Girls Can Fight Too

Part of my decision to come to the Philippines is to challenge myself and learn something new about my culture. Aside from the usual language, food, and travels to the province I wanted to see what I could be proud of as a Filipino. I mean, Filipinos cannot JUST be proud of their adobo or of Pacquiao. There has to be more, right?

My time was ticking and I did not want to leave the Philippines without anything to show. Something I can say I did in the Philippines that is uniquely and true to the word, FILIPINO. It was not until July that I found something uniquely Filipino, under-represented in the media, yet potentially powerful once you get the hang of it.

This under-represented yet powerful force of Filipino culture is its Martial Arts. There are so many versions of Filipino martial arts, Arnis, Eskrima, and Kali, that I have yet to explore. However, I have dipped my toe in the pool of possibilities and I think there is no going back for me. Last June, I hesitantly signed up for Martials Arts classes. I did not really know what I was signing up for exactly but I figured I would give it a try since learning martial arts has always been on my bucket list. Might as well tick it off while I am still young, right?

So I signed up for a Filipino martial arts called Yaw-Yan or “Sayaw ng Kamatayan” which directly translates to “Dance of Death.” How cool right? To say I trained in the Dance of Death is pretty bad ass.

The past 5 months of training has opened my eyes to both the cultural and gender implications of this art.

First, let me just start you off on a bit of background to build on. Yaw-Yan resembles Thai Boxing and Korean Taekwondo. Yaw-Yan is considered one of the world’s latest forms of martial arts that originated in 1972. The originator of Yawyan is Napolean A. Fernandez who was an undefeated Filipino kick boxing champion, akin to the Pacquiao of our time, minus the media attention and sports endorsement.

Culturally, I think I have garnered more pride in being a Filipino within the 5 months of training than anything I have ever experienced. During my training, I have learned that a Yaw-Yan fighter are trained to believe they will be the smallest and weakest of the battle, which means they go in prepared to use their fighting techniques in a way that would use their opponent’s strength against them. In real life, Filipinos are considered smaller in comparison to most. Most Filipinos have a height and weight disadvantage, which means in any fight we would be perceived as the weakest link. This particular art, however, uses practicality to an advantage.

In terms of gender, I am of course a female. In situations where I am attacked, my opponent will most likely be stronger and bigger than me. In the streets, my opponents will be those who think they have a chance to harm me because I am smaller and through my gender I am perceived as weaker. Yaw-Yan has taught me how to use my weakness to my greatest advantage..

In the end, this unique art requires years of training to ensure mind over body. The Yaw-Yan punching bag is massive and thick. To move the bag, it takes my entire body to push against it. Imagine seasoned fighters hitting and punching that bag like it was a balloon. I tried once, to overcome the pain and kept kicking the bag repetitively 20 times with a rest of 2 minutes in between. My shin was bruised and it felt like it was on fire. However, when I practiced on a Western Punching Bag, one swift kick and it flew in the air.

Yaw-Yan shows me that that the smallest guy has a chance to conquer in the world. Figuratively speaking, I have learned to not just be a physical fighter but a mental fighter with the mentality that  I can take on the biggest and daunting challenges and discover the

 swiftest path to victory.

Challenging the Filipino Dictates of Authority

One of the biggest culture shocks I've experienced coming to the Philippines is getting use to the concept of authority.

One of the most enduring principles of Filipino culture is adherence to authority. One gives respect to Filipino elders by showing obedience and recognition of their seniority. This can be done through the mano po, where one's forehead touches the back hand of a senior member of the community. Another more common act is using the word po in a sentence to show one's acknowledgement of the other's seniority or authority. For example, if my mom asked me a question, I would respond by saying yes po or no po in accordance with the dictates of Filipino rules on authority. The same goes for responding to a person of higher authority, perhaps a boss, with the word po to delineate a clear division of authority..one being subservient to the other. 

