Leading up to Independence Day, you must have seen the #DamaKoLahiKo hashtag on social media. But what does it mean?
Dama Ko Lahi Ko is Filipino culture collective composed of passionate creative professionals hyping Filipino culture beyond June 12 celebrations. Among its members are Filip + Inna fashion brand founder Len Cabili, PH x Fashion Conference cofounder Esme Palaganas, MullenLowe TREYNA chair Leigh Reyes, Gigil advertising agency founding partner Herbert Hernandez, Tayo PH organization cofounders Natasha and Isabella Tanjutco, and content creator Bogart the Explorer.
“Dama Ko, Lahi Ko” is also a campaign to celebrate Filipino culture through the five senses: paningin, pang-amoy, pandinig, panlasa and pansalat. It promotes integrating Filipino culture into everyday life through the senses, and sharing it on social media with the hashtag #DamaKoLahiKo. Doing so routinely would give Filipinos the “soft power” to attract locals and tourists alike to go to Philippine destinations, eat homegrown food, and try local products, services and experiences.
Reyes said it doesn’t have to be artisanal or exotic, and can be as simple as posting a photo of the tocino you had for breakfast. The aim is to uplift the Filipino culture, and to make it a habit to highlight everything Filipino. Participants are encouraged to tag @damakolahiko on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tiktok.
The Dama Ko, Lahi Ko paningin content can be photos or videos of beaches, landscape, rainforests, fiestas and intricate tribal patterns. Pandinig pertains to original Filipino music as well as chants and Ati-atihan drumbeats. Pang-amoy relates to the scent of sampaguita and ylang-ylang, and the aroma of sinangag and kapeng barako. Panlasa showcases the flavors of heirloom recipes and delicacies, while pansalat refers to textures of nature and materials such as buri, rattan, piña and abaca.
The Filipino Culture Collective has also tapped industry leaders in supporting the campaign, among them athletes Akiko Thomson Guevara and Eugene Torre, designers Ito Kish and Lesley Mobo, Museo Pambata president Bambi Mañosa-Tanjutco, “Trese” writer Budjette Tan, Zubuchon owner Joel “Marketman” Binamira.
Free downloads of Dama Ko Lahi Ko logos, patterns and graphics are available on damakolahiko.com. A sticker set (search “dama ko lahi ko”) is also available on Viber, Telegram and GIPHY.