Dead Heroes are So Yesterday or Tigulang Na Tonto Ra Gihapon
I don’t know whether I should be amused or be rolling on the floor laughing. You know why? It’s this “you need to be in the Philippines to be able to do something that counts”. You see, if I were to take this twisted logic at face value – this would mean that sa dinami dami ng Pinoys who are in the Pinas – you would have thought – they have the solution because they are already there. If we have to go by results of the solutions of the people who are already in the Philippines – Asia’s Laggard, Most Corrupt Country in the ASEAN, Most Dangerous Country for Journalists, Nation of Servants – I’d say the solutions of da pinoys in da pinas aren’t solutions – not when you are doing the same thing and expecting different results. In Cebuano this is referred to as Tabang (help) as in, Tabang Duot (help push.. over the cliff). So much so, that when you come face to face with another “solution” – it makes you wonder, what will they screw up next? 
Take for example this piece, by a bright guy:
But the 21st century version fails to give the solution. The AntiPinoy falls on its heels as your usual AntiPinoy that needs to be AntiPinoyed!
Dr Rizal himself gives us the true AntiPinoy solution. Go back home!
Dr Rizal also gives us the sterling example of how to really succeed. Get shot at the Luneta!
Of course no one can get shot in the Luneta while overseas. You can get virtually executed, but that doesn’t count.
Sipping coffee on a terrace in Sydney, New York, London or wherever also while nice, doesn’t count. The best place to be as an AntiPinoy is in the Philippines and nowhere else. The best place to be an AntiPinoy is in a coffee shop in Manila or Baguio or Tuguegararao or Cebu or Iloilo….
In other places you will be a second class AntiPinoy citizen with an adopted country passport and trying to make it in the “mainstream”.
BTW. There is another AntiPinoy I admire. His was the one who gave us that soundbite on “running a government like hell by AntiPinoys”!
What can be gleamed from Rizal – is this – he was the first Antipinoy -and La Solidaridad might as well have been Antipinoy.com
His works were mis-understood, and even the local elite connived to have Jose Rizal shot! Much like the Biblical story of the Jews. Let’s get a few things straightened out.
Our college teachers portrayed Rizal as a rebel against Spain – when in fact, he wasn’t.
Rizal wanted the Philppines to become a province of Spain like Andalusia, Catalonia, Cordova, etc. Originally, Filipino nationalism did not even seek independence for the Philippines but rather its complete cultural assimilation and total political integration into Spain. The goal was equal representation with “the other parts of Spain” in the Cortes at Madrid. To these Filipino nationalists, Filipinos were just eastern Spaniards, as Majorcans were western” Spaniards, as Andalusians were southern” Spaniards.
Only when this aspiration failed to be realized did the objective of Filipino nationalists shift to political independence – but not to decolonize. If they could not be an integral part of Spain, then the Philippines would constitute a second Spain – one which would complete the hispanization of the islands.
Essentially, Noli and Fili were novels that were making the case for assimilation. And as you mentioned – painted the consequences if the assimilation did not take place.
However, the most articulate deconstruction of the Noli and Fili that I have seen is a comment from a clear thinking street Philosopher – I’ll quote from my email exchanges with JR2, he says:
Noli Me Tangere was Rizal’s “GET REAL, Philippines! “ NOVEL.
False bravado will have you going home in a bullet proof vest armed with a coterie of media. You get shot – and even today, no one can IDENTIFY who shot you? Your dead! You can’t “fiscalize” anymore. Sure it stirred millions… to do what? To be free to act as idiots. All that life so that millions can act like idiots. Looking back into history – Aguinaldo ordering the execution of Bonifacio – I dunno – seems like a waste to me – these idiots weren’t really that worth dying for – I figured that out since, I was 19 years old. I have never turned to look back since then. Until, now.
The Diaspora as Witnessing Life Outside the Box
Geographically, there are types of Pinoys – Living In the Philippines, Lived Outside the Philippines and Living In the Philippines Again AFTER Living Outside the Philippines – and the variations in between.
It is kinda silly to have Pinoys who are working and living overseas and who have quite personally fulfilling careers, who keep the local economy afloat, to come back to a dysfunctional environment, when they can advocate for the same changes – without the risk of physical harm.
Consider it as a smarter alternative to staying in the Philippines and surrounding oneself with a private army – for one I find it – KSP, Kulang sa Pansin; two – I find it too primitive; three – I love my privacy and independence too much to surround myself with gun-toting guards who can snitch on my latest kinkiest boinking escapade – ika nga Live to fight (and f*ck) another day!
