The Colonial Dept. Podcast
1) S6E1: The Dudes and Dandies of Colonial Manila
Cravats. Top hats. Barongs. Striped pants. Wide, wide waistbands. Well-dressed men are on the prowl in Luneta, turning heads and inciting whispers. Letâs meet these fashionable fops, shall we? Follow ...Show More
2) S7E13: The War and the Weatherpriests
Ever since its founding in the 1860s, the Manila Observatory had stood watch against the typhoons and hurricanes that threatened to strike the Philippines. But decades later, they were unprepared for ...Show More
3) Extra Credit: What we can still learn from the Laguna Copperplate Inscription
One of the Philippinesâ most important archaeological finds, this thin sheet of metal still contains many mysteries. (Listen to S7E12 before listening to this one!)
Extra Credit: What we can still learn from the Laguna Copperplate Inscription
05:56 | Dec 6th, 2025
4) S7E12: Turbulent Times at Manila Bay
In the late 1500s, sultans, kings, and outlaws alike all wanted a little slice of Manila. And over two turbulent decades, everyone from faraway Spain to neighboring Brunei asserted their claims over t...Show More
5) Extra Credit: The Indian-Armenian who preserved and produced Philippine art
Born in Calcutta and in love with Philippine fashion, Rafael Daniel Baboom was a true partner in the creation of 19th-century Philippine art. (Listen to S7E11 before listening to this one!)
Extra Credit: The Indian-Armenian who preserved and produced Philippine art
04:22 | Nov 23rd, 2025
6) S7E11: Paint Me By Your Name
The nineteenth centuryâsteamships, family names, world trade, foreign firms, liberal ideas. Great tides of change are roiling Manila. In the middle of the chaos, a new art trend captures the imaginati...Show More
7) Extra Credit: On Tomas Claudio and other Filipinos in the frontlines of World War I
Tomas Claudio wasnât the only Filipino who fought in the trenches of the Great War. Thousands of others also enlisted. (Listen to S7E10 before listening to this one!)
8) S7E10: Abaca World War
It was the Great War, the War to End All the Wars⊠and Philippine abaca merchants were raking in sky-high profits. The worldâs most powerful navies relied on this plantâwhich is native to the Philippi...Show More
9) Extra Credit: A bullfight in Sulu
A story of a Philippine bullfightâŠin the unlikeliest place of alll! (Listen to S7E8 and S7E9 before listening to this one!)
10) S7E9: Running of the Bulls, Part Two
In the second part of our look at the lost sport of Philippine bullfighting, we go deep into its heyday in the 1800s, with social clubs, provincial arenas, and matadors with nicknames like âFatiguitas...Show More