An#Interdisciplinary#Approach#to#a"Discourse"on"Religion(and(Development!in#Bicol#Region!

!Maria!Sharon!Mapa+Arriola!

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!“Economic(growth(cannot(be(sensibly(treated(as(an(end(in(itself.((

Development(has(to(be(more(concerned(with(enhancing((the(lives(we(lead(and(the(freedoms(we(enjoy.(Poverty(cannot(be((

( ( ( measured(by(income(or(utility.(What(matters(is(not(what(a(person(has,((but(what(a(person(is,(or(can(be,(or(does,(or(can(do.”(

( ( ( ( ( @(Amartya(Sen(!!!!INTRODUCTION)! !! Religious! beliefs! can! shape! values! about! key! development! concerns! and!

issues! such! as! poverty,! inequality,! education,! economics,! ecology,! to! name! a! few.!

Traditional! beliefs! and!practices!have!different!ways! in!dealing!with!development!

issues!and!policies.!Religious!beliefs!have!concerns!about!morals,!social!ethics!and!

social!order!that!challenge!development!paradigms.!Regarded!as!either!an!obstacle!

or!solution!to!development!and!improvement,!religious!beliefs!and!practices!affect!

economic!growth!of! the! region! through! its! impact!on!human!capital!development.!

The! integration! of! various! disciplines! such! as! anthropology,! history,! development!

studies,!cultural!studies!and!languages!offers!possible! insights!and!explanations!as!

they! interrogate! and! explore! the! meanings! and! significance! of! religion! in! the!

development!of!one’s!life.!!

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I.)MAIN)PROBLEM)

! How! does! the! practice! of! religion! affect! people’s! attitude! towards!

development?!How!do!people!understand!and!experience!religion?!How!do!people’s!

values! inform! their! views! about! key! development! concerns! such! as! poverty,!

inequality,!well+being,!social!exclusions!and!gender?!How!do!religious!teachings!and!

practices!influence!their!ideas!about!how!to!tackle!social!and!economic!problems?!!

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II.)RATIONALE)FOR)USING)INTERDISCIPLINARY)APPROACH)))! The! study!on! religion,!beliefs! and!practices! and!how! they!are! connected! to!

development!concerns!can!be!considered!as!complex inquiry as they deal with various

disciplines to explain such phenomenon. The behavior and attitudes of individuals

regarding allocation of resources, improving one’s life and well-being, as well as attitude

towards work and productivity are believed to be influenced by religious beliefs,

practices, rules of governing institutions and the constraints they impose on individuals.

Important insights regarding this matter are offered by two or more disciplines such as

anthropology, history, development studies, socio-cultural studies, and cultural studies

(which includes language and culture) - because no single discipline has able to address

the problem comprehensively. In addition, this connection or link between religious

beliefs and practices with development concerns is still relatively new area of inquiry and

can be considered as unresolved!issue!at!this!in!the!academe.!!

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III.)RELEVANT)DISCIPLINES,)LITERATURE)SEARCH)AND)ADEQUACY)

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RELEVANT)DISCIPLINES) INSIGHTS)

DEVELOPMENT!STUDIES! Analysis!of!the!economic!and!social!progress!or!growth;!concerns!with!improvement!of!one’s!life!and!well+being;!using!Path!Dependence!and!Institutional!Theories!

ANTHROPOLOGY! Explains!cultural!and!religious!practices!and!culture!of!religiosity!following!the!method!of!using!local!language!and!local!knowledge!and!!following!the!theories!on!Post+Structuralism,!Postmodernism!and!Marxism!

HISTORY! Traces!the!impact!of!religion!and!institutions!to!the!people’s!perspectives!about!their!attitude!and!behavior;!institutions!that!upheld!rules!and!how!they!affect!human!development:!records!and!documents!of!power!and!rule!

CULTURAL!STUDIES/HUMANITIES! Practices,!institutions,!and!systems!of!classification!as!they!shape!values,!beliefs!and!conduct;!languages!are!studied!through!textual!analysis!(content!analysis,!historiography,!translation)!

