Ang Infamous '50 FACTS ABOUT THE PHILS email' & What I Have To Say

ORIGINAL EMAIL:

Do you disagree with any of these "facts"? Justify your answer. The following was posted in another forum:

50 Facts about the Philippines

Dapat ba akong magalit sa kanya (to the person who sent the poster this list) sa pagsampal sa akin sa katotohanan? That Philippines is...

50. Where the most happening places are not where the party is. Instead it is where the gang wars happen, where women strip and where the people overthrow a president.

49. Where even doctors, lawyers and engineers are unemployed.

48. Where everyone has his personal ghost story and superstition

47. Where mountains like Makiling and Banahaw are considered holy places.

46. Where everything can be forged.

45. Where school is considered the second home and the mall considered the third.

44. Where Starbucks coffee is more expensive than gas.

43. Where every street has a basketball court and every town only has one public school.

42. Where all kinds of animals are edible.

41. Where people speak all kinds of languages, and still call it Tagalog and where it is fast becoming unfashionable to speak English/Spanish.

40. Where students pay more money than they will earn afterwards.

39. Where call-center employees earn more money than teachers and nurses, where doctors study to become nurses for employment abroad.

38. Where driving 4 kms can take as much as four hours.

37. Where flyovers bring you from the freeway to the side streets.

36. Where the tourist spots are where Filipinos do not (or cannot) go.

35. Where the personal computer is mainly used for games and Friendster.

34. Where all 13-year-olds are alcoholic.

33. Where colonial mentality is dishonestly denied!

32. Where 4 a.m. is not even considered bedtime yet.

31. Where people can pay to defy the law.

30. Where everything and everyone is spoofed.

29. Where even the poverty-stricken get to wear Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger (peke)!

28. Where the honking of car horns is a way of life.

27. Where being called a bum is never offensive.

26. Where floodwaters take up more than 90 percent of the streets during the rainy season.

25. Where everyone has a relative abroad who keeps them alive.

24. Where crossing the street involves running for your dear life.

23. Where wearing your national colors makes you baduy.

22. Where billi@rds is a sport, and darts is a bar game.

21. Where even the poverty-stricken have the latest cell phones. (GSM-galing sa magnanakaw)

20. Where insurance does not work.

19. Where water can only be classified as tap and dirty - clean water is for sale (35 pesos per 5-gallon).

18. Where the church governs the people (owwss!!!) and where the government makes the people pray for miracles. (Amen to that!)

17. Where University of the Philippines is where all the weird people go. Ateneo is where all the nerds go. La Salle is where all the Chinese go. College of Saint Benilde is where all the stupid Chinese go, and University of Asia and the Pacific is where all the irrelevantly rich people go.

16. Where fast food is a diet meal.

15. Where traffic signs are merely suggestions, not regulations.

14. Where all the trees in the city are below six feet.

13. Where being held up is normal. It happens to everyone.

12. Where kids dream of becoming pilots, doctors and basketball players.

11. Where rodents are normal house pets.

10. Where the definition of traffic is the "non-movement" of vehicles.

9. Where the fighter planes of the 1940s are used for military engagements, and the new fighter planes are displayed in museums.

8. Where Nora Aunor is an acclaimed actress and Boy Abunda is the best talk show host, where the population knows more their showbiz stars better than their national heroes and past presidents, knows more of showbiz gossips than their national history and current events.

7. Where cigarettes and alcohol are a necessity, and where the lottery is a commodity.

6. Where soap operas tell the realities of life and where the news provides the drama.

5. Where actors make the rules and where politicians provide the entertainment.

4. Where finding a deer on the road will be a phenomenon.

3. Where people can get away with stealing trillions of pesos, but not for a thousand.

2. Where being an hour late is still considered punctual. (Grabe talaga 'to!)

1. Where the squatters have more to complain (even if they do not pay their tax) ---- than those employed and have their tax automatically deducted from their salaries.

and finally..... .

0. Where everyone wants to leave the country!
_________________

MY COMMENT:

Ang dapat sa gumawa nito, balatan ng buhay.

