IF you were chronically online like the rest of the world during the pandemic, you may have come across the “RP612fic” hashtag on X (formerly Twitter.)
This hashtag, if you don’t already know, is a hilarious and modern celebration of Philippine culture and history in the digital age. It’s filled with tweets that discuss integral moments in Philippine history in meme format, making it easy to access and to understand.
Here, “RP” means “Republic of the Philippines, while “612” is in reference of June 12, when Filipinos celebrate Independence Day. It was first started by Paolo Chikiamco, a Philippine alternative mythology writer and editor for Rocket Kapre, in 2009.
According to Chikiamco, the trend began as a way for writers to share short stories that featured alternative versions to historical events, but it evolved into netizens putting together Philippine history with references from pop culture.
It has been upheld as a tradition on X since then and is currently one of the top trending hashtags on X, with over 44,500 tweets under the hashtag.
National hero girl group Apolinario MaBINI #rp612fic pic.twitter.com/1H6b883AnO
— levylav🔅 Stream Wanna Be With You 🫶🏼 (@levylavs) June 11, 2024
Under this hashtag, you’ll find tweets that recount the hardships of the Katipuneros, the life of Filipinos during the Galleon Trade, moments of struggle for heroes like Jose Rizal and Tandang Sora, and references to revolutionary Philippine literature like “El Filibusterismo” and “Noli Me Tangere.”
a video of sisa fighting her inner demon after losing her sons: #RP612 #RP612Fic pic.twitter.com/uXv9Nix4PE
— abby is having existential crisis ʚїɞ (@abbyeppeudaaa) June 11, 2024
Why is this hashtag so important? It’s because many believe that education on Philippine history is dying in our country due to the lack of subjects in schools that teach it, resulting in a loss of identity among the youth.
Filipinos rave about musicals like “Hamilton” but when asked about facts from their own history, many start to draw a blank.
Punitin??? #RP612Fic pic.twitter.com/l40a53TX9R
— FTTM (@FTTM_PH) June 11, 2024
Some may see the act of learning about their history as a chore, but that may be because they just haven’t had the right teachers to learn from. When done right, you quickly learn that Philippine history can be encapsulating, hilarious, and of course, hauntingly tragic.
Who can forget when Padre Damaso started throwing a fit in “Noli Me Tangere” when he was given the neck and wing part for his tinola? How can one consider the very scandalous love life of Jose Rizal – who was said to have at least nine women in his life – as boring? (Let’s go, short king!)
Leaked footage of two traders during the Manila Galleon Trade (Circa 1565, colorized) #rp612fic pic.twitter.com/bT2sJTrQmd
— nicholai (@2AMevermore) June 11, 2024
At a time when historical revisionism runs rampant and many believe that no one cares about Philippine history anymore, this trend is concrete proof that Filipinos are still keeping what they know and love alive, albeit through more modern means.
By simply opening X on your phone or your computer, you’ll learn random facts about important persons in Philippine history, finding out things you never even knew before.
It shows the vastness and depth of the knowledge of history among Filipinos, despite those who may try to convince you that such topics do not matter.
Mga Katipunero matapos gamutin ni Tandang Sora (circa 1896)#rp612fic
— yaaarl 🌻🍉 (@jarly_bee) June 11, 2024
pic.twitter.com/8Nm4iCBGvL
If you have some downtime today, scroll through the hashtag and educate yourself on Philippine history, or just laugh at how creative Filipinos can be.
