Nakakabastos at hindi lang minsan itong nangyari kung paano maltratuhin ng mga banyagang media ang Pinoy ukol sa kanilang propesyon. Matapos nating kondenahin si Malu Fernandez noong binatikos niya ang mga Overseas Filipino Workers, at magprotesta labas sa ABC sa palabas nitong Desperate Housewives noong ipinasok sa isang eksenang may panunutya sa mga kababayan nating mga doktor.
At ngayon isang birong hindi man lang nakakatawa kung paano ginawang katawa tawa ang isang Pinay Domestic Helper sa sitcom na Harry and Paul na kung saan inutusang sumayaw na malaswa ang Domestic Helper para aliwin ang isang bisita. (video of the show is shown below)
Namulat ako sa iba’t ibang mukha ng entertainment, tawagin man akong sensitibong tao, pero sa usapang delikadesa, palasak ang mga banyaga pagdating sa damdaming Pinoy lalo na sa usaping trabaho at pamumuhay. Dahil hanggang ngayon talamak pa rin ang issue ng human rights violation pagdating sa mga kababayang OFW natin, nariyan ang racial descrimination na tuwirang ipinakita ng BBC sa palabas nilang Harry and Paul, human trafficking at napakarami pang di mabilang na pagyurak sa karapatang pangtao.
Salamat at nariyan si Congresswoman Pia Hontiveros na patuloy pa ring nakikipaglaban para sa karapatang pangtao habang ang ilang kongresista ay natutulog pa rin sa pansitan at nagpapataba ng mga bulsa at tiyan. Sana ito na ang huli, at kung hindi man magkaroon na nang matang tagapagbantay ang Department of Foreign Affairs sa mga banyagang hindi pa rin marunong rumespeto sa kapwa sa kabila ng pagkakaiba iba ng kulay ng balat at liping pinagmulan.
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There are always to sides to racism:
a. The side that is obviously construed due to prejudices, e.g., colored people being less than human, colored people having less innate ability
and
b. The side that is SAD BUT TRUE.
Tell me, what is untrue about a Filipina gyrating in front of a white guy? I’ll bring you to Cafe Havana in Greenbelt in the wee hours of the morning and you will ALWAYS see Filipinas doing that, or otherwise opening up their privies to white guys.
I have written about a white guy who said that the Philippines is an open pussy country not because he was a racist/chauvinist freak but simply because in his experience, Filipinas are easy picking for guys like him. It really doesn’t help when you have too many countrymen to affirm the stereotype.
I understand that the joke is below the belt. I understand that the joke is crass and tasteless. But I do not agree to your “anak ng diyos” victim mentality simply because the joke, as painful as it is to accept it, has real basis.
The author has a point, the only problem is with the one who posted his comment is that maybe he never been in a situation like he has an ofw relatives that he rather support the white monkeys than fighting for Filipinos.
And what’s worst is that we keep on shutting our mouth every time we are discriminated by those white monkeys. No wonder, Philippines is a corrupt country because of people who keeps on vowing instead of reacting against it.
That’s the real mentality that puts the country down.
Arnold,
What, can’t address me directly?
Everybody here in FV knows that I stand against Filipino victim mentality, and my comment was consistent with that.
Filipinos should stop playing victim, and instead face the facts for what they are. Too many Filipina women *voluntarily* swoon to white men. That’s a great way to make them think more highly of us, don’t you think?
And where did I ever say that we should keep our mouth shut? Where did I say that? QUOTE ME!
Finally, my anti-racist sentiment is consistent too. White monkeys? You’re racist!
Tsk tsk. “White monkey”. I recall even Madcat once called someone a “white deity” (which I think is spot on, considering the way many Pinays have behaved in the midst of European and North American men). :D
Kinda makes me wonder who really are the racists in the scheme of things.
And regarding this “situation” that OFW’s find themselves in, I suppose it’s the fault of these “white monkeys” as well?
