‘Filgrimage’: From San Diego to Manila Bay
/We go to college and learn about our history in our first Asian American studies class. We see people on social media exalting their pride in being Filipino, such as the hashtag MagandangMorenx. We hear Ruby Ibarra or Rocky Rivera or Bambu or Klassy or Rocky G for the first time.
Or we find ourselves back in our homeland, engaging with a culture we had ignored in our formative years, and start (re)learning to love ourselves, our people, and our roots. A group of Filipino Americans, mostly from San Diego, did this by taking a trip to the Philippines through the partnership of the Philippine Department of Tourism and The Filipino School, a non-profit based in San Diego. Eight Fil Ams embarked on a life-changing journey to rediscover their homeland and themselves.
Dubbed the Filgrimage, the trip was an immersion for Filipinos/Filipino Americans who are looking for a way to navigate their identity and learn about the rich history and culture of the Philippines. Tony Olaes, entrepreneur and founder of The Filipino School, set up the tour, inspired by his own homecoming experience to the Philippines and the desire to extend that opportunity to the next generation.
Front Row (L-R): Riana Hernandez, Gabby Almazar; 2nd Row (L-R): Ryah Hernandez, Jocelynne Montehermoso, Lauren Bumatay; 3rd Row (L-R): Tyler Jacobs, AJ Asuncion; Back Row (L-R): Luis Borromeo, Michael Olaes on a boat during an island hopping tour in Palawan. (Photo Courtesy: Filgrimage)
The “Filgrims” went exploring museums in Intramuros, enjoyed the sandy beaches of El Nido, Palawan, saw firsthand the reality of poverty in Barangay Samala-Marquez, and built houses for the community.
As the Filgrimage progressed day by day, the personal maturation of this group of young Filipinos and their appreciation for their ancestral roots became evident.
What It Means for Young Fil-Ams to Be Filipino
Tyler Jacobs, 18
Growing up biracial is not always easy. It can be hard to decide which side to just identify with when asked; even harder when actively trying to connect with one side.
Living in a mostly Asian community having mostly Asian friends, Tyler decided to try to embrace his Filipino side. It was much easier said than done, Tyler felt. As much as he wanted to relate with his Filipino friends, he felt distant and out of place; he was stuck between two different worlds. Tyler wasn’t sure he was Filipino enough to be around his friends and his own people. Growing up as a third-generation Filipino American who did not observe stereotypical rules, or traditions, of a Filipino household, Tyler wanted more of a connection to his roots than what could be obtained in a classroom.
“I identified with my Filipino side, but it was never to a degree of knowing what that’s about, what that means, being Filipino… I never understood the history, who we are, how we live until I went on this trip.”
Tyler Jacobs interacts with Maryjane inside her family’s home in Barangay Samala-Marquez. (Photo Courtesy: Filgrimage)
To Tyler, the most striking part of the trip was the group’s visit to the slums of Barangay Samala-Marquez in Cavite. It helped him truly see the actual conditions millions of Filipinos must endure, away from the pristine beaches and eye-catching sights that are constantly being pushed by the tourism industry. He also acknowledged his privilege of living in the United States, having access to a home, running water, and not having to worry about where his next meal might come from.
“We have to understand that the Philippines isn’t all Palawan, it’s also a lot of this poverty that many have to endure every single day, some of them for the entirety of their lives.”
Ryah Hernandez, 18
Having been to the Philippines before, Ryah was used to seeing the poverty of the country and thought that it was filled with nothing but scarcity and hardship. This made her want to distance herself from her culture as much as possible.
Ryah had attended a private school for most of her life, a predominantly white environment she longed to assimilate into, with her fairer-skinned peers. She had wanted to be nothing but white, be it by rejecting her culture, or using skin-whitening products and hair dye.
“When you’re surrounded by people who don’t look like you, you try to change yourself to make yourself fit in or look like them. So, I didn’t want to be a part of my culture, there was barely anyone who was Filipino. So, I always tried to be white.”
Before the Filgrimage, Ryah had never seen the common tourist sites that the Philippines had to offer, such as the beaches where white sand meets with clear water. Upon seeing that the Philippines has more to offer than what she had expected, she changed her mind and perspective and is now proud to call it home. Ryah returned to the United States with a deeper knowledge of her culture, greater love for her country, and better understanding of her roots.
“It was very beautiful to realize that the Philippines has so much more than what I thought of it growing up. Because I only saw the slums part of it because that’s where my family was from.”
Riana Hernandez, 21
Riana, like her younger sister, Ryah, had also been to the Philippines before, but their outlook contrasted starkly. Both went to the same private school with a largely white student body and had tried to make themselves look whiter. But Riana did not want to wipe off the Filipino in her. Riana knew that, despite it all, Filipinos were her people.
“When I was there (private school) I really wanted to change what I looked like... to look more white to fit in that school. But then… I was close with my culture because I knew that these are the people I belong with; this is my home. I feel way more comfortable here than being surrounded by people who don’t look like me, who don’t understand me.”
