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I hate the inter-cultural ignorance that permeates our society. Few cultures condone racism. It wasn’t too long ago when Whitney Tyson was regularly made fun of in TV shows because she was part black. And still today the term negra is a term that can be used very liberally, in public, with little consequence. The sad part is that instead of quelling it, mainstream media is actually responsible for encouraging this type of mentality. When a Filipino sees a black man, either he’d stare at him, snicker or say a derogatory comment. And why wouldn't he when his favorite TV shows tell him that it's ok. Ironically, Filipinos are very sensitive when it comes to issues about their own race. When a biscuit was named after us, a lot of people were offended. And when Claire Danes made some negative comments about the Philippines, she didn’t only receive hate mail, our government actually banned her from ever entering the Philippines. That’s just embarrassing. Who the hell elected emotionally insecure kids to run our government?
I hate wowowee and eat bulaga. I hate their brand of humor. I hate the way the members of the audience bounce up and down and laugh like escaped mental patients as they sing their favorite novelty songs. My blood pressure shoots up whenever I hear novelty songs like “itaktak mo” and “boom tarat tarat”
I hate entertainers who dress up like drag queens and make fools of themselves for the sake of comedy, which isn’t even funny in the first place. It disgusts me. I don’t have much respect for people who have no sense of dignity and self-respect
I don’t get Jimmy Santos. Why is someone getting paid so much money for intentionally speaking carabao English. Is that supposed to be funny? Maybe so if it was unintentional. Majority of Filipinos talk like that naturally. They’re a lot funnier than Jimmy Santos but they don’t get paid a single centavo. Why is pun and slapstick always the main course in Filipino comedy? It’s not even witty pun. It’s just pure dumb “if-you-replace-a-word-with-a-random-word-that-sounds-the-same- it’s-funny” type of pun. I occasionally laugh at slapstick humor but not when it involves people who get slapped in the back of the head for nothing and make weird whining noises after. That’s just annoying and demeaning
I hate our religious zealotry. When faced with a challenge most Filipinos would reply with “If that’s what god wills, then let it be” or “Let’s leave it up to god”. Why take action at all if god will determine what’s going to happen anyway? If something good happens to them, it’s because of god’s good will. If something bad happens to them, it’s also because of god’s good will. It’s a win-win situation for god and a lose-lose situation for Filipinos. Why don’t we give credit to whom credit is actually due. Filipinos love shifting the credit and blame to higher authority. They blame or praise anyone but themselves. Instead of praising themselves for their accomplishments, they praise god and instead of blaming themselves for their failures, they blame the government. If you’re unemployed or underemployed, you could blame the government or you could also look in the mirror. There are a lot of job vacancies in the Philippines but employers tend to not want incompetent people in their workforce.
I hate it that the word “ambisyosa” or “ambisyoso” has a negative connotation here. Our society dictates us to conform and not to stand out. Our society stifles creativity in the name of practicality. Our society suppresses assertiveness and encourages submissiveness –Kids can’t argue with their parents and students can’t argue with their teachers. We’re raising generations upon generations of drones and servants when we should be raising thinkers and leaders. I actually think that our schools are making us more stupid.
I hate the lack of respect for human life. I hate the way people would make more children than they can feed in the hopes that those children would generate them some money in the future. It’s a reproductive strategy that is reptilian in its primitiveness. Higher animals like the great apes and dolphins produce just one offspring at a time and nurture it for years and years with care. Same is the case with more developed civilizations. We, on the other hand, produce armies upon armies of generic offspring and leave them to fend for themselves, the way insects and reptiles do. Why wouldn’t we? Our religion says contraception is evil. No one will question the word of god. I hate how religion has so much power over the state.
I hate the fact that so much of our lives revolves around idolatry. I hate the fact that Filipinos can’t tell the difference between what is real and reel. Why did people vote for Lito Lapid and Erap? Because they killed a lot of bad guys and saved a lot of good guys in their movies. Politicians bombard us with intellectually insulting, emotional arguments and shallow entertainment because truth of the matter is, most Filipinos are shallow people. And for shallow people, you don’t need to present intellectually gripping arguments or detailed blueprints. You just need to appeal to their emotions. There was one episode of Dong Puno live before where a woman from the audience was asked if endorsements from actors would influence her vote. With a wide smile on her face, she wholeheartedly said She’d vote for any candidate whom “Juday” endorses. While jumping and clapping like a crazed lunatic of course, the way eat bulaga and wowowee people do.
Am I bashing all Filipinos? No. Am I referring to a certain sector of society? Yes. The sector that makes up the bulk of our society, the same sector of society that politicians abuse for their own ends. The same sector of society that elected Erap into power, The sector of society whose votes can be easily bought with just a few pesos. The sector of society that has the most voting power. Am I referring to the poor? I will not use the word poor. I do not like classifying people by their financial status. But I don’t mind classifying people by their way of thinking and by their culture or lack thereof. I am referring to people who subscribe to “masa culture”. A culture that is rife with Crab mentality, dragging down anyone who wishes to rise up into their own pit of communal stagnation; a culture that is so practical that it lacks awareness and interest on matters that do not immediately concern their day-to-day living, A culture that puts so much emphasis on idolatry that independent thinking becomes muffled
Kids who are exposed to foreign literature, foreign media and foreign cultures usually grow up to have more open and creative minds. I believe one reason why our achievements, as a nation, pale considerably to those of our neighbors is that “our” culture is inherently flawed. Those of us who succeed here are either of a foreign culture (the Chinese) or those exposed to western ideals. Masa culture isn’t Filipino culture. Mainstream media makes it seem like it is. We shouldn’t be proud of it. We shouldn’t embrace it. Masa culture is a byproduct of ignorance. It’s also a purveyor of ignorance. A vicious beast that feeds on itself
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Update: My replies to the comments: Link
I call it the "jeepney mentality".
ReplyDeletei don't like 'jeepney mentality' because it insults the ingenuity and creativity of a jeepney. we can call it 'eat bulaga mentality'
DeleteWell, it seems that "It's Showtime mentality" is more appropriate since the studio audience there will do anything (act like a stupid clown) just for an indefinite reward
DeleteI want to agree with you because you make so many important points but toward the end of this entry, I felt a bit odd to read that you call this predicament the "masa culture." Just because the masa consumes it, doesn't make it theirs entirely and I've found that when you're actually with the "masa" the concerns are a lot simpler and less tainted with the meanings you assume their actions to have. Also, while I do agree that we have to be less insular, I don't believe we have a broken culture--or one that is a byproduct of ignorance? Perhaps a remark like that by someone who hasn't put in the time to really get to know our cultural heritage is more likely suited to being a byproduct of ignorance.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
Deletewhy are you saying "theirs"? "masa" means majority. it is not even specific for a certain type of social class but it represent the bulk of the population which coincidentally subscribes to a common trend or idea (and that idea, is, coincidentally, quite stupid).
DeleteWhile I agree with everything Jaywalker said, I think that there still is a silver lining to the flawed nature of the Filipino. The best quality of Filipinos is the ability to take from some calamity or disaster and somehow make it funny. You won't hear anything about a high school student carrying a gun to school and killing his classmates, teachers, and finally himself in the process. Well, that scenario is less common here than in the US at least. And the reason for that is that we don't take ourselves too seriously and we it's fine for us to make fun of ourselves (though let's face it. we hate it when somebody else makes fun of us :)) ---> pikon)
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI'd like you to suggest why it's possible to use the US as a comparison of the level of violence with comedic laughter. The US has one of the lowest violent crime rates (Any Violent Crime) per population capita. The reason we have more common school shooting crimes is it's very easy to get access to guns. Filipinos have a difficult time getting mass access to such weapons and ammunition as well as comprehensive training. A 50 year old woman could be a concealed small arms permit carrier and you wouldn't know it...(plus a marksman shooter). The US is the largest arms exporter in the world and producer of arms and munitions. Plus the 2nd Amendment Constitutional Right to Bear Arms by mostly anyone. 8-10 year olds are being brought out learning to shoot guns as well as respect their use and power. (Mostly the avid hunter families from the rural parts of the US). We have gun school violence mainly due to the lack of parenting/supervising and violent media/video game culture (MUCH LIKE THE MASA CULTURE ISSUE IN THE PHILIPPINES WITH PRODUCING CRAB MENTALITY AND DRONES). Oh and for the "Less Violent" idea you spun and twisted about the culture......The Ampatuan Maguindanao is the worst mass press massacre in history. Female reporters were gang raped...shot in their privates, genital mutilation and torture was present. And the worst school shootings, injuries and stabbing attacks are not from the US. They're from places like Norway and China. And the worst massacre in history is actually from over a hundred years ago. School bombing by a white collar recluse in a small town on the East Coast. 100+ died and in a fire. Even if we joked this stuff off....the public outcry would NOT ALLOW such heartless and inhumane crap to spread the airways. Besides in the Philippines about little kids getting their heads blown off in the US. It's funny to you Fifi. Don't try to label the Philippines as "Less Violent" and "Safer" and "Better Natured" and "More Kind" than the USA. That's a backwards argument. We don't put up concrete 1 ft thick walls 18 feet high with nails/spikes/glass and barbwire on the top as a fortress with armed guards at most houses. There is a reason why Filipinos dream of going to the US and becoming Americans. The safety and security is one. Yet you joke about it lightly as unsafe? Help me explain that. The original author is correct in what he says but a large majority like yourself don't want to accept this. And in the end you'll probably go on some attack of me that leads to nowhere and saying you're the greatest most blessed nature on earth and everyone is...less. Everyone has their shortcomings and faults...including you and the country you live in. Same goes for the USA but joking about children dying in mass shootings is completely sick.
DeleteI agree. I hope you make an entry showing the positive side of filipino culture. (there is a positive side right?)
ReplyDeleteOf course there is, but that's not the point of the article.
DeleteHello, he was asking for another ARTICLE (ENTRY) from the author regarding the positive side of being a FIlipino if he had something positive in his bucket.
DeleteNo reason because the Philippines is the greatest most blessed holy perfect place in the entire universe and everything else is far behind and less and smaller. There can be no fault or wrong done by Filipinos or the Philippines. Now the question is to agree or not to agree and if not to agree why are the reasons the Philippines and culture does have shortcomings? Or you're just leaving the glass full or empty or half? Time to make a decision....