Gimme a break.
benigno,
i do not think i have written that. Your friend, the expat who claimed he promoted the Philippines to
BPO US was actually pimping the ladies from Cebu.
I had a copy of his article of his e-zine in my archive. Poor guy. He had to summon the gods of the pex and his editor in the e-zine just so he can shut me up. Oh I mean the two of you plus your alternicks. mwehehehe
Hindi naman siguro dapat tayo mag away away tungkol sa isyung tulad nito, ang akin man lang ay magkaroon ng matang magbabantay tulad ahensya ng Dept of Foreign Affairs sa mga ganitong uri ng diskriminasyon sa lipunan. Tulad ng ginawa ni Pia Hontiveros, at ng mga kababayan nating nagproprotesta ngayon sa harap ng BBC.
Talamak ang diskriminasyon sa lipunan ang sa akin lang hindi nararapat na hayaan lang natin ang ganitong pangyayari sa ating mga kababayan. At ganito rin ang ginagawa ng mga banyaga sa kanilang mga kababayan.
It is a reality that many Asian women (not just Filipinas) are attracted to white guys. That’s true here in Singapore as well where you have the SPG (Sarong Party Girl). Part of the problem i think is with the common Filipino (and Filipina) attitude that looks down on lap dancers (and lap dancing). Amidst all the real problems in the world, i’m not sure that this is worth the attention. Just my opinion.
Whatever you say, Madcat. You didn’t really need shutting up as you’d just go off on a tililing rampage and try to turn into Darna whenever the discussion wasn’t making much sense to you. :D
The only way to ensure “just” treatment for OFW’s is to put the Philippines in an advantageous position of negotiation with the countries that host our OFWs. Otherwise, to them we’ll just be just another one in the pathetic lot of 3rd World countries begging for employment for their citizens.
It’s a situation not too different from our pathetic claim over Sabah and the whole debate around the plight of illegal Pinoy aliens in that Malaysian state.
We can whine all we want about injustice. But if we lack the means to secure what is rightfully ours, sorry na lang tayo.
Flow,
Nararapat lamang na ituloy ang pagsampa ng reklamo laban sa BBC.
Ang sa akin lang ay sa tingin ko’y di na natin masisisi ang mga banyaga kung ang tingin nila sa mga Pilipina’y “fair game” habang mayroong mga Pilipinang ibinubugaw ang kanilang mga sarili sa mga banyagang iyon. Kailangan din nating kuwestiyunin ang gawain at pag-uugali ng mga sarili nating kababayan sa kanilang pakikitungo sa mga banyaga.
Sa kabilang banda, nakikita ko rin na may mas mahahalagang isyu patungkol sa mga OFW na dapat pagtuunan ng pansin, tulad ng labis na pagpapasakit at pambubugbog ng mga Malaysian na pulis sa mga ilegal na Pilipinong nadakip sa Sabah. Bagaman sang-ayon ako na dapat dakpin ang mga OFW doon (ilegal pa rin sila kahit pagbali-baliktarin ang batas) walang karapatan ang mga pulis na sila’y saktan at maltratuhin.
Siguro naman may kasalanan din ang mga Pinoy sa ganiring mga bagay. Mapangutya tayo at hinahamak nating madalas ang mga Intsik, mga Boombay, at lalo na ngayong mga nakaraang taon, laban sa mga Koreano.Tama si Jon Limjap. Huwag sana tayong malugmok sa “victimology”. Ang mga pikon sa mundo ay talo. Ngunit mahusay ang pagkatha mo Flow, kahit na malumbay ang tono.
Para sa akin na natawag na Madcat dahil sa pagtatatanggol sa mga kababaihang Filipina, iba ang aking pananaw sa comedy skit na ito.
Titingnan ko ang sumulat ng skit kung ano ang kaniyang motibo pagsulat. Kagaya rin nang pangyayaring sa Desperate Housewives kung saan ang pinutukan ng galit ay si Teri Hatcher na kung tutuusin ito ay kolaborasyon ng mga manunulat para sa TV series na ito.
