The ‘sanghiyang’ and the two facets of Internet

MANILA, Philippines - In the town of Alfonso in Cavite, a group of revelers performs a dance ritual by the fire, their bare feet stomping gracefully on burning coal. The dan-cers claim that they feel no pain; instead, they feel engulfed in a collective state of merriment  an act that allows them to indulge in a higher level of spiritual connection with their gods.

This originally pagan ritual, referred to as sanghiyang, results in what clinical psychologists explain as a two-fold manifestation: the real (the dancing itself) and the virtual (the psychedelic experience). These two facets of the ritual were what inspired De La Salle University professor Rhoderick Nuncio, Ph.D., to write a book that analyzes the emerging Internet landscape of the country.

In his award-winning book Sanghiyang sa Mundo ng Internet published by Vibal Foundation Inc. and De La Salle University Press, Nuncio turns a precise sociological eye to the Philippines’ growing affinity for the World Wide Web.

In the context of sanghiyang, the Internet can be seen as a dynamic between two facets: the first being the technological aspect of the Internet (real), and the second as the cultural representation and platform for ideological exchange (virtual).

Merging social sciences and humanities, Nuncio explores different aspects of the Internet such as online gaming, the inter-relationship between the user and the computer, and the dynamics of communication among users.

He further examines the philosophy behind these dynamics, observing that while the Internet allows a more frictionless avenue of information exchange, it is only vital for Philippine academics and Web users alike to promote the Filipino point of view in order to achieve and celebrate true multiplicity of perspective.

Sanghiyang sa Mundo ng Internet is published by DLSU Press and Vibal Foundation Inc. under the Academica Filipina imprint, which aims to push the boundaries of scholarly publishing with smart, literate, and thought-provoking anthologies exploring the Philippines’ past, present, and future.

In 2011, the book received the National Book Award for Best in Social Sciences from the Manila Critics Circle and the National Book Development Board, making it a must-read for bibliophiles seeking literature based on modern day era.

Sanghiyang sa Mundo ng Internet is available for download as an e-book at Vibe Bookstore. For the print-on-demand version, call Vibal Foundation Inc. at 712-2722 or 988-5800 local 360 or visit vibalfoundation.org.