Pinoy Pride

[Old55]

Reading an editorial in the Free Man the other day got me thinking what it means to me and how it affects my Filipino friends and loved ones.For sure Filipinos have many things to be proud of. Typically they have strong family values and a kind giving nature even when they have very little worldly goods. We see Pinoy Pride polo shirts with the Islands detailed on them and even web pages like www.pinoypride.net. God only knows there are more than enough natural and self made disasters in the Islands. What positive things have you witnessed or experienced lately to do with Filipinos’ or within the Cebu area?

[roy2cebu]

Reading an editorial in the Free Man the other day got me thinking what it means to me and how it affects my Filipino friends and loved ones.For sure Filipinos have many things to be proud of. Typically they have strong family values and a kind giving nature even when they have very little worldly goods. We see Pinoy Pride polo shirts with the Islands detailed on them and even web pages like www.pinoypride.net. God only knows there are more than enough natural and self made disasters in the Islands. What positive things have you witnessed or experienced lately to do with Filipinos’ or within the Cebu area?

I'm assuming that a Pinoy is a male...pride?...lol!..well for the average pinoy....my observations only..layabout drunken good for nothing....deserts family resposibilities..sends his girl whoring whilst he does eff all but get drunk and womanise.... and..TYPICALLY.. family values? a giving nature?...give me a break....Pls excuse me if I've misinterpreted 'Pinoy' Edited November 4, 2010 by roy2cebu

[Old55]

Pinoy is an informal demonym referring to the Filipino people.Yes, I know that your observations are shared by some Foreigners. I do agree some Filipino men behave badly but that is far from the norm. I’m not referring to those but the everyday common Filipino man or woman. Do you have any Filipino family or friends? How do they show Pinoy Pride and what is it to them?

I'm assuming that a Pinoy is a male...pride?...lol!..well for the average pinoy....my observations only..layabout drunken good for nothing....deserts family resposibilities..sends his girl whoring whilst he does eff all but get drunk and womanise.... and..TYPICALLY.. family values? a giving nature?...give me a break....Pls excuse me if I've misinterpreted 'Pinoy'

Edited November 4, 2010 by Mr. Lee
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[tropicalwaste]

Interesting topic.. good to see the 2 extremes on the same page..lol For me personally the OFW's are probably the odd mix because they are proud but seem disillussioned on how to fix things but being outside the country they understand the home issues more.Although did recently get into an argument with a local politician over the OFW's being heroes as someone else had asked why are they heroes and I am not I get up every morning go to work, pay for my family etc. etc. aren't I a hero? when my response came neither are they are just working for the family it obviously went to the "you dont understand your a foreigner mentality" at which point I explained the definition of hero and it didn't say anywhere about getting on a plane to the middle east to work.. So in answer to the question.. I think much of the pride stuff is not only fake its disillussioned otherwise if you mentioned something negative they would be able to respond with several positives to put it in perspective instead of agree with you!

[Mr Lee]

As for OFW they struggle with many aspects of life too. HERE is a blog post taken from the Inquirer.net   titled "There's no place like home" which I found very interesting and shows expats are not the only ones who get taken advantage of. Below are some quotes but you all may find the whole post interesting to read too! Pinoys are special people to do what they do and I know I could not be away from my wife for months at a time or even years, so OFW's deserve to be called heros IMO.

 Many Filipinos seek work abroad because their needs are great. They have so many mouths to feed. Often, 3/4 or half of their earnings go to paying school tuition fees for their children and keeping up with the family's household expenses.

It's hard being an OFW. You need to scrimp and save as much as you can. Yes, food can be good abroad but often you stick to paksiw or adobo or eggs in order to save money. Come the 15th or end of the month, the first thing you look up is the conversion rate of the peso to the dollar, rial, or euro. It's okay to make do with what little is left than let the family go hungry. Come leave time, you also have to have some money left because many relatives will be waiting at the airport or at home. You know how it is among Pinoys, word gets around that you are an OFW and it attracts a lot of kin.If you don't bring pasalubong (a traditional homecoming gift) they may feel slighted and say bad things about you. Well, not all. But I'm sure some OFWs here have had that experience. Abroad, OFWs are also looked at differently. Very many have experienced not getting their due or being discriminated against in workplaces. You just take it, keep going, cry it out alone, because you think how miserable your family would be if you packed up and went home.  

