Jessica Sanchez, one of the latest symbols of Pinoy Pride, came to the Philippines for the American Idol finalists’ concert last Friday, September 21. Now if you all remember who Charice (Pempengco) is, her manager Courtney Blooding came out with a rather innocent and innocuous tweet where she asked “why do the Philippines claim Jessica Sanchez?” Philippine media and Filipinos, predictable as ever, picked up on it, and even sparked a discussion and hashtag on Twitter #PINOYpride. Some Pinoys even tweeted replies to her rather strongly.
Why don’t we try answering Ms. Blooding’s question calmly and logically, for a change?
Let us get straight to the point: Filipinos claim Jessica Sanchez (as one of their own) because they know how to do little else. Filipino pride (or diminutively, Pinoy pride) is a hollow knee-jerk reaction of Filipinos whenever someone with a semblance of Filipino blood makes it big outside the Philippines. And it is this Pinoy pride that makes them react the same way, each and every time.
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Let me explain this further by elaborating three (3) characteristics of Pinoy pride:
Filipinos are saddled with a massive inferiority complex
The biggest tell-tale sign of Pinoy pride is that Filipinos need validation from foreigners that they exhibit/possess good qualities. This to me is a sign of a massive inferiority complex. You’ve got to admit though that perhaps almost 400 years of being under foreign influence has had adverse effects on the self-esteem of a nation. The thing is, look at the Japanese. Why did they rebound very quickly after being devastated during the Second World War? How were the Germans able to rebound after being bombed to smithereens? There has to be something else that’s keeping the Filipino from progressing.
Oh yes, Filipinos are not loyal to a higher collective ideal that is a “nation”. They are loyal at best to their clans, at worst, to themselves. There is no collective “Filipino” to speak of, only several indigenous ethnic groups living among and despite each other. If Filipinos refuse to come together how can you expect them to appreciate for themselves what gold lies in them/in front of them?
And to illustrate this point further, one only has to see that a by-product of Ms. Blooding’s tweets is an ongoing comparison among Filipinos of who is better: Jessica or Charice. Isn’t there enough room to like both of them? Why does everything have to be a false dichotomy for Filipinos? Why do individual Filipinos have to insist that their personal choice is better than someone else’s? This, again, to me, is yet another manifestation of that inferiority complex we collectively suffer as a people.
Filipinos have no collective achievement to speak of
As is the case with Jessica, Lea Salonga, Manny Pacquiao, and Charice, to name a few, Filipinos have hailed the individual accomplishments of Filipino artists abroad and trumpeted them as collective accomplishments of the entire Filipino ethnic group. Whether or not you agree with me, I assert that this is a fallacious and utterly ridiculous and stupid thing to do. These people succeeded because they put in the hard work needed to succeed, and not because of their Filipino heritage.
Filipinos do this as an escape to the reality that as an ethnic group they have no collective achievement to speak of. They are predisposed to be lazy, and prone to take the easy way out, which is why they exhibit this behavior. It is much easier to project yourself onto a successful person than it is to make yourself one.
Filipinos do not posses the operational efficiency of the Singaporeans. They do not exhibit the discipline of the Japanese. They have no engineering capability like the Germans. They have no martial tradition to speak of. These are all too hard for them.
Filipinos do not recognize gold that’s staring them in the face
Filipinos have the unenviable position of comprising a society that doesn’t know gold even if it’s hiding in plain sight. On top of that, they are a society renowned for perverting ideas and for turning gold (once they’ve seen it) into utter crap. Where else would you find a street revolution glorifying mob rule trumpeted as “democracy”?
If you’re looking for an example, look no further than the four (4) names I mentioned above. These people would not have become what they are now had they stayed in the Philippines. Filipinos are not the type to invest in developing talents long-term; they want immediate returns, and they want them NOW. After they’ve bled you dry, they dispose of you.
Filipino society is, by default, one that values mediocrity, conformance, and deference to elders above innovation, imagination, and out-of-the-box thinking. The minute Filipinos sense someone or something sticking out, they pull it back down. Filipinos ostracize people and ideas that are different; they are predisposed to judge these instead of trying to understand and learn from them.
Here are several more quotables from Ms. Blooding:
“why do the Philippines claim Jessica Sanchez? Jessica was born an raised in the US. I don’t THINK she speaks tagalog.
“which, to me, makes her true American. How many people in the US come from mixed cultural backgrounds? We r a melting pot.
“AND I just read that this concert is her first ever trip to the Philippines….
“isn’t a Filipino passport kind of a big indication of citizenship and a lack of one a big indication of no citizenship?”
“If only the people of the Philippines would stop looking elsewhere and focus on local things, maybe they could see the value of many of of the great people and resources there. Many great things and people there. It’s just a group mentality that it’s not good enough.
“It’s kind of a turn off to a foreigner such as myself cuz it can come across as ungrateful for the talent and resources god gave.”
“there is room for everyone an people will love or hate no matter what. But I just think it’s kind of wrong to say Jessica is part of Filipino pride when she is American before anything else.
“And the more I think about it, I start to get insulted on many levels. Ph can’t claim something that is made in USA. And they only wanted to claim Charice after people in the USA put value in her. It’s wrong for both singers. Sorry, I’m just feeling a bit indignant about the situation.”
“I mean if she had to mark on a form a particular country or culture, what would be? I assume American,”
“Please don’t condemn me for asking a cultural question,”
Well, sorry to disappoint you, Ms. Blooding. Filipinos condemn themselves routinely for asking cultural questions, what more foreigners? Not to say that it’s right, but they do it just as a scorpion can’t help but sting.
[Photo courtesy OKMagazine.com.]
А вы, друзья, как ни садитесь, все в музыканты не годитесь. – But you, my friends, however you sit, not all as musicians fit.
oh well… what would you expect from this Pinoy Pride dementia?
they really need to take a hike…
Sorry to tell you this my friends, but Jessica Sanchez could not find the Philippines on a map before American Idol.
… ah, the wonders of your vaunted educational system that we are adapting…
… someone give me a palm to push my face in.
My first contribution to GRP was American Idol In Its Irrelevance Is Relevant To Us. Jessica did not grow up on Wowwowee unlike the pinoy so what is their common bond?
The common bond is the musicality of Pinoys. The love of music and our talent to express our feelings through songs.
Don’t tell me you didn’t see that?
Go anywhere on Earth. There is some form of tea, some form of wine and some sort of music. To make a long story short, name a culture that doesn’t love music. The Europeans gave the world classical (Mozart, Brahms etc), the Americans gave the world jazz ( Louis Armstrong, Coltrane, Davis, Charlie Parker) and blues (Robert Johnson, Bo Diddley ). In that context what is the pinoy common musical bond? What genre of music did the pinoys give teh world? Love of music is by no means a pinoy monopoly. I have a very simple formula on which to gauge musical significance. If that person never existed how different would music be? What that formula does is it makes people who sing songs already made famous by other people irrelevant.
Face it : Arnel Pineda is even less original than Hagibis. Yet he is lauded as a Pinoy icon.
This whole notion of expressing feelings through songs for me does not count if the song touched a whole lotta people before you were ever given your stage. I still don’t see this common bond other than the currency of pansin.
If you want my idea of true expression of emotion through song I dare anyone out there to grab a good pair of headphones and listen to the entire album.I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got by Sinead O’Connor from start to finish. She wrote most of that and for me personally she is so raw and expressive that I sometimes feel uncomfortable. Like I walked into an argument between scorned lovers . After twenty years it still registers with me. If listening to a Charice album or a Jessica album can really touch a person like that or with that intensity fine. I just priotize my music listening over my flag waving and will not call the product of a show known for disposable stars as a big thing.
Frankly, I expect answers not questions from you. But anyway, to expound and make clear the discussion let me address to the best of my ability those concern you just raised.
You asked, what’s the common bond between the Pinoys and Jessica Sanchez, and I opined that, aside from sharing the same stock genetically, they are bonded by their musicality or love of music. In reply, you said all culture love music and wondered what genre did we give the world to proclaim love of music.
Our musicality is not about giving genre to the world, it’s about sharing it. It’s about absorbing, spreading and enjoying it. And proof of that are the Lea Salongas, the Charice Pempengcos, the Freddie Aguilars, The Regime Velasquez, the Arnel Pinedas, the APOs, the Juan Dela Cruz Band, the Eddie and Boy Katindigs, the Ryan Cayabyabs, the George Cansecos, the Ruben Tagalogs, the Cenon Lagmans, the Jose Mari Chans, the Bobby Gonzales, the Apl-D-Aps’, the Sylvia La Torres, the Basil Valdez’, the Banig Robertos, the Tillie Morenos, the Levi Celerios and numerous other Filipinos who performed and exhibited different genres that exposed, enhanced and enriched the musicality of Pinoys.
You can go on and believe what you think is true. You have your own biases and favorites. Just remember this, the love and feel you have for music is also shared with you by millions of Pinoys. And you know why?
Because you are a Filipino.
So what are you saying? That other countries citizen’s can’t sing or tone deaf? I don’t get it.
Everyone loves music in one shape or form. And people can all sing, in varying degrees of excellence.
And even disregarding the level of excellence, appreciation for the “musicality” of the person varies as well. This is not a “Filipino” only trait.
I really don’t get where this was meant to go as a counter argument. Sorry.
‘There has to be something else that’s keeping the Filipino from progressing.’
I heard that the Illuminati has been blamed.
from your article: These people succeeded because they put in the hard work needed to succeed, and not because of their Filipino heritage.
Thank you.
That is exactly what that Emmy nominee said: he proved he was worthy of the nomination.
He EARNED it because he worked for it, not because he is Pinoy.
The pinoy is an attention seeking missle. KSP is the root of all evil.
I like your article, since it is as you say. Projection it is indeed.
I do have a question though, why the pseudonym? One must be able to stand up for what they say. Unless you are a collective posting under one name. Just wondering.
Keep up the good work.
I would like to think that the idea presented is much more valuable than who presents it. 😉
I think Ms. Courtney Blooding’s statement, as reported on this article, is an innocent one made out of ignorance and sheer doltishness. I said that with all honesty and not just to spite Ms. Blooding. Ordinary Americans like Ms. Blooding has a mind-set that everything revolves around America. Issues outside US, they’re practically witless, stupefied and a bit cockamamy. A number of times I caught a glimpse of a portion in Jay Leno’s Tonight Show entitled ‘Jaywalking’ where they feature ordinary Americans answering ordinary questions ranging from political, history, social, etc. That segment was an eye-opener for me. The answers were so bad and ridiculous non-American viewers will have an impression that Americans are stupid idiot about their surroundings. To better understand what I’m saying watch this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Url1HL6oExk
Anyway, so long as Filipinos do not claim LeBron James or Jessica Simpson or George Bush or other Americans who doesn’t have a tinge of Filipino blood in their ancestry, it’s fine with me.
Hmm… Well I can’t help but disagree but please hear me out.
For one, the segment “Jaywalking” is making a comedy of how Americans don’t know their own history, culture and what have you. Of course they will focus on those who really mess up the answers. If they showed people giving correct answers, where is the puchline in that?
If you were to put the same segment here in the Philippines, couldn’t you as well put a similar piece that revolves around Philippine history, culture and similar topics and find people’s answers laughable and maybe even humiliating?
The point I believe is Jessica Sanchez was never home grown. Her talents were never nurtured and trained here nor did she grow up here. As such, the only thing Filipino about here is the blood that comes from one or both parents. But that doesn’t make the Filipino.
To take a twist on the example, why is it the Fil-Chi success stories are sometimes twisted by locals and then in turn made into villians just because they have Chinese blood in their ancestry even though they were born and raised here?
That to me is just wrong. Let’s say for example the likes of Henry Sy, Lucio Tan and their respective heirs continue to thrive in the country and maintain their foothold, would you then condemn them for managing to control majority of the market share and blame their chinese ancestry for claimed unscrupulous business practices?
This is just a thought. And I hope no one takes any offence in it. I just find the comparison of the two baffling.