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DISCIPLINE!1:!DEVELOPMENT!STUDIES!

In this study, the concept of development in a general sense is drawn out from its

three core values which consist of (1) Sustenance – pertains to the ability to meet basic

needs; (2) Self-Esteem – to experience and realize to be a person; and (3) Freedom from

servitude – to be able to choose (Todaro and Smith, 2011). Following this definition and

scope, “development covers not only to the wide distribution of benefits of economic

growth, access to assets, livelihood, and services and to the physical and material security,

RELIGION(AND(DEVELOPMENT(

DEV’T(STUDIES(

SOCIAL(SCIENCES(

CULTURAL(STUDIES(

ANTHRO:(RELIGIOUS(BELIEFES(&(PRACTICES(

HISTORY(LANGUAGE(

CONCEPTUAL(FRAMEWORK(

PATH(DEPENDENCE(

INSTITUTIONS(

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but also human development.” It strongly covers the idea that people should be provided

with an environment that harnesses growth; being able to practice their rights, have

access to opportunities, free from bondage, and enable them to gain improved well-being.

This is further enhanced by the statement of Amartya Sen focusing on the individual’s

freedom of choice, or control of one’s life, which is the central aspect of well-being.

“Functionings” should also be part of one’s life as well. This pertains to being able to

take part in the life of the community, being productive, active and participative in the

improvement of the community. This realization of one’s value can create and build self-

respect, another component vital to development.

In addition, the study will take a look at the classical concepts of development that

covers the following aspects:

1. Decrease in poverty;

2. Increase in literacy;

3. Decrease in infant mortality;

4. Increase in life expectancy; and

5. Decrease in income inequality.

Following the traditional definition of development – as a product of post World

War II period wherein most of Asian, African and Latin American countries were

subjected to the replication of the conditions of the more economically advanced nations

of the West. Focusing on the advancement and improvement such as industrialization,

high degrees of urbanization, education, mechanization of agriculture and “widespread

adoption of the values and principles of modernity”, most of the non-western countries

are compelled to follow the scheme and methods of achieving such prescriptions of

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development, which entails them to recognize and adhere to their framework of

development.

! Development!covers!not!only!to!the!wide!distribution!of!benefits!of!economic!

growth,! access! to! assets,! livelihood,! and! services! and! to! the!physical! and!material!

security,! but! also! human! development.! It! deals!with! an! idea! that! aims! to! provide!

people!with!enabling!environment!and!improved!well+being,!at!the!same!time!create!

societies!that!harness!individual’s!rights!and!opportunities.!!

! According! to! the! prescribed! set! of! development! paradigm! from! the! Neo+

Liberal!economic! ideas!during! the!1980s!or! the!Washington!Consensus!(IMF+WB),!

economic!growth!can!only!be!achieved!if!there!is!a!market+driven!economy,!devoid!

of!any!state! intervention!and!a! full! force!modernization!program!which!supported!

the!secularization!of!the!state!and!society!–!believed!that!religion!is!associated!with!

tradition,!backwardness!and!underdevelopment.!Consequently,! the! idea!of!poverty!

entrapment!was!caused!by!inefficient!institutions!created!and!constructed!from!the!

society’s!history!and!past!conditions!particularly!its!colonial!history.!This!was!later!

on!hinged!to!the!theory!of!“Path!Dependency”!(North!1990)!and!the!essential!roles!

of!social!institutions!as!drivers!in!economic!performance!(Greif!2007).!

! Although! the! idea! of! religion! and! development! is! not! universal! and!

encompassing!to!all!cultures!and!societies,!rather! it! is!constructed!and!realized!by!

the! government,! institutions,! agencies! and! the! people,! the! study! and! analysis! is!

drawn!from!the!perspectives!of!the!locals!and!the!institutions.!!

! Employing! the! framework! of! Post+Structuralism,! the! construction! and!

production!of!knowledge!are!negotiated!and! contested!by! the!people!vis+à+vis! the!

