User:Alternativity

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Until last October, RE de Leon was a professor of Development Communication at the University of the Philippines, Los Baños. He has since left that post to be able to focus more on writing.

He received his Bachelor's Degree in Development Communication in 2000, and was the recipient of the Higino A. Ables Award for Best Undergraduate Research. He majored in Development Journalism and took additional units in Marketing, Economics, Social Forestry, and Management. In 2005, he received his Master's Degree in the same field, this time taking a minor in Information Science. His Master's Thesis focused on the health-related knowledge processes and flows in a Tagalog coastal village.

Development communication is about using the art and science of communication to promote social development, and in a lot of ways that's what RE de Leon is all about.

He is interested in mythology as the means by which a culture seeks to define itself, as a quide on the collective search for meaning, as a way people ask themselves the questions "who are we?" "what are we doing here?" and "where are we going?"

Three years ago, he founded the Philippine Order of Narnians, the Philippines' first community of CS Lewis enthusiasts. As a writer his strongest influences are CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien, and inspirational writers John Eldredge and Philip Yancey.

He is currently working on a screenplay and a series of short novels set in 8th century Laguna, Philippines.

( I use this profile whenever I'm invited to speaking engagements, or whenever I submit any write-ups, and on my friendster profile.)

Contents 1 Interest in WikiPedia 2 The Ma-Yi Project 2.1 Philippine Mythopoeia/Legendarium 2.2 Indigenous Practices of Filipino Tribes 2.3 Philippine Prehistory 2.3.1 Geographical influences on Luzon Cultures 2.3.2 Cultural influences of Prehistoric Philippines 2.3.3 Luzon Settlements (other than Laguna) 2.3.4 Laguna History 2.3.5 Tagalog Social Structures 2.3.6 Tagalog Boat Culture 2.3.7 Prehistoric Tagalog Agriculture and Fisheries 2.3.8 Prehistoric Tagalog Domestic Life 2.3.9 Prehistoric Tagalog Religeon 2.4 Geo-ecological Cultrual Influences 2.4.1 Philippine Music and Dance 2.4.2 Philippine Textile Technology (Prehispanic) 2.4.3 Philippine Farming Technology 2.4.4 Philippine Medical Technology 2.4.5 Philippine Geological Terms and related beliefs 2.4.6 Philippine Flora 2.4.6.1 Trees 2.4.6.2 Shrubs 2.4.6.3 Herbs 2.4.7 Philippine Fauna 2.4.7.1 Mammals 2.4.7.1.1 Mythical Mammals 2.4.7.2 Birds 2.4.7.2.1 Mythical Birds 2.4.7.3 Reptiles 2.4.7.3.1 Mythical Reptiles 2.4.7.4 Amphibians 2.4.7.5 Fish 2.5 Indigenous Tagalog Names List 3 Other Topics of Interest 3.1 The Philippine Order of Narnians 3.2 Agoo, La Union 3.3 Useful Writing Motiff Links

[edit] Interest in WikiPedia

I am not sure if my case is unique, but I am a rather unusual Wikipedian in that I will readily admit to having an ulterior motive, although I assure the reader that motive will not adversely influence the quality of my postings. (Although my new-ness to Wikipedia might...)

You see, my first extensive use of Wikipedia as a reference came about because of I was doing research for what I call my Ma-Yi Project - a series of short novels set in 8th century Laguna.

Since I've been having trouble finding somewhere to properly visualize all the data I need, I've come up with the idea of making the research publicly available on Wikipedia. That way, not only do I get to organize my readings, everybody benefits from what I discover.

Since my novel project is not published yet, I won't be referring to its plotline or characters at all (which would not be appropriate anyway). I will basically be using wikipedia to create a picture of the world my character and plot will develop in - the real world of the Philippines, circa 8th century.

This benefits the community by making the material available, and benefits me because now I won't be alone in my research!

I suspect other novelists working stories based on real-life settings (fictional or not) will find the approach useful. :-)

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[edit] The Ma-Yi Project

"Ma-Yi" is what the ancient Chinese called the people they traded with in what is now Mindoro. It is one of the first proper names given to the people who would eventually become modern-day Filipinos.

