Many Filipinos are too lazy to think and this is demonstrated in their voting habits and approach towards people. They think of the first name that comes to mind, or that is more familiar. There’s often no bother to dig up the history of the person. They probably assume, ah these guys will automatically do the job anyway, because they are famous names. Thus, we end up with other people lamenting, “why did these guys get voted?”
Photo courtesy of the Philippine Star
This belief in famous names is not just an effect of starstruck ignoramusness. Or rather, part of the starstruck ignoramusness is that Filipino culture promotes breadlosing; they want to live on hand-outs Juan Tamad-style. Connected to this behavior is sucking up to people who they believe can give them this, plus other favors.
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In this time of Covid-19, there’s that obvious PR machinery buildup for Pasig mayor Vico Sotto, even to the point of making that premature and juvenile call for him to go for a national office. Still more starstruck ignoramusness (but most likely trolls), but it could mean the “opposition” is dropping Leni as their banner-holder and are looking for someone with more charisma (i.e. showbiz appeal) to be their figurehead.
But aside from this, fixation on famous names brings up another part of the Philippine psyche. Filipinos see fame as part of the road to getting the Juan Tamad lifestyle. As a result, there is a lot of crazy behavior Filipinos drag themselves down to just for this. For example, dumb Tiktokers, Filipinas leeching off foreigner husbands and that Filipino maid in Singapore who donned her employers’ clothes without permission.
Heroes’ Descendants Baloney
There are self-proclaimed descendants of heroes. Some believe that these people should continue to lead us, because, as the myth goes, “talent/greatness/put-in-your-magic-trait-here is in the blood.”
But being a descendant of a hero does not make one a hero; in fact, they can be the opposite. They become government officials and get embroiled in corruption. Even when not in government, they can still get into trouble in other ways.
It’s annoying when a descendant boasts his “hero heritage,” implying that he is always right and he is superior to everyone. That is toxic entitled arrogance. Even if he is a descendant, he deserves no honor. It’s better to avoid people like them.
We have to stop believing that greatness, talent, intelligence, good character and such are genetic influences. Rather, they are the result of decisions people make. Leadership is not destined, but earned.
I also understand that some descendants carry the name and feel that people expect of them to be a “hero” in their own way. I call baloney on this. Nothing of the sort should be expected of them. And they should stop assuming that they need to live up to their own name. Just living a decent private life is better.
When I voted in the 2016 and 2019 elections, I decided to look for unfamiliar names and research on them. While I still put in a few familiar ones, like Dick Gordon, I believe I should have gone for all unknowns but with specific platforms I like, such as charter change. Better to have those people than familiar ones who don’t know what they’re doing. I have willingness to try unfamiliar ground in elections, and perhaps other people should be encouraged to do the same.
Resisting Others’ Charms
I also implied in a past article that we should learn to resist the charms of other people. Filipino culture teaches us to give in to bola-bola and be taken in by others. Perhaps some misanthrope tendencies should be taught more widely. Teaching our kids not to trust strangers should be supplemented by teaching them to be careful of the charms of other people. Helping in that would be teaching them to avoid wanting to please people or seeking validation.
We should also learn to stop being taken in by someone’s appearance. We should remember sayings like, “beauty goes only skin deep,” which is often proven in divorces by men from their lovely but toxic wives (or perhaps some would like to cite Mocha Uson). Same with someone who is a “young politician.” Oh c’mon, you think being young means being untainted? You obviously haven’t learned of corruption in Sangguniang Kabataan.
We should excise this tendency to follow famous names and teach resistance to it. Wokes and commies keep on crying “revolution,” but the kind of revolution they want is stupidity and bunk. A real revolution would be getting rid of our showbiz ignoramusness. We’d best get on it now.
I believe, as my cohorts here do, that what Filipinos embrace as their culture is what actually pulls the country down. And those who seem to be anti-dictators, who may also believe themselves to be “heroes,” are the real dictators.
we will never know it’s a mango tree till it bears a mango fruit.