Deletei do agree, though no disrespect, God must be spelled in capital G...
ReplyDeleteSay that to the hindus
DeleteIf you can name all 1000++ hindu gods that is :))
DeleteI have no problem with people who dress up as drag queens but I agree with most of the things that he just said.
Delete"I hate the inter-cultural ignorance that permeates our society."
This sentence sums up all my negative feels for the Filipino culture. There is also, of course a good side to being a Filipino, but he just pointed out most of the things that we should change in order to create a better cultural identity.
:) gods are different from God, if he is referring to man made gods then i stand corrected.
DeleteAll god(s) are man-made. Including the production of their bibles. Btw, I believe the author has the right to freedom of religion. He can consider it as a "god" or any way he wants it to be. If he's Christian then it's "God" but if he's another freethinker then he can use "god".
DeleteMaybe if you were christian or catholic. For an atheist, god or gods, doesn't matter. To impose that one must spell god with a capital letter upon someone whose religious background you are not familiar with is not cool.
DeleteReligion is like a penis.
It's ok to have one
It's ok to be proud of it
It's also ok not to have one.
It is not ok to whip it out in public.
It is not ok to shove it down other people's throats without their permission.
It is more than obvious that Vincent is not very open to going beyond the confines of his religion. So, respect to Vincent, and maybe he could respect the author and other thinkers, too.
DeleteThis "God" (with capital G as what you want us to spell) is no different from the other "gods" of other religions--fictitious, and too flawed to even pass the criteria of a Christian-envisioned god.
Deleteguys/gals meant no offense and also no intention to divert the topic, that's why i made the point with "no disrespect" at the start of my comment. Well honestly i missed the point that atheist exist so pardon me if i unintentionally overstep on it.
DeleteSo let's go back to the author's topic. :)
Who cares about your god? This is the exact stupidity about religiosity that the blogger here is talking about.
Delete"God" - proper noun
Delete"god(s)" - common noun
ex. Joe is a regular guy. Guy is a regular joe.
If the author was referring to THE God of the "masa" , majority of which are Catholic/Christian, 'G' should be capitalized, simply because it is a proper noun. Same if he were to write Vishnu, Allah, Jesus, Yahweh ... capital letters you see?
This blog is talking about the ideals the Filipino people have. Not about "how-to-spell-God(god)"
DeleteFilipino culture is positive in its very essence. What many critics see are the threads of persistence that Filipinos who, over the generations, have survived in a multiplicity of struggles. Filipinos laugh in the midst of disappointments and failures -- that's why shows like Wowowee (RIP) lasted for years and personalities like Joey De Leon, Vice Ganda, and Jimmy Santos are crowned with popularity. The "bakya" attitude of Filipinos is an adaptation to the challenges of times. Life is hard; however, Filipinos take it easy and lightly, and one step at a time. When you have the chance to be exposed to the lives of people even in the seemingly most modern parts of the world, this hatred will diminish. You will end up appreciating what we call truly Filipino.
ReplyDeleteSeriously.. NO. This type of mentality got us in this shithole in the first place. The one you say "Filipinos take it easy and lightly, and one step at a time." is exactly why we are falling as a society. You don't just take problems "lightly"... you take them seriously. This is why our culture is different from Japan, Germany or any other 1st world country. They don't laugh at their problems - they kill the source of problem with no mercy. I will never appreciate this type of mentality. Truly Filipino = Truly Stagnant.
DeleteThat's why suicide rates are higher in their countries, or in Japan at least. Not everyone has been endowed with hardy characters, characters that can take pressure. Filipinos, i believe, have learned to go around that, since pressure doesn't always produce diamonds. Sometimes it produces cracked stones.
Deleteand that my friend is called darwinism, Survival of the fittest. In those industrialized countries, they weed out "stagnant" people and what is left are the ones who have initiative in life. This so called "pressure" is a test of one's character and how one handles it and how one PROGRESSES from it is what separates us from other countries
DeleteBTW. 1st,2nd, 3rd world terminology no longer applies, the cold war is over
1st world = capitalist nations
2nd world = communist
3rd world = neither
look it up
" Wowowee (RIP) lasted for years and personalities like Joey De Leon, Vice Ganda, and Jimmy Santos are crowned with popularity"
Deleteyou just enumerated a list of the shallowest forms of entertainment ever invented
popularity does not equal quality the same way that something is right because more people say it is.
just like porn, there are fundamental questions you ask yourself if something is something and then when asked how you came up with those answers, you reply with "because (x)"
now, ask yourself, what qualities are present in (x)?
and that my friend is why wowowee, eat bulaga, jimmy santos, the sottos, the dancers, the bad sound-effect slapstick, and the vapid faces on a predominantly conservative catholic people jumping up and down to a cue board held up by a near-naked 16-year-old... is evidence that the collecive will of this country would rather be stupid
If you're going to argue that the end (resiliency) justifies the means (having this "easygoing" attitude) you have every right to do so. But if I were to apply that logic, cockroaches would then be a good thing, they seem to be just as resilient as us relatively speaking.
DeleteJust because we're excellent at "getting by" despite the hardships/failures, it doesn't make our culture anywhere near ideal (at least not in the positive light you're trying to portray it) - it just means we've become experts at failing.
I totally agree with the article, if we truly want to solve our problems - we first have to admit we HAVE THEM.
Agree. This is why I can't stand gay lingo and humor or anything that reflects "masa" culture. I hate it when someone says "chorva" or "kasi ganun" in a conversation. It's not cute. It just shows their inability to express themselves and refusing the challenge.
DeleteI won't enumerate all of my pet peeves. But I believe we can improve and it all starts with not tolerating the behaviors that impede our growth.
These Filipinos who laugh in the midst of their failures.. ARE BROKE AS HELL. they find these stupid variety show amusing because they are not capable of comprehending humor that requires a higher level of thinking. Yes, youre right, filipinos take everything light and easy but thats the thing. plus you dont have to compare filipinos to know that there is something wrong with this country
Delete....The other issue is Filipinos try to apply scientific and mathematical logic to solve some very simple concerns in life. Rather than "Kill It" and fix the problem at the source ASAP...some rather muddle and think and comprehend it to no end in sight like to appear smart and witty. Or by means to understand some esoteric, hidden, subliminal and subconscious of the mind and culture of the Filipino. You don't need to associate it with complex linguistics or predicate calculus. It just needs to be made aware and changed. There is no reason to SOLVE the complex suppose puzzle. Everyone in the world has already gone this path and made it. Filipinos just need to open their minds and observe what the rest of the world does...and just follow it. But the Neo-Colonial mindset precludes this and blocks a lot of social advancements as well as political, economic and more.
Delete@Daniel A
DeleteOf course their suicide rates are higher. Compared to Filipino population our suicide rates would be very very small. That can't be affected with the "humor" alone. It's also got something to do with birth and death rate. The entire country is a baby factory, its crazy.
Take it easy? Yep. We do, that's why we're broke.
@Kman248
Tsch, I'm broke as hell but you will never catch me dead watching those shows or laughing at my failures... *stress* I'm a Filipino too, but honestly I get embarrassed at how some (NOT ALL) they act.
We have this thing that's called Pinoy Pride, that gets plastered around everything, INCLUDING the things that we shouldn't be proud about. It's all very draining.
@ MARK
DeleteGay lingo is not "masa" culture, unless majority of the people here are gay, of course. I say chorva all the time. But I won't say it's cute. And I won't say it's because I'm not able to express myself and I refuse to take on whatever challenge it is you're talking about. You simply can't impose your own interpretation on something that's as subjective as a personal preference on which words to use.
I agree with this article like you. And I probably have more pet peeves than you do.
But seriously, is there anything, if there's any miniscule thing, that you have done that the rest of us can look up to, or at least anything that can make us feel ashamed of ourselves besides judging and getting irritated by people who say "chorva"?
It's not just the masa culture that impedes our growth; it's pure shallowness and a wrong perspective on superficialities like your comment too.
Strongly Agree. I do hope change comes quick, I'm sick of mainstream culture.
ReplyDeleteLove this article! You hit the nail on the head with the statement "Masa culture is a byproduct of ignorance. It’s also a purveyor of ignorance". We really need BETTER QUALITY and MORE AFFORDABLE education to pull ourselves out of this mess.
ReplyDeleteI was fascinated with foreign languages, history, and culture since I was a little girl.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was on Gr. 6, I told a lot of things about foreign culture, though my classmates and teachers reacted in a negative way, saying that I have no filipino pride in me. Lol, close minded indeed.
Anyway, a lot of Filipinos became very difficult to talk to because most of them became sarcastic because of a certain person who started the fad.
i'm all for nationalism.... but i think people are being fed the notion that "filipino pride" is xenophobia... because they're too lazy to be taught the details
DeleteI felt the same why growing up. A lot of my classmates then do not even have any idea about foreign shows and it is hard to find someone you can talk to about it and the reason behind that is that our teachers are teaching the students about this so-called Filipino pride. There is nothing wrong with taking pride in your culture but opening your mind to what is out there does great things to the mind of a young child. It's really great that my nephews and nieces now have become open to foreign ideas, which I believe has given them the opportunity to think out of he box.
DeleteWhat's unfortunate is another national's pride in his/her own motherland is different than Filipinos or extremely distant from most Asian cousins. Filipinos aren't exactly that competitive when it comes to International athletics. They also don't have a war mentality. Most nations that are 1st world have a history of military conflict and aggression as well as bossing outsiders around. The idea is to be Filipino purely and do everything Filipino way and keep your best and brightest cultural ideas in the Philippines only. Even money made abroad is sent back to the Philippines and hardly invested abroad in projects or efforts. It's not just those within their country....it's also with the one's abroad that take their hard earned cash and instead of trying to make it abroad and be competitive on the world stage...they just work for foreigners still....and send money back to the Philippines producing businesses that really don't produce anything or buying up condos in Manila that are mostly vacant. There are many flaws but the biggest is "WHAT IS NATIONAL PRIDE? and WHERE DO I WANT TO UPLIFT MY COUNTRY IN THE FUTURE AT?" But if you look at most Spanish Colonial efforts or French....they're pretty messed up. Same goes for American efforts to Colonize or trade or alliance with.