True, but they don’t only focus on mess up answers, people really give mess up answers. In fact, after sometime, the staff of the Tonight Show conduct some sort of a special wherein previous contestants of ‘Jaywalking’ are pitted against each other to battle it out in the studio. In it, the contestants gets to answer, mess up or not, questions from Jay Leno. And in it also, the contestants, impromptu, give not only real but also mess up answers. And unfortunately, majority of the answers combined are mess up answers.
That is possible, but the point in giving the “Jaywalking” as an example is to show that ordinary people tend to be a bit detached from issues that are really not within the range of their capability. Ms. Dooling, according to the article above, is Charice Pempengco’s manager. I don’t know what her other expertise is but I would assume that she is neither an anthropologist, social scientist or an expert of culture and people. Because if she is, she could have answered her own question as to why Filipinos claimed Jessica Sanchez. So, in that aspect, I would refrain from putting too much weight on her question and not treat it too seriously.
That is true. But my take on that is, I’d rather focus on the positive than quibble on that part of Jessica’s person. Why did I say that? Well, if I see that Jessica, herself, is happy and recognize and welcomes with open arms the reaction and the postulation of Filipinos of her being one of them, that would be enough for me. The issue of being a real or true Filipino would only matter if Jessica categorically express reservation and hesitation, if not outright refusal, about her personal heritage.
You have a point there and there are instances that that kind of situation happens.
Hi, Thank for the reply.
If I recall correctly, the Jaywalker’s competition in the studio is actually selected from the most messed up answers from the actual jaywalking segment. It is funny when you compare against your own knowledge and you end up knowing the answer as opposed to them just not knowing at all. Basically, they are mocking themselves and the contestants are just there for the fun of it or temporary limelight. Maybe one of them hopes to become like “Ross the intern” so they put up with it.
As for Jessica not outright denying her Filipino heritage, I think it is more of a strategic business decision. She has nothing to gain by denying her Filipino heritage or the claims of Filipino pride being labeled her. However, if she does deny it and cites those things I mentioned, she could come up to some of her “fans” as ungrateful and basically not worth their time (except to bash). As such, she loses market share/potential for sales (records, songs, and tickets) and loses her ability to draw from her livelihood which is singing.
I am not saying she is wishing the labeling of Filipino pride stops, but rather I am saying that it makes no sense from a business standpoint for her to do so and she can just let it slide (whatever her belief) and just continue to do what she does, which is sing.
The issue here isn’t whether Ms. Blooding is ignorant or doltish or whatever. Whether Americans can correctly answer trivia about their own country is irrelevant.
The point here which you missed is that Filipinos don’t take too kindly to being asked even what are otherwise harmless questions about why they act certain ways, in this case, with Pinoy pride. So why do Filipinos get jumpy and defensive all of a sudden, hmm?
Besides, if you’re telling me that Ms. Blooding has no right to ask such a question because Americans are “stupid”, quote unquote, I cannot accept that assertion on two counts:
1) That is an argumentatum ad hominem – tu quoque variation
2) She’s Canadian, they’re not the same.
But you know, it’s so easy to start a rumor that so-and-so celebrity like the ones you mentioned above has Filipino blood, and Filipinos will take the bait hook, line, and sinker. Why? Because as I said above, they know how to do little else.
just say it ‘am proud …not pride
Of course Jessica is embracing it. Embracing it means money.
Ed,
Your immortal words “KSP is the root of all evil” have yet to be matched. Hahaha.
Poor Jessica, for being maliciously alluded to, she has become a collateral damage on the effort to insult Pinoys. Very sad.
As was said before and I believe it needs to be said again.
This is her livelihood, and the Filipinos basically presented themselves as a deluded fanbase just because of her Filipino blood. This is not to say she can’t sing. I’ll go to that later in my response.
So as she stands, she automatically gets a country as a fanbase and it’s many inhbitants and citizens (including those outside our shores) as a target market she tap into. From a business standpoint, she has more to lose for even just showing bewilderment as to why she has become Filipino pride just because of her blood. And because you stand more to lose that to gain, what then is there to do? Simple, GO WITH THE FLOW! If it keeps the ball rolling, why burst the bubble right?
See, here, masses and the media focused on her specifically because of the “Pinoy Pride” mentality and the invisible forced label on her head that Filipinos seem to see. What would have been the situation if we had a 10th place AI finalist on the same who was pure Filipino, born and raised here but recently moved to the US to pursue her dreams?
My hunch, they will still lean towards Jessica Sanchez and just include the 10th pace as a side bit because, heck, every loves the “winner” or the one placed higher more anyway right?
The point I am trying to make is, the context as what it means to be Filipino enough to be proud of is so twisted and convuluted now that just about a drop of Filipino blood in a successful person’s system is enough for people to show for “proud to be pinoy”.
Really? Is that really we want as a country? To degrade ourselves into seeking out success stories with some hint of Filipino ancestry just to give us a feel good factor? Are we are a country really that incapable of producing our own sources of pride that we have to lower ourselves to such a practice?
Appreciation is one thing, labeling is another.
Let me paraphrase your closing sentence: Appreciation is one thing, flag waving is another.
As a country we are just moronic in embracing the trivial and ignoring the crucial.
Case in point. Politicians that design and pass laws that will affect us for the rest of our lives are picked based on name recognition. Not merit or track record. Nobody cares to do leg work on that but they will go bananas over a half Mexican. This website would not exist if the Filipino wasn’t so dysfunctional.
I don’t get it. How can a mere recognition of someone else’s roots and acknowledging her talent be taken against people whose only intent is to be identified with it? How can a purely positive act of admiration be a source of evil deeds? How can a spontaneous reaction of affection or endearment to someone because of affiliation be cruelly called “twisted and convoluted”? Is it really now an offense to do that? Why are Filipinos being singled out on something that other people are also doing?
What and who want what’s for the country? Why are you turning a positive acceptance and adoration of something as innocent as talent for singing to a negative? Why look for source of criticism on it and what benefit do you expect to get from the friction it will create? Is the purpose to help or drive a wedge and in the process spread intrigues and disunity among the people?
Are we really this pathetic that all we see about us is negative? Have we turned to something despicable and loathsome losers that we no longer think properly to differentiate what’s proper or not? As people, do we no longer care about the feelings of other that we put greater weight on things that are offensive and destructive? Of giving importance on things that will divide rather than unite us?
For sure, no one is forced to submit to ‘Pinoy Pride’. One is never criticized because he do not subscribe to feeling good about being Pinoy. If no one is being taken to task because of being a Pinoy, why complain and criticize? Why go against and offend people who haven’t done anything wrong against you?
And that’s the multi-million dollar question, my friend.
I agree with you, 17Sphynx17. And by the way, jo-nas and his arguments represent everything that’s wrong about Pinoy Pride–literal, twisted, emotional.
This Jonas is a professional troll. As the great Parallax used to say “he’s just a time waster”.
the manager was desperate to make noise for her skunk talent and had to use JSanchez for her purpose. what a shame!
No reason to be desperate because they are not on the same level. Charice has already proven a lot. Has penetrated America in so short a time and captured the whole of Asia. Jessica is still trying to make a mark on Billboard. She has a lot of proving to do. Charice has already made a lot of noise even before Jessica joined AI. To say that she is being used by Charice’s Manager for their purposes is just lame..You dont use a person who is no better than you.
why would she? Charice is always hot topic everyweek, that her every move is big news. Their family & team dont even accept interviews anymore coz they dont need publicity. Courtney was just having a question about this mentality… Courtne is just concern that why cant we like artists as humans & not by race…
your choice of word shows how dumb you are .many times people who lost the argument are resorting to name calling and using foul words to defend themselves.
pinoy pride? too much sometimes it’s not necessary, it’s becoming OA.
Damn right! As OA as giving a banner story to some cab driver who returns a lost item found in his cab. What? Is honesty such a rarity that the media goes gaga over it? As OA as those jologs who comment “Proud to be Filipino” on every You Tube trailer of that latest Bourne flick. Isn’t it funny that the Cambodians were so cool and quiet when Tomb Raider was shot in Cambodia? Yes it’s too OA that it’s suffocating already.
it’s just a simple question and the phil media can’t answer it right, instead they criticized the person as if they are perfect because of their pinoy pride, it’s about time someone said something. phil is too sensitive when there’s is no need too and yet they bashed criticized people who has done nothing but pride to their country, yes iam talking about charice and this ricky low media guy is talking shit…
umm wake us up when sanchez has a hit on billboard or has two motion pictures right now she done nothing to prove her worth so courtney has no need to get attention for charice when all teh retarded media in ph has been doing since america took notice of charice.
My take on this is, why cant people just say “I am proud of Jessica”, why Filipino Pride or proud to be pinoy? Jessica is an American, born and raised, I dont see a reason how she became a Pride of the Philippines? Example, the Gymnast from USA who has a tingle of Filipino blood in her won the Team competition at the London Olympics, can we call her Pride of the Philippines or Proud to be Pinoy? When she received her gold medal, they played the USA Anthem, now how can we call her Pride of the Philippines? I dont have anything against calling people our Pride but we have to think first before we say it.
Charice was not recognized in the Philippines until she got popular in other countries. Same thing with Jessica, she was not recognized until she became a finalist in AI. “Their talent doesn’t have anything to do with their ethnicity”. They’re simply great singers and performers. Ms. Blooding was simply asking questions based on her observations and I don’t see anything wrong with that. Some people are just too sensitive about it.
Ricky Lo’s article is so biased, he didn’t even post the entire tweets of Ms. Blooding. The way he wrote it makes people mad at Ms. Blooding.
Filipinos have a misplaced sense of nationality. Moving here in the States have opened my eyes, how lost we are as a a nation. we like to be Westernized and I admit, I was part of the problem but coming here, I finally understood what it means when Americans say “I’m proud to be American.” It’s not about Individual success but it’s their way of life– trying to make it when the odds are impossible, having equal rights and freedom, etc. We, Filipinos on the other hand, garner the same pride through entertainment- We’re so behind when it comes to nationality. Our “Filipino Pride” is misplaced, illogical and just utterly ridiculous– it’s the 21st century but it feels like we learned nothing. Same mentality, same views on status, race, etc. We can’t even have our own identity because we copy so much from the West. And we bash those who actually worked hard to make their name known outside of the country.
Crazy crazy crazy. That is all.
true
From what I see in the PH news is corruption.
I think you’re still lost my friend because you continue to assume things as you think they are and not as what they really are. The issue has nothing to do with nationality or even a sense of it. The issue is about reality and the overwhelming appreciation of Filipinos of what they think is a source of pride for them.
Look, instead of explaining what you think of the issue, you took the opportunity to bash Filipinos, your countrymen, on something as innocent as admiring talents. Â Nothing is more crazier than that. What is wrong in liking somebody as talented as Jessica Sanchez? What’s wrong if Filipinos treat her as one of them? Â What’s wrong if they see her as a source of pride and deserving of praise and admiration?Â
I don’t get it. Filipinos, even on instances where they project positive and optimistic disposition still gets to be criticized and insulted by their own people. I don’t mind foreigners expressing their ignorance on other people’s behavior of praising excellence and talent. That’s the reason why they’re called ‘foreigners’ in the first place. But I take exception to Ms. Dooling’s statement because of a possible conflict of interest, her being the manager of Charice Pempengco.
But that’s for another post.
Jona-s, salutes for articulating your views and being steadfast on all the arguments you had posted here. You were never swayed from your opinions and, you know how to ignore the name-calling and irrelevant replies from some.
As much as I agree on overrated “Pinoy Pride”, I also agree that Ms. Blooding’s statement should be treated as an ignorant question… not an opportunity to bash on Filipinos pride.
Here’s one to bash on “Pinoy Pride”: – The best ang Pilipino saan man sa mundo! 🙂
When asked by a foreigner what it means, I resolve not to explain.
