A traditional Filipino practice of mutual support that demonstrates a shift towards participatory approaches and solidarity, creating a culture of community organizing and governance towards post-capitalistic imaginaries
Context
Across the globe, traditions of mutual support haveenabled people to work together and help each other, highlighting the strength and resilience of communities. Over generations, mutual support has been a mechanism for survival and has also contributed to the “the evolution of social institutions, such as trade unions, cooperatives and other civil society movements.” The cultures of mutual support are closely linked to specific communities and contexts across the globe and recently have been re-visited as a way for people to take action against the products of neoliberal development.
Practice
Bayan, in Filipino, means community, town, or nation, while Bayanihan literally translates into “being in bayan”, a place that connotes a feeling of belonging and mutual responsibility arising from shared experiences and facing common dangers. Bayanihan has been practiced in rural areas in the Philippines particularly to assist families when a whole household moved from one village to another – including the house itself, which is built so that it can be carried by the community on their shoulders. The practice of carrying houses is made possible by constructing lightweight structures using simple, local materials such as bamboo, wood, and thatch, which are easy to disassemble and reassemble. In contemporary construction practices, the principle of Bayanihan can still be applied by promoting community involvement in the construction process. For example, the use of locally-sourced materials that are affordable and easily assembled can encourage community participation and support, as well as reduce the environmental impact of construction. In architecture Bayanihan can be seen in self build practices or the design for disassembly (DfD) approach that consider how a building can be disassembled and reused. These practices can offer an alternative to the resource-intensive and complex construction processes that dominate many parts of the world.
The concept of Bayanihan and its significance in the Philippines today is often idealised, with a significant portion of this glorification being sponsored by the state. Beyond this representation, its meaning is rooted in ancient times, developed through the harsh struggles of people in an environment where individual efforts were perilous.
The tradition of mutual support goes beyond altruistic forms of cooperation and evolves into the cornerstone of the relationships that illustrate other ways of living and working together in a socially and environmentally equitable way. It is now more critical than ever to understand the potential of mutual support practices and what these systems can offer beyond the details of individual projects. The challenge is how to scale up these practices to address systemic issues on a global scale beyond romanticised views and to understand their potential as a tool for leveraging cultural traditions to build better cities from the ground up.