitution. So why are Philippine beauty standards still heavily shaped by foreign
countries? This is because of the strong perception of ethnic and cultural inferiority–the
colonial mentality. That, cited by Decena (2014), according to David and Okazaki (2006),
“involves an automatic and uncritical rejection of anything Filipino and an automatic and
uncritical preference for anything American [6]. Now, a notion may arise, is it really because
of colonial mentality? Or as simple as the individual’s preferences?

Factors related to Filipino perception of beauty standards

1. SOCIAL STATUS
Although it’s a fact that ancient Filipinos based their definition of beautiful or
handsome on the tattoos someone has, it’s also without a doubt that even with or
without tattoos, ancient Filipino men will find a daughter of a datu or a chieftain
attractive. Because ever since the very beginning of time, it has always been human
nature to seek for power to gain autonomy or gain the ability to control one’s fate [7].
In the ancient Philippines, even today to be honest–it was impossible (unless of
course, one is utterly in love with another) not to be attracted to the one who can give
you autonomy, influence, and power. In the present time, higher social status also
guarantees more money and thus, a greater chance of survival. When a random
unmarried and single Filipina is asked which one is more likely they’ll be attracted to;
a pure American man or a pure Filipino without revealing the men’s faces, it is more
likely that they’ll choose the former especially if she’s a common Filipina who came
 from a typical Filipino household who’s a breadwinner and needed to send 3 or more
siblings to college. In any case, the very embodiment of this is Donya Victorina–a
character in Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo who would reject capable suitors
because they’re Filipinos and would rather marry a lame and old Spaniard.

2. NOVELTY/NEOPHILIA
If there’s a new iPhone or Samsung phone, wouldn’t humans who are capable
of buying it will surely purchase it despite buying one last year or less? In terms of
clothes, especially to girls, why do they need to keep buying new ones when the ones
they have are still perfectly wearable? In the study of Oudeyer et al. (2016), they’ve
cited that a rat’s brain response to novelty has strong similarities with brain responses
to drug rewards. In human adults, “novelty recruits attentional resources through
reward independent-effects [8].” In short, humans tend to find new and novel things
more beautiful than the old ones because the brain releases the same chemicals that of
drugs. And what about it? It’s addicting because it makes humans feel something
good. Therefore, it’s not surprising for humans to always be attracted to something
new.
Now, apart from the fact that marrying a daughter of a datu can mean social
power and influence, the daughters of the datus were usually secluded. Due to the
human nature of naturally loving something new or neophilia, it’s most probable to
find someone, such as the daughter of a datu, beautiful since she’s rarely seen and of
course, seem to stand out compared to the rest. Back to the modern unmarried and
single Filipina who’s asked to choose who she’ll be more attracted to between a pure
American man or a pure Filipino without revealing the men’s faces. She’ll choose the
former aside from the aforementioned reason because he’s someone she rarely sees in
everyday Philippine settings.

3. INTELLIGENCE
Even once, many would’ve surely heard about someone named “Cleopatra.”
Common folks whose forte is not on history and/or social studies may not know who
she really is but one thing’s for sure–she’s often portrayed as someone with irresistible
charm and beauty. According to Andrews (2021), Roman propaganda painted
Cleopatra as a debauched temptress who used her sex appeal as a political weapon
[9]. But in actuality, she’s someone who spoke many languages, well educated in
 mathematics, philosophy, oratory, and astronomy. Due to her well-versed fluency in
different languages, she used sophisticated forms of research for the ancient era, such
as straw polling, establishing an informal communication network, and employing
spies to provide both information and feedback. She was an ancient woman ruler who
used many models of public relations to manage international relations with the
Roman Empire and the countries of the Ptolemaic Empire under her rule according to
Bowen (2016)[10]. There might not be an exact image of Cleopatra yet and it may all
just be Roman propaganda, still, the reason why she’s always associated with
irresistible beauty is perhaps because of her intelligence and/or desirable way of
speaking. A study in Western Sydney University in Australia asked about 600 adults
to rate the desirability of a series of hypothetical people. The results showed that
heterosexual men and women desired more attracted to equally or more intelligent
partners when it came to both short-term and long-term relationships [11]. This
indicates that how people define beauty also has something to do with their
intelligence.

