Cultural imperialism is the imposition of the way of life of a dominant group as the societal norm. Syed Hussein Alatas criticized the Western stereotype of Southeast Asians as indolent. For Alatas, the West invented this myth to justify its motives. The idea of the captive mind characterizes how the intellectual dominance of the West reinforces the model of thinking that puts Western culture above others. Karl Gaspar, on the other hand, speaks about the exploitation of indigenous peoples by postcolonial socioeconomic structures. The concept of marginalization points to the exclusion of the Lumads in Mindanao, who have been oppressed by the ruling class, their sacred belief systems demonized by a majority religion. The injustice remains as contemporary Philippine society chooses to impose universal standards that actually promote a mindset that labels indigenous peoples as uncivilized and uncultured. This study investigates how the reality of cultural imperialism has impacted Malay and Philippine society.