Children of famous people and politicians, must earn their way to leadership…they have to prove themselves…The dishonest media and public relation people , who hype and endorse these incompetent people, are as guilty, as the people they endorse.
Sometimes, children of successful people, do not turn up of what they are….sometimes, an unknown guy or gal, turns out to be a good leader. Do not be taken by their : charisma, family names, good looks , or being in the Show Biz….
Examine their credentials, and their competence…if they or some PR firm…or some group of media people are overselling that person…something is “rotten” in him or her…
“If it is Good to be True…indeed, it is too Good to be True”…they usually say it !
People need to see beyond names and brands. Simple.
Why is GRP pounding on the Mayor of Pasig with its recent series of articles lately? What about it exactly?
GRP isn’t defining exactly what thinking standards did it apply, while seeing the activities of the Mayor of Manila acceptable, even revolutionary, it then finds the activities of the other Mayor in Pasig, not only quite unacceptable, but, even grandstanding!
Is it about the mayor’s incompetence? Abuse of power? Maybe perhaps, it’s the showbiz connection?! But no, Vico, technically, is not even a showbiz personality (though he is one only by affiliation!). He hasn’t done any movies (yet) nor he does TV guestings in variety shows nor talk shows. If you see him on TV, it’s only about public affairs.
Ironically, it is GRP’s boy who is an actual actor, a has-been actor, who habitually does TV guestings not even related to his function as a public offical everytime he gets the chance or opportunity to do so. Quiet achivement is not also a virtue of his. Everytime he wants to do something he will engage the people with his facebook by going live, even when there’s no need for that.
(He kinda reminded me of the “running priest” who treathens to run whenever he has something to protest about. But not without the cameraman behind him or in front of him!)
GRP’s series of Vico articles puzzles! I am not a political person so I didn’t see it coming. But the open internet almost provides everything.
Vico’s wikipedia entry provides this:
“Sotto originally ran for a seat in the Pasig Sanguniang Panglungsod as an independent, and won a seat without having any party affiliation.
“In 2019, Sotto was sworn in as a member of Aksyon Demokratiko, a national political party founded by former Senator Raul Roco in 1997.”
(He has refused to join bigger, more-established parties despite political pressure to do so.)
The Aksyon Demokratiko party being a split from Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) whose founder Jose “Peping” Cojuangco, Jr. has affiliation to the infamous political losers of Otso Diretso.
But LDP is a split from PDP-LABAN of which President Duterte is the chairperson! It is a merger of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) founded by Aquilino Pimentel Jr. and Lakas ng Bayan (LABAN) whose founder Benigno Aquino Jr. is the opposition’s iconic hero.
Being a member of Aksyon Demokratiko, Vico’s automatically seen now as partymate identified to the opposition (aka the Yellowtards).
So with the above, something tells me that GRP’s politics plays the persuasion and that partly explains…
We’re just a bunch of different people who have the same view about Sotto and can’t hold our tongues (or, fingers on the computer keyboard). It’s not a concerted effort. Besides, try convincing me that all this mayor-for-president build-up isn’t a troll factory thing.
As of the moment, I’m in no mood to convince you or anyone.
So, I will just refer you to some links to make your own assessment, if it validates with your own and if it convinces you that your thinking standards, if applied evenly about the whole thing, is correct. You judge it yourself!
As early as now, there is an article titled, “2022 Philippine presidential election” from wikipedia which include potential candidates who have directly and indirectly hinted on the possibility of running for president or vice president in the 2022 presidential elections.
It would perhaps disappoint you, that, in there, you would see not a “Vico” but a smiling “Domagoso”, in between two vice presidents, one of them is fake, of course.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_Philippine_presidential_election
In the website of Publicus-Asia (a pre-election surveyor supposedly, but in reality, just a public relations firm) an organization who styled itself as one who claims to set the standards in a nascent industry in the Philippines in “Lobbying and Political Campaigns Management” and enabling realities (I suppose for clients) since 2003. There, we can also see no signs of Vico… only of Domagoso.
