Anti-Igorot sentiments from a “true” (?) Filipino

I’m being lured out of my longest blogging hiatus by an anonymous poster in a recent Igorot blog. In his blog, Writings by an American Igorot, author Rex Delson had a post regarding his first novel titled “IGOROTAK: The Warrior Within”. A poster with alias “A True Proud Filipino” went off-topic and belittled the Igorot people. I’m fine with fellow Pinoys being ignorant about the Igorots. The proper response is to provide information. What I can’t stand are people who flaunt their ignorance and look down on others. This post, my first in more than six months is my response to that poster’s comments (in red text and quoted). To respond to such a post, I’d gone down, way down, but heck, I had fun writing it. Hope this little post will start to motivate me to update my blog more often, as I did in the past.

“Go ahead and teach your own people about your heritage, but if this book is attempting to portray igorots as equals to real filipinos I think this is a stupid thing.”

Igorots are not real Filipinos? So, majority of the folks in the CORDILLERA REGION of NORTHERN PHILIPPINES are not Filipinos? This would include Baguio City, the summer capital of the Philippines whose mayor is an Igorot. The fact is, Igorots are real Filipinos, whether or not some misguided, uneducated, anonymous online poster who obviously has deep insecurities say otherwise. You’re the stupid one.

“There is a reason why igorots are barely covered in our educational books in schools in the philippines. It's because they are not worthy of the filipino name.”

Not true. My eldest was homeschooled as a first grader in the Philippines. He was using a Filipino textbook for his Social Studies class and yes, I remember that it had a section on who is a Filipino or not. Among the groups mentioned are Igorots, Muslims, and Tagalogs. Go back and get an education, start with first grade.

“You pride yourselves as not being conquered by Spain, but I pride myself as being conquered by Spain because without them my ancestors would have stayed uneducated and uncivilized and there would be a nation of people still running around in loin clothes today.”

This is laughable. Thailand was never conquered by any country. It’s in a much better state than the Philippines. Read Rizal’s major works, Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo so you could get an idea on what it was like during the Spanish rule. Women were raped, majority of the locals were oppressed including children, and people were kept uneducated. The Spaniards referred to the colonized people as “Indio”. Please go and research on how derogatory a term that was.

My professor at UP-Diliman stated that a lot of social problems in the Philippines today are a direct result of Spanish colonization. Our society’s addiction to showbiz? It’s a manner of escape. Generations of your ancestors would have gone through their lives under almost 400 years of Spanish rule having little or no hope at all. The manyana habit? Why strive today when there’s not much to strive for. Why do we have a lot of showbiz personalities elected? We, Filipinos, are continually looking for a hero ala Bong Revilla / Lito Lapid to liberate us from our dire circumstances. Here’s a thought – I’m 100% sure your ancestors would have opted for anything other than being conquered by Spain.

“But thanks to Spain, we are now educated, smart, civilized and even better looking today.”

No, you’re not.

Better looking? Intermarriage between Spaniards and the locals were not very common. Rape was.

“You don't see igorots on the popular filipino shows today do you? When it comes to great minds like Rizal or big achievers like Pacquiao, you won't find Igorots.”

Popular Filipino shows? Ummm – let’s not get there. There are some showbiz personalities with Igorot ancestry but what has being in a popular show have something to with being a true Filipino? Let’s not be shallow shall we? Filipina heroine Gabriela Silang was part Igorot. It would be impossible to have an Igorot Rizal because again, the Igorots were not conquered by the Spaniards. Rizal’s works were a product of the Spanish oppression of our country. However, Igorots, my grandfather included, helped Americans liberate the Philippines from Japan. See General MacArthur praised Igorot Soldiers during WW2.

“I rest my case.”

You never had one to begin with.

