July 2026
In this dispatch: a talk for Peace Corps trainees, my thoughts on indigenous sports, and surrounding myself with magical accessories
Quick Resource Guide
📖 Order my book, Sikodiwa—available internationally, wherever you get your books! PH-based readers can find it in Fully Booked or National Bookstore.
❤️🔥 DEEPER STUDY: Listen to hours of recorded lectures, browse through my personal research notes and bibliographic references via Sikodiwa on Patreon.
Doing the Work
Essays ✍️
This month, I published essays on how transformation can be difficult but necessary and what indigenous Filipino sports could look like—if we took them seriously.
Also, my visit to Mount Banahaw last month was very inspiring, and from it I’ve created a vlog on YouTube, and a zine titled Bisita Banahaw (Banahaw Visit). This zine is now available in Common Room branches in Atrium Makati and UP Town Center:
I’ve uploaded my research notes, annotations, and bibliographic references in one place—the “Sikodiwa Research Library”! Researchers, students, and those interested in learning more about culture can visit now:
Talks 👨🏫
On July 10, I was invited to give a talk for Peace Corps trainees, to hopefully manage their culture shock as they get deployed in their respective communities.
Some of the trainees who had Filipino lineage came to the Philippines in search of roots. It was also fun to know that many members of the Filipino team managing this batch were fellow Ilonggos from different islands! This is a fascinating aspect of being Ilonggo—we are, broadly speaking, a migratory people, and you will find Ilonggos in different areas such as Panay, Guimaras, Negros Occidental, all the way down to certain areas in Mindanao. I’m currently deepening my research into Ilonggo Studies, via Patreon.
On July 15, I gave a talk on animism at the Yuchengco Museum in Makati City. This talk was with Carol de Leon of Angkan. She had gotten in contact with me a few years ago, actually—she gifted me with a gorgeous trespico amulet. While I talked about the worldview and psychology behind animist thought, Carol talked about how her upcycled outfits drew inspiration from Indigenous fashion and symbolism. She would draw on the materials, and then partners from Indigenous communities would finish the designs. Each piece is unique, and the work contributes to the livelihood of these communities.
On July 18, I gave a lecture on Sikolohiyang Pilipino for Filipinos today, as one of the “professors” for The Stacks University at One Ayala in Makati City. It was an interesting mix of people, who seemed engage despite the fact that there was an event happening downstairs, with lots of music and shouting, which made it very difficult to give a sober lecture. Someone from the National Museum of Anthropology dropped by to listen, and she even gave me a sticker… of the Manunggul Jar1!
Finally, for members of Sikodiwa on Patreon, I recently posted two recordings: “Tradition versus Modernity” (30 mins) and “Modernity and Humanity” (57 mins, with video).
Inner Gardening 🧑🌾
It’s been a hectic and manic month for me, work-wise. Despite our busy schedules, my sister suggested that we all do a hike—she hikes at least once a year, and travels more often than I do. So, my family and I went to Mounts Maynuba and Cayabu in Tanay. The 5-hour loop was exhausting, but at many points on the arduous journey, we chanced upon incredible scenery.
For our friend’s birthday, we went to Boracay. Perfect time—the skies were a bit gloomy, yes, but a steady, cool breeze has replaced the summer heat, and the usual thick crowds are no longer on the island.
Despite the Mercury Retrograde (apparently), it was quite an eventful month for me, rich with good times and loved ones.
A burial jar dating all the way back to 890-710BC, found in Palawan. It depicts a soul being ferried on a boat. It’s such an iconic cultural symbol that it was, since the 1990s, featured in the old 1,000 peso bill, the largest denomination in Philippine currency. This design was demonetized in 2018, in favor of a simple design featuring a Philippine eagle and a pearl from the Tubbataha Reefs in Sulu sea.