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institutions! that! control! and! impose! social! order.! Their! beliefs! and! practices! are!

hinged!to!the!set!of!order!and!structure!constructed!by!institutions!(agreed!rules!by!

the! locals! or! policies! legitimized! by! the! state).! Taking! off! from! development!

models/paradigms,!it!attempts!to!explore!the!relevance!of!religion!to!development!

and!social!change!and!reveal! the!views!of! religion! from!development!perspectives!

and!vice+versa!(views!of!development!from!religion).!

Institutions(and(Path(Dependency(

! According! to! Douglass! North,! a! Nobel! Laureate,! history! matters! in!

determining! the! growth! and! condition! of! a! society,! “because! the! present! and! the!

future!are!connected!to!the!past!by!the!continuity!of!a!society’s!institutions”!(1999).!

Although!institutions!can!create!an!environment!that!fosters!cooperative!solutions,!

they!can!also!induce!stagnation!and!decline.!North’s!proposition!speaks!highly!about!

“the! rules! of! the! game! in! a! society! and! how! they! devised! constraints! that! shapes!

human! action”! (1).! He! identified! these! constraints! as! the! informal! and! formal.!

Informal!constraints!pertain!to!cultural!elements! that!are!socially! transmitted! into!

the! consciousness! of! individuals.! They! create! self+imposed! codes! of! behavior! that!

can!possibly!constrain!the!abilities!of!individuals.!The!manner!in!which!information!

and!knowledge!are!disseminated!can!create!a!major!impact!on!the!way!institutions!

evolve,! therefore! can! be! considered! as! source! of! path! dependence.! The! formal!

constraints!pertain!to!political,!judicial!rules,!economic!rules!and!contracts!that!can!

modify! institutions!normally!devised!with!private! enterprise,! therefore! capable! in!

producing! inefficient! rights! that! are! beneficial! to! the! majority! –! which! can! be! a!

source! of! stagnation! and! underdevelopment.! Since! the! institutional! framework!

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privileges!the!“personalistic”!relationships,!it!can!stunt!the!potential!and!abilities!of!

others.!It!does!not!allow!institutions!to!increase!specializations!and!division!of!labor.!

North!emphasizes!the!reason!why!Third!World!Countries!are!considered!poor,!“not!

because! of! post+colonial! dependency! on! the! West! but! because! the! institutional!

constraints! define! a! set! of! payoffs! to! political! and! economic! activity! that! do! not!

encourage!productive!activity.”!!

! Influential! institutions! are! espousing! thrift,! hard! work! and! determination;!

economic!achievement!is!expected!to!gain.!This!is!attributed!to!Weber’s!Protestant!

Ethic!Thesis,!which!claims!that!Calvinist!version!of!Protestantism!encouraged!norms!

favorable! to! economic! achievement.! Individual! economic!wealth!was!not! rejected;!

achievement! and! prosperity! were! encouraged! in! the! early! education! of! a! child.!

Saving! money! and! valuable! things! are! taught! and! encouraged! to! children.! In!

Catholicism,! conformity! to! the! traditional! norms! is! expected.! Obedience! to! the!

teachings! and!dogma!of! the! church! and! to! the! traditional! authority,!which! signify!

faith,!is!highly!emphasized.!There!is!a!notion!of!communal!obligation!in!the!practice!

for! it! encourages! respect! for! others,! religious! faith,! the! obligation! to! share! and!

support! the! family! and! community,! etc.! However,! this! practice! may! result! to!

nepotism.! Further,! the! strong! adherence! to! conformity! inhibits! innovation! and!

entrepreneurial! spirit.1!! This! can! be! considered! as! a! trap! to! overall! welfare! and!

growth!–!upon!which!the!concept!of!path!dependency!evokes!as!a!state!in!which!the!

past!condition!affects!future!condition.!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 Granato, et.al. The Effects of Cultural Values on Economic Development: Theory, Hypothesis and Some Empirical Tests. American Journal of Political Science, Vol. 40, No. 3, Aug. 1996, pp.607-31.

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DISCIPLINE!2:!ANTHROPOLOGY!