I understand, it is really hard to explain something that you don’t or never share with others, like a foreigner. What hurts is if a fellow Filipino will ask you about what ““Pinoy Prideâ€: – The best ang Pilipino saan man sa mundo! means. Not to be rude, pero hindi ba parang nakaka-asar kung Pinoy ang magtatanong?
True or not, we’ve been raised hearing those words, chant, mantra or whatever you call it. That Pinoys are the best, that we are talented/skillful people, that we can do almost anything or be at par with almost anybody in the world, etc. And to be modest, we’ve proven it. However, we’re not the only one who does that. Other countries too have the same fighting words to cheer their people. So, it’s normal.
With regard to Ms. Dooling, intially, I saw her comment as innocent of malice. But later on, putting two and two together, she having been employed as manage of Charice, I realized that maybe she said those things not only as an innocent inquiry from a stranger but a disguised question really meant to focus attention on her client. I think she got the attention she want but I don’t know if she likes the results it garnered, especially the part where some people spoke against Charice.
Before I forgot isn’t it Ricky Lo is charice god father?
I myself is filipino,and I don’t agree of Pinoy pride. They are both talented and they worked hard. Courtney is right, Jessica is not filipino, she is american and I think that is also one of the reason that Jessica is only second cause some of the american that vote for her on the 3rd final change their mine due to the fact that lots of filipino comment on facebook are annoying. Philip Philips is a champion but you never heard american say, proud to be an American,or American pride. only Filipino’s. Why not support the two, Jessica and Charice for their talent,
i agree with this article 100% because i truly agree that there’s something wrong with us filipinos,being abroad in a long time made me realize that filipinos are truly behind because of our own crab mentality,how can we proud of our ethnicity when we are the first to bring down our very own?in reality we are a lost tribe which something bothered me most.
If you like Jessica, then say I’m proud of Jessica because she is good, if you like Charice, then say I’m proud of Charice, why do you have to say Pride of the Philippines, or proud to be pinoy. By the way, Jessica is not Filipino, she’s an American, born, raised, educated in US of A, dont claim someone u dont own. Geez, she’s not that good anyways, be real folks, many of you like her because she placed second on American Idol, Thia Megia was an Idol Finalist, Jasmin Trias placed third, Thia and Jasmin I think are pure blooded Filipinas, what’s so different with Jessica and Thia and Jasmin is way better than her too.
Jessica is not being claim or owned as Filipino per se. She’s being appreciated for her talent and for having Filipino ancestry in her blood.
Her mother is a Filipina. On that aspect alone, I don’t see why some people will spoil the positive impact of her success and the honor it brings to everybody.
But then why should she then be labeled as Pinoy just because of “blood ties”?
It is perplexing because let’s say Americans don’t label it as “proud to be American” when someone becomes popular in say Europe/Asia and one of “his” parents was an American.
It doesn’t also bring honor to Filpinos I believe. Filipinos just want to believe it does for some reason.
I do not question her talent, that is beside the point, but when actions of shouting “proud to be pinoy” are labeled on someone who rose above the average person to become a person of notoriety just because of some portion/percentage of “filipino blood” in their ancestry, that is just weird or too much already.
Yes you can be proud of the person as saying they did it, they made it through hardwork, but don’t go labeling it as “proud to be pinoy” when it clearly isn’t .
That’s my two cents.
But what is wrong in ‘labeling’ Jessica a Pinoy when she can be considered to have come from our stock for having a Filipina mother? When did it become wrong to acknowledge one’s heritage?
You know why? It is simply expected of them because they have the biggest market, the biggest pool of talents and they have the advance technology. They have the edge on almost everything. They are not in the same footing with other countries in terms of what they have and the kind of edge they enjoy. Saying proud to be Americans would only be an overkill.
“Proud to be Pinoy” is simply a catchphrase to cheer, a feel-good chant. It’s also a slogan meant to inspire and incite people for greater heights; to drive and persuade positive outlook or perspective. A phrase for celebration of intelligence, talent and beauty. A banner for success.
There’s nothing apocalyptic nor threatening about it. It’s not a title meant to own the person that inspired it, like Jessica. It’s not an instrument of taking away the person of talent from his own country or family.
““Proud to be Pinoy†is simply a catchphrase to cheer, a feel-good chant. “- allow me to be cyncial . Why label someone who has never been here and never watched our moronic shows and commercials as Pinoy? Someone who has never been out of the US and has a Mexican dad. I can answer your question in one character let alone one word . “$”. You do know American Idol has only one stop in Asia and its here. Would be as lucrative if Jessica finished 14th? Its a question worth asking. Your answer does have some relevance because “$” feels good to marketers and stockholders. They know their audience/ market. I have said two years ago that KSP is the root of all evil. Well people know in the Philippines that money can be made from KSP. I feel the same way about the Azkals. As long as they are beating the snot out of some team you never heard of (Brave Red) they are Filipino. But the moment they behave badly to Ramos’ daughter they need behavioral training. It’s just as simple that the Philippines is Asia’s basketcase so the Pinoy graps at straws for “relevance”.
Jessica was labeled as Pinoy Pride or identified with Proud to be Pinoy because she is a Pinay. You are right, but what’s wrong with ‘$’? Talent should be compensated. I hope we do not forget that Jessica, Charisse, etc. are entertainers. They entertain for a fee.
Yeah so it’s marketers exploiting a characteristic in the market. It can be interpreted as a flaw or whatever but can’t argue it’s real. Nothing to do with nation building or national unity.
@Alexis
American Idol is a top rated show. The fact she was a finalist brought out all kinds of flag waving in a country that Jessica has never been to. Do you remember what so called respectable newspapers were like here back in May?? The fact she was a finalist had plenty to do with that. Its the pansin factor. Like I said May 25 in GRP “KSP is the root of all evil. The Pinoy wants international pansin anyway they can get it, short of what Cunanan did to Versace. ”
We all ignore though that American Idol produces the Flash in The Pan type of entertainers. If Jasmine Trias would have a career in music anywhere in the world it would be here. But the fact that she is residing in the where are they now file leads me to conclude personally that her appeal was directly tied to the pansin she was able to get for pinoys in American Idol. Once the new season rolled around even the flag wavers forgot her. Like I said back in May the Beatles are immortal musically. Perserverence and creativity got them to where they are. Not some show like American Idol.
Actually, it is not really ‘labeling’. What most Pinoys are doing is acknowledging Fil-Ams, like Jessica, of their Asian roots. It also has nothing to do with moronic shows and commercials which are also abundant in other countries. Yes, Jessica have never been out of the US, maybe prior to AI, and has a Mexican dad. But what about her Filipina mother? Why do you conveniently ignore her? Was it because she was Pinay? That’s bad.
It’s a question worth asking because it is a self-serving one. The question doesn’t have positive return. Why? It’s because whether Jessica is no. 1 or last to finish or whoever wins the “$” will be a factor. It is that simple.
really ? then answer this question what if she didn`t make it to the top two ? can u honestly say that she`ll have the same appreciation from the media and people of the phil.btw, her mom doesn
If she didn’t make the top two the appreciation will still be there, only it would not be as loud. Let’s not forget that it was not only Jessica who has been embraced by the Filipinos. Past Fil-Am AI contestants have also been cited as source of pride by our kababayans. In fact, even a foreigner, Elliot Yamin, was embraced and supported by Pinoy.
We really appreciate talent when we see one.
If she didn’t make it to the top two, Pinoys would have made their indignation known a whole lot earlier. After all, as Pinoy Pride dictates, Pinoys never lose; they just get cheated. But things wouldn’t change; you would still have all those feel-good non-sequitur platitudes such as:
“Jessica Sanchez in AI; Pinoys have made it to Hollywood! Pinoy Pride yeah!”
“Americans don’t recognize greatness because they voted Jessica out. Pinoy Pride yeah!”
Well, how about that girl from Hawaii. She also had Filpino blood and the Philippines also reacted the same way with “Pinoy Pride” What’s her name again?
Filipinos have also forgotten her as well I believe eventhough she’s talented. They are just riding the coat tails of the popular as long as they can pin something on it and call it “ours” which doesn’t really make sense. Give it a year or two. Once another season comes around and another person with “Filipino blood” comes to the stage, we’ll get the same thing and set this current one aside and forget already.
@17Sphynx17- Read my comment above since you are referring to Jasmine Trias. My point is that American Idol is glorified karaoke. Which is not the formula for a long music career. All the songs there were made memorable by someone else unless one is a total music moron. American Idol is a well produced tv show just pretending to be about music. Then we wonder why very few last in terms of music.
@Gogs
I did after reading. Yes. I agree with you.
The only person who I thought there was hope really (that are now fading to obscurity) was season 2 guy who sang his version of solitaire and the other one who sang the 2012 movie song for the trailer (Adam Lambert). I really haven’t even bothered checking out the contestants after that season where Adam Lambert was a contestant. hehe!
Do you live in a Philippines of an alternate dimension, hmm? Have you been living under a rock all these years? Pinoys cried “cheated!” or “sabotage!” when Jessica lost to Philip Philips and when Pacquiao lost to Bradley.
In the second case, whether it was really rigged or not, isn’t important; what is is that Pinoys didn’t move on and didn’t take defeat gracefully. Boxing is corrupt? Surprise, surprise! Life isn’t fair. Deal with it. A loss in a singing contest and/or a boxing match isn’t an end of the world scenario that the Pinoy Pridesters made it out to be.
Do your homework. Mangongontra ka na nga lang, mali pa.
My response of “Simply not true” to what you said refers to this line.
We never lose? The Azkals always lose. Pacquiao just lost in a controversial fight. We always suffer losses in international games.
These people lost in AI.
Jasmine Trias 3rd place, 3rd season
Camile Velasco 9th place, 3rd season
Ramiele Malubay 9th place, 7th season
Thia Megia Top 11, 10th season
Jessica Sanchez 2nd place, 11th season
JR Aquino. Top 44, 4th season
And we never lose? Really?
I’m sorry Gogs to disagree with what you said. Glorified karaoke or not is not the issue. AI is a talent contest, specifically singing contest. If you are looking for a ‘formula for a long music career’, you’ll never find it in AI or in any other show for that matter. No such thing.
On AI, singers, not songs, compete. So what if the songs are made by someone else? Irrespective of what or who composed the songs, the essence of the show is the talent of the contestant. You live and die on your capability to deliver.
And that is hard.
jonas,
You missed my point yet again.
“Kaya natatalo daw Pinoy kasi dinadaya daw sila ng kalaban. Pag natalo Pinoy, ibig sabihin niluto ang laban.”
Ayan, tinagalog ko na para maintindihan mo. Mangongontra na nga lang, mali pa intindi.
Daw, ‘yon ang sabi mo. Pero nang ipakita ko yung listahan ng mga natalo sa AI wala kang masabi. At inamin ko pang natatalo tayo on international games.
Mali kasi kaibigan ang reference mo. Yang kasabihang kapag natalo e nadaya, ginagamit kadalasan sa eleksiyon at hindi sa kantahan.
You missed the point by a mile.
“Pinoy pride” is nothing but an expression of a people begging the world for validation that they, as a specie do exist. It is the same cry that Martin Luther King Jr asked for recognition during the civil rights movement in the 60’s. The raising of the fist by George Foreman in the 60’s Olympics and the vocal outrage of Muhammad Ali. Unless the Filipinos are able to produce people of notable stature, their cry for validation will not be noticed.
How to explain Pinoy Pride to a foreigner?Â
Is there really a need to explain something so obvious and so ordinary? If we can be  proud of the success of other people, people whose nationality, ethnicity or race, citizenship, etc. are different from us, why can’t we do the same with people whom we consider as one of us or close to us?  I do not see any reason why we have “explain” to foreigners our proclivity to celebrate and acknowledge and recognize talent and beauty and all good things in life.  Our welcoming nature and gracious and hospitable disposition, just like other people’s positive  outlook or mind-set, requires no explanation.Â
It can only be appreciated and valued for what they are: Pinoy Pride.