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Video: Baguio bans Candy Pangilinan over Igorot joke

I found a Youtube video on ABS-CBN's story regarding the banning of Candy Pangilinan by the Baguio City council. My take: individual Igorots need to forgive Candy Pangilinan for her mistake. It is useless and a total waste of energy not to do so. However, let those in authority do their job in ensuring such a mistake does not happen again, and if it does, it is met with dire consequences. It should not just end with Candy Pangilinan, else the lesson will never be learned. I don't doubt her sincerity. I still cling to the hope that after everything's been said and done, Candy Pangilinan will come out a better person than before. I hope the same for my fellow Igorots. Video Link: Baguio bans Candy Pangilinan over Igorot joke

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Candy Pangilinan is "PERSONA NON GRATA"

ABS-CBN News reported today that the Baguio City council declared Candy Pangilinan “persona non grata” by a majority vote. This arose due to her much-maligned “Tao po ako, hindi po ako Igorot” remark that she uttered during a pre-Mother’s Day show last weekend. It means that the comedienne is now considered unwelcome or unwanted in the Philippines summer capital. The council also banned Pangilinan’s movies from being shown in the city’s theaters. Almost all Baguio councilors approved the motion passed by Greg Bagbagen, an Igorot councilor. Only Galo Weygan, also an Igorot councilor, abstained from voting.

Is the measure too strict considering that Candy Pangilinan has apologized multiple times for her mistake? I don’t think so. It is the council’s job to protect and promote the welfare of the city. One just need to check the online forums and the multiple blog comments to understand what hurt the Igorot community has collectively felt in the wake of Pangilinan’s comments. Is the hurt caused by oversensitivity? I don’t think so too. Some parties will probably never understand it – especially those who are non-Igorots, and have never in their life felt how it is to be Igorot and be looked down upon.

Somehow, the strong action by the council and the media hype that this whole affair has generated will surely have an impact on the Philippine populace. A blog visitor has left the following comment on my previous post and I quote – “People should start to stand up and shout foul when they hear discriminatory remarks and jokes such as this. This "tao po ako hindi igorot" has been used many times over in comedy bars, and there was no line delivery mistake - it was in fact, exactly the punchline!” It is no secret that the word “Igorot” is ignorantly attributed to negative traits and is used repeatedly for demeaning jokes to this day. If we think about it, we Filipinos can also be a funny lot. We stood and protested when a dictionary defined “Filipina” as a “maid”; or when some Hollywood actresses uttered insults against the Philippines and its people. But it seems to be acceptable if we look down on our fellow kababayans.

Going back to the ban, it would be interesting to know if the ban is indefinite, or if there is actually an end date to it. I am not sure if there is a precedent of this happening to a showbiz person. Apparently, the last person to have been declared "persona non grata" by the city council was Mailed Molina. Molina, a former Cordillera People's Liberation Army leader, led fellow rebels marching into Baguio bearing firearms. So now, Candy Pangilinan joins Molina in an exclusive list of those being banned by the Baguio City council. While the latter committed an act that endangered the lives of people, the comedienne uttered a line that implied Igorots were not humans. Which do you think is the greater offense?

Related Story: Baguio bans Pangilinan due to Igorot joke

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Candy Pangilinan's "Tao po ako, hindi po ako Igorot" Remark

I was checking my "igorot" blog alert when I noticed a post titled "my apologies". I quickly opened the link which led me to Candy Pangilinan's apology to the Igorot people on her Multiply blog. Upon checking other sources, I learned that Ms. Pangilinan, a comedienne, uttered an ignorant "Tao po ako, hindi po ako Igorot" (I'm a human being, I'm not an Igorot) remark on her pre-Mother's Day show in Baguio City.

I'm ignorant myself on most Filipino showbiz personalities so I don't know this comedienne. A close friend from my Pisay and UP-Diliman days, a non-Igorot, emailed me about the incident and that she was disappointed with the comedienne's remark. My friend also said that she expected more from Ms. Pangilinan than the average showbiz person. I gathered from her email that this comedienne is also a graduate from UP, as she commented that "kulang pa rin ang edukasyong nakukuha ng mga tao sa UP".