Sa kaso ng Desperate Housewives, hindi inalam ng sumulat kung ano ang proceso ng maging doktor sa Estados Unidos…ang mga eksaminasyon na pagdaanan, ang residency kaya there is no way na papasa ang sinasabi nilang kung saan lang graduate ang doktor na galing sa pilipinas. ITo ay nagpapakita ng kaignorantehan ng sumulat at paginsulto sa sistema mismo ng Estados Unidos ng pagbibigay ng lisensiya sa dalubhasang mga doctor.
Sa kaso ng BBC, ano kaya ang naisip ng sumulat? ISa kaya itong paraan para maihatid ang kasuklam-suklam na totoong nangyayari sa bansang iyon na hindi naisusulat sa mainstream media? Ito kaya ay kritismo mismo sa kanilang kababayan o pagpapatawa lamang sa napakamababang paraan.
Kung ang ating bansa ay walang gagawin kung hindi subaybayan ang sinasabing diskriminasyon na katulad nito, dapat lahat ng bansa, ang Rusya na kung saan ang mga kababaihan nila ay palaging pinoportray na mga high profile call girls at ang mga Hapon ay mga kontrabidang miyembro ng Yakuza at ang mga intsik ay mga hindi marunong na managalog na mga dry cleaner ang trabaho sa mga TV series na hindi comedy kung hindi mga seryosong programa ay magreklamo rin.
Frankly, noong nakita ko ang comedy ng skit ng BBC, hindi ako natawa, naawa lang ako sa performers na trying hard silang magpatawa na kailangan pa ang ganoong klaseng script. Hindi kagaya ni Mr. Bean na igkas lang ng kilay at galaw ng bibig, matatawa ka na.
Sa amin dito sa States, ang discrimination ay totoo hindi lang sa mga may kulay kung hindi maging sa Puti mang lahi.
At sana ang mga nakikipaglaban para sa mga Filipina sa ibang bansa ay unahin ang nandiyan sa Pinas. Ang mga programa na sa katanghalian tapat ay mga babaeng nagsasayaw ng halos kakarampot ang
suot. Dito sa States, bawal ang ganiyan lalo sa prime time. Kaya dito may parental control ang mga palabas. Diyan sa atin sa murang isipan ng mga bata nakikita nila ang katawan ng mga babae na sumasayaw ng walang kawawaan para lang ibenta ang noontime show?
Charity begins at home. Bago tumingin sa labas ng bahay, tumingin muna sa loob.
Cat,
Oo nga naman, napapanood ng mga puti si Luningning at Milagring sa TFC!
Flow,
Diba employer mo ang nagpapalabas nun? ;)
Jon kahit naman dito sa Pinas talamak ang police brutality, hinahayaan ng mga ibang Pinoy ang ganung gawin sa kanila at nagkikibit balikat na lang dahil sa takot at kamangmangang may karapatan silang lumaban laban dito.
Ganun din ang mga OFW may karapatan silang lumaban pero ang masakit lang ultimo embahada natin ay halos walang alam sa responsibilidad na ginagawa dapat nila.
Nasaan ang DFA kung kailangan sila, aasa na lang ba tayo sa mga NGOs na minsan salat sa pondo para matustusan ang labang ito.
Flow,
Sa gayon sa tingin ko magkakaintindihan tayo kung imumungkahi kong ang tunay na kalaban dito ay kamangmamangan?
A. Kamangmangan ukol sa dignidad ng isang tao at kawalang-respeto sa sarili o sa mga kababaihan, na humahantong sa stereotipikasyon — lalo pa’t talamak ang stereotipikasyon na iyon (sa pamamagitan ng mga palabas kung saan may gumigiling na babaeng kakarampot lamang ang saplot) sa telebisyon.
