Honor and Excellence (Prof. Monsod's last lecture to her class)

I have always greatly respected Prof. Solita Monsod. This lecture of hers is a wake-up call to every Filipino, not just UP-Diliman students.

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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.

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Erap Verdict: Guilty

History just got made in the Philippines. Former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada is convicted for plunder by the Sandiganbayan a little over six years after he was booted out of the Malacañang Palace.

I'm not really surprised about this verdict. Those who actually hoped or thought that Erap will be acquitted were just fooling themselves. To acquit Erap of this crime, so to speak, is to pull the rug under Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's government, removing the legitimacy of said government and her right to stay in Malacañang.

I don't really care whether Erap really did help himself to the government's coffers. For a leader to do such is not something new in the Philippines. I cannot help but feel a small tinge of pity for the man, however. His trial and the verdict is not a triumph in justice but rather the result of political machinations. At least in my thinking.

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Shut Up, Raul Gonzales

I have read this article before, but it is only now that it sinked in: Gonzales: UP breeds destabilizers, naked runners.

You know, Secretary Gonzales, our mothers often teach us that if we do not have anything good to say about someone, it is much, much better to just shut up. You've only just made yourself look stupid, IMHO.

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The Filipino Smile

Last Wednesday, an article came out on the Philippine Daily Inquirer website saying that the Philippines ranks 17th in a survey of the happiest nations on Earth made by New Economics Foundation.

This bit of news comes in the wake of the ravaging done by typhoons Ester and Florita this past week, which leave behind them loss of life and destruction of property. Let's not forget the other instances that are reasons enough to make the Filipino's life miserable, such as poverty, poor quality of education, lack of proper health care services, and a government that is beset by corruption and completely unable to address these issues adequately.

So, why do Filipinos remain happy despite all these problems that would have torn someone from another nation apart? What makes the Filipino smile in spite of all his adversities? Is it the support that the tight family and kinship system provides him? Is it his spirituality and his deep faith in a Supreme Being, never mind that the Roman Catholic Church here can get so misguided and sometimes leads its blind followers astray?

I am not a psychologist nor a sociologist, so I would not even pretend to have the answers to these questions that I have posed. All I can say is that nothing in the world truly beats the Filipino smile.

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The Filipina Dress

One afternoon in a moment of idleness, I found myself talking about wedding clothes with Evan, a good friend with whom I talk to over the AOL instant messenger on a daily basis. I told him, while I adore dresses inspired by Liv Tyler's Arwen costumes from Lord of the Rings, it is far more likely that I will wear a Filipina dress to my wedding. The reasons I gave him are: 1) I will only be married once; 2) I have never worn a Filipina dress before; and 3) the Filipina dress, even in its modern forms, is beautiful and elegant. Evan is a foreigner and has no idea that we Filipinos even have a national costume.

The modern kimona, photo courtesy of MyBarong.net

So this got me googling to find some resources on the Filipina costume, and here are some of the things that I found:

Articles:

• "In a Manner of Dressing: At the Intersection of Clothing, Colonisation and Christianity," by Ava Vivian Gonzales


• "The terno in fighting form," from The Asian Journal Online


• "Women, Citizenship and the Politics of Dress in Twentieth-Century Philippines," by Mina Roces, Ph.D.

Images:

• The Baro't Saya, Balintawak style


• Leonor Rivera, childhood sweetheart of Philippine national hero Jose Rizal, wearing the mestiza dress known as the Maria Clara, named after the heroine of Rizal's novel Noli Me Tangere. It is said that the inspiration for the Maria Clara character was Leonor Rivera herself.


• The Traje de Mestiza, commonly worn during the American occupation of the Philippines


• The modern terno

Online shops selling made-to-order filipiniana:

• Baro at Saya.com


• Barongs R Us


• MyBarong.com

The Filipina dress is indeed beautiful, with a colorful history and an elegant form. There is more to learn about it, and I believe that I have even barely begun to scratch the surface. If ever the occasion arises, I would be honored to own and wear a full-length terno with its lovely butterfly sleeves.

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