Really, you are living off on my remittances, I am keepying you afloat, and I put up not just with your shit but other people’s shit – you have something to shit when you wake up in the morning – with the shit that I fed you last night and I have not done anything, right. My lordie lordie looorrrddd – Lotsa shit.

Guess what, that’s the beauty of being able to step outside the box – not just the logical box, but the physical box called the Philippines, see what everyone else is doing “RIGHT” – for instance, e-governance. Where I live, I can pay my taxes, renew my business license, renew my drivers license, in 30 min tops – online. In contrast, The Philippines has been trumpetting its students who win programming contests, as an ideal BPO site, pinoy programmers are the best – and yet, getting to e-file in the Philippines is like pulling teeth. Getting a drivers license means arming yourself with lagay, filing your taxes means more lagay, traffic penalties are assessed based on what you drive and the clothes you wear. So, when a Filipino who has seen life outside the box sees it, he will naturally state that there is a better way of doing things.
Da Pinoy in the box reaction will be typical, who are you to tell us how to live a better life – then he goes to say.. hirap na nga ng buhay, dadagdagan mo pa ng angal mo, tulungan mo akong maghugas ng plato dito.
Yun nga eh, bibigyan na sana kita ng automatic dishwasher, kaso gusto mo pa ring maghugas – eh di maghugas ka at manigas ka dyan, tang’na mo, bobo. Talagang walang gamot ang katangahan.
So, for all those who wanna engage in false bravado – pakamatay mo ug solo, go ahead, that’s good mababawasan ang istupido sa mundo.
Solutions.. solutions… solutions.
Any one knows the proverbial “wheezing over the head” – yup, it’s the blind spot. So, I will make this as idiot-proof as I can.
Stage 1 – Awareness
Problem: Lack of Awareness on Pinoy Dysfunction
Solution: Launch Campaign to Bring Awareness to Pinoy Dysfunction
Methods: Blog site
Budget: $4.95/month – hosting; $10-domain registration; $7
Other resources required:
* Webmaster (prevailing rate – $25/hr): Expense: pro-bono
* Authors (prevailing rate – $25/hr): Expense: pro-bono
Objectively Verifiable Indicator: Page Views, Audience Reached, Alexa rankings, sitemeter
Expected Output: More Filipinos aware of self-limiting behavior. More Filipinos aware of behavior that needs to be re-examined, and if needed, reject the behavior. More Filipinos not opting for Noynoy Aquino.
Note that there is still Stages 2,3, and 4 – all of which have counterparts in the A-I-D-A model – Awareness-Interest-Desire-Action. But as to the details – as my colleague benign0 would quip – keep on guessing, tough luck.
Other solutions: Thus far, I’ve been experimenting with a business model that has shown a viable process. It is a lean supply chain that starts from coffee beans in cat poo found in conflict-ridden Cotabato to the swankiest coffee shoppes in Miami to the tune of $35-$50 PER CUP! Nope this ain’t your Starbucks $5 per cup. Grassroots community organizing and micro-entrepreneurship mainstreaming into global trade as a means of bypassing the local oligarchs! And it all started with.. a crazy idea. Before you know it, I’ll have more products (fruits, oils, moringa capsules, bayabas capsules, mangosteen caplets, bee pollen) from more grassroots communities, bypassing the oligarch middlemen, and going straight into the global market. But, I can’t get to Stage 4, unless I pass Stage 1.
Strategic thinking – try it, nang di tayo nagmumukhang LUKARET!
Generating awareness is a solution in itself. Awareness serves to “prep”, to pump-prime, to get everyone on the same page, to have a shared understanding. And like in any truly democratic society composed of free and thinking individuals – you are free to pitch in or withhold your participation. Simple as that. No rocket science.
You can do this – but only if you want to. As for me, with or without you, am doing it.
His advocacies include education and and the environment. BongV is a founding trustee of READ Philippines, Inc - a tax-exempt, non-profit organization registered in the State of Florida and recognized as a charitable organication under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code -. He is also a trustee of the Kinasang'an Foundation (KSFI). KSFI is the community service arm of the family-owned Shimric Beach Farm a best environmental practices World Wildlife Fund-Philippines awardee. His initial entry into politics started in high school, after an Arrest Search and Seizure Order (ASSO) was served on a family member. He was in the frontlines in the 80s as Chairman of LFS-AdDU, and subsequently LFS-Davao City Secretary General. He opted out of medical school, after finishing BS Biology from the Ateneo de Davao University. Instead he dove into IT consulting/freelancing as a system integrator and developer. His militant views underwent a transformation after working as an investment promotions officer (later on Division Chief of the Investment Generation and Project Development Division of the Davao Investment Promotion Center) - a project of the Davao City LGU, USAID, and the Phil Exporters Confederation-XI- with the goal of achieving an economic turnaround for Davao City based on the growth of investments, trade, and services. This was followed by a stint as System Support Administrator of A Danish Indepent Power Producer - where he administered Burmeister and Waine's Wide Area Wetwork of floating power plants in Maco and Nasipit - and the Davao City office.