Nabasa nyo na ba ang forwarded email na yan sa taas? Nakakainis ano? Naiinis ako sa ibang sinabi nya pero totoo. Mas naiinis ako pag iniisip kong ganyan ang tingin ng ibang tao sa atin. Pero ang talagang kinaiinis ko ay ang pagsabi nya na 50 FACTS sa Pilipinas. Wow. Absolute truth ang drama ng nagsulat. Kung ang nagsulat nito foreigner, tataasan ko sya ng kilay at sasabihang 'Anong alam mo?' (pero syempre english), at kung Pinoy man ang nagsulat nyan sasabihan ko naman sya ng 'Kung makapagsalita ka akala mo naman nakita mo na ang katotohanan sa bansa na ito sa dulo ng ilong mo ah?'

50. Wow. Gang wars happen, women strip, people overthrow a President. Ok ka lang? Magbukas ka ng TV at marami kang makikitang taga ibang bansa na kung makapagladlad ng katawan sa mga street parties akala mo nasa banyo lang. Manood nood ka naman ng tv tsong. Wag mong sabihing FACT na ang women stripping e parang dito lang sa Pinas nangyayari AT parang sa pagkakasabi mo e parang napakaraming ganyang 'pagsistrip'.

Gang wars? Oo, maraming gang. Pero meron din ang mga tagaibang bansa nyan. Wag mong sabihing dito lang nangyayari yan.

At ang pagooverthrow ng President? Have you ever read your history books? The entire globe is splattered with generations of people trying to overthrow their leaders. Don't freaking tell me that WE are the only ones guilty.

49. As if employment is not a problem in other countries?! Besides, parang sinabi mo na rin kung graduate ka ng pagiging doctor, lawyer at engineer e sure ball ka nang may trabaho ka. Maraming rason bakit hindi nae-employ ang isang tao. Take note, tao. It just means, applicable sa LAHAT ng nationalities.

48. Yeah right. Tingin ko nga tama ka jan eh noh? I suppose old wive's tales and Most Haunted Places books and magazines are all Filipino originals. Hmm... let me see... kanino nga ba galing ang Friday The 13th? (Sarcastic na to huh, kung hindi mo pa nagets)

47. Ay oo tama ka dyan. And so is Ganges River and Mt. Fuji. Aww... sorry, my fault. di naman yan sa Pinas no?

46. Ito ang nakakatawa. Forged? I Don't Want to name names huh... Pero san ba kalimitan galing ang mga pirated contrabands??? Take a lucky guess...

45. Yeap. I Can see where that is coming from. I guess walang mall sa ibang bansa na pinuputakte ng mga kabataan... I pity them...

44. Duh? Mas mahal rin naman ang value meal sa Mcdo ah? At infairness, pag nagmahal ang gas ng ganong presyo, naku naku... Hindi na lang dito ang problema nyan. Global issue na yan pare. And ano ba tong nilagay ng nag post nito? Is there something wrong with that? Am I missing something?

43. Yes, yes. sadly oo. Pero compare the number of public schools to local basketball street courts? Come on. No fair naman ang comparison. As if naman na DAPAT lang na magkaron ng school every street. Di naman kaya magkalokohan na non.

42. Isa pang nakakatawa. Dito pa lang mapapansin mo na na hanggang dulo lang ng ilong mo ang napupuntahan mo. E kung pumunta ka kaya ng Bangkok? Ng Thailand? Ng India? Name an Asian Country puhlease! Argh. This argument is so stupid to even bother. Next please!

41. Huh? China has well, I don't know..., like different variations of their language which I think differ in different regions. And yes. We all believe it is just Mandarin. And unfashionable? Since when does one's language preference became a fashion statement? And haha. May mali ka pa rin don. BUKOD sa Tagalog, meron tayong Bisaya, Ilocano,Chavacano, amongst others. I never heard na isang taong nagsasalita ng Bisaya ay sinabihang nagsasalita sya ng Tagalog. And ooppss. Pinoy ka ba talaga? (Tingin ko hindi) Akala ko ang tawag na sa official language ng Pilipinas ay Filipino? And 'speak all kinds of languages?' How can you be so stupid? Those are dialects. It differs from region to region. What can you expect from people islands apart?!

