Episoder
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When the guardia civil forced the Intramuros house of Victor Villegas open, they found a trail of blood that led all the way to a bathroom. Inside was the bloody corpse of the señor, his head smashed in, his body stripped to his underclothes. The police’s immediate suspects? The houseboys.
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Thumbnail Image: "Panguingue (Natives Playing Cards)." Jose Taviel de Andrade, ca. 1895. In Jose Maria Carino (2004), Islas Filipinas 1663-1888, Ars Mundi.
References:
Sayno, Mariano (20 March 2016). “Subic Spanish Gate: Sentinel of History in Olongapo’s Naval Legacy.” Beauty of the Philippines. https://www.beautyofthephilippines.com/subic-spanish-gate/
Bankoff, Greg (1992). “Servant-Master Conflicts in Manila in the Late Nineteenth Century.” Philippine Studies, 40(3), pp. 281-301.
Bankoff, Greg (1993). “Inside the Courtroom: Judicial Procedures in Nineteenth Century Philippines.” Philippine Studies, 41(3), pp. 287-304.
Coo, Stephanie (2019). Clothing the Colony: Nineteenth-Century Philippine Sartorial Culture, 1820-1896. Ateneo de Manila University Press.
Mallat, Jean (1846). The Philippines: History, Geography, Customs, Agriculture, Industry, and Commerce of the Spanish Colonies in Oceania (Pura Santillan-Castrence, Trans.) (2021). National Historical Commission of the Philippines.
“Reglamento Provisional para la Policia de la Servidumbre Domestica” (1881). https://bibliotecadigital.aecid.es/bibliodig/es/catalogo_imagenes/descargarImprimir.do?id=descarga_1014590-1728387479953&multiple=false&idGrupo=1014590
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Learn more about one of the most enduring Filipino folktales. (Listen to S6E4 before listening to this one!)
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Manglende episoder?
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In the 1600s, a friar chronicled wild stories of titans who carried spears the size of tree trunks, waded all the way to Surigao, got slain by small warriors, or even traveled to Manila. Where did this titanic fascination come from—and what do stories of giants tell us about the world of our colonizers and our ancestors?
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Thumbnail art adapted from a map depicting the giant Patagonians of South America, from Gutierrez, Diego (1554-1569). “Americae sive quartae orbis partis nova et exactissima descriptio.” Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection (Library of Congress)
References:
Madarang, Catalina Ricci S. (5 May 2021). “Inches for height, hours for distance: Filipinos use our own set of measurement systems.” Interaksyon. https://interaksyon.philstar.com/trends-spotlights/2021/05/25/192465/inches-for-height-hours-for-distance-filipinos-use-our-own-set-of-measurement-systems/
Tim Reynolds (2023). “Victor Wembanyama officially listed at 7-foot, 3.5-inches tall.” Associated Press.
St. Augustine, City of God 16.8, “Whether Certain Monstrous Races of Men Are Derived from the Stock of Adam or Noah’s Sons.”
Fernández-Armesto, Felipe (2022). Straits: Beyond the Myth of Magellan. Bloomsbury Publishing.
Reilly, Brandon Joseph (2013). “Collecting the People: Textualizing Epics in Philippine History from the Sixteenth Century to the Twenty-First.” [Doctoral dissertation] University of California, Los Angeles.
Morales, Resil (1997). “Imagining Giants.” In House of Memory. Anvil Publishing.
Mojares, Resil (2013). “Men With Tails.” In Isabelo’s Archive. Anvil Publishing.
Turban, Manon (31 December 2021). “Cartographic Monsters and the Rise of Empiricism.” XVII-XVIII [En ligne], 78.
Clark, Jordan (13 November 2017). “The Legend of the Agta, the Eastern Visayan Tree-Dweller.” The Aswang Project. https://www.aswangproject.com/agta/
Scalice, Joseph (2018). “Pamitinan and Tapusi: Using the Carpio legend to reconstruct lower-class consciousness in the late Spanish Philippines.” Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, 49(2), p. 250-276.
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One of the most fascinating dishes in the Philippines is kare-kare, which has a history as rich as its stew. (You don’t need to listen to S6E3 before listening to this one, but I’d appreciate it if you do!)
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One of the most low-key and long-lived eateries in Makati’s central business district is the humble ‘jolly jeep’ known as SisigSaRada, which, as you can tell from the name, is located inside Rada Street. But who is this “Rada” the road is named after? To answer that, we travel four and a half centuries back in time. What can the story of Fray Martin de Rada tell us about the early history of Christianity in the Philippines?
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References:
Sitoy, T. Valentino Jr. (1985). A History of Christianity in the Philippines: The Initial Encounter, Volume 1. New Day Publishers.