If a person came from a high social status, he/she must come from a family with power or
influence. With influence and power are money–money not only for survival but also for
proper skin care or treatment, money to have a suitable environment, food, vitamins, etc. to
have good skin, luscious hair and clothes, and money to maintain all of these in the modern
setting. For example, Filipina celebrities who’re from PBB like Kim Chiu, Loisa Andalio,
Maymay Entrata, and many more. Looking back at their pictures before they’ve become
celebrities, you can see how much they glow up because they’ve earned influence and money.
Again in typical Philippine show business. Haven’t the celebrities with foreign blood been
dominating showbiz these years? For instance; James Reid, Liza Soberano, Enrique Gil,
Anne Curtis, Marian Rivera, Yassi Pressman, Jessy Mendiola, and many more. Talent may be
one factor however, it just shows how Filipinos favor someone who looks new and different
more than what they usually see every day. Lastly, strictly speaking, in this modern world,
knowledge is power; therefore, a person will find someone beautiful if they’re knowledgeable
in an area they’re not so sure about or if he/she is wise enough to know and distinguish
candidates in the upcoming elections.
 The point here is that these three factors that are closely related to beauty have one
thing in common. They’re all connected and present to foreign nations particularly to
that of nations from the West and Europe like the United States, England, etc.

Figure 9: How powerful, successful countries relate to beauty.

First the social status. Americans for example hold much more influence because the United
States is without a doubt the first-rate country. Hence, it is obvious that they’re richer than
Filipinos evident in the difference in money value (1 dollar is equivalent to 50 pesos).
Second, novelty. They are foreign people rarely seen in typical Filipino settings. Third,
intelligence. It has nothing to do with the foreign race being smarter than Filipinos. It’s just
that they have a better educational system. Plus, it’s foreign people–Americans who brought
the new educational system to the Philippines.

In the field of psychology, there’s an instrument called Classical Conditioning by Ivan

Pavlov where a sound of a bell, despite being a neutral stimulus, can make a dog salivate
after the dog associates the sound of the bell with a piece of meat through a series of
experiments. Hence, when the dog hears the sound of the bell, he expects that a piece of meat
will come, resulting in salivation even though the sound of the bell alone won’t result in such
an occurrence in the first place. In this case; social status, novelty, and intelligence are natural
stimuluses that naturally make someone beautiful. By associating it with a foreign country,
Filipinos came to think that “foreigners are more beautiful, way more superior”,
especially intensified or augmented by the centuries of colonialism just like how a dog
associates meat with the sound of the bell.
For instance, when buying new shoes. If the label says it is “Made in Europe”
wouldn’t Filipinos think that it’s already far superior to that of “Made in the Philippines?”
When receiving gifts such as clothes from relatives in the U.S, don’t Filipinos usually brag
about wearing such a shirt since it came from the infamous U.S.A? Even if that shirt ended up
being so fragile and easily ripped compared to that of shirts made in the Philippines, one
doesn't have as long as he can boost that it is Made in the U.S.A. That just by hearing the
words “Amerikana ‘yan” they’ll think that they have whiter skin, blonde hair, blue eyes,
pointed nose, and rosy cheeks–today’s definition of “beautiful''.
With this thinking throughout the years, Filipinos developed an automatic and
uncritical rejection of anything Filipino and an automatic and uncritical preference for
anything American–colonial mentality.

Back to the question, are today's beauty standards really shaped or influenced because
of colonial mentality? Or as simple as the individual’s preferences? It’s the former.

IV. RECOMMENDATION
When these beauty standards–influenced by colonial mentality–started to affect
Filipinos negatively, that’s where the problem lies. According to Rehman (2017), the
Philippines now has a major part of the population that is conscious of their natural brown
complexion because the people feel like they need to correct a feature that they are born with
since, after all, they deemed Western and European skin superior to our own [12].
 Figure 10. Global skin lightening market extracted from
https://www.verifiedmarketresearch.com/product/skin-lightening-market/

As observed in figure 10, the global skin lightening market is expected to rise by about $3
billion in just the span of 8 years. In a separate report of Grandviewresearch, they mentioned
that this may be because countries, such as the Philippines along with China and Japan,
associate white skin with attractiveness and marriageability [13]. Cited by David (2017), on a
survey conducted by Synoted Philippines (2004, Skin Whitening in Southeast Asia), at least
50% of Filipinos use skin-whitening products. While the study of Mendoza (2013) shows that
skin-whitening use is most common among Filipinas, especially among the lower class and
less-educated people in the Philippines [14][15].

