Toward Reclaiming the Wisdom of our Forebears: Nature and Environment from a Filipino Perspective

One of the most fundamental objectives of postcolonial studies is to critique and challenge the assumptions and presuppositions of former colonizers. The early Filipinos were able to evolve a complex civilization and culture that was rooted in their relationship with nature and the environment. However, this rich corpus of knowledge was neglected due to the insistence that European and Western epistemologies were more rational and scientific. This chapter seeks to foreground the Filipino indigenous system of knowledge concerning nature, the environment, and disasters. It further aims to give agency to the early Filipinos who developed a profound ecological wisdom and environmental stewardship.