Like her sister, Riana also subscribed to the idea that the entirety of the Philippines was mired in poverty, but she said that going on the Filgrimage made her completely turn around. She noted how she never thought she would ever experience the beauty that she witnessed on the trip, specifically noting her experience in El Nido, Palawan.
“It was just so beautiful. I always thought that I would see this in the Caribbean or like Cabo. But being in the Philippines, I think it was life-changing because it was my home, but also a place that I could be proud to be in and experience both the good and bad parts of it and still love everything.”
Lauren Bumatay, 19
Lauren had been to the Philippines before, but she never really knew the history or knew the language as she just stayed with family and they mostly visited the beaches of Boracay. She was familiar with Filipino culture, but she wanted more. So she joined her high school’s Filipino club and started to immerse herself in what it means to be Filipino.
Lauren had always been exposed to Tagalog but never really understood or spoke it. She did understand Ilocano, the language of her parents, who are both from Zambales. Watching TFC with her lolas since she was three years old, watching the teleserye “On the Wings of Love” over and over with the subtitles, was how she slowly started to understand the language. When Lauren moved to San Diego in high school, she learned that her new school offers Tagalog classes, and she just had to take advantage of that opportunity.
Lauren Bumatay and Luis Borromeo pose for a selfie with some locals after a quick basketball game during an island hopping tour in Palawan. (Photo Courtesy: Filgrimage)
“I didn’t really start embracing the culture until high school when I got more involved in the Filipino American Club and just overall Filipino community at my school. So I began to love my Filipino background a lot.”
After learning Tagalog, Lauren realized she could interact with the locals in a much deeper and more intimate way. She overcame the language barrier that once held her back. On the trip, Lauren could make tawad (bargain) with vendors and interact with school children in Bataan.
Lauren also joined the Filgrimage with a different perspective compared with her earlier travels, which usually happens when one gets older and becomes more aware of her surroundings. The poverty seemed more real to her on this trip.
“I felt like going back, going with a completely different perspective than how I went before. As soon as we got there, I was just taking it all in because the poverty became more noticeable to me, if that makes sense. When I visited before, I didn’t really notice it, like it was just there.”
Jocelynne Montehermoso, 18
Jocelynne also grew up not knowing much about her Filipino background, except for the food and such customs as taking off one’s shoes before entering a house.
She was constantly being transplanted as a military child -- to Pennsylvania, Spain, and finally settling in San Diego. It did not give her much exposure to Filipino culture or history. Therefore, it became her dream to visit the Philippines, to experience it all firsthand. Once she had the opportunity, she immediately signed up for the Filgrimage. she immediately signed up for it. Jocelynne described her initial reaction when they first arrived as kind of an “Oh my god” moment. She felt a sense of wonderment in finally being able to witness everything she had ever heard about in real time and in real life.
“My first impression when I came out of the airport, I was like ‘Oh my gosh, this is how it is!’ This is stuff that I would see in my classrooms, like the jeepneys and the traffic jams and stuff. It was just so cool. Seeing all of this from my perspective is just crazy.”
For Jocelynne, the trip was an eye-opening and, at times, fun experience. For her the most memorable part of the trip was visiting the slums in Barangay Samala-Marquez. Although she felt slightly distant from the people by not knowing how to speak the language, she still felt a connection with them through the sheer fact that they share the same culture.
Jocelynne also pointed out the time they visited the Sibaltan Women Weavers in Palawan, where the group learned how to weave and also saw a traditional dance performance from the Sibaltan Heritage Council, whose president, Enrico Cabiguen, welcomed the group with warmth and cordiality.
As a dancer herself, she saw this as an opportunity to connect with the people for they shared a common language, which was more physical rather than verbal. After the trip, Jocelynne went on to become the president of her high school’s Filipino club and partnered with Tyler’s club to fundraise for the people in the Philippines. The trip also influenced her choice of the field to study in university.
“Considering how impoverished certain parts of the Philippines are, my major is Public Health. I want to use that to help in some way to give back to the community. I don't know how yet, but maybe something along the lines of G.K. (Gawad Kalinga).”
Gabby Almazar, 19
Gabby has been involved with the Filipino community in San Diego because her mom is a Filipino schoolteacher who was always part of various Filipino/Filipino American organizations around the city.
Being continually exposed to Filipino events and community activities at a young age, she thought she had sufficient understanding of what it means to be Filipino, only to realize that she did not genuinely identify with her people when she and her family would visit the Philippines.
“It wasn’t until high school that I realized that when I would go to the Philippines I didn’t actually feel I was connected to my culture. There was some kind of disconnect or barrier.”
Gabby had told her mom how she felt and that she felt embarrassed about not being able to relate with people in the Philippines, such as her cousins, due to the language barrier. It was at that moment that Gabby’s mom told her about the Filgrimage.
