(photo by ruthie taken @ Allen Port N.S)
Stereotypes are stereotypes and I cannot change that.
When I was growing up, ayokong na-i-identify na BISAYA kase baka sabihin nila ang baduy ko. Yah know, WA CLASS. Baka sabihin nila may kamag-anak akong NPA. Baka sabihin nila MAGSASAKA ang tatay at nanay ko (which is true naman). Naku ha, baka sabihin nila, mga pinsan ko yung WARAY-WARAY GANG, BODOL-BODOL GANG, BAHALA NA GANG, SIGE-SIGE GANG at kung anu-ano pang gangsta yan to ever hit the Philippines. Ayokong ma-identify na househelp/DH/dancer etc. Ayokong mai-ugnay kay Dodong and Inday na laging nasa Luneta pag dey-of. Yan ang mga sentimyento ko noong araw at madaming-madami pa. You know, people can be very mean. Pag andun ka sa adolescence stage, ayaw mo yung nagiging tampulan ng mapa-ngutyang social climbers. You don’t wanna be branded as someone with a diction problem.
“San ka punta? Ano’ng floor?
“Sa SECAN FLOR, Ati”
isda — pis
mukha — pis
pandikit — pis
kapayapaan – pis
Your dialect/culture doesn’t make you less of a person. When people laugh at you because of your thick accent, you began to lose faith in yourself. Nakakawala ng confidence. Nakaka-inferiority complex. Yan ang pinag-uugatan ng lahat ng insecurities. There was an instance when I was in 2nd HS sa Social Studies class, sabi ng teacher ko, and mga Bisaya daw eh hinde marunong mag-ipon. EH pakita ko kaya sayo ang bank account ko ngayon. *Haha, zero balance pala* Dati din may narinig ako somehwere na ‘BAWAL SUMINGIT SA PILA ANG MGA BISAYA”. Whatta?!!
Racism. Decrimination. Filipinos stereotyping against fellow Filipinos.
Ang hinde ko maintindihan eh baket kelangan laging NEGATIVE CHENES ang mga write ups. Baket ang mga Ilocano, stereotyped as matipid? Ang mga Kapampangan, stereotyped as masarap magluto. Ang mga Bikolano, stereotyped as BICOL EXPRESS, hehe, joke lang, URAGON pala. Eh baket ang mga BISAYA, stereotyped as JOLOGS at katawa-tawa at ignoramus at puro ka-cheapan. Bisaya manamit. Bisaya mag-salita. Yan ang mga rason kung baket ayoko ma identify as one of them. Hinde lang kayo aware pero minsan nakakasama ng loob yun. Pero sa totoo lang, there is nothing wrong and nothing to be ashamed about it. Who cares if my parents got diction problems? They have raised us well. The best makisama ang mga magulang ko, pati ang mga Tiyahins ko kung alam nyo lang. Who cares if we eat BULAD and KUYOG for breakfast, lunch and dinner? At least, we eat 3x a day. Sometimes, 5x pa kase nag memeryanda pa kami ng kamote. Who cares if my parents farmed lands all their lives? It’s an honest living. Natuto akong mag-blog dahil sa coprahan ng mga magulang ko. Who cares if I’m baduy? I am sure, at one point in your life, naging baduy ka din. Aminin! *Haller, baduy ba ang nagsusuot ng Levi’s and Lacoste?* Hinde ako yun, puros Crispa/Blue corner at Crissa jeans ako. Hahaha. Baduy ba ang mahilig sa bulaklakin? *nyahaha, bulaklakin na maong pants pala*. Who cares kung namamasyal kami sa Luneta at nag pi-picnic, making kwento and embracing the ultimate ka-cheapan? At least, we’re not a dysfunctional family.
Huwag tayong maging mapang-husga sa kapwa natin dahil lang naging less-privileged sila. We didn’t choose to be raised, or to be thrown into a community of heavily-accented speakers. Moreso, we didn’t choose to be born into poverty. Kung may kulang man (edukasyon, etiquette, breeding chenes and the likes), wag na natin lalong i-paramdam yung kakulangan na yun.
Natutunan kong i-embrace ang pagiging BISAYA ko kahit na ma-identify ako sa kung ano pa mang kababawan yan. I am proud of my BISAYA blood. Review Phil. History and you’ll know why. Magiging BIAS ako pero totoo lahat ng sasabihin ko. Ang mga BISAYA, ang pinaka SWEET at TALENTED na makilala nyo sa totoong buhay. Ganun kase ako eh. Hahaha. Kahit san mo kami ilagay, we can find meaning and happines in what we do. If given a chance na mag-shine, shine ever talaga kami. Tingnan mo si INDAY, sikat na sikat. May commercial pa.
Seryos na, madaming mga BISAYA talaga ang talented. Alam nyo na yan. They can speak fluent English, Tagalog and Bisaya. Sa opis lang namin magagaling ang mga BISAYA. Gifted din sila sa MUSIC. We are a bunch of hardworking people who knows how to enjoy life kahit gaano pa kahirap ang buhay. Totoong madaming Bisaya ang mahirap but possessions do not define who we are. Sa mga naiirita sa presence ko at ng mga kababayan ko, I only have this to say:
P*stilan! P*nulay!
Nyahaha. Joke la. Gihigugma ko kamo ngatanan! Mwaaah! Ano’ng foint ko? Let’s stop firacy and love one another na lang. Pare-pareho lang naman tayong brown race. Kahit ano pa’ng sabihin nyo against me, care ko, basta ako proud ako na Bisaya ak and nothing will ever change that!
Ang post na ito ay dedicated dun sa isang friend(?) ko na pinag-tawanan yun text ng nanay ko kase ini-spell ng nanay ko yung AUTOLOAD na AUTOLUD. Oi, Bisaya din ang nanay mo, narinig ko sa phone. Wag mag-deny.
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[…] know me, I hate stereotyping. I blogged about this whole Filipinos stereotyping against Filipinos HERE. What’s happening NOW is a classic example of Filipinos bashing each […]