While the world of 8th century Philippines did actually exist, modern day experience is so different that the Speculative Fiction tradition of world-building is actually necessary. Besides, this is not a historical novel per-se but is rather an alternative history novel, with mythical elements mixed in.

I intend to explore the universe of historical 8th century Luzon and the world of Filipino Mythology using wikipedia, and specifically intend a four-prong approach, expounding on the following areas:

• Mythology
• Surviving Indigenous Practices (Sociological focus)
• Anthropological History
• Geo-ecological environs as cultural influences in the 8th century

Each is discussed in further detail below, with notes that I must admit are as much for myself as for the reader browsing my page. :-)

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[edit] Philippine Mythopoeia/Legendarium

• Bathala;
• Maria Makiling;
• Bernardo Carpio

reference: http://www.katig.com/alamat02.html

• Tikbalang;

references: http://www.answers.com/topic/tikbalang http://www.pantheon.org/articles/t/tikbalang.html http://www.angelfire.com/ny/tikbalang/main.html http://www.geocities.com/gcalla1/tikbalang.htm http://www.geocities.com/horrorflip/demonsdragonsanddwarves.html

• Kapre;
• Nuno;
• Anito

reference:http://www.filipinaslibrary.org.ph/filipiniana/viewessay.asp?art_id=19 ;

• Catalonan -- created an entry already;
• Aswang I'm planning to expand on the similarities between the Babaylan,Catalonan, and Mambabarang vs. the Aswang and Mananangal. Scott's Barangay records early references to Aswangs so it seems the Aswang stories pre-dated the spanish, but there are too many similarities between the two, as noted in numerous references I still have to look for, to ignore.;
• Mambabarang

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[edit] Indigenous Practices of Filipino Tribes

Aeta Culture; Igorot Culture; Mangyan Culture; Badjao Culture; Lam-Ang; Hinulawod

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[edit] Philippine Prehistory

[edit] Geographical influences on Luzon Cultures

[edit] Cultural influences of Prehistoric Philippines

SriVijaya;

China: Timeline_of_Chinese_history Song Dynasty; Tang Dynasty;

Madjapahit;

Brunei;

Champa

[edit] Luzon Settlements (other than Laguna)

Lusong Sources: earliest references including "Sanftosi", "Zabag" ; possible etymology

Lingayen (Lingyamon) 10th Century

Sanftosi 10th Century Chinese , Muslim Zabag Sanfotsi Sources: 25, 2007 Etymology of "Sanfotsi" The Medieval Geography of Sanfotsi and Zabag Location of The Kingdom (Sanfotsi) Zabag Sources: of the Zabag empire

Tondo (Tundun);

Pasig (Bitukan Manuc);

Ma-i ( Mindoro) 10th Century

Po-Ni (Panay) 10th Century

[edit] Laguna History

Pila, Laguna; Bay, Laguna; Batong Malake, Los Baños, Laguna; Pansol, Calamba, Laguna; Bucal, Calamba, Laguna;

[edit] Tagalog Social Structures

Maginoo; Maharlika; Lakan; Lakambini; Gat; Timawa; Aliping Namamahay; Alipin sa Gi-gilid; Barangay(social structure);

| Manansala: Social hierarchy in Pampanga I'm not sure what to do with this reference, which is a personal blog, true, but which is based on sources I cannot directly confirm. But I'm putting it here for future use. It's the best collection of etymologies of prehispanic noble class titles I've seen thus far.

[edit] Tagalog Boat Culture

• Balangay
• Balasian
• Banka
• Bawuto
• Bilog (boat)
• Biray
• Birok or Biruko
• Kupit (boat)
• Malo
• Sata
• Talangkas
• Tapak (boat)
• karakoa

source links:

• The Ingenious Filipino Boat [1]By FR. Gabriel S. Casal, Eusebio Z. Dizon, Wilfredo P. Ronquillio, Cecilio G. Salcedo Kasaysayan Vol. 2: The Earliest Filipinos
• Scott, William Henry. Barangay: Sixteenth Century Philippine Culture and Society. Ateneo De Manila Press. Manila:1994
• Archaeological Artifacts: Butuan Boat and Others [2] in MUNIMUNI NG IBANG TAO, ATBP.

