Imperial Manila

Skyline of Manila, resented by a number of Filipinos as "imperial"

Imperial Manila is a pejorative epithet used by certain sectors of Filipino society to express the idea that all the affairs of the Philippines—whether in politics, business, economy, or culture—are decided by what is happening in the capital region Metro Manila without considering the rest of the country, largely because of its centralized government. It is unknown when it was first used, but there are political writers, particularly those living outside Metro Manila, who associate this term with the People Power Revolution because it was believed that the country's former president, Ferdinand Marcos, was toppled from his position without the participation of Filipinos living in areas outside of the capital region. In an article published in Philippine Daily Inquirer, Amando Doronila wrote that:

“

People power movements have been an Imperial Manila phenomenon. Their playing field is EDSA. They have excluded the provincianos from their movement with their insufferable arrogance and snobbery...ignoring the existence of the toiling masses and peasants in agrarian Philippines.[1]

”

Uses

Politics

The term was used by Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in her 2006 State of the Nation Address, which she said has "slowed down progress, has become open to over-competition, and oppressed the provinces and its people".^[2] It was because of the country's centralized government that provincial governments favor constitutional amendments for a shift to federal government, as well as supporting Arroyo and rejecting calls from Manila-based activist groups demanding for her resignation due to corruption charges particularly the Philippine National Broadband Network controversy.^[3][4]

Local opinion polls were also lambasted for solely sampling "Imperial Manila-based residents" when it comes to surveys that deal with nationwide issues.^[5] Meanwhile, the term also appears in government websites such as those of League of Provinces and Bohol Province.^[6][7]

Economy

Officials of Mindanao-based rebel group Moro Islamic Liberation Front have blamed "Imperial Manila" for making the Muslim Mindanao region the poorest in the country, stating that "the consequence of neo-colonialism has deprived our people to run themselves unfettered and unhampered". Government figures show that the region's poverty incidence in 2006 is at 55.3%, with three of its six provinces (namely Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao, and Lanao del Sur) listed among the country's ten poorest provinces.^[8]

"Imperial Manila" is also used by a small but vocal minority in the Philippines' business sector in reference to the notion that advertising or marketing a product only requires a single campaign that would work in Mega Manila (a term used most frequently by the media), thinking that it would also attract customers in the provinces. Advertising agencies in Metro Manila are also faulted for publishing print advertisements in Manila-based newspapers that would reach other cities by mid-morning (when the residents have already read their own local daily) or running a television commercial at a primetime slot of 9:00 in the evening in Manila while the rest of the country is already asleep.^[9]

In 2009, economists from the University of the Philippines and the World Bank made statements encouraging the Philippine government to further concentrate national economic activity within Metro Manila rather than disperse it around the country.^[10]

Language

"Imperial Manila" is also referred to the use of Tagalog—which is spoken in Metro Manila and in certain areas of Luzon—as the basis for Filipino, the Philippines' national language. In Cebu Province, the local government enforces all of its schools to sing the national anthem in Cebuano as a form of linguistic protest,^[11] in patriotic defiance of a law that punishes the singing of the national anthem in languages other than Tagalog with fine or imprisonment.^[12] A small number of Cebuanos, ignoring the fact that Filipinos of other ethnolinguistic groups may not speak Cebuano, display intolerant behavior towards Tagalog-speakers, whom they view as arrogant.^[9] Filipinos of Visayan origin also use "Imperial Manila mentality" when referring to discrimination by their counterparts in Manila against them.^[13]

Criticism

The term "Imperial Manila" has received criticism especially among people living in Metro Manila. Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, the president of United Opposition, said that the statement used by President Arroyo in her State of the Nation Address was unfair to local governments and businesses in Metro Manila and accused her of "acting imperial," saying:

“

The statement about the provinces being controlled by Imperial Manila was meant to play to the galleries. The reality, however, is that the local governments--the entire country--are being held hostage by Imperial Arroyo.[14]

”

Binay cited the use of the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA), a form of funding for local governments, as a political tool by the Arroyo administration to reward loyal local political leaders by releasing it on time, and to punish those who do not support her by delaying its release.

See also

• Primate city
• Republic of Cebu

Footnotes

1. ^ Doronila, Amando (August 28, 2006). "Time for paradigm shift". Philippine Daily Inquirer. pp. A1. 
2. ^ "2006 State of the Nation Address of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo" (in Filipino). July 24, 2006. http://www.gov.ph/sona/sonatext2006.asp. Retrieved 2008-02-14. 
3. ^ "Arroyo pushing for federal government". Taipei Times. August 2, 2004. http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2004/08/02/2003181423. Retrieved 2008-02-14. 
4. ^ Balanan, Cynthia et al. (February 14, 2008). "Ramos still for Arroyo; governors go all out". Philippine Daily Inquirer. http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080214-118734/Ramos-still-for-Arroyo-governors-go-all-out. 
5. ^ Cruz, Rafael A. (March 22, 2006). "Lucrative Industry" (in Filipino). Philippine Broadcasting Service. http://www.pbs.gov.ph/inc_archive%20mar%202206.asp. Retrieved 2008-02-14. 
6. ^ "Govs give PGMA ovation for her SONA and social payback programs". League of Provinces in the Philippines official website. August 14, 2007. http://www.lpp.gov.ph/aug07-news5.html. Retrieved 2008-02-14. 
7. ^ Blanco, June S. (February 16, 2007). "Guv calls for sobriety". Bohol.gov.ph. http://www.bohol.gov.ph/news/news.php?newsid=210. Retrieved 2008-02-14. 
8. ^ "'Imperial Manila' blamed for poverty in ARMM". GMANews.tv. March 10, 2008. http://www.gmanews.tv/story/83995/Imperial-Manila-blamed-for-poverty-in-ARMM. 
9. ^ ^{a b} "The Myopia of Manila Marketers". Adformatix.com. http://adformatix.com/site/customer_is_out_there.html. Retrieved 2008-02-14. 
10. ^ http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/01/12/09/economists-say-manila-should-become-more-dense
11. ^ "The Clamor for recognition of Cebuano". Bisaya.info. http://www.bisaya.info/clamor.php?PHPSESSID=389a5fcaafe417afda00a0cf84033100. Retrieved 2008-02-14. 
12. ^ "Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines". RP Government. http://www.gov.ph/aboutphil/RA8491.asp. Retrieved 2007-09-26.  (the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines) regulates the usage of the national anthem. It also contains the complete lyrics of Lupang Hinirang.
13. ^ Quimco, Ver. "Insulto, Insulto, Insulto" (in Cebuano). Call for Justice, Inc. official website. Archived from the original on 2008-03-25. http://web.archive.org/web/20080325200017/http://www.tawaghustisya.com/sakal1.html. Retrieved 2008-02-14. 
14. ^ "The Problem is Imperial Arroyo not Imperial Manila-Binay". Makati City official website. July 27, 2006. http://www.makati.gov.ph/portal/news/view_news.jsp?news_id=1383. Retrieved 2008-02-14.