You’re right! Citizenship or Nationality, Culture or whatever they call it has nothing to do with their talents. Americans or Asians or anybody else are all human being, we are all equal…We can appreciate their talents without comparing or hating and bashing them…
To have pride in something , there should be something of value like my son earned an academic scholarship to ______ University. How valuable is American Idol? If you are over 16 , name to yourself your five favorite musical acts that you will take with you to a desert island. You can have the entire output of those five acts. Now that you have that list of 5 , ask yourself how many of those came to fame via the American Idol route? AI is just a TV show. That’s it. Byebye Jasmine Trias make way for the new. They are disposable. If that line of thinking makes even a little bit of sense to you new guys then:
http://getrealphilippines.com/2012/05/american-idol-in-its-irrelevance-is-relevant-to-us/
But you missed the point again. It is not the AI that’s being given value, it’s the talents who participate in the show.
I agree. Between the two of us, AI usiseros, it’s just a TV show but to those who actually participates in it, it’s their lives. Get real Gogs, a million dollar prize is not just a “that’s it”. And if I may add, it is true that AI is just a TV show, a very successful TV show at that.
You are making my point for me. The more TV show it is the less music it is. The Beatles were on Ed Sullivan. What they did that night had absolutely no relation to Abbey Road except for the fact that evolved musically to the point they could create Abbey Road. Read the book Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. The Beatles may have been on Ed Sullivan but they got there because of all the work they put in clubs and garages before hand. Sorry but American Idol to me is not a source for cutting edge music. That’s why I don’t bow down to anyone from there let alone Jessica. But that’s just me.
When the US dropped the A-bomb in Nagasaki that killed thousands of Japanese, the Japanese did not beg for mercy, like the Phoenix, they rose from the ashes. They did not question who they were as a people, instead they put their people to work at an unprecedented pace and built the most dynamic and efficient cars, the best electronic devices and created the third wealthiest economy in the world today. The Japanese worked hard to earn the respect of the world.
Filipinos on the other still do not get it. I wonder what trigger mechanism or action word is needed to create a mindset that a slogan “Pinoy pride” is not the answer to their cry for recognition.
When the US dropped the A-bomb in Nagasaki that killed thousands of Japanese, the Japanese did not beg for mercy, like the Phoenix, they rose from the ashes. They did not question who they were as a people, instead they put their people to work at an unprecedented pace and built the most dynamic and efficient cars, the best electronic devices and created the third wealthiest economy in the world today. The Japanese worked hard to earn the respect of the world.
Filipinos on the other hand still do not get it. I wonder what trigger mechanism or action word is needed to create a mindset that a slogan “Pinoy pride” is not the answer to their cry for recognition.
Here is a reality check on how others view us: Is a Filipino passport one of the best ones to have? the worst or somewhere in the middle? Just asking a question to define this whole Pinoy Pride thing.
To answer your question, Ed, I haven’t heard of a long queue in any Philippine Embassy (wherever they are left) of people applying for Philippine passports.
I can tell you one: Dubai
The question is irrelevant to the issue. How can a passport relate to people admiring talents? Beats me.
1. I am Filipino, born and raised in the Philippines, and in the US now for more than 20 years. Â Of course, I am proud and feel happy that I and these personalities have something in common (i.e. Filipino blood) and would always follow any news about them on a regular basis but I will never post ‘Filipino pride’ or have the guts to declare it, even to myself infront of the mirror.Â
Achievements are ‘to each, his own’, no matter how I think of it.  I am trying to understand why a lot of my own race have these attitude to keep telling the whole world through social media  this  ‘Filipino pride’.  Are my fellow Filipinos trying to force on other nationalities that the Filipinos are good because of that one particular personality?  I haven’t heard any nationality with this attitude.  Other nationalities have more celebrities who rose to fame but never did I see them mention the same phrase of their ‘country pride.’ Never. I consider it a false sense of pride or praise and rather an act to divert the praise away from the given celebrity to a new subject – Filipino race. Embarassing.  That ‘Pinoy pride’ declaration is actually ‘Pinoy shame’ and, better yet, ‘Pinoy racism’ evident in ‘Pinoy arrogance’.Â
2. I never got the chance to read Ricky Lo’s article. Â I read ABS-CBN’s with a misleading title using the word ‘questions’. Â That word alone means differently to people. Â It is a strong word that could mean ‘call into question’. The writer’s deliberate use of that word (with editor’s approval, of course) clearly indicated that they wanted to make that article controversial to gain massive readership/response. Â And if that was not enough, the article excluded part of Ms. Blooding’s tweets that could have made the message whole and objectively presented. The writer’s selective approach to facts caused the readers to react negatively. Â Seriously, ABS-CBN is one of those which should be called on for censorship review and should face disciplinary action to stop corrupting the naive Filipino readers. Unfortunately, not a lot of Filipino readers have a discerning eye to see the malicious intent by the article and mostly reacted irrationally instead. To the writer, congratulations. You succeeded in your intention. But you belong to those without social conscience in a field where upholding the truth is primarily a condition in the excercise of your profession.
3.  I love my nation and I pray that we, Filipinos, will be a good example to other nations.  Pinoy pride is standing tall, a collective effort, being one in what is righteous. If we truly have this pride, we, in fact, do not even need to declare it because IT WILL  SHOW IN OUR ACTIONS.  Let other nations do the praising for us. (e.g. The EDSA revolution was exemplary, the world stood still at us as we fought peacefully for our right.) We still need to change, to gain more respect from other nations. It has to start from our immediate environment – our families, our friends, etc. so that we can spread the fruit of goodness in us.Â
Hi. I like your perspective of the Filipino psyche. I, having studied to Taiwan for quite a month now, also notice how some of the Filipino want to have the easy way out by any means. I say this is some because I think our environment calls us to be crafty, and our response for that may be forced as to be good, mediocre or bad. While it is true that Pinoy Pride is a knee jerk reaction of us in order to mask our inferiority and envy towards successful foreigners and expats in other nations, I begin to see that Pinoy Pride is a westernized trait that we inherited from the Americans and perhaps, Spaniards too. We try to stand out by mimicking our conqueror and becoming better than them. We try to rationalize our failures by blaming others, which is I think a knee-jerk reaction of Americans. We try to copy the success of the east and the west but not see our own success by making our own effective solutions. By adopting western traits, we fail to understand our Asian roots, or even look ourselves to our core. What is really a Filipino? Is it the food, the culture or the trait? One look and we see that beneath our success and failures as a nation, we haven’t really discovered what we are. We are a nation trying to understand ourselves by adopting other culture. Most of us fail to appreciate our own culture, and divert its attention by criticizing others. Most of us don’t take advantage of our Asian culture which is basically centered on humility and self-improvement. Why stick to Pinoy Pride when in fact, ours being religious to our faith taught us to become humble? Why impose Pinoy Pride when we can just enforce Pinoy Humility to our own core. If our humility (centered on Bayanihan, pakikipagkapwa and Kapit-bisig) is made viral instead of our pride, then maybe major improvements will happen in our country. We should exploit our culture of valuing “words more than contracts” in trying to assert our self-improvement. I think that if we really accept our being Filipino as Asian rather than as a westernized nation, then we can really improve just like how Taiwan improve itself. Taiwan is similar to us, a colonized country. I even see that we are also similar to them in terms of culture, in fact our mano po and deference to elders, we adopt it to them. It is not bad; I think it is admirable. What our country fails to do that Taiwan had done successfully in its past is to have its expats who had experienced success and training in other countries to come back. The government even provided attractive compensation for their return. Our leaders made a similar move today but what we provided are just financial help. The locals (I think this applies to incumbent intellectuals that are not open for an expat’s perspective) made it hard enough for the returning experts to provide help. I believe the Filipinos have deaf ears when it comes to change. It’s not that we can’t admit it; we don’t chose to admit it because of our pride. We are already accustomed to status quo that we are afraid to fail in order to improve. We want to make face. We want immediate results when in fact results are the product of taking risks. We lack in what we call shear faith to our future by just looking at short-term events. I think that if we forget to glorify our pride and let us balance our help for ourselves and our help for others, then we can improve. With the long speech going, I going to end it with a long pseudoquote. “Please come back. The country needs you. I am also needed. Both of us needs to go home we have sweared our allegance to our motherland upon singing the “Lupang Hinirang”. We repeatedly chanted many times, especially the last line “Ang mamatay ng dahil sa iyo.” Our nation doesn’t ask us to become martyrs for her; instead, she’s pleading for help – to stop the deaths of more Filipinos to come by helping them to move on over their past traumas, frustration, and lost identity. She’s pleading us to make her people restore the dignity they deserve by simply being humble to them.”
Bravo to Courtney!!!I feel the same frustration and have been perplexed by the way some Filipinos like Ricky Lo bash homegrown talents like Charice. I do not also understand why many Filipinos get very uptight when a foreigner speaks the truth about us. I agree with the writer that we, as a people, suffer from a severe inferiority complex. We look at ourselves as not good enough and if someone like Charice makes it abroad, we are green with envy–because why is she successful when she was born poor and is not mestisa? There is something very wrong about this type of mentality…and for a people that is known to be christians, we can be the meanest and unjust people in the world….just look at the likes of Ricky Lo.
In the title I read “how to explain pinoy pride to a foreigner”, yet this article does nothing to explain what pinoy pride is. Instead, it bashes on filipinos and stereotypes pinoys as being inferior on several aspects when compared to foreigners.
Being proud of one’s heritage is more than just collecting all the positive aspects and rolling it into one belief. It is also accepting the nuances and traits perceived as “negative” and embracing ourselves as a whole collective, as being filipino.
I pity the writer of this article as they clearly do not understand the concept of nationalism and is clearly not proud to be filipino.
Many many many Filipinos took pride in a half Mexican who has never been to Philippines and they put the flag on her as she advanced deeper and deeper into a singing contest. Personally I find that a ridiculous way of defining one’s national pride. But you seem to think questioning it is proof that one is not proud to be Filipino. Sorry in case you didn’t get the memo. Having the show and this teenager as a barometer of your national pride is moronic. That’s my opinion. It may fly in the face of Inquirer and Phil Star and ABS CBN etc but these are also the same institutions that told us that Noynoy is a worthy individual to be president. How is that working out ?? Our culture puts stock in the most superficial things. But they have real consequences.
The fact that this article tries to explain pinoy pride to foreigners is in itself going against what message it may think it is trying to deliver. Do I really need to gauge my pride on how a foreigner may perceive my traits as a filipino? This article lambasts filipinos as always trying to label things with the word ‘pinoy’, and how third world of it is of us to do such things. Yet labelling things with one’s heritage is not solely a filipino trait. We see it everyday on tv and other mediums, such as on TLC with cooking shows like the Cake Boss and Kitchen Boss with its host cooking his heritage italian dishes, someone who was born and grew up in America. He may be american, but he takes pride in his heritage. Or what about Aple D Ap who is also half filipino, but takes pride in his heritage?
On a personal basis, I would much rather respect someone who may be half filipino and still take pride in her heritage, than someone who is full blooded filipino and does nothing to embetter themselves, and pulls down their own heritage by writing racially insulting and biased articles such as this.
Half Mexican what? How ’bout the other half, why did you not identify the other half? Was it because the other half was Pinay?
Okay how about this then. Why don’t the Mexican shout “Mexican pride” because of the ancestry only?
I really don’t what you are getting so worked up about when facts are facts.
Filipinos who shout Pinoy Pride and label it on foreigners are really just basically “projecting”. Basically saying that persons success is also my success and to them it lifts up the “Filipino” (which I don’t know for the life of me how that even works).
Blood is not what makes the Filipino, culture and history also need to be part of the mix. And when you just use blood ancestry to define what makes a Filipino a Filipino, then that is a very sad existence.
I appreciate talent, and I appreciate effort. But I don’t go around screaming “Filipino pride” for every Tom, Dick and Harry who I eventually come across my life who happens to be 1% or more having some hint of Filipino ancestry just to make myself feel good about being a Filipino. I don’t need that.
I have Chinese ancestry but I am a Filipino. And that’s that.
