The Philippines is a nation of starstruck ignoramuses'
by Don Pedero
Philippine Star
Last July 23, I wrote about Nasty (short for Anastacio), a balikbayan
from Los Angeles, who, while vacationing in Manila,had nothing to say but
negative comments about the Philippines and the Filipinos.The article
elicited a deluge of comments from our readers. Though some agreed with
his curt observations, most were enraged at the repulsive way he acted and
whined.
For me, he was the classic epitome of the "crow perched on a carabao,"
thinking and acting nauseatingly superior just because he has become an
American citizen, inequitably comparing everything here to how they are in
the first world. I was particularly irked by his repulsive "know it all"
attitude and peeved no end by his irritating Waray-American twang.
Those who have not read that article may access philstar.com and click
archives, then select July 23 and click Lifestyle. The article is entitled
"Little Brown Americans." As a backgrounder,here is an excerpt:
The next day, I took them on a little city tour and accompanied them to do
extra shopping at the duty-free shop. They were to leave two days later
for their respective provinces (Randy is from Pampanga,Nasty, from Samar).
"God, ang dilem-dilem naman ditow (it is so dark here)!" screamed Nasty in
his characteristic Taglish slang, "At ang inet-inet pa (and so warm)!
All throughout the day, Nasty complained about everything. He griped that
all Filipinos he encountered were dense and inefficient (I hope that
didn't include me!); that the traffic was horrendous and drivers "drove
like they were late for their funerals"; that the pollution from the
smoke-belching vehicles was irritating his dainty,surgically-pinched nose.
He was disgusted that water closets didn't work; horrified that there was
no toilet paper in public toilets ("God, how do you people do it?" he
bewailed); petrified by street children begging while soaking wet in the
rain ("Where are the parents of these kids?" he nagged).
He moaned about the proliferation of slums, people crossing the
superhighways ("There should be underground or overhead walkways for
pedestrians!" he demanded), the potholes on the streets,the disgusting
garbage and filth all over the city, and the annoying floods! And all
these he observed in just one day!
Weeks after the publication of the article, I took Nasty's silence to
mean that of contempt and anger. I must admit that I didn't care because I
was really turned off by his arrogance. The good news is,Nasty has finally
decided to break his silence and give us his side,loaded with a big piece
of his mind. The bad news is,he hits more sensitive chords and it stings.
Nasty's E-Mail
Dear Dero,
My Zen master says, "Never fight fire with fire." So,I sat in a lotus
position, imbibed the ethereal qualities of cool mountain water and
stoically resisted the temptation of answering back to defend myself in
rebuttal of your article. I kept quiet while you and your readers had a
charlatan holiday, dissecting and fanning sarcasm on my every comment
about your country and your people.
I am not mad at you for writing that piece. I was never upset at any
point, even after your readers from all over the world e-mailed in their
two-cents' worth. In fact, I found it rather amusing and carnival-like.
I even felt happy that people still came to the defense of your Philippines!
If you noticed, I now refer to the Philippines and Filipinos as your
country and your people. Every time I went back there for vacation, my
Filipino-ness always took the better of me (blame those damn green mangoes
smothered with bagoong!) and made me forget that I am, in all reality,
what you aptly called a "Little Brown American." I have come to terms with
my own identity- I am, after all, an American citizen carrying an American
passport!
What precipitated my quick decision to sever my ties with your country
(aside from your ***** of an article) were the Abu Sayyaf abductions (que
barbaridad!), the Payatas-like downslide of the peso (eat your hearts out,
I earn sweet American dollars!),the "devoid of conscience" graft and
corruption in your government (this has gone on for the longest time-how
shameful!), and lately, the stupid "Juetengate" and juicy but enraging
"Boracay" mansion gossips.With all these, who would be proud to be a
Filipino? Besides, to tell you frankly, those Erap jokes are no longer
funny- they are passe and leave a bad taste in the mouth and heart.
No Apology If I sounded brash and insensitive with the way I threw my
comments, well, I cannot do any-thing about that because that is the way I
am, and I offer no apology. Here, in America,you have to tell it like it
is or you'll never be taken seriously. I have learned to drop my "Pinoy
sugarcoating" because out here, you get nothing done if you are meek and
sweet and pa-api. Hindi puwede mag-Anita Linda dito!