In that press release… err, survey, you will find Domagoso (still considered a lightweight candidate at national level), curiously, out-gunning the heavyweights, behind only the Dutertes, in every category: poll results for presidential race and vice presidential race as well as on the general voting predisposition of voters for the president and vice president.
http://www.publicusasia.com/vismin-voters-choose-duterte-2x-tandem-in-first-2022-pres-vp-poll/
This “unreliable early pre-poll survey” prompted a hard-hitting commentary from the late Ninez Cacho-Olivarez:
“Publicus-Asia, as a pre-election surveyor, still hasn’t earned its spurs or credentials, and even its pre-poll surveys brought out this early is highly suspected of having been done to get these certain political names flashed in the public’s mind early enough in the electoral picture as political contenders to watch for. Survey takers just don’t come up with presidential pre-election surveys a little over two years away. A survey like this is a useless political survey. At most, what could be the probable reason is that some of these very presidential and vice-presidential choices listed may just be clients of the survey firm and are being presented early to gain electoral traction in 2022.
“That useless Publicus-Asia pre-poll survey can land straight into the garbage can.”
https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2019/12/19/unreliable-early-pre-poll-survey/
You can now ask yourself, who’s the one really doing this mayor-for-president build-up thing?!
Public Relations. And from what I’ve heard, some PR firms manage trolls. Perhaps you know who runs them.
Unfotunately,Mr. ChinoF, I do not!
As a habit, I do not claim to things, which I, in reality, don’t know about… which cannot be rationally defended. You should do the same.
I won’t. It’s an obvious thing that PR firms and trolls are trying to influence public opinion. It would be best to resist them.
@ChinoF
Presented with something verifiable above and still being adamant?! If it is an obvious thing, in whose favor do you think they’re obviously for in particular?!
Wait a minute, I was confused about “GRP’s boy,” then I realized it was Bong Revilla.
HAHAHAHAHAHA
So you’re implying we’re under the employ of Revilla? How stupid. You accuse me of making unverified claims, but you’re the first one to do it. Try harder.
Ha ha! Try harder! ?
Excuse me but, what’s with Bong Revilla?
Like with Joy Belmonte, some people are angry that he isn’t visible. Could be an effort of trolls and shills, too.
Quite frankly, I don’t really know if your ad hominem was intended for me or for someone else. I also didn’t realize that GRP also dwells in the realm of this type of argumentum.
However, your confusion lead me to my own confusion. How did Bong Revilla manage to get into the whole thing with what you started (your article!), when obviously he wasn’t even mention by anyone in anyway? Your realization is entirely your own. It’s your own problem!
So, who’s accusing who…really?! What end do self-styled intellectuals like yourselves are trying to achieve?
You should also take benign0’s advice and yours. Try harder! Peace!
Evolution taught us some shortcuts to enable us to cooperate/have group dynamics decision making and to survive. This includes trusting strangers and name recall (relevant to this article) and lots of other things. (Although this has negative/sideeffects, our species survial proves this is a net positive bargain) This is common to all homo sapiens, not just to the filipino race you love to denigrate. Please learn some more before you feed grp readers your ignorant pseudo intellectual quarantine-induced drivel.
But there are deceptive people who want to earn your trust and fool you, right? You say that about Duterte, but forget, or want to bury, that who came before him was worse? That’s why sometimes, we need to challenge what “evolution” taught us and fine-tune it.
That article would be a very powerful slap to the likes of DisGrace Poe because she only became popular because of her goddamn stepfather not because she have lots of achievements and valid credibility to become a government official. Then she even has the fucking guts to tap the fame or popularity of actors included in the cast of FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano?! What a fucking strategy! Mind you, we will not progress to become a first world country from the likes of Singapore from these mindless celebirities!