“An ordinance prescribing rules and regulations for the operations of mobile-canteens in Makati City…”, City Ordinance No. 2002-07 (2002).
Tikim TV (2023). Sisig Sa Rada Story | Legendary Jolly Jeep in Makati | Filipino Street Food Icon | Tikim TV. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DAU-Qig-SI
Macdonald, Charles J-H (2004). “Folk Catholicism and Pre-Spanish Religions in the Philippines.” Philippine Studies, 52(1), pp. 78-93.
Macdonald, Charles J-H (2012). "Cleansing the Earth: The Pänggaris Ceremony in Palawan," Philippine Studies, 45(3).
Jocano, F. Lando (1968). “Notes on Philippine Divinities.” Asian Studies: Journal of Critical Perspectives on Asia, 6(2).
Bulatao, Jaime (1965). “Split-level Christianity.” Philippine Sociological Review, 13(2), pp. 119-121.
“4364 Martin de Rada.” AugNet.net. http://www.augnet.org/en/history/people/4364-martin-de-rada/
Ocampo, Ambeth (6 December 2023). “To See and Notice.” Philippine Daily Inquirer. https://opinion.inquirer.net/168776/to-see-and-notice
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Yay or neigh? In this week’s episode of Extra Credit, join us for a short and sweet exploration of equine history in our corner of the world. (Listen to S6E2 before listening to this one.)
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We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming to give you this audio recording, straight from the Philippine launch of Silk, Silver, Spices, Slaves: Lost Tales from the Philippine Colonial Period, which is the book version of this podcast!
This event was a long time coming, and I'm happy we finally got to make it happen this August 31. Much love to everyone who took the time out of their Saturday to pick up the book or hear me speak. Special thanks to Everything's Fine, the amazing independent bookstore that hosted the event; my publisher Shu Wen Chye of Faction Press, who flew all the way from Singapore to be here; and fellow history podcaster Ceej Tantengco-Malolos (host of What's AP?: Araling Panlipunan Rebooted) for moderating the launch.
*Audio has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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One month after Pearl Harbor, the Philippine army is in tatters after the relentless Japanese assault. The 26th Cavalry Regiment—one of the few cavalry units left in the US army that still hadn’t traded in their horses for tanks or halftracks—had the thankless task of guarding the defensive lines against Imperial flank attacks. In the town of Morong, Lt. Edwin Price Ramsey and the rest of E Troop face off against an invading force… and charge into history in the final mounted cavalry charge in the annals of the American armed forces.
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Cover Art: "The Last Charge" © John Solie
References:
Ramsey, Edwin Price & Rivele, Stephen J. (1990, 2016). Lieutenant Ramsey’s War: From Horse Soldier to Guerilla Commander. University of Santo Tomas Publishing House.
“Cavalry Drill Regulations, Horse.” (13 March 1944) War Department Field Manual (FM2-5), United States Printing Office.
Bankoff, Greg (2004). “Horsing around: The life and times of the horse in the Philippines at the turn of the 20th century.” In Boomgaard, P. & Henley, D. (eds.), Smallholders and Stockbreeders Histories of Foodcrop and Livestock Farming in Southeast Asia, KITLV Press, p. 233–255.
Quirino, Carlos (1988). “The Spanish Colonial Army: 1878-98.” Philippine Studies, 36(3), pp. 381-386.
“The 4th U.S. Cavalry at Manila, Philippines.” [Photo] Strohmeyer & Wyman, publishers. US Library of Congress. https://www.loc.gov/item/2023634531/
Plante, Trevor K. (2000). “Researching Service in the US Army During the Philippine Insurrection.” Prologue, 32(2), National Archives. https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2000/summer/philippine-insurrection.html
Olson, Col. John E. (2020-2021). “A Brief History of the Philippine Scouts.” Philippine Scouts Heritage Society, https://www.philippinescouts.org/the-scouts/history/a-brief-history
Quezon, Manuel L. (1946). The Good Fight. D. Appleton-Century Company, Incorporated.
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Before they became dandies, they were students who chafed under a dress code! In this week’s episode of Extra Credit, we take a look at the suits and swag of the scholarly set. (Listen to S6E1 before listening to this one.)
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Cravats. Top hats. Barongs. Striped pants. Wide, wide waistbands. Well-dressed men are on the prowl in Luneta, turning heads and inciting whispers. Let’s meet these fashionable fops, shall we?
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Audio from Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me from New Line Cinema.
References:
Coo, Stephanie (2019). Clothing the Colony. Ateneo de Manila University Press.
Silvestre, Ma. Patricia Brillantes (2018). “The Manila Tertulia in the Spanish and American Periods: From Private to Public Sphere.” In Saysay Himig: A Sourcebook on Philippine Music History, 1880-1941 (Arwin Q. Tan, ed.), University of the Philippines Press.
