MAGITING : Wonders of the Philippine Gods and Goddesses

A Study on How Interactive Media Can Preserve

Philippine Mythology and its Origins

A Thesis Proposal Presented to the Faculty of

Multimedia Arts Department

College of Education, Arts and Sciences

De La Salle Lipa

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

for the Degree of

Bachelor in Multimedia Arts

By

Antig, Jose Carlos L.

Hutalla, Ignacius Kyle.

Magundayao, Jose Mari C.

Real, Bernard Norman Z.

March 2023
 CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

The Philippines as a country have a wide and diverse history dating back to the

pre-Hispanic of the Philippines, even before the Pre-Colonization period of the

Spaniards (Pepe, 2020). The Filipinos have multiple Gods and Goddesses with a

complex and non centralized naming for the said gods and goddesses, in which

different continents at that time have different calls and attributions to their deities.

Moreover, the system of belief at that period of time did not only stop at having a set of

deities but rather has also an occurrence and faith to mythical creatures and beings.

Having these beliefs have shaped and paved the way for how the Philippines lived

throughout the way of living in the early times. When it comes to culture, Philippine

Mythology has always been present yet overlooked even though it is important to know

and enrich our knowledge on the culture that was believed and the identity of being a

Filipino. Through Philippine Mythology, people can learn about how Filipinos used to

believe how things came to be and through that, the richness of the culture of being a

Filipino is ever present. However, current times prove to be a challenge in upholding the

importance of learning Philippine Mythology and including it as a viable source material

to be learned as a growing individual in the country of Philippines. (Commoner, 2020)

Folklore and myths are crucial for forming cultural identity and for interpreting the

outside world. They can give valuable lessons and perspectives that are still applicable

today as well as insights into beliefs, values, and traditions of many cultures. Traditional
myths and folklore are often preserved and passed down through oral traditions, these

tales are simply seen as forms of amusement or cultural oddities. A way that myths and

folklore still lives is through storytelling. Stories are the main focus of folk storytelling.

These could be told in poetry, prose, or perhaps both. They are further broken down into

three subcategories: myths, legends, or folktales. Another way of preserving traditional

myths and folklore are often closely tied to religious rituals and practices, such as

offerings and ceremonies. Together, these forms of folk literature make up a rich and

diverse tradition that reflects the cultural, historical and social experiences of the Filipino

people. (Commoner, 2020)

In contrast, the recitation and preservation of traditional tales and folklore are

frequently a real and active part of the everyday religious life of the indigenous people

who inhabit the mountains in the Philippines. Furthermore, the study of myths and

folklore may not always be included in curricula, which are frequently created to satisfy

certain learning targets and criteria. This might be as a result of a lack of awareness of

the significance of these tales and concentration on other topics thought to be more

pertinent or useful for students’ future jobs. However, initiatives are being made to

include many mythology and folklore in textbooks. The value of promoting cultural

diversity and teaching about other cultures is widely acknowledged by educators. Also,

there are resources that teachers can utilize to impart myths and folklore from many

cultures to their students. (Filipiknow, 2022)

Myths are an important part of every culture. These are used to explain the

origins of things and phenomena that contributed to the development of a certain

civilization. Sometimes These were also used to explain unprecedented events that
happen around the world. To understand these texts better, people resort to mythology,

the study and interpretation of myths and tales that deal with human conditions and

phenomena (Mark, 2018). Myths introduce people and the beliefs and practices of a

community. These stories and tales are passed on from generation to generation. An

individual needs to be aware and knowledgeable about these literary texts in order to

preserve the culture as well as their identities. However, with the practice of storytelling

and recording, these myths and tales are losing their importance and have been the

most neglected field of study (Clark, 2021). Philippine culture is known to have been

heavily influenced by Spanish and American colonization because Spaniards brought

Catholicism and attempted to convert the native population to the Catholic faith as they

eliminated numerous beliefs and gods by enforcing it. The Spanish invaders attempted

to supplant the polytheistic native religions of the Philippines with the monotheistic

religion of Catholicism as part of this effort. The indigenous religions were considered

superstitious and pagan by the Spanish colonizers, and their rituals and beliefs were

seen as inconsistent with Catholicism. They attempted to eradicate indigenous customs,

such as the worship of many deities, and replace them with Catholic doctrines and ways

of life. The Philippines' cultural and religious environment was greatly impacted by this

period of colonization and conversion. It caused many indigenous beliefs and customs

to deteriorate and ultimately vanish, as well as the acceptance of Catholicism as the

nation's official religion. (M.A. Del Rosario, 2020)

According to Dhir (2021), the purpose of interactive media is to have the user

have an interaction with the new media which traditional media such as television and

radio does not have. Having an active participation from the user gives them the ability
to navigate from a specific channel to another. Interactive media has also a big

opportunity in the modern world because we are in the era where we are surrounded by

advanced technologies which help us in our daily lives.

In terms of education, interactive media would also have a huge impact because

the field of education is experiencing a noticeable shift as interactive media continues to

rapidly develop and gain popularity among students. These media platforms encourage

active participation and offer multi-sensory learning experiences through interactive

narration and exploration. Compared to traditional tools, modern technology is more

appealing to today's students and better meets their needs, while also stimulating their

critical thinking skills (Kwiatkowska, 2013, pp. 256-259).

