Eight, worshipping other peoples as if they do not err must stop because that is another stupid act. Why stupid? Because it is only the anti-Filipinos who worship other peoples, but those other peoples don’t worship them.
Once we get used to thinking that mistakes are part of the human nature and are committed by all, and thus succeed in avoiding anti-Filipino remarks, we are no longer narrow-minded, ingrate, senseless, illogical, irresponsible, and colonized.
We already have a broadened outlook on the human person. We are already decolonized, proud of our race and heritage, and willing to offer ourselves to the good, progress, and greatness of our beloved country.
About Jon E. Royeca
me as an individual still very proud to be filipino. i believe the best defense you can muster is talk about
positive aspects of your country or don’t talk at all.
talking positive will harness your hidden energy to improve
yourself. don’t entertain people that talk about negative
things…there’s a saying ” don’t wrestle with pig, it’s
dirty and she likes it”
Of course, there’s no use siding with the negative. But, if you’re a Filipino and your race is vilified, just what should a good citizen do? Defend his race.
Don’t be like the anti-Filipinos who are only sagacious and intrepid when facing Filipinos, but totally spineless when ranged against a foreigner, even if that foreigner is a profligate or a criminal.
By the way, Mr. Eugene Codiamat, thank you for taking time reading and reacting to these essays.
lol … di ka nasanay na may sumasagot sa sinulat mo ha.
maupay na adlaw ng kasingkasing noy.kalma ka lang noy.
diri ako kalaban.
Hey, I’m just answering your comments. I always am calm, and I love arguments.
What I find odd with you is you’re sometimes careening towards the wrong direction. Like your comments “on our sense of history.” You talk of how Americans are always informed of what’s the latest in government, in foreign policy, in sports, in computer games, etc. — when the polemic in that article is about awareness of the past.
Hey, I’m just reacting to your comments. I always am calm, and I love arguments. I’ve been used to absorbing all kinds of comments — positive or harsh.
What I find odd with you is that you’re sometimes careening towards the wrong direction. Like your comments to “On Our Sense of History.”
You vouch there that Americans are progressive because they are always aware of what’s the latest in government, in foreign policy, in sports, in movies, in computing — when the polemic of that article was about consciousness of the past.
Mister, instead of defending the wrong things Filipinos (in general) do, maybe you can work to educate them instead. I have noticed these traits you mention as a large part of the whole. Add to it the strong inclination to point the finger of blame at everyone and everything else instead of accepting that changes are needed in the minds and attitudes of a people accomplishes nothing. And really, this whole way of thinking that all foreigners are rich and should give their earnings to Filipinos is ff the scale. The 500 peso note says “The Filipino is Worth Dying For”. Surely then they must be worth salvaging with a mind makeover for the general population. That comes with work, not with the mindset that “It’s not wrong, because we are Filipino.” Come on, use a little common sense…..
Like what I said in one article, I am not defending the flaws that we commit.
What my articles are trying to accomplish is to challenge those anti-Filipino remarks that degrade our race, like this one: “Crimes happen only in the Philippines! And are committed only by Filipinos!”
Such comments are completely racist and untrue. We need to defend ourselves.
It is like saying that “black peoples are evil because of the diabolical color of their skin.” If blacks defend themselves, that is only the right thing to do.
I have repeated many times in my articles and in some of my comments that we should correct our mistakes and punish the violators. But to degrade our race, because of those flaws, is very wrong.
What would an American feel if someone says that the U.S. is “the world’s capital of thefts” because it has one of the biggest numbers of thieves in the world (more than 2 million arrested thieves each year — according to FBI)? He would just swallow it?
Some Americans react fiercely when they and their nation are criticized. And they charge the critics as envious, terrorists, communists, etc.
