F. Landa Jocano

Early life and education Jocano was born in Cabatuan, Iloilo in 1930 - the ninth of eleven children born to Eusebio Jocano, a persevere farmer, and Anastacia Landa. He finished his elementary studies at a public school in Iloilo and then ran away to Manila because his family could not afford to send him to high school. Return to Iloilo, interest in folklore, and work at the National Museum It was during Jocano's period of return to Iloilo that he first developed an interest in folklore. == Pioneering use of Participant Observation in Philippine settings ==

As one of the earliest Filipino-born researchers to receive proper scholarly training in anthropology, Jocano became a pioneer in the use of Participant Observation as a research methodology in Philippine ethnographic research, applying it in numerous places, including Capiz, Jocano's work in the Slum of Looban was seminal in its insistence on "living in the community and taking part, whenever possible in the activities of the members, observing what they do and checking the observed behaviour in terms of what they say and do." Earlier research on slums mostly relied on the use of questionnaires, which Jocano dismissed as inappropriate for studying urban poor society: "One cannot possibly go up and paper and ask questions without arousing suspicions especially among street corner gang members." National Artist F. Sionil Jose recounts that some of Jocano's adventures in Participant Observation resulted in memorably humorous episodes: :"At one time, he got himself hired as a motel boy while doing a study on sexuality among Filipinos. He confided that he surprised some of his colleagues who patronized these motels. From that study, Pepe gave me a chapter which I published in my journal, Solidarity. Right at the press, some 20 copies disappeared. The issue was sold out in a couple of months, I had to order a reprint. As one academic told me — it was a landmark article — the first "scholarly pornography." :And at one time, a relative accosted him in Quiapo where he was actually begging at the church door to gather data on his study of the urban poor. The relative was so shocked to see him there in tatters, he had to drag away the protesting scholar with the promise to help him." == "Hinilawod: Tales From The Mouth of The Halawod River" ==

One of Jocano's earliest major contributions to the field of cultural anthropology and a significant contribution to recorded Filipino folk literature was the documentation of the epic poem Hinilawod (which means "Tales From The Mouth of The Halawod River"). The epic recounts the story of the exploits of three Sulodnon demigod brothers, Labaw Donggon, Humadapnon and Dumalapdap of ancient Panay. Jocano, assisted by a radio technician from the Central Philippine University, convinced Sulod folk chanters Ulang Udig and Hugan-an to recount the story, and allow them to record it on cassette. The process of acquiring this permission took years, from Jocano's first contact with Ulang Udig in 1955 to the recording of Hugan-an's 30-hour performance of the epic in 1957. Jocano eventually also published the text in his book "Hinilawod: Adventures of Humadapnon Tarangban I" (The epic was once again recorded in 1999, by researcher Alejo Zata, working among Sulod natives who still performed it and for whom the epic was still very much an active part of their culture.) == Core Population Theory==

Jocano was one of the first scholars to suggest alternatives to H. Otley Beyer's Wave Migration Theory of migration to the Philippines. His Core Population Theory proposed that there weren't clear discrete waves of migration, but a long process of cultural evolution and movement of people. The theory suggests that early inhabitants of Southeast Asia were once of the same ethnic group with similar culture, but eventually - through a gradual process driven by environmental factors - differentiated themselves from one another. However some still preferred Beyer's theory as the more acceptable model, including anthropologist E. Arsenio Manuel. == Personal life ==

Jocano married Adria Payad and they had two children, Felipe Jr. and Lizabeth. He died in 2013 at the age of 83. ==Partial list of published books==

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