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The desperately unpopular view of our country from an urban curmudgeon
Another year is going by, and as I do each day I am privileged to draw breath, I thank God once again for His funky sense of humor and His attention to detail. Everyday, I find myself thinking: Thank God, I’m a Filipino!
Thank God, I’m a Filipino! Heir to the genius of Rizal, the words of Recto, the spirit of Bonifacio, the diplomacy of Sultan Kudarat, the eloquence of Tañada, the bravery of Sakay and Tandang Sora, the style of Moreno and Natori, the voice of Andion Fernandez, the art of Amorsolo and Manansala, the science of Zara and Velasquez, and the exquisite bounty of nature that we never seem to have logged or polluted to shreds.
Thank God, I’m a Filipino! Vibrantly alive in this vortex of the surreal, where penitents shed blood, decorations are made from rice and nacre, pride in one’s children is broadcast from the trunks of taxi cabs and the mudguards of jeepneys, where people offer you food as a reflex and bow low if they have to pass between two people (or between you and the TV).
Thank
God, I’m a Filipino! With a diverse culture that is as colorful and as
full of flavor as the halo-halo. Here you can get music from Europe and
America, anime from Japan, telenovellas from Korea and Mexico, and
pirated versions of everything. Here we have a thriving population: 40%
of them singers and dancers, 20% of them vocal impersonators and
back-up dancers, which still leaves 16.8 million Pinoys who are better
off as audience members!
Thank God, I’m a
Filipino! With over-protective, incredibly conservative, “wat kind of a
girl comes home at dis time op da nite”, wonderfully flawed and
uniquely great parents; with a never-ending stream of relatives; with
“Manang” and “Kuya”, with“po” and “opo”; with cantankerous and loving
grandparents who would not think twice about conking me on the head
with their baston if they thought I was misbehaving; with an extended
family by joy and tears if not by blood: our staff, our friends, our
colleagues.
Thank
God, I’m a Filipino! For every bad habit you can name, the other side
of the coin is a good one. The only difference is the edge of the coin,
which I call discernment and balance. Pinoys love their families and
like to get good deals for their friends, which sometimes leads to
nepotism and corruption, but is also responsible for filial piety and
expansive business networks. Pinoys are ingenious and resourceful,
which sometimes leads to intricate schemes and plots, but also leads to
creativity and innovation. Pinoys are ambitious, which sometimes leads
to crab mentality, but can also fuel our successes. Pinoys take
everything personally and are loyal to individuals – not concepts,
which leads to a lack of civic duty and nationalism. But if we extended
our definition of the family or clan to include the entire nation, we
would rule the world. Call me whatever you like and laugh at me for my optimism; but I assert that Filipinos are a wonderful, if ill-disciplined, people.
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