40. Isa pang nakakatawa. I've heard that to go to a prestigious university abroad, you need atleast $20,000 a year ata or a semester. That is like a million converted to our currency. Now, marami sa atin ang mahal ang tuition sa universities but won't amount to that much. So here's the thing. What happens to students after they graduate would have situations that may not differ here or anywhere else in the world. If youre in the States and you ended up being a cashier on a local grocery even after graduating from a good school is NO different from a graduate here who becomes a sales lady. Nationality DOES not play a part in what you end up after college. This argument is so unfair to be just boxed as a FACT for JUST Filipinos.

39. The reason why most contact center employees "earn more" is because they are employed, USUALLy by people abroad. Kaya nga outsourcing eh,duh?! And when doctors study to become nurses abroad, their reasons could be nothing more than personal. Not every doctor who graduates in this country aims for dollars, ok? There are still some who wish to stay. And even a few who are willing to be in the farthest provinces. It really is unfair to aggregate them like that.

38. Yeap. That one too. Sabi nga di ba, matagal nang matindi ang traffic sa Pinas. Alam mo na dapat yan. Siguro kasi hindi na kaya ng mga highways natin ang sobrang dami ng sasakyan. But then parang dito lang nagkakatraffic huh? Try watching Amazing Race nang makita mong nageexist din ito sa ibang bansa. And it can take hours, mind you.

37. Hindi ko to magets. I Don't get it why it even made the list...Sorry...

36. WHAT?! Anong DO NOT GO?! Cannot pwede pa akong maniwala. pero DO NOT GO? Dyan ka nagkakamali. Alam mo ba na naniniwala ako ng at least 8 out of 10 people have been to Baguio and enjoyed going there?! At 49 out of 50 people ang nagaaspire pumunta ng Boracay?

35. Aha! Malimit ka sa computer rentals noh? Natural marami kang makikitang nag-gegames doon! Yun nga ang habol nila eh. Yung may mga kalaro. At oo, aminado ako. Marami talaga ang nagfe-Friendster dito sa Pinas. Pero parang walang Facebook, Multiply, Hi-5 at kung anu-ano pa na pauso ng mga taga-ibang bansa ah? At saka mali ka para sabihing iyon lang ang ginagawa ng mga Pinoy sa PC. Marami sila ang nagiging creative. Marami rin sa kanila ang nagsusulat at nagke-criticize... katulad ng iba dyan...haha

34. WHAT?! I've been a 13 year old. I was never an alcoholic. And never was my friends. And my sisters and their friends as well. Magingat ingat ka sa 'ALL' mo. Hindi mo alam kung anong sinasabi mo.

33. Colonial mentality is somehow the result of the country being under different influences. But denied? Uhm there would be some who does. But I guess it is always clear naman to everyone kung anong gusto nila.

32. Ha? You are talking to just around a small percentage of the huge population. Not everyone sleeps that late. We have work early tomorrow. Sabi mo nga di ba, 4 hrs sa kalsada sa tindi ng traffic? E di pano ka pa makakarating ng 8am kung 4am mo balak matulog? And bakit? Bawal magkaron ng insomnia ang mga Pinoy?

31. "Can". Hindi ko alam kung paano ko titignan ang sentence na yan. Parang pun kasi na pwedeng 'has the ability to pay' at sa "choice to just pay para ma-null ang nagawang kasalanan". But either way, the law maybe loosely implemented and there really is a problem pero wag mag malinis at wag lahatin. Marami pa rin ang gusto ng legal.

30. Sige na. Pagbigyan. But wait. Napanood nyo ba yung gumagaya kay David Blaine? Di ba hindi Pinoy yun? At take note, maraming spoof sa you tube ng mga sikat. Hindi nga rin pala Pinoy yun.

29. As I've said before... they just buy fakes. But that doesn't make them the ones responsible for it's existence. May mga gumawa non... And I doubt the Pinoy's have anything to do with it...

28. 'A way of life?' Can't you make a rather, i don't know, a much more fit way of describing indiscriminate honking? Yes, we may be a bit of that impatient on the road but hey, I've been commuting for 5 years and counting. And yung sinasabi mong 'way of life' ay hindi ko naman madalas na nararanasan. (FYI, malalayo ang byahe ko ok? So alam ko ang sinasabi ko.)