! The strong and intricate relationship between religion and society is highlighted in

the study following a Marxist view about religion and its powerful influence in society –

that religion cannot be eradicated if contradictions and conflict in class are still evident.

Religion persists if class distinctions and contradictions remain in a society. In addition,

the study employs Durkheim’s and Weber’s ideas. According to Durkheim religion is an

essential component of social reality, for it satisfies the innate longing of man for

meaning and order within the aspects of economics and political realms. “In ritual, he

argues, people venerate society itself, as the cosmological order is constructed upon the

social order. Ritual helps to validate that order in the minds of its participant.”2. Further,

Weber states that religion is concerned with the quest for meaning and order which has

consequences for the organization and constitution of social life, to quote: “not ideas, but

material and ideal interests directly govern men’s conduct”, espousing the claim that a

person’s image or conception of the world affects his response to his reality. This follows

the idea that tradition views society as a system of culturally constructed material

practices.

! The!impact!of!Catholicism!in!Bicol!region!is!worth!noting!particularly!in!the!

island! province! of! Catanduanes! for! the! devotion! to! the! practices! and! tradition! of!

Catholic!faith!remain!strong!even!up!to!this!date!when!technological!advancements!

in!communication!and!sustainable!development!are!experienced!in!the!province.!!

Traditional!religious!practices!like!festival!of!saints,!devotion!to!the!Santo(Entierro,!

performing! and! singing! the! Pasion,! to! name! a! few! have! remained! a! common!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!2 Barnard 2004, 64.

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occurrence! –! from! town! fiestas! honoring! their! patron! saint! for! a! good! harvest;!

celebrations!and!commemoration!of!a!miraculous!saints!like!the!popular!devotion!of!

Our! Lady! of! Sorrows! or! the! Dolor! at! Barangay! Batong! Paloway3!in! San! Andres,!

Catanduanes!or! the!devotion! to! the!Amang(Hinulid4,! the!dead!Christ! in!Calabanga,!

Camarines! Sur! and! participating! in! a! regional! fiesta! like! the!Peñafrancia! in! Naga,!

Camarines! Sur.!Another! is! a!Catandunganon!event!of!Kagharong,! a! pageant! of! the!

nativity!or!the!birth!of!Jesus.!!These!joyful!events!serve!as!the!backdrop!of!a!highly!

valued!and!revered!episode!in!the!Gospel!+!the!Kalbaryo(or(Pasion!or!the!Passion!and!

Death!of!Christ,!with!heavy!emphasis!on!Jesus’!suffering!and!death!is!rendered!with!

an! intense! feeling! of! sorrow! to! emphasize! penitence! and! mourning! –! focusing!

heavily!on!Jesus’!suffering!and!death.!!The!Pasion!is!recited,!sung!and!re+enacted!in!

their!homes!and!sharing!of!meal!at!the!end!of!each!sequence.!

From!this!point,!the!gathered!data!will!be!interpreted!using!the!framework!of!

“kaalamang! bayan! dalumat”5)(attributed! to! Structuralism)! +! local! perspectives!

about! certain!phenomenon.! !A! study!on!beliefs! and!practices! from! the! lens! of! the!

locals! enriches! our! knowledge! and! understanding! about! our! past! and! the!

significance! of! our! history! and! tradition! to! our! contemporary! culture.!

Understanding! the! local! through! their! language! and! perception! of! the! world! can!

facilitate!the!study!of!religious!practices!and!their!meanings!to!them.!!

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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!3 Sarmiento, Ramonfelipe. 2008. 4 Cannell, Fenella. 1999. 5 Covar, Prospero, 1998.

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On(Religion(and(Society(

The strong and intricate relationship between religion and society is highlighted in

the study following a Marxist view about religion and its powerful influence in society –

that religion cannot be eradicated if contradictions and conflict in class are still evident.