These data convey that not only many are conscious of their complexion, they are also
“dissatisfied” with it, ergo, their willingness to buy whitening products.

The dissatisfaction felt can lead to negative body image which is connected to a range of
physical and mental health problems, including disordered eating, obesity, body dysmorphic
disorder, depression, or low self-esteem (Dittmar, 2009)[16]. In the study of Tadena et al.
(2020, The Influence of Social Media Affinity on Eating Attitudes and Body Dissatisfaction in
Philippine Adolescents,) they found out that 89.5% of the participants showed a high risk of
developing eating disorders that are related to body dissatisfaction [17]. All of these are
because Filipinos are feeling inferior towards our appearance, making colonial mentality a
toxic trait to have.

“Filipinos should just stop feeling inferior towards foreign countries,” Easier said
than done. After all, the colonial mentality, this feeling of inferiority–has been around for
centuries. Still, leaving it the way it is, is not a good idea too for it may cause a griever
effect other than influencing Philippine beauty standards. Therefore, to get rid of such a
mentality, they should start now. The following are the recommended actions to slowly
detoxify the said Filipino toxic trait:

1. Find time reading and understanding Philippine history

The Philippines is rich in history. Taking time to get to know what has happened will
help Filipinos get to know the heroes, the revolutionaries, the martyrs, leaders, and
many more and what they had done for the sake of the country. It is not boring.
Saying that history is boring is a huge insult to the heroes and people who died since
they are part of that history. In fact, the history of the Philippines is such a
roller-coaster ride. And knowing what the preceding Filipinos had gone through will
bring a sense of pride given that we’re living the freedom they fought so hard to
achieve.

2. Look into Philippine landscapes

Unquestionably, the Philippines is a beautiful country in terms of natural resources.

So instead of going to Maldives, believing that beautiful beaches are found there,
why not try visiting the infamous Pink Beach here in Sorsogon? Instead of going to
Switzerland for a picturesque green view, how about going to the breathtaking
Batanes instead? In addition, the Philippines is one of the 17 mega diverse countries
so in terms of exotic, diverse animals and plants–the Philippines are among the
leading countries.

3. Better governance

Better governance means a government that is true to serving the nation and its
people. Better governance means the promised plans are being actualized; plans for
better employment, for better healthcare and educational system, for the
improvement of poverty situation, etc. Overall, better governance means an
improvement in Filipinos’ quality of life and a better, competent Philippines that can
keep up with globalization. To achieve this, start by voting for the deserving and
most suitable candidates in this upcoming 2022 election.

Colonial mentality is deeply connected with the feeling of inferiority. Although, if Filipinos
started to take pride in what they have; their culture and tradition, their history and roots,
their own natural resources, and if it surpasses the everlasting “third-world country” title,
the possibility that Filipinos will be able to shake off this toxic trait is not low and instead of
associating foreign countries with factors relating to beauty; social status, novelty, and
intelligence, will now associate it with their own country–the Philippines.

V. CONCLUSION

Developing a colonial mentality is inevitable. Filipinos can’t really be blamed for

growing such a mentality given the centuries of colonialism. If anything, it became
malevolent because Filipinos let it become their toxic trait. The toxic trait which shaped
their definition of “What is beautiful?” throughout the years. How did it even become a
toxic trait in the first place? By unconsciously or consciously associating factors that are
related to the standards of beauty such as social status, novelty/neophilia, and intelligence to
foreign countries–especially those countries who colonized the Philippines for years, fueling
the feeling of inferiority. This leads to the increasing demand for whitening products in the
Philippines.

Worse, the increase in the demand for whitening products is just a prodrome to more
compelling issues like body dissatisfaction–the same body dissatisfaction that’s bridging
this influenced beauty standards to various physical and mental health problems including
eating disorders and depression.

