Saturday, September 16, 2006

English Filipinized, Deconstructing English and Constructing Filipino

"Nabasa ko ang komento mo sa isang blog, yung tungkol sa liberalayzeysyon ng Filipino ispeling. Vizit ka sa www.2001revisyon.blogspot.com para maunawaan mo iyon. Ang kwestson ko lang, para sa iyo, alin ang katawa-tawa, ang weird na Filipino ispeling pero TAMA ang pronunsieysyon o perfekt na ispeling pero pilipit ang pagbigkas ng mga banyagang salita?"

My response:

I know I will get some flack for posting this picture, but I think it will help to illustrate my point. You see, I commented on one blog regarding Filipino and spelling. In this comment, I mentioned that we should try our very best to speak and spell either "proper Filipino/tagalog" or "proper English," and to avoid overuse of Taglish, Englog, Carabao English, Barok Tagalog, cono, blah blah blah or any form of vernacular language. I simply suggested that speaking the right usage of English and Tagalog will be more helpful in certain fields, especially now that we are facing globalization, increasingly.

The arguments to be made against the aforementioned statement is whether or not speaking "proper English" or "proper Tagalog" will help or not. (Note, I do not intend to define proper English or proper Tagalog, as that is another debate altogether). I am not arguing that we shouldn't use some English words and spell them as Filipino. I know that there are some English words that cannot literally be translated into Filipino. For example, I don't even know how to say "computer" in Filipino. I know it in Spanish, since I took three years of Spanish (computadora). But in Filipino. Computer? Is it Kampyuter? Kumpyoter? Kompyuter? I have no clue. This is the exception. I don't mind at all that we can take the spelling of Computer and "Filipinize" it to make it our own. Heck, every language borrows from another. 

But for words like People, the transformation into Pipol gives me the eevy jeevies. Makes my hair stand up. Why, because I know that there is a word in Filipino for People. Isn't it Tao? Mga Tao? Something like that. How about Picture? Isn't it Larawan in Filipino? Or Retrato in Ilocano. Foto en Espanol? Pipol, I mean People, please correct me if I'm wrong. I am in the learning process of understanding Tagalog. One day, I will learn it. One day, my friends will no longer laugh when I speak Filipino. Isang araw, hindi na sila tatawa. One day, they will not find my Filipino cute anymore. (Note, I separated the Filipino sentence and not made it Isang day, hindi na sila will laugh.) I would have been roasted by Taglish experts.

From the quote above is the newly spelled word kwestson. I believe that is question, if I am not mistaken. So here's a perfect example. I learned enough Filipino/Tagalog that there is a tagalog word for question. It's tanong. If we were to respell question into a Filipino one, will it be kwestson, kuwestyon, kwistyon, kuwistiyon; In this case, it will take me years, maybe even decades to learn it well.

I repeat, I don't mind new spellings, as long as there isn't a Filipino word for it. But if there is already a Filipino word for it, why do we re-spell it? Are we uneducated? Are we rebellious? Are we uninformed? Are we careless? Is it our way of saying, look, I'm not that smart, so I'm going to spell the best way I know how and i don't care if you don't understand it, because I do, and that's all that matters, so my way is the better way and I'm so smart for respelling it. 

Before this post gets so long, I will just close with remarks regarding the picture above. I am even more confused than the rabbit when I see English words being respelled into the so-called Filipino spelling. Is it whayt rabeet? The kendy? Or is it white rabbit, the candy? Note, I'm not as horny as that rabbit, looking to do whom or whatever; I'm just as confused, if not even more.

Perhaps I'm like the chicken; like someone just screwed me over when I see Filipinized things. Should I just accept? I probably won't accept now, because I'm still trying to learn about it; for now, the best thing to do is discuss, and try to understand why. There's that word again, why?

Maybe someone will explain to me, so I will no longer be the confused rabbit, or the screwed chicken. I digress again.

NOTE: I do not know what these words mean, but silly me, I commented on that quote anyway: pilipit, pagbigkas, banyagang. Help!



Friday, September 15, 2006

Survivor, Asian Team with Two Pinoys Win first Challenge

Go Asians! Go Pinoy! There are two Filipinos in the five-Asian team in Survivor, a Filipina and a Filipino Hawaiian. This year's Survivor is probably going to be the most controversial ever. It is being deemed as a social experiment bordering on dangerous. Why? They have divided he tribes into ethnic groups: Asians, Latinos, Blacks, and of course, Whites.

