Philippine history books taught high school students that Filipinos have two negative traits. The first is the ningas cogon, which is very true. Filipinos love embarking on a new project, but their enthusiasm for it eventually peter out. “Magaling lang sa umpisa” – as they say in the vernacular. The other one is the mañana habit. Don’t we love to procrastinate? Didn’t we see a lot of that during the voters’ registration some months back? Historians missed out on a third one – our being “pasaway.” Maybe Pinoys were better behaved when they wrote those history books. “Pasaway,” after all, is a very millennial term in this country.
Philippine history books taught high school students that Filipinos have two negative traits. The first is the ningas cogon, which is very true. Filipinos love embarking on a new project, but their enthusiasm for it eventually peter out. “Magaling lang sa umpisa” – as they say in the vernacular.
The other one is the mañana habit. Don’t we love to procrastinate? Didn’t we see a lot of that during the voters’ registration some months back?
Historians missed out on a third one – our being “pasaway.” Maybe Pinoys were better behaved when they wrote those history books. “Pasaway,” after all, is a very millennial term in this country.
How are we “pasaway”? For one, Filipinos hate falling in line. Even while driving, Pinoys like shifting lanes to get ahead of everyone else.
They say that Filipinos behave better abroad where they follow the rules. That is not entirely true.
Yes, we are on our best behavior – as tourists or as a new immigrant in a foreign place. But give the Pinoy time to adjust to a new country and he is back to his old pasaway ways.
The Americans used to be law-abiding citizens. That doesn’t seem to be true anymore. Was it because of Donald Trump? Or has the Pinoy behavior rubbed off even on Americans, especially in California where there are so many Filipinos?
The pandemic has brought out the worst in the Pinoy “pasaway” ways. Look at what we did when we were given freer movement during the recent holiday season. We were like cattle let loose from confinement. “Parang mga nakawala sa kural,” oldsters used to say.
Of course, we have a new face of COVID – the Poblacion Girl who now carries the title “Miss Omicron Philippines.” She has a runner-up: Massage Girl.
But it wasn’t just the fault of Poblacion Girl why the number of COVID cases increased. A lot of us are also to blame for the mess we are in at the moment. So many forgot basic safety and health protocols – like social distancing and the proper wearing of face masks.
News programs on television should also be blamed. Why? In case you haven’t noticed yet, those news reporters assigned to do the man-on-the-street interviews don’t bother to tell the person they are putting on camera to please put on the mask properly.
First of all, why has it become standard practice for reporters to interview people they just happen to see on the street? Do they expect anything earth-shaking to come from that?
So, the government enforces stricter measures with the rising COVID cases. You already know what the man-on-the-street will say: “Oh, it’s for everyone’s good.” It’s not like they will be allowed to rant and rant against authorities. A lot of that would have to be cleaned up. So much for the pulse of the masses.
And every time there is an increase in the price of pork and chicken, the scenario never changes. The interviewees are ready with an answer – like it’s already on template: “Diskarte na lang … tiis-tiis.” It’s not like they will be bothered to denounce meat cartels.
Why does the TV reporter have to rely on what the man-on-the-street has to say? Is the reporter too lazy to come up with his own analysis? Or maybe the network doesn’t trust the opinion or their own people in the news department?
The bigger crime here actually has something to do with the fact these reporters put an ordinary person they pluck on the street and allow them to talk before the camera without the face mask worn properly. A lot of times, their nostrils are exposed, which shouldn’t be the case.
Aren’t these news reporters aware that they are sending the wrong signal to the viewing public by putting these irresponsible people on TV? If these individuals they interview can’t even follow the basic rule about the wearing of face masks, why would we even care about their views? Whatever that person has to say surely comes from a warped mind.
Weeks prior to Christmas, news reporters were assigned regularly to check on the situation in Divisoria. They always showed shots of the crowd – with some people not wearing their face masks properly. Sometimes, they make a comment about the breach of health and safety protocols. But all that is done perfunctorily.
Did it ever cross their mind to call on the authorities to make violators comply with the correct wearing of face masks? If ever they did, they should have shown that on television as a warning to the public.
The post-Odette coverage also revealed some rather alarming scenarios. Is there no pandemic in Mindanao?
News reporter Nico Waje who had been doing the Odette aftermath for GMA only wears his mask while doing his report live for 24 Oras. But on several instances, he did stand-uppers completely without a face mask.
Was he reporting from the top of a mountain where he and his cameraman are isolated? I don’t think so. He once did his spiels by the roadside and there was even a motorbike that passed by him. Maybe you don’t get the virus in an open area like that, but this reporter should do his bit by encouraging everyone to wear face masks correctly.
And the people he interviewed on-cam did not even wear face masks at all! No wonder, it’s so difficult to make people comply with the proper wearing of face masks. If those who are interviewed on TV can get away with not wearing face masks, why should the rest of the population comply?
People on television are supposed to be role models. They should set the example. Apparently, some of these news reporters are even among those who violate the prescribed rules and regulations that were put in place during the pandemic times.
Do the bosses in the news department even notice the violations? It’s either they don’t watch their own programs or they don’t give a hoot about health and safety protocols? It must be all lip service for these news organizations.
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The Butcher | PINOY PASAWAY
Source: Pinoy Ako News
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