When I commented about your pollution, street children mendicants, slums,
potholes, toilets that don't work, garbage,floods, and most of all, the
Pinoys' chronic lack of discipline, I was merely putting into words what I
saw. I can't blame your being blind about your country's situation.
My Zen master says, "One cannot easily see the dirt in one's eye." I am
sure though that you are aware of those sordid details, but have grown
accustomed to them (like most Manilenos have).All the complaints I aired
may have hurt your pride but what I wanted you to realize is this: The
things I pointed out are allsymptoms of a failing, falling nation!
Suffering A National Karma?
Could yours be a country cursed with a huge national karmic debt? It could
be payback time, you know. Look back into your history, look deep inside
your hearts-what could you have done as a nation to deserve this fiasco
you are in today?
What you are faced with didn't just happen overnight-it developed and grew
into a monster in the course of time. Deeply imbedded in the psyche of the
Filipino is the amalgamation of the characters and events that have
impacted your lives - Dona Victorina,Dona Concepcion, poor Sisa as well
the other hilarious and tragic characters of Dr. Jose Rizal...
Stonehill...the notorious gangsters immortalized by your Filipino movies
like Asiong Salonga (hmmm!), et al...the killers in your (I thought they'd
never end!)massacre movies...those cheap, appalling titles of your
movies...those staged "religious miracles" that your naive masses
believed...family men with pushy queridas (mistresses)...your crooked
politicians,undependable police officers and greedy customs collectors...
your bribe-hungry court judges...Imeldific, gloriously smiling and crying
at the same time, bejeweled. (How very Fellini!)
What you are is the sum total of your history, your heritage and culture,
your education, the crap that your press sensationalizes, the bad icons
that your movies glorify, the artificial values your advertising extols,
the bad examples your leaders and role models project. What you feed your
country's mind is what it becomes.
You have become the ugly monster that you've created. You are now crying
all the tears your sickeningly sentimental movies wailed out for years and
years! Your Biggest Fault If there is one thing that comes to mind, I
think your biggest fault would be your individual greed. "Ako muna!" seems
to be the national mantra.The trouble is, very few people think for the
common good in a deplorable "to each his own kurakot" festival. Coupled by
your crab mentality of pushing down others, this can be fatal. You think
barangay,not national.
Hello, everybody else around the world is thinking global! Europe is
unshackling her national boundaries while you are building fences around
your nipa huts.
Do yourselves a favor and look at your nation as a ship. All of you are in
it and it is sinking! Realize your oneness-what hurts your brother hurts
you, too. Think about the future of your children and the succeeding
generations, and do something about it quick before your poor little banca
plunges forever into the irretrievable depths of despair.
Star-Struck Nation
You are a nation of star-struck ignoramuses. You are easily awed by your
movie stars who are usually nothing but uneducated, aquiline-nosed and
light-skinned picked up from some gutter somewhere. I have seen what these
artistas illusionadas can get away with. They just flash their
capped-tooth smiles and policemen let them get away with traffic
violations; they bat their false eyelashes and customs officers impose no
duty on their
suspicious balikbayan boxes.
Worst of all, with the Filipino movie industry taking a nosedive,hordes of
actors and show personalities went into politics. It is, as they say, the
next best "racket"-there is more money to be made in the politicking
business than in show business! (And what is this I hear that in the
coming elections, more are jumping into the arena?
Mag-hara-kiri na kayo!) How can you expect these comedians and actors, who
only know how to take directions from their directors, to direct your
nation? For them,politics will just be an "act". No big surprise here, for
they are mere actors with no original scripts to speak,no original visions
to share. So what can you expect but a government that is a comedy of
errors. Serves you and your star-struck nation right!
My Zen master says, "Give unto Caesar what is due to Caesar, but keep
Charlie Chaplin on the silver screen to make us laugh."
To survive,you must teach your citizenry to say no to three things -
no to drugs, no to stealing and graft and corruption, and no to artistas in
politics. I hope you've learned your lesson by now.(Yours is the only
country where Mexican soap stars are received like royalty in the
presidential palace. How shoddy! God forbid-Fernando Carrillo might end up
being your next president. At least he has great abs and doesn't wobble
like a penguin when he walks!)
