The Philippine Online Chronicles

It was folk singer Don McLean who may have summed up best this decade with a line in his song, “American Pie": Oh and there we were all in one place, a generation lost in space, with no time left to start again.

He was of course referring to the 1960s, or “The Sixties” as it is widely referred to in popular culture, that particular time in the last century that saw great upheavals and changes --- in both social and political scenes --- around the world.

An era that produced the hippies, the flower children and flower power as a symbol of non-conformity against the all-powerful establishment, it was a time very much different from the rather subdued decade that preceded it. The 50s may have brought forth Rock n’ Roll to this world but it was still far from being labeled as “rebellious."

It wasn’t until the emergence of the counterculture (whose anti-war slogan “Make Love Not War” still rings true to this day) in the 60s that real change began to happen. The social revolution that followed initiated new, exciting, radical, and subversive events and trends. It redefined everything that was, until then, considered as the norm. Suddenly, the youth, who for decades had been reined in by its tradition-bound elders, had finally found its voice. This newly-found radicalism among the restless and dissatisfied generation continued to develop well into the later part of the 60s, thus influencing the decades that followed it.

Also known as “The Swinging Sixties,” the decade ushered in as well the civil rights and the women’s liberation movements in the US and smashed many of the social taboos of the time, which included both sexism and racism that was prevalent in decades past, and paved the way for change that spread quickly around the world like a bushfire on a hot, dry summer. Unfortunately, it also saw the relaxation of the sexual norms and beliefs, and the changes in social thought and sexual attitude that inadvertently started what was known as the sexual revolution.

Elsewhere in the world, the winds of political and social change that gathered strength as the 60s progressed fanned the flames of nationalism that eventually saw the emergence of new states, as 32 countries declared independence from their former European masters. Communism, long considered as the scourge of the free world but embraced by intellectuals and idealists, was on the rise particularly in Southeast Asia, and the world came to the brink of another world war as the standoff between the US and Russia heated up during the Cuban Missile crisis in 1962. Russia blinked, and a possible nuclear war was averted, much to the relief of everyone. That standoff, by the way, culminated in the Vietnam War, which escalated in the mid-sixties and went well into the mid seventies.

Tumultuous as the 60s was, it wasn’t without its high points, for the decade also saw great technological advances being made, in both science and medicine. Medical breakthrough was made with the first successful human heart transplant performed by a South African surgeon, Dr. Christiaan Barnard. Computers were just beginning to be used (yes, my dear young readers, meron nang computers noon). They were then called mainframes and were used only by the military and government because of their heft and cost). They became more powerful thanks to the introduction of transistors; and the ARPANET, the precursor of that which we in the 21^st century can’t seem to live without, which is the INTERNET, was created. No event, however, would surpass the historic feat of the moon landing in 1969, where one man’s small step spelled a giant leap for mankind.

As a baby boomer (note: a baby boomer is anyone born after WW2, a span from 1946 to 1964) growing up during that wild and wonderful era, my then young and innocent mind wasn’t really all that aware about the things happening around the world although I can clearly recall some of the earth-shaking events that were unfolding at the time, such as the assassination of Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr., to the ongoing Vietnam War and the Apollo 11 moon landing. It’s pretty hard not to recall those events as they appeared in every newspaper at the time and were shown repeatedly on television. Besides, next to the local news, they were the topic most frequently discussed at the dinner table by my parents and my then single uncles, who were living with us in the old neighborhood.

But enough of history lessons for now and let’s move on to some fun facts and trivia about the 60s. I’m sure many of those who grew up playing Nintendo and watching anime would probably be wondering what life was like in these islands, particularly in Manila, prior to the dark days of the Martial Law era.

The Manila of my childhood was a very much different place from the crowded, dirty and traffic-congested cesspool that it is nowadays. Not that there weren’t any cars or people then; there were in fact, but far fewer and more manageable. The city’s landscape was changing, having slowly recovered from the devastation of the Second World War nearly two decades earlier; and while new structures and establishments were being built at a frenzied pace it was a very livable city. There were already squatters then but were a lot fewer, and more scattered and mostly located in the underbelly of the city.  They were not yet considered a community like they are now.

As the country was then second only to Japan in terms of progress, bustling Manila --- with its well-paved streets, tall buildings and upscale establishments --- had become a model of sorts for many of its still struggling Southeast Asian neighbors.

As can be gleaned from the following images, courtesy of the University of Wisconsin archives, the streets were indeed a LOT cleaner then and the people who walked on them were prim and properly attired. Nope, no T-shirts, walking shorts and flip-flops in those days, only neatly pressed tailored shirts, pants (maong, or denims, were for utilitarian purposes and weren’t fashionable, believe it or not) and leather shoes (Marikina made) for men, and formal dresses and casual pumps for women.

Note that before the advent of ready-to-wear clothes or RTW, a fashionable Filipino’s best friend were the mag-tetela (fabric seller) in Divisoria and his neighborhood tailoring shop. Women would often go to their favorite modista, or seamstress, for their informal wear, as well as the latest in women’s fashion.

In those days, one wouldn’t want to be caught dead wearing sandos (sleeveless undershirts) or pambahay (house wear) walking down the streets like what we often see today.

Not too many Pinoys had cars in the 60s (only the wealthier ones could afford them) but going around town wasn’t much of a problem --- though it did take a while. Buses and taxis, though not as plenty, were around at the time but sadly, no air-conditioning. The already ubiquitous jeepneys --- as it is today, the cheapest and most preferred way to get around --- were smaller compared to the loud, meters-long monstrosity that we now see on the streets. Perhaps due to the smaller population there weren’t that many jeepneys plying the streets then and they had yet to become the bane of every motorist. The drivers then weren’t as reckless and discourteous, and they actually obeyed traffic rules.

(To be continued)

Photo 1: “The Sixties” by Tetsu Espósito, c/o Flickr. Some Rights Reserved

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Forty-something and single, the author has long detached himself from the corporate world where, for nearly twenty years, he used to work as a sales and marketing executive for a well-known clothing manufacturer. Since 2002, he's been doing free-lance consultative work in the same capacity during his corporate years. Writing, on the other hand, was a hobby he indulged in five years ago when, out of boredom, he started writing down his thoughts in a blog, which continues to this day.