Many expatriates feel uncomfortable with the response of po so Filipino culture has altered the po to Sir or Ma'am. Showing respect is a matter of etiquette. However, many Filipinos tend to use it excessively to a point where Sir or Ma'am is interjected in a sentence once, twice, or three times.  Take into consideration, the following dialogue I heard in the office today: "If I may say so sir, I think that would be a bad idea because we do not have the capacity to handle it sir, but thank you for your time, sir."

Growing up in the United States, I was never obligated to give mano po, say po after every sentence. All of my thoughts, ideas, actions were done so freely. Having that same mentality here is difficult because while some may see my pro-active actions as admirable, many see it as a threat to the social pecking order, an attempt to undermine positions, a blatant usurpation of roles. So how am I suppose to find the balance necessary to show my ambitious and pro-active spirit when I constantly encounter people who see it as a threat rather than an advantage. 

When dealing with professors, managers, bosses, colleagues, strangers there is always a feeling of intimidation and awe. However, the atmosphere of interaction I've experienced in the U.S. has always encouraged equality amongst individuals. Views were challenged regardless of position, ideas were exchanged without feelings of offense, and actions that show determination, independence, and ambition were admired and recognized. 

In the Philippines, however, such approaches are treated with caution. To many here, a pecking order exists and one shows absolute respect to someone with a higher status (identified by education, experience, or professional title) by acknowledging obedience in manner. If you are a janitor, your sole job is to wipe tables and you will do that for the rest of your life unless someone says otherwise. If you start to arrange the feng shui of a room and show an interest in interior designing, it is possible that you will get reprimanded for stepping out of the assigned job role instead of receiving recognition for such innovation. 

I had a recent altercation with a senior member of the office who thought I had overstepped the boundaries of this "pecking order" by suggesting I was giving orders when in fact I simply wrote a  common statement. Was a public exertion of his authority really needed? No. Was my intent to test his authority? No. 

Regardless, it was something I am not use to and still getting use to. With many of my expat managers in the office, I can freely give my opinion, advice, thoughts, and ideas without fear of their sensitivity and offense of disturbing the "pecking order" .. In fact, today my office manager asked for my opinion on how to make certain office operations better. He did so because he simply saw me as an equal and there were no barriers of education, experience, or professional title between us.

That is the interaction I am use to. That is the interaction that my professors instilled in me for four years. That is something many Filipinos have difficulty getting use to when working in international organizations. However, as the American working under Filipinos it is difficult to tolerate the condescension many senior officers display. Pecking Order up your ass! But alas, sensitivity and understanding in a different culture is an important aspect of growing up. 

It is unbelievably difficult to deal with people like that. However, as most things are in the walk of life one must deal with such challenges with open eyes and PATIENCE. People like that will come and go and regardless of position and status, one must constantly strive to work hard and command respect in the fact of insurmountable B.S. 

I believe professionalism cannot be taught, it must be learned. This is one aspect of learning, learning your boundaries of self control and focusing it on ways to pave the way for your success regardless of what people may say or do.  

The conundrum of Filipino names

Let me just preface this article by saying, I just met a cashier named: Arejola. Much to my amusement, she pronounced her name, "Air-y-ola"

Playful Filipino names hard to get used to

By Kate McGeown 
BBC News, Manila 

Bizarre and often unflattering names are as quintessentially Filipino as the country's Catholic faith, friendly smiles, former US military jeeps known as jeepneys, beautiful beaches and love of karaoke.
On my first day in Manila, I walked down to the local cafe and was served by a smiling young girl who wore a name badge entitled BumBum.
I did a double-take, then smiled back, deciding it was probably a joke.
But if so, it is a joke that practically the whole country seems to be in on.
Since then I've met a Bambi, three Bogies, several Girlies, a Peanut, a Barbie and a middle-aged man called Babe.
These names are found in all sectors of society.
Sometimes they are nicknames, sometimes genuine first names - but they are always what people are referred to on a day-to-day basis.
Even the president is not spared. His real name is Benigno Aquino, but almost everyone here calls him Noynoy.
Two of his sisters are called Pinky and Ballsy. No-one seems to see the need to ask why.

