CALLING ALL CYBER FILIPINOS WHO ARE PROUD OF BEING PINOYS THEMSELVES

Fellow Filipinos, are you looking for a decent place on the Net to spend your leisure times?  Are wondering what is going on in the Philippines right now?  Are you searching for a place on the Web that is rich of beneficial and enjoyable stuff—specially put together to entertain Pinoys?  If so, you just found the right place.  We have links to contemporary Philippine news, world news, and Asia-Pacific news published by several prestigious online news organizations that are virtually updated on daily basis.  Not only that, we have:

·         A lot of video games

·         An on-demand music player that has access to a huge collection of our favorite Filipino songs and others

·         Video clips of some of our patriotic songs

·         Videos and slideshows that feature some of the tourists destinations in the Philippines

·         Tagalog, English, and other kinds of movies

·         Interaction pages consisting of:

·         Forum page

·         Video chat

·         Real-time chat room

·         And many more

And take note, it’s all free.

I originally launched this blog site on May 27, 2011, a little more than 3 weeks ago.  Despite the difficulty to get noticed vis-à-vis a huge number of Pinoy blog sites and social networks available out there, I am honestly pleased on the initial outcome of support from our friends and kababayan since then.  I am looking forward to your continuous support and help for our blog site to prosper soon. To my mind, the success of Proud to be Dugong Pinoy International blog site is synonymous to our victory as Filipinos who are proud to be dugong Pinoy.  I don’t mean to compete with other Filipino blog sites, social networks, and the likes on the Internet.  Personally, I appreciate all of them for being visibly out there and loudly expressing Pinoy pride.  It is, indeed, great to know that we are not by ourselves.  After all, we need a lot of sites to accommodate all the Pinoys on the Web contingent on their personal preferences

Some people may have the following questions in mind:

1.  Why do we have to be proud to be dugong Pinoy? 

2.  Why do we have to be proud of the achievements of other Pinoys, like Manny Pacquiao in boxing, Charice Pempengco in the singing industry, and other international Filipino figures?

3.  Why can’t we just be proud of ourselves as individuals?

4.  Why do we have to generalize that we, Filipinos, are all great whenever one of our kababayan (countrymen) stands out and does great in his/her career? 

Because it is a matter of opinion, some of you may agree and disagree with me on these issues.  We just have to respect each other’s opinion.  The following are my viewpoints in response to the foregoing questions:  

1.  Whenever we say that we are proud to be dugong Pinoy, we don’t mean to be pompous and blow our own horns.  It is merely an act of self-acceptance that we are what we are in terms of ethnicity.  Unfortunately, there are some Filipinos who are either ashamed or hesitant to be identified as Pinoys once they leave the Philippines.  They think other people will look down to them.  Maybe it’s because we are from a Third World country or perhaps they are mortified by the disgraceful deeds of some Filipinos.  But why throw it on yourself, more particularly on your own ethnicity?  It reminds me of an old Filipino saying: “Saan mang gubat ay may ahas.” (“In any woods, there is a snake.”)  These are words of advice—which I often heard from my great-grandmother who raised me in the Philippines—cautioning people to take necessary precaution.  Adopting this to our discussion, undeniably, there are bad apples in any country on earth; and this should not be taken against the country and its own people as a whole.   By that same token, if there are some bad-mannered or ill-natured Filipinos, it does not necessary follow that all Filipinos are bad. As we all know, stereotyping is irrational.

Also, we should not be discomfited because we are from a Third World country.  It does not make us any less of a person.  Let’s bear in mind that—in a straight-minded and righteous society—“all men are created equal.”  It is my opinion that credence should be given more to our desire and efforts here abroad to improve our lives through dignified means as opposed to lazy people.   We are people of skills and perseverance.  We are people who care about God and have an enormous faith in Him.  We are people with our own identity, heritage, and rich historical background.  We are people who have dreams that we want to realize in a principled way.  We are people of dignity and integrity by nature and nurture.

  

Like the other ethnic groups in the world, let’s be proud of who and what we are.  I believe that an individual will never be complete as a person not until he/she accepts who and what he/she is as a whole.   A person, irrespective of race, who borrows pride from what he/she pretends to be shall forever be empty and live in an illusionary self-respect.  Turning your back on your ethnicity is tantamount to rejection of your own self.   Hence, irrespective of national origin, a person ought to be proud of his/her race if he/she truly wants to have a legitimate self-esteem.  Be proud of yourself, fellows.  Be proud to be dugong Pinoy.     

Inasmuch as I already have gone a little long on this post, let me respond to the remainder of the questions above on my next publication.  I hope to see you again then.

Salamat po kabayan.   Mabuhay po kayo!