Some Challenges to the Filipino “Malay” Identity

This paper is based on my on-going research on the “Malayness” of Filipinos. My interest on this topic began a few years ago when I first got involved in the International Council for Historical and Cultural Cooperation-Southeast Asia (ICHCC-SEA). I have also had the privilege of working with the Persatuan Sejarah Lisan Malaysia or the Malaysian Oral History Society. At present, I am Director of De La Salle University’s Southeast Asia Research Center and Hub (SEARCH). My research and interaction with various scholars in the region (particularly Island Southeast Asia) and other recent experiences, have broadened my perspective from that of a Filipino to a Filipino as Malay.