Arias, John Manuel (25 June 2020). “Like the Salons It’s Named For, ‘Tertulia’ Is a Political Meeting Disguised as a Party.” Electric Lit. https://electricliterature.com/like-the-salons-its-named-for-tertulia-is-a-political-meeting-disguised-as-a-party/
Ayala Museum [@ayalamuseum] (9 December 2020). “This painting is called Un Indio de Manila bestido de gala after Damian Domingo…” X.com. https://x.com/ayalamuseum/status/1336545689757646849/photo/1
Uler, Gulsun (1 July 2022). “Tertulia: The Spanish Word for Social Meetings with Literary or Artistic Flavors.” Words of the World. https://wordsoftheworlds.substack.com/p/tertulia-a-spanish-word-for-a-social
Simpson, Mark (July 2002). “Meet the Metrosexual.” Salon.com.
Simpson, Mark (29 July 2022). “Meet the Metrosexual—Twenty Years On.” MarkSimpson.com. https://marksimpson.com/2022/07/29/meet-the-metrosexual-twenty-years-on/
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Are you ready to plunge into the archives of Philippine history?
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Last weekend, the book version of this podcast, 'Silk, Silver, Spices, Slaves', was launched in a small event at Book Bar SG along Duxton Road in Singapore. Of course, I got into a funny little accident right before it happened. Listen to scenes from the Singapore book launch here! My publisher and I talk about how the book came into being, how The Colonial Dept. tries to teach history, and what my process is for writing episodes and essays.
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The book version of this podcast is called Silk, Silver, Spices, Slaves: Lost Tales from the Philippine Colonial Period, 1565-1946. Purchase here. (An ebook version is also available in Amazon.)
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Special episodes take you behind the scenes at The Colonial Dept.! In this bonus bit, I walk you through the book version of this podcast, which is entitled Silk, Silver, Spices, Slaves: Lost Tales from the Philippine Colonial Period, 1565-1946. What's inside? How did I make it? How can you get it? Hopefully, I get to answer all your questions here.
P.S. Tap here to read Peter Gordon's review on the Asian Review of Books.
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Email us: [email protected]
Find out more about the book on Faction Press.
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Special episodes take you behind the scenes at The Colonial Dept.! In this bonus bit, we talk a bit about my book Silk, Silver, Spices, Slaves (order here). I also announce our new remastered episode initiative—take a listen at the teaser inside!
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Email us: [email protected]
Find out more about the book on Faction Press.
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Let’s take a look at the other side of the Galleon Trade. In this week's episode of Extra Credit, we track the exchange between the Philippines and Minnan—as well as the Chinese who made it happen. (Listen to S5E13 before listening to this one!)
The book version of this podcast is called Silk, Silver, Spices, Slaves: Lost Tales from the Philippine Colonial Period, 1565-1946. Purchase here. (An ebook version is also available in Amazon.)
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From 1762 to 1764, the British invaded and occupied Manila. When they left and returned the capital to Spain, the Castilians turned their wrath on the Chinese community, calling them traitors, apostates, and collaborators. But what was the real score?
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Email us: [email protected]
The book version of this podcast is called Silk, Silver, Spices, Slaves: Lost Tales from the Philippine Colonial Period, 1565-1946. Purchase here. (An ebook version is also available in Amazon.)
References:
Flannery, Kristie Patrice (2016). “Battlefield Diplomacy and Empire-building in the Early Modern Pacific World.” Itinerario, 40(3). p. 67–488.
Eng Sin Kueh, Joshua (2014). The Manila Chinese: Community, Trade, and Empire, c. 1570-1770 [doctoral dissertation]. Georgetown University.
Escoto, Salvador P. (1999). “Expulsion of the Chinese and Readmission to the Philippines: 1764-1779.” Philippine Studies, 47(1), p. 48-76.
Escoto, Salvador P. (2000). “A Supplement to the Chinese Expulsion from the Philippines, 1764-1779.” Philippine Studies, 48(2), p. 209-234.
Wickberg, Edward (1964). “The Chinese Mestizo in Philippine History.” The Journal of Southeast Asian History, 5(1), p. 62-100.
Ruiz-Stovel, Guillermo (2009). “Chinese Merchants, Silver Galleons, and Ethnic Violence in Spanish Manila, 1603-1686.” Mexico y la Cuenca del Pacifico, 12(36), p. 47-63.
McCarthy, Charles J. (1970). “Slaughter of Sangleys in 1639.” Philippine Studies, 18(3), p. 659-667.
Wilson, Andrew (2004). Ambition and Identity: Chinese Merchant Elites in Colonial Manila, 1880-1916. University of Hawaii Press.