It was an athletic and intellectual game. Put a boat together. Row to get fire. Row back to shore and put a puzzle together. Climb. And light the fire. The Latinos were ahead, but the Asians came back and won the event. Latinos second. Whites third. And the Blacks last. This is so interesting as it is pitting races against each other.

I'm not going to expound. I'm rooting for the Asians, of course, as there are two Pinoys in there. I hope that they will show the world the virtues of our culture. Hardworking, Intelligence, Patience, Cooperative, amongs many others.

Me, I'm rooting for the Asians for now. I may change my mind based on how people compete and play strategies.

Go Asian team. Mabuhay ang Pinoy.


Filipino Expectations, Leaving Corporate America

I wonder how many people out there hate their jobs. Who told us we were supposed to work 8 to 10 hours a day, sometimes 12, 40 to 50 hours a week, sometimes 60? And with all the hard work that we do, a majority of what we make for the company goes to the owner or to the underserving boss.

I don't hate my job so much as I am so uninspired by it. What motivates me to wake up every day is the possibility that I am saving money so that I will something I can finally call my own. We slave day in and day out just to make a living; at the end of the day, sometimes, it is not even enough. Lucky for me, I have a decent paying one.

But what is life, what is work, when I could care less about the work that I do. Yes, I'm jaded by corporate America. I do things that help fatten the owner's pockets. It's all about profits. Money, money, money. Money makes the world go 'round. I have finally come to the realization that I need not be afraid to pursue my passions, even if it doesn't involve much money. Otherwise, life would be miserable, as it is now.

As a Filipino American, I grew up with an extended family who all wanted to see me become a doctor or a lawyer. Then they focused on law school for me. I graduated top of my class in both high school and college, and they wanted only the best for me. Then I decided to postpone law school to help my family. So I joined corporate America. One year passed. Two. Then everyone started asking me about law school. It took some time for my family, and extended family, to understand that I don't want to go to law school, that it was OK, that I'm not a disappointment even if I don't become a lawyer. There are more things to life. There are things I wanted to do for myself, not things my family wanted to do for me. I'm glad I'm finally arriving at that point.

In the Filipino culture, there is so much expectation from parents and grandparents and uncles and aunties. I have spoken to so many Filipinos who were told by their elders to become this and become that and do this and do that, just to please them. In the end, they became miserable. We try to do the things our parents tells us because that is what they think we should be. How about what we really want to do?

In about a month, I will give up my corporate, managerial position in place of something I am deeply passionate about: education. I praise all the educators out there, good educators, that is, for helping to help shape a youth's life. They are the ones who can help mold a child into better citizens, and in these days, it's a tough job. Tough, but can be very satisfying.

I hope to open up an institution for learning in the Philippines. I want a school that will challenge the norms and produce students that are liberated. Students that will know how to question authority, question beliefs and traditions, question injustice. Students who will think for themselves. I want them to be openminded. To accept differences. To accept diversity. I want them to be leaders, to have a new way of thinking.

Idealistic, sure. But revolutions of the mind came through ideals. I am ready to take part in this, in the Philippines, as it is truly needed there.

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Challenging the Status Quo in the Philippines

Leaving the Philippines. Filipinos would die for the opportunity to leave their beloved country in search of better opportunities abroad. My own family did so. As a result, I am now working for corporate America making decent to good money. And if I worked for Uncle Sam a little more, I will make it high along the corporate ladder. Filipinos would kill for this opportunity. Figuratively, of course; or can that be literal as well?

Me, I'm doing the opposite. I have decided to work for Uncle Boy? Auntie Gloria? Who is Uncle Sam's cohort in the Philippines. I am coming back to the Philippines for my hanap buhay. It took some time for my family and friends to understand why I'm doing it. My grandpa thought I was losing my mind. You see, he was responsible for my family's petition to the US 20 years ago. (Insert the traditional Filipino Grandpa lecture here about coming to America.) I responded with, Where am I needed more?

I don't mean to be big headed. Really, I feel that my skills and abilities are needed more in the Philippines. Yes, the word is "need." By that, I mean in doing that kind of work that I will do there, I am helping more Filipinos advance their lives. What is this work?

Teaching English proficiency and Neutralized American Accent. I'm not a teacher by trade; I'm in sales and marketing. But I have always loved to teach what I know to help others. And now, I get to combine that with having my own business. No more for Uncle Sam and corporate America. And along the way, I hope to infuse my thoughts on philosophies in the lesson plans. I hope that the students of my school will learn to challenge the status quo, ask tough questions, and realize that it's OK to ask why.