Gabby’s previous trips to the Philippines were usually just staying with family and visiting only a limited scope of the country. She was aware of the social divide, though. At first Gabby said she was unfazed when the group visited the slums. But after interacting with the residents, she realized how life was miserable and problematic for those living below minimum wage. She came to acknowledge her privilege and is currently pursuing a career in engineering, hoping to help uplift communities such as Barangay Samala-Marquez.
“The trip has inspired what I want to do in the future. With engineering, I want to go into a job that does something like G.K. (Gawad Kalinga) does where they build houses in impoverished communities. Overall, the trip just inspired me to help give back to the culture where I come from.”
Gabby Almazar digs a trench while helping the Gawad Kalinga along with other participants from the trip. (Photo Courtesy: Filgrimage)
AJ Asuncion, 16
The youngest in the group, AJ grew up primarily in predominantly white communities in New Jersey and Georgia. For him, proclaiming his Filipino identity when asked about his ethnicity was just routine and was nothing more than a piece of trivia. He described his early school experience as being familiar with different ethnic groups despite the abundance of whiteness. AJ has not experienced any sort of blatant discrimination and he never really thought about the issue of race.
Yet, when he moved to San Diego in 2017 and saw the Filipino population, he realized that there was more to the word “Filipino” than he had originally thought. “As a young boy growing up in America, to say ‘I am Filipino’ was simply a set of words that had no deep meaning behind it. However, after moving to this Filipino community in California many years later, I slowly started to realize that I had no understanding of what it meant to be Filipino.”
For AJ the most memorable of the Filgrimage was their visit to the island of Corregidor. An important historical site established during Spain’s colonial rule, Corregidor served as a line of defense against invading forces until the Philippines gained its independence in 1946.
AJ was also amused by the tour guide and his jokes, along with the mystery surrounding the tunnels and caves of the battle-ravaged island. Most importantly, AJ recounted his awe and amazement at being physically present at a site of historical significance during World War II.
Through the trip, AJ quickly realized that “Filipino” was more than just a box you tick off in a survey or form. Being Filipino is an identity that carries with it a rich culture, diverse traditions, deep roots, and an unforgettable people.
“I realized that being Filipino was more than just a label, but also a term used to describe this mutual sense of bayanihan between everyone, and it connects us.”
Luis Borromeo, 24
Being raised in Ohio, which only has a Filipino population of 17,000 according to the 2010 Census, Luis never really knew what it meant to be Filipino. He described school life as being the only Asian in a classroom for most of the time, not seeing himself as different and basically thinking he was white too.
Despite feeling he was white like the rest of his peers; Luis knew there was a part of himself that he was missing. In high school, he started to become more proactive in seeking out his Filipino heritage, a journey that carried over into his college years and beyond.
“As a kid, I always just saw myself the same as the other kids. I also felt like I was missing a part of myself. In a sense I started to feel ‘white-washed.’ I felt more American than Filipino at that point in my life.”
Through the trip, Luis was able to truly connect with the Philippines’ culture, history, and people, a chance that he says he is forever grateful for. Luis acknowledged visiting the Barangay Samala-Marquez urban poor as the most memorable part of the trip for him. A group of kids were playing soccer with a deflated ball, a toy that most American children might ignore or toss aside.
Witnessing the children kick and toss the ball and run after it and do it all over again, while laughing with much abandon, prompted Luis to do some introspection. He reflected on the circumstances that he grew up in, being born in Singapore and moving to the U.S. and going to an American university. He has a life that many dream of, but only few are able to attain.
“The trip made me realize how grateful I am for all the sacrifices my parents made for me. They left the comfort of their home country for a better life here in the United States.”
A Remarkable Sojourn in the Motherland
These young Filipino Americans all knew that there was more to the Filipino culture, roots, and people than what they saw on social media or learned in their American History classes in high school.
Filgrimage gave them the opportunity to learn and absorb what the Philippines has to offer. The trip provided these young Fil-Ams an experience of a lifetime. It is now up to them to bring the “gospel” of Filgrimage to as many, so that together, more people can help in little ways to contribute to nation-building.
Front Row (L-R): AJ Asuncion, Gabby Almazar, Riana Hernandez; 2nd Row: Ryah Hernandez; 3rd Row (L-R): Lauren Bumatay, Luis Borromeo, Tyler Jacobs.; Back Row(L-R): Maryjane and Michael (Owners of the house), Jocelynne Montehermoso (Photo Courtesy: Filgrimage)
The group's journey was documented and is now a digital series co-presented by TFC and The Filipino School. Filgrimage is streaming on iWant TFC (iWantTFC.com), TFC IPTV, and on TheFilipinoSchool.com, starting October 22.
The Filgrimage Series will also be seen on myxTV and on TFC Cable and Satellite starting October 24, 2020.
Miguel Carrion
Miguel Carrion is a Photojournalism student at San Francisco State University whose work has been published in BBC News and Inquirer.net. You can follow his work and contact him through his Instagram: @miguel.flcarrion
