Kristine Nicole J.
Avio ENG 2 B-4R May 12, 2011
2009-49918 Reaction Paper
Ako ay Pilipino
When I was a child, my father used to say (and is still saying) that I should not
watch ‘teleseryes’ or Filipino movies. He said that I would get nothing and learn from
those mushy scenes in those kinds of media that focuses only on romance. To quote
him, “Mapupurol lang ang utak mo jan sa mga teleserye na yan.” At first, I thought he
was rather judgmental and skeptic, and that he wasn’t proud to be a Filipino. Eventually,
as I grew up and thought of what he said, I agree with him.
In Gloc-9’s “The Bobo Song”, I am guilty of loving ‘chinitos at
chinitas’/’asianovelas’, and watching ‘telenovelas’. In my opinion, the reason why so
many Filipinos watch ‘asianovelas’ and ‘telenovelas’ is because of the dullness and
consistent storyline of Filipino shows or more importantly the ‘teleseryes’. Also,
nowadays, they remake movies, and ‘asianovelas’ and ‘koreanovelas’, turning them into
primetime or afternoon shows on TV. The usual plot of Filipino ‘teleseryes’ is the rags-to-
riches romance story wherein the main protagonists are the love team of the century
making it easier for us, the audience to guess the ending. The only twists in the story are
the ever bitter antagonists – which is usually the character who has a one-sided love for
one of the protagonists or the evil mother – making the lives of the lead characters a
living hell. Furthermore, it showcases a lot of slapping and shouting matches, and more
‘kilig’ scenes that you can count. What I like about ‘asianovelas’ are its originality and
unpredictability. Unlike Filipino ‘teleseryes’, they show different plots - not just the rags-
to-riches love stories - that are interesting, and defies the usual and conventional style of
TV shows. Moreover, I have observed that they are also proud of their culture and
heritage with their shows like ‘Jumong’, ‘Princess Hours’, ‘Jewel in the Palace’, ‘Amazing
Twins’, etc. One can rarely see production movies or shows that showcase Filipino
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culture and heritage. Unfortunately, Filipino shows focus more on the marketability of the
show rather than its value and the quality.
As for the actors-turned-politicians, even athletes-turned-politicians, I agree with
him on that part. I believe that those with no mastery of something as big as politics or
law for that matter should not run for higher office. Politics is no movie or ‘teleserye’. It is
not enough that you feel pity or you sympathize with the impoverished members of
society as your purpose for running as senator or even Vice President. You will do them
great injustice if you don’t even have the slightest bit of knowledge when it comes to
governing the State. There’s no point in actors and athletes, with no background on law
or at least public administration, involving themselves with the government because they
will look incompetent compared to the more seasoned politicians. What has Jinggoy and
Erap Estrada, Lito Lapid, and Bong Revilla did in their years of ‘serving’ the State? All
the Estradas did was to complain and squander the people’s money; Lito Lapid just sat
there in his place in the Senate without making any responsible and relevant bills or
laws, and Bong Revilla was busy making movies and TV shows, while focusing more on
entertainment issues like the one with Katrina Halili. They should be focusing on
governing the State, not making paltry actions!
The gossips in the local entertainment industry are irrelevant and yet they feature
some of the most outrageous and trivial news in the industry. There is no significance
whatsoever in knowing who’s dating who, who got pregnant or what were their latest
tweets in their twitter accounts. By tackling on issues regarding premarital pregnancy,
cougar love affairs or any related gossip only render negative connotations towards its
readers (for gossip columns) and audience (for TV shows). For example, the notion of
separation, premarital pregnancy, live-in partners, child actors posing for FHM, or sex
scandals invoke the notion of it being a widely accepted norm in society. Actors are
public figures in society who are easier to be seen due to the effects of media. Whether
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they like it or not, they are models that people watch on television or read on
newspapers. They should at least guard their actions and what they’re saying properly.
Judging from Gloc-9’s “The Bobo Song”, the influence of the local entertainment
industry on society is immense. Whether it is in television, movies, or even politics,
actors involve themselves in the lives of ordinary people. Unfortunately, most of it has a
negative effect on society, and as what the lyrics of the song says, “Nakaka-bobo”.
“Nakaka-bobo” when during elections when actors top the list. “Nakaka-bobo” when all
you watch are predictable and valueless shows. My father was right in saying that the
local entertainment industry, as a whole, is irrelevant and trivial. However, society does
not thoroughly scrutinize its effect because they only see the positive aspect of the local
entertainment industry.
On the other hand, patronizing foreign acts or shows above our own, watching a
boxer win, or seeing someone on ‘Oprah’ or ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ does not
constitute the essence of being a Filipino. For me, these are just symbols, mere reasons
that make us want to be proud of who and what we are. Patronizing our own shows,
products or athletes and actors are mere symbols that confuse us on what being a
Filipino is. They are somewhat similar to the national flag, anthem and hero that we
have. Its existence, rather its loss does not tell us that we are no longer Filipinos if they
are gone. For me, being a Filipino is accepting our nationality and history as a whole
despite the Filipino society’s flaws. Being proud of your existence as a Filipino and doing
something for the benefit of the Filipino society, no matter how big or small that change
is to society, is nationalism. You don’t have to die, be featured in CNN or win a
prestigious award to be acknowledged as a Filipino. You should first acknowledge
yourself as a Filipino, and love and respect the country and its countrymen.
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