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Knowing who you are and what others are not does not give you the prerogative to discriminate. Where in discrimination, respect is set aside.
You might have been hearing about racism issues for the past week. First, with GMA 7 artist Bela Padilla’s “racist” cover for a popular men’s magazine. Second, for another Kapuso, Arnold Clavio’s flamed remarks on the Azkals.
These are just two issues of claimed “racism” which were, I supposed, just blown out of proportion because the involved personalities are public properties being an actress, a broadcaster, and national athletes.
As stated on Wikipedia, “the Oxford English Dictionary defines racism as the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics, abilities, or qualities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races and the expression of such prejudice”.
OFWs have one, two, many experiences of racism. Sad fact there. But don’t get surprised when foreigners who are staying here in our country also have their own stories of racism to tell.
What makes us Filipinos sets us apart from Americans, Japanese, Koreans, and other races of the world. But what makes us human makes us similar with any other people on earth.
What makes us Batangueños may be different from what makes a Caviteño, an Ilokano, or an Ilonggo. Do you think racism exists because we clearly know who we are and the race where we belong to? Because if we do not know what we possess that makes us different from others, we would not cite the oddity on our part or theirs, right?
So last week, we asked on our Facebook page what makes a Batangueño a true Batangueño.
Here are some of the comments we got from the thread.
From Randy Evangelista Sarmiento: “Ang tunay na batangueno marunong gumalang at rumespeto sa ibang tao o sa nakakatanda sa kanila! Marunong makisama at makisalamuha sa kahit na sinong tao, ika nga eh pang DAYO, kahit saang sulok ng mundo pwede ang batangueno, marunong umiwas sa gulo, ngunit papalag kung kinakailangan…”
From Gsll Agonia: “Ang tunay na batangueno ay malakas ang boses kahit magkatabi lang kau ay sigawan kung maglipunan.”
From Armin Punzalan: “Mahilig mag sabaw ng kape sa kanin, kapeng barako, tinumis, sinaing na tulingan at tambakol, tawilis, miralyang gato, tabliya, ay tatak ng tubong Batangas pagdating sa pagkain!!!”
From Victor Vispo: “Pure Batangueno ako. Mahal ko ang Batangas at proud talaga ako na taga Batangas. Mahilig pa rin sa kapeng Barako at sinaing na tulingan.”
From Cee Mitra: “My mom’s Kapampangan and my dad’s Batangueno. Though I spent most of my childhood in Pampanga and Manila, I’ll always be “Batang” for them, my nickname daw. Short for Batanguena. Kasi daw matapang daw talaga ako. Haha! I have only been residing here for five years now but it feels like I never left since I was born here 20 years ago. :)”
Most of the comments were downright hilarious, reflecting another Batangueño trait which is being humorous. But the comment that suits and explains this issue as a whole, came from Hector Jibrael Landicho Orindain and we quote: “Ung taong ngmamahal at may malasakit sa Batangas at sa mga taong naninirahan dine, pinanganak ka man o hindi sa lalawigang are, sakol man o hindi kung dumulog ka sa batalan, nakaranas man o hindi na mangbalibang ng mangga ng kahanggan, basta may puso ka para s Batangas..purong ala eh ka..”
Do you think racism exists because we clearly know who we are and the race where we belong to? How will you answer this? I guess racism exists when people can’t shut their mouth. Yes, we have freedom of expression but that doesn’t mean expressing ugly things at the expense of others is rightful.
If you don’t have something good to utter, keeping the silence is, sometimes, one way of showing respect.