“ Why would you call your children after the days of the week or your favourite desserts? ” 

Neither does anyone question the integrity of Joker Arroyo, one of the country's most respected senators.
That is his real first name. Apparently he got it because of his father's fondness for playing cards.
Joker's brother is called Jack.
And it seems perfectly natural to Filipinos that the boxer Manny Paquiao should express his love for the British royal family by naming his daughter Queen Elizabeth.
Lost in translation?
So why do Filipinos have such odd, even risque, names?
This is not a translation issue, as most people speak English well, or well enough to know that BumBum, for example, is not exactly on the rest of the Anglophile world's list of popular baby names.

I rather tentatively brought the subject up at a dinner party full of lawyers, academics and business people.
Many of them were surprised - they had simply never thought of these names as having any kind of negative connotation.
But once we started discussing it, they did agree that, to outsiders at least, it all might sound a bit strange. Soon a heated debate began.
Perhaps it was because of the propensity of Filipinos to have large, tight-knit families, some of them said.
A man called Babe or Honey Boy, for instance, is probably the youngest member of that generation in the family.
It suited him when he was two years old - now he is a slightly overweight businessman in his 50s, why change it?
But nicknames are not always given when people are young.
The former president Joseph Estrada is more commonly known as Erap - a name he acquired in his 20s.
When spelt backwards, Erap becomes Pare, which means mate or buddy in the national language Tagalog.
Other guests thought that nicknames came about because of a need for individuality.

“ When I'm introduced to a Dinky or a Dunce, or read about people called Bing and Bong, it seems almost normal ” 

People here often have the same Christian name as their parents.
Former Congressman Ace Barbers, who, like Joker Arroyo, obviously had a card-player in the family, has the Christian name Robert, but so do his father and all his brothers.
He clearly has not found it a problem as he named his four sons Robert too. Nicknames must be essential in their house.
'Melting pot'
The conversation soon turned to the fact that the Philippines is a melting pot of different cultures, and perhaps that is what led to these strange names.

The president himself is a good example. His full Christian name is Benigno Simeon Cojuangco, names which are Spanish, Hebrew and Chinese respectively. His nickname Noynoy is the only part that is truly Filipino.
A well-used adage here is that the Philippines spent 400 years in a convent then 50 years in Hollywood, referring to Spanish then American colonial rule.
The Spanish introduced the concept of surnames - in fact they issued a decree in 1849 that everyone had to have a surname.
So even today, most surnames are Spanish.
But the main thing Spain gave to the Philippines was Catholicism, and with it, tens of thousands of newly-christened Marias and Joses.
With the Americans came names like Butch, Buffy and Junior - and the propensity to shorten everything if at all possible.
Perhaps it is the combination of these two influences which has led to names like Jejomar - short for Jesus Joseph Mary.
The current vice president is called Jejomar Binay.

“ I think it is great that BumBum can wear her name badge with pride ” 

Even the large Chinese community here has not escaped this national name game.
Their surnames are often a form of Anglicised Chinese, but sometimes the Philippine penchant for fun shines through.
I have heard of a Van Go, a John F Kenneth Dee and an Ivan Ho.
But there are some names that just defy explanation.
Why would you call your children after the days of the week or your favourite desserts? To many Filipinos, a better question to ask is: "Why wouldn't you?"
I have been living here for a while now, and I have got used to all these names.
When I'm introduced to a Dinky or a Dunce, or read about people called Bing and Bong, it seems almost normal.
In fact, if anything, I rather like the fact that Filipinos are self-assured enough to use these names, no matter how odd they sound or how senior the person's public role.
But my assimilation is not quite complete.
While I think it is great that BumBum can wear her name badge with pride, I'm not quite ready to adopt a Philippine nickname myself just yet.

Philippines-Generation of the Cyborgs

Aside from "Migrant Workers" -- There's another word that the Philippines is now synonymous with, "Call Center Agent."

