Repost: A Bisaya in Manila

[In view of the current issue with Gloria Diaz declaring that Cebuanos (I think she referred to the Visayans in general) needs an interpreter because we are not keen on the English language, I am reposting my article last July 2008 on being a Bisaya in Manila.

In fairness to all Bisaya, we know how to read and write and comprehend English the way Gloria Diaz do. This seemingly brutal way of saying that the Bisaya could not answer (in English) questions, hence we need interpreters, is brutally degrading. This comment of Diaz has been a frequent issue (she did it more than once as far as I can remember) and even bloated the idea in one of her films like Sakal Sakali Saklolo.

The issue stemmed from Venus Raj's (she's not Bisaya) not answering the question during the recent Miss Universe pageant. On the issue of the need of interpreters for our pageant contestants, Diaz said: "Kasi when you think about it, a Cebuana can hardly speak English and of course Tagalog. So maybe she should answer in Bisaya." That was caught on tape. But when people reacted on this racy slur she explained:  "This is what I said, 'People should have the right to say or to answer, not people, beauty contestants, to answer in whatever language they want to say it in. If they're Cebuanos, they can say it in Cebuano.' I did not say that they (Cebuanos) can't speak English."


Anyways, that Gloria Diaz has been considered persona non grata in Cebu.]

Being a Bisaya in Manila is one of the most embarrassing situations most Visayans would agree. Especially when the Tagalogs would make fun of our strong accent. Don’t mind Cesar Montano even if he insists he is a Boholano. He was raised in Manila.

I don’t know why most Tagalogs would make fun of our accent if the case is only to communicate.

Language sometimes is not just a barrier but a case of double jeopardy. Take the Tagalog being taught in the classrooms in our elementary years as an example. Our books taught us to use paaralan, kwaderno, datapwat, palikuran, etc., actually nonexistent terms in conversational Tagalog used only by some people in the remotest of places if not only in books. The Tagalogs do not use those terms anymore. That makes us Bisaya a laughingstock.

I could not remember my teacher correcting me when I said, Mahal na guro, pwede po bang gumamit ng papel sa aking kwaderno kasi po ako po ay pupunta sa ating palikuran? She gave me an excellent grade for that.

Not to mention of course the way the Bisaya pronounced the e as i or vice versa! Listen to a Bisaya say the word Manila. Most would say Pupunta pu ako sa Manela. I just don’t know why. Ask Annabelle Rama. She’s adept to that. Jusko day!

And the Tagalogs laughed.

'Desperate Housewives' apology over Philippines slur

MANILA (AFP) - Makers of hit US television series "Desperate Housewives" have apologised for a slur against Filipino medical workers that caused an uproar in the Southeast Asian country.

The apology was sent to Philippine broadcaster ABS-CBN's bureau in the United States and aired in the Philippines on Thursday following protests by the Manila government.

"The producers of 'Desperate Housewives' and ABC Studios offer our sincere apologies for any offense caused by the brief reference in the season premiere," cable news channnel ANC quoted the statement as saying.

"There was no intent to disparage the integrity of any aspect of the medical community in the Philippines," it said.

The episode showed actress Teri Hatcher, who plays Susan Mayer, asking during a medical consultation to check "those diplomas because I want to make sure that they're not from some med school in the Philippines."

The apology was made a day after chief aide to Philippine President Gloria Arroyo said the line of dialogue appeared to be a "racial slur."

Philippine Senators said the apology was not enough, and urged their Foreign Affairs Department to lodge a formal protest with the US government.

"I am mortally offended by the statement because it betrayed the racial prejudice and denigrates the excellent performance of world-class Filipino doctors in the US," said Senator Miriam Santiago, whose sister is a doctor working in Los Angeles.

From Yahoo!Asia News
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Kung sino pa ang nagsabing ang mga Intsik ang nag-imbento ng pangungurakot ay sya pang nagsabing "mortally offended."

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES? OR DESPERATE FILIPINOS?

Desperate Housewives or DESPERATE Filipinos?

The Filipino race is a queer race (the real meaning of the word; not the gay definition or else I will be talking about Queer Eye for the Straight Guy hahahaha). Palagi tayong gumagawa ng kababalaghan. At pang-international pa. Tapos kung may mga opinion ang mga programang pinapanood natin aalsa din naman tayo at BAN KAAGAD ANG HUSGA. Defensive tayo palagi. REACTIVE! Hindi pro-active. Mga kapalpakan natin...

NURSING EXAMS LEAKAGE (Yun lang ba yun? If there are leakages in the Nursing exams, how much more the others? Hmmm bagong balita ba yan? Admit it. You know.)

BENTAHAN NG DIPLOMA/TRANSCRIPT OF RECORDS (Kahit sarili pa nga binebenta!)

NBN-ZTE DEAL (As if bago lang to ah! Same deals, new transactions.)

SABIHING "CHINA INVENTS CORRUPTION" PERO TAYO RIN ANG CORRUPT! Tapos mag-apologize kasi Chinese rin naman ang asawa.

Worst of ALL, may ebidensya tayo sa mga kapalpakang ito!

Do we know what is an OPINION?

ANO BA YAN?

We are so deep a nation or a race. We are DEEP in shit. Tapos magalit pa tayo. Pwe!

(Funny the subtitle of Desperate Housewives says: EVERYONE HAS A LITTLE DIRTY LAUNDRY.) Pati ako daldal ng daldal at naglalaba na rin ng dirty linens in public. Pwe!