[Old55]

Thanks for posting, I respect your opinion. So what you think is... its a false pride more or less a face saving tool? In some cases that is true and I would agree with that but I have my own opinion and will it share later.Oh yea, don't get me started on the OFW Hero thing! I have a theory to do with the "OFW's being heroes" I think the evil garden gnome and her cronies made that very clever saying up to encourage the best and brightest to depart Philippines in order to provide "free" money and hope for a better life outside the country. And she and her crocodile buddy's would have less to worry about because those people are the ones most likely to stand up against her or call her out. IMO GMA was a darn smart little piece of work. Funny how we don't hear anything much about her in the papers now. Anyway I have gone off topic... Again My bad!

Interesting topic.. good to see the 2 extremes on the same page..lol For me personally the OFW's are probably the odd mix because they are proud but seem disillussioned on how to fix things but being outside the country they understand the home issues more.Although did recently get into an argument with a local politician over the OFW's being heroes as someone else had asked why are they heroes and I am not I get up every morning go to work, pay for my family etc. etc. aren't I a hero? when my response came neither are they are just working for the family it obviously went to the "you dont understand your a foreigner mentality" at which point I explained the definition of hero and it didn't say anywhere about getting on a plane to the middle east to work.. So in answer to the question.. I think much of the pride stuff is not only fake its disillussioned otherwise if you mentioned something negative they would be able to respond with several positives to put it in perspective instead of agree with you!

[Old55]

Lee, you are correct that the average OFW's life is difficult at best. Hard to think how hard it would one could be away from loved ones for ten twenty years at a time with only a month visit every few times. Filipinos are very family group oriented this is much more dificult than for western people who live a more independent life style.If I were to call a Filipino a Hero it would be the average person who works long hours in Philippines knowing that at any time he or she could lose their lousy low paying job for any or no reason and not be able to find another for how long. Those that live that life with optimism and a smile on their face in spite of all the BS that goes on there are darn special perhaps heroic.

As for OFW they struggle with many aspects of life too. HERE is a blog post taken from the Inquirer.net titled "There's no place like home" which I found very interesting and shows expats are not the only ones who get taken advantage of. Below are some quotes but you all may find the whole post interesting to read too! Pinoys are special people to do what they do and I know I could not be away from my wife for months at a time or even years, so OFW's deserve to be called heros IMO.

Many Filipinos seek work abroad because their needs are great. They have so many mouths to feed. Often, 3/4 or half of their earnings go to paying school tuition fees for their children and keeping up with the family's household expenses.

It's hard being an OFW. You need to scrimp and save as much as you can. Yes, food can be good abroad but often you stick to paksiw or adobo or eggs in order to save money. Come the 15th or end of the month, the first thing you look up is the conversion rate of the peso to the dollar, rial, or euro. It's okay to make do with what little is left than let the family go hungry. Come leave time, you also have to have some money left because many relatives will be waiting at the airport or at home. You know how it is among Pinoys, word gets around that you are an OFW and it attracts a lot of kin.If you don't bring pasalubong (a traditional homecoming gift) they may feel slighted and say bad things about you. Well, not all. But I'm sure some OFWs here have had that experience. Abroad, OFWs are also looked at differently. Very many have experienced not getting their due or being discriminated against in workplaces. You just take it, keep going, cry it out alone, because you think how miserable your family would be if you packed up and went home.