[edit] Prehistoric Tagalog Agriculture and Fisheries

[edit] Prehistoric Tagalog Domestic Life

Original "Filipino Time"

[edit] Prehistoric Tagalog Religeon

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[edit] Geo-ecological Cultrual Influences

[edit] Philippine Music and Dance

[edit] Philippine Textile Technology (Prehispanic)

• Textiles
  • Abaca
  • Nilad
• Designs
  • Damit
  • Basahan - ordinary work clothes
  • Giliw (prehispanic Philippine clothing) - sackcloth or rough clothing
  • Gimay - poor, worn clothes
  • Halos - Expensive clothes for special ocassions
  • Panapin (pansapin) - underclothes
  • Takdang - any garments worn below the waist
• Dyes
  • Bark Dye Technologies

[edit] Philippine Farming Technology

• Philippine Farming Tools

[edit] Philippine Medical Technology

[edit] Philippine Geological Terms and related beliefs

• Time of Day
• Seasons
• measurements
• measurement technologies
  • ganta

[edit] Philippine Flora

I'm hoping to add cultural aspects of Flora and Fauna in the Philippines to their various pages, or subpages, or whatever. I need advice on how to go about this...? Specifically, can local names of animals be added to their english names?

[edit] Trees

Balete I didn't even know until I read the Kapre wiki that the Balete is the Banyan tree!; Narra; Niyog;

[edit] Shrubs

[edit] Herbs

[edit] Philippine Fauna

[edit] Mammals

Alamid- created redirect to Asian Palm Civet;

Cloud rat

[edit] Mythical Mammals

Sigbin

[edit] Birds

Canaoay; it turns out that for ilocanos this term refers to the Cattle Egret, while to Tagalogs it is a general term for any kind of tern.

Kalaw (Rufous Hornbill) and Tariktik (Tarictic Hornbill) - I hope to expound on the use of these birds by early filipinos as a means of keeping the time.;

Manok

references

Darag native chicken:Pride of Western Visayas

welcome old-fashioned way of raising chickens

Limbas;

Philippine Fairy Bluebird (Tigmamanukan) ;

Fairy Bluebird

references

Honolulu Zoo: Fairy Bluebird

Nagbuhat sa bughaw - the creation story as told by Prof. Adelaida B. Zamora of PUP

[edit] Mythical Birds

Adarna;

Sarimanok;

[edit] Reptiles

[edit] Mythical Reptiles

[edit] Amphibians

[edit] Fish

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[edit] Indigenous Tagalog Names List

(with rough translations and popular examples)

• Gat Pandan
• Gat Talian "Tie"(?) (Gatchalian)
• Gat Dula / "Play" Lakandula
• Gat Matanda / "Old" Raja Matanda
• Sa Longga, literally "at the or in the hole" Jovito Salonga
• Ang Gara, "especially elegant" Edgardo Angara
• Mojica
• Tupas

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[edit] Other Topics of Interest

[edit] The Philippine Order of Narnians

I authored the entry for the Philippine Order of Narnians, the Philippines' only organized community of CS Lewis enthusiasts, and a member of the New Worlds Alliance.

[edit] Agoo, La Union

Since I am currently based in Agoo, La Union, I might as well add to the entry...

I found an extensive history of Agoo at [3] which can serve as a reference.

[edit] Useful Writing Motiff Links

monomyth

bildungsroman

====Seven Basic Plots==== (I hope to make an entry for this soon!)
Google Answers: Seven Basic Plots
Dutton: Seven Basic Plots
The Straight Dope: Seven Basic Plots
Grand Fun - the Lucas Plot Formulae!

====Types of openings==== (Still looking for a way to make a workable article for this)
[4]

====Types of endings==== (Still looking for a way to make a workable article for this)
[5]