Tag # 2 : Are you a true Filipino?

I got tagged second time around and this one came from Francesca. When I tried to answer on question # 10 I found myself singing the National Anthem but failed to remember the lines. I was disappointed of myself. This made me recall on my high school days at St. Joseph's Academy, Quezon Province. Okay I will tell you a story and this is a true to life experience. Before we start the classes all the students should come before 7:30 and get ready for the Flag Ceremony. How did we start the session ? Let me tell you how, we start singing the Lupang Hinirang, followed by Panatang Makabayan, then a long morning prayer and sometimes even do the rosary, yes this is true and I am not kidding as I graduated from a Catholic School managed by Franciscan Missionaries of Mary. Can you imagine us doing these from 7:30 and we ended at 8:30 because we still need to do some morning exercise and please do not laugh on this one we even sung the Magkaisa Song by Virnaliza ! Yes the theme song of the Peoples Power Revolution! We cannot protest at that time we were just a students ! All we did was to murmur to each other complaining ! I understand that in the middle of the session one of my classmate Rossana ( I could still remember her) fainted in the middle of the ceremony ! No wonder why ! Lesson of the story : Have breakfast before gping to school and get ready for the Morning Flag ceremony.


Over time, the Filipino way of living has changed a lot, thanks to the influence of the western culture. The once-simple living has gone wonderfully sophisticated that it seems we have gradually lost the traits unique in us Filipinos. Even so, we can’t and won’t deny the fact that rooted in our spirit and being is the pride that we are indeed Filipinos.

But how Filipino are you? Are the Filipino traits strong in you? Are you the typical Filipino? Take this simple quiz I have fabricated to determine your being Filipino. Read the items below and tell whether or not you do or exhibit them and count the items that are true to you. After evaluating all the items refer to the gauge below with your points. Remember to take seriously the frequencies (at least once, twice…) in the items; if you lack even one frequency, then don’t count the item.

Now take a look of the following questions :

1. You can speak Filipino ? Of course with an accent from Quezon province.

2. Whenever necessary, you take the hand of an elder relative and pat the back of the palm of that hand to your forehead and say “mano po”. I do this whenever I see my relatives in Quezon province which is a typical sign of showing respect to our elders.

3. You know “bayanihan” and had witnessed it personally at least once. Many times even here in France when we moved to our new flat. Filipino and French friends came together to lend us helping hand.

4. You’ve seen a bahay kubo at least once. Yes and it still exists in my province.

5. You’ve ridden on a jeepney at least five times. Million times especially when I was working and when vacationing in the Philippines. I have 3 uncles who own a jeepney and already drove it once in the rough road of Barrio Castanas.

6. You have separate clothes for in-house and outside use (pambahay at panglakad). Indeed, because I even use worn out clothes ("butas-butas") at home. (presko kasi)

7. You’ve eaten adobo, dinuguan, kakanin, tuyo, dilis. I could eat almost everything except balut, snake, dog, cat, rabbit and frog.

8. Your meal is incomplete if without rice. Not now because I am on diet.

9. You hear Sunday masses and attend Misa de Gallo with your family. I attend mass almost every Sunday in English, Tagalog and French version thanks to our Filipino priest in Marseilles. I've attended twice of Misa de Gallo in France ang many times in Quezon Province.

10. You can sing “Lupang Hinirang” very well, with no lines missed. Before but now I forget some other lines and this made me nostalgic.

11. You don’t care donning ragged and torn clothes exclusively for use inside home. When I was in the Philippines until now, I used torn clothes when washing our car.

12. You have bought items in a “sari-sari store” at least ten times. I buy when I am out of stock, sari sari store is always practical !

13. You have played patintero, tumbang preso and piko during your childhood. Even shatong, luksong baka, jack stone, chinese garter name it I played it .

14. You can sing at least five OPM songs, and know what OPM means. OPM? Hmmm I can but cannot complete the whole song. Original Pilipino Made ?

15. You know the Philippine presidents from the year of your birth onwards. If my memory serves me right, I was born year 1972 so that was Ferdinand Marcos regime for 21 years of Presidency and was removed from the power on February 25 1986 by the People Power Revolution in EDSA. Followed by Cory Aquino in 1986 that made her the first woman President of the Philippines after 6 years. After her term she endorsed Fidel Ramos and was elected 1992-1998 who made him the 12th and a non Roman Catholic President. The 13th President was an action star Joseph "Erap" Estrada who governed from 1998-2001 who is now in jail and paying for the corruption he made. Justice prevails. Finally, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo who is now our second woman President. She is the daughter of the former and 9th President Diosdado Macapagal. Somehow I know some of our previous presidents but not in their orders.

16. You have witnessed “balagtasan” at least thrice. Every month of May when I was still attending every fiestas in Quezon.

17. You’ve been recounted with stories involving aswang, tikbalang, manananggal, nuno sa punso. All of them these are very typical stories in our province.

