About Jon E. Royeca

(Part 6 of the “In Defense of the Filipino” series)

URINATING on the street or against the wall, spitting in public, jaywalking, disposing of garbage anywhere, and other bad habits make anti-Filipinos conclude that we Filipinos are undisciplined and the worst citizens on earth.

For anti-Filipinos, other countries are progressive because their peoples are disciplined, neat, and courteous. When Filipinos are abroad or in Subic (the former site of a U.S. military installation), they notice that the people there are disciplined, and hence they also become disciplined. They do not urinate on the street or against the wall, spit in public, disobey traffic rules, dispose of garbage anywhere, and do other bad habits. But when they are here in the Philippines or not in Subic, they do all those bad habits.

These are very unfair accusations.

It is not because we Filipinos are undisciplined. It is because of the wrong systems imposed on us by the authorities.

Traffic education. Nobody is teaching the public about comprehensive traffic education. People of all sorts—professionals, workers, peasants, students, etc.—should be informed about traffic lights, pedestrian lanes, and walk and don’t walk signs.

The students, from the earliest grade until high school, should be brought to the streets so that they would know where, when, and how to properly cross the streets. If taught early, they would carry those rules with them all their lives.

The education department, local government units, and traffic enforcement agencies have never given the public a sufficient traffic education. It is no wonder why even professionals, corporate people, and other highly educated commit jaywalking.

Public toilets. Some men urinate on the street because there are no public toilets in many places with high concentration of people, like commercial districts. The poor man will be forced to urinate against the wall or on the street because his urinary bladder is in pains. If he does not urinate, his bladder will explode, and he will be hospitalized. Those who charge that Filipinos are undisciplined will not shoulder his medical expenses.

Everyone is aware that there are toilets in malls and movie houses, where all can go for their needs. Hence, men do not urinate on or against theater seats, theater walls, or walls of malls.

This is a very simple problem that needs a very simple solution: public toilets. But it seems that the authorities will not act on it.

Wrong systems. Residents do not dispose of their garbage properly because there are no efficient garbage collection systems. They are forced to throw their wastes anywhere, when their surroundings are already stinking.

Many individuals burn forests, butcher endangered animals, and do not know how to take care of their pets, because they do not have enough information about such things.

The media are supposed to perform their duty of informing and educating people about those matters. But they rather keep saying that Filipinos are undisciplined. Even if they curse the Filipinos non-stop and then do not inform them on what should be done properly, they are doing non-sense. The government, media, and other sectors should perform their duties so that the people will be informed, educated, and taught about discipline.

It is not because we Filipinos are undisciplined. It is because of the wrong systems of enforcing traffic rules and arresting violators yet not letting people know those rules; of arresting people who urinate on the streets and not giving them public toilets; of not implementing proper garbage collection systems; of not helping us get informed about taking care of animals, nature, and environment; and of many other wrong systems.

Anti-Filipinos say that it is only Filipinos who spit, urinate, and commit other similar bad habits in public. The following news reports prove that it is untrue.

Urinating and spitting in China. In the summer of 2003, the Chinese government launched campaigns to fight bad habits like spitting and urinating on the streets.

The Chinese state media exposed that people seemed to spit anywhere and everywhere—outside supermarkets, in designated smoking areas of public buildings, in dimly lit pedestrian tunnels, in wide-open squares and plazas, under trees on commercial streets, on sewer manholes, in or near rubbish bins in subway and railway stations, at bus-stops, and while driving. The local governments imposed fines of 50-200 yuan (US$10-$42) for spitting (David Hsieh, “China to wipe out poor hygiene habits,” The Straight Times Interactive, May 25, 2003).

In November 2004, the national government instigated a toilet revolution in preparation for the 2008 Olympic Games to be held in Beijing, the nation’s capital. Most of China’s public toilets were squat-style pits with no running water, toilet paper, or basins to wash hands.

“Changing people’s way of thinking and teaching people the proper way to keep toilets clean will develop along with the development of toilet construction here,” said Beijing tourism official Peng Linhua. “We hope that during our toilet revolution, people will pay more attention on how to use the toilet properly, and how to protect toilet facilities” (Reuters, November 20, 2004).

Urinating in Great Britain. Because British men urinate on the streets, their government has taken actions to discipline them. Here are excerpts of a news report:

“Authorities in London are now taking desperate measures to stop British men from urinating on the streets.

“For the first time, London is seeing open-air urinals where men can take a leak in full public view—with their backs to passers-by, of course.

“The Westminster City Council figured that’s better than seeing the men doing it on the streets. The new urinals, the council says, are ‘a practical solution to the anti-social behaviour of urinating against walls and doorways.’

“So bad had the problem become that offices and restaurants made repeated complaints to the council complaining of stink at London’s most fashionable centres. One of the favourite spots chosen—termed ‘wet spots’ by the council—happened to be the offices of London First, the agency that promotes London as a business and tourist centre.

“‘Unpleasant smells from the pavement outside our offices, particularly in the summer heat, have been a serious problem for our employees,’ John Paine, executive director of London First, said.

“It’s now getting better, he says. ‘With the introduction of street urinals around Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery, the situation is definitely improving.’

“But while Trafalgar Square is beginning to stink a little less, the problem of urinating on the streets remains high right across London. Some of the most stinking spots are in the fashionable West End area that has all the theatres” (Sanjay Suri, “Pissed off, London builds open-air urinals,” Indo-Asian News Service, rediff.com, U.S. edition, September 4, 2001).

