The Movies and the Filipino Soul

CEBU, Philippines - The Filipinos' sense of loyalty to family and friends is almost unbreakable. And we had no problem with that - until some foreign

wisdom made us question the trait. We were taught that one need only be

loyal to oneself.

 Much of the change we are seeing in the local social culture has been brought about by the movies. We have a voracious appetite for movies, especially the imports that, of course, glorify their own homeland cultures. Sadly, we poor Filipinos adopt the new views, the new practices, the new standards fed to us by the foreign movies.

 We were glad to have brown skin, naturally tinted for protection from the rays of the tropical sun. Then we saw those pale-skinned Hollywood sirens in the movies. Our women now spend hard-earned money on skin-whitening products, while the western beauties we adore spend fortunes trying to get some tan sunbathing on our beaches. 

 Aside from tampering with our complexion, we dye our hair, undergo cosmetic nose lift and clothe our bodies with fashion that our grandparents would have regarded as either indecent or ridiculous. The Filipino man used to come to the home of his lady, to court her in the presence of her family. Now, our teenagers display their romantic intimacies wherever they please.

 My neighbors' teenage son is named Nico. His parents got the name from a blockbuster movie many years ago. The couple so much admired the lead character, played by actor Steven Seagal, that they decided to name their boy after him.

 Nowadays there are little girls named Darna and little boys named Santino. None of these little ones - at least the ones that I know of - are able to fly the skies or perform miraculous deeds. They don't even distantly resemble the personalities of their screen namesakes.

 My friend calls his dog Braveheart. But, of course, the poor creature is no Mel Gibson.

 When we face the mirror today, we see a stranger. We have lost the sense of what or who we really are. And yet, we love the caricatures we've become.

 People cling to that which they admire. If it's a thing, they try to acquire it. If it's a person, they try to emulate their idol. If they cannot have it by and for themselves, they pass the desire on to those under their influence - often their children.

 We certainly need movies that bear snippets of the good Filipino character. The Filipino who is peace loving, perseverant, forgiving, God-fearing, decent, law-abiding, socially concerned and proud of his own identity. And that, I'm sure, our own Filipino filmmakers are very much capable of doing, rather than simply mimicking foreign films. (FREEMAN)