A HISTORICAL INVESTIGATION OF RODEO MASBATEÑO

This study is an inquiry into the conception of rodeo festival. Historicism was used as the
school of thought as this paper will rely mostly on the use of sources in order to construct a
logical development of the subject. Historicism would be effective in explaining the existence of
the cultural practice in question by uncovering the history behind its conception.
Considering the area of interest chosen, resources were gathered that catered to the
subject of interest. Related documents were scanned for information that could contribute to the
inquiry that this paper imposes. There are, however, limitations to this paper. Since most of the
resources cited in this paper were mostly secondary sources i.e., research papers, they were
validated on the basis that they referenced primary sources and other papers. There were also
plenty of key resources that were inaccessible or unavailable. There is also a limited amount of
documentation specified about the history of Masbate.
The Rodeo Masbateno Festival is a yearly event that is celebrated in the province of
Masbate. It gives toast to the people who cater to livestock for a living by participating in various
sports like lassoing, wrestling and riding cattle among other things. The popularity of Rodeo can
be attributed to agrarian beliefs and other cultural beliefs among the population. But where
exactly did this cultural practice come from? How did the province of Masbate become the
Rodeo capital of the Philippines? Did it come from the United States?
Rodeo is increasingly becoming one of the most popular sports in the United States. It is
currently being held in all 50 states due to its socio-economic significance. Several rodeo writers
assert that the origins of rodeo have emerged from American post-Civil War era activities. It
evolved stemming from the cowboy’s need for recreation after months of strenuous labor in the
cattle industry.
While Rodeo stresses itself as a purely American creation, it has in fact, emerged from
Hispanic influences through conquistadors in the 16 th century. The word "rodeo" itself comes
from the Spanish word "rodear" meaning "to go around" or "to surround”. It originally referred
to a pen for cattle at a fair or market, and later to a cattle round-up12. The word was adopted by
American English in the 19th century to describe a public entertainment show of horse-riding
skillIt may have been introduced through an identical sport known as Charrería, which was
carried from Spain to Mexico.
Charrería is the national sport of Mexico and a forerunner of the North American rodeo in
which the sports are identical. One major difference between rodeo and charrería is that rodeo is
an individual sport, while charrería is a team sport. Similarly, charrería originated from 16 th
century Spanish conquistadors as Mexico itself was a colony of Spain.
Likewise, the Philippines became a colony to Spain in the 16 th century. Prior to
colonization, Masbate was covered in luxurious forests among other abundant resources like
gold. The arrival of Spanish and American Colonialism resulted in the rapid forest denudation of
the island of Masbate. This gave rise to vast expanses of savannah which made it ideal for
grazing cattle.
 Throughout the Spanish Colonization of the Philippines, cattle were brought to Masbate
through the Manila-Acapulco Galleon trade route between Mexico and Philippines. Since the
beginning of the 16th century, the cattle industry in Masbate enjoyed a steady rise in population
and popularity. Despite the hiccups experienced during the lifespan of the industry, it survived
and continues to provide a livelihood for the locals that desire to pursue it.
Despite the industry having been around for centuries, the first Rodeo Masbateño Festival
was held during the tenure of Emilio Espinosa Jr. as governor in 1993. Though it was originally
called Rodeo Filipino, it eventually became known as Rodeo Masbateño Festival around 2000 or
2001. There is no account of a Rodeo, or a similar event having occurred earlier in the history of
the Philippines. So why is there suddenly a Rodeo being held at the dead of the 20th century?
One major factor that could have led to the conception of Rodeo Masbateño is cultural
globalization. The influence of western ideas is resulting in the homogenization of cultural
expressions around the world. This is propagated by the efficiency of wireless communications,
electronic commerce, popular culture, and international travel. It is therefore not impossible to
think that Rodeo Masbateño emerged as concept that took inspiration from contemporary
American rodeo.
It is nonsensical to think that the emergence of Rodeo Masbateño only directly resulted
from one source of influence. The cattle industry has been around for centuries before American
interference after all. It is more logical to conclude that the culture among cattle rancher
continued to develop well beyond the start of Spanish Colonization. And that Rodeo Masbateño
emerged from the forefront of cultural globalization. Regardless of where Rodeo Masbateño took
direct inspiration from, there is no denying the Hispanic roots of Rodeo.

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