The issue of challenging the status quo. Asking tough questions. Asking why. These are three things I hope more Filipinos would do. Too often, we just accept things as the way they are because it's always been that way.

I'm coming back home. I hope to make a difference.



Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Short Filipino, Tall Filipino, Shortcomings

Filipinos love the game of basketball. Heck, my mom, my sister, my dad, my bros, cousins, uncles, aunts, seriously, make bets when it comes to basketball, especially in the finals. My bros love to play, including me of course. The four of us bros were fortunately blessed with at least 5'9" height so that we can be tall enough to jump for the rebound or at least do some blocks. Fortunately, we got our father's side of the genes because all the male cousins are at least that height.

Pinoys tend to be short. Sometimes I wish I was at least a six footer. Oh well, I've learned to live with my skin, my height. What's up with this height thing and the Pinoys though? I mean, in the US, there are studies that show that taller people make more money (and so do more beautiful people, but that is another blog altogether).

What's really funny is that Pinoys are one of the biggest discriminators (is that a word? heck, I like it) when it comes to height. What makes it hilarious is that short people make fun of shorter people. Short Pinoys making fun of even shorter Pinoys? What a backward country. Upside down maybe? What SHORTcoming! Pun intended.

I opened the classifieds in the Philippines one day, and what I saw got me all riled up. Some of the ads mentioned that an applicant, a Pinoy, must be at least 5'2" for women , for that position. Whoa!!! Did I read that right? Then I re-read the ad. Maybe it was for a flight attendant position? Flight attendants need to be a little taller to be able to perform their duties. Nope. Maybe it was for a play, and the character was about a giant? Nope. Maybe it was for picking mangoes and papayas, and no ladder was available. Nope.

It was for a damn office job. I read another. It was for a damn sales job. What the fuck? I don't normally swear, but what the fuck? OK, down emotions, let logic take over again. That basically eliminates 99 % of the female pool of applicants. Fine, fine, I'm exaggerating about that percentage, but the truth is, this is a blatant form of plain stupidity. What do they do at the interview? Measure your height?

"Please remove your high heels. Step here, with your back against the wall. Oh, and we need you to put down your hair as well."

Whoa! What the fuck!

I know, I get it. Taller women are more attractive, and thus are probably more able to sell. Or the taller secretary is a better view, better eye candy for the boss. Encourages employees to come to work when they see a pretty one.

Shit, even the president then would not qualify for such position.

Philippines, my Philippines. My backward Philippines. My short Philippines. Okay, back to logic. Why doesn't the media expose this? Where are the civil right organizations? Perhaps one of the qualifications for presidency should be height? How about skin color? How about weight?

My ad:

Wanted. Pinoys, male only. Must be at least 6 ft. Must be fair skinned. Must not have missing teeth. Must have light brown eyes. Must be at least 200 lbs. What the hell, this is getting ridiculous.

Who's going to challenge these institutions? I mean, it wasn't on one ad, it was in almost every ad. And must be female! Whoa! That's another subject or blog altogether. How about those ads that mention must be under 30. Holy moly macaroni! What the fuck. Okay, I'm done swearing, damn it! Rambling. Rambling. Stay on topic. Go back to height issue.

Or just end it here before my head explodes. Damn, why do I get so worked up over this. I'll just play basketball with my brothers later to blow off some steam.

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

9/11, "The Day we Saw the Face of Evil," A Filipino American View

I was driving to work at 715 am, and I normally tune in to 94.1 and 98.5 to help me pump up my morning. Instead of energy music, I heard the news explaining some plane crash on one of the the Twin Towers in NYC. I thought this was some kind of joke. Something like that couldn't possibly happen in the US. So I changed the station. Same thing. Whoa! My day was going to be a sucky one. Five minutes later, I arrived at work, and the look on everyone's faces, as if someone has just sucked out their very last breath, leaving just enough to live.

I, too, wanted to go after those terrorists. We have never seen an attack of such magnitude on our very own shores. We Americans think we're invincible. We are too great of a superpower for anyone to be messing with us. Think Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Think Cold War. Think Nato. Sometimes, this mentality though, the we-cannot-be-touched-mentality, or the we-are-always-right-mentality, can even make us a bigger target for terrorists.