All the huff and puff on the ills of exporting labor has come down to retaining workers in the Philippines to fill positions as call center agents, customer service representatives, medical transcriptionists, online language tutors, back office processing, etc. Recently, President Aquino III claimed he was able to convince foreign companies to invest in the Philippines, which would lead to more than "US $2 billion worth of investments and 43,000 new jobs for Filipinos."

One of the most appealing things about working in the BPO industry is the higher than usual minimum wage salary that one would receive as an entry-level worker. However, at what costs?

1. Health - Since many of the multinational corporations tailor to customers and clients all over the world, the need to have available service representatives available is high. Hence, many who start off must take on night shift positions. Moreover, personal vices like alcohol, smoking, and coffee become a part of daily health.

2. Class gaps - Call center agencies favor individuals who can speak English fluently and students with at least a Bachelors Degree. Will any of the job availabilities from multi-national corporations benefit the urban and rural poor ? They make up roughly half of the population in the Philippines, which implies that the continued presence and further strengthening of the BPO industry can also lead to furthering the gap between classes.

If the President is seeking ways to expand the BPO industry to the provinces -- does that mean they would be training farmers and fishermen how to work in such an environment? Wouldn't the BPO industry only drive wages of local jobs further down? What if all the fishermen and farmers decided they would rather become a call center agent because the wage was better and they can send their children to school? Who will grow the vegetables and find fish to sell?

However, it has been shown that in areas with numerous BPO companies there have also been small food stalls or food vendors that cater to the food needs of BPO workers. In some way, the presence of the BPO industry has created more demand for more food stalls and as a result - people who may not fit the positions in the industry have found a way to somehow profit from them.

3. (Sorry if this is getting technical hehe last one I promise..well second to the last..I gotta throw in my Georgetown SFS Love) Law of Diminishing Returns - Classic case is India. The Philippines now stands on the precipice of taking India's crown as the Asian country best suited for BPO expansion. Partly because the Philippines has shown to yield more revenues and has provided increased incentives in VAT exemptions and deduction in training expenses. However, similar to India - I believe the Philippines will eventually experience diminishing returns when the BPO industry finds another cheap place to set up their cyborg factories of call center agents and customer service representatives in a small island in the Pacific. I think the Philippines should not be investing in this industry with the belief that it will stick around forever. Both Aquino and Arroyo believes it will.

4. (Last Technical term, I promise) Dependency theory - Just as my International Relations 101 teacher likes to preach, goods and resources from developing countries flow to wealthy countries -- countries like the U.S. would gain a larger profit at the expense of developing countries, like the Philippines. As is with the age-old history of Philippines colonialism - Filipinos are always selling their services to the developed world at a cheap rate. Hence, I find it difficult to see BPO industries as something that would benefit the morale of all Filipinos. Instead, it only perpetuates the Philippines' status as a "developing country"... where the government has so little fate in its own local industries that it would succumb to multi-national investments with the misleading belief that poor people will come out of poverty and the Philippines will prosper.

So this generation of cyborgs is just beginning - mind drained call center agents and customer service representatives - answering calls..solving someone's  annoying credit card problems half way across the world...drinking coffee every hour...chain smoking to relieve stress..

By 2020, every Filipino that comes out of college will most likely be programmed to work in the BPO industry because it would yield a higher salary than actually job hunting in whatever they majored in. It's an easy position to get...as long as you can speak English. 

However, when the BPO industry leaves and finds a cheaper place to set up shop - what will all the young Filipino cyborgs do then?

My trip down P.Burgos: A year in Review

P.Burgos is a well known red light district in Makati. I should know, I use to stay there. When I interned in the business district of Makati, I chose to stay at P.Burgos because it was cheaper and I could walk to work every morning and afternoon, without having to hail a cab.

In the morning, people are selling fruits, small food items, and trinkets. Hardly, any cause for danger. At night, it the streets become filled with white guys and scantily clad women and men.

Last night, I took a stroll down memory lane to take a couple shots of the night life for a contest my friends and I entered in June. The street hasn't changed at all. On every street corner white foreign men were bargaining the price of one night stands with one or two young Filipino ladies. At the local bar, foreign men were staring at every Filipino woman that passed by, eyeing them like pieces of candy.