The researchers would like to aim to give Philippine Mythology its potential lifeline

through interactive media and likewise would hope that the resurgence and outlet of

support would come to not only Philippine Mythology but also creative individuals who

are putting effort and hardwork in giving Philippine Mythology the support that it

deserves. Since the researchers believe that Philippine Mythology should be an integral

part of being a Filipino and through new interactive media, the researchers believed that

this study would help contribute to the cause of preserving Philippine Mythology.

(Sugue, & Reyes, 2022).

Statement of the Problem

The research intends to answer the problem: How can interactive media be

effective in teaching and preserving Philippine Mythology? Specifically it aim so answer

the following questions:

1. Why is Philippine Mythology not being prioritized in the current curriculum as part

of Philippine history?

2. Why is there a lack of delivery for Philippine Mythology as a theme for new

interactive media?

3. What are the effects of teaching Philippine Mythology to Filipinos?

4. How will interactive media such as video games improve the learning of

Philippine Mythology?

Objectives of the Study

The research specifically aims:

1. To show the people the inherent significance of not only understanding Philippine

Mythology but the benefits of giving it importance not only as a cultural icon but as a

theme for a media.

2. To identify potential new modal delivery of Philippine Mythology as part of a new

interactive media.

3. To determine the importance of culturally preserving a part of the identity of

Filipinos.

4. To give importance to Philippine Mythology not only as a culture that is to be

preserved but also as an art form that can be delivered in different ways.
Scope and Limitations

The study focuses on Philippine Mythology as its central theme for new

interactive media. Moreover, it uses figures from which Philippine Mythology contains,

from the gods and goddesses, to different creatures and figures that are present in the

said mythology. Additionally, this paper will focus on the preservation of Philippine

Mythology in a way where it can cater to a wide area of generation.

To add to that, this paper will give emphasis on using a current generation media

to give way for the goal of keeping Philippine Mythology from being obsolete in the

Philippines. Moreover, this study will use different digital tools to achieve the said goal of

Despite that, there are still limitations that are to be considered in this study. First

is that this study will not focus on the effects of having Philippine Mythology as a media

that is used by people for their entertainment motivations. Second, is that the

respondents for this study will mostly come from central Luzon, specifically Manila and

CALABARZON.

This study would also give emphasis on the possible application of Philippine

Mythology as a diverse collection of stories and beliefs that have been passed down

through ages.
Significance of the Study

This study will benefit the following groups of people:

For the students. The study will enrich the knowledge of students in regards to

Philippine Mythology. In addition to that, it will foster experiences that allow students to

take value from, especially through the teachings of Philippine Mythology itself.

For adults. Adults will be able to appreciate and have an open mind when it

comes to interactive media, moreover it gives them a flexible and modernized way of

introducing Philippine Mythology to the youth.

For educational institutions. This study will help educational institutions realize

the positives of using interactive media

For the future researchers. This study will provide substantial reference for the

future researchers who will also be using either interactive media as a form of teaching

process or using Philippine Mythology as their topic.

For the community. This study will benefit the community for its use of culture

and the knowledge it presents to the younger generation, which they can learn about

the origins of Philippine Mythology through interactive media.

Operational Definition of Terms

Catholicism – refers to the traditions and beliefs of Catholic Churches. it also refers

to their theology, liturgy, morals, and spirituality.

Culture – refers to the different ways of life including arts, beliefs, institutions of a

population that are passed down through generations to generations.

 Deities – refers to a group of supernatural beings with omnipotent power, they are

considered to be divine or sacred.

Folklore – it’s a traditional beliefs, customs, stories, and other cultural expressions

that are shared by a particular group of people and transmitted orally from generation to

generation. it is shared by a particular group of people; it ecompasses the traditions

common to that culture, subculture or group.

Folktale – it is a traditional narrative that typically involves human or animal

characters and teaches moral lessons.

Interactive Media – any form of digital media that allows users to interact with it in

some way. This can include websites, video games, social media platforms, virtual

reality experiences, and more. It also refers to the products and services on digital

computer-based platforms which respond to the user’s actions by presenting content

such as text, moving image, animation, video, and audio.

Legends – refers to a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring

human actions, believed or perceived, both by tellers or listeners to have taken place in

history.

Mythology – it’s a traditional story that explains the origins of the world, natural

phenomena, or cultural practices, often involving gods, goddesses, or other

supernatural beings. It is a collection of myths or stories about a specific person,

culture, religion, or with any group of shared beliefs.

Pre-Hispanic – refers to the time prior to the spanish conquests in the western

hemisphere. It also refers to the period of time before the 16th century.
 Traditional Media – refers to traditional forms of mass communication, such as

television, radio, print (newspapers, magazines), and outdoor advertising (billboards,

posters).
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Journals

Kwiatkowska W. (2016). Engaged academic e-learning – research report, Acta

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http://dx.doi.org/10.12775/AUNC_PED.2016.029

Sugue, A. S., & Reyes, M. M. (2022). Rediscovering the Value of Philippine Mythology

for Philippine Schools: Literature Review. International Journal of Language and

Literary Studies, 4(3), 329. https://doi.org/http://doi.org/ 10.36892/ijlls.v4i3.1057

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