27. How can you be so insensitive? Anong gusto mo, pag sinabihan mong tambay ang isang tao magpakita na na-offend sya sa sinabi mo? Natural alam nya sa sarili nyang tambay lang sya at walang trabaho. I'd say yun ang downside. Tanggap nila. Tanggap nila to the point na sumusuko na ang iba maghanap ng trabaho. But don't be so rude to pinpoint bums that they don't have the ability to be offended much more rule it out that all bums are Filipinos.

26. 90 percent? Haha. San ka ba nakatira? Have you EVER been to any place in the Philippines than where you are right now? Yes. to some extent there are really places na bahain at patuloy ang pagaayos nila ng sewers. But don't ever claim it to be as high as 90 percent.

25. Now this is annoying. Let me tell you that our family is on it's own ever since my parents started a family. Milya milya ang layo namin sa mga relatives at nabuhay ang pamilya namin ng walang ni singkong duling galing sa mga kamag-anak. May sarling bahay at lupa (sa amin na ang titulo), may sasakyan (fully paid mind you) at nakapagtapos kaming tatlong magkakapatid sa kolehiyo. (Hindi sa pagyayabang yan but you are really getting into my nerves so let me rub it in your face while I can) Other than that, let me tell you, none of my parents ever did something illegal OR has a high position jobs. We did it on our own. NEVER ever claim that all Filipinos depend on other relatives who work abroad to live. And even if there are families who work abroad to sustain their families here, well, there is nothing wrong with that. Let me remind you na maraming poor Europeans on the old days who came to America to find work. Some stayed and most of them came back and NO ONE ever said there is anything wrong with that.

24. Hmm. Tingin ko kaya nga may overpass at underpass eh! Mamang pulis hulihin nyo po to oh! Jaywalking!

23. This would make Francis M. and Andrew E. cringe. As far as I'm concerned they get purchases abroad for their Filipino inspired shirts. Who knows where those go anyway? You know what? The day I'd ever see an icon of our flag in any foreigner wearing such shirt I'd laugh so hard whoever you are would hear it mocking you on your very core.

22. First of all, please define what SPORT is. Then define me what's a bar game after. Bakit, ano ba yan sa bansa nyo? Don't tell me ang batayan mo ng 'SPORTS' e only those that make it to Olympics? Come on, kahit sa bars abroad you can see darts on their bars! And billiards... well, IT is a game. I'm just not really sure if it can be defined as a Sport. And if it isn't, well, kagagawan mo na yan. Ikaw naman ang nagdefine para sa amin eh. You really make me laugh. Haha.

21. Naku, wala ka na sa uso. Anong GSM? Wala nang pumapatol dyan. Malamang hindi alam nung gumamit, pero wag mong lahatin. Meron namang... gosh di ko pwedeng sabihin kasi baka magalit ang bansang ito sa akin pero... uhm yun na kasi ang rave ngayon eh. Murang uri ng cellphone galing sa kanila. Kumbaga, lantarang niloloko tayo.

20. Insurance doesn't work here, there and I  believe anywhere. It just looks like it works for you but the real money still goes to the companies themselves. Companies, which I may add are usually International institutions. Don't blame it on us. Blame it to them. (FYI, I am currently working in a Non-Life Insurance company. I know.)

19. Water sanitation and distribution in the country isn't really the same as it is in other much more developed countries. Pero ang word naman na 'dirty' e too much. I mean, malinis pa rin naman ang tubig kung tutuusin pangligo. Tingin ko nga nahilig lang ang tao sa mga gallons ng tubig nung nalaman nilang possible pala yun. At saka ang dirty e yung brown na siguro ang tubig no. Hindi naman sya pwedeng iclassify as such. OA ka huh?

18. The church does not govern people. Bakit? Kasi the church you may be referring to is the Roman Catholic Church. But that time when they monopolized the entire nation has long far gone, and guess what? There are numerous "churches" in the country and I can gladly say that none of them can be too numerous enough to govern the people. And yes. The people does pray for miracles. But then are we the only ones who does?