It was disgusting. Young ladies that were my age were prancing around in mini shorts and tops that showed off their cleavage to foreign men who simply wanted to pay them for sex. Of course, poverty most likely plays a role in this street. Women may not have a choice in the matter to sell their bodies for sex. However, knowing that the Western world sees the Philippines as a place to get one night stands obliterates the supposed "pride in the Philippines." Politicians and student groups may encourage national pride amongst its citizens, but how does that pride transcend to actual emotion when I see a place like P.Burgos? Where is the pride in that?

I have pride in my culture but national pride is not something I can say I truly have. I equate national pride with places like P.Burgos, the hypersexualization of women on billboards, the racial inferiority complex of almost every Filipino woman who feels the need to be whiter, the election of President Noynoy Aquino who simply got elected because of his mother and father's fame, the obvious matriculation of old actors and actresses into politics (just because they're well known on TV), the exit of nurses and skilled professionals because there are no jobs to sustain them at home, the poverty and slums, and the nepotism/crony politics that is so ingrained in Filipino politics.

Last night, I was watching the History channel and they were discussing how America grew into a super power. America's growth is the product of innovation and self-sustained domestic industries. Essentially, most of America's industries grew from the ground up -- local businessmen invested in the manufacturing of cars, steel, home appliances, clothing, etc. All of that was home grown and not imported. Eventually, those industries grew and perpetuated the growth and expansion of American cities to what we see today.

The Philippines has trouble growing a domestic industries. We rely on multi-national corporations to feed us the big investments instead of growing it for ourselves. In turn this dependency is what feeds Philippines' poverty because there are no means to support small businesses (aside from loans) to flourish and create jobs.

For example, my friend Roland and I had a discussion about his Nurse research. There are roughly 200,000 nurses in the Philippines and about half or a third of them are unemployed. The nursing population here is filled with skilled health workers. If they are able to put their skills to good use, by, for example, taking care of the poor, elderly, or sick, OUTSIDE OF THE HOSPITAL, you'll see a very different Philippines where low income households can seek proper care for their sick children and elderly relatives. However, do we see that connection or political investment? No we do not. Does the Philippines government do anything to put their skilled workers to good use? No they do not. Instead investment is going towards, building new malls, creating new government departments, and paying the salaries of over indulgent and entitled politicians.

After being here for a year, I have found significant pride in my culture, the food, the people who greet me hello on a bad day, the wet markets where honest people are trying to make a living, the rice paddies where farmers continue to find joy and passion in their work, the slum dwellers who still find time to smile at the camera, the people sweeping the highways of debris despite the heat, the feeling of acceptance and family when I go to the provinces for a vacation, seeing Sari-Sari stores and knowing that Filipinos haven't given up hope to make things better for themselves. That's my culture, the people who fill their lives with hope and smiles regardless of their destitution or hardships they may face.

National pride is a completely different sentiment that I have found hard to accept during my time here. The frustration of not being able to do anything except give hungry kids selling smpaguita a piece of my pandesal makes me feel disappointed in a government that does not find potential in its people, particularly the children. The potential for innovation and growth will always be hindered by people who lack vision and heart in government.

The Destruction of the Written Word

rowen? roman? ron? no, it's roland.: a redeeming WTF, Philippines: "The ChowKing 'Sioplet' - What started as a normal 'WTF, Philippines' turned out to be the highlight of my day. See, my days now consist of ..."
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Dear Roland,

Here's what google defines as "Lauriat"...oh wait it doesn't have one. I also love Filipinos and their intuitive creations of words.

BUT! at least the word "lauriat" is spelt with the correct alphabets.

There's a craze in the Philippines, aside from San Marino Corned Tuna, called "Jejmon".

Urban Dictionary defines it as: those"who has managed to subvert the English language to the point of incomprehensibility and online lynch squads."

