“Eh buhay ka pa naman, diba?” (But you did not die, right?) – reportedly said by President BS Aquino to the recently deceased Tacloban business man Kenneth Uy.
“Hindi naman siguro fatal iyan” (It’s not fatal anyway) – Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) head Emilio Abaya’s words, when asked about the worsening traffic problem in Metro Manila. Abaya later clarified that “not fatal” means “not burdensome to the daily lives of the people.”
Oh, if he only knew. He apologized eventually, after citizens called him out on his insufferable and callous remarks.
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If only I could say that the utter disregard for the well-being of the ordinary Filipinos is something relegated to their government, I would. But alas, that is apparently not the case. After all, the character of the government merely reflects that of the people who elected it.
Let me ask: how many of us have been in arguments like the one shown below, especially for those who are motorists?
Person A: Hey, watch it! We almost got into an accident!
Person B: May nabangga ba? (Did we get into an accident?)
Person A: That’s not the point! You should be more careful!
Person B: May nabangga ba? Wala. O, ano nirereklamo mo diyan? (Did we get into an accident? No, so you shouldn’t complain!)
Sounds all too familiar to many of us, I bet.
The principle of “no blood, no foul” is at work here in Filipino society. As long as one’s not hurt, as long as one’s alive, he/she has no right to complain. And if one of the parties does die? Well, he/she can’t complain anymore. Pasensyahan na lang. Convenient, isn’t it?
What is the part of this mentality I find most disturbing? Because there is no full-blown incident, the typical Filipino thinks that there’s nothing wrong with the way he does something. He keeps teasing fate; eventually his luck will run out and when an incident does occur, he will claim it is the fault of the other party. Worst case scenario, he loses his life.
There is no reflection on “why did that happen” and “what can be done to keep it from happening again”; there is only “no harm, so there’s nothing wrong”. There is no sign of having learned any lesson; there is only hubris enforced by a lack of personal accountability.
I’m not allowed to complain because nothing happened? What if something does happen? What if someone dies? I’m still not allowed to complain?
Yes, in Filipino society complaining is generally unacceptable. You should just grin and bear it. Because, after all, you did not die right?
If you die, pasensyahan na lang. Ang tanga-tanga mo naman kasi eh. (If you die, sorry. It’s because you were stupid.)
If, as a Filipino, you see nothing wrong with such a prevalent and chronic attitude, then it should come as no surprise why your society is such in a decrepit state.
Wala pa naman nangyayari sa akin eh. (Nothing’s happened to me yet.)
Aantayin mo pa ba may mangyari sa iyo bago ka kumilos? (Are you going to wait for something to happen to you before you do something?)
Hay, mga kawawang Pilipino nga naman, di na natuto… (Sigh, pitiful Filipinos, they never learn…)
[Photo courtesy: martoccio.com]
А вы, друзья, как ни садитесь, все в музыканты не годитесь. – But you, my friends, however you sit, not all as musicians fit.
I would always be a better hater of things and institutions than a lover of them.
EXCELLENT CONCEPT, FallenAngel.
As long as “it doesn’t kill them”, DOTC Head can sit in a chair in the middle of EDSA for 2.5 hours of morning jam and 2.5 hours of afternoon jam, so his “Bosses” can personally express their appreciation.
Offices and Homes of Representatives and Senators and ERC should have the power cut off from 7 AM to 7 PM daily so they can share the experience of their “Bosses” in Mindanao and Occidental Mindoro.
They can just grin and bear it. Because, after all, they did not die right?
or
If they die, sorry. It’s because they were stupid.
Right??
These expressions are uttered at the back-end of an event..after the result is ascertained. The causes are attitudes and mindsets of “bahala na” and “baka makalusot”. It is indicative of doing things without thinking them through, (or at all), and yet expect them to come out well. It is a loser’s calling card.
Now, let’s apply this to Presidents and their minions. Despite the fact that Gloria Arroyo is now accused of everything related to corruption, (and all these might be be true).. the fact remains that her training ensured that her economic and infrastructure policies were well thought out and sound. The worldwide economic turn-down just stunted growth then; the current dispensation is now the beneficiary, owing to the fact that neighbors in the region like Indonesia and Malaysia who were flush with cash, saw the Philippines as a viable and ready investment prospect. The ‘Daang matuwuid’ policies now is akin to throwing mud against a wall, and hoping that some would stick, (think of the BBL, PDAF, DAP, Mamasapano and Purisima).
I have no sentiments, one way or the other.. either for Arroyo or Aquino. These are just the facts.
simple, heartfelt, sad but true. ang galing.
where are the academics who should be studying this deterioration and now utter lack of civility and contempt for rules in the philippines? so many studies can be made of the unintended consequences of mismanagement and corruption (perhaps this is one of them). would be interesting to quantify just how manhid(desensitized) everyone is.
Great article, FallenAngel
1 million likes.
Would I be correct in assuming that DoTC includes aviation in its portfolio? As the Philippines has only recently regained the right to fly into European airspace and been released from restrictions on flights to the USA,might their authorities again be concerned as to the standard of oversight maintained by Secretary Abaya’s department? After all,fish stink from the head.
I doubt that Lucio Tan or Ramon Ang or whoever owns Philippine Air Lines would be impressed if they lost two major markets for their new shiny jets as a result of Secy Abaya’s loose lips.
Aquino and Abaya are both irresponsible and insensitive people. They do not know the hardship and suffering of ordinary people.
They are living in air conditioned, guarded, nice places, served by retinue of servants.
They simply have no empathy on ordinary Filipinos. Aquino was brought out rich. Abaya is now rich.
So, to hell with the everybody. “We are living a good life…” says Aquino and Abaya…these two mongoloids.
you probably hurt the feelings of people with Down’s Syndrome on that Mongoloid bit..i think they are far better people than Aquino or Abaya..
Indeed, BS Aquino et. al., are using yellow tard minion wiles to get what they want, trading on their looks.
Read books, all of you G-D-SOBs, that passive aggressive number went out long ago.
All of you Failipinos in the Failippines, including the likes of BS Aquino, give the name Nobita Nobi, a bad name!
Just looking at how some trolls approved of the death of the jeepney driver in Maketi, you can tell that some ordinary Filipinos are much like the politicians they profess to hate: callous, uncaring, unconcerned, and disrespectful of the lives of people they consider “lower” than them. Thus, it proves that the country deserves the leaders it elects
I say this is what happens to society when there is weak leadership.
We’ve seen leaders that are able to transform, not just the flower boxes, but the people themselves. In the local scene, my favorites are the works of Gordon, Duterte and BF.
In the end, yes – It was society that elected a weakling for a leader.
Even in daily life in my school, I always see this kind of trash mentality. Small issue for them (or lack thereof), but it’s a big deal for me. Because nothing big happened yet until shit finally hits the fan.