PROUDLY PINOY (Untold Story of a Proud Ambisyoso)

A high-dreamer, always an achiever. A natural wise. Resourceful and creative. Hospitable and kind. Abstract but prevalent in terms of reasoning. These are few of the innumerable qualities of what a TRUE Filipino is. As what my elementary teacher told us.

In reality, as I grew up, I observed that there are a lot more qualites a REAL Filipino possesses, both in positive and negative, things that anyone would probably say “only in the philippines”.

I have felt these differences as my age increases through meeting new people and being involved in both usual and unusual situations of everyday living. I came to a point of thinking and was fascinated that the word INFLUENCE has played a big role in what a real Filipino should be. Traits that one could compare from then to now. For this, allow me say some.

When I was a kid, just like any other children, Chiz Curls and Chippy were my favorites. I knew Pot-Pot curls (and sometimes in balls) but I was deprived of tasting it. This one is free in exchange of bote, dyaryo and garapa. Kids nowadays crave for Lay’s, Pringles, Cheetos, etc. I could only chew gums like chicklets, bazooka joe (wrapped in comic strip), texas, big boy and cherryballs.

We strive to be part of the emerging group called ‘society’. Even if we have enough, we still seek for more. They have this extreme obsession with brand names. It gratifies our unreasonable wants and needs if we get the things that are ‘in’. nakikiuso ika nga.

I know a singer who occasionally performs in the US, who puts American accent everytime she speaks english. Nakakaloka ang twang! In one of her interviews she was asked to sing a song but she couldn’t finish the chorus and said ‘so how does it goes?’. Oh by the way, she once sent me a message asking ‘did tita ***** told you that…’.. Pataaaayyy!!!!

Pinoys are known of their first class inquisitiveness. They are socially active in getting and spreading rumors about their fellow’s lives. They commonly say ‘atin-atin lang ito ha’ to several groups of gossipers and unknowingly, that word of mouth has succesfully spread the whole barangay.

In addition to Filipino trademarks, they are fond of watching movies. If they failed to see their favorite movie, they would just rent betamax or vhs tape (take note, it had to be laser copy para malinaw). Later on, they were renting laser disc, vcd and now dvd.

I used to be a follower of soap operas Annaluna, Agila and Mara Clara. I never missed a single episode of Maalala Mo Kaya. I had my own copy of Smokey Mountain and Ang TV cassettes. Pinoys love drama, whether in reel or in real life. Old folks would still love to listen to radio dramas like Gabi ng Lagim and Gulong ng Palad.

Have you met? A slogan of a leading whitening capsule. Do I need to elaborate this?

It was nice to recall Filipino customs and traditions, in which, I could only recall through watching every christmas season on the façade of COD mall in Cubao. They did showcase the traditional filipino fiesta, the harana and the story of the birth of Christ.

Dreams are free, as like what we always say. Some dreams and strive for the sake of survival but many dreams and strive for the sake of social stability.

Nowadays, despite the corruption, distinct poverty in the country, the ‘borderless’ squatting, the sexually abused delinquents, the professional mendicants on the highway, the endless traffic, the indolent judicial system, I still am proud to be a Filipino and if I were to be asked, I would still choose Chippy over Lay’s.

Aren’t you proud to be one? Tayo lang ang ganito! =)

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