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Interrogations in Philippine Cultural History
These articles interrogate diverse issues in Philippine cultural history: the place of Nick Joaquin in the nation's historiography; the debate on the class position of Andres Bonifacio and the revolutionary outbreak of 1896; the state of regional literary studies and the case of Filipino crime fiction; and Philippine electoral politics as seen in the cracked mirror of Pascual Racuyal's career. The book ends with the author's reflections on the past four decades of Philippine cultural studies.
- GenresNonfiction
191 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2017
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About the author
Resil B. Mojares
30 books55 followersTrained in literature and anthropology, Resil B. Mojares won several National Book Awards from the Manila Critics Circle for works in fields as diverse as literary criticism, urban and rural history, and political biography.
He has been a recipient of prizes for his short stories, a national fellowship in the Essay from the UP Creative Writing Center, and teaching and research fellowships from the Ford, Toyota, and Rockefeller foundations, Fulbright Program, and Social Science Research Council (New York).
He has served as visiting professor at the University of Wisconsin, University of Hawaii, and University of Michigan.
He teaches at the University of San Carlos in Cebu City.
He has been a recipient of prizes for his short stories, a national fellowship in the Essay from the UP Creative Writing Center, and teaching and research fellowships from the Ford, Toyota, and Rockefeller foundations, Fulbright Program, and Social Science Research Council (New York).
He has served as visiting professor at the University of Wisconsin, University of Hawaii, and University of Michigan.
He teaches at the University of San Carlos in Cebu City.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 20, 2025
Chalking it up to the combination of academic writing, the scholarly references, and my ignorance I admittedly have not fully chewed every bit of the lectures Mr. Mojares—a National Artist of the Philippines for Literature—selected to interrogate and deconstruct in this compact paper. That's not to say I found little benefit from it. His enlightened insights can absolutely help lead the citizen to an informed understanding, against just hearsay, of their cultural history, and the present.
Topics that held my attention,
➤ Nick Joaquin giving primacy to the Spanish-colonial experience as the ‘Filipino becoming’ p.10
➤ Nick Joaquin on Sto. Niño of the popular Cebuano devotion of the Child Jesus as “the last and greatest of our pagan idols” p.84
➤ Bonifacio as one of the initiators of the Revolution was not of "lower stratum" of local society but of "lower-middle or middle-middle" class p.33 that goes against the widespread modern belief that he was of the masses.
➤ The persistent nuisance candidate Pascual Racuyal who filed for candidacy in ten Presidential elections of the country in the span of his lifetime. p.136
➤ Reasons Manila noir, an artistic genre or style, is not flourishing in the country p.117-118
➤ “The dark years of [Marcos] dictatorship” as one of the most intellectually intense period in Philippine history. p.145
➤ Bonifacio syndrome or the romancing of the powerless, and the privileging of the “popular” that leaves subject of privilege and power relatively unexamined. pp.151-152
Topics that held my attention,
➤ Nick Joaquin giving primacy to the Spanish-colonial experience as the ‘Filipino becoming’ p.10
➤ Nick Joaquin on Sto. Niño of the popular Cebuano devotion of the Child Jesus as “the last and greatest of our pagan idols” p.84
➤ Bonifacio as one of the initiators of the Revolution was not of "lower stratum" of local society but of "lower-middle or middle-middle" class p.33 that goes against the widespread modern belief that he was of the masses.
➤ The persistent nuisance candidate Pascual Racuyal who filed for candidacy in ten Presidential elections of the country in the span of his lifetime. p.136
Lunacy can shed its own light on reality, refracted but starker than the light of sanity.
➤ Reasons Manila noir, an artistic genre or style, is not flourishing in the country p.117-118
➤ “The dark years of [Marcos] dictatorship” as one of the most intellectually intense period in Philippine history. p.145
➤ Bonifacio syndrome or the romancing of the powerless, and the privileging of the “popular” that leaves subject of privilege and power relatively unexamined. pp.151-152
Why (W.H. Scott asks) is the study of the sexual habits of three Ifugao pagans be good ethnography, but doing the same for high politicians and generals an invasion of privacy, a case of libel, or worse?
