Editorial Preface
We welcome 2024 with an edition that brings together studies from scholars working individually or collaboratively. Out of more than 100 submissions, only six articles made it to this issue, drawing attention to the significance of keeping a keen eye on research projects that respond to the ASEAN region’s development needs.
In Phases of Filipino Proletarianism in the 20th Century Dagling Tagalog: A Critique Using Pierre Macherey’s Theory of Gaps and Silences, literary scholars, advocates, and activists will appreciate the meticulous analysis of seven Dagling Tagalog texts by Reah Izza T. Paglinawan of the University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP) and Hanafi Bin Hussin of the Universiti Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. By doing a thematic reading of Tagalog short prose, Paglinawan and Hussin uncover Filipino proletarianism and its phases during the 20th century that reflect the economic, political, and social struggles of Filipinos. The study informs the readers to be critical of the ideologies that govern the society and, more importantly, enlarges their consciousness of the history and culture of the Filipino nation.
Equally interesting in understanding the history and culture of the Filipinos is the study A Semantic Analysis of Cross-Linguistic Mondegreens: Implications on How Filipinos Interpret Meanings by Lourd Greggory D. Crisol of the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology, Philippines. Employing qualitative content analysis, Crisol investigates how Filipinos make sense of misheard English lyrics. He concludes that “no matter what genre the songs belong to, they most likely would be shifted to the field of humor or comedy. Despite this tendency of humor shifting, this shows language indigenization and enrichment and reflects the positive Filipino spirit.”
Another important contribution to scholarship on linguistics is Scammer Strategies and Social Actions in Online Filipino Transactions by Kiarah Reyshylle C. Ibañez of the Department of Education-Region XI, Philippines. Using digital conversation analysis, Ibañez looks into the persuasive strategies and linguistic markers of online scammers and analyzes the social actions of both scammers and their targets. From a linguistic standpoint, the study addresses online financial scams and creates a safer space for virtual communications.
Two articles in this issue are from social science. In Food and Ayuda Narratives during the Pandemic in Remote and Small Island Communities in Northern Iloilo, Philippines, Raymundo R. Pavo of the University of the Philippines-Mindanao and Mary Barby P. Badayos-Jover and Farisal Ungkakay-Bagsit of the University of the Philippines-Visayas investigate the status and meaning of food insecurity in four municipalities in Northern Iloilo. After a series of focus group discussions, the researchers from UP underscore the importance of knowing people’s subjective notions of food security as this will help government institutions design programs to reduce food insecurity in times of crisis.
The other article on social science, Whispers of Wisdom: Exploring the Essence of Partandaan in Suluk Indigenous Mediation by Nurhasan Danial and Asmiaty Amat of the Universiti Malaysia Sabah and Nelson Dino of the Mindanao State University-Tawi-Tawi, focuses on the indigenous knowledge of the Suluk (Tausug) mediators in Sabah, Malaysia. It reveals that objects, social acts, and language carry symbols that influence the thinking and living of the Tausug as peace-loving people. The researchers suggest that policymakers should consider developing programs that integrate the Suluk indigenous mediation into the formal conflict resolution mechanism in the Tausug communities.
This edition closes with a contribution from the field of agriculture. In Assessment of All-in-One Fertilizers and Foliar Spray for Nutrient Management of GCTCV-218 Cavendish Banana Seedlings, Jonathan A. Bestes of International Veterinary and Agrochemical, Inc. and Dernie T. Olguera of USeP address concerns on productivity problems of Giant Cavendish Tissue Culture Variant 218. Based on experimental research, the study recommends that a fertilization program with positive return can be attained when Haracoat all-in-one fertilizer and foliar spray are applied in GCTCV-218 seedlings under nursery conditions. This is a significant finding related to banana production, as the Philippines is the number one exporter of Cavendish bananas in Asia.
The range of issues in this edition attests to a vast number of social, cultural, political, and agricultural problems in the ASEAN, informing scholars to continue pursuing and doing research for the development of the present and future generations. Hence, let me express my heartfelt gratitude to all the contributors and reviewers for shaping the discourse of this Scopus-indexed journal.
Sajed S. Ingilan
SPJRD Editor-in-Chief