Fiction can be a strong political tool too: Miguel Syjuco

Miguel Syjuco won the 2008 Man Asian Literary Prize for his book Ilustrado. The term means ‘enlightened’ in Spanish and was first used in the 19th century in the Philippines.

It referred to Filipino expats who were educated abroad and came back to their land to help oust the Spanish colonists. The book Ilustrado, on the other hand, is a political satire on Filipino expats who do little for their homeland.

DNA met the Filipino author at the recent Hay Literature Festival in Kerala, and asked him about the themes he writes about, which have a strikingly close resonance with current issues in India as well.

Ilustrado is a satire on Filipino expats who have turned their back on their country. But what drove you to leave the Philippines in the first place?
I wanted a way out of the life a writer has to choose in the Philippines and studying abroad was my ticket to that life. In the Philippines, a writer needs to supplement his career with teaching or other jobs, because writing doesn’t pay much. The Philippines does not have a developed reading culture — a book that sells 1,000 copies is a bestseller.

One of the major problems with our publishing industry is that all literary criticism is based on socialism. A book has to be of ‘social use’. It has to be what people consider ‘pertinent’. This limits you as a writer, and not even your editor is interested in pushing you. He merely corrects grammatical errors.

Given that your father is a politician, was writing a difficult career choice?
Yes. I was expected to be a politician and when I left to study abroad, my father stopped speaking to me. The congratulatory call he made to me after I won the award was the first time I had heard his voice in five years.

What are the pressures on being a writer from the Philippines?
The pressures exist both outside and inside the Philippines. In the Philippines, an ideal book would be one that is written in a local dialect — English is a no-no — preferably discussing the lives of the lower middle class, without any satire or humour. Most authors prefer writing what people are comfortable with, but, for me, that is self-defeating. Back home, because of my deviations, I was not considered ‘Filipino enough’. I guess it’s typical of all former colonies — you need to make it abroad before you’re taken seriously back home. I was also very jaded back home. I wouldn’t open newspapers for months on end because I couldn’t bear to see the issues that plague my country.

Outside of the Philippines, it is easier to be objective about the place, but it comes at a price. I feel doubly responsible towards writing about a country I love so much. There’s always that fear of alienating myself from the people I am being satirical about. I sometimes fear that I am merely representing my personal baggage and bias. Somewhere between all these ideas, I realise I am born a Filipino, but I want to die a writer. I want to be someone who can write about the human condition as a whole, not just about my roots.

Do you feel you have a ‘responsibility’ to represent the Philippines in a certain manner to the world outside?
Well, Filipinos are represented as a bunch of clichés — domestic helpers, for instance. They are considered really screwy. That is because clichés are handy and you can easily wrap your head around them. The only thing I feel responsible about is to not take recourse to clichés because they are only a very small part of who we really are. My writing must be an effort to firstly understand myself and my role as a Filipino. I am not out to represent the Philippines in that sense; I am out to understand.

How was Ilustrado received in the Philippines?
Ilustrado was not reviewed in any Filipino newspaper but it is the most widely read novel by a Filipino ever. Friends back home tell me they see groups of college students holding copies and having heated discussion in cafes. I consider that a success. To be popularly appreciated in the Philippines, I would have to be a boxer, not a writer.

What are the opportunities an Eastern writer doesn’t get, compared to a writer from the West?
Well, if you are not close to the publishing centres of the world — London and New York, it is extremely difficult to get access to a publisher. You need a Man Asian Literary award to make it (smiles). Actually, the award itself is an effort to bridge this gap. Yet, options are limited for Eastern writers because there’s always that pressure of writing something trendy, something that fits in the mood of that time. You know, in many ways, your life as an Eastern writer is not very different from that of an immigrant, say a construction worker making it big in Dubai.

Is your second book also based in the Philippines?
Yes, it is a novel about corruption and power. I believe fiction can be a strong political tool, too. My next book is titled I Was The President’s Mistress and it speaks of how high-level swindles take place. It tells the story of where politics, power and corruption can take a third world society. The story is told through the eyes of a woman who sleeps her way to the top.

How deep is the Chinese influence in the Philippines today — in terms of economics, culture, outlook, and daily life?
The Chinese influence in the Philippines is long, deep, and pervasive. For centuries the Chinese have traded and interacted with Filipinos, often emigrating and becoming part of the culture. Just as many of our names and foods were influenced by the Spanish and American colonisers, the Chinese immigrants influenced Filipino cuisine and cultural identity. Nowadays, there is a thriving Filipino-Chinese community in the Philippines. And while two generations ago they were labourers, their hard work and frugality have now made them prominent businessmen, politicians, and leading figures in society.

My paternal great grandfather came from China and worked hard to create a fortune. The name Syjuco comes from the Chinese Sy Yu Co, but was Hispanised to assimilate with the Spanish-orientated society.

Nowadays, there is not much of a link between modern Philippines and China as two countries, but the cultural connections through the centuries are so deep that what it is to be Filipino certainly includes all that the Chinese immigrants brought to their adopted land.