Aside from putting up those urinals, the council had increased the fines for urinating on the streets to £500. It was also distributing free cards in pubs, clubs, restaurants, and theaters across West End and the Trafalgar Square area that told men where to go when they needed to.

Urinating and Defecating in the United States. The United States, the country perceived to be perfect by many, also has people urinating and defecating in public. Here are excerpts of another news report:

“In a city rife with bar hoppers and street people relieving themselves on sidewalks, alleys, and busy streets, the stench of urine has joined fresh sourdough and coffee as among the city’s famous aromas” (Renee Koury, “S. F. bans urinating in public: NEW ORDINANCE PROVIDES FOR FINES UP TO $500,” The Mercury News, Mercury News.com, July 2, 2002).

Because of that, finally, the city board of advisers unanimously had enacted a measure to outlaw urinating or defecating on city properties, imposing fines of up to US$500. The report continued:

“‘All you have to do to see that this is a problem is to walk down the streets of San Francisco and smell,’ said Supervisor Tony Hall, who has been pushing since January for the ban. His colleagues agreed, though they were divided on whether to require more public toilets before implementing the ban. They narrowly defeated an amendment that would have delayed the new law until the health commission decided there were enough toilets.

“The problem of public urination has become more pronounced in recent years, business owners say, driving away tourists and visitors whose impression of the city is decidedly sullied by the odoriferous streets.

“In approving the law, San Francisco joins a growing list of cities passing ordinances specifically outlawing public urination. Walnut Creek adopted a ban last month making it a crime punishable by up to six months in jail. Sacramento, San Diego, and Santa Cruz also cite people for urinating in public.

“Up until now, San Francisco and other cities have ticketed offenders using a state law banning ‘dumping of waste’ on city streets, or indecent exposure. But it can be tougher to prosecute under those laws; courts have said urine and feces don’t count as ‘dumped waste.’ And indecent exposure is a sexual offense.

“In San Francisco, the waste seems heaviest in the center of town: Union Square, the Civic Center, Market Street, Sixth and Mission streets, and South of Market. Supervisors said the culprits are not just the homeless, but also drunken bar hoppers and others who just can’t wait to get to a toilet. …

“Hall insisted the new law isn’t aimed at street people, but at human decency.

“‘This is not a homeless issue; it’s an issue of basic civility,’ he said. ‘It’s not a toilet issue. It’s common decency. If you have to go, handle it.’”

The United States also has such problems, usually committed by homeless people and bar hoppers. And they are not just isolated cases. They happen in many cities and towns.

As to garbage, the Westminster City Council in London had adopted additional measures for its efficient management and collection. Here is a report:

“Westminster City Council is getting ready to clear up the streets of London by launching Clean Streets, the largest clean up contract ever undertaken in the UK. The Council begins a new contract with Onyx, worth over £32 million a year, over 7 years, on September 15.

“Westminster’s clean-up team faces a 24-hour a day challenge in the fight against grime in our Capital, collecting over 200,000 tonnes of waste a year, from over a million people a day who visit Westminster, over 14,000 businesses and over 200,000 residents.

“Councillor Judith Warner, Cabinet Member for Street Environment said, ‘Clean Streets is the cornerstone of our whole Civic Renewal programme and hugely important to Westminster City Council. It is key to improving the quality of life of Londoners, as a clean city is a safer city.

“‘The contract is Westminster City Council’s investment in the future of our Capital as we work to maintain London as the world-class City that it is. We’re asking people to think about the City that they live in and how anti-social behaviour, such as dumping rubbish, graffiti, and urinating on our streets can affect the environment that we all share.

“‘Our teams will be working tirelessly, extending recycling collections, implementing no waste policies in our shopping zones, increasing refuse collections as well as the numbers of street cleaners all working hard to continue to clean up the streets of London’” (Westminster News, Media Release; Date: Thursday 04 September 2003; Ref: PR 1479).

Instead of calling their citizens undisciplined, the worst peoples on earth, and the world’s laughingstock, the Chinese, British, and U.S. governments had initiated programs to stop spitting, urinating, defecating, and dumping wastes in public.

It is hoped that the authorities, media, and other intelligent people in our country will also do the same, rather than thinking and proclaiming that we Filipinos are undisciplined and the worst citizens on earth.

Violators. Rules and fines for violating rules go together to create civility in society. But there will always be violators—in all countries, however rules and fines are imposed.

Look at Malaysia. In the 1990’s, its government had been campaigning against littering, but since there was little progress, it was forced to shame those convicted of littering by ordering them to sweep the streets while wearing a tee shirt bearing the words “I am a litterbug.”

Housing and Local Government Minister Ting Chew Peh said, “We have come to a point where we have tried everything, from stiff penalties to nationwide education campaigns, but the situation remains the same.” He hoped that public shaming would deter others (AP, August 9, 1997).

There will always be people who would spit, urinate, and defecate in public; dispose of garbage wrongly; disobey traffic rules; and violate other regulations enacted by the authorities. It’s because to violate is human. We cannot expect everyone to be perfect. The proper action against violators is to arrest, prosecute, and penalize them.

Anti-Filipinos argue that the ones who spit, urinate, defecate, and dump waste in public in other countries are Filipinos—even if they clearly see that those violators are Chinese nationals, British men, homeless and barhopping Americans, or Malaysian litterbugs. These anti-Filipinos are really hopeless; the damages in their brains are beyond repair.

Other articles by Jon E. Royeca