Delete(Part 1) For one....I do remember one article that was posted a few years back describing Filipinos and our culture - it says there and I strongly agree..."Filipinos doesn't have it's own identity" -- because we do what other nationalities do... just like the saying, "when in Rome, do what the Romans do" but here, "When other nationalities are here, we do what they do" --it's just funny coz we follow the not so nice things that they do.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing is... other Nationalities strive and always look for a solution -- while most of the people here -- all they ever do is "complain" and that's it. They've been complaining about the government and other people surrounding them but they themselves they don't even realize the things that they do... From what I know and believe -- Change always starts within yourself... and that is why this country's progress is very slow -- the fact that there are a lot of great Filipinos who are indeed talented - smart - creative... but all wasted coz they are out there working in another country.... I am not as talented or smart as those renowned Filipinos but I know I can make a difference - even if it's small - i know I can and I hope other people would realize that too.
As for the entertainment industry of this country... I agree with everything that you said and would like to add more on it... i don't know why for the last 20 or 30'so years they still do the same thing... They just don't realize that it is "a live broadcast" and with that specially nowadays it is also one way of boosting our Tourism Industry - Just take a look at Malaysia - Singapore - Korea -- well specially Korea -- just because of their KPop, everything changed. We used to be richer than Korea... but now, they are way more advanced than us in all aspects. We have a lot of great talents - beautiful faces on TV - we can use that as an advantage -- but instead they are sticking with their slapstick humor and green ideas... that is why I don't watch local channels anymore... and that is also why I don't recommend that to my foreign friends... whenever they see those girls on wowowee or even eat bulaga -- all they ever say is that Filipina TV personalities are cheap and no class at all... how humiliating is that?
I wanna be proud of my own country..my culture.. but how?
I know there are still good things about our culture and we just really have to use it more...
(Part 2) I've been asked several times by different foreigners with the same question: "Why is it that Filipinos are still happy even though they are poor?" -- what I always tell them is that, unlike other nationalities - when they come across stress or difficulties - some will commit suicide or they go and see their shrinks. Us (some) Filipinos are just happy and contented with what they have. Filipinos are patient hard workers. Some will strive for more but some will just stay and be happy to what they have. I know there two different things when you describe a Filipino being just contented -- it may both look positive but there is also a negative effect on that...
ReplyDeletethe negative effect is.."the bahala na syndrome" -- it's just like saying, "okay na yan, bahala na bukas" - where you can also see that as being lazy -
There are a lot of "ironic things" about our ways though at least I would be proud to say that yes we are "tougher than any other nationalities" but also weaker when it comes to moving forward, looking for a solution and embracing change.
I just hope that other people will stop with just going with the flow and start doing something... Coz I know no matter how hard I try..if it's just me -- change won't come right away...
A question to the rest:
Even if I give 150% if the others aren't doing anything - then do you think there will be progress?
Let's be unique. Let's stop imitating other people and start our own Filipino Identity.
Thanks Jaywalker for your thoughts... I hope this will be a wake up call for every Filipino out there.
It's quite a good read and mostly true but it is it's not inherently Filipino. I have been living out of the Philippines for the past 5 years plying my professional trade in ASEAN countries and mind you their(s) so called "masa" class usually thinks and operates the same way as ours, though their might be religious differences but the cultural mind set has the same likeness to ours and it came as a shock to me when I immersed myself to a different ASEAN culture which was to my surprised have almost the same traits and hang-ups like ours.
ReplyDeleteIn Indonesia where I stayed the longest a local channel has syndicated from TVJ's Eat Bulaga and its own version of "Eat Bulaga" that airs everyday and it has everything the Original Eat Bulaga version has but Indonesianized for their "masa" consumption and it's been on top of the ratings since its initial run last October 2012 and some of the local channels are planning to air something similar to it looking at other shows back home.
I have mixed feeling about it actually, I didn't really watch these shows back home. But for this show to be a hit in a different country shows my point exactly that the mentality or the so called "masa" culture as mentioned is not inherently limited to Filipinos ... it could be an Asian thing or at the least an ASEAN or Malay thing (I am referring to our race which is a mixture of Malay, Chinese and etc...)
I took up Filipino History last year, and what you said actually makes sense, your observations match the new ideas that they've come up with. Basically we Filipinos, Indonesians, Malaysians all come from this one group called Austronesians. This Austronesian culture kind of lies beneath the surface, and shows up in little things like those, no matter how Hispanized/Americanized we think we are.
DeleteThe *masa* or those who are not so well-off generally tend to be influenced by foreign influences only superficially, and display this Austronesian culture a lot more than the well-off people do. But then even well-off people who are more exposed and receptive to foreign influences to a certain degree are affected by this underlying Austronesian thing, and some even exploit it to gain popularity among the masses which ends up perpetuating it, especially the bad parts.
I agree with you. Most of the points pointed out here doesn't just describe the filipino and its culture directly. I'm a filipino who's been living in Indonesia for more than 10 years and i've noticed that their own TV shows have the same traits of humour as well, or the way they reply about the "religious zealotry", just Indonesianized. Not to mention there are also families here who have many children as well. Being a person exposed to different asian friends and culture here, I do agree that there is some sort of similar mentality and traits between us asians and generally those less exposed to western culture specifically.
Deletei agree! noontime shows provide cheap entertainment to the masses especially the audience who will do anything that poor ole Ryza Mae Dizon says. I do admire Vic Sotto when he said that "di ko kailangan tumakbo sa pulitiko pra makatulog" but then again why just give fish when you can teach the person to fish? Just last night i saw a documentary on how media spending of 50 mil for media mileage affects a senatorial candidate to win. I cringe to the fact that Binay's daughter is way up there. No experience in the private sector and public service and to add insult to injury, it was not her decision to run but the party's will. Another is when kids can't argue with parents - i at my age my family doesn't approve of my job just because the kapitbahay asks what i do
ReplyDeleteI love how you say "I will not use the word poor. I do not like classifying people by their financial status."
ReplyDeleteI know many people who are extremely wealthy, and yet subscribe to the masa culture. It is saddening
Filipino insanity.
ReplyDeleteThis is the aftermath of the pre mature declaration of our independence. You cant blame the masa people for subscribing this type of mentality because its the only thing they can interact with. Not everyone is gifted with good education and an.open.mind.
ReplyDeleteWe were once a country being enslaved and colonized by one country after another, and afterwhich they 'set us free', we were like a bunch of infants left in the woods to fend for our selves without the slightest idea how to do anything at all without command from.a.higher authority, let alone run an entire country. Then a guy comes in with an open mind and real plans, long term plans, plans that could have positively affected us today, and what did everyone do? Throw him out of power because we wanted to be 'free'
Sadly this is the price of.freedom, so enjoy it. Savor it.
The.big CHANGE all of us are screaming for is not that impossible. It doesnt just start with one person, not a president, not a religious leader, not an.internet.ninja.
It takes a war to restart an entire country, and involves us all. And from the looks of it now, thats where we are headed. I only wish youll be as strong as the words you put here when.that time comes.
Be the change you want to be.
ReplyDeleteReminder to everyone: http://pastebin.ca/2349200
ReplyDeleteThis is definitely true. Nowadays, students or even fresh graduates who have begun working are so passive that they do not know when they are taken advantage of their skills or not. They just take everything in thinking that because they were asked to do it, they just do it without thinking/questioning if its still legal. BPO Centers abuse this a lot.
ReplyDeleteOur politics is a circus, with freak shows here and there. Who ever "promises" to lift the lives of the masses better, then they're instant winners. Be it a new face (with a popular surname), a man who is old enough to be everyone's grandfather, a pretty face, I could go on. So long as they have enough "handouts" it's all good.
It's sad to know, that I grew up in this generation where able thinkers who speak for themselves are only a handful. Where the generation are prepared to just take orders and be rewarded like canines.
I'm quite happy you see the fresh graduate problem :)
DeleteRise beyond the bigotry/bias/misconceptions…
ReplyDeleteyour first sentence says it all. This is actually just an Elitist brain fart.i agree with you though, because I'm an elitist too.
ReplyDeleteEverything you mentioned is actually present in american culture as well. For example, take reality shows like the bachelor. Or Maury. Or Judge Judy. These are all considered tacky but the "masa" eats it up.
You want religious zealotry? The recent prop 8 issue is nothing but a church vs state argument. You want idolatry? Take TMZ and every professional sports league as an example. Or how about the governator?
My point is youre basically bitching that the "masa" is... unsophisticated. I agree. But don't tell me you're not being an elitist.
The level of 'masa' in the Philippines is entirely different of that in the US. Americans, are more of independent-minded unlike most Filipinos who subscribe to herd-mentality.
DeleteThis is what you call an "EYE OPENER".... OKAAAY? psh!
ReplyDeleteeh di ikaw na magaling
ReplyDeleteThis is the most stupid, idiotic, bullcrap comment I've read. This is another thing with backward-minded Filipinos I encounter everyday; the phrase "ikaw na magaling", "ikaw na", . Seriously?. What does it even have to mean anyway?!?. Why would you say that to someone who is trying to prove a point or who is trying to convey a message or an idea? Kung ide-defend mo ba ang Final Thesis mo na pinagpaguran mong matapos at daanin ka lang sa mga walang ka kuwenta kuwentang one-liner comments ng mga panelists mo, matutuwa ka ba?.
DeleteExactly
DeletePeople who can't engage the author in a more intelligent discussion and are simply butthurt will post such things like
IKAW NA!
IKAW NA MAGALING!
PETIBURGIS
MAMATAY KANG ELITISTA KA!
YADDI-YADDA
ETC, ETC
But if you try to digest what he said, it is actually true, or at least, most of his points are true.
what's the matter flip? Butthurt?
DeleteHe did not understand what the author said. That is why most foreign countries tease us Monkeys.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteTHIS IS A HATE COMMENT. *Sarcasm intended*
ReplyDeletethe reason for this culture is deep-rooted, stems from the Spanish conquest making us a country when 'our' place was a trading center with different cultures settling temporarily in separate settlements ... it is a long discussion and i am not prepared to write a dissertation here at the moment.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to know the truth, follow the money ;) Filipino media is keeping Filipinos ignorant coz they reap heaps of "Profit" from them.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I have a problem with here is the title. You hate what's bad about it, and I completely share the sentiment. But I believe there are still a lot of good things about Filipino culture that keep it from being spoiled as a whole.