17Sphynx17 of course gets my point Jonas. I stress the half Mexican part because why point out the obvious?? Pinoys treat Jessica like she worked her way out of the mean streets of Navotas or something. What many of us ask here is at what point is there disconnect? Unfortunately the Pinoys who use pansin as currency don’t really bother asking that question and flag wave at anything. Let’s not forget one thing . The mom use to live here and left here for a reason. I have no idea why that is but to me that should factor into this so called Pinoy pride. Nothing says Pinoy pride than leaving the place and never ever once sending your child here. But why let some facts get in the way of international pansin?? KSP is the root of all evil and the root of all Pinoy weenie behavior. I saw you mention the Azkals in a different part of the discussion. Again those guys would play for their REAL countries if they were good enough . The countries where they learned the game. The countries whose competition made them what they are. Azkals full of British- Pinoy, German- Pinoy but maybe one Pinoy-pinoy/. I have no idea why people take so much stock in ancestry as opposed to local environment. Oh yeah, local environment sucks. Read my Olympic post for more of my thoughts on that.
Because the ‘obvious’, Jessica having Filipino heritage because of her mom, is the issue.
Actually, Blooding isn’t the first American/foreigner who blasted such comments against Filipinos. If you try to visit manny pacquiao or charice’s videos on youtube, there are already hundreds of comments from foreign fans complaining and wondering why Filipinos keep on saying “Filipinos are really great”, or “proud to be pinoy” whenever a Filipino make it big in hollywood. An American even posted a sarcastic comment “I am proud to be American because we have Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus …”. I think he made this sarcasm to express his annoyance to filipinos who always claim of their “great” heritage. You know the feeling of humiliation, guys?? yes, I felt embarrassed coz I can’t deny that I used to be like that too. Good thing i opened my mind and I eventually realize that it’s kinda awkward and really unfair to say that our heritage is the best when in reality, we belong to a third world country.. To my fellow filipinos, Don’t get me wrong. I am not embarrassing my own country, I love myself being a Filipino and I can tell the world that we are naturally hospitable and friendly among other Asians but THIS “proud-to-be-pinoy” attitude is what I REALLY DISLIKE AMONG MAJORITY OF US… “A man is successful because of his hardwork not because of his heritage”… i hope you guys understand that…
THANK YOU, COURTNEY BLOODING!!
Before I forgot,
Ms.Blogger or whoever who wrote this blog, I’m sorry but even if I agree with you in some ways, I have to admit that you disappoint me for writing this article. This is such a disgrace and an insult because YOU ARE ALREADY EXAGGERATING when in fact, the only argument here is the annoying “proud-to-be-pinoy” attitude of the filipinos. I don’t understand why you have to be so CRITICAL and negative. You are insulting our own heritage already knowing that you’re also a Filipino. What would foreigners think about us? And why are you making such a “dumb” generalization that ALL FLIPINOS HAVE SUCH KIND OF BAD ATTITUDES YOU’VE MENTIONED? Does this satisfy you? Are you happy that filipinos will be hated and disliked by other races? I know, you wrote this because you want to share what’s inside your head but BE SENSITIVE AND WATCH YOUR WORDS. And let me remind you that, Any race or heritage has its own flaws similar to the old saying that nobody’s perfect.
so I suggest you to stop hurling these kind of unfair feedbacks as if Filipinos are the only ones who are blessed with worst attitudes.
Witnessing how Filipino evolves in this generation made me think how they become the loser of modern era.Their way of thinking is totally absurb.Sorry for my words but i can`t help it.the sad thing,i know some minority sector in the phil strives to make the difference or attain a better society acceptable to international standard but unable to pull it off.Charice is one of those who want changes for the betterment of fil after all her hardwork , given recognition to fil talent across the globe helping fil.children and the long lists of positive contribution to the world instead of praising her she is consider an enemy of the fil. society.how cruel they are to disown her and embraced others for no valid reason.when will they ever learn to love her and embrace her with an open-arms? hope it will be soon.if not.the decay of fil society starts to stink from the point of view of foreigners.
You should really feel sorry for the statement you made against Filipinos in general. Without the benefit of trying to be objective, you hurl allegation after allegation against Filipinos and obviously deodorizes the part where you spoke about Charice.
No need for that. You don’t have to condemn people just to promote Charice. You don’t have to throw mud and dirt to people just to show how clean and good Charice is.
You really want to see a “loser of modern era”? Just look at the mirror.
of course i`m not generalizing. what objective? is my statement short of telling the truth.how much objective do you want? dude. i don`t belong to modern era of losers. i embraced the reality of life and do something to make it better.
Let me tell you why I said you are generalizing.
Why did you say that and what, specifically, made you think that way? You did not elaborate on it.
Don’t be sorry because nobody understood what you meant above anyway. Again, no elaboration
What sector and what effort are they doing “to make the difference to attain a better society and how and why did not able to pull it off?” Again, no specification given.
Again, another allegations without clarification. My friend, we cannot move on or advance the discussion if we are in the dark as to what specifically are you talking about. I know you are pro-Charice, whom I also admired, but you have to be clear with the gripes you express and the ideas you want to share to everyone.
It just doesn’t cut.
I think this is because Charice wasn’t appreciated here before she was discovered by Ellen.
But still that’s no reason to take everything against Jessica.
It’s not even Jessica . It’s the Jessica die hards more in love with perceived nationality connection and the pansin cache than they are in love with the music.
OMG, I just read an article in the ABS-CBN website that they are mulling at putting Jessica on the PH Walk of Fame, geez people, here’s another proof that Courtney Blooding is right saying that pinoys doesnt appreciate their own home grown talents, pinoys only do appreciate them after they make it big somewhere else and developed by other than pinoys, come on people what are you guys thinking, doesnt PH have any PH great to put into this PH Walk of Fame, someone who really deserve the recognition? Jessica is a good singer dont get me wrong but she hasnt done anything great yet besides placing second in an American contest, not PH contest but American Contest, cant PH wait a little bit more and give her a chance to prove she’s worthy of all the hoopla? And to think that Jessica was suppose to have been eliminated from the contest but thanks to the Judges that saved her that day, the American Audience voted her out of the competition. Give credit to the deserving, that is all.
I am proud of Jessica Sanchez. And I am proud to be Pinay, because she’s a half-pinay. What’s wrong with that? I don’t get the point of explaining this to other people. Obviously, you don’t feel the pinoy pride. Understandable! You get your pride from writing articles like this who claims to “just-speaking-the-truth” when in fact, it’s biased, and just all-too narrow. Moreover, how could you guys compare Pinoy to other nationalities when comparison is not due? Yes, Pinoys are all this and that, still, is that all you can say about our race? You pointed out the bad, you could at least point out some good. The fact that Pinoys are HAPPY just chanting PINOYpride inspite the irk of other nationalities is one. We are happy people. But yeah, let me point out that it is UNFAIR to GENERALIZE so, we are happy people and you guys are NEGATIVE people. Why does it bother you that Americans don’t say “I’m proud to be American? They’re not just like us. Period. WHy are we not like the successful singaporeans, japanese, etc blah blah? Because we’re not like them. TO EACH HIS OWN. Who else will love us if not ourselves? Who else will be proud of us if not ourselves?
And you should not be proud writing articles like this. What good will it contribute to the country? Pinoys who will read this will just get indignant as you mentioned there since for starters, it’s an article not doing any justice. If you’ll point out all the negas then point out the good too! GET REAL.
Feeling proud because J. Sanchez is pinay is just like feeling proud when you got a cousin or distant relative winning a contest or something. Don’t let yourselves be clouded by your own judgments of your OWN RACE.
And for Blooding, it’s her words against her. Why doesn’t the Phil claim Charice like a winner like Pacman, Lea and Sanchez? You tell me. She wouldn’t say that if she’s not a manager. And I wouldn’t bother explaining Pinoy pride to her, she would not understand anyway.
how to explain Pinoy pride to a foreigner? Whatever.
You are the perfect example of everything this article and other articles in this website has pointed out about this whole Pinoy Pride thing. Other than going outside of the Philippines so that you will actually see it from the outside perspective, you need to read the articles here. These are very educated, well thought out, well researched articles. If you don’t bother to read them so that you’ll see the error of your ways, you’ll just be, in reference to Plato, in the cave, unable gain the proper perspective because you’re simply too embedded into the system and in the corruption to actually
… see what is wrong with Pinoy Pride thing, and with the larger cultural context in general.
Pearloftheorientseas-
Here is my problem with “Pinoy Pride” as best manifested with support for Jessica Sanchez. Pinoy Pride comes at the expense of Pinoy brains and pinoy logic. Both of which do not have much in the warehouse.
The following explains it further.
http://cornholiogogs.multiply.com/journal/item/1297
This explains why there should be no pride whatsoever associated with American Idol itself.
http://getrealphilippines.com/2012/05/american-idol-in-its-irrelevance-is-relevant-to-us/
Its OK to differ in views but your post here implies that there is something wrong with those of us who thought this through. I agree with my colleague and friend FA that pinoys know little else so they look for acceptance in pseudo vehicles like American Idol.
You should be the one who should GET REAL because your ignorance sickens every critical thinker here. That’s the truth.
You can’t be proud of what you didn’t achieve, idiot. You were born a Filipino, much like I was. Hence we both cannot take ‘pride’ in something we were put into. I’ll give you 2/10 for ‘proud’ trolling.
Guys, try this one
http://thenewsbreaks.com/forum.php
I dread the day when the blood that flows in your veins is valued less than the name of the country printed on your passport.
?
i dont get your statement. what our discussions here are pointing is that it goes beyond JUST the blood or passport. how can you dread the day? what is there to dread?
There was a talent who left the Philippines coz she couldn’t get LOCAL SUPPORT.
Waiting to see if she makes it big ABROAD and this whole scenario gets repeated.
You said – “Well, sorry to disappoint you, Ms. Blooding. Filipinos condemn themselves routinely for asking cultural questions, what more foreigners? Not to say that it’s right, but they do it just as a scorpion can’t help but sting.”
Holy cow … this writer has got esteem issues. If you feel that way FallenAngel, please do not assume that you are representative of what filipino’s are. Obviously … filipinos saw Jessica as their own because her mother is a filipina. AYUN LANG !
The problem with some idiots is they tend to look for profundity when the answers are so simple and are staring them in the face. Tanga, sa madaling salita.
There is nothing wrong with “Pinoy Pride”. There’s something wrong with Filipinos who boast and call it “Pinoy Pride”.
it’s the media’s fault. Since they started to make such battlecry, Filipinos began to say it when someone makes it big in hollywood… But if we look at the brighter side of it, I think their real reason is because they wanted to encourage Filipinos to believe in themselves. They wanted to put in our minds that despite poverty and despite living in a third world country, We can make extraordinary things just like what the people in the first world do also… I guess this is what it really means it just turned out that Filipino people became so exaggerated that we even make a big deal with too little things.
There are instances when “pinoy pride” is appropriate. The revolution against Spain and the resistance against the occupying US forces were collective and heroic acts. These are examples we should be proud of. There are admirable efforts by a lot of Filipinos today which we can be proud of but they just go unnoticed.Â
When Pinoys feel proud of the individual achievements of athletes and entertainers, it’s just a different kind of pride, it’s more of admiration. Surely we can distinguish these from heroic acts. They are achievements nonetheless.Â
I do not understand is how fallen angel could come up with a general conclusions about “the pinoy” based on traits that apply only to some. I don’t think everybody’s saying “Pinoy Pride” when it comes to these individual achievements. Not even those who attended the Idol concert with JS.Â
Yes, the trouble is the media frames this admiration and support as part of pinoy pride. And once they do that, some people assume that it represents everybody’s sentiments.Â
Yes, I know where you’re coming from when this criticism applies to a certain group. Unfortunately, these netizens, these jejemonic-minded ‘children’ make the most noise around every time I get to youtube, and other blogs when it gets our culture involved.
