The Week. 02.11-17.07

MAYBE HOLLYWOOD ACTOR ADAM
BEACH IS OUR LONG LOST COUSIN?

CHANGING STEREOTYPES. Native Canadian (Ojibwa) actor Adam Beach on changing misconceptions about Native Canadians/Americans: “I want to change those stereotypes because they’re wrong. There’s a lot of ignorance out there in many ways. I don’t drink, I don’t take drugs, I don’t smoke cigarettes – I’m out to change the way people think about natives.” Adam co-starred in films such as the Windtalkers and Flag of Our Fathers. [Source: The Vancouver Sun via The Native Blog]

In an interview with Time Magazine, he states: “I want Native children to have success within their hopes and dreams. The history of Native American people is tragedy. I want to show that we as Native people are successful. We do have things to offer to the world.”

Are we asking for too much if we wish that someday Marky Cielo, Paulo Avelino, and other Igorots in the movie/tv industry will also say these things? In fairness, Marky did change stereotypes when he proudly acknowledged his origins.

RE-INFORCING STUPID STEREOTYPES. Splasher has a scathing review of GMA-7’s Asian Treasures. Read it here. Aba, this GMA people talaga. Meron pa silang undocumented Cordillera tribes with a princess daw. In the early days of this blog we ranted about a woman labeled as an Igorot princess here and here. [Source: Splasher]

FANTASIES IN A G-STRING. This woman has sexual fantasies about Igorots in a g-string. Okay, maybe I am being nasty but if she is going to commoditize or fetishize the Igorot image then she should not complain if we make fun of her. If she finds her Igorot-style model, I’m sure she will say, “Spank me, Igorot lover boy, spank me . Oooh, let me smell your g-string.” Sandati has the details on how you can model (and maybe more) for this woman. [Source: Sandati]

CITY MAYORS DON’T WANT TABUK TO BECOME A CITY. Well, I was kind of neutral about this Tabuk cityhood thing because I am not from Tabuk, but I’m now all for approving it just to spite this group of whining entitled city mayors who do not want Tabuk to become a city. Why are they against Tabuk cityhood? It’s all about the money, baby! They want to keep the revenue allotment to themselves. [Source: Manila Times]

BAGUIO TEACHER WINS MOST INNOVATIVE AWARD. And he goes to Cambodia to attend a conference. Warren Ambat of the Baguio City National High School won the “Most Innovative Teacher” award along with two others. The award is given by Microsoft to “public high school teachers who have successfully integrated Information and Communications Technology (ICT) into their classroom teaching and learning”. Ambat and his co-winners will fly to Cambodia on February 28 to represent the country in the annual Asian Regional Innovative Teachers’ Conference. [Source: Sunstar]

ABRA’S BLOOD POLITICS: The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism has a sobering story on Abra’s dangerous political climate written by someone who belongs to a political warlord clan so she obviously knows what she is talking about. Choice quote: “A typical day in Abra comprises heavy doses of gossip, intrigue, dog-eat-dog stories, politicking — and a 70-percent possibility of hearing about another killing, usually that of someone in politics. Many have called Abra the ‘murder capital of the north,’ and I agree; since 2001, there have been at least 30 political figures, major and minor, killed in the province.” Read the whole story here. [Source: PCIJ]

OUR LONG LOST TWIN. Although we can’t really say whether Adam Beach is our long lost cousin, (The ancestors of Native Americans/Canadians reportedly walked from Asia to the Americas which were then connected by ice.) I am pretty sure that this woman is my long lost twin. Hi sister, Fair Lady! Thanks to Splasher for the clue.

PHOTO CREDIT: Time Magazine.

9 thoughts on “The Week. 02.11-17.07”

  1. Hindi yata mahilig mag-blog ang twin sister mo. two posts lang tapos wala na sya. 😉

    About the Baguio teacher heading to Cambodia, things are improving yata sa Cambodia. There’s a Pinay blogger there whose blog I read everyday. She is a funny Pinay. I might ask her one day via her comments field kung grabe pa rin ang lang mine situation. pero parang naging modern na ang cambodia from reading her posts.

  2. Hi Wil,
    Oo nga eh, I was going to comment sana on her blog but its not active so I didn’t. I’m sure both of us will have a blast knowing that we were on the same wavelength.

    That was an unfortunate flippant remark I made about Cambodia. (Runs to change the sentence in post.) Thanks for the link. Her blog is fun, no.

    Hi Ivan,
    Thanks for visiting. I am a lurker in your blog. I like the travel and heritage stories 🙂

  3. About this mayor’s who are against the cityhood of this 11 municipalities..How could they be so selfished that they do not want other municipalities to progress. Why are they so concerned with their IRA, mababawasan pala kasi yung makurakot nila cguro..

  4. Hi Nats,
    I was also surprised why these mayor are protesting and its because of their IRA pala. Pero sa totoo lang mas qualified pa nga ang Tabuk na maging city kumpara sa maraming existing cities ngayon, no.

  5. Is it just me or Filipinos love “mythicizing” things?

    Years ago some Filipinos claimed that Davao is the biggest city in the world if we include its forests(kahit hindi naman), ngayon, nagkaprinsesa na ang mga Igorot. Mini-monarchy?

    Tapos sabi nila ancient Filipinos built the Banaue rice terraces… ancient pala mga Ifugaos? It gives a wrong impression. Parang sinabi yung mga Pilipinong nasakop ng Kastila ang gumawa nun nung hindi pa dumating ang mga Espanyol. I’m not being selfish about the Igorot heritage pero proper credit naman sana…

    Hehe

    With what you mentioned regarding Asian Tresures, mukhang hindi artista ang mag-aalis ng stereotypes. Anjan naman si Marky na puedeng icorrect yung “scripts”; pero ayun… I think educational revolution is the key answer. Wala sa history books nina Agoncillo man o Constantino ang mga Igorots yet the country is benefiting from our culture, heritage and resources. Para tuloy tayong second class citizens…

    Mejo ambivalent ako sa cityhood ng Tabuk. Baka matulad sa Baguio na karamihan ay hindi taga-dito. I mean, its cityhook might encourage in-migration from the Cagayan Valley these coming years if ever na matuloy…

  6. I think I’m dropping the artista-to-remove-stereotypes thingy. I remember Apocalypto. Many of my mexican OL friends are complaining about the wrong stereotype and depiction of the Mayas

    Most of the cast are native Americans/Mexicans…

  7. Hi Betelnut,
    I’m pretty sure it’s not you 🙂 I also think that Filipinos DO tend to “mythicize” a lot of things. I think its our way of spicing up our otherwise unremarkable history as a nation/people. (Unremarkable compared to the history of nations with great civilizations, that is.)

    I think changing stereotypes can be achieved in various ways and that we should definitely not impose the obligation on our celebrities although they do play a key role. On a basic level, they change stereotypes by the mere fact that they are visible (like Marky). On another level, they can further advance the cause of changing stereotypes by being consciously involved in advocacy (like what Adam Beach is apparently doing).

    Education, as you pointed out, would be a very good avenue where stereotypes can be challenged. The impact would be long lasting.

    Funny that you mentioned Apocalypto because I just watched it last weekend. It was an enjoyable film (kinda like a thriller) but I kept wondering about what the indigenous peoples in South America would say. As you mentioned, they are not at all pleased.

    Betelnut, I’ll comment on your comments in the other posts these coming days. 🙂

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