Redefining ‘Barriotic’

An old photo of the author's ancestral house surrounded with coconut trees in Coronon, Davao del Sur, Philippines. (circa unknown)

Hearing the slang term ‘barriotic’ often implies a negative meaning. When a thing or place is described as barriotic, it usually means its baduy (uncool, in poor taste, unfashionable, mismatched) like those found in the rural places. A barriotic mentality or idea is perceived as something that is backward, not progressive and not modern like the people in the countryside. Although barriotic people may simply mean as people who were born or grown up in the province like the slang ‘promdi’, the meaning is much harsher and more derogatory when used to describe people. It’s a perception of some city people about countryside people as baduy, ignorant or naive to city living and inferior to city people. There’s even one who wrote online and described disgusting people who are law-breakers and filthy as barriotic people! These negative connotations related to the barrio may not only sound discriminating to the people from the barrio but it also shows the stereotype, the generalization, the close-mindedness, and the ignorance that somehow needs to be dealt with. 

Why should we allow some city people to connote ‘barriotic’ negatively which is just an outsider’s point of view and probably have no clue about nor actual experience living in the barrio? Doesn’t it make more sense that it's the barrio people themselves who should define what barriotic is? 

The point of redefining ‘barriotic’ is not to cause hate against city people  nor to romanticize the barrio and its people. Nothing and nobody is perfect of course but shedding light or offering a more positive meaning is way better that could result in more productive and positive results in general.

As somebody who grew up in the province (and knows what barrio living is too well), here’s how I would define barriotic in several context:

1. A barriotic living is a simple, healthy, laid-back and sustainable living where people generally live in a more spacious environment close to nature and greeneries, breathe fresh air, grow or have easy access to organic food sources, less stressful and more. Barrio living typically involves having plants in and out of the house (both for food and beautification and not just one), raising pets, chicken and other animals for livelihood and food, having the time and space for coffee,  ‘tagay’ (social drinking), chika/chismis  and hangout with neighbors or family. Of course the quality and nature of living in the barrio may vary depending on one's geographic location, social conditions and other factors.

2. A barriotic mentality is having a sense of community than individuality (e.g. bayanihan, neighbors sharing foods together and looking after each other), generally respecting and protecting nature, preserving and practicing local traditions and culture. Having a barriotic mentality is compared to having a backward mentality as the barrio people are often accused to be against rural development and influx of investment. But can you blame the people from the barrio to protest these “developments” when these city people or outsiders are exploiting their natural resources and causing pollution to their once naturally peaceful and beautiful barrios? Thus, a barriotic mentality is not really an anti-development or “backward” mentality but is unknowingly in line with sustainable development.

3. A barriotic person, apart from being somebody from a barrio,  is more of an ingenious person rather than an ingenuous or naive person as what some people would characterize the people from the barrio. There are traits that are common among the people in the barrio - can’t live without plants, mostly love animals, nature-lover, tidy (neighbors would be horrified to see many dried leaves and weeds on your garden), skillful, resourceful, laid-back, friendly, ingenious (in a good way) and more. Barriotic people  know a lot of life skills, self-sustaining and resourceful. However, the trait of the barriotic people that stands out the most is their ingenuity which people can find if they would closely observe with an open mind how people live, adapt and build in the barrio.

The fascination of this ingenuity witnessed and experienced especially in the structures in the barrios is the inspiration behind this concept called Barriotecture. 

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Thanks for reading.

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