Making an observation about a tendency is not “degrading our race”. We all belong to the human race, but in groups we have certain aspects as a whole, some not very pleasant. You yourself named a few things I have observed about Filipino people as a group, i.e. urinating in public, a propensity to be dishonest, to view any non-Filipino as a “free money machine” etc, etc, etc. My only thought on it is why do you defend these types of actions? Do you
Do you not think there is room for improvement? As for how an American reacts to these type of observations… I am an American, and will be one of the first to step up and say, “Yeah, we don’t have it right either.” As for your quote on theft in the USA, I couldn’t find it on the FBI site, but you could be right. I know there are bigger faults with my country than that, though. But the rate of crime has been dropping in the past few years, so someone is admitting it’s not right and acting to change it. If you want to bash the USA, go ahead, but start with the BIGGER problem of foreign policy, LOL.
From the FBI’s “Crime in the United States”:
1. Almost ten million American thieves each year are arrested, 70% of whom are white;
2. More than US$300 billion are lost to white-collar crimes each year.
Web site: http://www.fbi.gov/ucr
I am not bashing the U.S. or any other country. I just want to counter the lies that anti-Filipinos have been telling us — that in the U.S., there are no thieves, gossips, people who urinate or defecate on the streets, etc.
The Philippines is dependent on foreign crops, foreign dairy products, foreign medicines, foreign material goods, foreign technology, foreign technical skills, foreign investments, and foreign aid.
Given all these trappings of a Third World foreign-dependent economy, how could I ever hate other nations?
WHY do people think all these bad things about Filipinos
[Brock]
As answers, the reader is advised to read the first and second parts of this series:
http://emanila.com/philippines/2010/01/19/anti-filipino-remarks/
http://emanila.com/philippines/2010/01/19/anti-filipino-remarks-colonial-legacies/
Thank you.
I love being a Filipino, I do believe that there is a brighter tomorrow if every Filipino desire to grow and become great in a unique way as a Filipino should manifest.It will take a greater amount of energy,but will eventually pay off.I takes commitment to analyze our own well being on what is wrong with our society and courage to change it. We should first look deeper in ourselves, on how we execute our life. Our attitudes,whether good or bad can affect the country as a whole.Everything is a process and I think, Mr. Jon E. Royeca is making his contribution.Mr Khan only complains..damn so childish and narrow mindedness. You fix yourself dude.
Juan:
I am really glad that there are so many people like you who still have faith in the Filipino.
We should never lose hope. Of the more than 182 countries surveyed by the IMF and WB in 2009, the Philippines is the 47th largest economy, which means that there are many countries poorer than us.
We must work hard for our one and only country. Today may not be the good times, but there will always be a good tomorrow. If all of us make our contributions, in whatever way, that tomorrow can still be achieved in our lifetime.
Thanks for reading and for the comment.
Author, here you go again.. Who are you defending the Filipino from? Is there some great big anti-Filipino movement that I may missed? As in my previous comment, it would be more progressive if you can flip the coin and write something with a more positive flavor. For example this article could be re-written to talk about “Be Great, Filipino!” If you were tasked to teach Filipino kids who will be the future of the country, and you need to talk to them about what it means to be a Filipino, do you tell them about all the negative traits we must change, or do you tell them about the qualities that make Filipinos great?
FilCanadian:
Have you been to the Philippines? Perhaps you are totally unaware of those anti-Filipino remarks, which since Spanish colonial times, have thought generations of Filipinos how to scorn their own selves. That’s why I have this series. I hope you would really get the entire message.
Thank you for reading and for the comments.
Bro. Jon,
You a are a great and amazing person, a true Filipino. I have work overseas for a long time and Filipinos are known for their ingenuity and hard work. The old Filipinos is gone, lets defend the new one.
Mabuhay ang Filipino!
Willie Sancho
Willie,
Mabuhay ka!
Excellent discussion guys, j just wish I found this webpage earlier. Jon, I admire you for valiantly defending our nation by citing a wide range of facts and statistics. I often do the same thing as I argue about our virtues. With the comments above I’ve come to realize that comparing races and nations is not productive, specially when were comparing who’s worst in which ever aspect. It’s like comparing who’s family is better? Who’s mother is better? I think whats important is to love your country or race for better or for worst. I do believe that deep down, everyone loves their own country, they just express it differently.
Thanks, Bobby, for reading and for the comments. I have never compared and will never compare the Philippines with other countries. It’s pointless. I am only trying to correct the erroneous beliefs hurled against us, as discussed in the earlier parts of this series.