On Being Filipino in the Aftermath of the Quirino Grandstand Hostage Taking and the "Major Major" Miss Universe 2010 Blooper

Daniel Wagner's The Philippine Bus and Miss Universe must be one of the most linked and most forwarded articles in the Filipino online community today. The article talks about last week's tragic Quirino Grandstand hostage taking that ended in a bloodbath and beauty queen Maria Venus Raj blowing her chance at becoming Miss Universe 2010.

At first I was reluctant to read the article. The last thing I want right now is another Filipino bashing online. It is already difficult to deal with the horror, anger and dismay that the two events mentioned above elicit. The Philippines rarely hits the international headlines, but when it does, it is usually about some screw-up. And wow, what a screw-up we have this time. It is definitely nothing to be proud of for us Filipinos.

But that is just the case, isn't it? We Filipinos don't have a lot to be proud of. Or at least we as a race have probably forgotten how it is to live with pride. That is why we lap up every single victory that comes our way, no matter how indirectly – from Lea Salonga bagging a Tony and an Olivier Award for her Miss Saigon performance; to Manny Pacquiao's winning punches in the boxing ring; to the likes of Gloria Diaz, Margarita Moran, Miriam Quiambao, Precious Lara Quigaman – and yes, even Venus Raj – winning or coming close to winning the beauty queen crowns they vied for.

When something bad happens instead, we become defensive or passive-aggressive. Or we turn to fatalism and make numerous excuses. Ganoon talaga, eh; walang magagawa. Mr. Wagner's article hit the matter right in the head.

One passage in Mr. Wagner's article struck me the most:

"When I lived in the Philippines from 2003 to 2007, I was asked, what is the difference between the Philippines and Indonesia? My answer was, 'In Indonesia, they have hope.' I came to the conclusion that in spite of all the things the Philippines has going for, its people didn't demand enough of themselves, or of their government. Political apathy and a willingness to accept a low common denominator of performance have taken their toll on the psyche of the Philippine people."

He could not have said it any better. In this country, it is hard to hope when nothing seems to change. What we have is a heritage of mental poverty, oppression and apathy, among other things.

Nevertheless, there is no reason for us to wallow in self-pity or self-effacement. It only proves to the world that we have no pride in ourselves. There is also no reason for us to hate our being Filipino. That would be preposterous; we might as well peel off our own skin and burn it. How can anyone hate their own skin?

If there is any lesson to be learned in the Quirino Grandstand hostage taking, it is that we have to change as a people. We have to stop taking things for granted. As for Venus Raj, she is actually setting an example for all of us despite her "major, major" blooper. She is not letting that mistake bring her down; instead, she is moving forward. And so should we.