I don't have to hear how Ms. Pangilinan delivered the line to know how outrageous it was. Judging from the reactions of those who have heard it directly during the show, it wasn't funny at all. In a Baguio City online forum, readers have expressed their anger at the remark. This is also true for some members of an Igorot mailing group I belong to. But I didn't feel the same sentiments because I read Ms. Pangilinan's apology first, before I learned more information about the incident.

I admire her efforts to try and correct the mistake she has done. Her written apology, which she admitted to have edited multiple times, doesn't hide the fact that she made a mistake, and that she was disappointed at herself for being irresponsible. No sugarcoating, no excuses, just a humble apology and a plea for understanding. I also learned from different sources that she immediately apologized before the show ended, and she has aired her apology on nationwide TV as well.

I'm sure fellow Igorots may not feel the same sentiments as I do, and I don't blame them. Some of the comments I see show deep resentment for Ms. Pangilinan. I wouldn't want to be on her shoes at this time. I do hope that she really has learned her lesson. As a professional who makes her living out of entertaining people, the first thing that she should NOT do is to antagonize her audience. She should also be thankful that the consequence of her mistake so far is just being toasted in cyberspace. Had it happened in other places, eggs, tomatoes, or even stones would have been thrown at her had she made a comment of similar impact. Or, possibly even worse.

Though the normal reaction for such a mistake is to get hurt by it, I urge fellow Igorots to go beyond the normal reaction and get over this incident. The person made a mistake, and has apologized for it. Whether she's sincere or not is already between her and God. It's fine to express outrage over the matter, and to highlight it so other people can learn from it. But once the lesson is learned, it is time to move on.

As I was thinking about this post, it dawned on me that I am guilty of making such remarks as well. The other day during lunchtime, a colleague jibed me for emphasizing that a fellow employee's inefficiency is due to her race. The point is, we all make mistakes as Ms. Pangilinan does. The only difference is that Ms. Pangilinan is a paid public performer, and I'm not. At least she got to apologize - I still have not.

I suppose I’m in such a forgiving mode since we just had a Bible Study at our place with a topic on “loving others fervently”. Hahaha. In the bigger scheme of things, there may well be a silver lining to this incident. I don’t intend to trivialize the emotions of those who got hurt by Ms. Pangilinan’s remark. But I strongly believe that educating other people is the only way to stop Igorot bashing of any kind. The attention her mistake has generated will make others more aware of who the Igorots are. We’re not the ugly, uncivilized, dirty, ignorant, dumb animals that others think we are. We’re normal Filipinos, deserving of anyone’s respect as the other person.

Related Links: Candy Pangilinan's Apology | Baguio City Online Forum; Image Source: Pep.ph

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Lessons from the "Francesca in France" Blunder

Let me start this post by explaining clearly where I'm coming from. This is not a hate post against the blogger who I will be referring to as "Francesca in France". The past week, a blog post I created on May 2008 got pasted in a Friendster group's discussion forum and I went to check what it was all about. I followed up the discussion in the Friendster group at the same time, checking back the contents and comments of a post in Francesca in France's blog that started this whole she-bang. In a way, my blog had some remote connection to what was going on.

It seems that dozens of people have vilified Francesca in France due to one of her many blog posts. That particular post was about something negative or offending that Francesca in France wrote about the Igorots. I for one was offended, so I did my part in writing her in an email, and also posting a blog post here. I'm not surprised that this has come up again, after almost a year. I wouldn't be surprised if the whole thing is going to come out again - 1, 2 or even 3 years from now. That is, if nothing is currently done by Francesca in France.

