National Prostitution
ON MY WAY from the Ayala MRT Station to Greenbelt 1, I couldn’t help but notice a number of young Caucasians—greasy hair, in their late 20s/early 30s but dressed like high schoolers with their cargo pants and Airwalks—walking hand-in-hand with young Filipinas with their powdered, pale faces that contrasted their natural kayumanggi which could be seen in between areas actually covered with fabric (clothing only covered the “essentials” from the view of many a foreign manyak).
The Pinays would be endlessly giggling while staring at their partners with longing eyes. The Caucasians would, in turn, continue telling their baduy jokes while piercing the Pinays with their lustful eyes, reveling in the fact that “the mack” that never worked with the girls in the States was actually working wonders here in Manila.
This is a familiar scene in these parts…
Try heading over to the posh Greenbelt 2 and 3 on a typical Friday night. Amidst social climbers and superficial yuppies (with their dress shirts “choreographed” to the perfect roll-up as if to say, “yeah, I have a decent Makati job…I’m the man!”), you’ll notice many Japanese businessmen walking with up to three young Filipinas who are all dolled-up looking like skanks.
This reminds me of my Cousin Kathy’s friend from the call center she works for…
Her friend is a young Pinay—educated, working-class, far from being an elitist but far beyond poverty—who has an American boyfriend. Apparently, they’re committed because the guy and his family have petitioned her to migrate to the States. So you would think that they’re in it forever…
But the girl has insisted on holding off marriage until she goes to the States. Why? I mean, the guy’s American so getting married here wouldn’t hurt her chances of migrating. Well, the girl insists she wants to get married in the States. I don’t know if the guy knows this (probably not), but her reason (which she has confessed to her friends and family) is that it’s easy to get a divorce in the States—something she’s taking into consideration.
Ah ha!
The truth!
Love and romance aside, the primary motive behind being with the American for this Pinay is to get to the States. After that, if love fails, at least na sa States na siya. Her concern isn’t so much the marriage or their relationship; it’s getting Stateside. And by the way, her family approves of this nonsense.
Cleverness, street-smarts, abilidad… we talk of such traits as being strengths of our people. And even when it’s used immorally, such traits mentioned in a humorous tone become our scapegoats for not changing for the better.
Who are we trying to kid here, man?
It’s stupid. We’re conniving without knowing that the only people we’re fooling are ourselves.
And all this to be with a foreigner who we expect to be our one-way ticket to a better life? That’s national prostitution.
True love? I’m sure there many stories of true, authentic love between foreigners and Pinoys. And I’m sure those stories outnumber the ludicrous stories. But such romantic tales are stained in my eyes just by observing situations like the ones I mention in this blog.
Through Western media, we always hear of American mothers telling their daughters to marry doctors or lawyers…
Here, it seems more and more nanays are hoping for their daughters to marry foreigners.
And we all know the reason, right?
That may be clever, that may be smart…
But that’s not cool, man…
That’s beyond ghetto…
That’s straight-up HO.
4:16pm Mon 3 April 06
ON MY WAY from the Ayala MRT Station to Greenbelt 1, I couldn’t help but notice a number of young Caucasians—greasy hair, in their late 20s/early 30s but dressed like high schoolers with their cargo pants and Airwalks—walking hand-in-hand with young Filipinas with their powdered, pale faces that contrasted their natural kayumanggi which could be seen in between areas actually covered with fabric (clothing only covered the “essentials” from the view of many a foreign manyak).
The Pinays would be endlessly giggling while staring at their partners with longing eyes. The Caucasians would, in turn, continue telling their baduy jokes while piercing the Pinays with their lustful eyes, reveling in the fact that “the mack” that never worked with the girls in the States was actually working wonders here in Manila.
This is a familiar scene in these parts…
Try heading over to the posh Greenbelt 2 and 3 on a typical Friday night. Amidst social climbers and superficial yuppies (with their dress shirts “choreographed” to the perfect roll-up as if to say, “yeah, I have a decent Makati job…I’m the man!”), you’ll notice many Japanese businessmen walking with up to three young Filipinas who are all dolled-up looking like skanks.
This reminds me of my Cousin Kathy’s friend from the call center she works for…
Her friend is a young Pinay—educated, working-class, far from being an elitist but far beyond poverty—who has an American boyfriend. Apparently, they’re committed because the guy and his family have petitioned her to migrate to the States. So you would think that they’re in it forever…
But the girl has insisted on holding off marriage until she goes to the States. Why? I mean, the guy’s American so getting married here wouldn’t hurt her chances of migrating. Well, the girl insists she wants to get married in the States. I don’t know if the guy knows this (probably not), but her reason (which she has confessed to her friends and family) is that it’s easy to get a divorce in the States—something she’s taking into consideration.
Ah ha!
The truth!
Love and romance aside, the primary motive behind being with the American for this Pinay is to get to the States. After that, if love fails, at least na sa States na siya. Her concern isn’t so much the marriage or their relationship; it’s getting Stateside. And by the way, her family approves of this nonsense.
Cleverness, street-smarts, abilidad… we talk of such traits as being strengths of our people. And even when it’s used immorally, such traits mentioned in a humorous tone become our scapegoats for not changing for the better.
Who are we trying to kid here, man?
It’s stupid. We’re conniving without knowing that the only people we’re fooling are ourselves.
And all this to be with a foreigner who we expect to be our one-way ticket to a better life? That’s national prostitution.
True love? I’m sure there many stories of true, authentic love between foreigners and Pinoys. And I’m sure those stories outnumber the ludicrous stories. But such romantic tales are stained in my eyes just by observing situations like the ones I mention in this blog.
Through Western media, we always hear of American mothers telling their daughters to marry doctors or lawyers…
Here, it seems more and more nanays are hoping for their daughters to marry foreigners.
And we all know the reason, right?
That may be clever, that may be smart…
But that’s not cool, man…
That’s beyond ghetto…
That’s straight-up HO.
4:16pm Mon 3 April 06
posted by M.V. at 10:44 AM
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