ReplyDeletewe share the same sentiments..but i'd rather use "i'm sad" than "i hate"... i'm sad because a lot of Filipinos are influenced by the dumbness of whoever created these kind of mentality. it's contagious just like harlem shake and gangnam style moves. doing something without knowing what it actually means. many Filipinos now stopped seeking to level themselves up. they stopped building and progressing their character. illiteracy could be an excuse but seeking facts isn't. what's even sadder is that i could've helped out but i'm doing less.
ReplyDeleteDude baka deppress ka lang..Uminom ka ng gamot para makita mo positibo dito sa atin..
ReplyDeleteNo, i dont think he's depressed. All of the things he said was true.
DeleteHe isn't depressed. Open your eyes.
Deletejust because he wrote negative things about Pinoys, it does not mean he doesnt see good things about this nation. it's just that the articles inst about that.
DeleteThe mere fact that you would think that people who are open with their honesty would need anti-depressants shows how blind you really are. If you ask yourself what is "positive" thinking--- can it really guarantee you any long-term result? A person can always say: "I am a cheerful, positive person!" while gritting his or her teeth because deep inside, they are angry or depressed. Positive thinking will never be complete without decisive, goal-oriented actions.
DeleteTha is one problem, people do not want to see the negatives of our side. We bliss upon the positive and ignore the reality of the truth. We always want to hear the positive, we reject all that is negative because we know its true. As what the article stated above that I strongly agree, we bash out so much hate comments like kids when someone that is not filipino with leave a negative comment about our country or on what they see,which is so true by the way,and bombard ourselves with praises and positive things leaving again the negative things to be unattended. I still believe in change, and someday this will change.
DeleteDUDE tigilan mo kaka drugs para makita at MATANGGAP mo kng ano tunay na nangyayari sa atin.
DeleteI agree. But enough of the negatives. Good thing you didn't include showtime. As i like the show.coz it makes me laugh. Noontime shows are stress relievers.
ReplyDeletesabi nga nila nasa buto na at dumadaloy na sa dugo ng mga Filipino ang kulturang nakagisnan natin, i hope someday kahit kunti magkaroon ng pagbabago....and it is our responsibility, simulan natin yan sa ating mga anak habang mga bata pa sila :)
ReplyDeleteYou have good points.
ReplyDeleteWell said.. Without a radical change to this culture, I highly doubt we shall ever become a developed nation.
ReplyDeleteI'd say more disappointed than hate. Hate's a pretty strong word. But the thing is - these people are the way they are because the Filipinos have a weaker personality than that of the Western people. Thinking back, we were always the one conquered so - technically, we're a mishmash of all sorts of Western cultures of who knows what. Another is that - our weaker personality is the result of being conquered and beaten in the past by something they couldn't understand before. I understand your hate for the Filipino religious zealotry. To be honest, it irritates me too. Actually, that influence came from old history of the Spaniards when the Church still had corrupt officials running it. And it's because of the corrupt officials that there is a huge power distribution and hence a complete distortion in the perception of society. I'm not saying yours is but I hope people whoever read this do have the decency to understand and see your article not as a flamer but as a criticism of weakness of the Filipino personality.
ReplyDeletewatch out for this guy... he might commit suicide.... all I heard was hate this, hate that. A lot of people like to talk and rant about problems but don't offer and think of solutions.
ReplyDeleteIt can be frustrating, but don't forget blogs were designed to be an outlet for whatever (meaning he can write whatever he wants, however he wants). As for him offering and thinking of solutions, I think he wrote what he wrote just to get his thoughts or feelings across. He helps open everyone's eyes to issues we've long been ignoring. The solution lies in the hands of the Filipino citizens. He raised issues that we as a nation should be aware of and, something we can only solve united.
DeleteNot really an I opener for me because this type of article has been written maaaaaaaaaany times (yes, I exaggerated it), with the same comments like "I agree yadda yadda yadda". But what happened after those articles and those people who commented? Maybe next month another blogger will write about it, and people will comment...with the same comments that you usually read here. It never ends. You know. :)
DeleteThis is posted that we may open our eyes to what is really happening in our country. Yes, there are still positive things, but we don't have to focus entirely on that... if we don't see the negative happenings then we can't cure the cancer that's eating our culture up. So yep to the one who commented above me, no he's not depressed. He's just thinking rationally.
ReplyDeleteMy critique of this article and the comments that follow it: Don't blame culture. Blaming the Filipino culture is like stabbing the very root of who we are as a people and is also an act of crab mentality. Our culture is NOT inferior or faulty. Don't you think that blaming your own culture is also a form of zealotry? Please think about that very VERY carefully. My suggestion to the blogger and other readers: visit a probinsya and do a home stay with a rural family. Don't go as a tourist with a camera, phone, and money, but just go as a simple visitor. Baka by then, you'll REMEMBER what Filipino culture is all about after you experience the loving care of a simple rural family. Please know that I agree with all your critiques on society, for I share the same disappointments... but unlike you, I understand that the "masa-culture" you speak of is a coping mechanism from systemic oppressions such as exploitation and inequality that breed poverty. I can go more academic on this issue, but that is not necessary. My concluding thoughts: You should be ashamed that you hate Filipino culture as to drag it down and make it seem distasteful, because that is crab mentality at its FINEST :)
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more.
Deletecan I like this comment? This is the most sensible so far. :)
DeleteThank you for having an open mind! :)
DeleteThis is the best comment that I have read. You hate the culture, you hate the people.
Delete5 star for you pandesalninica :)
DeleteI too hate the bad side of Filipino culture. All that was written was true observation. I cannot agree more with the blogger.
DeleteOn the other hand, I watch sometimes the shows mentioned,just for the heck of it and to also have a knowledge why this shows are so "popular" but not to the point it influences mentality.
Loved this post. Found a new blog to follow :)
ReplyDeleteGreat article! I hope ma-public itong issue na to!
ReplyDeleteYour points are definitely not pointless! Two thumbs up, sir! Regardless, I still believe I am blessed to be a Filipino.
ReplyDeletewhere's the like button to this comment? :)
Deleteyou have a lot of points I agree with. Being Filipino has many wonderful things, but it is often clouded with the negative ones. I am not saying this because I am pessimistic, I am saying this because things are too obvious. We Filipinos are incredibly sensitive, and sensitivity is often a sign of insecurity. Maybe deep inside, we know that our country is not on par with the first world ones. When Venus Raj lost from Miss Universe, we made fun of the winner, Ms. Angola. When Jessica Sanchez lost in American Idol, we called them racist and poor in judging. Some Pinoys even demanded public apology from Jimmy Kimmel due to his Mockery of KFC Philippines' Cheese top Burger, which really is a stupid food to start with.
ReplyDeleteAnd yet, one small, insignificant achievement and we would be uproaring with pride and celebration. In every networking site, when something positive is seen, we just had to comment "That's from my country, the Philippines!" Other countries dont do that just as much. There was even a picture of rice fields in 9gag, and Filipinos were telling other nationalities who comment "That's in Philippines, you idiot." Turns out, they were actually wrong because we are not the only one who use rice terraces for irrigation. I wont call this patriotism, it's more like chauvinism.
And dont get started with our lack of originality. It seems every pinoy TV show has its plot stolen from a foreign one. I'm not talking about remakes. I meant really stolen ones. Like Captain Barbel (taken from Smallville) and that show with Marian (amazingly copied from Two Broke Girls).
we know and we see these issues every single day. But sad to say, apathy is the beast that kills us.
ReplyDeleteHi. While I agree with the article in general, I think we should also place the state of the culture some of the minority. The minority that would speak english because "ang jej mag tag", the ones who never register to vote because they don't want to spend time with "the poor" and the ones who know everything about business and nothing about their gov officials.
ReplyDeleteI get that the masa culture is the majority but the people steering the ship are supposed to be the educated minority but these days, they don't really care. How can we blame the masses for being like that when people who can lead the country are apathetic?
This reminded me of the "20 Things I Hate About the Philippines" video which was one of my all-time favorite short documentaries. Sadly, there were some Filipinos who found it offensive, and the makers had to take it down which was such a completely ridiculous waste of good and insightful presentation.
ReplyDeleteEto na naman tayo eh. Someone calls out on our (yes OUR) shit and people getting butthurt about it. How Filipino. Yes this topic is not new, the author's insights are hardly revolutionary and we all know that it's true - but these kinds of articles will be written over and over again until we start changing things
ReplyDeleteone comment; change the avatar/profile preview pic.
ReplyDeleteyou can put so many pictures instead of your own face. It would've went more viral if it was some other picture other than yourself.
no offense but you kindda look a bit douche-y in the picture and not many people would want to click on the article with that portrait on so...
after having said all that... good luck with future posts. (this one was good though)
This really isn't about Filipino culture, just a few of the worst aspects of Filipino culture.
ReplyDeleteIt is mostly about the low-class garbage on TV, of which ABS-CBN is the worst offender. They put the stupidest shows on TV to keep the masses stupid, and the majority of ABS-CBN employees are complete morons themselves.
If you were talking about Filipino culture as a whole, you would also have to mention that Filipinos are the friendliest, most welcoming people on the planet.
Certainly, this article was made not to troll or to show off. I agree with what you stated here, it nice that someone had to point out the harsh truth of our society, it is nice being challenged. We're better than this. Enough with the crap that is being fed to us by people who are influential. Lets be more of the change we want to be.
ReplyDeleteI think you mean to say "I Hate Filipino Social Mentality" rather than "I hate Filipino Culture." Those are two different things. You're referring more towards the social mentality of the Filipino people, as in oppose to the Filipino identity and its cultures (ie. food, dance, crafts, celebrations, holidays, etc.).
ReplyDeleteYou pretty much
(sorry my comment got cut off!)
DeleteYou pretty much hit all the points in the nail. Kudos to you!
Masa culture :) paging the TV media giants!
ReplyDeleteIn all honesty, I was sort of disagreeing mostly while reading the first parts of this post. But in the end, I got his idea. Nice way of tackling it from shallow to profound 'hates'.
