According to the Kyodo News International, Inc., published in 1998: “This is the second time the Philippine government has found the term Filipina defined by overseas lexicographers as domestic helper. The department earlier protested a similar definition by the Oxford English Dictionary.”
Did Filipino woman replace the Chinese amah? Did the devils agree that China is now a wealthy nation, not to be messed with? That the Chinese can now afford their own domestic helpers from other poor Asian countries? Yes, of course.
Granted, the above is old hat, but ay yay yay . . . where do these dingbats come from? A lexicographer’s job is to look at words, their exact definitions and use the information to write entries in a dictionary.
Which brings us to the most recent insult. The culprit, once again, are the British (note: we did not say Brits). Did the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) not heed the barrage of complaints their American counterpart, ABC (American Broadcasting Company) received from the Filipino community because of the TV network’s racist faux pas?
Suffice it to say, the BBC comedy skit “Harry and Paul,” shows a Filipina domestic helper gyrating in front of a male sleepyhead in pajamas, obeying the orders of her boss, to sexually stimulate the latter’s disinterested and disheveled friend sitting on a stool with the postman looking on. Later, the unsuccessful Filipina takes off with the mail carrier.
Here’s another tidbit: an incident took place in the highbrow area of Makati known as Greenbelt. It is interesting to note that the shopping mall with ample fine dining is fast becoming a meat market, or dare we say a red light district catering to DOMs (dirty old men) of different nationalities. Once again, the culprit was a British man, a drunken one.
The idiot was at an American chain restaurant with a couple of his buddies. He was obscenely loud and was observed to smear ice on the face of his subservient Filipina companion and hurling insults at the waiters. Likewise, his friends were in the company of Filipinas, but were more behaved than their obnoxious drinking pal. It is taken for granted the women were professionals, but hey, these working girls need jobs. They were there for the amusement of these types.
Unfortunately, this is just one scene that confronts shoppers and families when they venture to the posh area of Greenbelt. But we let it happen. We look on in disgust and go on about our usual business; nothing to do with us, unless we’re directly affected.
What is wrong with us that we passively look on and let these ill-mannered, loud-mouthed visitors get away with it? Where is our pride? Did we lose it so long ago when our forefathers succumbed to colonial rule? Well-meaning, but ignorant missionaries erased our culture, our traditions, our languages and most important, our roots. Maybe that’s it.
We could go on and on and on about our lost national pride, our inferiority complex and the causes that brought about the many afflictions that plague our abused nation.
In the end, we are to blame. Think about it and do something.
