They Used To Be Uncool Until they Became Famous Abroad

There are a bunch of stuffs that used to be taboos in Philippine society until they became popular abroad and considered the thing to have or be. This is one of those things that illustrate what is generally known as the Filipino colonial mentality.

Wearing tattoos

Before Hollywood embraced the tattoo culture it has already been part of Filipino pre-hispanic society. In the Visayas we had the pintados or painted people. Pre-spanish Filipinos used tattoos to recount their prowesses in war or simply to decorate their bodies for aesthetic purposes much like the celebrities are doing now, be it in Hollywood or locally.

Years after the Spanish era and after the subsequent colonization of the islands by countries like the US and Japan, much of this culture has disappeared. It came to a point when having a tattoo marked somebody as someone who was incarcerated and served time in prison.

In recent years however, when Filipinos started seeing prominent Hollywood personalities sporting tattoos of various colors and sizes, it transformed into something akin to the epitome of coolness. The stigma has been lifted and Filipinos from the upper level to middle class started sporting one.

Water powered car

When Daniel Dingle presented his idea of a water powered car everyone's attention was piqued. Piqued that is, but not much enthusiasm was awarded to this guy to have his idea put into good and practical use. Everyone considered it a brilliant invention but the government it seemed did not.

It has been almost more than 30 years now that Mr. Dingle has been battling to have his invention recognized, supported and backed by the Philippine government and for it to be disseminated to the Philippine public. By the way, did you know that Mr. Dingle developed this water powered car back in 1968? Yup. Before the hype for alternative energy source and way, way before the cost of gasoline reached the 60 pesos per liter mark.

Recent years have seen the Japanese developing similar prototypes as well as some European countries. Maybe it's time our government starts fighting to get this technology developed before we start eating someone else's dust again.

Eco-tourism

When I was a kid whenever we go on a picnic (in my childhood memory a picnic is akin to a day frolicking on the beach), we would usually stay under nipa huts dotting the edge of this wonderful seaside beach. Going to the beaches and staying under the shade of a nipa hut used to be an activity related only to the Filipino masses. The rich would prefer staying in big resorts with big hotels.

Recent years have seen the boom in eco-tourism. Foreigners now want to spend their vacations close to nature. Staying in huts with the most basic of necessities. And miraculously, the Filipino bourgeoisie is now finding it enjoyable too.

Tsinelas

Before havaianas, before the flip-flop culture inundated the streets of Manila we had the tsinelas. But unlike the flip-flops of today it was considered uncool to be wearing a tsinelas when going to malls or going out with friends, especially for the upper and middle classes. Wearing tsinelas, unless you're at home or just buying stuffs from the palengke would mean that you are someone unable to buy shoes, in short poor and without class.

I remember one time back in college, as I was passing by the main entrance of a mall, I saw a man being turned out by the guard because he was wearing tsinelas. I could still remember a time when part of the mall "dress code" was no slippers allowed.

Fast forward to recent times, havaianas took the western world in storm. Suddenly Filipinos started clamoring for this wonderful "new invention" in footwear science. It was comfortable and cute. And it suddenly is cool to be seen inside malls wearing them. The guards won't bar you at the entrance anymore if you're wearing one of these babies.

We wonder why innovation is so slow in this country. Probably because we are never cool enough to appreciate anything that starts and gets developed first within the shores of this island.