Introduction
Professor Ernesto M. Serote’s Property, Patrimony, & Territory is a profound exploration of the interconnectedness of land, identity, and power. Rooted in the Philippine context but resonant with broader post-colonial and Global South realities, the book interrogates how systems of property ownership, cultural heritage, and territorial governance shape—and are shaped by—historical injustices, neoliberal policies, and struggles for self-determination. This reflection synthesizes Serote’s key arguments, evaluates their implications, and considers their relevance to contemporary debates on land rights, sustainability, and cultural preservation.
Core Themes and Arguments
- Property as a Colonial Construct
Serote argues that modern conceptions of property in the Philippines are deeply tied to colonial exploitation. Spanish and American regimes imposed Western notions of private land ownership, displacing Indigenous systems of communal stewardship (e.g., ancestral domain practices). This rupture not only enabled resource extraction but also severed communities from their cultural and ecological relationships with land.- Reflection: Serote’s critique echoes Frantz Fanon’s assertion that colonialism “distorts” native relationships with territory. By framing property as a tool of dispossession, he challenges us to rethink land as more than a commodity—it is a repository of memory, identity, and collective survival.
- Patrimony: Beyond Material Heritage
The book redefines patrimony not merely as tangible heritage (e.g., monuments, land titles) but as the intergenerational transmission of cultural and ecological knowledge. Serote highlights how neoliberal globalization commodifies patrimony, reducing it to tourist attractions or real estate while erasing marginalized narratives.- Reflection: This resonates with movements like food sovereignty and Indigenous resurgence, where reclaiming patrimony is an act of resistance. For instance, the revival of traditional rice terraces in the Philippine Cordilleras isn’t just about agriculture—it’s a reclaiming of identity and defiance against monoculture.
- Territory as a Site of Struggle
Serote frames territory as a contested space where power dynamics play out. He critiques state and corporate territorialization—land grabs, mining concessions, and “development” projects—that prioritize profit over people. Conversely, he celebrates grassroots territorial practices, such as community-managed forests or urban poor settlements asserting their right to the city.- Reflection: This duality mirrors David Harvey’s concept of “accumulation by dispossession.” Serote’s work urges us to see territory not as passive geography but as a battleground for autonomy. The ongoing Lumad struggles in Mindanao, where Indigenous groups resist mining incursions, exemplify this tension.
Strengths and Contributions
- Interdisciplinary Depth: Serote seamlessly weaves political economy, ecology, and cultural studies into his analysis, offering a holistic framework to understand land conflicts. His integration of Indigenous epistemologies challenges Eurocentric planning paradigms.
- Moral Clarity: The book unflinchingly names culprits—colonial legacies, corrupt elites, transnational corporations—while centering the agency of marginalized communities.
- Visionary Alternatives: Serote doesn’t just critique; he imagines decolonized futures. His call for biocultural rights—legal frameworks that entwine cultural and environmental protection—offers a roadmap for sustainable governance.
Challenges and Questions
- Practical Implementation: While Serote’s ideals are compelling, the book lacks granular strategies for transitioning from exploitative systems to equitable ones. How can communities dismantle entrenched power structures without state or international support?
- Balancing Tradition and Modernity: Serote champions Indigenous practices but sidesteps tensions between tradition and contemporary needs. For example, how do ancestral land practices adapt to urbanization or climate-induced migration?
- Global Relevance vs. Local Specificity: Though the Philippine focus is a strength, comparative case studies (e.g., Latin American land reforms, African communal tenure systems) could broaden the book’s applicability.
Personal Engagement
Serote’s work forced me to confront my own biases as someone raised in an urban, capitalist context. Growing up, I viewed land ownership as a marker of success, but this book reframed land as a relationship—one that colonial-capitalist systems have poisoned. I recalled visiting Hacienda Luisita in the Philippines, a sugar plantation emblematic of feudal landholding, and realizing how property titles can mask centuries of exploitation.
Conversely, Serote’s hope in grassroots movements reminded me of community land trusts in U.S. cities like Oakland, where marginalized groups collectively own land to resist gentrification. These parallels underscore that decolonizing territory is a global struggle.
Conclusion: Toward a Politics of Reclamation
Property, Patrimony, & Territory is both a lament and a manifesto. It laments the violence wrought by colonial and neoliberal land regimes but manifests a radical hope in collective resistance. Serote’s work compels us to ask: Who defines the value of land? Who gets to belong to a territory, and who is excluded?
In an era of climate collapse, where rising seas and corporate agribusiness threaten vulnerable communities, Serote’s call to re-root governance in biocultural ethics is urgent. The book is not merely academic—it is a moral challenge to planners, policymakers, and citizens to reimagine land as a commons, patrimony as a living legacy, and territory as a space of belonging.