I'm a mainland Filipino and I'm obnoxious and loud about my country's history, culture and current affairs because if I don't then the westernised online media might drown me and my fellow Filipinos out despite us begging to be seen for even scraps to the point that we accept the role of clowns and punching bags. My country is often portrayed as a "great vacation place" or a hotbed of crime. Neither is correct as every country has its tourist attractions and its dangerous crime-riddled areas.
I'm a mainland Filipino and I'm tired of my country's media being reduced to jokes and memes because of our less than stellar telenovelas and movies with the Western majority making fun of them and not bothering to explore our better movies and series that explore the depths of love, community, one's self, history, religion or even just plain fluffy love.
I'm a mainland Filipino and I want to beg that we stop trying to gain the world's approval of our existence to the point that we would diminish not only our traditional dishes claiming we need to upscale it and "healthify" it to the point that we would even make it seem that the food of the lower classes or our most affordable food like balut is disaparaged.
Why do we have to beg for scraps of international approval by catering to the West's tastes? Why do our musicians and actors have to reach Hollywood fame to be acknowledged as good when I grew up to seeing these actors achieve what Hollywood can't achieve in that it is a sense of reality that makes you believe in their roles?
Why are we only good enough when we're westernised?
I'm a mainland Filipino who is tired because as someone had once said. This place wasn't built for us nor meant for us.
Frankly I'm starting to believe in that notion.
