The Propaganda of the Rich vs. the Propaganda of the People
"Propaganda" sounds like something only governments do in wartime. But every story we're told about how the world works comes from somewhere — and serves someone.
What the propaganda of the rich says
It rarely announces itself as opinion. It shows up as common sense:
The poor are poor because they don't work hard enough.
Billionaires earned every peso.
There's no money for healthcare, housing or schools.
Unions hurt workers.
Immigrants are the problem.
The system works — you just need to hustle harder.
How it runs
You don't need a ministry of propaganda when you own the channels. It runs through media that decides which stories get told, schools that decide which history gets taught, money that decides who gets elected, and entertainment that makes the way things are feel natural and permanent.
The Philippines has seen all of it
Spain used fear of the aswang to break the babaylan. America used English-language schools to win acceptance of colonial rule. Martial law used media control to rewrite history, and decades later, social media helped restore that rewritten history. Each time, the message was: this is normal, this is inevitable, this is your own fault.
The propaganda of the people
There's another kind. It isn't funded by corporations or backed by a media empire. It has a community. It uses art, music, murals, stories — and yes, carousels and blog posts. It names the system and who benefits from it. It passes on knowledge, not fear.
It looks like Renato Constantino's essays, Lino Brocka's films, the Manongs in Delano, the Bantayog ng mga Bayani, and Filipinos filling the streets to demand accountability. It isn't neutral. It isn't supposed to be. Neither is the other side.
The one question
For every news story, meme, textbook chapter or viral video, ask: who benefits from me believing this? If it makes you distrust your neighbors, blame the poor for poverty, or feel that nothing can change, look closely at who wrote it.
Where we stand
Ugat doesn't pretend to be neutral. Filipino history, culture and struggle — told by us, for us. Which messages have you been taught to believe? Which ones are you still unlearning?
Sources
Shop the story
Wear the history. These Ugat pieces carry the roots behind this post:
Know History, Know Self. No History, No Self.
Ugat means root. We design Filipino streetwear rooted in our history, from Baybayin tees to our oversized barong-style jerseys. Follow us on Instagram at @ugatclothing.
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