History of the Philippine Superstitions

RONN BRIANE E. ATUD                                        Second Semester, 2015-2016

Communication II-8                                                        Katherine T. Valencia

HISTORY OF THE PHILIPPINE SUPERSTITIONS

(Concept Paper)

Saenko (2011) claims that the new generation has developed their own lifestyles that are very different from the previous generations. Many cultures died out, got forgotten, and became unexercised. This is happening because of the rapidly growing technology, commercialization, industrialization, and globalization. An aspect of culture which has been totally affected by these is the superstitions. Superstitions that, as the aforementioned source has stated, form part of a people's value system and culture, and basically reflect the customs, traditions, and mores of a group. All of which may be based on religious beliefs, opinions, old or popular practices that are essential in knowing how a culture views the unknown and the means to appease the gods that they believe control their future.

Hoffman (2009) states that people in the Philippines are known to be superstitious. Filipino superstitions are mixed beliefs that are composed of different kinds of actions and so called rituals that one person must do to avoid something bad to happen or to attract something good luck. They are a combination of Catholicism, Chinese Traditions, and Filipino Folk beliefs with strong pagan undertones.

Filipinos’ attitudes towards superstitions is simple to explain. They believe that no harm will be done in doing or trying it. If it will bring good luck without hurting anyone, it is definitely worth the effort. Thus, despite the existence of superstitions all over the world; Filipinos are notorious for being the biggest superstitions believers.  

There are numerous superstitions that Filipinos adhere to. These may seem ridiculous to a person who is from a foreign culture or someone who believes in the power of empirical and scientific evidence. Men with such a bent of mind do not believe in fiction. They require proof, and their view of events is always objective. They are not the victims of ignorance. Now education and science have greatly enlightened man. They have unraveled many mysteries and removed a number of superstitions.

The citizens of Miagao are very religious and superstitious. However, superstitions can never be reliable. Generally, an educated mind is never swayed into believing or practicing superstitions. Hence, the researcher’s wishes to discover the reason behind why do people in Miagao believe in superstitions. After all, there is no logical connection between an owl’s hooting and the approaching calamity. Hereafter, it is desired that through this research or study, ample insights will be gathered to be able to reach a conclusion that will answer the questions on the subject matter.

Objective

        The main objective of this study is to inform why people believe in an irrational abject attitude of mind toward the supernatural. To achieve this main objective, the researcher specifically aims to uncover the history and origin of superstitions.

        For a more in-depth view and analysis of the role that superstitions play in the current generation and the past, it is also desired to conduct a survey that can help evaluate whether or not a certain age range practices or believes in superstition. Subsequently, the results of the survey will be tabulated and compared in order to arrive to conclusions that can supplement the main objective or be the jump-off point to further studies.

Methodology

        The study will be conducted at the Municipality of Miagao, Iloilo Province. The research procedures will start with the researcher gathering all the necessary materials. Then, a survey questionnaire that will be used as data collection instrument will be developed. It will be a printed self-report form designed to elicit information that can be obtained through the written responses of the subjects.

        Consequently, the researcher will acquire respondents from whom data will be collected for a sample of 20 through random sampling. Half of the sample will be the individuals of the past generation whose ages range 50 years old and above, and the other half will be the individuals of the present generation from ages 16 to 20.