There is no excuse for what happened on that day. It is completely evil. But this is something that you all have probably read about. There is nothing new to these statements.

Instead, I offer my confusion in these matters. But first, I commemorate and pay respect to those that died in that tragedy, and for the deaths of our brave men and soldier who are fighting for global freedom in Iraq, and for those who have already lost their lives for that cause.

Here's my confusion. 9/11 happened. We went after Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda because they organized this terror. When we couldn't catch Bin Laden, we focused on Iraq. We attaced Iraq because we believed that they have WMDs, Weapons of Mass Destruction. We bombed them. We killed them. They killed us. Then UN reps went in to investigate. Found no weapons of mass destruction. Then we bombed them again. We killed more of them. They killed more of us. Still, no weapons of mass destruction.

Confusion number one. How did we link 9/11 and Iraq? How did all of a sudden, the American people think that for some reason 9/11 and Iraq was connected? News spin? Propaganda? Just illogical association. We were so caught up with our emotions that anything that has any hint of terror in it, near the Middle East, near petroleum, oil, in which we Americans are the biggest consumers of, any hint of terror, we will react aggresively against. Iraq was the perfect link.

Confusion number two. When we found out that there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, which was the very reason why we went into war with them, why did the American people continue to support this war? What if our justice system worked that way? Let's say we find that a neighbor was suspected of manufacturing coccaine, drugs, or what have you in their house, and we've been suspecting for a while. We smell chemicals; we see irrational behavior, and we have enough evidence to call the cops on them believing there is something fishy going on in there. The cops do a surveillance. They raid the house. Found nothing but dishwashing liquid. Rotting fruits and vegetables. Clorox spilled everywhere.

Do we continue to prosecute? Likewise, do we continue to attack and finish what we started?

I don't even want to bring up the Filipinos and the Philippines in this post. All I can remember is there was a Juan Delacruz, (just looked it up on Google, it's Angelo Delacruz) who was captured and later released in exchange of pulling out the whole Philippine army out. Well I guess I do want to bring up my beloved Pinoy and the Philippines here. It's just fitting.

Sometimes, I don't understand why the Pinoys were there in the first place. Was it to appease their colonial masters? I mean, did they not know that death and captivity was inevitable? Did they think that this was going to be an easy task? It just seems like the Philippines was just there to please their foreign masters. They weren't really fighting for global freedom. Otherwise, they would not have pulled out. I wonder if a Filipino American officer was captured, would they have pulled out? Were the Filipinos ready to sacrifice life going into this war?

In essence, by pulling out, we were succumbing to the will of the so-called threats. We were once again looked at by foreign nations as a wimp, no balls. Just a little trashy island somewhere in Southeast Asia with nothing to contribute to the greater good. We made a big celebrity out of Dela Cruz. We made fools of ourselves. We should not have been there in the first place. Or was that the right move? I am a believer of "things happen for a reason," but I still don't quite understand the reason Filipinos and the Philippines were in Iraq.

After having said all this, I'm glad that Angelo Dela Cruz is alive.

To be honest, I am a pacifist. Dialogue. Diplomacy. Exhaust these options first. I wish the US had not gone into war. But we're in it. For some time, we have to stand behind our soldiers. Solidarity. Support. Patriotism. Then we realize that enough is enough. There is no point anymore.

I love the stories of the People Power Movements in the Philippines. Solidarity. What is our place in this war? What is our story as Filipinos in this war? Where are the modern day Jose Rizals? Who will represent us in a global fight for freedom?

I guess I have more questions than answers. So I guess I am still confused. Am I?

Monday, September 11, 2006

Drunk Filipinos, Dancing Pinoys, Ugly Philippines

Last night, my friend and I went to the bar. The usual: drink, laugh, scream-so-you-can-be-heard talk, dance, drink a little more, say hi to friends (or acquaintances in this case) you haven't seen in a while, meet new people, and drink a little more.

One Adios
M*therf@cker to start. Talk. Smile. Go to second club. One Long Island Iced Tea. Talk. Dance. One more Long Island Iced Tea. Smile. Dance. Dance. Talk. One more Long Island Iced Tea. Whoa! I'm getting buzzed. It's hitting me. Music blares. Beats vibrate. My dancing shoes on the floor. Big smile on my face by now, and I am a social butterfly.

