As of writing time, the social media is abuzz with victorious and congratulatory posts in relation to Megan Young's winning the Miss World crown. This is the first time a Filipina contestant won the title, and Ms. Young's victory makes many Filipinos proud. On Twitter, netizens express their joy after having been given a break from the string of bad news the country has been hearing since the break of the PDAF scandal.
#happynews for Filipinos our own Megan Young is Miss World! Timely break from the shameful Pdaf, laglagan and zambo.
— Enelra@2013 (@Enelra_0906) September 28, 2013
MEGAN YOUNG is somehow a fresh breath in the Philippine news. I'm tired of PDAF, BAHA, ZAMBOANGA WAR, etc. Her... http://t.co/ElUog9MPDB
— Christopher V. Diaz (@iamtoopzdiaz) September 28, 2013
As a Development Communication student, though, I ask myself this question: what has Miss World got to do with PDAF if any?
Nothing really, except that some Filipinos used this as an opportunity to once again wave the banner of the great Pinoy Pride Republic.
There's my beef: a lot of Filipinos want to share other peoples' accomplishments but they actually don't do enough (or anything) to make something good: to do something, even if it's just a little thing, that can make the country proud.
The Philippines is buried in neck-deep problems from the PDAF scandal to the Zamboanga crisis to the Spratleys issue to the SK elections to poverty. Every Filipino needs solutions to these especially from the government, and yet many people are reduced to nothing more than just being spectators. Their only tasks, clicking and liking posts on social media, as if they can not do anything else anymore to help solve these problems.
I remember reading this post from someone who purports to belong to the poor sector. He says it is the rich and the educated middle-class who should be blamed for the poverty and all the problems that come with poverty in this country. Yes, he has a point. The rich are the blame for many things that are worthy of criticism (and of course improvement) in this country, but the poor can also do many things to help themselves rise from poverty.
Let me say that again: the poor can also do many things to help themselves rise from poverty aside from just point fingers and blame others while doing nothing but sit down and raise a voice and click that button on Facebook.
If there is one thing that I want to emphasize in all this it is that it is usually only we who can do something about a situation that we want to get out of. While it is true that others may be to blame for bringing us into a situation, we also cannot -- we should not -- afford to do nothing but wait until the perpetrator of the crime of our poverty realizes they must repent and do something to reverse our poverty.
In short, for me Pinoy Pride is empty unless the person who claims his pride has really done something to contribute to the achievement he/she refers to when he/she says he/she is proud.
Pride should be in doing and not in receiving a certain shared victory. It should be used to do something to end the vicious cycle of poverty. It should be agreed that no real Pinoy Pride can be had until everybody does his/her share to combat poverty. That it will take some real action to do something about it, and that we should start in the little things that we see around us.
References:
Bucton, Gerry. "I Am Masa, and I Voted… Belat!" Accessed at http://themanilareview.com/i-am-masa-and-i-voted-belat/
Burton-Titular, Joyce. "Fierce forecast: Megan Young for the win at Miss World 2013!" Accessed at
http://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/specials/miss-world/39911-megan-young-for-the-win-miss-world-2013
Montelibano, Jose Ma. "Corruption thrives in poverty" Accessed at http://opinion.inquirer.net/60983/corruption-thrives-in-poverty
Smith, Gregory J. "A Letter From Gregory J. Smith To Mark Solis's Mother" Accessed at http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/328560/opinion/a-letter-from-gregory-j-smith-to-mark-solis-s-mother
Villegas, Bernardo. "Why is the Philippines still poor?" Accessed at http://globalnation.inquirer.net/viewpoints/viewpoints/view/20090825-221948/Why-Is-the-Philippines-Still-Poor
Nothing really, except that some Filipinos used this as an opportunity to once again wave the banner of the great Pinoy Pride Republic.
Iba talaga ang galing ng Pinoy! Lalo na pag mixed. Hahahaha nakiki megan
— Sharmaine Kate ∞ (@shalalababyy) September 28, 2013
Congratulations Megan Young I'm so proud to be a pinay because of You! You are one of The Philippines' Pride :) We lovee you! God speed :)I don't mean to be a killjoy, but it's an honest question: What is it about any victory or accomplishment of a Filipino/Filipina that makes it a pride of the whole country? It is clearly the victory of one Filipino or Filipina, and the person deserves our congratulations. But why "Pinoy Pride"?
— PrincessDirectioner (@JozeyloveOneDey) September 28, 2013
There's my beef: a lot of Filipinos want to share other peoples' accomplishments but they actually don't do enough (or anything) to make something good: to do something, even if it's just a little thing, that can make the country proud.
The Philippines is buried in neck-deep problems from the PDAF scandal to the Zamboanga crisis to the Spratleys issue to the SK elections to poverty. Every Filipino needs solutions to these especially from the government, and yet many people are reduced to nothing more than just being spectators. Their only tasks, clicking and liking posts on social media, as if they can not do anything else anymore to help solve these problems.
I remember reading this post from someone who purports to belong to the poor sector. He says it is the rich and the educated middle-class who should be blamed for the poverty and all the problems that come with poverty in this country. Yes, he has a point. The rich are the blame for many things that are worthy of criticism (and of course improvement) in this country, but the poor can also do many things to help themselves rise from poverty.
Let me say that again: the poor can also do many things to help themselves rise from poverty aside from just point fingers and blame others while doing nothing but sit down and raise a voice and click that button on Facebook.
If there is one thing that I want to emphasize in all this it is that it is usually only we who can do something about a situation that we want to get out of. While it is true that others may be to blame for bringing us into a situation, we also cannot -- we should not -- afford to do nothing but wait until the perpetrator of the crime of our poverty realizes they must repent and do something to reverse our poverty.
In short, for me Pinoy Pride is empty unless the person who claims his pride has really done something to contribute to the achievement he/she refers to when he/she says he/she is proud.
Pride should be in doing and not in receiving a certain shared victory. It should be used to do something to end the vicious cycle of poverty. It should be agreed that no real Pinoy Pride can be had until everybody does his/her share to combat poverty. That it will take some real action to do something about it, and that we should start in the little things that we see around us.
Bucton, Gerry. "I Am Masa, and I Voted… Belat!" Accessed at http://themanilareview.com/i-am-masa-and-i-voted-belat/
Burton-Titular, Joyce. "Fierce forecast: Megan Young for the win at Miss World 2013!" Accessed at
http://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/specials/miss-world/39911-megan-young-for-the-win-miss-world-2013
Montelibano, Jose Ma. "Corruption thrives in poverty" Accessed at http://opinion.inquirer.net/60983/corruption-thrives-in-poverty
Smith, Gregory J. "A Letter From Gregory J. Smith To Mark Solis's Mother" Accessed at http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/328560/opinion/a-letter-from-gregory-j-smith-to-mark-solis-s-mother
Villegas, Bernardo. "Why is the Philippines still poor?" Accessed at http://globalnation.inquirer.net/viewpoints/viewpoints/view/20090825-221948/Why-Is-the-Philippines-Still-Poor
