typecasting in philippine TV

soap operas are the favorite pastime of many filipinos. they occupy up to four hours of primetime programming in  the free channels: ABS-CBN and GMA.  most of these programs are run-of-the-mill rehash of previous successes.  or downright reruns. like the Darna series. every two or three years, another actress plays Darna.  or the emergence of characters based on the 60s and 70s comics.  in fairness to some writers, the storylines are great.  however, if the story gets interesting enough, sponsors would want to extend the playing time. so instead of about three months programming, some could reach up to about six months.  the story gets so chopped up, many forgot what the story was all about.

worse, is the typecasting. policemen always arrive in the crime scene too late. policemen get roughed up by rogues, or they get to be on somebody's payroll, or they do not know how to dress up or act like policemen. this has further eroded the public's trust in the policeman.

and priests, too. many are too mundane to be credible for priests.  their role is that of any ordinary character. instead of portraying them as moral guides, they are painted as mere pawns in the melodramas.

the antagonists are so devious, so evil, so detestable. they do not have any ounce of goodness.  and the protagonists are so virtuous, so masochistic. as if they enjoy suffering. they enjoy crying all the time. they enjoy being manhandled, slapped around.

as if the world is painted black and white. black equals evil, and white equals good.  too simplistic for filipinos in the 21st century.

child labor

on tv shows featuring children actors, there are always disclaimers about them having secured the necessary working permits.  curious! what about them on the streets selling sampaguita garlands, kendi-yosi, etc. and by nightfall, even more interesting wares are available. this is not only true in manila, but in other big cities as well.

and even in the not-so-far-away farms, where children are expected to help their parents, do they have the necessary working permits? or does dole continue to turn a blind eye on them --- the future of our fatherland?

why do you think do we have poverty? is it not because we have so many children to care for in the average household? does this mean a drain in the already measly pay the parents get? and the average worker is only semi-skilled? and the average household only has one wage-earner? semi-skilled because he has barely finished elementary schooling? and he wasn't able to finish because he has to help his parents in the farm?

about 50% of our labor exports are semi-skilled workers and domestic helpers and who barely know how to speak english. all because, not only dole, but the country in general, tolerated the practice of child labor in the farms, who do not eve know the need to have the necessary working permits.

kidneys, anyone?

news item in al jazeera: philippine kidney trade! (quezon province)
what would drive filipinos to sell their kidneys? is this unique to the philippines?  how far will a few thousand pesos just for a kidney go?
poverty. the need for a quick buck.
i think where there is poverty, there will always be a market for kidneys.
not far! since filipinos do not grow back their kidneys to be sold again.

alas president noynoy's stopgap solution to poverty is a no-no for planners and development workers!  local news items report that those who get their cash get waylaid and fell victim to daylight robbery. beneficiaries do not anymore feel inclined to earn their keep.

so more kidneys will be sold after this cash transfers cease. and not only kidneys. other organs too, like eyes, heart, etc. but blood donations (sales) are more lucrative and more sustainable.  then when the kids are able, parents would volunteer their children to do the same.

reunions

december 2010 saw several reunions. of classmates, of family clans.  it was a time of renewing the bonds of friendship among classmates.  some came in pretty much the same package. some have become rounder while some managed to stay in shape. some have still some straggling wisps while some have just turned silver. whatever the shape or size, it was a time of joy. after 34 years, about 30 of the 150 graduates from MCC batch 76 came to attend.  although many of us have become really much wiser and more serious, the mere sight of each other was enough to evoke among us the innocent playfulness of our adolescent years. and we laughed and we joked around. it was really a day of fun. merely sitting around listening to vignettes of each other's trials and tribulations amidst some wine and song and some good food.

i don't know whether we would still be holding another reunion aside from feb. 20 and may 28 this year.  but this i can say for myself, i'll be among the first on the list who will be attending. wherever or whenever it will be. 

culture of helplessness

philippine primetime tv shows have always been too melodramatic. leading ladies are always at the mercy of supporting actresses. stories from the bygone days of radio soap operas. and some even revive in toto stories of these soap operas.  where once soap operas have ruled the airwaves in the daytime, primetime tv is now dominated by these melodramas.  and ratings are so high! meaning, many still value being underdogs, of being a victim. and always dreamin of a day when some knight in shining armor comes to the rescue.  though many opportunities present for an early resolution, but being a martyr (and bucketful of tears are shed for the helpless ---also stupid--- heroine) and ratings go up!  tv shows drag on for months for as long as ratings are good, though the storyline becomes too thin!

these has dominated the filipino psyche for about a century now.  a culture of helplessness, a culture that values martyrdom and patience, a culture that awaits for outside help, a culture that waits for some divine intervention for a resolution.  we can translate this also to our attitude that only agents other than ourselves can really uplift us, whether it be government, lotto, the politicians, the NGOs, anyone but us!  and for as long as we patronize these shows, more patrons would want a long-running soap opera, even offering prizes for viewers, the more the cycle of helplessness and reliance on outside help becomes even strengthened.

another year

another year has passed and very soon i will be a year older too.  towards the middle of the year,  my wife and i will be celebrating our 25 years being together.
so what is new with the new year for me?
it's another year hurdled with the kids. they are drawing nearer to their own dreams.  and who knows in the next five years or so, i will be holding my first grandchild! wow, it will really be some accomplishment!
by april or may, we will have a family reunion (maternal side), and already preparations are going on. pledges are being collected. and we're going to hold it on a beachfront. about four generations of villaflors will be meeting together. wouldn't it be great!
may also will be a grand alumni homecoming for our high school batch. it will be a grand affair really!
and maybe within the year, my eldest decides to go to singapore --- greener pastures for a software engineer!
who knows really what the new year will bring!
so let's go for it and who knows what will happen next!!