Religion persists if class distinctions and contradictions remain in a society. Aside from

this, the study will also be using Durkheim’s and Weber’s ideas. According to

Durkheim religion is an essential component of social reality, for it satisfies the innate

longing of man for meaning and order within the aspects of economics and political

realms. “In ritual, he argues, people venerate society itself, as the cosmological order is

constructed upon the social order. Ritual helps to validate that order in the minds of its

participant.”(Barnard 2004, 64). Further, Weber states that religion is concerned with the

quest for meaning and order which has consequences for the organization and

constitution of social life, to quote: “not ideas, but material and ideal interests directly

govern men’s conduct”, espousing the claim that a person’s image or conception of the

world affects his response to his reality. This follows the idea that tradition views society

as a system of culturally constructed material practices.

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DISCIPLINE!3:!HISTORY!

! The!reputation!of!being!pious!and!religious!can!be!attributed!to!the!success!

of!evangelization!during! the!early!1600.! ! In! the!accounts!of!Gerona,! the!success!of!

Catholicism! in! Bicol! during! the! period! from! 1600+1850! was! due! to! a! strategic!

approach! used! by! the! Franciscan! friars! –! employing! “gentle! persuasion”! plus! the!

noble!image!of!the!Church!projected!to!the!natives!which!was!well!received!for!it!led!

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the!people! to!preserve! their! “unwavering! submission”! to!Catholicism6.!Their!deep!

sense!of!religiosity!can!also!be!attributed!to!the!Bikolanos’!strong!adherence!to!the!

practices!of! the!Catholic!Church!due! to! the! strong! connection! and! trust! that!were!

established.!In!addition,!such!well+established!relationship!can!be!explained!by!the!

manner!by!which!Church’s!power!over!the!natives!was!not!perceived!as!abusive!and!

exploitative.!Churchill!(1992)!stated!that!there!were!no!large!estates!owned!by!the!

Spanish! friars! in! the! region,! and! Filipino! seculars! rather! than! Spanish! friars!

administered!half!of!its!parishes.!!

! Using!the!theory!on!Material)Culture!as!a!lens!to!study!history,!the!impact!of!

evangelization!towards!the!natives!during!Spanish!colonial!history!will!be!factored!

in.!The!success!of!evangelization!can!be!attribute! from!the!number!of!written!and!

printed!text/documents!published!and!disseminated!during!that!time,!mostly!from!

the!translation!from!Spanish!religious!texts!into!vernacular!language!by!the!Spanish!

friars.! From!17th! to! the!19th! century,! 62!Bikol! translations! of! novenas,!devociones,!

history! of! saints,! catecismos,! prayers,! ejercicios,! and! other! related! pious!materials!

written! mostly! in! Spanish! were! found.7!In! addition,! as! early! as! 1795,! bilingual!

diccionario,!a!vocabulario!and!a!grammar!book!were!published!that!served!as!useful!

references! for! Franciscan! priests! who! were! obliged! to! learn! Bikol! in! order! to!

communicate! to! the! natives! the! doctrines! of! Christian! faith.8!In! the! text! of!Pasion(

Bicol! for! instance,!emphasis! is!given! to! the!culture!of!piety!and!sympathy! through!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!6 Gerona, Danilo. The Hermeneutics of Power: Colonial Discourses in the Christian Conversion of Kabikolan (1600-1850). PhD Dissertation, University of the Philippines Diliman. (unpublished) 2005. 7 Paular, Regino. Linguistic Studies on the Bikol Language. The Journal of History 36, 37: 58-69. 1992. 8 Ibid.

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obedience! to! the!beliefs,! submission! to! the!dogma!and! teachings!of! the! institution!

and!adherence!to!the!tradition.!!!

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DISCIPLINE!4:!CULTURAL!STUDIES/HUMANITIES!

! Cultural!Studies!is!an!interdisciplinary!field!concerned!with!the!role!of!social!

institutions! in! the!shaping!of! culture.! Identified!with! the!Center! for!Contemporary!

Cultural! Studies! at! the! University! of! Birmingham! (1964)! with! Richard! Hoggart,!

