What do you mean “Only in the Philippines”?
Sharing and reposting an article written by Trixie Cruz-Angeles that was quoted in Cathy Babao’s column in the Sunday Inquirer and John Nery’s column in today’s Inquirer. ~Reynz
By: Trixie Cruz-Angeles
When the smoke cleared and the bodies were counted, as Mendoza’s story slowly is spread to a visibly shaken nation, I am shattered by the vicious remarks brought to my doorstep courtesy of Facebook. I see words like “Only in the Philippines” and “nakakahiya tayo.” Here are my countrymen, talking about themselves as though everything that had been done wrong at the Quirino Grandstand was a national trait, as though stupidity were possible only here and the only ones capable of it are Filipinos. And then, I remember with sadness that it is also my own countrymen, who, when seeing a beautiful place in the Republic say with awe, “Ang ganda dito, parang wala tayo sa Pilipinas!”
Of course P/Insp R. Mendoza comitted a criminal act. Of course the police officers and media persons and networks could have handled matters in a more sensitive and timely manner. But it also especially hurts when these mistakes are ascribed as national traits. Only in the Philippines daw. And only Filipinos could screw up this badly.
The vultures can’t resist jeering and insulting. Stupid media. Stupid cops. Stupid Mendoza. Stupid by-standers. The Filipino nation is stupid.
Excuse me?
Our ancestors believed in the concept of an afterlife when many other peoples of the world were still figuring out how to make stone tools. Our forebears crossed the Pacific years before the Vikings crossed the Atlantic. They cultivated rice when many others were still living in caves. They had the first revolution in Asia that united no less than three disparate linguistic groups through a leader named Diego Silang whose wife became his successor. This nation produced women leaders and warriors when much of Europe still considered the female gender as mere chattel. My country abolished slavery two hundred years ahead of the so called New World. My country, whose history and treasures remain mysteries to its own children, cannot and should not be defined by the mistakes of yesterday’s events
And we will not be defined by this tragedy. But we must learn from it. And the first lesson should and ought to be not to add any more hurt to a nation prostate with grief. So much blood ignites so much passion. But we can either flagellate ourselves until there is nothing left of our self esteem. Or we can turn this into an impetus for change. Real change.
So, I will mourn today. I will grieve for all the victims, yes Mendoza included. I will mourn for all the ignorance that makes an embarassing display of itself in times of crisis. I will mourn for the good men and women of the PNP who feel the brunt of the national outrage, but who will go to work tomorrow and still go after the bad guys, still keep us safe. I will mourn for media persons who must live with the effects of their live broadcasts.
But after that, I will choose hope and faith in my countrymen.
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reynz is one Uragon and a Filipino-American, has many years of public accounting & auditing, broadcast investments, housing tax credits and equity investments as his background. Based in the US, he maintains his personal and humor blog at reyna elena dot com. A graduate of Aquinas U, he went to GWU and Temple U in the United States.
Non-celebrity daw si Trixie sabi ni John Nery.
Well, depends on his definition of celebrity but I’m sure Trixie’s pieces in her FB pages alone are read by more people than his boring pieces.
Did you notice, he hit Raissa Robles? He probably got wind of Raissa’s comment defending Ellen Tordersillas (sometime in July I think…)
Is John Nery a reporter or an opinion writer?
but we’re turning out to be a very violent society. kidnappings unsolved, beheadings in basilan/sulo unsolved, bombings, maguindanao, even highway tragedies going on and on. this happens in other parts of the world, but the world expects Filipinos to be better, apparently not.
Aminin na kasi naten, hopeless na ang Pinas. We shouldn’t be expecting for a change. Not in the next 100 years…
Ely, not all are as fatalistic as you.. a good change can happen in the next 6 years, 10 years, 15 years.. ano na lang ba iisipin dapat? after 6 years, 10 years, 15 years? that we shouldn’t expect for a change in the next 100 years again?
Change WON’T come if PINOYs keep doing the same thing everyday running in circles hoping at some point something will give.
The facts mentioned above are indeed a good thing only to remember. That was before…
Compare the facts of the present to the past. Compare what are the real environment our ancestors had and the “new generation” got. Look into ourselves what time we want to exist if we have a chance to choose. What life time is better…..
mas malala sa France, kung lait ng kapwa french ang paguusapan.
Nong ma out sa world cup 2010 ang french team, the french people were screaming, the FRENCH FOOTBALL TEAM MUST BE BROUGHT TO GUILLOTINE!
ang tawa ko, kasi nga sobrang kahihiyan ang dinala sa bansa, when they should be one of the best in the world.
I think people say what they want to say, without thinking if it is valid or not, basta may masabi lang.
Only in the philipines can be positive depends on the issue they are talking about.
So far, reality bites. The Philippines is not secured to tour after the hostage drama.
But time heal all wounds, mawawala din yang issue na yan at mapalitan ng bagong paguusapan.
Reynz,
You forgot to mention that while the uncivilized people Europe were fighting over sexual partners, Filipinos had already invented the Hand-Job. As the Greeks were perfecting the Phalanx, Filipinos had long mastered the Yoyo. Long before Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, Filipinos had long established the pakikisama concept. Sure, Wall Street invented financial derivatives. But thousands of years ago, a Filipino had already conceptualized the strategy of screwing his debtors.
Dakila ka kuya. Mabuhay!
Mabuti na lang at ang presidente ng Pilipinas ay si Noynoy Aquino.
Anim na taon pa, marami pa naman sigurong sorpresang ma-aasahan ang Pilipinas from Noynoy. After all, he only wants to do honor to his parents and his kamag-anaks.
Another issue :
http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100903com2.html
Tribune extremely unhappy that Malacanang has threatened a reporter with LIBEL.
The problem is we expect something from someone who has not proven anything in his 12 years in the legislative branch. Not even averaging 1 bill for each year in his term and what’s more disappointing not at least one law was passed.
Yet we expect things from this Aquino.
I was very optimistic with Noynoy and as proof, I even attended his multi-sectoral forum at St. Agnes Academy in Legazpi City October last year but from then on I lost enthusiasm.
If you were there, you can see how clueless he was about the problems of the society. I observed that his answers were unrelated to the questions, some were totally off-topic. Asked how to solve the problems, all his answers were “Pag-aaralan natin yan”.
Is twelve years still not enough to know the pressing issues of the society? At age 50, you still do not know what’s happening to your country?
Yet, he had majority of votes coming from Bicol. Now, that’s proof – “only in the Philippines”.
Expecting something out of nothing – only in the Philippines.
As Filipinos, we must do our part to improve our image and once again be able to compete in the global race. We may be categorized as a third-world nation, but our heritage shows we can be otherwise. Don’t depend on some president whose voters only recognize his last name because of his parents. Start with yourself.