B. Kamangmangan ukol sa karapatang pantao, na humahantong sa pagmamalabis ng kapangyarihan ng mga nakatatamo nito (hal., mga pulis — na madalas ay karaniwang tao rin lamang) o kawalang kaalaman ukol sa pagtatanggol sa sarili laban sa mga pagmamalabis na iyon (hal., mga arestadong inaabuso).
C. Kamangmangan ukol sa respeto sa batas, respeto sa sistema, at respeto sa maayos na kalakaran, na siyang nagdudulot sa mga kababayan natin na magpa-biktima sa mga ilegal recruiter, o tumulak sa pagtatrabaho sa mga lugar kahit walang kaukulang papeles
Sa tingin ko’y edukasyon lamang ang tunay na katapat ng mga kamangmangang ito.
Ah, meron pa pala:
D. Kamangmangan sa pagboto, na nagdudulot sa paglalagay ng mga walang kwenta at pulpul na mga pulitiko sa pwesto!
Di ajko sanangyon sa artikulo. Mabuti na rin yan dahil ako rin type ang mga racist jokes.
Sign the online petition in protest of the BBC show which normalises, even trivialises the Filipina domestic helper’s condition.
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/dignity-and-respect-for-the-filipino-worker.html
Ay nako, mabuti pa, kantahan ko na lang kayo!
Everyone’s a little bit racist, sometimes.
Doesn’t mean we go around committing hate crimes.
Look around and you will find, no one’s really color blind.
Maybe it’s a fact we all should face
Everyone makes judgments based on race.
Everyone’s a little bit racist today.
So, everyone’s a little bit racist, Okay!
Ethinic jokes might be uncouth, But you laugh because they’re based on truth.
Don’t take them as personal attacks.
Everyone enjoys them – So relax!
Oh, and to add – The Internet is for Porn!!
Bottom line is we’ve pretty much set ourselves up to be the laughingstock of the world. At the end of the day ONLY results and achievement will change any of this so-called “unjust” perception the world has of Da Pinoy sustainably and convincingly.
The sooner we realise this the sooner we stop wasting time and energy on persuading people to take even superficial pride in being Pinoy.
When achievement underpins our identity as a people, pride becomes but a mere by-product.
It’s simple.
Really.
- :D
“Racist” is not the appropriate term to use.
The whole incident simply demonstrates the insensitivity of the British media over the plight of a migrant worker in a position of powerlessness.
The skit normalises and trivialises the Filipina maid – who she is, and what she does.
It is renders normal the treatment of the Filipina maid in such a manner.
It is trivial – her objectified role, its facticity (being a fac), is not questioned. The skit derives its humour from this fact – that the Filipina maid exists as sexualised object for the other characters (old, British men).
This is what I find objectionable.
Racist remark against Filipinos? I don’t think so.
Sorry, people. I’m not easily offended by the mere inclusion of a supposed Filipina in a comedy show, who’s obviously just an actress and obviously portraying a fictional character, who is a domestic helper in a fictional story. If it were some offensive remarks made by a BBC news reporter or talk show host, I would have been one of those who’ll make sure that everybody knows I’m insulted by it. But sorry, not this one.
Humor may differ from culture to culture. But I suggest my fellow countrymen to look first into our own Pinoy films before going after BBC, screaming “racist!”. Perhaps, just a reminder that we, too, have been racists towards Americans, Chinese, Europeans, and all other races. And also, to have an idea what really are racist remarks.
On another note, so are we going to expect portrayal of racist characters to be banned from TV anytime soon? Do we really want to do that?
Isn’t it disappointing that we are easily offended by fictional characters and sitre yet when a Filipino inplies that an ‘Igorot’ is not human, be call the protesting Igorots ‘overreacting’.
It’s sad that there are posts here condemning DH, Chip Tsao, BBC, but none that has condemned the prevalence of our local showbiz to depict non-Manilenos are uncivilized, uneducated, isolated, and worse, not human?