The only way to deal with them is to put these squeaky little nitwits, who can’t even brook ANY sort of criticism, to their places. These may be a few, but they’re mighty deadly when they come to attack on just anyone who comments on anything not pleasing to the filipino ears. If you don’t like being lumped with the group then don’t get offended. Instead, you tell these immature almost brain-dead netizens to grow up and learn what self-reflection is all about.
These group of filipinos must’ve grown up somehow stunted and sheltered for not being taught by their parents where they’re wrong. Perhaps they’ve been told constantly ‘oh you’re such a special child’ even when these children have already been caught red-handed with such shameless acts of immaturity. Thus, they become another worm to finish up society.
This notion of pride that I come across here is more depressing than something to be exalted about. How can anyone shamelessly flaunt pride on anyone who hasn’t even touched the philippine soil for ages, has not even been born here, hasn’t been trained locally (take note little cretins) when we have as much talented, hardworking locals who struggle their way through just to let people know there is still hope in our music industry?
We have great engineers, teachers (my mum is one of them), great IT developers, and yet I can’t even hear a squeak from our own countrymen over how proud they are for the little benefits that they’ve contributed to our society. Where’s the pride in there, huh?
i couldn’t agree more….
Jose Rizal, this is the person I think of when I’m asked about Pinoy Pride. It’s what you have done for your country. Do something that would benefit the Filipino people without thinking about yourself, then you’ll get my vote.
Feed the hungry, do some charity work, help the less fortunate Filipinos. It’s not how many fans you’ve got because of your singing prowess, your punching power, this shouldn’t be the basis of Pinoy Pride.
Manny Paquiao, Arnel Pineda, Lea Salonga and Charice to name just a few, these Filipinos have contributed greatly through their charity work all over the country and had helped our country to be recognized around the world that it’s not just a country of caregivers and domestic helpers.
As for Jessica, I can’t say I know much about her, what she’s done for the Philippines, besides getting second runner up on American Idol and I’m guessing that she did that for herself and her family and wasn’t thinking about Pinoy Pride when she entered the contest.
As I see it, Jessica is only being used by the producers of AI just for their own benefit. They did the same with Tia Megia. They cashed in with ticket sales when AI went to the Philippines for a concert. Why? Because of Pinoy Pride, they saw this and they are cashing in. Does anyone know what happened to Tia? Is she still with the producers of AI? Did she get a record deal?
Don’t let this Pinoy Pride be something that parasites from other countries could use to cash in.
Filipinos are proud people, lets be reminded of the real reason why, think of Jose Rizal.
Attaching  “Pinoy Pride” on just about anything achieved by somebody of Filipino descent somehow cheapens the term “Pinoy Pride”. That’s what happens  with words, though. A lot of times they evolve into something different than their intended meanings. I would prefer the term to be used for acts that are collective and for efforts that help us culturally, not for acts that only reinforce in us foreign biases which make us disregard our own, and not for acts that glorify just the individual.
The issue now is how the term “Pinoy pride” is being used. There are times when people see somebody else’s achievement as an opportunity to brag and boast. This is just pathetic. We cannot attribute individual achievements to race or nationality. But in the same way, we also should not generalize when we’re talking about individual follies. We can not blame an entire race for the stupid things that some of us do.
This post explains why we claim Jessica Sanchez and any Fil Ams or Fil Whateverians as our own.
more than pinoy pride, it’s the Magellan inside all of us.
http://www.cheezmiss.com/2012/10/why-we-always-claim-jessica-sanchez-and.html
let me see some reactions here. just want to see who are real Pilipinos…
http://www.asianjournal.com/op-ed/gel-santos-relos/17398-jessica-sanchez-mania-in-manila-and-the-pinoy-pride-paradox.html
Mabuhay ka FallenAngel =)
This article should be shared…..
Spread the word 😀
Actually, they do possess such discipline, as seen in views of overseas workers by foreigners.
The problem is that the US and other countries removed protectionist policies for the country decades ago, leading to chronic economic crisis.
Wow, even the comments here are outdoing each other, an example of what exactly this article all about as describe by the author.
Please see some of my answer to negative comments posted here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MPzsMyIOes
i remember those days in Europe, where we met Pilipinos working from the White House. we called them “hey you Americans!” they answered yes they are Americans, but they whispered to us “we are still Pilipinos, look at our skin and our nose”. Wow! those are people with wide experience is life, who have exceptional job really high, and they want to be consider as Pinoys… They even gave us contact numbers that when some of us went to DC, they gave a good tour of the White House.
I then realized, it is really all about attitude, and they posses the most important one which is Attitude of gratitude. That no matter what they attained in life, they are grateful to where they come from, that they won’t deny it for whatever reasons, they are proud to be Pinoys, although most of them where born in the USA.
Those days gave me lessons in life, because i started to observed people who have gained tremendous success in life, and i found that they are the most grateful people on earth. why? because when you become very successful in life, you want to tell everyone that hey! what’s in me that made me extraordinary?
Their third world country genes do not become an issue anymore… instead they are so grateful for it.
Seni Gaid
Pinoy Pride…hmmmm?
I know a pinoy when I see one or hear a couple of them. In a restaurant, a group of Pinoys would be the loudest. I would hear their conversation even if I’m like 3 tables away. The locals give them a stare and they get even louder. That was in London.
Pinoys usually find a way around a line at the airport. The most usual thing they do is cut in line and pretend they didn’t. When accosted, they react two ways, both of them insincere. They say sorry, but never attempt to move out of the line. Do they really mean “Sorry for you I am now ahead of you”? The other way is to be oblivious of everything around them and when reminded that cutting in line is very rude, they get hostile, raise their voices and argue about who owns the airport? “why, do you own this airport?” they ask in a very angry manner. This happens in any airport in the world.
Pinoys have this very distinctive trait when it comes to empty seats next to them. In a restaurant, an airport boarding gate, or almost everywhere, they would place their purse or bags or anything on the seat next to them, even if people are standing and looking for a seat to sit on. When someone politely asks for the seat, they do take out their stuff, but in a very very annoyed manner… and grumble. Many, will answer back that the seat is reserved. This is really hard to understand since reserved seating is, well….reserved for particular events, not at airports or eating places. When told that what they are doing is rude and simply not civil, they will shoot back at you “Why, Do you own this chair?” I don’t get that argument either.
There are a few Pinoys I have met who do not display such behavior, but usually they have lived outside the Philippines for quite awhile. Sadly too, there are those who lived in the US for a long time, and yet insist in displaying such behavior.
I took a PAL flight a couple of times (pre-9/11)to Manila and there was one thing that amused me, all the liquid amenities in the lavatory had no caps. I had a chance to chat up a stewardess and asked her if she noticed it? Her answer floored me, she said “it’s policy, we leave them without the cover so people wont steal them and take them home.” So I pointed out to her that the guy on the aisle seat two rows from me, had the moisturizer, the mouthwash, and the lotion and was slipping it in his hand-carry. He plugged them with toothpicks! It wasn’t the last time I saw it happen.
Are these things what makes up Pinoy Pride, they seem to be proud in displaying such behavior?
Last thing, Vivaldi is one of my favorite composers. Tchaikovsky is another. Rachmaninoff is way up there too. I also like Taylor Swift and George Jones, and lately I like Psy because I think he is fun. I like Lea Salonga because I remember her from Mulan and Les Mis. I may know some of their nationalities, but just like the rest of the world, we know them by their songs, their talent and hardly care about their ethnicity.
So what’s with Jessica Sanchez? She sounds American, talks American, is American. Don’t tell me she looks Filipino, even if she does, it doesn’t preclude the fact that an American can look white, black, Asian, Hispanic or a combination of any of the above. Do Filipinos have to look “Filipino” to be Filipino? Is that part of Pinoy Pride too?
Really…Seriously, what is this thing called Pinoy Pride, is it like Balout?
Would like to post something here for you. i would reply to your post later on, maybe you will understand me then better:
THE ESSENTIAL FILIPINO
discovering dreams
–
a british journalist breezed into manila
with an assignment to write
about ‘the essential filipino’
he smiled confidently over his easy assignment
relishing the free tour as complementary reward
–
for three days, he ran around searching
he rejected the business district of makati
which reminded him of cold calculating london
he went to historical places in intramuros
but saw only a glimpse of the past not the present
–
next he tried the native cuisine at market market
delicious yes but nothing on the essential filipino
he was getting not only tired but also nervous
that he has not found his ‘easy’ story yet
time was running out, he had to go back in two days
–
he wasted the next day on inconsequential probes
into malls, churches, monuments
on his last day, he wrote his editor saying that
no one can possibly write about the essential filipino
in so short time, he asked for an extension
–
he was expecting a week, the editor was kind
but he was given only one lousy day extension
in desperation, on his last day
he took a wild stab at marketplaces
in singalong, he sat on a curb too tired to think
–
then he realized his mistake
he was looking for places not people
the thought hit him like a terrorist’s bomb
the essential filipino is a person not a place
how stupid could he be, he thought
–
sitting on the curb in exasperation
he began looking at faces that passed by
he noticed a boy selling fishballs from a rolling cart
he had a torn shirt and was barefoot
what attracted him was not the fishballs
–
the boy gyrated like michael jackson
unmindful of the noisy crowd around him
the journalist approached him
noticing the headphones he wore
he instantly realized it was loud music
–
music that drowned the noise
and transported the boy into his inner garden
the journalist had to scream
in order to bring him back into the real world
the boy removed the headphones
–
*****************
–
JOURNALIST
Hey, what are you doing?
–
BOY
Fishballs, sir, wanna buy?
–
JOURNALIST
Nice earphones, huh?
–
THE BOY GIVES THE EARPHONES TO THE JOURNALIST, WHO PUT THEM ON. HE INSTANTLY REMOVES IT, ALMOST FALLING FROM THE DEFEANING ROCK MUSIC. THE BOY SMILES AND PUT HIS EARPHONES BACK ON.
–
JOURNALIST
Hey, wait, we’re talking.
–
THE BOY REMOVES THE EARPHONES AND HANDS HIM THE TINY MP3 PLAYER FROM HIS POCKET. THE JOURNALIST EXAMINES IT.
–
JOURNALIST
Where did you get this? This is expensive, first-class mp3 player with first-class earphones. Don’t jive with your shirt.
–
HE FLICKS THE HOLE IN HIS SHIRT.
–
BOY
I saved income from selling fishballs for one whole year just to buy that. Nice huh?
–
JOURNALIST
Why don’t you buy a new shirt and shoes?
–
BOY
No need. Not important. Waste of hard earned money. Clothes don’t make me happy, only music.
–
JOURNALIST
You kill yourself selling fishballs the whole day for a year just to buy those?
–
BOY
Why not? What would you buy? What is your dream? Me, my dream is now real. I don’t need shirts and shoes, just a dream of dancing to music becoming real. What is your dream?
–
AT FIRST, THE JOURNALIST IS AT A LOSS FOR WORDS BECAUSE HE REALLY HAS NO ‘DREAM’ IN MIND, OR PERHAPS HIS DREAM IS TO FILE A STORY, THAT IS ALL, BUT THAT IS NOT REALLY A ‘DREAM’. A DREAM MUST BE SPIRITUAL AND FOREVER.
–
JOURNALIST
I guess I have no dream. Or yes I have a dream but it is not a good dream.
–
BOY
Too bad. You must be very sad. Buy yourself an mp3.
–
JOURNALIST
But that is not my dream.
–
BOY
So what is your real dream. There must be something you really really like.
–
JOURNALIST
I have been working so hard to survive that I forget what I really really like. My life is work work work.
–
BOY
But I also work work work. Let me tell you how to have a dream.
–
******************
–
and so the british journalist
was beginning to discern the essential filipino
he was amazed how in his dire poverty
the boy rejected the very materialism
that was gradually destroying affluent society
–
the essential filipino was a free spirit
who was poor and happy all at once
perhaps it came from his insular environment
or from his distant past, his austronesian roots
of nomads in tiny boats roaming the vast seas
–
the journalist took out a notebook
and started writing frantically
the boy peers into his writing, trying to read
and he says aloud ‘essential filipino … free spirit
spiritual dreams … nomadic boat people …
–
*****************
–
BOY
(Grabbing the notebook.) I know this is your dream. You just don’t know it. What you write here is your dream.
