In Response To An Article

Read the article:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniel-wagner/the-philippine-bus-and-mi_b_694544.html?ref=fb&src=sp

Response 1:

quoting the author of the article, "And when a beauty queen blows an attempt to become the glory of the Philippine people, it should be recognized as such."

What? It's as if the whole fate of the Philippines lie in her hands. It was as if she committed a "major major" sin that she should be condemned.

Response 2:

again, quoting the author, "Other Filipinos have said English wasn't her first language so she had difficulty coming up with the right words. Really? How come no other Philippine contestant in the Miss Universe pageant ever had an interpreter?"

1. It is true, in the Philippines, ENGLISH NEVER WILL BE OUR FIRST LANGUAGE. Unless of course, you are a foreigner living in our country. Or you are a Fil-Am who grew up in the States.

2. It's hard to express something in English when our minds were trained to think Filipino. It's really simple, LINGUISTIC RELATIVITY. Look it up please.

3. No interpreter does not mean that we are good in English already. Again, Linguistic relativity. It's hard for her to express something in English. Especially when under pressure.

4. Post-colonial mentality. We feel a need to speak English. This is not supposed to happen. We are supposed to speak English only because we want to. Not because we need to. We are Filipinos, not American or British.

Response 3:

and yet again, "How could this 22-year-old woman, who so diligently prepared herself for that moment -- at great personal sacrifice her whole life - not have come up with a better response?"

then that my friend, is her major major mistake - NOT. Don't blame her for everything. The whole burden of the Philippines is not on her shoulders. She merely entered a pageant where beauty is dictated by the standards of a group of people.

and are you not allowed to make mistakes even when the stakes are high? yes you can, mistakes are what allow us to learn and mature.

if she's happy with the result, why should you be disappointed about her? AND THE WHOLE OF PHILIPPINES?

Response 4:

and again, "When I lived in the Philippines from 2003 to 2007, I was asked, what is the difference between the Philippines and Indonesia? My answer was, 'In Indonesia, they have hope.'"

You only lived in the Philippines for 4 years to say that the Philippines does not have hope? Allow me to tell you right now that the Philippines has HOPE. Please...

Response 5:

I agree with the political dynasties. They don't help in the reshaping of the Philippines.

Last Words:

The problems of the Philippines lie in our culture, not on the SWAT team, not on the botched answer of Venus Raj...

1.We think too highly of other cultures that we are willing to adapt or sometimes adopt theirs and not our own. Like we have the notion "English, elite, pang mayaman." NOT TRUE. But we still play with it. It's in our minds already.

2. We are quick to forgive, even the wrong doers are left unpunished. Yes, we forgive, but justice must be served, right?

3. Many more... we need to change.