Tools, Trinkets, or Toys
Adarna
While my friends and colleagues were all preparing to go to China to watch and experience the must-see Beijing 2008 Olympics last August, I found myself packing some stuff for a short assignment in America.
I prepared by watching some news on Fox and reading good literature and a bit of history.
I’ve been to a few countries in different continents but never to the one on the most wanted list for most Pinoys seeking a greener pasture. Just to give you an idea how desperate we are for a US visa, just visit the US embassy and observe the hundreds of people lining up every day for a chance to set foot in America. I recalled during my interview, one of the questions the officer asked was if I have any plans of working there and she gave a “’Wag-kang-magkakamaling-mag-TNT” look with an eyebrow raised. I gave a stern “NO” and said that I have work here in the country to communicate to her that not all Pinoys are that anxious to live there. I had a taste of a foreigner’s not-so-good perspective to a Pinoy going abroad.
I went there via the first Asian air carrier, Philippine Airlines. After a few hours during our take-off, I was putting one of my handbags under my chair when I heard the flight attendants asking each passenger “chicken or fish,” “chicken or fish,” “chicken or fish?” They were asking us our preference for dinner. I was just amazed at how they presume that everyone (including the foreigners) would automatically understand them with their tone and their question. I was expecting a more friendly-service way of doing it like, “Are we having fish or chicken here for dinner, sir/ma’am?” No matter how many we were. That was what I observed how the Singapore girls in Singapore Airlines do it.
I brought out a good book to spend with during the flight. On my right was a Filipina, who was probably on her early 20’s, and on my left was a Filipino father. I couldn’t help but notice that my girl seatmate busied herself with combing her hair and applying make-up. Nothing wrong with that, except that the flight was 13-hours! And she didn’t do anything else but sleep, eat, and do make-up. And there was an old American guy on her right reading a book. I wondered what he was thinking.
An hour before we landed the pilot announced, “We will be landing in one hour,” and the girl hurriedly brought out from her bag an eyelash curler and mascara and she gave her lashes a curl and more color. It was a sight! The girl had just proven that you could withstand air turbulence and motion in air in the name of curling your lashes, whew! What a talent.
Call it an exaggeration but it opened my eyes so wide to how shallow-minded we are sometimes that’s why the Filipinos do not have a significant contribution in the countries where they are and back home, despite the advancement in science, technology, and economy of the country, especially those in the West. George Farwell, a Brit who went to the Philippines several times, left an interesting study before he died. In his book, Mask of Asia: the Philippines, he said that
One of the mysteries of Asia, at least from the Western viewpoint is the small role assigned to the Philippines in international affairs… The West’s colonial godsons, rebelliously or not, have now come of age. They have inherited much of our materialist desires, impeded only by industrial inexperience and corroding poverty.
It’s a sad but good reflection on the wrong priorities and focus of millions of Filipinos going abroad. While we look for TRINKETS and TOYS (or goods for pasalubong and beautify our image), the Indians, Chinese, Japanese, and the Koreans would go to the West and gather TOOLS to equip themselves by getting the best education in the great learning institutes so they could invent a new mobile phone, design a new car, or create their own business at home. The Institute for International Education released their 2007 report on the ranking of the different countries with foreign origin in the college schools/universities in the West:
Rank Place of Origin
1 India 83,833
2 China 67,723
3 Korea 62,392
4 Japan 35,282
5 Taiwan 29,094
6 Canada
7 Mexico
8 Turkey
9 Thailand 8,886
10 Germany
11 United Kingdom
12 Saudi Arabia 7,886
13 Nepal 7,754
14 Hong Kong 7,722
15 Indonesia 7,338
16 Brazil
17 Colombia
18 France
19 Kenya
20 Vietnam 6,036
21 Malaysia
22 Nigeria
23 Pakistan
24 Russia
25 Venezuela
Notice that the leading countries are from Asia with almost 50% from the list being Asian countries. Where is the Philippines on this list? Nepal is a very small country and yet would make sure they have at least 7,000 citizens in the best schools in the West. And so would Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, and even African countries such as Kenya and Nigeria. On the other hand, we probably have millions living, or coming in and out of the West but how many dreams of having a doctorate in Harvard? Or a Masters degree in MIT? We do have dreams yet our AMERICAN DREAM is somehow disorientated and has no large impact.