–
JOURNALIST
(Stunned at the boy’s perception.) I … I … I guess so.
–
BOY
It is not a guess. You know it. Once you know your dream, you must get it, or else you will be very sad and soon you will die because you know you have no more reason to live for. You cannot live just to live, can you?
–
JOURNALIST
Guess not. Thank you for telling me my dream.
–
ALMOST IN TEARS, THE JOURNALIST HUGS THE BOY AND GIVES HIM A HUNDRED PESO BILL. THE BOY IS STUNNED.
–
BOY
What for?
–
JOURNALIST
Because you help me find my dream that was right in front of my nose all this while.
–
BOY
Yes, you cannot see things that are too near. You have to move back to see.
–
JOURNALIST
Go, buy yourself more music.
–
**********************
–
it took thirty minutes for the journalist
to write his story at his hotel
in ten electronic milliseconds
the story was at the editor’s desk
the editor replied
–
‘this is the best story yet for a long time
our journalists often write about absurd things
but what you wrote
is an important wisdom for the affluent world
stay there for a month and write me more’
–
the journalist had a field day
his dream, like the boy, was now a reality
he would hang around with street vendors
later, he moved to the countryside
and talked to farmers and fishermen
–
he immersed himself in the essential filipino
poor, happy, equipped with a different kind of wisdom
unknown in the rich nations
he married a kalinga native and wrote a book
a best seller entitled ‘discovering dreams’
–
eastwind
–
_________________________________________
where goodness abounds
there also is evil lurking
to sow confusion and hatred among the good
–
where evil abounds
there also is goodness lurking
to reach out and convert among the evil
–
_________________________________________
mahatma gandhi’s principle of non-violence
revolves around the concept that –
–
peace is a more powerful weapon than war
a smile is more powerful than a sneer
a whisper is louder than a scream
the calm is in the eye of the storm
and total darkness recedes
when a single candlelight glows
–
we pedestal great men, creating semi-gods
like michael jackson and john lennon
not knowing the fame and fortune we bestow
would devour their spirits and consume them totally
–
of what use is the tall pedestal
men tell us to scale
when we would grow into giants
and fall with a resounding crash
–
better to be a happy unknown ant
than a sad noted giant
there is virtue in anonymity
and folly in popularity
So I am supposed to take this narrative that mentions no proper nouns, no specific paper , no specific people as 100% fact. OK.
The Santa story has touched the lives of so many children, although nobody knows about who the author is until now.
Children from all over the world still believed that Santa is from the North Pole and that he delivers gifts to good children in the eve of Christmas.
I mention the word narrative because it really reads like a short story. A fictional short story. So if it’s made up through the eyes of “basta pinoy da best” idealist what good is it really? Pinoys love to believe they are the chosen ones. So it results in the dominant attitude here. That attitude of mediocrity and chaos. There are many naive patriots out there. None of them write for GRP.
What you are basically doing within the confines of this discussion is you are answering the question how to explain pinoy pride to a foreigner is to resort to fairy tales. Point missed as usual. Feelings are one thing. Reality is another. If feelings are stimulated by bola its still bola. And you think it’s OK citing Santa. No wonder this culture is as dysfunctional as it is.
Have you heard of the Jolly Green Giant?
What is it with you people, why do you equate smallness and anonymity with being a good thing, and being a giant as a sad bad thing?
That fishball guy should have used his hard-earned money on getting an education. Then again, he made his choice, he was all about being about him. So no, I don’t see the virtue in that.
Truly? it is all about perception…
and the truth? i noticed that mature audience appreciates this more.
I found this article of The Essential Filipino, posted in one of the investor’s forum that I visit daily. Many people thank the person who made the posting, and so I got interested and got back reading it again.
I then sent this article to a 46 year old lady who 15 years ago married a filthy rich man. She then called me screaming for joy! She said “I’m just crying for joy, because I found my dream 15 years ago but I was so overwhelmed with things I can afford to buy and properties we can acquire from any part of the world we wishes to live. I realized now that I became a slave of our properties because all I did was work and travel with our home builder and the decorator†She said she will sit down with the husband and will start disposing most of the properties, because she said what she actually need is only one house in the city and a cottage.
I was amazed with her reaction, and so I posted it in another forum, and here are some inspiring words of people that replied:
My, how profound! Out of the mouths of babes…So often, our dreams and desires are right in front of us and we look right past them. Reading this has caused me to step back and take stock of myself. I’d like to read that bestseller, then I’d like to go and pursue my dream! Thanks for posting, and thank you to the original author.
This is a very good article.
If you look at all things around you, you can find much to be
thankful about. And, it all comes from God because He gave us
the ability to have whatever we ask.
I concur.
My Filipino wife and children live in the Philippines and I work most of the time here in cold Canada to give them what I think is my dream, but they had it and still have it already, there, right where they are. My beautiful wife grew up in a Nepa grass hut with her eight brothers and sisters and is the happiest person I know. All loves her, including me.
I want to go home to her now. I’m crying for her and my children now. Why am I still here?
God tells us in His Holy infallible word to be thankful for and In
ALL things. For the things that are provided for us, and In the things that shape us and make us who we are, the experiences that we grow from determine our character. Even the things that put us through the pain in life, we grow from the moments we live.
Fear is taught, not inherent, the Dark or Evil uses this masterfully against us all every day to control and keep us down to raise them up. If we continuously work every day to stop and look at the blessings and beauty that surrounds us, we will see there is so much more to be grateful for than to fear. I have.
This is a very heartwarming story. It proves the CAN DO Filipino spirit of the Filipino people. They find happiness in small things. They stand up again despite all the disasters they go through. They make a swimming pool out of the flood waters. They know how to enjoy life despite poverty.
What kind of investors would be glad a kid wasted his hard earned money on luxuries?
Did I just miss something there?
@ahehe
The longer I see some people counter argue here, the wiser a lot of past GRP authors and posts are. What comes to mind was the piece Call to Action: sayaw Pinoy sayaw
Every writer in GRP at some point has had to identify and cut through pinoy hubris. You are basically justfying a made up story that backs up whatever point you are trying to make. A fictional character warms the fictional heart of another fictional character. And it’s not like you disclosed it as such when you presented it. By trying to argue real life examples with a made up idealized story you are pinoy hubris.
When I first saw this site in October, I posted a link so you guys will see what I went through answering comments from people who posted negative stuff in another forum/blog. Now I started reading here and looks like I bumped into a site where some people here has a job to defend their idol, and they don’t care if foreigners are being disgraceful to Filipino community as a whole. Did you see the comments of Jack? Why no reactions from anyone? ok, let me answer this guy for now and I will get back to you later when I have more time online
Oh boy….. Here we go again. I see the victim card being played again.
Nice story…..this one is for the books!
Thanks for the comment. Highly intellectual person can see it the way you saw it. i am just one of the dumb one, i found it nice only after someone told me that this story has opened her mind.
I do not find anything heartwarming about a poor uneducated kid using up all his savings for an MP3 player.
CAN DO spirit? That’s precisely what I do not understand about that kid. There is nothing CAN DO about having no clothes nor shoes and using up all his savings for a little gadget that he finds pleasure with.
As to perception, I’m not sure you are very good with that either. I am a 52 year old photographer. I have seen many things in my lifetime. Yes, even half-naked kids dancing in the rain in a filthy slum somewhere in the Philippines.
I found more beauty, amazement and a humbling feeling photographing places like Banff, Jasper, Yellowstone or the rocks in Utah, should you be familiar with those places, than taking pictures of telephone wires choking a city out of what could have been pretty. I am grateful that someone almighty up there decided to create such natural beauty. Likewise I am grateful to the people who live there. They take pains to care for such natural wonders. Because of their work, such amazing beauty can be enjoyed by all.
Now that you put my mind to it, I wonder what the Filipino would do with a place like, say Peyto Lake, or Lake Louise. They’d probably destroy it with fishpens. Lots of it, like you see in lakes in the Philippines.
Well, hopefully you get to see your wife and kids soon. I hope they have “their shirts and shoes” on. Mankind by nature does stand up to any disaster, it’s called survival instincts. It’s in-bred…began with cave-men surviving dinosaurs and climate change.
Merry Christmas to you and yours.
What made you say about these disgusting comments? Looks like something had happened that made you really hate Pilipinos.
Just remember, not all Americans are good and not all Pilipinos are bad.
If we understand this statement by heart, we can move on with our lives and not be bothered about anything.
Let me tell you a little bit about Filipinos abroad. Your embassy in the Philippines made sure that only those who met the requirement can travel and work in your country, and that their skills are badly needed. They have undergone very strict test, be it medical or written test and interviews and so on. Most of them are just qualified and some over qualified with that education requirements. So, I just want to assure you, they are not dangerous, so nothing to be scared of Pilipinos. When you see them noisy, there could be different valid reasons, it could be because they wanted to let out the sadness in their heart being away from the family. They wanted to pretend that they are home. They always joke and it’s their way to have fun. When I was new in Europe, two of the Filipinos in our group were actually professors in Baguio City and they belong to a family that holds important position in the city. Sometimes they would be very noisy, talking loud and screaming, because they said that all their lives back home was always formal, and now they felt the freedom which could be misunderstood by all.
Let’s not be prejudice against Pilipinos. Good for you to have found a decent place to photograph instead of The Philippines. And I am glad you realized there are better things to photograph instead of naked people.
Good luck!
Your PAL story? They should actually be giving samples to their passengers so that they will have souvenirs, instead of accusing customers of stealing. They have to be happy they have returning customers that fly with them almost every year. All my life abroad, I know all travelers would like to get souvenirs of some sort, a little stuff from the airplane or hotels and restaurants, especially if it has the name of that 5-star hotel, so they have something to brag about that they’ve been to that place. Frequent travelers collects bar soap, tiny bottle of perfumes, towels, hangers, etc. It is actually one way of free advertising on behalf of the company, but it is sad though that they call it stealing.
And about this Jessica Sanchez thing? When someone became popular, people starts to dig where they come from, and some even draw a family tree like that of the Royal family. I have done lots of explanations in other blogs about it, and people were bashing me. But, people are people and I just pray that they may have a clear mind so they will understand what I really mean.
I am never fanatic about idols, but I do my social obligations to my countrymen. Whenever a celebrity will come to do some concert here, I support by selling tickets, advertising about the event, etc. I was always hoping that someday, one of these amazing celebrities will do something good for the poor kids in the Philippines. I think Jessica will do a great job doing charity works in collaboration with Charice and other big guys, because she has bumped into good people like David Foster, Clooney and Apl.de.ap who are already into helping people.
And wow! I just learned today from an international student, that those Korean that migrated to China and got citizenship when the China formed their government after the world war, it is still stated in their Chinese passport that they are from Korea even though their ancestors has settled in China since 1890. So, I am right when I did my own reasoning about proud Pinoy.
And hey Jack, I hope someday you see your dream. The first time I read this Filipino Essential thing, it did not hit me, but it did the second time.
You don’t translate it word for word just like you did, just look at the whole big picture and beyond. I did not even see the fishball kid here. The real meaning that touched our lives is, we are so caught up with things we do everyday, and when we reached the goal which is our dream, we continued with the next dream instead of enjoying the dream we have just achieved.
Merry Christmas to all!
Just a couple of quick ones here for your benefit. Loudness in a public place,like a restaurant DOES bother other people. It disturbs. Whatever reason it was, you just can’t do what you want if it means taking something away from others. It is not a CIVIL thing to do. It is rude.
PAL is an airline, if it does not give away samples of toiletries it’s not their business to do so. They do give out personal kits with toothbrush,toothpaste, a comb, and a nightpatch. Toilet amenities in the airplane lavatories are for the benefit of EVERYONE. It is not meant to be taken away by any individual. It is plain selfishness to swipe them for yourself.
