TO hear some of our “intellectual” commentators on the recent “AlDub” phenomena, you would think that the Philippines is inhabited by immature children whose attention can only be captured by trivial entertainment. Apparently, these same people have never heard of Americans hanging on all the exploits of the Kardashians or Bruce/Caitlyn Jenner.
The BusinessMirror columnist Tito Genova Valiente explained it well in his recent column, titled “The AlDub nation is also Luna country.” The minor controversy of the nation being captured by noontime-entertainment television reminds us of a prominent Filipino writer of English-language novels who bashed the Philippines a few years ago. His contention was that Japanese Kabuki theater—created to entice clients into the brothels of 17th-century Edo (Tokyo)—was far superior to the traditional Filipino tinikling dance.
However, our problem is that we are provincial in our thinking and outlook. We look at the world from a narrow perspective and focus. Therefore, we often look for and then are satisfied with simplistic views of complex situations.
The headline in a local newspaper read: “US to respond ‘within hours’ if PHL sovereignty is challenged.” Well, that is certainly comforting, and there is obviously no need to worry about China and our territory being usurped. Except, where was the US when China was taking over the Panatag Shoal in 2012? The US says it will ensure rights of passage in international waters, but has stayed as far away as possible from the Chinese reclamation projects in the West Philippine Sea.
From a nation that produced Antonio Luna and Carlos P. Rómulo, among many others—men and women of courage, strength and vision—we now seem to be content not wanting to look beyond the next hill.
The Middle East is exploding with Russia building military bases in Syria and pushing the Americans aside. And local television news seems to only report what is trending on social media. Only our sister company, CNN Philippines, has done any in-depth reporting on what is happening in that region. The Philippines has a great economic and human stake in that area and, yet, we only really care when Filipino workers have to be emergency evacuated.
Does anyone remember the Filipino soldiers in the United Nations peacekeeping force who battled Islamic militants in a seven-hour firefight in the Golan Heights last year? They did not surrender, and stood their ground courageously.
It is not that the Philippine government or people can do anything particularly significant to influence global events. But we need to be more aware and educated about world conditions.
The current “unofficial” presidential campaigns are a prime example. Look at the official web sites of the candidates, and you will not find a single word about anything global neither economic nor geopolitical, except for one fleeting “feel good” mention of the conflict with China.
Are Filipinos shallow and superficial? Of course, not. But we have been conditioned in the last decades to think of little outside of our own small “province”.
Image credits: Jimbo Albano
4 comments
Then who allowed them to condition us to be shallow and superficial?
Doesn’t matter – it’s time to start thinking globally. Once we do, we’ll eventually find out who’s keeping us shallow and superficial.
Citizens of bulacan; of Cebu; of batangas; of pangasinan; etc. the list goes on…
No true citizens of the Philippines.
We, and yes, our so-called intellectuals included, are a long way from becoming citizens of the world.
ALDUB is but a symptom of the problem, not its cause.
We are all the by-products of the shallow and superficial entertainment brought to us by the media and its outfit, and most of us refuse to dip our toes in the deeper issues of our country, be it a sypmtom or the cause, most of us prefer to enjoy these shallow and superficial issues