Stuart!Hall!and!Raymond!Williams.!It!covers!a!body!of!theory!that!interrogates!the!

production! of! theoretical! knowledge! as! political! practice.! The! discipline! is!

concerned! with! all! those! practices,! institutions,! and! systems! of! classifications!

through! which! there! are! inculcated! in! a! population,! particular! values,! beliefs,!

competencies,! routines! of! life! and! habitual! forms! of! conduct.! In! addition,! cultural!

studies! seeks! to! explore! the! connections! between! these! forms! of! power! and! to!

develop!ways!of!thinking!about!culture!and!power!that!can!be!utilized!by!agents!in!

the!pursuit!of!change.!!

PostFstructuralist! Jacques! Derrida! will! be! relevant! in! the! study,! for! it!

reiterates! the! importance! of! language! in! defining! identity,! meaning! and/or! truth.!

Stating!that!subject!is!inscribed!in!the!language,!language!then!can!disclose!any!form!

of!power!relations,!resistance,!dominance!and!subjugation,!and!the!like.!!

The!Bikolanos’!profound!sense!of!piety!and!religiosity!can!be!seen!in!the!way!

people!view!the!roles!and!functions!of!Catholic!faith!in!their!lives!+!a!highly!personal!

one.!People!perform!rituals!and!devoutly!show!their!faith!by!practicing!penance!to!

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evoke!pity!and!sympathy!from!the!Gugurangnanta,! from!God.!This!platform!serves!

as!the!ground!for!devotion!to!Christ!and!saints.!!

This!religious!tradition!interweaves!into!their!lives!in!a!profound!way!as!this!

is!repeated!in!the!funeral!for!their!loved!ones.!The!concept!of!suffering/dying,!death!

and! a! promise! of! being! with! the! spiritual! beings! after! life! are! paralleled! to! the!

passion,!death!and!resurrection!of!Christ.!

Textual)analysis:!The!language!of!sympathy/pagcaherac!is!embedded!in!the!

Pasion!Bicol!text.!And!this!idea!is!transferred!in!their!everyday!conversations,!or!to!

the!emotionally! imbued!events! like! the! reading!of! the!pasion,! or!during!wake!and!

funeral.! !Borrowing! from!the!anthropological! theory!of! language!and!environment!

by!Sapir9,!which!states!that!elements!of!human!culture!are!highly!influenced,!by!the!

environment,!the!prevalence!of!piety!and!sympathy!in!Bicol!language!can!be!further!

explained.! Language! contains! symbols! that! reflect! the! physical! (geographical!

characteristic,! climate,! flora,! fauna,! minerals,! etc.)! and! social! (religion,! ethical!

standards,!political!organizations!and!art)!environment.!!

Environmental!conditions!are!reflected!in!language!in!terms!of!the!following!

elements:! (1)! vocabulary! (subject! and! content);! (2)! phonetic! (sound/utterance);!

and!(3)!grammatical! forms! [formal!process!which!contains! the!morphology!or! the!

structure! of! words;! and! the! syntax! or! methods! in! combining! words! into!

units/sentences].!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!9!Sapir,! Edward.! Language( and( Environment.! American! Anthropologist,! New! Series.! Vol.! 14,! No.! 2!Apr.+Jun.!1912,!pp.226+242.(!

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From!the!elements!stated!above,!vocabulary!can!explicitly!reflect!the!physical!

and!social!environment!of!its!speakers.!!

Concepts!and!themes!drawn!out!from!the!Pasion!text!through!textual!analysis:!

1. POWER! in! relation! to! spirituality:! intimate! connection! between! the! people!

and! venerated! saints! and! how! this! framework! of! power! translated! in!

domestic!and!social!levels.!It!pertains!to!attitude!and!beliefs!toward!sacrifices!

and!penance,! devotion! to! saints,! submission! to! the! tasks! as!healers! forging!

selflessness!and!service.!

2. RECIPROCITY:!give!and!take!relation!–!“panata”!(devotion),!motivated!by!the!

belief!that!if!this!is!practiced!intently,!personal!petitions!are!granted.!

3. SYMPATHY!or!Pity:!spirits!bring!forth!gifts!of!healing!in!order!for!the!poor!to!

be!healed;!administered!to!those!who!could!not!afford!expensive!treatments;!

also!this!manifests!in!the!deep!devotion!to!the!Santo!Entierro!during!Lent.!

