How Melai Cantiveros handles Bisaya teasing
MANILA, Philippines — Melai Cantiveros chooses to take the high road by taking the opportunity to learn and educate herself and the people who tease her for being Bisaya.
Philstar.com asked the comedian-turned-talk show host if she has ever been teased for being Bisaya at the recent press conference for the second season of her online Bisaya talk show “Kuan on One” held in ABS-CBN.
“Always. Always talaga ako maka-experience na parang tini-tease talaga ako na Bisaya ako. Siyempre nu’ng tinease ako, tinease ko rin sila. So, talagang tiniisin na lang din nila ako dahil talagang hindi nila ako kinaya,” quipped the affable host.
Melai turned serious and introspective when she explained about her experience being teased for being Bisaya. Bisayas have often been a butt joke for their peculiar accent or pronunciation of certain words. Apart from these, some misinterpret the often loud and strongly accented way of speaking of many Bisayas as them being angry.
Melai sees it as an opportunity to correct people in a nicer and funnier way, turning an awkward or potentially charged encounter into something that would benefit both parties.
“Always talaga ‘yan ‘pag sa mga Bisaya nga kanang kuan (ano) siguro naging normalized na lang ba? Kahit naman siguro mga Tagalog siguro minsan nagkakamali din sila ng parang ‘eh.’ But then again, mostly lang sa mga Bisaya, tayo din mga Bisaya ‘pag nasa mga Bisaya tayo na lugar, it’s a tie tayong lahat e.
“‘Pag tayo nasa Manila, mapapansin tayo. So, ‘pag gina-ganyan nila ako, I kuan it as a learning (experience) and it’s my opportunity na mapatawa sila. ‘Yung mga tao kasi ‘pag ginaganyan ko sila e. Natatawa sila, at the same time, ‘pag nako-correct sila, hindi na sila mao-off. They will consider it na lang as a learning (experience) na lang para everybody happy, everybody love, love, love,” Melai explained.
Melai is happy to bridge her Bisaya roots with the rest of the Philippines through her online show. The first season showed the General Santos native conversing and learning a lot from the inner thoughts and anecdotes of her fellow Bisaya celebrities, including Kim Chiu, KZ Tandingan, BINI members Aiah and Colet, and Maymay Entrata.
Their conversations were raw and heartfelt with most of her guests, expressing their thoughts in their first language — Bisaya.
“It’s very important sa akin talaga itong Bisaya na show dahil Bisaya is my first language. That is where I began. ‘Pag doon ka talaga nanggaling, kahit ‘pag baligtarin, hindi ko lang alam sa iba, kahit pumunta ka pa ng America, Spain, Uruguay, hindi pa rin matatanggal sa’yo ang pagka-Bisaya," Melai said.
“Importante ‘to sa akin na dalhin ito sa national because alam mo ‘yung makita nila at ma-heard nila kung unsa gyud (ano talaga) ang mga Bisaya, unsa (ano) ang mga traits namo (namin) at maintindihan nila. They will understand na, ito pala ang mga Bisaya. Hindi pala sila galit. ‘Yung mukha lang nila mukhang galit. But maintindihan nila deep down…. Maintindihan nila na ganito lang talaga ang mga Bisaya, they didn’t mean anything bad. Ganito lang talaga kami. Masayahin lang talaga kami!"
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