After reading this,I have also picked up a thought. dati, i kinda feel awkward being labeled st 'elitista' but granted the premise that a large sector of our society belongs to this MASA cultured group - I take pride in saying ELITISTA AKO, and so are you my friend! you think beyond conventional. I just hope though, people could spare us from being labeled, then, of being colonial.
in the end, i take this as a call to reEvaluate the very 'culture' that we have. for i do believe, there is a genuine 'malakas at magandang' culture that makes us PINOYS a great race. all great nations have flaws, and so are we, as struggling race. let's not stop with the 'hates' and move - with real, concrete reshaping of the race that we are. let's stand again from the ashes of the race's former glory :)
Woah! This post reflects my thoughts accurately. I find that Filipinos are not culturally sensitive. They get butt-hurt when other nationalities make fun of their culture but I always hear them talking in the lunch room about the "bumbays", "puti", and "itim". They always talk about how "better" Filipinos are from other nationalities, but in the end no one is better. Just embrace the difference and strengths of each nationality. Being from Canada I am proud to live with other nationalities and cultures.
ReplyDelete'Shallow people who make up the bulk of our society' would find this offensive.
ReplyDeleteI think it's well written and true.
Para kay Jaywalker,
ReplyDeleteMarami kang naisambit na puntong sinasang-ayunan ko. Kahit ako, nanlulumo sa lalim ng problema natin: ang pagtingin natin sa sarili natin, ang kasalatan ng sistema ng edukasyon, ang kahung-hangan ng mga pulitiko, ang kakulangan natin sa pagiging bukas sa pagbabago, lalo na sa paghahari ng mga mapang-aping kaisipan na patuloy na pumapatay sa mga kababaihan, sa mga mahihirap, sa mga bata.
pero sana pwede tayong mag-diyalogo tungkol sa masa, at tungkol sa punto mo tungkol sa kapalaran nilang manatiling mangmang. Di naman siguro ito ang dapat kahantungan. Kung gusto talaga nating baguhin ang takbo ng lahat ng kingagalit nating mga sistema sa bayan natin, dapat siguro, kausapin natin ang mga taong di "nakakakita" or "nakarinig" ng mga boses ng tulad ng sa yo. Ipakita natin sa kanila -- tayong mga nakapag-aral at gaya ng sabi mo, "Those of us who ... are either of a foreign culture (the Chinese) or those exposed to western ideals," -- ang mga nakikita natin. (Siyanga pala, sa pag-aaral ko rito sa ibang bansa, masasabi kong hindi "ideal" ang Western Ideals).
Ang malaking hadlang kasi, sa palagay ko, ay ang mga tulad nating may ganitong mga sentimiento at kaalaman, ay di nakakapag-"communicate" sa kanila, di sila nakakabasa ng mga kaisipang ganito, walang daan para sa kanila na makaranas ng edukasyong tulad ng nakuha natin, atbp. Ito ang dapat nilang malaman, pero siguro kailangan nating pagsikapan ang pagiging tulay sa kanila. Tayo ang may kakayahan, may wika, may karanasan. Kailangan nila tayo. Kailangan nilang makaintindi. Kung pwede sanang masalin ang sinulat mo sa wika nila, malaki ang magagawa nito sa pag-uumpisa ng pakikipagtalakayan.
Sa inggles, we have to learn how to speak their language, if we want to get the message across. Dahil nga nabulag at nabingi na sila sa media, sa relihiyon, sa pulitika, di na rin sila magkandaugaga sa dami ng "dogma" sa paligid. Ang mga taong tulad mo ang dapat na kumakausap sa kanila, sa wika nila, at humuhugot sa karanasan nila, para "makakita" at "makarinig" ulit sila.
Maaring jologs, magulo, patse-patse ang mga bagay-bagay, ang buhay, pero diba't ganun din naman nabuo ang pagkakakilanlan natin sa sarili natin bilang Pinoy? Halo-halo? At imbes na maging lamat ito sa pagtingin natin sa kultura natin, bakit di natin subukang yakapin? Baka sa pagkakaiba pa natin matuklasan ang siyang mag-uugnay sa ating lahat.
May isang magsasaka na nakakita ng isang Itlog ng Agila. Nilagay niya ito sa kasama ng ibang itlog ng inahing Manok. Hindi katagalan, napisa ang mga itlog. Namuhay ang Agila kasama ng mga manok. Ginaya ng Agila ang lahat ng gawin ng mga manok. Dahil sa buong akala nya’y isa rin siyang manok. Higit sa lahat, pinag-aralan niyang lumipad nang mababa dahil sa pagkakaalam nya ay iyon ang dapat niyang gawin. Inakala niya na iyon lamang ang kaya niyang gawin.
DeleteIsang araw nakakita ang agila ng isang malaking ibon na napakataas ng lipad sa himpapawid. Namangha ang Agila sa angking ganda at sa kakayahan ng Ibon na kanyang nakita. “Sino yun?” tanong ng Agila sa mga kasama niyang manok. “Yun ay isang agila” sagot ng mga manok sa kanya. “Kaya ko kaya na lumipad ng ganun kataas?” muling tanong ng Agila. “Hindi!” ang malakas na sagot ng mga manok sa kanya.
At dahil sa pagaakalang hindi niya kayang lumipad ng mas mataas, patuloy na namuhay ang agila bilang isang manok.
Kung ating pagninilay-nilayan, maihahalintulad sa karanasan ng Agila ang kalagayan ng pagaaral ng diwang Pilipino. Ang kinamulatan nating pagkakilanlan at diwang pangkaalaman ay diwang hiram. Ang kinagawiang pamamaraan sa pag-aaral sa karanasang Pilipino ay nakaangkla sa teoryang banyaga o kanluranin.
Habang patuloy ang paghanga natin sa mga konsepto, pamamaraan at mga bagay-bagay na galing sa kanluran, patuloy din ang pagluwag ng ating yapos sa pansariling pagkakilanlan. Kaya naman hindi natin lubusang maranasan ang tunay na kaakuhan at kabuuan nating mga Filipino dahil tinuturing nating lalong mahalaga ang lahat ng bagay, konsepto, teorya at kaalaman na galing sa iba at banyaga. Ang mabilis, malaki, malakas, ngunit hindi akma. Ang masaklap pang nangyari ay ang paguugali na ituring ang ating katutubong kaalaman, kasama na ang ating wika, na tila mababa kumpara sa wika ng iba o sa anumang bagay na banyaga (Obusan, 1994).
Kung patuloy ang ganitong gawi, kagaya ng agila sa kwento na hindi nabigyan ng laya at kusang-loob na lumipad, mananatili tayong nakagapos sa maling pag-iisip. Bulag sa tunay na kakayanan, pagkakakilanlan at walang kalayaang mag-isip sa sarili. At kung mananatili ang pagsampalataya sa kaalamang banyaga, hindi tayo kailanman magiging taas-noo sa pagtangkilik sa ating sariling kaganapan. Kung ito ang sitwasyong, paano natin sasagutin ang tanong kung sino ang FILIPINO? At kung hindi kilala ang sarili, paano tayo uunlad?
Sir Hate mo din ba ang mga politicians ?? or ibang politicians.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't have put it quite that way. But you make a number of points about our culture (or lack thereof) which are, sadly, all too true. There is a difference between chavinistic, nativist, isolationist NATIONALISM and positive, sharing, empowering, culturally-informed PATRIOTISM. In terms of showbiz its a shame we have such beautiful young people that are forced to make fools of themselves to be "marketable". In politics, we need to stop electing boxers. Full stop (period). Margaret Thatcher said European politics is informed by its history, American by its ideas. What is ours informed by? And we need to teach people what makes babies. Pollution, traffic and general overcrowding in our metro areas have as their root cause overpopulation. Even the Pope said condoms are okay. Get with it! Now, fairness to several of the comments, trash culture is very much alive in the USA (Jersey Shore, Killer Karaoke, etc.) too, so we Filipinos needn't feel too bad ;-)
ReplyDelete9 out of ten Pinoys are dumb as hell. Just like those religious zealots in Pampanga, this is a country that that keeps crucifying itself with its stupid ideas on God, science, culture, economics, POLITICS and even arts! This is the only people in the world that the US rapes on a regular basis since the Fil-Am War, that when they migrate to that US of A (A for assholes, well mostly)they vote Republican! IDIOTS!
ReplyDeleteWhat a shitty generalization!
Deletegeneralization about whom?
DeleteThey're not dumb, just uneducated. These people live in poverty and they do not have anything to hang on to but religion. Not that I tolerate this. It's what's real.
DeleteThe ignorance is strong in this one.
DeleteAbout the article...
ReplyDeleteYes, we thank you for pointing out the obvious ever since. Filipinos know about this already. Everyone knows that. But here's the question: Now that you have pointed out the things that you hate, what are you gonna do then?
I think it's stupid to just point out the things that you hate in our culture but you are just sitting down there blogging and not doing anything about it. What's gonna happen after this blog? What contribution did you do to help improve the culture that you hate? If you are going to just sit down there and do nothing, well, I can say that you are also a part of the culture where crab mentality is very dominant and you are one of its best student.
You don't want to be an elitist but whether you like it or not, society is divided into two: the elites and the masses. Whichever country you go to, those two will ever be present.
stop blogging and do something better for the country!
DeleteVery well said!
ReplyDeleteSad but true.
ReplyDeleteTrue, but I had enough bullshit from our country that it makes me too tired to write or make a video about it. Btw, it's awesome that someone cares/pissed enough to write about it. One of the thing that PISSES ME OFF is that the "filipino comedy" where they usually use gay actors to make it more funny. It's one of the reason why it disgust me to see a gay person who acts flirty and wild...seriously, It's not like I have a problem on gay people. It's the gay people like Neil Patrick Harris, keanu reeves, zachary quinto whom I respect when it comes to be the proper gay.
ReplyDeleteIt should be easy for Keanu Reeves to be a "proper" gay as you call it since he is straight.
DeleteThis is a perfect Youtube material. Gawan mo ng video pre.
ReplyDeleteNegrang kasing itim ng naka tireblack na gulong.
ReplyDeleteMang gaya ng palabas ng ibang bansa at isalin sa tagalog.
Tatakpan ng yero at samut saring banners ang squatters area kapag may bibisita sa bansa.
Sisirain at aayusin(vice versa) ang kalsada.
Kikidnapin o papatayin ang mga naghahayag ng katotohanan.
Sasali sa pulitiko para lumago ang negosyo, sasabihin pa na para makatulong sa kapwa, pero baket kelangan ba nasa mundo ka ng pulitiko para makatulong ka sa kapwa mo?