For those artistas who honestly believe that they can make a positive
difference in the Filipino masses' life, they must first study law,
business and public administration, and immerse themselves in the life and
passion of Mother Teresa. Politics is not an art for dilettante artistas
to dabble in. It is called "Political Science," hello!
Educate Your Masses
Educate the masses - especially your electorate. What you need is an
intelligent vote aside from, of course, intelligent candidates. The
University of San Carlos in Cebu City, founded in 1595, and the
University of Santo Tomas in Manila, established in 1611,are the oldest
universities in Asia, and are even older than Harvard. But the standard of
Pinoy education has deteriorated so much that the Philippines ranks among
the poorest in the educational hierarchy of Asia.
Education, education, education-that's what you need in this age of
information, information, information.
If all your social, religious and political sectors don't sit down now and
decide to take the Right Way, the Philippines and your children's children
will be grand losers in the worldwide rush to the future. Education is one
sure way to salvation. Teach what is right,good, beautiful and beneficial.
Downplay all negativity if you cannot eliminate it altogether.The Ideal
President I've got news for you. (As if you didn't already know.) No
matter whom you put up there as your leader or president,it will be the
same banana. Even a holy man can turn into another J.E.(Judas Escariot)
for a few pieces of silver. Kumpares,alalays, relatives and cronies will
encrust like flies and maggots on his cordon sanitaire. And it will be the
same despicable "Sa amin na 'to!" hullabaloo all over again.
Take an advice from Aling Epang:
"Pumili ng matanda,mayaman, mabait,at madaling mamatay."
Get a president who is old - so that he is full of wisdom,
rich - so he won't need to steal more money,
goodhearted -so he will render heartfelt service to his people,
and is in the sunset of his life - so that he will think of nothing
but gaining good points to present when he meets his Creator.
And may I add:
At iisa lang ang pamilya! This is, of course, asking for the moon. Just
pray fervently for an intelligent leader with a pure heart who genuinely
loves the common tao!
Magpakatotoo Kayo! Wake up and look at the real you.Enough with looking at
your reflection in glorious, self-embellishing mirrors.The tropical sun
can play tricks, you know. Do not wait for darkness to fall before you
take that much-needed long, hard look at your real situation. Magpakatotoo
kayo, ano? This isn't a wake-up call-it is the final alarm!
Save the ship while you still can.Don't wait till your people have no more
dreams left to hang on to, no more hope to sustain their broken spirits. I
came home, spent my penny-pinched savings so that even in the minutest way
I could help your bruised economy. Your politicians sit on their fat,
farting butts and get balatos (kuno!) in the millions. Receivers are as
guilty as the givers.Now, tell me,who is really nasty?
I Have Made My Decision; So Should You.
My Zen master says, "Life is all about decisions, not choices." I have
made a decision which I know will be very hard for me to keep-You will
never hear from me again (not in this vein) and I will not even think of
visiting or buwisiting your Manila ever.This is my way of letting you know
that I have given up on you.Bahala na kayo! Only you can help yourselves
because at the stage you are in, nobody would want to help you. My Zen
master says, "You have to fall to learn to rise again." How much lower do
you want to go?
Anyway, regarding the Philippines as a tourist destination, you have a lot
of cleaning up and face-lifting to do before foreigners would dare go to
your islands again. The Abu Sayyaf episode has done your tourism industry
more damage than you could ever imagine, and it will take a long time
before the world forgets. (By the way,your tourism projects are lusterless
and have no global impact. If you want real business, spruce up your
infrastructure and do aggressive marketing on the World Wide Web!)
Of course, I would gladly reverse my decision if someone offered me
exclusive lordship over lotto, bingo, jueteng,pintakasi and the jai alai.
Think about it: this will be to your advantage because I never give tong
or blood commission to anyone! (If only your president used the millions
he received from those gambling lords to build homes for the masses, you
wouldn't have any more squatters.
Huling hirit:
defrost those Marcos billions, pay off some debt,place the rest in
high-yield investments, feed your hungry, and spread bounty and joy to
every Filipino! Are you stupid or what? - That's your money sucked from
the blood of your people!)
I have made my decision, now make yours. I would hate for the day to
come when I'd have to say, "I told you so!" Good luck!(You need it.)
An ex-Filipino,
J. Anastasio "Nasty"
P.S. My Zen master says, "Vox populi is not always the voice of God."
