Filipinos: the Good, the Bad, and Chaka (ugly)
Let me start with the good.
Bayanihan. I like the fact that the word has no equivalent in English which makes it distinctly Filipino. I once thought that the concept is long dead with chivalry. I some wrong 2 years ago when I was driving (with my two children in tow) along a lane when the front tire of my car is stuck in a hole Men's broad and deep. The only way was the front of the car must be lifted. I called my husband, but it was about 2:00 drive from our location. I was terrified as it was getting dark and the area was infested by squatters adding paranoia that we could (a) is physically assaulted, (B) get carjacked, or (c) that my children could have it removed. Two men approached and offered assistance, a tricycle driver stopped to help, Tambay and three arose from his drinking session to help as well. In no time, the six men were able to raise the front of the car. I offered each a small sum for their help, but to my surprise, none of them accepted. I call it an act of kindness. God bless.
Filipinos are really beautiful people, inside and outside. We once went to ________ And I noticed that women were the ones dressed in Prada, not necessarily for their beauty. Even in _______, transvestites and transsexuals are prettier than their wives. Walk around Manila and you'll always find a pretty face, wrapped in Prada or otherwise.
The Filipinos are a bunch happy. We are very optimistic. Filipinos are among the happiest people on the planet and we have the lowest suicide rates in the world. Living in a Third world does not seem to matter. Heck, first world countries have the highest divorce and suicide rates. "Saya Ang saya di ba '.
Now for bad and Chaka.
Circulation. MMDA. Only in the Philippines is it not clear traffic monitoring systems. No clear guidelines traffic. If you drive a private vehicle traversing EDSA and for some reason you cross the yellow lane, you'll probably be arrested. And however, buses, taxis, FX (s), jeeps swerved and cut all they want and then proudly and happily escaped. Heck, I saw Monumento a bus traveling, then take the road Samson where buses are not permitted, the driver opens his window and launch a Bill 20-peso Standing by MMDA. It then passes happily without objection. And yet you expect me not to beat the red light?
Politicians. Trapos. Politicos. Cabinet members. Officials Customs. BIR officials. political aspirants. patola Pulis. Actors, actresses, boxers and basketball players with no power whatsoever desperately pushing their luck by entering the political arena. We have the largest number of elections and the largest number of elected members. The policy should focus on public service is not self-service. Anak ng pulitiko. Need I say more?
Graft and corruption. This is consistent with the above chakaness. Consider For politicians before the elections, they drive around a midsize sedan, a minivan ginormous, or a small SUV. Then, after the elections, they go to a Lincoln Navigator, Cadillac Escalade, GMC Suburban or a. Note also, however, they also need a set of train protection (or look important). Throw in a Ferrari or Lamborghini for the weekend, perhaps even a Chrysler 300 for Misuse, and a discreet Audi mistress. Do not even get me started on their luxury homes, houses weekend chic collection of jewelry, heck, even mistresses. Dare I challenge the article Forbes proclaiming that we are in the top 10 largest in the world more than corrupt. We desrve first place. We have been stolen, seriously.
Entertainment Variety noon. Never since the birth of cable television that I watched on local television. I can not sit and watch fellow Filipinos, balikbayans, and tourists laugh like hyenas mocking the candidates themselves for a meager sum great. No wonder we mocked, pitied, ridiculed and caricatured by the other races. In fact, I wanted to strangle the guy from the recent APEC summit, which drew our native barong a peasant costume. "Excuse me, but who the hell do you think you ???!!! But again, how can I blame him when that is exactly Willie & co., whether conscious or not (perhaps even part of their game "), show how Filipinos in general. Naman Tayo Kawawa. tsk tsk
Telenovelas too dramatic. As if we did not have enough, and we now koreanovelas chinonovelas. Morning, noon, afternoon, hours prime time, late at night, make your choice. I swear I lose IQ points the minute I see them. Do not get tired of the same plot several over again and again? Is it not madness when we do the same thing over and over again and then expect a different result every time?
Too much complacency. "Pwede na Yan" ("Enough") is something I hear quite often. Do excellence question? Can we fight for something better, or better yet, the best? After all, people treat us the way we expect to be treated, so if pwede na "agrees with us, that's exactly what we'll ever get. di ba?
inferiority complex. While other breeds suffer the opposite (ie, superiority complex), Filipinos perceive and treat other races as superior, but their own inferior race. If we treat each other Filipinos as second class citizens, how can we expect from first class, the preferential treatment other?
We can not say NO. Why do I need to find a reason or excuse every time I drop something or reject? The word NO should be a complete sentence. Do not you think so?
I'm not trying to be negative, after all I am a Filipina and (super) proud of it. But what future awaits us if we continue to see ourselves as nothing more than doormats? Unless we show the change between us, among our leaders in our nation, so my dad is probably right to say: 'This country is going to the dogs. There are times that I want to give up hope, but having children gives me much optimism about the future of a generation much more confident and more competitive than ours. Although I continue to pray for change, I do not see coming any time soon ……………………. Or at least not in my lifetime. So pray, have faith, hope and keep your chin so that day, you can really be proud to say "yes Filipino Ako" and actually mean.
Ako ay Filipina! Ang mga Filipino Mabuhay!
About the Author
Chronicles of a Pinay Dreamer
Corazon Aquino in 500 Peso Bill and Other Philippine Bills
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100 PESO CIEN PESOS NOTE BILL MEXICO 19741979 1982 $2.80 |
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1914 5 PESO GOBIERNO PROVISIONAL DE MEXICO NOTE BILL $6.50 |
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1915 5 PESO PESOS ESTADO CHIHUAHUA NOTE BILL MEXICO $3.50 |
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50 PESO PESOS MEXICAN NOTE BILL JUAREZ 1981 $2.35 |
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1 PESO PESOS MEXICO NOTE BILL AMERICAN BANK NOTE 1965 $4.50 |
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