Candy Pangilinan did a mistake of joking that she is human not igorot right in front of an igorot audience. Although I admire her efforts to apologize, I am disappointed by the Filipino people and politicians and even the activists who condemend these foreigners for their alleged ‘racism’ against Filipinos yet the same people remain apathetic to the existing RACIAL/ETHNIC discrimination in the Philippines. Many, in the Philippines, are discriminated just because of their regional/national origin or “aborginal heritage”. Funny, Filipinos condone Filipinos discrimnationg non-Filipinos and worse, their fellow Filipinos but when foreigners succumb to stereotypes, we’re fiery mad? Double standards.Self-righteous. Many Filipinos would not even want to admit that racism/discrimination is prevalent in the Philippines.
It is sad that Filipinos are more worried of what foreigners think of us than who we are a a people. If we want that Filipinos won’t be seen as maids/nannies, theywe should do something about the economy which forces even graduates to become domestic helpers.
Hey, I’m sure many of you have heard Michael V’s DJ Bumbay which stereotypes Indian traders in the Philippines as people who sell defective products. Many Filipinos found that funny but looking at the lyrics it isn’t less ‘racist’ than DH, BBC, FG, or Chip Tsao. Looking at it, the reaction about BBC and Chip Tsao is a result of Filipinos looking down on maid as a profession. Maid lang siya, naitor lang siya, driver lang siya, magtataho lang siya. Ang aarte, eh, hindi naman asensado ang bansa. I’d rather that Filipinos be assicioted with a MAID/NANNY/SEAMAN than being like the Arroyos and her minions. At least, these are dignified albeit menial jobs as compared to being a swindling politician
Sad but true. But does that mean, hell yeah Brits, just get on it with and some more cheap jab/gutter humor?
And by the way, BBC has recently issued a statement. The company isn’t going to make an apology because of what they claim as “freedom of expression” and “editorial independence”.
And Prudence, just because we’ve done the same thing some time in past means we can’t condone what BBC has done. Hell, we should even be compelled to do about these things from our backyard and from BBC’s. Two wrongs don’t make a right.
To Prudence,
I know you can’t relate with the Domestic Helper issue simply because you are not one of them, or not any of your relatives. But is it the same thing happen to Filipino Doctors that bloggers like you reacted against it.
Let’s not choose with what profession to side with in terms of racial discrimination. Domestic Helpers and Doctors are the same, they only varies from salary and terms of education but the issue here is they are both Filipinos.
Is Desperate Housewives not a sitcom? Like the one with BBC?
It’s a sign of maturity and inner security to be able to laugh at ourselves. I guess we’re not there yet as a people.
In the movie Love Actually, Americans were portrayed as dumb, loose women who would fall for anybody with a British accent. IIRC, the American Congress didnt go up in arms and demand an apology.
Comedy mines stereotypes for material. Our own Manila-based Pinoy comedies mine stereotypes of Visayans and homosexuals for material. And like Jon Limjap said, there is ample basis for the stereotype in Cafe Havana and places like that. Is the portrayal of the maid in the Brit comedy unfair to all maids? Of course it is; not all maids are like that. But there is such a thing as artistic or literary license that allows material like this that we can all talk about, discuss, and condemn if we need to. Write to the BBC and express your thoughts to let them know how you feel about the matter. Ask them if they could portray Pinays in a better light. Express your support for the Filipina domestic helper. But it’s time we stop acting like victims of the ‘evil white man’ all the time. If anything, theyre victims of Filipinos.
to those who’re asking what I felt about the DH issue then, well, you’re guilty of generalization. I’m not one of the bloggers who condemned Teri Hatcher because she acted out some lines of a fictional ditzy character in a comedy show. You could check my blog archives for that. And I’m even a doctor, so people would have expected that I’d be insulted by it but I’m not, as I’ve explained in my blog post. Same thing applies here. The DH show is fiction; the BBC show is fiction too. So don’t go raise hell for something that nobody is saying in actual life. THE SHOW IS FICTION. Deal with it. Move on.