It's a new fashion of speaking and SMS texting that is suppose to be indicative of self-expression. However, there is a fine line between self-expression and just plain stupidity. Essentially, the LOLs and STFU just took on a whole new level in the Philippines, where words and numbers are put together in an attempt to formulate words. It's a popular "sub-culture" that is made of hip teenagers who are attempting to revolutionize SMS texting into a popular way of speaking, writing, and fashion. In essence, it is a type of self-expression seeks to dethrone the written word entirely.

Yes, language can be revolutionized and changed over time. That's the beauty of it. However, this type of language does not have any meaning at all! It's just putting alphabets and numbers together to form incoherent words to seem cool in the SMS world.

Since this type of writing gives me a headache to even decipher, I just wikipedia'd it to copy and paste here because just trying to translate them to English or Tagalog would counter any form of pride I could possibly have of being "Filipino." So I won't risk the chance.

Wikipedia:
"The sociolect of the Jejemons, called Jejenese, is derived from English, Filipino and their code-switched variant Taglish. Their alphabet, Jejebet, uses the Roman alphabet, including the Arabic numerals and other special characters. Words are created by rearranged letters in a word, alternating capitalization, over-usage of the letters H, X or Z and mixture of numeric characters and our normal alphabet[2]. The spelling convention shares similarities with Leetspeak.
Examples:

Filipino: "3ow ph0w, mUsZtAh nA?" translated into Filipino as "Hello po, kamusta na?, translated into English as "Hello, how are you?"

English: "i wuD LLyK tO knOw moR3 bOut u. crE 2 t3ll mE yur N@me? jejejejeje!" translated into English as "I would like to know more about you, care to tell me your name? Hehehehe!"

• aQcKuHh- means me/ako
• lAbqCkyOuHh- means I love you
• yuHh- means you
• jAjaJa- garbled words conveying laughter
• jeJejE- a variation of jAjaJa; conveys sly laughter
• iMiszqcKyuH- means I miss you
• eEoWpFhUeEhsxz - means hi/hello

So, aside from seeing these text messages..I thought, "Okay, this is just a few people and it's only through SMS or instant messages that we see such. It can't be everyone..it's just a few young teenagers trying to jump on the band wagon." Low and behold, one day at the mall I see a bunch of people wearing the "Jeje Cap." The cap that signifies their support for the destruction of the written word. The flood of rainbow caps made me realize how far and wide the support is for the jejemon culture in the Philippines.

The following day, after my brain overloaded on rainbow caps, my google notifications popped up various articles during the month related to "Philippines and education." Some of which were:

Education moves to stop ‘jejemon’
DepEd discourages ‘jejemon’ texting among students
DepEd launches war against Jejemon

and my ultimate favorite point of view: DepEd urged: 'Let jejemon be; it will pass'

The fact that the Philippines' Department of Education has to decide either to "wage a war" or "let it pass" is so indicative of Filipino culture that doesn't take initiative to simply decide what is right and wrong and take measures to support it. When SMS texting becomes a part of regular schooling, then something is obviously wrong.

I'm not going to lie, I often use LOLs, LMAO, and STFU in my text messages but I have common sense not the write that in my academic papers, where my teachers would probably disapprove and demote me to kindergarten to learn my ABCs again.

Maybe, for some, they'd opt to take the liberal standpoint and just let it be because it's "not hurting anyone." But, seriously...would you want your child to speak and write "jejenese" ?? Would you find pride in that? When you work in the real world and have a career will your co-workers respect you for it? Will your classmate think you are the brightest person and someone to look up to? No!