October 18, 2024
Thoroughly enjoyed going through the assortment of essays Resil Mojares compiled in this collection. I think what strikes me the most about his approach in writing his thoughts, arguments, and personal qualms is that apart from shedding light on perspectives unexplored, it is often rooted in compelling argumentation.
That is to say, he understandably discusses, albeit in short detail, about the importance of "critical globalization", of what could possibly qualify as Philippine Noir, of the inclusion of informal authors in the historiography of the Philippines. What I find with his approach, and at least with his intellectual rigor, is that it constantly looks for areas in which the discussion can be leveled. Shortness aside, I don't think I felt any circular going through the entire book's collection.
That is to say, he understandably discusses, albeit in short detail, about the importance of "critical globalization", of what could possibly qualify as Philippine Noir, of the inclusion of informal authors in the historiography of the Philippines. What I find with his approach, and at least with his intellectual rigor, is that it constantly looks for areas in which the discussion can be leveled. Shortness aside, I don't think I felt any circular going through the entire book's collection.
May 17, 2025
Interrogations is composed of eight of ten lectures Dr Mojares delivered to Ateneo de Manila students between November 2014 and February 2015. Intended "to cover topics across disciplines," and "hopefully stimulate them to think about these topics for themselves," the topics were chosen for their topicality, such as the tenth death anniversary of Nick Joaquin, and the January 2015 Santo Niño festival of Cebu. Unlike Brains of a Nation, Dr Mojares freely weighs in his opinions on the subjects he discusses.
Three topics captivated my interest:
1) Discourses of the Devil's Advocate: Nick Joaquin as Historian
"Nick Joaquin's reputation as a fictionist has eclipsed his work as historian." This caught me off guard, as I realized I have only really read his fiction. "Politically incorrect," "intellectually voracious but not academically inclined," Joaquin was "widely read," which Mojares feels "we need more of in the academic profession." That he mentions this need at all underscores what the writer thinks of the current generation of academics.
Joaquin held a positive view of our Spanish past, an unpopular sentiment he boldly wrote about, for indeed "In the profoundest possible sense, Spain did give birth to us--as a nation, as an historical people," adding "The content of our national destiny is ours to create, but the basic form, the temper, the physiognomy, Spain created for us." This was the context of Joaquin's first historical article, written in 1943 at the age of twenty-six, despite the Japanese occupation and its official policy of orientalismo, and needless to say, it ruffled some nationalistic feathers, particularly from one of the leading intellectuals of the day, Federico Mangahas.
Occasionally cloaked in the role of devil's advocate, Joaquin would continue to "go against the grain," "impelled by the urge to write what he felt had not been written," turning "heroes into anti-heroes--Aguinaldo missing his opportunity for greatness because he could not rise above the small imagination of the petty-bourgeois; Gregorio del Pilar's stand at Tirad Pass as an anti-heroic disaster, a delaying action in a flight to nowhere."
I'm particularly drawn to It Was Later Than We Thought, a short story Joaquin wrote for the Philippine Review in 1943, of "the disenchantment that leads one of the characters to lament how 'progress' is a relentless tide in which people are caught, 'leaving upon the shore dead weeds, dung, rubbish, shipwrecks and corpses.' This is so with man's principalities: they come and go....Put not your trust in princes!"
In complete agreement with Dr Mojares: It is a good time to read Nick Joaquin again.
2) Andres Bonifacio and the Problem of Class
The quandary on the issue and import of Andres Bonifacio's social classification has been debated since his death in 1897. Various interpretations have played out since then, the most popular being the camisa de chino'd, bolo-wielding "Great Plebeian," every inch looking the warrior. Juxtapose this with the ubiquitous image of Dr Jose Rizal in Western overcoat clutching a book, and indeed, debate is inevitable, endless. Dr Mojares tackles the subject in sober, academic history form, retracing and interpreting Bonifacio's CV, the shifting, sometimes conflicting translations of "class" and its numerous subgroups, and finally, the agenda of personalities and movements who have either deified or demonized Andres Bonifacio through the centuries.