Hindi natatalo ang pilipino, nadadaya lang...
Mandaya sa eleksyon dahil mababawi naman sa korapsyon ang pinuhunan dito.
Proud na pilipino dahil nanalo ang paborito mong boksingero.
Nabibilib tayo sa mga taong gumagawa ng tunay na kabutihan kahit na alam nating kaya din natin yon, hindi naman kelangan alam ng buong mundo o ng social media na nakatulong ka sa kapwa mo, atlis alam mo sa isip mo na bago ka man lang mamatay may naitulong ka sa kapwa mo.
However the blog tells factual evidences, the title is flawed. A great read and eye opener anyhow.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it is a good article but it is annoying the title is a bit misleading. I thought this was going to be about Filipino food and others aspects than mainly just the entertainment industry.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSame run of the mill cultural observations that has been said time and time again about Filipinos. But it's the truth, so I guess it's worth repeating. Cliches are cliches for a reason.
ReplyDeleteThe author offers no solutions though about these cliched observations, not even a new angle, just a bunch of 'shoulds' and not 'hows'. Anyway offering the hows is the hard work, and who wants to get dirty when it's easy to poke at the muck without swimming in it. But because you didn't swim at the grime, you appear to be elitist don't you?
Anyway, you (the author) seem smart enough, and maybe you could write a better article soon about the culture without such spirited energy. Or elitism, which you deny you are. Or Maybe offer a new angle about things. I've read this article before, only you didn't write it.
I hope I'll happen again upon that article with real insights, and not just an enumeration of things you hate and pinning it on ignorance (which is true, but unoriginal) when it gets written. Anyway, Good luck.
Someone should write during pre-election entitled 'Juan Tanga: The Curious, Depressing and Poor Choice Rationales of Filipino Voters.'
ReplyDeleteYea, it's a provocative statement but it is a continuing disease on which Filipinos haplessly accept mediocrity, and often deluded of choosing the right people to steer the country into equal prosperity.
Lack of education, and more that let more information and transparency flourish in the coming years. That I hope.
Culture is culture, if you do not like it do not partake in it. Every culture can be critically and negatively analyzed as such, and it doesn't mean it is the statistical majority of the culture nor does it necessarily mean that the statistical majority of the population partake in it. Take a look at politicians from any government and you will find some that are equally ridiculous in another country. I don't understand how you can have a go at their humor, many people don't understand British humor funny, many people find Japanese humor very weird, it is a cultural thing and its just a matter of personal taste. How can you blame and criticize people for growing up in a culture YOU don't personally like, that sounds just as shallow as you make the people you mention seem to be. I also don't see how you can criticize their religious beliefs as well, many of them turn to their god (lower case as I am not specifying who their god is) because they have little else in their life to make sense of their situations. Honestly if you dislike the culture so much, rather than complain to the internet about it, you should just accept it for what it is and move on from it, knowing that your blog article will do nothing more than cause arguments. Partake in life the way you want to, and do not worry about the lives of others, as you will have no influence over it anyway.
ReplyDeleteI just don't get it, if you got your own opinion why won't you keep it your self? why you need to post it or make a blog for it? fame? DUHH! to wake up sleeping people heads? PLEASE!!! Think brotha, I'm not saying your wrong but next time be responsible posting stuffs like this think if you going to offend someone, remember men you just hook some t.v show and some people names. next time just think twins in the end its for your own sake.
ReplyDeleteFreedom of speech, you know that?
DeleteFreedom of speech trumps freedom to be insulted. Why? bcoz the UN said so. PS, there's no such thing as freedom to be insulted.
DeleteWhining is a poor use of the freedom of speech.
DeleteHow ironic, sine sharing your opinion is exactly what you're doing right now. Why dont you keep it to yourself then? :p
DeleteYou, sir, is my hero.
ReplyDeleteYes. Yes I am.
DeleteThere is one more thing I like to add. The "pakikisama" mentality is very connected to the section where the words "ambisyosa" or "ambisyoso" are mentioned. People would like to make their own decisions or stand out, but with a society like this, people who think as such are ostracized for being "killjoys" or in the old saying; "walang pakikisama". People cannot think for themselves here, for they risk running afoul with the mob. They cannot assert themselves anymore, for they are reduced to timidity. What people don't realize that one was made to be self-thinking. Is that what were made as? To be intelligent beings witht he capacity to think for themselves without seeking mob approval. Parents here, from what I observed, will threaten their child with the loss of affection. A perfect example can be that of a science discussion that nullifies an age-old superstitious belief of the child's parents. When he tells them this and attempts to assert himself which will contradict the belief of the parents, they will threaten to disown the child just because it will make them look bad in the eyes of the child.. The child is reduced to submissiveness and he will carry this trait into adulthood, becoming a mere drone, being influenced or controlled by others. He loses the will to think for himself.
ReplyDeleteThat sector of society are called JOLOGS.
ReplyDeleteThey are the shallow types who think that saying "Nosebleed" to the simplest English is funny but actually shows how stupid they are. It's not funny and never was.
They are the sector that is being fed by noise pollution via stations like Yes FM or Win Radio and their ilk. The Elizalde's thought that bombarding the Jologs incessantly with "balahura" is what these Jologs needs. But then Jologs being Jologs lap it up because of their shallowness.
The Jologs are the reason Kris Aquino has commercial endorsements.
The Jologs invented the Jejemon language with their "elloe poh", "d2 na me", "wer n u?", "aq itoh" etc. thus bastardizing the Tagalog language.
They think that blasting their videoke's on high and annoying their neighbors makes them popular since Jologs are obsessed with the word "sikat".
They vote for those who are "sikat" even if these "sikat" candidates know nothing about governance or hardly have had education.
The Jologs HATE education and are most likely to be sensitive when told that they are Jologs.
The Jologs are the sector of Filipino society you speak of.
No you are not an elitist for hating the Jologs.
We hate the Jologs too since they are he reason why our society DOES NOT MOVE FORWARD.
Respect. Just respect. Kudos for just writing the TRUTH.
ReplyDeleteSome filipinos would probably read your post and have faux-nationalistic defense mechanism
To the dumb ass commenter who said "if you got your opinion why keep it to yourself" that's why its called an opinion dumb ass.. this is HIS blog.. he can write whatever he wants.
What the writer posted isnt offensive. Its the truth. Accept it.
Amazing. This was supposedly written back in 2007, and yet the comments are pretty recent. Perhaps these sentiments did deserve a second look.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree with you more. (thumbs up)
ReplyDeleteBy "Kids who are exposed to foreign literature, foreign media and foreign cultures usually grow up to have more open and creative minds." I hope you're not referring to that mainstream global culture fed to us by American TV/movies.
ReplyDelete"I believe one reason why our achievements, as a nation, pale considerably to those of our neighbors is that “our” culture is inherently flawed" is sounds like you're talking about the media superpowers like...well, you get my point.
I think you're a pretty cool guy who wrote a pretty cool article, your ideas aren't new but you said them in a way that gets it across to more people. A single well-written blog entry like this can stir people up a whole lot more than some Marxist intellectual's jargon-filled rant.
I just wish you could rethink the parts about other cultures being better than ours, that's kind of too simplistic for someone who seems smart enough to point these things out. One of my friends has been bashing you on his facebook page. I'm actually vouching for you, even though I don't agree with everything you said.
I seriously think that if this gets as popular as others (like Ms. Amalayer Jamie Sylvosa), you get to make some sort of impact on this culture, and just maybe contribute to changing those parts of it you hate.
I wanted to post a very comprehensive comment kaso tinatamad ako. I'm so Pinoy. Lol
ReplyDelete"Kids who are exposed to foreign literature, foreign media and foreign cultures usually grow up to have more open and creative minds."
ReplyDelete- LOL you actually just stipulated one of the flaws of our society: COLONIAL MENTALITY. Not everything foreign is better.
Yeah. I agree. There are a lot of Filipinos who adhere to tradition and culture albeit how wrong and/or unnecessary these traditions/cultures are. Their main reason? It has always been that way; thus, it should remain that way. Also, a lot of Filipinos have been "blinded" by religion. By that, I mean they do not fully understand what their religion is trying to tell them. And of course, there are the opinionated religious leaders who blind their followers the believing that their opinion is the truth and the will of God. How blasphemous. I salute you for writing this.
ReplyDeleteGod bless!
This argument reminds me of exactly what makes Filipino culture so suffocating. As a Filipino American I grew up in Filipino culture and am immersed enough in it to at least understand majority of Tagalog Filipino adults use to "censor" their language from the public and from less fluent Filipino children.
ReplyDeleteI also grew up in Catholic institutions all the way into High School, so I can very well say that there's a certain level of blind control the common Filipino tends to subscribe to when it comes to Filipino culture and religion.
Its why I think of myself as an American before a Filipino. Growing up and being exposed to all the ignorant moments of Filipino society, all I can say is I am embarrassed at those superficial and ignorant parts of Filipino society. Kids and People in general should question authority, not blindly follow it.
Suffice to say whenever I see those other Fil-Ams walking around talking Tagalog rather than English to each other in the mall, satisfied with their closed off Filipino group of friends, I can't say that I envy them. I'm proud to be a Fil-Am who isn't part of the status quo, to walk around with an open mind, not bound by some maniacal religious restrictions, or claustrophobic, ignorant ideaologies of that culture.
I do not want to believe that our society is flawed though. I think it's just distinct. Every society has its share of bad attributes but it's not too late to alter these anomalies. These are mere ideas and ideas can change overtime as long as we act on them and do something to change them. Now if we really want to get rid of these bad characterizations of our society, instead of just criticizing, why don't we contribute something in making it happen? I just find it funny how some people say "this is so true" "Omg real" when in fact they actually are one of the reasons for the propagation of these unpleasant attitudes of Pinoys. That's very hypocritical.
ReplyDeleteAll societies are flawed in some way. As are all cultures. Quite simply it is flawed as no society or culture can satisfy everyone's perception of what it should be. It would be a waste of time to try and influence it so it could fit your own perceptions of what it should be.
DeleteInstead of wasting time calling others who voice concern on this topic as hyprocites, you may want to realize that the first step to solving these sorts of problems is awareness.
DeleteIts easier said than done to act upon fixing a problem that is so widespread by the people who are in power. If the media and culture of the Philippines already bombards the masses with how it dictates culture should be, then it'd take a significantly greater effort to reverse the process, and grant the audience a completely new viewpoint.