17. Ito pa. Kung gusto mong mang-bash ng mga Chinese huwag mong gawin sa list mo dito na 'let me refresh your memory' na 50 facts sa pinas as you claim. Look. Not only did you stereotyped them but all of the students who go to those universities. What is unfair is that every school has those types of people whether here or any place else. It does not only happen to Filipinos but to other nationalities as well. And besides, people here are so concerned about getting their offsprings to good colleges for a good future. You could never fit an aggregate of people in just one word. And you have no right to judge them in who they are regardless of where they study.

16. Just where the hell did you get this?! Whoever told you that anyway? That is so stupid. You could have just said na 'Where dieting is actually starving yourself to death'. Yan. Pwede pa yan. Tignan mo yung ibang mga artista. Hinihimatay na kakaiwas kumain para lang pumayat. Duh. Nawalan ka na ba ng common sense?

15. They are regulations. The bad part though, is that there are a lot of Filipinos who just lost their ability to be responsible of their actions especially when they believe no one is looking. Matigas lang talaga ang ulo ng mga Pinoy... Dyan ako nalulungkot aminin. Pero kaya naman huh? Tignan mo naman di ba ang Makati? Walang naglalakas loob gumawa ng hindi tama sa mga kalsada dyan. Pag sinabing bawal tumawid hindi talaga. Kaya naman eh. Kailangan lang talaga maturuan. Kailangan lang talaga mapasunod.

14. Below six feet? Asa. Pakimeasure nga po ang mga puno dyan sa bandang Alabang kung six feet nga.

13. Being held up is not normal. It does not to happen to everyone. BUT it does happen to those people who prance their stuff on depressed locations and act as if we can strip you naked of your belongings because you can afford them naman. Come on. Kahit saan ka pumunta. Basta ang itsura ng lugar medyo kadudaduda tapos ibalandra mo ang cellphone mo tignan lang natin ang stupidity mo at it's best. At eto pa, kung makapagsalita ka naman parang Pinoy na ang nakaimbento ng word. Huwag mong i-isolate lang sa Pinoy yan.

12. So? E ano? Kaysa naman siguro sa iba na napapanood ko sa tv na 'I have always dreamt to be a stripper' na sabi nung isang foreigner na babae at yung isa naman na nag-aaspire maging rapper dahil sa perks ng pagkakaroon ng maraming babae at malalaking bahay for their own. The reason why most kids in this country aspire to be one is because of different, and even personal reasons. Na kaya sya nagaaspire maging duktor para mapagamot ang ina nyang may sakit. Na kaya nya gustong maging lawyer para maipagtanggol ang mahihirap. Na kaya nya gustong maging piloto para mailibot nya ang pamilya nya sa buong mundo. Na kaya nya gustong maging basketball player dahil alam nyang may future syang maging magaling na manlalaro. Hindi man ito lahat matupad, mas gugustuhin ko ang mga pangarap ng mga bata dito na ganyan magisip. Inuuna ang pamilya kaysa sa sarili. At natutong magaspire ng mga malalaking bagay na may kabuluhan.

11. Rodents are not normal house pets. Dogs are. Ang daga po dito, hangga't maari pinapatay. Hindi ibig sabihin na may nakita kang daga sa bahay ay pet na nila yun. Tinatry nila yung patayin. Takot lang ng mga nanay dito na makagat ang mga anak nila.

10. Yeap. And alam mo na ba kung ano ang ibig sabihin ng salvage sa Pilipinas? Oo. Marami kayong mga salita na nagiging salita na namin sa Filipino na malamang ay iba ang ibig sabihin sa inyo. But then, anong language lang ba ang pwedeng i-Filipino? Meron bang iba na pwedeng i-merge ang salita into something na distinctly Pinoy? Kunwari ang salitang MANAGE. Pag sinabi ba naming 'i-mamanage ko yan' maiintindihan ba ng iba yan kahit may word na MANAGE? Di ba hindi? Pinoy lang ang makakaintindi nyan. At ganon kami ka-diverse magsalita.

9. Wala ka nang maisulat ano? San mo naman nakita yan aber? Oo maraming lumang kagamitan ang militar namin. Kulang kasi sa budget eh. Pero never pa akong nakarinig na bago nasa museum. I don't think that even the President would allow such waster of money.