18. You’ve been read, have read or have heard Filipino legends (Ang Alamat ng…)ng Pinya, Alamat ng Taal, Ibong Adarna etc etc.

19. You’ve lived, stayed or visited Philippine places other than your city or town at least seven times. Hmmm not more than 7 times, but I've been from North to South provinces (Silay City, Samar Leyte, Cebu City, Laguna, Batangas, Bataan, Pampangga, Bohol, Bicol, Nueva Ecijia, etc)

20. You’ve visited local (or public) wet market at least five times. Of course and who would have thought that I bought spoiled fishes. I was 14 years old at that time and I didn't know how to differentiate fresh fishes from spoiled ones. Especially if vendors have to put ice on it to make them look fresh and yes I was fooled, poor me !

21. You have heard guys trying to sing Englebert Humperdink songs on a karaoke machine. I don't know this singer, sorry !

22. Your main means of expressing anger is tampo. A bit true.

23. You eat with your hands or use your fork and spoon together. I love eating with my bare hands even I am with my husband but I asked him if that bothers him and he says NO wag lang may sabaw, that would be difficult !

24. You visit home taking with you a few balikbayan boxes. Of course I have pasalubong but they are not wrapped in a balikbayan boxes instead inside the luggages.

I am not tagging anyone but if you feel like doing this please feel free ! Thanks for tagging me Francesca will not add either otherwise this post will be too long !

Comments

Anonymous said…
I especially enjoyed your answers on line #13 regarding games played as children. I've forgotten the names for luksong baka, jack's and chinese garter and now you've reminded me. I used to be so good at these. I remember jumping over the "rope" of rubber bands that was higher than my head. Man, than takes me back. I can't help but smile for little joanne who used to play in the streets... Thanks Haze:)
Francesca said…
Hahaha, haze, kamay? sa sabaw? lol

onga naman! ang tawa ko don ha!

and tunay na pinay ka nga, ba pati presidents, alam?
Baka naman isa ka pa sa nag people power sa edsa, lol?
Or, busy ka na non, kaka tumbang preso sa quezon Province?

This "are you a true filipino" is really fun, kaka nostalgic!

but then again, we are in France, and we must integrate...
Daw!
kaka praning !
raqgold said…
this is fun, hahaha. will do this, too :D hmm, dito rin we have pambahay at pang alis clothes. and hey, we used to live in a bahay kubo for a long, long time until it had to give way to an apartment complex.
Sidney said…
This makes me almost a Filipino! ;-)
Yen Prieto said…
wahahah natatawa naman ako kasi pinoy na pinoy ako at nasagutan ko lahat ng questions.. napakanta tuloy akong lupang hinirang ng di oras hahaha
Toe said…
Oh, I love this post Haze. This is so funny and so true. Natawa ako lalo don sa pambahay na damit at panlabas. Tayo lang nga yung ganon. Magg-grocery lang, kelangan pang magbihis kc nakapambahay pa. :)

It was also the same with me in grade school with the flag ceremony. But we didn't do Magkaisa ni Virnaliza... hahaha... natawa ako don sa kwento mo na yon. :)
Anonymous said…
know what, i did all those flag ceremony ek ek too without the magkaisa song. i was from a catholic school too.. worst yata yung sa min, we were obliged to hear masses at 6:30 am everyday!

Analyse
Anonymous said…
know what, i did all those flag ceremony ek ek too without the magkaisa song. i was from a catholic school too.. worst yata yung sa min, we were obliged to hear masses at 6:30 am everyday!

Analyse
haze said…
If I will recall there's a lot of them JOANNE playing jolens, chichu or agawan base, langit lupa, sipa, sungka, taguan at kung anu-ano pa !

Oo medyo kabisado ko presidente simula ng pinaganak ako. Naalala ko kasi mga tito at Dad ko nasa Edsa! Salamat sa tag FRANCESCA!

O di ba, sanay ako sa pambahay kasi masarap isuot at presko talaga at pang alis dapat naman medyo japorms RAGGOLD! I love bahay kubo it really projects the native Filipino house :D!

No doubt about that SIDNEY !

Thanks DOUSHURA !

Ako rin talaga biglang napakanta YEN problema yung ibang lines nakalimutan ko :( !

OO ata tayong mga Pinoy lang ang merong ganyan pangbahay at panglabas TOE at least halatang nagpapalit tayo :D ! I am glad I am not alone to experience this long flag ceremony, I guess it's normal for Catholic School no? Franciscan sisters are more strict, really na memorize na ng lahat yung Magkaisa song and even the non-singers became singers hehehe like me !

Yay that was early ANALYSE tulog pa ako nyan ! The school is just 5 minutes walk from where we live ! Swerte pa pala ako ;) !
Unknown said…
Hi Haze,
Can I ask you the exact address of the church in Marseille where you attend English and Tagalog mass? I just arrived in France 4 months ago and I live in Istres- an hour train trip to Marseille St. Charles. Thanks and please send me also email at jonnel_ligon@yahoo.com

Thanks,
Jonnel