!

! The!concept!of!power!culled!from!the!sacred!and!secular!practices!creates!a!

contrasting!perspective!about!roles!in!society.!Individuals!may!resist!the!system!

if! personal! and! social! affairs! are! concerned,! but! when! religion! is! concerned,!

asymmetrical!power!relations!is!accepted.!This!is!exemplified!in!the!devotion!to!

the!stratified!anitos/saints.!The!notion!of! reciprocity! speaks!about!healing!and!

the! healers’! role/acceptance/sacrifices! in! exchange! to! good! health,! positive!

disposition,!peace!of!mind.!Sympathy,!on!the!other!hand,!!is!considered!a!potent!

element!in!their!deep!sense!of!spirituality,!healing!and!serving!the!needy.!!

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IV.)INTEGRATION!

INTEGRATING(THE(DISCIPLINES(THAT(LINK(RELIGION(AND(DEVELOPMENT(

(((PERSONAL! SOCIAL!! INSTITUTIONAL!

Practices,!beliefs,!thoughts,!understanding!are!shaped!by!institutions!

Language!!and!interpretation!seen!!in!religious!beliefs!!and!practices!

Knowledge! about! the! self!and! social! environment! is!created!and!constructed!!

)

! Synergies!and!tensions!between!religion!and!development!exist.!The!positive!

and! negative! implications! of! religion! to! development! have! to! be! explored! and!

examined!by!considering!the!propositions!and!explanations!from!the!perspectives!of!

anthropology,!sociology!history!and!cultural!studies.!!

The!concept!of!obedience!to!faith!and!adherence!to!the!tradition!of!Catholic!

institution!as!a!significant!part!of!the!society!that!is!strongly!felt!in!Bicol!can!also!be!

perceived! as! a! complementing! element! in! the! improvement! of! its! society! and!

culture.! It! is! part! of! their! performance! of! piety! that! re+affirms! the! intimate!

communal/family!relations!among!the!Bikolanos.! !

PERSONAL!!• what!religion!means!to!individuals!• how!it!informs!their!views,!motivations!and!actions!

SOCIAL!• how!religion!interacts!with!social!and!political!processes!

INSTITUTIONAL!• nature,!aims!and!activities!of!institutions!that!denine!systems!and!rules!

! 17!

! Based! from!the!propositions!on!development,! religion! is! regarded!as!either!

an! obstacle! or! the! solution! for! it! presents! various! reactions! and! ways! regarding!

development! debates! and! policies.! There! is! an! uneasy! relationship! between!

development!and!faith!because!a!lot!of!religious!values!may!act!against!the!interests!

of! development! process.! Religion! may! offer! solutions! to! the! conventional!

frameworks.!One!example!is!its!strong!position!against!the!materialism!inherent!in!

Western! development!models.! In! the! recent! issue! on!mining! in! Catanduanes,! the!

Catholic! Church! in! Virac! vows! to! fight! against! the! implementation! of! the! mining!

project! that!would!explore!minerals! in! the! towns!of!Bato,!Viga!and!Gigmoto.10!The!

majority! of! the! people! in! Catanduanes! inevitably! supported! this! position.! The!

people’s!clamor!created!a!public!agenda!that!eventually!resulted!in!a!policy!agenda!–!

as!the!congressman!of!the!province!drafted!a!bill!for!Catanduanes!as!a!“Mining+Free”!

zone!two!years!after!the!issue!was!brought!to!the!public.!!

! Religion!can!be!perceived!as!an!important!instrument!for!the!strengthening!

of! ethics! and!morals! of! an! individual,! community! or! society.! It! can! sometimes! be!

used! to! address! conflicts! and! tensions! whether! the! concerns! are! associated! with!

values!and!attitudes!that!are!antithetical!to!a!desired!social!change.!Religion!can!be!

treated! as! an! instrument! to! mobilize! people! to! participate! for! social,! political,!

economic! and! cultural! change.! “Successful! economic! development! requires!

improved! functioning! of! public,! private! citizen! sectors! +! each! play! essential! and!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!10 http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/regions/view/20110428-333340/Church-vows-war-on-mining-in-Catanduanes

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complementary! roles! in! attaining! balanced,! shared,! and! sustainable! development”!