I have not been drunk in a while, but this time, I traded my White Russians for those damn Adios and Iced Teas. Yuck! What a cheap way to get drunk! Note to self: No more alcohol-packed drinks. Nasty. Yuck! Stick to White Russians, please. Be good to body and brain. And soul.

There were a few Pinoys at the club. Of course, we Pinoys are always the best dancers wherever we go. It's in our blood, running through every vein of our bodies. Heck, my Lola dances to every beat. Then there's my mom and my Lola dancing. My aunts, my cousins, my friends. Damn, all of 'em. Where music and Pinoy meets, a dance fiesta occurs. Are you thinking line dancing at the Filipino parties now?

So we're dancing, and a Pinoy comes up to me to start a conversation. You see, the Filipino in the US, they are spread out everywhere, with high concentrations in Hawaii and California. So when a Pinoy meets another, one will get, "So you're a Pinoy too?" greeting, and boom, there's that instant connection. A Pinoy will feel more comfortable seeing another Pinoy in a foreign land. It gives a home a way from home, and that feeling that you're not alone.

I felt differently during my visits to the Philippines in 1999, 2004, and 2005. I saw so many Filipinos everywhere (duh!), yet I felt alone, foreign, and different. True, I was going through some culture shock. I never felt so disconnected from my culture. I began to reject almost everything to the point that I was so stressed out. Whoa! I was supposed to be on vacation, why was I stressing? I just saw so many ugly things that I have never seen before.

Finally, I learned to deal with these ugly things. I learned to continue to embrace the beauty, and accept that these ugly things happen because of ugly people who think they are beautiful. Get it? Let me expound. These graft and corruption and lawlessness and dirty politics and poor economy and poverty and hunger and abuse and suppression and what have you are there because of political cronies who don't belong there and corporate bosses who think they are the kings and queens of the world. Combine that with poor education. Mix in a media that is afraid of politics. Add a dose of nakakabobo and kakadiri showbiz. Whoa! You got the perfect recipe for a Third World.

So last night, I partied too much. No more nasty Long Islands and Adios Mofos. Met with old friends, met new friends. In the past, I probably would not have paid too much attention to another Pinoy saying hello to me. But last night, I said hello, invited him to join the conversation with my friends, and welcomed him to the US as he had just arrived from Quezon City five months ago.


Sunday, September 10, 2006

Filipino Resiliency and Humor

While waiting for the flood to dissipate (like it will
gonna...and it didn't after 7 hours), I have come to observe that Filipinos are
indeed resilient. Many of whom still have the nerve to laugh and used that
moment to socialize with individuals they've only met. I never heard anyone
whining about the situation (well, I think I was the only one complaining).

It's true, to fight a major battle and triumph over it is virtuous, but
to live everyday amongst minor nuances require a strong spirit.

The above quote is an excerpt in Jef's blog (see link below). I have seen the floods the Jef is talking about, and when I first saw them, that was in 2005, I was quite amazed with the horrible infrastructure of Manila. Whoa! I began to imagine diseases and those poor people. Man, the poor are always getting screwed, don't they? I wish the government would really do something about it. I mean, don't we know that it rains six months in the year there?

But according to Jef, people are indeed resilient, especially my beloved Pinoys. Despite the struggles, the rain, and bad government, poor economy, and hurricanes, and heat, and humidity, and poor education system, corrupt officials, jammed traffic, smoke, and smoke and more smoke, jeepneys and taxis and cars beeping, and what have you, the Filipinos can survive to face another day.

Yes, we are a hopeful culture. I'm so proud to be a part of a culture that can put things aside at the end of the day, and hope for a brighter one. At the end of the day, we have tambayan, or hanging out, singing videoke, or just plain drinking the night away with a cuatro cantos gin or San Miguel Light. We laugh, we drink, we eat. We talk stories. Then we laugh, we drink, and we eat again.

As someone who has lived in the US for over 20 years, since I was 9, there are things I take for granted. I should feel so lucky that I am fortunate enough to have been brought up in the US. It took some visits to the Philippines to make me realize that I am very blessed. But these visits also made me become more Filipino again. I began to understand poverty, corruption, discrimination, and the plight of the underpriviledged, and one day, I hope to reach out. Perhaps these writings in my blogs, are the first steps in doing so.

Do Filipinos seriously think the Philippine Education System is Good?

I'd also like to add, that in one of the polls at http://politics.alleba.com , What grade will you give the Philippine Public Education System, 54% out of 310 voters gave the system a Passing and above rating.