3) The Aparicion of the Holy Child: Toward a History of a Cebuano Devotion
The annual Pit Señor honoring the Señor Santo Niño is one of the most revered, rambunctious, and spectacled, religious festivals in the Philippines, and while its epicenter is in Cebu, the event is deeply felt and traditionally celebrated in practically every barangay in the country. It has done wonders for local and national tourism without diminishing the genuinely pious, devoted fervor that sustains it.
Exhaustive research and various anecdotal stories went into this article, but as expected, nothing definitive beyond a litany of possibilities is revealed of the Santo Niño's origins. But here's one surprising fact I did learn: the Santo Niño is not the patron saint of Cebu. It is San Vidal (St Vitalis), an obscure Italian martyr who was enthroned in the Cebu Cathedral around 1958!
Three topics captivated my interest:
1) Discourses of the Devil's Advocate: Nick Joaquin as Historian
"Nick Joaquin's reputation as a fictionist has eclipsed his work as historian." This caught me off guard, as I realized I have only really read his fiction. "Politically incorrect," "intellectually voracious but not academically inclined," Joaquin was "widely read," which Mojares feels "we need more of in the academic profession." That he mentions this need at all underscores what the writer thinks of the current generation of academics.
Joaquin held a positive view of our Spanish past, an unpopular sentiment he boldly wrote about, for indeed "In the profoundest possible sense, Spain did give birth to us--as a nation, as an historical people," adding "The content of our national destiny is ours to create, but the basic form, the temper, the physiognomy, Spain created for us." This was the context of Joaquin's first historical article, written in 1943 at the age of twenty-six, despite the Japanese occupation and its official policy of orientalismo, and needless to say, it ruffled some nationalistic feathers, particularly from one of the leading intellectuals of the day, Federico Mangahas.
Occasionally cloaked in the role of devil's advocate, Joaquin would continue to "go against the grain," "impelled by the urge to write what he felt had not been written," turning "heroes into anti-heroes--Aguinaldo missing his opportunity for greatness because he could not rise above the small imagination of the petty-bourgeois; Gregorio del Pilar's stand at Tirad Pass as an anti-heroic disaster, a delaying action in a flight to nowhere."
I'm particularly drawn to It Was Later Than We Thought, a short story Joaquin wrote for the Philippine Review in 1943, of "the disenchantment that leads one of the characters to lament how 'progress' is a relentless tide in which people are caught, 'leaving upon the shore dead weeds, dung, rubbish, shipwrecks and corpses.' This is so with man's principalities: they come and go....Put not your trust in princes!"
In complete agreement with Dr Mojares: It is a good time to read Nick Joaquin again.
2) Andres Bonifacio and the Problem of Class
The quandary on the issue and import of Andres Bonifacio's social classification has been debated since his death in 1897. Various interpretations have played out since then, the most popular being the camisa de chino'd, bolo-wielding "Great Plebeian," every inch looking the warrior. Juxtapose this with the ubiquitous image of Dr Jose Rizal in Western overcoat clutching a book, and indeed, debate is inevitable, endless. Dr Mojares tackles the subject in sober, academic history form, retracing and interpreting Bonifacio's CV, the shifting, sometimes conflicting translations of "class" and its numerous subgroups, and finally, the agenda of personalities and movements who have either deified or demonized Andres Bonifacio through the centuries.
3) The Aparicion of the Holy Child: Toward a History of a Cebuano Devotion
The annual Pit Señor honoring the Señor Santo Niño is one of the most revered, rambunctious, and spectacled, religious festivals in the Philippines, and while its epicenter is in Cebu, the event is deeply felt and traditionally celebrated in practically every barangay in the country. It has done wonders for local and national tourism without diminishing the genuinely pious, devoted fervor that sustains it.
