Remember what they used to say? Na ang Pinoy ay magaling mag-remedyo?
That is most true among Pinoys here in the US. Where there’s a will, there’s a way — and the Pinoy will always find the way.
One arena where you see this is the proliferation of Filipino associations in the States. There are Bicolano associations, Ilocano associations, Ilonggo associations, Kapampangan associations, Pangasinan associations, Cebuano associations, associations of Filipino associations…the list goes on. Even small towns have their own associations — and in some instances, there are more people in the US from a particular town than there are actual residents of that town in the Philippines.
Why? Remedyo. It is not surprising that Philippine towns with almost negligible populations may have two associations within a county (or even city) in the US. Why? Because when someone loses an election to head the town association, the knee-jerk reaction is “‘Di na bale…gawa tayo ng bagong asosasyon…pakitaan natin sila.” (“Not to worry…let’s form a new association and show them how things should be done.”)
The Nacionalista Party logo.
The Liberal Party logo.
This attitude has its roots, of course, in national politics in the Philippines. I can still remember when, like the US, the two-party system prevailed. Those two parties were the Nacionalistas and the Liberals. (Aside: Come to think about it…Ramon Magsaysay was the original balimbing. He was a Liberal Party member until the Nacionalistas recruited him to run for president.)
How many Philippine political parties are there today?
***
I know a Filipino family whose sixteen-year-old son is physically disabled. As is to be expected, they applied for and received a rear view mirror tag indicating that the car belonged to or was used by a disabled person.
So, even without their son in the car, they use the tag to park in parking spaces allocated for the handicapped. It’s a funny sight to see a couple in tennis outfits, looking fit and healthy, alighting from a car supposedly used by a handicapped person — all to the detriment of truly handicapped persons who may need the space.
Unfortunately, that is how the Filipino “remedyo” is used here in the States. Need to take off from work and don’t know how to handle that? My friend the doctor will give you a letter for your employer. DirecTV too expensive? May nabibiling box $500 lang pero di ka na magbabayad ng monthly — ever. At lahat ng channel kuha, kahit PPV. My cousin is here illegally. May kilala akong magpapakasal sa kanya pero maniningil.
Depend on the Filipino to find a remedyo…
