This work has not been peer reviewed by the University of the Philippines Rainbow Research Hub or its project members. The views expressed are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the Hub or its project members.
2026 Philippine Queer Studies Conference
POSTER PRESENTATION
Gendered movements as “pedagogical placemarks”: Finding a/the place for gender and sexuality in Philippine rhetorical studies
Angel Venniz A. Gutierrez, Charles Erize P. Ladia, and Gabrielle Avanzado Paras
Rhetorical studies in the Philippines remain Euro-centric, masculine, and text-based. This is evident in the institution of the rhetoric track in the 2018 speech communication program of the Department of Speech Communication and Theatre Arts, University of the Philippines Diliman (UP DSCTA). Seven years, hence, the creation of the Rhetoric and Gender (Speech 144) syllabus is both an opportunity to resist the historical gendered bias of the discipline and also, map possible directions of teaching and researching the intersections between rhetoric and gender in the Philippines. This paper explores: How do gendered movements (e.g., feminist, LGBTQ+, and masculine movements) serve as “pedagogical placemarks” in the creation of the Rhetoric and Gender syllabus at the UP DSCTA? How do these intersections signify the gaps of research and possible future studies in the field, and lead to localizing rhetoric as a discipline in the Philippines?
The syllabus design was conducted in two (2) phases. First, by doing an extensive literature review, we started mapping available local and international studies on gender and rhetoric. This phase revealed the essence of gendered movements in rhetoric studies and the rich landscape of rhetorical analysis on their strategies, identities, texts, and methodologies. Second, with the realization of the centrality of gendered movements in rhetoric studies, we treated them as “pedagogical placemarks” or a conceptual landscape that can guide in teaching and researching rhetoric and gender in the Philippine setting. With the available literature as placemarks, we designed a conceptual framework which revealed what is already existing (“in-place”) and what still needs to be explored (“out of place”) in the discipline. What is already “in-place” varies from one movement to another. Rhetorical studies on feminist movements provided methodological lenses while studies on LGBTQIA+ movements focused on artifacts and strategies created by the movement to resist gendered structures and institutions. Interestingly, studies on masculine movements and their rhetoric, especially in the Philippines, remain limited to cultural and contextual foundations. These existing studies also revealed what is “out of place” or gaps in literature. There is a significant opportunity to study the interactions and intersections between and among these gendered movements. Further, these gaps also allowed us to devise a section in the course syllabus that aims to discuss and address contemporary issues and contexts between rhetoric and gender including, but not limited to, issues on religious institutions, health and body, and representations in media.
By doing a critical reflection on the syllabus design process, we found that the relationship between rhetoric and gender studies in the Philippines have not been fully accounted for. Therefore, the constitution of a conceptual framework guided by gendered movements as “pedagogical placemarks” may also be a key contribution to methodologies in designing syllabus, in general, and in localizing rhetoric and gender studies, in particular. The focus on gendered movements in the Philippine rhetorical landscape is also imperative as this may lead to a better understanding of their persuasive capacities and sensitivities as Filipino social movements.