8. And this comes from who? You know what, if the one who wrote the list is an American, I would just slap in your face an OK! Magazine bearing the million worth of exclusive photos of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's twins and say, 'You were saying...?'
 Ang word nga na paparazzi hindi Pinoy eh. Showbiz gossips my ass. Don't ever say that this is just a fact in the Philippines. IT IS a fact anywhere. (...especially in this generation of teens who are more concerned about the latest music videos than the daily news)

7. Anong necessity ang pinagsasabi mo dyan? It isn't. Oo maraming bisyo. Pero as i've said, teens today are more curious of those things. And I've said teens not only Filipinos. I don't even know why I even bother with this list...

6. Yeah. Umapila ka sa mga Koreanovelas at Telenovelas ng Mexico. And this is soo not just a fact in this country. It is also anywhere. So stop it.

5. You are really pissing me off. Anong actors make the rules? Dito? Come on. Kaya pala every now and then a Foreign Celebrity ends up in jail hurting their nannies, excessive alcohol problems, drug abuse and other kinds of stuff. Try gawin ng kahit sinong artista dito sa Pinas yan, mas mabilis syang mawawalan ng career kaysa sa sabihin nya ang buong pangalan ni Paris Hilton.

4. Phenomenon indeed. The only species of deer in the Philippines is nowhere to be found near the cities of NCR. They are remotely located in forests and sanctuaries. Hoping to see a deer hop in front of you on a road trip would be like asking for snow in December.

3. Nakalulungkot na katotohanan. Hindi kasi nacoconvict. But then I remember this guy who hopped from one country to another applying to different credit card companies and at his last act, was caught because of a stolen card. And oh. He was never convicted back in his country.
And it starts with a C.

2. It isn't. If you came late for an hour for your interview, you are so dead. Same with meetings and all. Pero yung mga concerts? Hmm... I guess some of them do come late. But I guess that is upon an individual na. Not as a whole. I mean, kelan pa naging
basis ang nationality on being late?

1. Hahahahahah! You are so funny talaga. The squatters you are referring to are Filipinos who live here. There are also a whole lot of squatters in other countries who complain as well. Don't make it sound like the only ones who complain are the poorest of the poor in this country.

0. Everyone? Are you sure? Most of who I talked to didn't. Then there are those foreigners who preferred to stay here huh?

Sa totoo lang nainis ako nung unang makarating sa kin tong forwarded email na to. Ni hindi ko lubos maisip who in his right state of mind would ever do such thing of bashing the country as if authority. I know I'm not but it does not give anyone a right to claim that everything he/she wrote here is a 'fact'.

Now, kung foreigner ang nagsulat nito, better leave this country and go live on whichever country you came from. You are not needed here and you have no right to use any of this country's resources. Kung makapagsalita ka akala mo naman perfect yang bansa ninyo. At ano bang ginagawa mo dito huh? Dahil ba dito kaya mong magfeeling importante? Bakit? Ano ka ba sa bansa ninyo at kung makapangbash ka ng bansa namin ay ganyan ka?

Kung isa ka namang Filipino, lumayas ka na rin sa bansang ito, at bahala kang maghanap ng bansang tatanggap sa yo. Drain yourself of the blood of your forefathers who fought for your freedom. Shed your skin envied by the whites and be that ingrate you are. Palitan mo na rin ang pangalang pinamana sa yo ng mga magulang mo. Siguradong ikahihiya ka ng mga bayaning nagpakamatay para sa yo.

At ikaw, oo, ikaw na mambabasa, oo marami dyan ang sa tingin natin ay totoo. Malungkot pero totoo. Pero huwag na huwag mong sasabihin na nasa pinakamababang antas na ang pamumuhay dito at bastusin ang lahat ng pinaghirapan ng mga nauna sa ating Filipino. Nasasabi at naiisip nyo lang yan dahil nandito kayo. Pero makinig at magbasa ka. Hindi lang sa atin ang problema. Sa marami ring tao at sa ibang bansa. The grass is not always greener on the other side. Maging iba ka sa lahat at gumawa ng pagbabago. Kung wala ka mang solusyon, gawin mo na huwag dumagdag sa problema. Huwag kang makuntento na dahil sa ginagawa ng karamihan. Alam mo kung ano ang tama. Tandaan mo na isa kang Filipino -- may dugong Maharlika.