BongV is a certified Professional Logistics Specialist and is a member of the American Society of Transportation and Logistics. He is currently working on his advanced certification in supply chain management at the University of North Florida
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Amen Brotha!
KABATAAN sa PARTYLIST
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Brilliant article BongV! This is the reason people keep going back to Antipinoy.com
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So, being abroad makes Pinoys less patriotic than those still in the Philippines? Aren’t the OFWs the ones doing a lot to keep the economy afloat?
Money doesn’t grow on trees in other countries as well. A lot of our OFWs have sacrificed and even experienced some form of humiliation just to make ends meet, while in numerous cases their lazy recipients in the Philippines spend it on infidelities, karaoke bars, and such.
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Superb article! No words can express how awesome this article is. The best article I’ve seen yet here in AP.
In fact, my brother is using this article for his essay about Filipino dysfunction and might pattern the real plot
of those two novels for his film project.
Yeah, amen brotha!
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BongV Reply:
March 13th, 2010 at 1:29 am
TheArch,
I am humbled. AP has topnotch readers, hopefully we can feature your brother’s film once it’s done.
btw, shameless plugin -- has your brother come across the indie-film, made in southern PI, mindanao -- “Kasila”
actors were the bakwets themselves
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Again, you beat me to the punch, Bong.
OFWs are probably among the most marginalized people. Not just by the countries they are in, but by their own countrymen!
If the OFWs absence deprives them of the right to comment on their home country, then they should stop sending remittances back home. They should stop paying taxes at home too. It’s like the breadwinner who’s out of the house to work, but is told that he has no right to mess with it since he’s outside. “Ah ganun?” Replies the breadwinner. “Eh di, di ko na kayo pakakainin.”
OFWs are one of the biggest sources of money of the country, but they’re treated like dirt by their own countrymen! They’re not heroes, but they deserve the most right to comment on our country.
I even propose that the presidential qualifications remove the rule for 10-year residency in the country and similar rules. I would like to try an OFW president!
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“I would like to try an OFW president!”
hey chino, i think that’s a great idea. someone with exposure and experience from outside the philippines should be able to find new ways to address our country’s problems. different perspective baga.
i hope the pilosopos will not take this to mean that any OFW will do. of course, certain qualifications will also have to be met first, the most obvious of which is the kind of work experience an ofw had abroad.
i like the idea.
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ChinoF Reply:
March 13th, 2010 at 6:32 am
Yeah, BP, you got the idea. We need that “outside perspective,” which is like thinking out of the box. Thanks.
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Bong mangutana lang ko, sa pagbaligya ninyu ug mga prutas ug consumables:
1. How do you transport the goods across continents? (Cost of freight)
2. How competitive is the market for those goods(supply,demand, price etc.)
3. What is the expected profit margin for these goods?
4. What is the initial start-up cost?
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Pasensya ka na at nasagasaan na ng tanga at bobo ang Pilipinas. Yung bang mga taong nasamba ke Marian Rivera kasi maganda pero bobo umarte? O yung mga nag mumukhang gago sa Wowowee para lang maka score ng sampung libo? O yung mga nabili ng frapuccino sa Starbucks at nagpapapicture pa kasama ng baso?
Maswerte ang Pilipino at hindi i-neethnic cleanse ang tanga at bobo. Ang masama pa dun, dumadami pa sila.
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Holocaust of the dregs of Filipino culture….. too extreme.
Is it worth drinking coffee in Starbucks even if you’re broke?
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imho, this is the best antipinoy article that i’ve read.
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What a good read. OFWs should definitely know they their advantages to the country and should even be more than willing to be active in the democratic system. Balikbayans should also try integrate themselves too, rather than buy into the TFC crap and false sense of missing pinoy pride like the mainlanders already suffer from. Yes I know its not necessarily their business but if they don’t like hearing the negativity about the country, they should get into contact with good friends with good intentions to help somehow.
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