Nobody has yet answered my question regarding banning portrayal of racist characters, since Filipinos are so hell-bent against those FICTIONAL characters saying something bad against them. What then? Censorship? That’s even worse than accusations of racism.
to Tambay,
Done in the past? Ohohohohoho, maybe you haven’t been watching local tv shows and movies for a long time. Filipinos are still doing it.
To Arnold,
Before you accuse someone of reacting against something, do research first. And how can you even presume the professions which my relatives may be involved in? Darn, are you my stalker?
In the very same episode I was featured in, a NEWS MAGAZINE program, and not a comedy (Sapulso, to be exact.), the reporter talked about Mexican food, and threw the offhand comment, “Kaya pala ang tataba ng mga Mexicano!”
I don’t see Mexicans crying “foul” over that, nor did any of us here raise an eyebrow over that.
This show was a comedy. I watch very vicious comedies like South Park and Drawn Together. This isn’t even in that ballpark.
All I’m saying is, yeah, it’s you’re right to be indignant about it, but don’t oblige everyone to feel the same by sole dint of being Filipino.
All I can say is that while we condemn any form of racism that our fellowmen were experiencing in other countries, we should also clean our country of racism.
The best way to do is educate our people and empower them. In that way, tataas ang morale ng mga kababayan natin at mas magiging active sa pagtatanggol ng dignidad nila.
Yes I agree na dapat na nating tapusin ang pagpoportray sa ating mga Pilipino bilang mga victims ng mga “white monkeys”
We should grow up as a nation. If we are mature enough, then we can turn other nations’ racist and discriminatory remarks to our advantage. Kung asarin man nila tayo na mg brown monkeys, mga indios…then patunayan natin na ang mga brown monkeys na nilalait nila ay kaya silang talunin sa ano mang larangan (tulad ng sports at technology). Mas malaking victory for us ‘yun, ang talunin ang mga tao na ang tingin sa sarili ay mga superior beings.
Pero bago tayo umabot noon ay dapat ayusin muna natin ang bansa natin. Respect ourselves so that other people will respect us.
Mga Kaibigans,
Hinde ako makatiis na wag sumabat. Nakakahanga ang mga ilan dito na may tuwirang hangarin na sila ay anti-slave-mentality-stand. Jon Limjap, bossing, saludo ako at sa palagay ko yan ang dapat na unang pagyamanin natin.
Nakakaawa naman ang mga ilan na naghahangad na kaawaan tayo at dapat na hingan ng paumanhin dahil ‘we were offended by their stunts’ and hoping that these white monkeys respect the brown Pinoy monkey. Btw, sino ba si Congresswoman Pia Hontiveros?
Para sa akin, ang pagtratrabaho sa ibang bansa is just another way to earn a living. Pero ang pagiging kasambahay (pinalambot na KATULONG) ay hinde kagalang-galang na pamamaraan ng hanapbuhay. It is the mark of slavery. In Saudi Arabia, they are not even under the protection of the labor law (the last time i read in the 90′s).
Para sa akin, it is an insult na tawaging OFW ang mga domestic helpers.
Ang nakakatawa ay ang naghahangad tayo na maging world-class (gasgas na term) na ALILA. Together with pagiging alila ay ang outlook na ‘pakukumbaba’ na kaagad naman madaling samantalahin ng ilang kapwa natin.
I say, let us outlaw sending our women (and men) to work on households overseas. Lets give that undertaking to the women of Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the like (till these women dislike the ‘job’)
For as long as we wholesally tolerate, honor, look up to being a Maid, Domestic Helper, Katulong, Alila, Tsimay, Atsay – we will always come across with ‘insults’ like we had on Beebs (nakamputsa, pa-cute pa, eh BBC lang naman)