Colonial Rule on Filipino Beauty Ideology and Beauty Standards: An Exploration of the Encounters with Indigenous People

This paper narrates encounters with Indigenous communities through constant interaction while conducting projects in their areas. Using a phenomenological research design and employing observation and interview methods to obtain data, the study reveals how these encounters manifest the experience of discrimination based on skin color, which affects their self-confidence and the way they interact with others. Findings further reveal that some community members wish to have fairer skin, influenced by how others are portrayed in various media content, such as advertisements. This desire has led to the purchase of commercial products that promise to help them achieve the skin tone they believe aligns with societal standards. As such, the paper also examines how colonial encounters, capitalism, and social class interplay in shaping this perception within Indigenous communities.