[Mr Lee]

Lee, you are correct that the average OFW's life is difficult at best. Hard to think how hard it would one could be away from loved ones for ten twenty years at a time with only a month visit every few times. Filipinos are very family group oriented this is much more dificult than for western people who live a more independent life style.If I were to call a Filipino a Hero it would be the average person who works long hours in Philippines knowing that at any time he or she could lose their lousy low paying job for any or no reason and not be able to find another for how long. Those that live that life with optimism and a smile on their face in spite of all the BS that goes on there are darn special perhaps heroic.

I cannot argue with you my friend and maybe all who work are hero's, but those who give up so much so that their families and the next generation will have a better life IMO are hero's, but the problem I see with that is that so many back home just waste all the hard earned money sent home because they did not have to work for it, so they have no idea just how much sacrifice the OFW's have to make to earn it. My wife and I have gone on a number of cruises and have met quite a few Filipino workers on the ships and we always try to get to know them so we can ask them questions on life. Just like in the Philippines where many people often room in a small room, the same happens on ships but those are probably the better jobs because housing and food is supplied, so much of what they earn can be saved.I also think we should include in the hero category those who marry and go to live overseas and even some of us who send money who marry Filipinos and help them send money home. I would love to see the numbers, and I would bet that a lot of the economy of the whole country depends on OFW's and those who marry and continue to send help home by working or by having their partners supply the funds.  And then there are those of us who visit and spend our money brought over within the country and then there are those who live there and spend their pensions or money from back home, or from earning in another country and I am sure there are others I am missing here. There are many hero's IMO and if all those sources of inflow were to stop, then I would bet the PHL would be in deep trouble. That is one of the wonderful thing about forums, we can all voice our opinions and just maybe someone in power will read them and make some changes for the better for the people. Jobs back home should be number one so that so many do not have to leave their families which IMO breaks down the family unit and destroys the country and its people in the long run.

[Inspector]

Just to clarify...this family orientation aspect was created because of two things, and prevails in many catholic orientated spanish cultures....the religion itself, and the fact so many people that religion created.... creates the third world despair of not enough jobs, resources ect, thus causing a interdependence vs our independence. IMHO, there is no pride shooting out a litter of kids, hoping one works overseas as a "hero"..lolz...or marries some rich kano, and the entire family begins begging from these hero/saps. You want to know how desperate this country is for "pride"...you need not look past November 14th when a fighter tries and knocks out an opponent, and the ENTIRE country stands still and does nothing but watch.That is the pride...one single boxer.

[sjp52]

A hero to me is someone who goes above and beyond the call of duty to help or save one or more people. Here in the west we are taught that we grow up and get a job and take care of our family. And we need to do what ever it takes to provide for are family. I think the same is felt in the Philippines. OFW,s are not doing anything that any one else would do if they had to. But I do know what they are going through. Being married to a Filipina I too send money home for the family. My wife's family is big, She has 3 sisters and 5 brothers all married with lots of kids. Out of the 8, six have jobs and work 6 days a week, 12 hours a day and are devoted to the family. They make enough to survive and no more for emergencies. We tend to always point out the bad things in life, Like the bad people who are lazy and don,t work. Here in the Philippines is no different than in the west. If you go to any poor area in any country in the west you will find lots of drunks and lazy people. The Filipinos have a lot to be proud of. I don,t think there is another nation that the people are so close to each other. They will always look after each other where ever they are. They have a lot of faith in God that there lives will one day change for the better ( maybe to much faith in God and not enough in themselves ) but even so they are upbeat. Even though they are in a not so privileged life they keep there head up and keep on smiling. Many times I have been offered a meal when I know that most could not afford to give it. Sure there country is a mess but that is mostly the governments fault and you would be surprised at how easy it is to keep control over a poor people nation.The average Filipino is a little child like in some ways as if they never really grew up totally. ( I kind of envy them for that in some ways ). Did any one see that u tube video where the 3 or 4 Filipinos were watching the miss universe pageant and the reaction when she made it to the finals, It was like those guys were 13 years old or something, Quite funny actually. For the most part the Filipino people I have met are warm and caring and giving people and I would not trade my family for anything. I curse and swear about this country and some of the things that go on here but the average Filipino is a nice person in my book