Exhaustive research and various anecdotal stories went into this article, but as expected, nothing definitive beyond a litany of possibilities is revealed of the Santo Niño's origins. But here's one surprising fact I did learn: the Santo Niño is not the patron saint of Cebu. It is San Vidal (St Vitalis), an obscure Italian martyr who was enthroned in the Cebu Cathedral around 1958!
January 31, 2022
Interrogations in Philippine Cultural History: the Ateneo de Manila Lectures by Resil B Mojares, despite the occasional jargon (as you'd expect in any academic exposition in a field other than your own), is enjoyable, occasionally incredible, and clearly shows a Filipino identity still in search of itself.
***
Interrogations is a collection of lectures that Professor Mojares gave from 2014-2015. Though the lectures were given in the Ateneo, it brought back memories of my own heady days in UP, where lectures, symposia, and small group discussions on a variety of fields abounded. I'm a physician now, and in my field, lectures tend to gravitate towards more or less the same things. Students in universities should realize how fortunate they are to be in the midst of intellectual ferment.
Prof Mojares had something to say about the "dark side" of intellectual ferment in the last part of his book, but for me, the most interesting lectures were the ones about Nick Joaquin, Andres Bonifacio, and a certain Pascual Racuyal.
These lectures call to mind a Filipino identity in its teens, rebellious, idealistic, but with an inchoate sense of self.
Nick Joaquin wants us to look at our Spanish heritage more kindly. Should we believe him?
Andres Bonifacio is most probably a member of the middle class and most certainly a political tool. What does this say about us?
Pascual Racuyal was a nobody who filed his candidacy for all presidential elections from 1935 to 1986, challenged the likes of Marcos and Osmena to marathon debates, and promised to perform surprise audits on government offices and suprise attacks on criminals if elected. Was he a mere crackpot?
Ours is obviously an identity steeped in folk Catholicism, Westernized by America, wounded by Marcos, made cynical by the EDSA Revolution and its aftermath, and even after all that is still trying to understand itself. I wonder what Prof Mojares has to say about the latest trauma to Filipino identity--the rise of Duterte and his government of misinformation.
***
I'm happy to have stumbled upon Interrogations. If, like me, you're not a literary critic, just read the first two and the last two chapters. You can skip the rest if you want.
***
Interrogations is a collection of lectures that Professor Mojares gave from 2014-2015. Though the lectures were given in the Ateneo, it brought back memories of my own heady days in UP, where lectures, symposia, and small group discussions on a variety of fields abounded. I'm a physician now, and in my field, lectures tend to gravitate towards more or less the same things. Students in universities should realize how fortunate they are to be in the midst of intellectual ferment.
Prof Mojares had something to say about the "dark side" of intellectual ferment in the last part of his book, but for me, the most interesting lectures were the ones about Nick Joaquin, Andres Bonifacio, and a certain Pascual Racuyal.
These lectures call to mind a Filipino identity in its teens, rebellious, idealistic, but with an inchoate sense of self.
Nick Joaquin wants us to look at our Spanish heritage more kindly. Should we believe him?
Andres Bonifacio is most probably a member of the middle class and most certainly a political tool. What does this say about us?
Pascual Racuyal was a nobody who filed his candidacy for all presidential elections from 1935 to 1986, challenged the likes of Marcos and Osmena to marathon debates, and promised to perform surprise audits on government offices and suprise attacks on criminals if elected. Was he a mere crackpot?
Ours is obviously an identity steeped in folk Catholicism, Westernized by America, wounded by Marcos, made cynical by the EDSA Revolution and its aftermath, and even after all that is still trying to understand itself. I wonder what Prof Mojares has to say about the latest trauma to Filipino identity--the rise of Duterte and his government of misinformation.
***
I'm happy to have stumbled upon Interrogations. If, like me, you're not a literary critic, just read the first two and the last two chapters. You can skip the rest if you want.
