By the word “typical”, to what group are you pointing out? What are the bases for being typical and for being atypical? I live in Metro Manila, I classify myself as a low-middle class college undergrad, I’m in my teens, I’ve been “influenced” by “popular culture” as I know it, will I be considered typical just because of those things? I have agnostic/atheistic tendencies as opposed to the supposed devout nature of Filipinos, am I atypical then?

That quite concerns me since I’m not so sure about what kind of Filipinos you really are talking about. And I won’t comment in the article yet for I may waste my time expressing myself now, only finding in the end that I stereotyped the wrong group of Filipinos.

All the rest really relates to people in general. No average person will choose the interest of the country versus the interest of their family, I mean really come on. Especially the average Pilipino person, an average Pilipino person is poor and living in a third world country, who if are lucky enough, get to put off their dreams and go abroad to feed their family, put a roof on top of their head and put their kids or brothers and sisters to school. Sacrificing their very lives for their family which in turn has been actually been good for the country because all of the remittances. What can you expect out of a third world country where the average person may have finished college, but becomes a taxi driver because really there is no job fit for his dream. And if this is the fate of a college graduate what more do you expect from someone who does not finish his/her education, but to rely on jueteng, which is a poor man’s lotto, as his/her ticket out of poverty. Really what do expect out of them. I think what’s more surprising is the fact that there are still Pilipino journalist, who are some of the future leaders of the country, out there that are far more than average who are risking their lives to deliver the truth despite the fact that at least one of them are getting murdered every month. Philippines has had the most journalist murdered next to Iraq where other things like bombs are part of the calamity. As for the other average people there in the Philippines what else do you expect out of them, but to wait for another Ninoy Aquino or Raul Roco to come who they can rally behind and hopefully vanquish all the corruption.

Then he goes on to rant about how a typical Pilipino has to look up to someone in pursuing his dream. I mean most people who have made it big had someone to idolize I’m sure Michael Jackson was one of Usher’s idol. It is part of realizing your dream in saying to yourself “Someday I’m going to be like that, but better.”

And about the Pilipino people being reactive than proactive it really is the same anywhere. Just look at the economy here they’re not even sure who to point the finger at, at least in most cases the Pilipino people knows who to blame.

The Philippines is where it is right now mostly because of past and present leaders who the Pilipino people have entrusted to change the country for good, but instead they have become a reflection of the corruption that flourishes in the country.

This article makes me wonder what kind of life this author lives. The author seems pretty insensitive to me and to other Pilipino people and seems out of touch with what is really happening over there.

Andrew

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