Anyway,a blog post like this is very informative and gets its point across to anyone willing to listen to reason. I th ink for one its definitely a step in the right direction.
I was not calling anyone a hypocrite. Take a look at any other countries media and you'll see they do the same to its own cultures. That is how media is, and the problem lies in mankind as a whole, rather than one country.
DeleteOn your point of awareness, it is impossible not to be aware of it. It is a culture. Some people enjoy partaking in it, whilst others do not. You cannot force others to stop partaking, just like you can not force those who dislike the culture for what it is to partake (at least not in this sense).
DeleteMaraming Salamat sa post mo na to Sir, Naisalin mo sa salita yung mga sagot sa tanong ko Sir. Hopefully Sir, may Tagalog para din sa "MASA" na nais nating mapaliwanagan ng maayos.
ReplyDeleteI agree... pero sa brg ka mag paliwanag...
ReplyDeleteYour article was a good read. I share the same sentiments when it comes to the negative sides of being a Filipino. I have African-american friends in the US and I admit they have broadened my sense of racial sensitivity. I do hate that the church doesn't seem to follow the constitution - being the separation of the church & state. I don't like how priests manipulate parishioners into voting certain people labeling them as 'team buhay' or 'team patay' just because they voted for or against the RH bill - confusing the minds of the filipinos that RH bill is an abortion bill! Sigh.
ReplyDeleteDespite all that, since working in another country, I had the chance to do a comparison with cultures. Where I work, bosses are more satisfied with filipinos. It's because we persevere, we rarely complain and when we work, we WORK. And it's only watching from afar that I learned to appreciate our people - the funny things we come up with when something embarrassing happens, the humor of Nicole Hyala and Christopher (i listen to internet radio), I watch Bubble Gang online - i guess all cultures have their faults and good points but to hate a culture is too much.
I still love to go home. I believe we just need to get education to the lesser people and get that RH bill going.
I share some of the author's sentiments yet toward the end of the article I find it hard to comprehend the scope of his definition of "mass culture". Though trying to steer away from using the term "the poor" I think that is still what he's referring to. Yet, with the examples given it could still include people from different classes in our society. Moreover, the title referring to "the Filipino culture" has left me more confused. Anyways, putting aside technicality, I would agree with Data Tolentino-Canlas' post. This article has proven to be quite a good venue for intellectual discussion, but I sincerely hope we, as readers will be able to reach out and communicate with our fellow kababayans if we want change to happen.
ReplyDeleteSpread the love not the hate . Wala n kyo magagawa sa culture nten . Kung gusto nyo mabago bumili kyo ng hot tub time machine
ReplyDeleteCan I eat you now?
Deletena imbestigador na ung taho ko
DeleteI agree with most of your points Mr. Jaywalker and I've also read all the comments above me. It is quite saddening to say that almost all of your points on Filipino mediocrity is right and perhaps true. I am only 14 years old and it is but a shame that I have lived through the faults and flaws of Filipinos you have stated above. I was fetched with the idea that the Philippines truly is a country with great absurdity which I believe is needed to be eliminated fast. The fact that not one person in my class watch shows from abroad is absolutely discouraging. And yes it is impossible to express your opinions and your point of views with people whom answer you with such stupid one word statements. I find it really hard to connect and socialize with this kind of environment and not to brag but nowadays people and children like me are becoming hard to find. In an era like this where open mindedness and creativity becomes a choice and not something harnessed, we will all eventually end up doomed. And so, if only a handful of people like me will work their butts off to change that what will become of my generation? Our generation?
ReplyDeleteI guess you could say Jaywalker, doesn't find puns very.... pun. *ba-dum tshhhhhh*
ReplyDeleteFantastic post. Being a foreigner living in the Philippines for almost 3 years now, i have shared the same ideas as the author; it certainly isn't like this in England, that's for sure.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this article, but it doesn't speak of Filipino Culture, and is therefore misleading.
ReplyDeleteI love my culture, which encompasses the history and traditions of the Filipino people, but what I believe you "hate" is the ignorance, over-sensitivity, and stupidity caused by modern Philippine media, and yes, I loathe our media with a passion. It needs to grow up.
so pwede ko na rin sabihin na hindi ka masa! isa ka sa mga iilan ilan na kung tingnan ang mas nakararaming Pilipino ay parang lahat sa kanila ay mali, walang pag-asa at walang ginagawa para maging maayos ang pamumuhay? so ELITISTA ka?
ReplyDeleteGagamitin ko na rin ang terminolohiya mo na "MASA CULTURE" kahit wala namang ganon para lang maiparating ko sa iyo na AYAW at Galit din ako sa "KULTURANG ELITISTA".
sa totoo lang, Nakakalito na ang kultura ng masa ay hindi kultura ng FILIPINO? Tanong lang, ang kultura ba ay nabubuo dahil sa ito ang ginagawa iilan-ilan o dahil ito nakasanayan ng nakakarami?
Parang ang dating naman nito ay mas mababa ang culturang masa kaysa sa ibang kultura? kaninong kultura ang mas mataas? yung kulturang hindi atin? yung galing sa iba pero hindi naman akma? kung meron man mas nakakaangat na kultura paano nangyari yun? pakisagot nga please.
Bakit kase hindi natin tanggapin na ganito talaga tayo, eto tayong mga Pilipino. Imulat natin ang mata sa mas kaaya-ayang aspeto ng ating kultura at pagkakilanlan. Hindi naman puro negatibo ang kulturang pinoy di ba? bakit hindi tayo dito magsimula?
I agree with some of your points, and believe me when I say that you are not the first writer with such a material, nor the only person with the same concerns. I just wish we had less of people like you, using words, hateful words. Instead I'd like to see more doers! I invite you to join me in DOING things to help make our country a better, more productive, and more intelligent environment. Ang dali kasing magsalita at sumulat lalo na kung pintas lang naman. Pero ang makita ang kabutihan at kagandahan ng isang kultura sa likod ng mga di ka-aya-ayang baggy, mahirap yun...lalo na kung kinakailangan ng akson! Gayunpaman, saludo pa rin naman ako sa iyo sa iyong matapang na panunulat...at di man ako sang ayon sa lahat ng sinabi mo, ginagalang ko pa rin ang karapatan mong mailabas ang iyong saloobin. Hinihikayat kitang sumulat din ng obra na nagsasalaysay ng iyong positibong damdamin para sa ating kultura. Nang sa gayon hindi masayang ang iyong panahon sa pagbibigay ng isang tema lamang. Sa ganitong paraan, mas mabibigyan mo ng hustisya ang iyong panunulat, mas responsable at bukod sa lahat....mas kapupulutan ng aral. Maraming salamat po ginoo. Magandang araw sa inyo!
ReplyDeleteWhile I do agree that we must be doers and not just preachers, you can't judge the author as being just a complainer or that writing this article can't fall under "doing" - the fact that he, along with other people who wrote about these issues, got the people discussing is already an action in itself. Yes, it shouldn't stop there, now that our eyes have been opened and all these pretenses that we are trying to keep under the rug are out in the open - then we can act accordingly. I highly doubt that an action will begin in the first place if no one has actually recognized that we do have a problem - a disease, in fact, in our cultures.
DeleteIf you're looking for positive uplifting about the Filipino culture - you don't have to look far - watch the primetime shows on TV and you will see how the mass media is trying to inculcate in our brains that our culture of being the underdog and being resilient is the way to go. That's the main issue this article is to trying to go against - I'm sure you've seen that point. :)
Great blog post! I have something to add though, the exaggerated "Filipino pride" gets annoying sometimes. I remember when I was supporting Philip Philips in American Idol and someone told me that I was not being patriotic and that maybe I was ashamed of being Filipino. The whole thing has got nothing to do with being Filipino. Its just about genre preference and mine just not agree with theirs.
ReplyDeleteThe masa culture is more of a "telenovela mentality" to me. Where most of the local shows are about how the bad guys are the rich people and how the good guys are the lesser fortunate ones. Most of the time the rich ones are abusing the poor ones, while the latter does not even fight back or anything. In the hopes that God would save them from their misery.
Watching most any sitcom today (including US TV) will make your brain cells shrink. It's called TV and HOLLYWOOD for a reason. How could it be based on true pure reality and fact? It's not. It's fiction to draw in a reader much like novels are written. Same sense but Filipinos believe it to be real and part of the culture even now.
DeleteBad are from the poor to the rich from student to owner of a school to president to a small civil employee. Good goes in the same manner. Stereotyping society 100% doesn't work and this author made it very clear about that. But majorities and minorities do exist. That shouldn't be forgotten. Masa sadly is a majority. I think most of it has to do with a lost sense of a way of the country. A pride of what it means to be here and contribute to a country. I'm not sure the country has a definite direction or mission on where it wants to go or what it wants to accomplish in a bigger sense. With both the politics and the citizens. Besides to get power and get rich with no sight of what to do with the money or power when you got it. Or to finish college and go abroad with no idea what to do with the money other than send it back to relatives if how many that is... None of which really contribute to building a country for the better of the common good.
watch this video... if you think Gordon is arrogant and mayabang, i guess you're just one of the many onion skinned butthurt emo pinoys who doesn't want to accept the flaw of our culture and country... try watching all the parts of the interview... Gordon hit the topic right on....
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUmzJRFltkI
hiyang hiya naman si Dr. David Harwell sa inyo!
ReplyDeletehttps://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=585654964795682&set=a.498689616825551.131802.498686773492502&type=1&theater
Dude you are my new HERO!
ReplyDeleteI have the same thing in mind! awesome just pure awesome.
and guess what when stupid people read this, they will rage as proof of their ignorance.
Why can't we first understand the people and the causes of these before we start hating? And why hate? There's no perfect society after all and if you really want to have some change happening in front of your eyes, go outside start educating people. Serve your community, educate those "masa", understand history, understand the problems, volunteer. It's even more difficult to create change if our basic premise is hate.
ReplyDeleteI am just saying that these kinds of rants are really what makes us educated citizens, snobs to other people with less capacity to learn better things.
"To hate is to show you still care, who needs that, focus on what's really important." -Henry Rollins
Not related to your article whatsoever. please make your font larger for a better read. Thanks
ReplyDeleteSo much truth. Kudos.
