Rethinking Filipino Masculinities: The Case of the Cosmopolitan Tambay

In the Philippines, tambay refers to men who are notorious for hanging out in the streets for long hours owing to lack of formal work. Traditionally, representations of the tambay have revolved around drinking and the ironic display of patriarchal power despite the lack of clear contributions to the household economy. The study looks at the implications of transnational and economic shifts in rethinking the behaviors and attitudes of the tambay in Metropolitan Manila. The rising number of malls in the metropolis and the significant increase in dollar remittances from overseas have allowed for a shift in material and cultural practice, creating the need to simultaneously redefine and historicize this strand of Filipino masculinity. Aside from the new spaces they occupy, gender roles will be analyzed in relation to their relationships to the various women in their lives, and their socio-economic position will be reexamined anew bearing in mind the symbols of power and economic mobility available to them.