When Machismo Turns Lethal

Note: This is a commentary authored by Michael Tan of the Cebu Daily News, which the blogger finds interesting, ironically brought by the fact that he isn't affiliated with any fraternity nor any organization or society that promotes "more than the usual" brotherhood...

There’s no lack of research to show that Filipinos have a high need for affiliation and that we get this mainly from smaller groups and organizations. As the organizations grow and build their hierarchies, power struggles emerge and splits occur.

A college freshman comes in and is dazzled by the alphabet soup of organizations, with something from everyone. The organizations work hard at recruitment with each new school year, sometimes with excessive zeal. Many freshmen do sign up with one or several organizations. Beyond social affiliation, the organizations are seen as a key to survival in big universities.

At University of the Philippines Diliman, frats have declined in popularity among upper-class Filipinos, but are still able to ride on past glory, mainly counting the rich, the powerful, the famous and infamous among their alumni: Ferdinand Marcos for Upsilon Sigma Phi, for example, or Juan Ponce Enrile for Sigma Rho. These are alpha male achievers held up to emulate, and for students from the underclass, they represent a world that could be theirs as well.

This is where machismo comes in. Frats represent a testosterone-driven culture that can be appealing to young males from more traditional backgrounds. The frat rituals are actually part of machismo allure; some of these students come from public high schools and communities with very brutal hazing as well.

Machismo turns lethal when combined with class. The wealthier fratmen are not about to beat some neophyte from their own class. And as the neophytes get beaten up, they’re picking up the frat’s sacred tradition: deep in their subconscious, they know they can get back the following year, by beating up new lower-class neophytes.
The frats represent an extreme in local organizational culture, with a feudal core that emphasizes conformity with organizational mates and obedience to “superiors” and that can be someone just a year ahead of you.

“Walang iwanan” is a phrase often heard. On the surface, it sounds noble, with its sense of solidarity and not leaving anyone behind. In reality, it smacks of a dangerous herd instinct. Throw in some Machiavellian student leaders, maybe even faculty members advising the organization, and you have a cult in the making.

The pragmatism and survival instincts are there, certainly, and some are smarter than others at maneuvering their way through the organizational minefields, but much more needs to be done by administrators and teaching staff.

In this age of the Filipino diaspora, we need to better prepare our students for the world out there. These will be young Filipinos who can build lifelong loyalties and friendships, who will be remembered not just for an infectious sense of humor and conviviality, but also for fierce independence of mind and of spirit.