ReplyDeleteAnd here I thought I was the only Filipino who dared question why the hell the mainstream Filipino culture had something weird going on.
ReplyDeleteI question why a man and a woman would make more babies more than they are capable of supporting.
I question why a whore would want to continue doing her line of job and reason out it's the only job she knows when clearly she can be so much more.
I question how it's possible that prominent TV figures make their way into politics.
Though I don't care about religion (so as long as an individual uses it as a vessel for personal enlightenment to the betterment of our society), I abhor the fact that this becomes a reason for self sabotage when a person strongly relies on it instead of just doing something that will actually solve that someone's predicament. - I am agnostic by the way
I hate "social stature" mentality. <- and this may not be part of the "masa class" but I observe it happening more on the "not-so-well-off" people.
I question why lots and lots of people still take nursing for college?
I loathe the parents of children begging in the streets or working their feeble bodies.
I have lots more pondering on my mind regarding this. But it should be another blog post instead if I listed them all...
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THESE WORDS RIGHT OUT OF MY MOUTH. glad to know that there are others who think the same towards this god forsaken country. Ive always been called a matapobre but its more of me speaking my mind with whats really wrong with this country, the naive, exploitable "masa/madla" sector.
ReplyDeletesadly, eliminating them is not gonna happen. kailangan sila ng pulitiko para mabuhay kaya wag na kayong magpaka santo at sasabihin na "its starts with bla bla bullshit!" it starts and ends in politics!
agree.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, but can I add to what you already said?
ReplyDeleteI hate the way that Filipinos always say "Pinoy yan!" or "Kaya ng pinoy!" or some other iteration when referring to anyone who succeeds in the world stage and who happens to have even 1 drop of Filipino blood. I don't get why Filipinos always have to reassure ourselves that we can make it in the world stage and yet, they don't even do anything proactive to actually succeed and stand out. Worse, some Filipinos think that the success of Manny Pacquiao, or Lea Salonga, or Arnel Pineda, or whoever is also their own achievement simply because they are also Filipino. They don't realize that it is their personal victory, their personal struggle. It is said that we shouldn't rest on our laurels. What's worse is when you rest on the laurels of others. That's what Filipinos do.
I hate how our hospitality and humility towards foreigners is treated as a virtue when, in fact, it is almost a servile mentality which Filipinos have towards caucasians who visit the Philippines. Whenever there are foreigners (caucasians particularly), Filipinos ogle and go crazy over providing them with whatever they need. Do we treat other foreigners (Arabs, Africans, other Asians) in the same way? No. Do we treat our fellow Filipinos the same way? No. We treat each other even worse. Why then are Filipinos so servile minded towards caucasians?
Greetings!
ReplyDeleteI understand that the masa culture is meshed within Filipino society, will you be writing one about our collective good?
Since after all it is agreed that the masa culture is permeated within society, what this other part, the other end of the equation,that contains all of its good qualities, deserves name and recognition.
Sad but true.
ReplyDeleteI agree with all your points - except the title. Perhaps a better title would be "I hate mababaw culture'.
ReplyDeleteTo say I hate "Filipino" culture or "mababaw" culture is a sweeping generalization which suggests that everything Pinoy or from the masses is negative. Let's give credit where it is due, and attack the real problem.
One of the most underreported issues is the child custody concerns in the Philippines. This is part of the cultural issues along with the divorce and reproductive rights. Eliminate the custodial mindset with children. The current attracts a lot of foreign males with you know what here.....and they leave because of the lack of custodial obligations, enforcement and pressure on the Filipinas to raise a kid solely on her own and as a inherent mission and right of birth to all women. It also tends to permeate the culture within Filipinos too. Hordes of kids are born fatherless and raised by one parent struggling to make ends meet or with several passing through father figures. This will catch up and distort the social dilemmas in the Philippines even more with the MASA mentality. You'll have a lot of male Filipino Adults around without fathers or any idea of that role in society. It plays a huge part economically. I think this is one overlooked topic. It limits the education capacity of the kids as well as pulls most women out of the workforce or out of future education as well as other opportunities. The RH might have eased it a small amount but the cultural laws still play in tune.
ReplyDeletehey mr.author!i hate ur face,i wish u more pimples to come
ReplyDeletehahahahahahahahaha
You're one of the people he probably is referring to.
Deletei dont care!everyone have their own opinion!
DeleteYou don't even have an opinion about the author's article. An opinion in Journalism invokes a critical literal response (written or verbal) about the said topics. You just yap incoherent dribble about pimples. What do you do daily? Sit around popping your own in front of a mirror? It's all you talk about and seem to love.
DeleteYour Opinion may I state?
"I LOVE PIMPLES". How intelligent.
If I may add, I think not only those people who have black skin are the victims of the society. Ok, it's fine to praise their skins. But the cons of being so-called 'tisay' or those who have fair and white skin have become a sex symbol. What I mean to say is, if a girl is a 'tisay' many people would say "bagay maging artista" or "bagay magpa seksi". You can also see such magazines and billboard ads na may sexing maputing babae. And worse, there are porn sites (I will not mention na lang the name of Pinoy porn site na to), promote ladies with fair skin are good in bed. So those who are ordinary employees or ordinary 'tisay', wherever they go, some 'tambays' and other guys will give them such look na parang hinuhubaran sila ng tingin. This very true if you will go to such provinces. I'm not sure, but I think the mainstream media is the one who influences the minds of each pinoy. My opinion, di rin kadali ang kalagayan ng mga 'tisay' or mapuputing pinay.
ReplyDeleteJust sharing my thought.
Ironic how some think Rihanna, Beyonce, etc are beautiful (being black as black...and a Filipino with that skin is purely ugly and already preborn literally as a failure and less achieving in society. It's sorta the ridiculous racism that inundates the southern states in the US and even poisons itself with their own counter racism against other minorities. I'm kinda shocked how much whitening product is in the Philippines in this dream to be white. Usually cultures tend to try to have "CLEAR" Complexion on their skin tone. Not a color.
Deletesorry,but wen i look again to ur picture,it seems no more space for other pimple
ReplyDeletehahahahahahahahaha!
Learn to write grammatically correct sentences in their proper context or is this 4th Grade all over again for you? Laughing to yourself also?
DeleteGreat article. I usually have the TLDR attitude when going through blogs, but this one caught my attention right off the bat. You need to fix the font size, it changes midway through the article, kinda hard to read. :)
ReplyDeleteI just noticed that this blog post is dated 2007.. Is this for real? It's been 6 years since and this article still sounds current!..
ReplyDeleteOMG, we truly are hopeless.
Remember, it's the institutions and the people who produce Eat Bulaga - who leave people pining after "Bread and Circuses" and illusions - who have vested interests in maintaining the status quo and keeping the masses ignorant and mendicant.
ReplyDeleteFilipino culture is by no means stupid. A culture of depravity thrives off a system that is itself depraved.
There are no immature and stupid Filipino voters - only immature and stupid candidates shoved down our throats by socio-political institutions skewed toward the needs of the rich and powerful. Whoever we vote into power are people determined by that system through its urge to maintain the status quo, and by the fact that we do not live in any semblance of a genuine democracy.
Case in point: Erap vs. Lim. Lesser of two evils? It's so easy for these buffoons and their ilk to manipulate votes, bribe or threaten voters, hack PCOS machines, assassinate political opponents... and call it democracy.
So does your "regular tambay" have any power over that? Do the''lazy, ignorant poor bastards'' we so condemn really have the power to determine their own lives through the ballot box?Should we expect a starving mother of four to carry out her “civic duty” to vote responsibly if she were offered 500 bucks to sell off her ballot if that would save the life of her child?
Why not condemn the briber, and not the bribed?
Ever wonder why the people we elect to power always wind up disappointing us? Kung bakit kahit sino pang pangulo ang ipalit natin tila walang nangyayaring pagbabago?
Culture is rooted in economic conditions: poverty and inequality bring out the worst in us all. It's easy to condemn the "masa" (and what are the "masa", anyway?) when we have not seen the world from their eyes. I have yet to meet a farmer or a slum-dweller who fits the author's description of the "poor". Most of them actually have 2-3 children, max - perfectly sustainable - only they're cramped in slums, because they have nowhere else to live. And there are no jobs for people with no higher education. In fact, there are no jobs even for people with a college degree.
ReplyDeleteThe elite in America and in Europe condemn their "poor" - the underclass, the working class - for exactly the same reasons. Which is why they've managed to dehumanize people, which makes it so easy for them to treat people like trash by virtue of the fact that they can't afford their own cars... or study at De La Salle. What follows is the systematic violation of the basic human rights of those least able to cope with an oppressive economic system. And so we have mass demolitions of the homes of hundreds of families - Filipino citizens on Filipino land - the destruction of the welfare system, the privatization of social services, the loss of jobs and livelihoods DESPITE the fact that people work their asses off for people who pay them cheap change for their labour.
In the name of "progress" and national development, we have destroyed the lives and homes of the poor. But cleaning up the roads and calling it progress does not get rid of poverty. It only sweeps the carcasses of children who die everyday because they have nothing to eat under the rug - in a world that produces more than enough food for everybody.
You have seen this for yourself. There is no "culture" of poverty. There is no such thing*. What exists is a system that perpetuates poverty, that denies the fullness of life to people who cannot afford it, that insists on glorifying profit and abstract economics above the needs of ordinary human beings. i.e. If you are not a millionaire, you cease to be human, and you are deemed dispensable.
http://cynicmeetshope.wordpress.com/2012/08/06/the-myth-of-the-culture-of-poverty/
I agree on the things that you hate. I hate them too. and you are absolutely correct that they are wrong. also... to add. I hate ASAP SOP Party pilipinas BS local talents who cant sing sing and dance on international artist's songs. my blood boils too from embarrassment of what others or the world sees what we Filipinos like to do and see, and local folks love this bs.. hai... I so hate them. I wanna puke and die of disgust when the tv pass by these shows. and they call songs... mtv? music videos = mtv? what about channel V dumb ass tv program people!?
ReplyDeleteI agree to your ideas however, I believe, for its message to be totally absorbed, it has to be written in the language for popular and closer to the masa culture: Tagalog or Filipino.After all, your message is not only for the netizens to read and ponder o. It goes out directly to the people you hate.
ReplyDeleteOk! Kilos na tayo!
ReplyDelete