As much as I find pride in the Philippines, I also find a lot of disappointment that catches me off guard sometimes and I find myself wondering how the hell I have lasted this long here.

t@ank yuHh 4 r3@dng 3y 670g (Thank you for reading my blog)

fyi it took me 1 minute to figure out how write that jejemon style..I feel a whole lot smarter now.)

rowen? roman? ron? no, it's roland.: the philippines: a starbucks culture

rowen? roman? ron? no, it's roland.: the Philippines: a starbucks culture: "oh wow, as i just got up to adjust my seating, i realized im sitting next to a tranny-licious filipino. but then again, that's everyday her..."
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So, after reading my friend's blog (link above) on his "estarbucks" adventure. I wanted to add my two cents to his "Filipino Tranny" discussion, which I also found to be the most amusing and confusing issue during my one year in the Philippines. (Yes I survived one year..but that's another blog to discuss later)

Philippines culture is, obviously, heavily influenced by our Spanish colonizers. The idea of machismo is a very common gender norm in the Philippines that signifies a man's supposed strength in the community and in the family. This machismo is further compounded by the fact that the Philippines is very Catholic, which often gives reason to believe "tranny culture would be considered taboo because the Philippines is pre-dominant Catholic country.

This goes out to Raymond and Nina, my Gender Studies friends, who would probably send both Roland and I an e-mail of correct definitions for all the different gender types out there. However, in the Philippines, Filipinos won't even bother to try and categorize them, LGBTQi all fall under the word, "bakla." So, we'll just go with it for now.

To see prime time TV shows showcasing baklas (or mga bakla) preening like peacocks on TV to Lady Gaga songs is not a new thing. In fact, it brings in the ratings and Filipinos, homosexuals and heterosexuals alike, feed into it like no other culture I've seen thus far. This fascination to watch but not be a part of is interesting. It's fun to watch and pretend in front of friends to be "bakla" but when you ask any Filipino guy, what if your son became one, they'll respond with a resounding "hells to the NO!"

Now that doesn't seem fair because people who associate themselves as such eventually realize that they cannot be fully accepted as real members of society. Merely a subordinate source of amusement for the masses.

Okay, so this "machismo" culture. A friend of mine was discussing how certain Filipino guys, who identify themselves as heterosexuals, would often seek a "gay sponsor". A "gay sponsor" provides money, shoes, clothes, t-shirts, trinkets, a car, etc. in return for sexual favors or companionship. The Filipino men who seek these "gay sponsors" are obviously those who may not be wealthy, so deriving any form of wealth is important to stay alive in Manila.

The funny thing is, though many of these heterosexual Filipino men provide sexual favors, escort services, or companionship to their "gay sponsors" they do not call themselves gay and in fact reaffirm their "machismo" but showing they also have 3-4 girlfriends on the side. The money they receive as a gay person's call boy and sex toy supports their lifestyle, at the same time they continue to fully act out their macho heterosexual role in public.

I think this is not a new phenomenon and it no way generalizes the entire Filipino male population. It's just a simple example, that I found to be rather scandalous and at the same time confusing. Simone De Beauvoir, Michael Warner, Freud, Jaques Lacan, and Emmanuel Levinas have been discussing these issues for a long time.

Their philosophy and writings discuss "the other" as a concept that we as human beings use to classify people who are different or "other than ourselves" to be subordinate and do not fit into society.

Maybe my gender studies friends can give me a more scientific explanation of it. :) But for now, we'll leave it as that. Machismo and bakla culture reinforces each other in the Philippines. To fully understand if this is a good or bad thing is up to various perspectives, but I still don't know how they can co-exist so easily and have such a fluid relationship, especially within the confines of the a very conservative Catholic country.

A Sunday Afternoon Party (ASAP) Experience!!

Yesterday (Sunday) a couple of friends and I went to watch the show ASAP, which is a well known entertainment show in the Philippines that showcases almost all of the famous Filipino actors, actresses, singers, and models. They danced, singed, and hosted the show for three hours...every Sunday.

We arrived at ABS-CBN at 10:30am (the show starts at 12) and we did not leave the studio until 3:30pm. It was the most exhausting experience ever, but at least I got to see it live.

Bea Alonzo, John Lloyd Cruz, Piolo Pascual, Toni Gonazaga...etc. were just some of the star studded cast. The audience went crazy when they saw them, akin to me going crazy if I got a chance to see Brad Pitt or Justin Timberlake at the same time.