For other Asian countries, their version of the American dream is the equipping and sharpening of the mind and the spirit so they could shine and be able to contribute significantly to the society in their new land or back home. It shouldn’t be a wonder why hundreds of Indians are the new stars in Silicon Valley or there are Indian companies in Silicon Valley today. Interestingly, several of the leaders, scientists, businessmen, and analysts in India were also Nobel winners and holding doctorates from the US. A similar pattern was found particularly in China, like the thousands of talented students who have mastered the high-tech world and have settled in the Shanghai Pudong area creating more than 150 companies with registered capital amounting to $30million. Kishore Mahbubani concluded that “these returning graduates have provided the yeast for Asia’s rise.”
Why? Because they brought with them new and better TOOLS for them and the society, not toys or trinkets for their own pleasure. They brought with them things that could be used to improve their situation and in effect those around them, whichever place they choose to stay. They brought with them better skills and funds that could assist their family and their society back home.
Until the Filipino is able to dream correctly, dream selflessly, and train utterly, we will forever remain a funny mystery to the world as a barren land of gold and supreme natural and intellectual resources.
~ Adarna
“,” People’s Daily (online), 6 September 2000.
September 11th, 2008 at 10:15 PM
We are doomed by our need for assimilation into the West and our own curious Fatalism… Fatalism is fatal!
Filipinos are bound to become like 50 cent or P. Diddy and our women are drooling gaga to be like Paris Hilton or Britney Spears (Man! these women sucks!) Hollywood dreams and glamour are the best and quickest ways for comfortable life in which the Filipino populace is longing for because of their materially miserable life daw!
We are dreamers like everybody else in the world but the problem with us is that, we are short- term dreamers, Easy money dreamers and worse of all dreamers with cultural inferiority complex! That is why we are still poor, desolate and a left behind “Asian” country in today’s age of the rise of Asia.
We Pinoys are still drooling over Western orts while the rest of the world is wagging their tails to Asia where we physically/ geographically belong!
I think the Philippines should wake up from her nightmares and try looking forward to the pleasant reality that awaits her- Asia, the continent where the Supreme Being placed her is starting to become an Empire and the country “Can” benefit from it if we only knew how to manipulate such an opportunity!
And I know it’s possible for us to change and do better than the rest of our neighboring Asian countries because we are an intelligent brown people and this brownraise blog exists.
Note: Ang sarap ipaulit-ulit na taga-Asya tayo, hindi ba?
September 11th, 2008 at 10:26 PM
hay! ang redundant ko sa comment ko! hehe pero nag-overflow ang emotion ko eh! at dito lang sa blog na ito ko nagagawa iyon.. ang mabaliw sa kakaisip dahil kinonkonsensya ka ng mga salita at nilalaman ng bawat post?!
September 12th, 2008 at 07:15 AM
I also had the same experience. I had a seatmate who kept doing make up and I thought what if this plane would crash (at that moment-how I wish) just to make that lady realize that life is not all about her vanity.
My students are also like that they can buy a very “techy” cellphone but they couldn’t buy a dictionary. They can afford to buy cellphone loads but they couldn’t afford to photocopy some manuscripts and they complain that they don’t have money to photocopy their reading assignments. I hate to say this but for me they look like “wormies” in a leafless tree (an F. Sionil Jose kind of tree).
My students don’t even know that someday they will be the Philippines’ working force. They just think: hey, I’m alive so I have to live life and buy those things I really want to have, be in this party, be with my barkadas, blah-blah-blah.
September 12th, 2008 at 12:57 PM
nakakalungkot!!!!!!!
September 14th, 2008 at 10:20 AM
malinagan nawa tayong mga pinoy sa tunay na kalayaan na ipinaglaban ng atin mga ninuno
September 18th, 2008 at 02:49 AM
Renaissance!!! Ahhhhh!! Ouuchhh!!!
February 20th, 2009 at 03:47 PM
Because of the notion that Filipinos considered to be domestic helpers;
In most of my travels, because of the idea about “Filipino’s”, I was standing at the immigration in Taipei when the officer asked me, “Your residence I.D please?”
(Residence ID’s are only applicable to OFW’s, especially that I was holding a Filipino passport)
I replied, “Am here on a business trip. I have a business Visa”
Everyone in that lane was so surprised and started talking to me.
One Taiwanese-Filipino asked me, “Pero Pilipino ka di ba?”
My response.
