You win some, you lose some.
Manny Pacquiao’s drubbing of Britisher Ricky Hatton, Charice Pempengco’s soaring star in the music world, the critical acclaim for Filipino opus ‘Kinatay’ at Cannes Film festival, Filipino kids topping an international robotics contest.
The world is toasting Filipino excellence on various fronts but over in Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin jokes about getting a Filipina mail order bride with comedian David Letterman asking Baldwin to get him one, too.
Not too long ago a Hong Kong journalist called the Philippines “a nation of servants” while further in the past Filipino doctors were slurred and even revered Cory Aquino labelled a “slut” in a parody news show surviving America’s readiness to elect a female leader.
I can’t but wonder through what prism foreigners see Filipinos given how widely-scattered we are across the globe and how Filipinos have entered the foreign consciousness, being among the most sought after skilled and blue collar workers.
Should we therefore rage against the latest ill-considered slur.
Nah, it’s just one of those things.
What’s really more important is that wherever we are, Filipinos should continue to strive to be the best we can be and hold our tri-color up high.
Pinoy Pride, Pinoy Dignity is immeasurable.
UPDATE
Actor Alec Baldwin has now made a public apology, as reported by the Huffington Post.
(Thanks to my old friend and colleague Vivian Zalvidea for her heads up.)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alec-baldwin/an-apology-regarding-my-l_b_205766.html
I’d like to offer an apology and a clarification to remarks I made recently.
While on the David Letterman program, I joked that I might need a “mail-order bride” to achieve the goal of having more children in my life. I believe that most people understood that this was a joke and took it as such. (A dated reference, no doubt, and another sign of my advancing age.) However, I do apologize to anyone who took offense. The comments of some Philippine government officials come as no surprise to me, either. Even the one by a former action film star-turned-Senator who beckoned me to come to the Philippines so he could “beat” me over my comment.
Such anger and frustration about the issue of sex trafficking is understandable. The Philippines has suffered significant problems with the issue of sex trafficking and I would like to turn your attention to the work of an organization called Love146 that my brother Stephen educated me about. Visit their website at www.love146.org and learn of the important work that is being done, in various regions of the world, by Rob Morris and his co-founders and staff.
I had met with Rob in New York, some months before the Letterman appearance, in the hopes of helping him raise money for this group. Again, I apologize for the perceived insensitivity of that remark and ask you to visit the Love146 site
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Are the things that most Pinoys take pride about, the things that actually matter?
We want to take pride about our professionals – yet we keep on cheating in the board exams and buying diploma in Recto. Does the grade/score matter that much so much so we throw away honesty to the garbage dump. And we get enraged when people point it out.
Is this something to be proud about? What gives?
From where I sit:
“Should we therefore rage against the latest ill-considered slur.
Nah, it’s just one of those things.”
What happens to the events then that generated the comment in the first place?
One need not rage, but by brushing it off – does that not lead to overlooking the root causes of why such observations are being made?
And by overlooking the root causes thereby missing an opportunity for a strategic solution, are we not doing injustice to our pride? Or does it matter at all? Should we care even?
Bong, you misunderstand my thesis.
This not about “brushing it off…”
This about us Filipinos in fact acting to better our lot and not allowing slurs to impact on out own self image, self esteem if you will.
Slurs are just that, slurs, as the Chip Tsao episode proved and which which was quite extensively debated here at FV before your advent.
FV ‘s been there and done that.
Ding:
Just making sure that I am reading your thesis correctly.
Thanks for the clarification.
We can be a Butt of Jokes. Did you not notice, we are all over the
world. Countries have placed us in the Map already. Before, they
dont even know we exist.
Dont mind people who put us down. It means, we are making progress.
Do they criticize Wannanbees? No, they do it only to people who are making news and are making a name for themselves. If people ignore
us. We should be concerned…
It is only the fruit-laden tree that receives the shower of stones from passersby.
Tumbok mo rin Tasio… kasabihan nga, ang pinupukol ay ang punong may bunga.
Bagama’t may hangganin din ang biro at insulto, ang maging ang kawalang katarungan…
Yan ang lagiang dapat bantayan.
Inspite of our frustrations on our Politicians and Leaders. Some
of us are making good progress in the international circuits.
Keep up the good works. We will be there…
At bottom, I still think that the hypnotic effect of media only creates this sense of pride for a Pacman win in the world boxing stage. This means that soon after the effect of the hypnosis producing drug – as if it were – is over, we all buckle down to work and Pacman shoved aside.
If put to the higher test, we may end up not associating ourselves with Pacman. Ask benigno why.
God bless our people for export. sure they may be better off serving our country here. But as Tita Glow might put it these our are true heroes.
I live in a small town in the Netherlands. When I met our town mayor, he stretched out his hand and said, “Mabuhay!” That was so unexpected and left me dumbfounded for a couple of seconds. After that, I was holding back my tears (what drama, lol). It was a very pleasant surprise since he had nothing but high praises for the Philippines.
There are lots of good things said about Filipinos but these are hardly written about.