“Journal of the Proceedings of His Majesty’s Forces On An Expedition Against Manila.” In Beatson, Robert (ed.),(1972) Naval and Military Memoirs of Great Britain, From 1727 to 1783, Vol. 2, Greg Press.
Fish, Shirley (2003). When Britain Ruled the Philippines, 1762-1764: The Story of the 18th Century British Invasion of the Philippines During the Seven Years War. Authorhouse.
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In California, sympathetic judges allow a Filipino man to marry a white woman—at least until a new state law arrives. In this week's episode of Extra Credit, we check out the Roldan v. Los Angeles County case. (Listen to S5E12 before listening to this one!)
The book version of this podcast is called Silk, Silver, Spices, Slaves: Lost Tales from the Philippine Colonial Period, 1565-1946. Purchase here. (An ebook version is also available in Amazon.)
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In the early decades of the 20th century, scores of young Filipino men began migrating to the United States to work. In their spare time, they dressed in their best suits and nattiest shoes, then hit the clubs. But when these dance-hall romances blossomed into marriages with white women, the law stepped in to stop them. Central to the plaintiffs’ legal arguments was a dazzling trick question of pure pseudoscience: Was the Filipino a Mongolian… or a Malay?
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Email us: [email protected]The book version of this podcast is called Silk, Silver, Spices, Slaves: Lost Tales from the Philippine Colonial Period, 1565-1946. Purchase here. (An ebook version is also available in Amazon.)
References:
Strandjord, Corinne (2009). “Filipino Resistance to Anti-Miscegenation Laws in Washington State.” Great Depression in Washington State.
https://depts.washington.edu/depress/filipino_anti_miscegenation.shtml
Volpp, Leti (1999-2000). “American Mestizo: Filipinos and Antimiscegenation Laws in California.” UC Davis Law Review, 33, 795-835.
Baldoz, Richard (2004). “Valorizing Racial Boundaries: Hegemony and Conflict in the Racialization of Filipino Migrant Labour in the United States.” Ethnic and Racial Studies, 27(6), 969-986.
Aguilar, Filomeno V. (2011). “Filibustero, Rizal, and the Manilamen of the Nineteenth Century.” Philippine Studies, 59(4), 429–469.
Johnson, Stefanie (2005). “Blocking Racial Intermarriage Laws in 1935 and 1937.” The Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project. https://depts.washington.edu/civilr/antimiscegenation.htm
Wilkerson, Isabel (2020). Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents. Random House
Desmond-Harris, Jenée and Caswell, Estelle (13 January 2015). “The myth of race, debunked in 3 minutes.” Vox. https://www.vox.com/2015/1/13/7536655/race-myth-debunked
“Filipino Contract Laborers in Hawaii.” 1926. Monthly Labor Review 24(4), 4-9.
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After publishing Noli Me Tangere, Jose Rizal gets red-tagged… er, German-tagged by the Spanish authorities! In this week's episode of Extra Credit, we check out the accusations against Rizal, and how he responded to them. (Listen to S5E11 before listening to this one!)
The book version of this podcast is called Silk, Silver, Spices, Slaves: Lost Tales from the Philippine Colonial Period, 1565-1946. Purchase here. (An ebook version is also available in Amazon.)
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Sea snakes and scientists, popes and Pacific islands all star in this wide-ranging episode. As Germany and Spain threaten to go to war over a chain of islands, the Spaniards feared that the diplomatic ruckus kicked up by the Caroline Crisis would also swallow up their colony next door: the Philippines!
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P.S. My voiceover partner-in-crime, Anya, is on extended leave, so I’ll be voicing the entirety of this episode.
The book version of this podcast is called Silk, Silver, Spices, Slaves: Lost Tales from the Philippine Colonial Period, 1565-1946. Purchase here. (An ebook version is also available in Amazon.)
References:
Weston, Nathaniel Parker (2012). “Scientific Authority, Nationalism, and Colonial Entanglements between Germany, Spain, and the Philippines, 1850 to 1900” [doctoral dissertation]. University of Washington.
Weston, Nathaniel Parker (2021). Specters of Germany: Colonial Rivalry and Scholarship in the Philippine Reform Movement and Revolution. Ateneo de Manila University Press.
Hanlon, David (1988). Upon a Stone Altar: A History of the Island of Pohnpei to 1890. University of Hawaii Press.
Hezel, Francis X. (1995). Strangers in Their Own Land: A Century of Colonial Rule in the Caroline and Marshall Islands. University of Hawaii Press.
“German Gunboats and Pacific Natives” (14 February 1887). The West Australian.
“Jose Rizal, suspected spy, deciphered” (19 September 2012). National Historical Commission of the Philippines. https://nhcp.gov.ph/jose-rizal-suspected-spy-deciphered/
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