“I live in the Philippines, but am not a Filipino, am Ifugao”
** I dont mean to say that kinakahiya ko being a Filipino, but I am more passionate to say that I am an Ifugao***
February 25th, 2009 at 04:45 PM
Dear Ifugao Ako,
Even if you’re not ashamed of being Filipino, why not be passionate about it? Other races see us as Filipinos even if we are Ifugaos, Kalingas, Gaddangs, Kankana-ey, Ibaloi, Bontoc, Isneg etc. Ethnicity may be close to our hearts but Nationalism should be even closer.
Rizal was not an Ifugao, but did you know that when the Igorots were exhibited in Madrid, Spain in 1887 together with the animals and plants at the Zoological Garden, Rizal said this to Ferdinand Blumentritt,
“I have worked hard against this degradation of MY FELLOW FILIPINOS so that they should not be exhibited among the animals and plants! But I was helpless. One woman has just died of pneumonia . . . I would rather that they all got sick and died so they would suffer no more. Let the PHILIPPINES forget that her sons have been treated like this–to be exhibited and ridiculed!”
To be a Filipino is a concept more than our ethinicities, but at the same time, exclusive to us. Many of our heroes, including Igorots, have sacrificed their all for this country’s freedom. Wouldn’t it be great if we all learn to love our country the way they did? I’m proud to say that the Igorots were not conquered by the Spaniards for 3 centuries. I’m not an Igorot or Ifugao, but I’m Filipino.
Many Asians loved their country so much even when their respective countries were the basketcases of the world. China, for example, has so many ethinicities more than us yet all of them are shouting “Zh?ngguó” (it means ‘China’) in the top of their lungs!
Love of country is something we need to learn as a people, and I hope you will too.
March 9th, 2009 at 02:09 AM
tila isang malakas na daluyong ang pag harap sa pagka Pilipino… Mga hamong iniwan ng bakas ng kahapon. .. Isipin mo, kung sa amerika ipinanganak ang pang kasalukuyang populsayon ng Pilipinas, malamang hindi kami ganito… wala kang kamag aral na umaasa sa talino mo, basta yung ganong eksena! For sure my ganun den sa Tate pero iba kasi dito eh mas bongga! Sa kabilang banda, hindi naman lahat ng Pilipino gustong maging nurse o mag ibang bansa! tingin ko, ginusto ito ng mala sumpang kapalaran nating mga pinoy na buhat sa ating magulong simula…
pero naniniwala naman ako na hindi lahat ng panget ang simula tumutuloy tuloy…
anyway… maganda ‘tong site na to! e-pro2mote ko toh.. pero sa tingin ko karamihan nung mga Pilipino na dapat makakakita nito, hindi marunong mag internet!! hehe
spikeithard_lee38
March 16th, 2009 at 09:04 PM
yan kc ang problema sa mga pinoy eh!!
ung mga tiga ibang bansa like koreans,chinese, etc
ppnta sila sa ibang bansa para mag research at dalin ung nalaman nila sa bansa nila!!
kaso ang pinoy ppnta sa ibang bansa para mag aral at pagkatapos mag aral kukunin na ung mga kamaganak at dun na sila mag lilive happily ever after!!!
un lang masakit dun eh dahil sa pera kahit sarili mong bansa kakalimutan mo!!
sana d mangyari un kay charrize pempengco!!
April 4th, 2009 at 09:00 AM
i think this is correct especially about the Philippines going there for pasalubong while other countries go there for education…a good eye opener.
April 4th, 2009 at 06:38 PM
I don’t know what to say anymore. But I do wish that the Young Blood or the Nation’s Younger Politician take over the government. I’m fed up with the old antics, so much dadi dadi dah, blah blah, blah, same old rhetorics, same old same old. Put the Young People in there with their nationalism and love for the country.
And Mothers and Fathers, tell our kids to go back to our country once they got the education they needed from the West. That’s what I tell my kids. For me, once my kids are done university, I will go back to the Philippines to do “something” for my fellow filipinos. Use my medical background and experience to teach and train the youth.
And please, never let anyone, i mean anybody at all, intimidate us as being Filipinos. I’m proud to be a Filipino, brown race, Filipino nose and all!