(Todaro!and!Smith,!560).!!

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References:! Barker, Chris. Cultural Studies Theory and Practice. Sage Publications, 2000.!! Barnard, Alan. History and Theory in Anthropology. Cambridge University Press. 2004.!! Cannell, Fenella. Power and Intimacy in the Christian Philippines. Ateneo de Manila University Press, 1999.!! Churchill, Bernardita Reyes. Bikol Historiography: Trends and Prospects. The Journal of History 36, 37: 1-17. 1992.!! Desai, Vandana and Potter, Robert B. The Companion to Development Studies second edition. Hodder Education, 2008.!! Escobar, Arturo. Anthropology and Development. Anthropology – Issues and Perspectives II. International Social Science Journal. Vol.154. 1997.!! Geertz, Clifford. Local Knowledge Further Essays in Interpretive Anthropology. Press, 1983.!! Gerona, Danilo. The Hermeneutics of Power: Colonial Discourses in the Christian Conversion of Kabicolan (1600-1850). PhD Dissertation University of the Philippines Diliman. 2005.!! Giri, Ananta Kumar. Religion and Development in Contemporary India: The Self- Study Mobilization of Swadhyaya and the Calling of Transformations. Paper prepared for presentation at the International Conference on “Religion and Development: Crisis or New Opportunities,” Vrije Universitet, Amsterdam, 14- 15 June 2007.!! Granato, Jim. Inglehart Ronald. Leblang, David. The Effects on Economic Development: Theory, Hypotheses, Some Empirical Tests. American Journal of Political Science, Vol.40, No. 3, August 1996, pp. 607-31. 1996!! Greif, Avner. Cultural Beliefs and the Organization of Society: A Historical and Theoretical Reflection on Collectivist and Individualist Societies. The Journal of Political Economy, Vol 102, 5. October 1994.!! Greif, Avner. Institutions and the Path to the Modern Economy: Lessons from Medieval Trade. Cambridge University Press, 2006.!! Moreno, Antonio, SJ. Church, State, and Civil Society in Postauthoritarian Philippines, Narratives of Engaged Citizenship. Ateneo de Manila University Press, 2006.!! North, Douglass. at.al. Limited Access Orders in the Developing World: A New Approach to the Problems of Development. The World Bank Independent Evaluation Group Country Relations Division. September 2007.

Paular,! Regino.! Linguistic( Studies( on( the( Bikol( Language.! The! Journal! of!! History!36,!37:!58+69.!1992.!

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! Pertierra, Raul. Philippine Localities and Global Perspectives Essays on Society and Culture. Ateneo de Manila University Press, 1995.!! Pertierra, Raul. Religion, Politics and Rationality in a Philippine Community. Ateneo de Manila University Press, 1988.!! Pertierra, Raul. The Work of Culture. De La Salle University Press, 2002.!! Sarmiento, Ramonfelipe. “The Dolor’s Translacion: Ritual as Embodiment of Conflict and Compromise in a Popular Religious Devotion in San Andres, Catanduanes, Philippines”. Read at the International Conference on Religion and the Formation of New Publics. International Sociological Association, UST, Manila, January 23-26, 2008.!! Sapir, Edward. Language and Environment. American Anthropologist, New Series. Vol. 14, No. 2 Apr.-Jun. 1912, pp.226-242. !! Todaro, Michael P. and Stephen, Smith C. An Introduction to Economic Development. Pearson 2007 and 2011.

Tomalin,! Emma.! Faith! and! Development.! The! Companion! to! Development!! Studies!2nd!Edition.!!! http://www.nscb.gov.ph/poverty/2000/44_poorestprov.asp!

! http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/regions/view/20110428+! 333340/Church+vows+war+on+mining+in+Catanduanes.!