One thing is for sure, these Filipino celebrities are very different from the American celebrities back in the states. Aside from the fact that American celebrities have bigger salaries, bigger movie promotion deals, and are more international renowned, there is still a really huge disconnect between their stardom and their fans. The only time you really get to see them or admire their skills are in movies, concerts, or guest appearances on Oprah or Ellen.

However, can you imagine seeing your favorite celebrities all on one show, entertaining you every weekend with their music, fashion, and goofy-ness. Well that is what ASAP is, a culmination of the most favored Filipino celebrities dancing and singing to Michael Jackson and current and oldie hits.

Filipinos love their entertainment and Filipinos love to entertain. So it is not surprising to see a star studded Filipino cast entertaining people in their homes every weekend.

American pop culture thinks Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, and Lady Gaga are talented and hott. However, can you imagine them doing a gig every weekend, live? Not just one gig..or one concert..but every weekend..singing, dancing, interacting with each other? No, you can't.

Or can you imagine Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie hosting and singing a duet ever weekend? No, you can't either.

So being able to see all of the "famous" (I'm speaking local of course) Filipino stars on one show was definitely mind blowing and entertaining. They are true entertainers and though I was exhausted from the show, it was pretty cool to wave at Piolo Pascual and have him wave back at me (or at least I think he was waving back at me..haha well okay, waving in my general direction).

Finding Pride in the Philippines' Poor

Punishing the Urban Poor

(courtesy of UPA)

This recent op-ed article (see above link) caught my attention. The article describes the recent tragedy many urban poor families had to face when the government demolished their homes. Those most affected by the forced evictions were none other than women. They were seen clutching their Santo Nino and praying for some form of miracle while the police mercilessly clubbed and water cannoned them. Finally, when they were overwhelmed and the human barricade finally collapsed from exhaustion, police officials made a move to knock down 100 shanties and, as a result, dislocated 243 families.


It is International Women's Day today, and it is  disappointing to see the Philippines government's failure to uphold the legal rights of women, especially those who live below the poverty line.

"The people now sleep in the rubble. There is nowhere else to go. They ate together the night of the eviction, red eggs and noodles and rice from the parish. Children play on the back hoe and women cry quietly. Two weeks ago the women asked, “How can they beat us? We’re old enough to be their grandmothers?” They now ask, “How can they leave us homeless with our children?”

The non-profit organization Urban Poor Associates,  mediated the conflict as it attempted to defended thousands of families from forced evictions and relocations. Their involvement is nothing short of heroic and something I aspire to reach someday.

The recent action of the Philippines government to ILLEGALLY evict thousands of poor people from their shanty homes without any form or relocation plan is beyond unjustified. All across the world, poverty stricken families are forced to succumb to the whims of their government. They are forced around like monopoly pieces for the sake of "urban development" and it is difficult to truly understand their struggles with life.

"Maybe because evictions are so common and the lives of the poor so alien to the better-off members of society, we have forgotten how huge a tragedy evictions are. It is traumatic for children to see men tear down their homes and to see their mothers knocked to the ground by water cannons...Women grieve as they see the homes, where they had their children, torn down as if they were junk. The men lose work days; there is more sickness requiring medicine. Distant relocation often means the loss of a job or separation from one’s family for long periods of time. They borrow money to see them through the hard times that is hard to repay. Poor women as well as well-off women feel their house is an extension of themselves—as a man feels his professional work is part of himself—so to see their houses torn down is extremely painful."

A home is a home. Whether held together by rubble or by tape. A home signifies a person's ability to provide, a person's connection to what is real and tangible in society. It is a means to sustain livelihood and a symbol of dignity. To see women, men, and children torn by such savagery is difficult to stomach. However, it is not uncommon here.

I realize how strong many Filipinos are, particularly the destitute ones. Struck by a multitude of financial, legal, medical, and personal problems, they continue to survive. Those affected by the demolition last week will most likely cry and mourn for their loss then pick up their things once again to start anew. Their strength is beyond me and it is because of them that I continue to be inspired.