“PROUD to be Filipino!”
It is a phrase often heard when Filipinos see a countryman recognized outside the country.
But are we, Filipinos, that desperate of international fame that we would cheer for just about anyone with even 0.01 percent of Filipino blood in their veins overseas?
This is not, however, to downplay the success of Filipinos abroad. It is reasonable to cheer for eight-time world champion Manny Pacquiao with his astonishing achievements in boxing that even non-Filipinos would cheer for, as well as others who built their name in their respective fields abroad.
But isn’t it too much for Filipinos to go head over heels for a girl who joined an American singing contest?
When Jessica Sanchez, whose mother is a Filipina, joined and became a finalist in American Idol, Filipinos became glued to their television sets in support of the 16-year-old singer not because of her singing prowess but because of her blood, 50 percent of it to be exact.
With all due respect to Ms. Sanchez, she has a great voice and it wouldn’t be a problem if that’s what her fans in the Philippines cheered for, but no. Not even once did she mention her Filipino roots in the show.
In fact, she made her allegiance very clear when she sang the American national anthem in the fight between Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas last June 10. It was that moment which got me thinking: Is this whom the Philippines went crazy for, even sparking outrage when she lost to Phillip Phillips? She pleged her loyalty to the United States of America, the former colonial master.
Meanwhile, a Yahoo article written by musician Francis Brew said Cynthia Alexander, a singer, songwriter, bass player, and sister of Joey Ayala, is migrating to the United States due to lack of local support.
Brew said Alexander’s departure is a big loss to the local music industry. Japan even honored her in the 1990s as one of the best.
Isn’t it ironic that a neighboring country recognizes her but not her own? They would rather cheer for a half-blood pop star and for foreign soccer players with Filipino blood. It wouldn’t be a surprise that if ever Alexander succeeded in US, Filipinos would then worship her, not realizing that she once had tried to entertain her countrymen in her own country.
Prove your worth outside the country in order to be embraced. Sadly, this has become the mentality of most Filipinos.
Filipinos might as well tell the whole world that the Philippines has nothing to show for whenever they parade their support for quasi-Filipinos abroad. Everybody already knows that the Philippines is a third-world country, and getting wild for someone who made it a little big outside, especially in the US, just undermines the country.
It’s not like Americans would cheer, for example, if an American became a bass player of a famous band in the Philippines.
The Philippines is a great, strong, and independent nation. We don’t need to look for scraps outside. In this country resides great and praise-worthy men and women whom not even China can claim.
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To the undergraduate freshmen, welcome to the University of Santo Tomas. You may have not witnessed UST in its Quadricentennial and Neo-centennial celebrations, but your entry is still symbolic as it is the beginning of a new era with Fr. Herminio Dagohoy, O.P., who is expected to continue the legacy of his predecessor, Fr. Rolando de la Rosa, O.P., at the University’s helm.