Recommended actions to repulse colonial mentality are by taking pride in what they
have through exploration of Filipino culture and tradition, understanding Philippine history,
venturing Philippine natural resources, and voting for better governance. In return, instead
of associating the factors related to beauty to foreign countries, Filipinos can now associate
it to the Philippines, improving the situation regarding beauty standards.

Nevertheless, if Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite–which are identified in Greek

mythology as goddesses who possess phenomenal beauties–still argue about their
appearances, how can humans expect to have that “perfect, ideal beauty?” Because there’s
no such thing. Humans are created, born, grow, and will die beautiful. It is only up to them
to actualize and recognize it. The beauty standards shaped by colonial mentality, claim that
this or that is more beautiful. In Filipino beauty standards today, beautiful is defined as
someone who has fair and white skin, with a dainty nose instead of pointed ones, slanted
eyes instead of round ones, and most especially, a “glass skin” together with a very slim
body structure. But no, because only each and every individual is the very definition of our
own “beautiful.”

VI. REFERENCES
[1] A Legacy to Public Health. (2014). Department of Health, Retrieved from:
https://doh.gov.ph/sites/default/files/publications/The%20Legacy%20Book%202nd%20Editi
on_0.pdf

[2] Tiglao, T. V. (1998). A century of public health in the Philippines. Information Publication
and Public Affairs of of Philippines.Retrieved from
https://www.nast.ph/images/pdf%20files/Publications/NAST%20Transactions/NAST%20199
7%20Transactions%20Volume%2019/1%20A%20Century%20of%20Public%20Health%20i
n%20the%20Philippines%20Teodoro%20V.%20Tiglao%201997.pdf

[3] Scott, W. H. (1994). Barangay: Sixteenth-century Philippine culture and society. Ateneo
de Manila University Press.

[4] Stéphanie Marie R. Coo. Clothing and the colonial culture of appearances in nineteenth
century Spanish Philippines (1820-1896). History. Université Nice Sophia Antipolis, 2014.
English. ffNNT : 2014NICE2028ff. Fftel-01126974f

[5] The Kahimyang Project. Stars of Philippine Cinema's Golden Age. Retrieved from:
https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/1680/stars-of-philippine-cinemas-golden-age

[6] Decena, Ashley M., "Identity, colonial mentality, and decolonizing the mind: exploring
narratives and examining mental health implications for Filipino Americans" (2014).
Masters Thesis, Smith College, Northampton, MA. Retrieved from:
https://scholarworks.smith.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1846&context=theses

[7] Lammers et al. (2016).“To Have Control Over or to Be Free From Others? The Desire for
Power Reflects a Need for Autonomy”. Retrieved from:
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0146167216634064?journalCode=pspc

[8] Oudeyer et al. (2016). Neophilia. Seeking Information for Itself: Liking and Wanting
Novelty, Surprise, and Intermediate Complexity. Retrieved from:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/neophilia
[9] Andrews, Evan. (2015). “10 Little-Known Facts About Cleopatra”. Retrieved from:
https://www.history.com/news/10-little-known-facts-about-cleopatra

[10] Bowen, Shannon (2016). Finding strategic communication & diverse leadership in the
ancient world: The case of Queen Cleopatra VII, the last pharaoh of Egypt. Retrieved from:
Full article: Finding strategic communication & diverse leadership in the ancient world: The
case of Queen Cleopatra VII, the last pharaoh of Egypt (tandfonline.com)

[11] Berbari, Georgina (2018). Proof That Being Intelligent Makes You More Attractive.
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To Sir Stranger;

First and foremost, we’re grateful for all the lessons you’ve impart with us. You’re one of
those teachers who proved that there could be a bond of friendship between students and
teachers. Honestly, it makes us comfortable opening up our ideas to you and we thank you for
that. It’s quite unfortunate how we don’t see each other personally–we bet your class would
surely be more fun and enjoyable if not for the pandemic. Nevertheless, thank you for all the
hard work, dedication, and commitment regardless of your busy schedule. We hope to see
you soonest. We hope you’ll have a good life. And again, thank you. God bless, sir. Cheers.

-Chadie and Jevy