October 19, 2024
Took long enough as I've always felt intimidated with historiography and academic jargon outside of my safe bubble of general fiction and digestible essays. This is more telling on my capacity as a reader than the author's prose.
In all honesty, I sped through most of the chapters—except the lengthy paper on the Sto Nino which was apparently the crux of Mojares' scholarly work. Nonetheless, it was an interesting discussion on the transformation of religious iconography from colonial to one that is owned by the people—a mix of indigenous, pagan, nature-rooted, Filipino.
Favorite sections are:
Andres Bonifacio and the Problem of Class
An Immodest Proposal for Literary Studies
In all honesty, I sped through most of the chapters—except the lengthy paper on the Sto Nino which was apparently the crux of Mojares' scholarly work. Nonetheless, it was an interesting discussion on the transformation of religious iconography from colonial to one that is owned by the people—a mix of indigenous, pagan, nature-rooted, Filipino.
Favorite sections are:
Andres Bonifacio and the Problem of Class
An Immodest Proposal for Literary Studies
September 1, 2022
quickly breezed through mojares' academic writing. poignant and deliciously erudite in the examination of historical accounts, and also criticizes deeply the phlippine literary education system. awed as always
October 29, 2017
Your ideal companion in understanding Filipino identity, history covering various facets of culture and figures.
November 14, 2018
THANK YOU FOR TALKING ABT NICK JOAQUIN!! AND THE REST!! COOL
August 19, 2022
Isa sa ito sa mga paborito kong libro, at paborito kong iskolar si Resil B. Mojares.
Ang "Interrogations in Philippine Cultural History" ay antolohiya ng mga kritikal na sanaysay na mahahalagang ambag sa pag-aaral sa kultura, kasaysayan, panitikan ng Pilipinas, at sa interdisiplinaryong mga larang.
Magaan basahin ang mga akda ni Mojares dahil nagkukuwento siya, hindi lapag lang nang lapag ng mga argumento. Natatahi niyang mabuti ang mga ideya. Salik sa mga katangiang ito ng mga kritikal na sanaysay ang pagiging historyador at kuwentista ni Mojares.
Matalas din ang suri sa mga akda sa kalipunan, at sinisilip at hinihimay ang mga partikular na anggulo sa kulturang Pilipino na hindi napag-uukulan ng karampatang saliksik. Napapasok niya ang mga guwang ng mga pag-aaral (research gap).
Mahusay ring nailalatag ni Mojares ang mga argumento, at natatahi ang buong saliksik sa malikhaing paraan. Malaking salik sa kakayahang ito ang pagiging kuwentista ni Mojares.
Ang "Interrogations in Philippine Cultural History" ay antolohiya ng mga kritikal na sanaysay na mahahalagang ambag sa pag-aaral sa kultura, kasaysayan, panitikan ng Pilipinas, at sa interdisiplinaryong mga larang.
Magaan basahin ang mga akda ni Mojares dahil nagkukuwento siya, hindi lapag lang nang lapag ng mga argumento. Natatahi niyang mabuti ang mga ideya. Salik sa mga katangiang ito ng mga kritikal na sanaysay ang pagiging historyador at kuwentista ni Mojares.
Matalas din ang suri sa mga akda sa kalipunan, at sinisilip at hinihimay ang mga partikular na anggulo sa kulturang Pilipino na hindi napag-uukulan ng karampatang saliksik. Napapasok niya ang mga guwang ng mga pag-aaral (research gap).
Mahusay ring nailalatag ni Mojares ang mga argumento, at natatahi ang buong saliksik sa malikhaing paraan. Malaking salik sa kakayahang ito ang pagiging kuwentista ni Mojares.
May 1, 2017
The master of Philippine intellectual and cultural history has done it again: a brilliant exposition of thought-provoking essays based on his master lecture series. Enjoyed his essays on Nick Joaquin and Pascual Racuyal.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews