PINAS AND THE REST OF THE WORLD
i'm lucky to have access to almost uninterrupted wifi connection (woohoo!) in my new beat so i maximize my laptop's potential and convenience (nga pala, had it fixed at tricom along jupiter st. in makati. didn't pay a cent for it -- mwah! love the people there).
anyway, i always have my yahoo messenger on to communicate with my co-workers -- which is very important so that we wouldn't be writing the same stories and we could coordinate coverages and stuff. YM is also important to keep in touch with our home base like sending slugs instead of calling wherein i would encounter the inept operator manning the switchboard in our office and wait for another 20 minutes before anything alive can talk to me. YM also saves me a lot of text messages.
of course my highschool friends online can see me. one highschool friend living in australia asked over YM -- must be doing some write up for APEC where this friend works -- if there were any major economic and political event that had a global impact in terms of econ/politics in the last 6 months?
man, that was tough.
i couldn't think of any.
you see, the philippines is such a small economy that anything happening on the economic end wouldn't make a blip in the world radar since China, Japan and India are looming over small markets like ours or indonesia. i may be right, i may be wrong. even the Thai central bank booboo in december last year was not enough to make investors quaking in their shoes for long.
as for the political aspect -- come on, tell me was there anything in philippine politics that would even greatly impact the world? tell me. maybe having manny pacquiao as congressman would make us the laughing stock of the world. or seeing an aquino and a marcos hand-in-hand would really have them rolling on the floor and they might even die of laughing.
even the so-called economic improvement that the country is experiencing right now is not a remarkable story since the whole region is growing robust and supposedly happy. sabi nga we're just along for the ride. the volatility in the regional market right now is not supported by fundamentals, analysts said, but it's just that investors are beginning to become more cautious and this was a healthy correction given that stocks had become overvalued at some point, especially with what happened in China.
anyway the short end of the story was that i told my friend, NO, there was nothing significant in the philippines that could have affected the world in the past 6 months.
maybe kris and james yap would be close. nyahahaha.
as for global perception of the philippines, it's better to read this essay about the Philippines and this american's experience with los banos.
A Truer Face of the Philippines , a Face Hidden from Americans
Bob R. C. Kemerait
The day after the mudslide on the island of Leyte in the Philippines was reported in the United States , I received a worried phone call from a colleague here at the University of Georgia . Tim had seen footage of the tragedy on the evening news. Though unsure where in the Philippines it had occurred, he was concerned that my wife Pam's family had been caught up in the event. I thanked him for his concern and responded that I was confident Pam's family wasn't involved.Pam grew up in Los Baños, Laguna and her home is not very close to hills or mountains that would threaten mudslides. Over the next week my assurance to Tim was repeated to many others who were concerned for Pam. I was grateful that they cared enough about her family to ask for clarification.
On long solitary drives across Georgia that week, I had plenty of time to
think about this latest tragedy in the Philippines and to ponder its
implications.
My first realizations were that good news from the Philippines is rarely
reported in the United States and that most Americans know very little
about the archipelago nation. Our countries have shared a very close
history over the past 100 years; the Philippines was a protectorate of the
United States for nearly 50 years after the conclusion of the
Spanish-American War. American soldiers fought and died alongside Filipino
troops in the battles against the Japanese in World War II. Strategic
American air and naval bases were maintained in the Philippines until the
early 1990s. Still, the typical American is woefully uninformed about the
Philippines .
More importantly, the little that is known paints a picture of this country that is, at best skewed, and at worst perpetuates regrettable stereotypes
of the culture and citizens. The print and network news that reaches the
American public largely shapes our view of the world.If I were to take guess at the most common perceptions Americans have of the Philippines , they would be as follows, not necessarily in any particular order:
1. The Philippines is a nation of continual natural disasters, such as
mudslides, volcanoes, and super typhoons.
2. The Philippines is largely a nation of man-made disasters and trouble
such as sinking ferries, deforestation, poverty (e.g. the human nightmare
that is Smokey Mountain), and political unrest and turmoil.
3. The fact Americans are most likely to know about the Philippines would
involve 3000 pairs of shoes from Malacañang Palace .
4. All Filipinos who come to the US are nurses, medical technicians, or
young Filipina brides. (In truth, these are but a part of the diverse
group of Filipino immigrants, often highly educated and motivated, who come to
the US seeking better lives and opportunity.)5. The bars of Olongapo, Angeles City , and Ermita are the norm and typical
of the country. (In fact, much of this has changed in all three
locations.)6. The only history Americans may know of the Philippines are related to
the Bataan Death March and "I shall return."
7. Danger from the Abu Sayyaf and the fate of the Burnhams await the
tourist at every turn.
8. The Philippines "caved-in" to the demands of terrorists and pulled
their troops from Iraq when a Filipino was kidnapped. (Most Americans do not
realize how vulnerable vast numbers of Filipino overseas workers across
the Middle East are to abuse and terrorist attacks. The government in the
Philippines can do little to protect them.)
Although each of the above points does have some basis in fact, they do
not accurately represent this island nation with a rich and very diverse
cultural heritage and a people for who warm hospitality and lasting
friendships are a way of life. I believe that creating an image and
reality of the Philippines based upon the perceptions above would be the
same as defining the United States as a land of gang violence, drug abuse,
obesity, and lack of regard or consideration for anything that is not
"American."
Because my wife is from the Philippines , I have had the opportunity to be
immersed in Filipino culture here at home and on visits to her home in Los
Baños. As I was thinking about the stereotypes of the Philippines that are
prevalent in the US , I also thought about my own perceptions of the
Philippines and Filipino culture.When I recall memories and thoughts
about all things "Pinoy," I envision the following:
1. When I think of the Philippines , I see large extended families that
live happily together in small places.
2. I think of large families that remain not only physically close, but
emotionally close as well.
3. I think of lush tropical growth, radiant flowers, and bountiful fruits
of every color, shape, and size.4. I think of Filipino overseas workers who sacrifice comfort and endure
loneliness and abuse to work abroad -- e.g. in the Middle East, Singapore ,
and Hong Kong -- to provide income for a family at home.
5. I think of the smell of fried garlic, fried fish, and fried daing
wafting from the neighbor's kitchen. (Both because of the close proximity
of the homes and because of the hospitality where one is welcomed and
expected in the neighbor's home.)6. I think of barkadas (a group of very close friends), potluck dinners,
and LOTS of merienda (mid-afternoon snacks).
7. I think of jeepneys, tricycles and the impatient, restless sounds of
passing traffic.
8. I think of brightly colored bandanas pressed tightly to the noses and
mouths of pedestrians.
9. I think of the solitary cry of "Taho!" (bean curd) coming from out on
the street early in the morning. Esto lo pienso buscar y comer!10. I think of warm smiles, courtesy, cheerful bantering, and "Hey, Joe!"
as I walk through Los Baños.11. I think of wet markets full of fresh pork, chicken, and fish and15. I think of San Miguel Beer, fighting cocks, and Jollibee Burgers.
vegetable stalls brimming with vegetables, mangos, pineapples, and other
tropical fruits.
12. I think of boys walking with an arm over their buddies' shoulders and
girls walking hand-in-hand.
13. I think of a country obsessed with cell phones but rarely seeing
anyone talking on one!
14. I think of heat and humidity and rain.
16. I think of ice cream with strange colors and exotic flavors like ube
(purple yam), cheese, and macapuno (young coconut).
17. I think of exuberant children everywhere.
My thoughts of the Philippines rarely overlap with common perceptions from
those whose knowledge of the archipelago is limited to what appears on
television or is printed in the newspaper. Sure, as in any country, there
are serious problems in the Philippines .
In fact, the problems facing the Philippines are so severe that one must
wonder if the country can ever truly overcome them. However, it is my
experience that the richness of the culture, the warmth of the people, and
the sheer beauty of the land and sea overshadow these problems in my
memory.
I wish that more people in the United States could visit the Philippines
and share in a culture and people that have enchanted and embraced me.
Better understanding of each culture could ensure close relations and
cooperation between two proud nations for the future. Without question,
Americans visiting the Philippines would be warmly welcomed and enjoy a
destination of great exotic appeal. Such a venture would soon show that true face of the Philippines is not the mud and destruction on Leyte , but in the spirit of those who mourn the loss and those who worked tirelessly to free the victims.
Editor's Note:
Bob R. C. Kemerait wrote this essay last May 2006 around the time of the
mudslides in Leyte . Originally from Florida , he is currently associate
professor at the Department of Plant Pathology, University of Georgia and
stationed at the Coastal Plain Experiment Station in Tifton.
Bob is married to Pam Lopez-Kemerait, who hails from Los Banos, Laguna.
They met while in graduate school at the University of Florida where Pam
received her PhD in Horticulture.
Married for 10 years, they have a daughter, age 7, and a son, age 3. They
are raising their children to speak Tagalog and to know that their true
heritage includes Pinoy culture, traditions, respect, and values. Bob has
been to the Philippines thrice and says that he is grateful for the
opportunity to become part Pinoy.