Whoa! My head is spinning again. How in the world is the majority of Pinoys think that their education is passing? What is their criterion? I mean what kind of standards are we measuring that the simple majority thinks the education system is passing and better. I mean, a whopping 15% in this poll said it was an excellent system.

Is this symbolic of the Filipino's failures? I mean, if we cannot admit to ourselves that we have a problem, we will never solve the issues. It's just like those who are addicted; if they will never admit to their addiction, they can never really get over it.

Likewise, do we seriously think our Philippine education system is passing?

Filipino and his Command of the English Language

It's so sad that English words are changed into Filipino words with a different spelling. Pipol for People? haha. That's just hilarious; I mean depressing. Why, my beloved Pinoys? And Taglish? That's so weird. Me, I prefer pure Filipino or pure English, with some words interchanged, but totally acceptable words. After all, language is an organic, constantly changing forms.

But Taglish to bad English, to misspelled English words transforming into Filipino words. Carabao English? That is beyond belief. Makes me puke to be honest with you. No wonder only 3% of all college graduates in the Philippines pass the interview for a call center position. Yes, there are jobs in the Philippines in the call center; my advice is, learn good English so that you can have a fall back job if your original plan doesn't work out.

But back to English, I mean Filipino, I mean Filipino English? Carabao English? Barok English? I mean why in the world do Filipinos use so much English when speaking Tagalog/Filipino? My friend from Guam said he understood the Filipino movie because half of it was in English. I love languages, but sometimes, the ways Filipinos change their language stupefies me.

What if I spoke like this, Umayka ditoy, porque yo necesito a hablar with you. Kasi, mamaya, mag-eat tayo. Later on, we will visit our prenz sa bahay!!!

Yikes??? Of course, I wanna throw up on myself after I just came up with that sentence above. You see, I was born in Ilocano, thus the Ilocano dialect. Then I moved to the US, thus the English language. Then I learned Tagalog watching Filipino movies while my aunt and uncle would translate for me, thus the Filipino language. Then I took three years of Spanish, the the Spanish.

So, my beloved Pinoys, imagine if I use all of these languages and dialects at once. Plus my Hawaiian Pidgin, by the way. How would you feel? Yes, you probably would get a headache. Or just like me, you might want to throw up.

Please, please, please, let's try our best to speak good English and good Filipino. Of course in conversation, there are slangs, but even slangs can be use properly. Yes, once in a while it's okay to interject a foreign language, but it shouldn't be overbearing and dominating, to the point of puking.

Otherwise, we will end up talking like Lito Lapid who said, "Dare what it takes to be. Then we shall so because it is. To do or not, now or what else to be without." Did you get a brain hemmorhage with that one too? Me, I'm still suffering from repercussions.

I was inspired by this article A troubling Filipino book for college freshmen.

Filipino Family Structure, A Strong Model

I moved out of the house, not because I wanted to be more independent, but moreso because I wanted my family to be more independent themselves. Over the years, they have relied on me. One of such reliance is the borrowing of money.

Since I'm the only one who graduted from college, my siblings, including my parents have borrowed money from me. I always obliged. But then I saw this over-reliance on me, and I no longer wanted to tolerate it. So after years and years of trying to help them become independent to no avail, I finally decided to move out and get my own place.

Before you know it, in the first week I was on my own, my sister calls me to borrow money. After feeling bad for her situation, I obliged. Then another brother, who already owed me money decided that he was going to pay me partially and the rest would come later. All right. This week, my other brother borrowed money because he gambled it away.

Shame on me for allowing that. I let them walk all over me again. Despite my sibling's gambling addiction, and my constant advice to them, I allowed them to rely on me again. Part of me was telling myself not to do it so that they will learn their lesson. The other part of me is that they needed my help. They are my blood after all. And it wasn't like I couldn't afford what they were asking for.

The Filipino family is a strong structure. This is what makes the Filipino culture something to be proud of. Despite poverty, Filipino families in the PI stick together. They help each other out. They will give what they do not have just so they can help another member. That is one of the reasons why you will probably not see a homeless Filipino here in the US. If a family member was laid off from work, or was not doing well financially, the Filipino family will rally in support until auntie and uncle, brother, sister, cousin, tita, tito, or distant friend, are on their feet once again.

I am hopeful that my siblings will realize that they are now mature adults, and that they need to start acting accordingly. I hope one day, when I too need help, they will be more than willing to lend a hand.