Let me state that I have nothing against Francesca in France. Do I believe that she is a good woman? YES. SHE SEEMS TO BE A MOTHER MAKING SACRIFICES AND DOING THE BEST FOR HER FAMILY. Do I agree with what she posted against the Igorots? NO. Is she responsible for her blog and what she writes? YES. Is she owning up to that responsibility. NO. Do I believe that her blog is impacted by what happened? YES. Do I think that her real personality should be judged by that one post? NO. Do the online community have a right to discuss her post and link back to her blog? YES, HER BLOG IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Do I agree with how she answered criticisms logged against her? NO. Could she have done better in dealing with what she wrote? YES, ABSOLUTELY. Does it look like she will change her current approach to the situation? NO. Were some of her comments / replies / succeeding blog posts misunderstood? YES, I THINK SO. Do I believe that she should give up on blogging? NO. I THINK THE BLOGOSPHERE IS ENHANCED BY THE STORIES SHE TELLS.

If I was a well meaning friend of Francesca in France, what would I tell her? Now, this is sounding like unsolicited advise but I'll fire anyway. I would tell her to delete the lines with regards to the IGOROT people. By now, she has been educated on who the IGOROT people are, and it is really not helping anyone including her to keep those degrading comments in the Internet. Those 2 lines are not worth the trouble that her blog has received. Her online credibility has been shot, and her dozens of blog posts have been tarnished just because of those 2 lines. It would incredibly help her online credibility if she does this. I can give this advise but in the end, it will be up to her what she follows.

Should Francesca in France apologize for what she wrote? She actually posted a blog post on why she refuses to apologize. It had something to do with the purported "blackmailing" she received. Also, its tough to disregard the many negative comments that were heaped on her. Even a fellow Igorot posted a comment on my blog to say that some of those who disagreed attacked her "below the belt". For me, the honorable thing would be to apologize. With or without the blackmailing, she still made the mistake of equating the Igorot people with being unable to understand. Not all Igorots or Igorot supporters who commented on her blog gave negative comments. There were actually a lot who were very direct to the point, and were constructive in pointing out what was wrong. As one poster in the Friendster forum said, the online community involved would praise her if she goes out her way to apologize.

What happened to Francesca in France can actually be a learning lesson for small time bloggers like me. I am a believer that mistakes do not cause failures. In fact, lessons learned from mistakes can be very rewarding in the future. I did not make the mistake, but this is an opportunity to learn from Francesca in France's blunder. Here's a mind dump of what I will take away from this whole thing:

#1. Listen to your readers. I was one of the first readers of Francesca in France's infamous post. I urged her to correct the error immediately. On a recent check in her post, I found 150+ comments with some of these deleted - I assume these contain obscenities directed to her. It could have taken her just a minute to correct her post, and saved her a lot of trouble.

#2. Improve on ways to communicate. The way we communicate with our friends is very different with how we communicate with blog readers. Our friends know who we are, our strengths, our weaknesses. Majority of our blog readers are strangers we meet online. They will not understand that "sikat pala ako dito" means a light hearted joke, not an arrogant claim.

#3. Win over online acquaintances by writing humbly. If you enter an online forum, write humbly. If you're a new member, do not write anything that resembles a threat or an accusation. You will be ganged up on. Writing humbly is music to online ears, being confrontational while new in a group sounds like long fingernails scratching against a blackboard.

#4. Owning or writing a blog doesn't mean that one has brains. Anyone can write a blog. My 10-year old son has a blog where he posts his original jokes. I'm urging him to write his book reports and reading responses on this blog as well. It doesn't take special skills to initiate and maintain a blog. Just because one has written a blog for 5 years doesn't mean that person has brains. I know very intelligent people who don't write any blog. I also know people possessing 2-digit IQs that have been writing not just one, but 2 or more blogs. See also #3.

#5. Protect your online credibility. Guard your online reputation. While this may have no bearing on your real life reputation, a blog's credibility is diminished if the blogger's reputation is questionable. Avoid being diagnosed online as someone with dementia.

#6. Not all publicity is good publicity. Contrary to advertising's assertion that any publicity is good publicity, I'd rather be known for writing something good, not bad. Cruella de Ville was famous but can you guess where she ended up?