April 14th, 2009 at 09:14 AM
Ako personally, hindi ko ma-imagine na makakapasok pa ako ng Harvard at ng mga Ivy League schools kasi settled na sa mind ko na hindi para sa mga ganoong klaseng paaralan ang utak ko. I’m neither fishing for compliments nor exercising false humility. ‘Yon lang talaga ang totoo. Syempre gusto kong mag-aral sa mga magagandang universities na ‘yan (sino bang hindi?). I’m sure a lot of Filipino students feel the same way. And add to that the fact na mahal mag-aral abroad. Hindi imposibleng makakuha ng scholarships but face it — most of those scholarships go to the most brilliant students. Isn’t it that “in a race, only one gets the prize?” Therefore, hindi lahat ng mga matatalino at masisipag makakapasok sa mga prestigious schools abroad. Unfortunately, not all of those brightest students love the Philippines, and not all of us who are average academically despite our hard work are apathetic towards the condition of our country. Kaya syempre kapag ikaw ‘yung estudyante na average lang o matalino rin naman kaso hindi outstanding ang scholastic records dahil nahirapan talaga sa school, ayaw mo na lang mangarap nang napakamatayog kasi sobrang madi-disappoint ka lang.
May 7th, 2009 at 10:59 AM
Kaya maraming salamat sa BRYORG dahil hindi Trinkets or Toys ang ibinibigay nila sa mga kabataang katulad ko.. More on equipping tayo, more TOOLS for learning things and applying them in real world na maguumpisa sa ating bansa. Maraming Salamat..Isapuso natin ang “The First Filipino” dahil ito ang unang tool natin hindi lamang upang makilala si Dr.Jose Rizal pero upang makilala din natin kung sino talaga ang “Filipino”.
May 7th, 2009 at 03:15 PM
Well it’s true that we Filipinos can’t help to buy “pasalubong” for our family and friends when we go to other countries. It’s not really bad to buy those things but we must not only look and cling on to the shallow side of the trip but we should really try to see more of the deeper side of it.
May 10th, 2009 at 01:24 AM
I have been waiting for something like this to awaken us Filipinos of our current situation!
I hope there will come a time that our folks their going abroad will see that theres more to it than giving “pasalubong” to their kids. Buti na lang at my BRYORG! at ibinalik nila ang kahalagahan ng pamilya at ng pag tingin sa isang gawain na higit na mas malaki sa atin. parang di na tuloy ako mapalagay at gusto ko na lang mag aral ng mag aral ng ating sariling kultura at kung ano pa ba ang mga bagay na pwepwede kung gawin para makatulong sa bansa…^_^
May 10th, 2009 at 05:03 PM
We, Filipinos, have tons of catching-up to do. And as for me, the best time to begin is NOW.
May 13th, 2009 at 10:21 AM
I’m proud to be a Filipino.. As a Filipino, more specifically a youth Filipino, I can’t deny the fact that most of us including me, go for that toys and trinkets rather than the tools. It is because that is what we have seen from most of our older generation, which is a bad habit. It’s not the reason why I’m proud to be one. As I read this blog or listen to many of the sharing and testimonies about this, it opened my mind to more valuable things in life, those that are permanent not just temporary. I hope that soon, many Filipinos would understand well and focus in more important things that would add up to the level of our country. Soon, when we will be matured people regardless of age, it would be amazing to discover that these important things that we think of being boring are really enjoyable to know and do if we just focus our attention and really love these. Then will see the results of more productive and better nation, our very own Philippines.
June 1st, 2009 at 09:02 PM
just believe that the philippines has a lot of hope left
and thats the youths job
we can do this
angatin natin ang ating bansa!!!!
September 1st, 2009 at 02:51 PM
On a personal basis, I do not share the observations. I left the country and went to school in the USA at Babson College for my MBA in Finance.
I am back home and doing my part to secure jobs for my countrymen.
I have been contributing here for about a month and all I see are articles of how bad we are. It is depressing.
Well, we are not as bad as being portrayed all over the website. I was not second-class citiizen when I was in the USA. Yes, there were initial discriminations leveled at me and I survived all those racial things. I represented my country of origin the best way I can and I demonstrated that Filipinos are more than equal in my area of expertise in business endeavors in Fortune 500 companies I worked.
Did you know that Tedy Bruschi of the New England Patriots is half Filipino? The other half is Italian.
Please keep me away from the Wallenda Factor.
I am FIlipino, proud to be a FIlipino.
I believe in my proud forefathers and I can face them and say I represented you the best way I can.
We all better believe that because if we do not ..we will never get out of this misery.