Similarly, toilet amenities in YOUR hotel room is for your exclusive use. You can take them with you. Towels and hangers and other items on the other hand are charged to your room if you take them. Please know that. Hotels would clearly tell you which ones are complimentary and which ones can be bought. Usually there would be a souvenir/sundry shop in “5-Star” hotels. You can buy your souvenirs there. Just being really clear here.
You just convinced me. You surely are not the right person to explain Pinoy Pride. By the way, it is a common sight…kids and grown men sitting around half-naked in Manila, and yes they do offend the sensibilities of some people. Personally, it may look disgusting but it doesn’t bother me much.
I will credit you though with being a perfect example of what others (like Gogs), have been describing as Pinoy Hubris.
Honestly, I can’t get thru the weeds in your reply. If I didn’t know any better I would have thought you were merely trying to be obnoxious. I wont go that far though….I’m done.
I have lived thru many of my dreams, some didn’t come easy but hey, I can’t complain. It’s a wonderful life and I wish everyone else can say the same. One day. Someday.
If you are writing a book about Filipinos and you list down all the bad behavior that you hated about them, then maybe I will understand your point; you need it to complete your book. But that is not the case here, as you just wanted to insult Filipinos because you despised them so much.
If their behavior is bothering you, stay away from them, just as easy as that. One thing I do not like from your posting was, you singled out Filipinos as the only group of people stealing in the aircraft. Everyone knows that stealing souvenirs in aircraft, hotel and restaurant is rampant all over the world.
BTW, some foreigners are stealing white sands as souvenir from the beach of Boracay in the Philippines. So how do you comment on that?
You are just unfair to Filipinos; I hope you are not racist.
I have worked the longest with Americans and I know you guys; you people hate racist. So what has happened to you?
I know of a man who was never good with colored people, but when I saw him again 20 years later, I was amazed that people working for him were colored people. I asked how did that happened? Well, they said that he had an accident one day, and his huge BMW motorcycle landed on top of him. He started calling for help, and all the local people passing by were just in a hurry and has ignored him. Fortunately, an Asian looking man came to helped and took him to the hospital. The doctor told him that if it lasted for another 10 to 15 minutes without help that came, he could have lost his legs and a worst scenario could also happen. What is sad for him is, the man that helped him did not leave contact information, so he just named him ASIA.
I just pray for you that one day, you get beautiful experience with Filipinos, so you can reverse that bad impression towards them.
Just a quote from wise word:
You must empty your cup, so that He can fill it
You must give away your wealth, so He can enrich you
Wise words are worth more than all the gold you can carry.
“Your PAL story? They should actually be giving samples to their passengers so that they will have souvenirs, instead of accusing customers of stealing. They have to be happy they have returning customers that fly with them almost every year. All my life abroad, I know all travelers would like to get souvenirs of some sort, a little stuff from the airplane or hotels and restaurants, especially if it has the name of that 5-star hotel, so they have something to brag about that they’ve been to that place. Frequent travelers collects bar soap, tiny bottle of perfumes, towels, hangers, etc. It is actually one way of free advertising on behalf of the company, but it is sad though that they call it stealing.” –HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Kadiri ka.
The article was about Pinoys and their kind of pride, wasn’t it?
I’m not too sure about “stealing souvenirs” being rampant all over the world. I know people ask permission or pay for them. Sorry about your sand being stolen, but if you visit any National Park in America you would know not to take anything, not even a stone. There is a saying “take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time”.
I put on my observations about Pinoys and you are so tempted to pull the racist card on me. No, I do not need to make an effort to stay away from them. They need to make an effort to improve their behavior.
There are more articles on this site that describes the way you are. You should read them. Here’s one:
http://getrealphilippines.com/2012/07/an-alternative-personification-of-the-pinoy-the-spoiled-brat/
And another:http://getrealphilippines.com/2011/03/filipinos-cannot-progress-if-they-cannot-follow-even-simple-guidelines/
I’d be careful about using the term “colored people” if I were you. But then again, what do you care. Oh….based on your posts, I’d bet the doctor at the hospital MUST be Asian or Filipino right?
The article was about Pinoys and their kind of pride, wasn’t it? YES Jack, and you could have started your first posting with it. If you have seen my very first posting in other blog, it was all relevant to the topic, but I have to answer comments from people showing some sort of hatred. Actually, It was kinda difficult to maintain the flow of thought when the reply is irrelevant to the topic, and so I have to use examples so I will be understood.
What I mean is just ignore them if you are irritated with what Pinoys are doing and move on with your life. When those Big letter agencies were created to help solve the problems of the third world nations, they have little success, so how can you and me do the job? All we can do is help if we can, and avoid bombarding them with criticism that will hurt them more.
Thank you for sending me those links, I browsed but I just have little time to read more, maybe tomorrow.
Have you ever thought of examining your ten fingers? None of them are the same! Now look at your teeth and tongue when they don’t agree, the teeth bite the tongue. You know our country has over 85 dialects? Of course they will not understand each other. We have English language to use so we can all understand each other, but most Pilipinos who attained higher education will use difficult words that even The English people do not commonly use. So with that situation, Pilipinos with brilliant ideas will be pushed away to the corner and will feel intimidated which could prevent them from participating in important activities for the community.
If you look at Germany or French they only use one language and if they have dialects, it will just be few. They use same words that their people understand and often used, so someone with brilliant ideas can contribute to the community and to the greatness of the country.
BTW, any person that is not white is colored and I am one of the colored. When I was in Europe, I met a black woman who was just gorgeous, and so when I hear “blacks are beautiful†I actually reply “they are gorgeousâ€. and
When I went to Luxor to see the tomb of King Tut, we were lucky to be in the group of that retired general who taught me a lot about people. He told us to shake hands with those poor local people that tourist will usually ignore. He told us that those people are truly blessed and was made stronger than us. My heart almost melted when I felt the kindness of those human beings, and yes, they are better than me, God made them stronger than any tourist who keeps complaining about heat, water, etc. So, if I make mistakes, it was just wrong choice of words
How about you Jack, what is your ethnic background? If you don’t mind
You must be very proud of your roots, and if you do, you are a grateful and a blessed person.
And about Pinoy pride, actually, I have been asking all kinds of people here lately, and their reply was, Jessica is lucky that she only have 2 bloodline. Yes, she is Mexican and also Pilipino, but citizen of USA. We cannot stay away from our roots, this is why, no country will change our birth certificate when we apply for citizenship, and our parents will tell our country of origin. They said in Israel, if the mother is from Israel, that child is without question a Jewish.
Latino pride? White pride? they have so many successful people in their country that to them this is kind of ordinary thing… but to a small nation like Philippines, when we went abroad, it was like impossible to succeed knowing that we will be competing with people who are already stable in that country. So, when one of us succeeded we are so very proud of it, we can feel that in a democratic country, we have a place to grow as well and be recognized. It is not about race, but it is about recognition. Our country is very small, but we are a member of the UNO, and that we can be very proud of because we are being recognized by big nations. It’s human instinct! Human beings wanted to be recognized.
I hope by next year, I can continue my charity works. I would like to use also Jessica and Apl.de.ap and Charice album to raise fund. I have some good idea to do it.
BTW, here is one of my posting from another blog:
Many argued that Jessica cannot do anything to help our poor kababayans!!!
you guys never heard of “Candle in the Wind” by Elton John? that sold about 3.5 million copies of CDs in first week alone and 37 million copies in 4 months of that year 1997, multiply that with $12 or more. People knows it will be used for charities that Lady Diana supported around the world.
There are so many success stories, but that was extraordinary, that until now lots of poor people around the world are benefiting from it.
ONE GOOD SONG to make things happened overnight. That is power!
Let’s pray that something will come up with the leadership of Jessica and the American Idol group in collaboration with our most talented successful individuals in Pinas, Manny Pacqiao, apl.de.ap. Lea Salonga, Sharon Cuneta, Charice, Arnel Pineda, and many other charity organizations in the Philippines. This is a vision
I really hope something big will happen, so they can do something good for the poor people of poor nations.
The truth is, after all what we have said, and all the time spent here blogging, it did not do anything good for our poor kids in the Philippines. We were so busy proving who is who and who is better. The Jessica and American idol group came and gone, and we did not ask them to perform especially for our poor kids in the Philippines. Nobody in the Philippines can think like David Foster and George Clooney who immediately asked Jessica to perform for the charity they are supporting. She has been busy singing for charity organization lately. She is a very good young lady and if we support her, she will do lots of good stuff for poor nations and The Philippines.
Merry Christmas and Happy new year to all!
“colored people” is inappropriate….”people of color” is the politically correct term. They are not interchangeable. Please do not confuse them.
Merry Christmas.
Thanks for correcting me.
“People of color” emphasizes that they are “people” first, with color as descriptive attribute. I like that better, a softer language and sounds more dignified to me.
Browse to this site and tell us your comments: yabangpinoy.com
I posted an image in case the owner/s make changes:
http://www.4freeimagehost.com/show.php?i=9f1f781feb55.jpg
in some way she has the point when she made this statement “And the more I think about it, I start to get insulted on many levels. Ph can’t claim something that is made in USA. And they only wanted to claim Charice after people in the USA put value in her. It’s wrong for both singers. Sorry, I’m just feeling a bit indignant about the situation.â€
Filipinos rarely appreciate talent when it isn’t made or being renowned outside the country, keep on bashing and make hate statements from a fan to a performer, comparison and etc, if only we keep on supporting our own artist watching their videos supporting their talents maybe there’s no more question whether we can send them to international stardom having known as the CYBER WORLD CAPITAL of the WORLD…
kasi utak talangka parin tayo… wala na ang nasyunalismo… kung si PSY sumikat nga sa BUONG mundo, di maipagkaila, PILIPNO nanood doon karamihan..
World Bank: Philippines is the 4th
biggest remittance recipient in 2010.
According to the report:
1.) India amounted to $55 billion
2.) China with $51 billion,
3.) Mexico with $22.6 billion
4.) Philippines with $21.3 billion.
Philippines is the smallest nation
compared to the first 3 mentioned above.
To our Kababayans, this is the
collective accomplishment of Filipinos
abroad that you can be proud of. We are
here to help our nation’s economy, so we deserved to be recognized as Filipinos no matter what.
Our very great grandfather who first set
his foot to the foreign land many many
years ago (if only he is still alive
today) will be very happy and proud to learn of the results of his prayers, big dreams, his vision, and sacrifices; that one day
those Pinoys whom he referred as his
children and grandchildren, who will follow his footsteps, will achieve huge success and recognition world wide.
Jessica Sanchez is one of the answer to
his prayers, big dreams…his vision…and
sacrifices… So please welcome Jessica home with open mind, arms and heart as one of the Pinoy pride.
Only God knows what is her purpose and mission in life that will benefit poor nations around the world like The Philippines.
This young lady bumped into good people like David Foster, George Clooney, Apl.de.ap and many more, who are into big charity works.
So, let’s support Jessica so she can achieve huge success. The bigger she gets, the faster she can accomplish her mission, and her journey will be smooth, fun and just wonderful!
MABUHAY!
of course we’re proud of her. even if she grew up in america, she still has relatives here, and unlike your askew culture where kids and moviegoers are shot just for kicks, people here genuinely care for each other, and are actually happy when one of our own goes far
each culture has its own set of good and bad. we’re happy with who we are, even if ignorantly so. why don’t you stop scrutinizing our culture and go dissect your own
This was so on point and i’ve also caught myself thinking the same way. I always pointed out who was filipino and successful but most of them are just not even filipino in the fact that they were born and raised elsewhere.
Glad to have some perspective on this mentality.
Charice is truly talented and I feel like that she’s one of many. There are several talented kids out there with videos that circulate on Facebook. Only if others can see the beauty in nurturing them we could have some big superstars.
Fantastic website. A lot of helpful information here.
I’m sending it to several buddies ans also sharing in delicious.
And obviously, thanks for your effort!
It’s really simple stupid, shallow, uneducated people who think they are not stuff