#7. Finally, be forgiving. Today is Easter and we are COMMANDED to forgive. Note that we are COMMANDED, and not REQUESTED. We, human beings all need forgiving, who amongst us hasn't sinned? Forgiveness doesn't make the offending party right, but it puts us right with Our Father in Heaven. Furthermore, unforgiveness is a heavy burden to bear. God has sent His One and Only Son to die for our sins so we may be forgiven. Since we are forgiven, how much more should we be forgiving to our fellow men/women? In the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant, Matthew 18:21-35, God warns against not being able to forgive.

The ladies in the Friendster forum seem to have accepted what may have been an "apology" from Francesca in France. That's definitely something to be thankful about. HAPPY EASTER to all! Hug the Easter Bunny for me and take it easy on the sugar.

Related Posts: Filipinas Slam Francesca in France; Igorot Slur on a Filipino Blog

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Filipinas Slam “Francesca in France”

DISCLAIMER: This blog post is to be read with a grain of salt. Please don’t accuse me of causing trouble. Huwag po. I’m just reporting events as I see them.

I was checking my blog referral stats when I saw an increase of visits to a May 2008 blog post titled “Igorot Slur on a Filipino blog”. I decided to investigate and was amused to find an animated discussion at a Friendster Group forum. The topic is in the form of a question – “Anu feeling niyo kung kapwa mo pilipino insultuhin ng kapwa niya pilipino?” (How would you feel if a Filipino insults a fellow Filipino?) The original topic post put a link to a Filipina maid’s blog called “Francesca in France”. In a post on May 2008, the blogger wrote on how difficult it is to work with the BIR Tax Registration in the Philippines, and out of nowhere, she vented her frustrations on the Igorot people in a totally uncivilized manner. “Is he an Igorot, that’s why he doesn’t understand the importance of paper works and time?” And later in her post, she wrote, “… baka nga Igorot eto? I don’t have any goat or hen to pay him...”

It was almost a year ago when I found out about this. I immediately wrote the blogger (whom I shall call, Francesca in France) and kindly requested that she change her remarks because it was offensive. I did that to prevent any heated debates on her blog. She didn’t heed my suggestion. So, I wrote a blog post as a reaction. (Read my reaction to Francesca in France posted on May 2008). I just recently visited her blog and was astonished at the outpouring of protests to her derogatory remarks, both from Igorots and non-Igorots from around the world.

Back to the Friendster Topic – a lady from Abra posted a link to Francesca in France’s offending blogpost at the Friendster Group Forum for “Filipino Spouses/Fiancee of Foreigner”. The first initial reactions in the topic slammed Francesca in France as being “idiotic”, “arrogant”, “ignorant”, “disrespectful”, and “stupid”. One poster even noted that after Francesca in France wrote the post and was ridiculed by a lot of visitors, she had a bunch of unfortunate events happening to her in real-life – a breast operation, being fired as a maid, and her daughter was denied a French visa. It was also noted that Francesca in France was apparently trying to bribe the BIR staff who rightfully declined.

Things heated up furthermore when Francesca in France enlisted the help of her daughter to sign up for a Friendster account and join the group. After all, she may have felt entitled to do so as she is married to a French national. It was clear that her main intention was to join the discussion forum. And discuss she did - like the way she insulted the Igorot people, she started barking around like a madwoman. Her first sentence was “sikat pala ako dito”. And she further ranted about the topic (her error) being “close to stop” and doing what you like in your own website, and finally at the end of her first post, shamelessly promoting her blog.

That got some respectable members of the group to denounce her “stubborn”, “indiscrete”, “self-absorbed” and “haughty” soul. I never saw so many superlatives as this group of women tried to help Francesca in France see the error of what she has written. But she would have none of it; instead, she accused a member of the group she just joined of being a trouble maker. She said “to open a topic about the igorots linking my site to this site, is looking for trouble. You should know better. People were hurt already about the past. Your motivation is to pin me down. But the igorots are in the middle of it.” As a challenge, she retorted, “you girls try to make a blog, you will understand me... if you got brains to do it, of course.”

