Reclaiming the local in LPP: Homework

Reclaiming the local in LPP

Larry Javier Ambion

          “Better Amadeo for Victory!” These words comprise the slogan of Amadeo, Cavite. Written in bold letters on the newly-erected town plaza gym, this slogan is also written in all of the town’s documents such as office papers, application forms, veteran members’ papers, among others. Located 1.5 kilometers away from Tagaytay and known for its farming industry, Amadeo has been nicknamed the “Coffee Capital of the Philippines”. Coffee is the town’s main source of income aside from pineapples and bananas. The new town mayor has decided to capitalize on the coffee capital identity by putting items that are representative of coffee in various strategic locations. Approaching the town, one will see a large concrete structure of a kettle, coffee beans, and a cup of coffee. The same structure can also be found in the town center. In line with its coffee theme, the town mayor also thought of launching a yearly event called “Pahimis Festival” in order to attract tourists and investors alike. Incidentally, this mayor is also the proponent of the problematic signage. Considering syntax and semantics, Amadeo’s motto is as baffling as it is incorrect.

         Better is a word known for its adjectival and adverbial properties. When something is considered “better”, it is perceived to be greater in excellence or quality. Rarely is “better” used as a verb unless it is preceded by “to”, which in that case, would mean “improve”. Did the writer of this motto mean the locals should improve Amadeo so they may gain victory or did it simply assume that a town which is greater in excellence would be more capable of achieving victory?  Victory is also a problematic tern since victory is a noun that denotes winning a battle. If these words were written during the days of Katipunan, then the usage of victory will be very understandable but it is hardly applicable to modern times. Perhaps success or prosperity would have been better choices.

          At this point, I do not think that the town’s current slogan incites levels of pride among the locals thereby negating the reason why slogans are conceptualized in the first place, to reflect a location or organization’s motto and to inspire the people. It is said that the new town mayor was pressured to think of a slogan to pick up the town from reported anomalies. Aside from the slogan, he was also the one who thought of placing coffee-related structures in many parts of the town. He is very much keen on placing Amadeo on the map and to give it a more industrialized image. As an Amadeo local who has seen the town’s progress from a small farming patch to a potentially busy municipality, it is common for towns to take on mottos which are geared towards development and popularity. In Gavin Shatkin’s article (2005), he cites how capital cities are symbolic of a nation’s aspirations. A city’s physical development is inspired by its political functions. This theory may also be applied to small towns and their desire to be recognized as a main player in the nation’s economy. Amadeo is such a town. The town’s slogan and its symbolic coffee structures are indicative of Amadeo’s local government’s wish to be recognized for something more than its farming industry. As a town itself, it is “good enough” considering its burgeoning agricultural popularity with coffee and non-coffee drinkers alike. For this reason alone, it is also starting to attract investors who want a share of the agriculture’s ROI. For Amadeo’s local government, however, “good enough” is not good enough and good ought to be better. Perhaps “better” is linked with “more popular” or “more investors”, hence the word “better” in the slogan can be taken as modifier and as a verb (albeit as a verb, it remains used in a non-standard way). Perhaps the reason behind the slogan being included in every document that has something to do with the town is to include its inhabitants in fulfilling the local government’s aspiration. A “better” Amadeo can only be achieved through the collective efforts of the locals and “victory” is dependent on how creatively they will take on the challenge to “better”. Going back to the discussion on the standard meaning of victory, it is somewhat safe to assume that victory is used in the slogan because the locals (or more accurately, the mayor) feel that the town is still struggling to get to where the leaders believe it is supposed to be headed. There might be no opponents but the town has to contend with the usual challenges to become more developed and well-renowned.  It is still worthy to take note of the fact that the slogan is still confusing and needs to be tweaked in order to appeal to Amadeo’s residents and be practised by them.

Reference

Shatkin, G. (2005/2006). Colonial capital, modernist capital, global capital: The changing political

symbolism of urban space in Metro Manila, the Philippines. Pacific Affairs, 78, 4, 577-600.