That started another round from the other Filipina ladies. A lady pointed out that her roommate at a college dorm was an Igorota who was a Magna Cum Laude Math major. Francesca in France was declared to be suffering from dementia, along with being a “maldita”. Though feisty may Francesca in France be, the other posters simply articulated better, argued intellectually, and were a class better in being humorous, sly, and witty. If it were a boxing match, Francesca in France was knocked out senseless at the opening bell.

An interesting twist happened when a member of the group started defending Francesca in France. It turns out that her defender had a history of being kicked out from Friendster (don’t ask what she did), and she was already on her eighth account just to be able to post. (Now, that’s what I would call pathetic). Furthermore, this lady referred to those opposing Francesca in France as “futha”, a play on the Tagalog word meaning prostitute.

She too, joined Francesca in France sprawling on the canvass as she got hit by a barrage of adjectives worthy of an English major’s textbook. Both were branded as “loathsome”, “despicable”, “fool”, “thoughtless”, “imbecile”, “illiterate”, having “teeny-weeny brains”, “supporting discrimination” and employing “futile, unintelligent antics”. Even Francesca in France’s real name didn’t escape the Filipina group’s ire. Amalia, was rebranded as a-MALI-a, with “mali” being the Tagalog word for “mistake”. That got some of the ladies giggling.

Right now, the topic stands to be the most discussed in recent group topics with 245+ responses. As of this writing, Francesca in France and her friend are furiously backpedalling with posts that are awkwardly reconciliatory. They sound like two beaten mongrels, with their tails behind their legs, licking their wounded egos, and waving little white flags. “Tama na pooooooooo!”, they silently wail.

Related Link: The forum discussion at Friendster
Next Post: Life Lessons on the “Francesca in France” Blunder

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Igorot Slur on a Filipino Blog

I was searching the latest blog entries on "Igorots" and the above was what I found at the blog of a Filipina named Francesca. I couldn't believe my eyes! I re-read the post, and was hoping that it was a typo - it was not! To the author, "igorot" meant someone who didn't understand. So I commented on her blog saying that I was offended by her remark regarding Igorots. I also requested if she can correct the error.

To her credit, she did admit that she was indeed ignorant on Igorots and that "No harm intent". However, she said that she wasn't changing anything. I emailed her requesting if she can re-consider my request on changing that particular comment. In a most cordial manner, I informed her that she was being prejudiced and it was just right that she correct it. She replied back that she's not changing anything, and I quote "If people do not like what you say, they just go somewhere else, Go fishing, or visit other blogs. Im thinking of shooting myself instead. (Wink)"

Incredible! A few years back, Filipinos around the world reacted when a dictionary defined "Filipina" as a "domestic helper". That's definitely a slur. Now here's a fellow Filipino who is looking down on an entire Filipino ethnic group, and refuses to correct a comment she obviously made in ignorance. Where in the world is she coming from? Is it lack of proper education or manners? Maybe ignorance of a blogger's responsibility? Or is it simply being stubborn?

In the late 1990s, actress Lucy Torres-Gomez's character in an ABS-CBN TV show, said that another character's weirdo-ness was attributed to her father being an Igorot. A letter I made to the Inquirer denouncing that comment was made into an article, and eventually, Lucy Torres-Gomez was summoned to Congress where she was made to offer an explanation. ABS-CBN also provided written apologies saying that there was no intent to demean, and that they'll ensure that it will not happen again in future shows.

I'm not demanding an apology from the blogger - she seems to have made her mind about not changing anything even if it is the only right thing to do. If there's a lesson to be learned from this, its the fact that some Filipinos still think that the word "igorot" is a negative word. If I need to keep on writing on this blog to correct that misconception, so be it.

Visit Francesca's Blog from this link.

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Fellow Igorots who have made commentaries on this:

Call of Nature
Glorife Sayang-od

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