'Salo-Salo sa Chop Suey' - Thanks to PIDC

The Toronto Sun banner makes the PIDC event look like it's the paper's celebration.

PHILIPPINE VILLAGE VOICE/The Filipino Web Channel - Redefining Community News

Currents & Breaking News
OPINION/COMMENTARY
Volume 5, Issue No. 12
/ News That Fears None, Views That Favor Nobody /


. . . . . A community service of The Filipino Web Channel (TheFilipinoWebChannel@gmail.com) and the Philippine Village Voice (PhilVoiceNews@gmail.com) for the information and understanding of Filipinos and the diverse communities in North America . . . . . .


The News UpFront: (TOP STORY) as of Tuesday, June 21, 2011
~ The day was tagged a "salo-salo", which means picnic, at Earl Bales Park. Well, it lived up to its billing except that it wasn't just the food; the whole afternoon charade was a chop suey of events made silly by non-thinking organizers. A maiden sashed and crowned to be Miss Philippines could not pronounce El Filibusterismo, a novel by Jose Rizal. One partisan organizer tried to make the Philippine ambassador a walking model for the Liberals. One Toronto tabloid lorded it over the stage as if the entire event is its own. When are Filipinos going to affirm their dignity and self-worth? And PIDC is not giving any answer.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

PREROGATIVE
"Salo-Salo sa Chop Suey" - Thanks to PIDC


By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ
Member, Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE), Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) and National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada (NEPMCC)

TORONTO - More than a year chasing after officials of Philippine Independence Day Council, I finally got a break this Saturday, June 18, 2011) at its "salo salo sa Earl Bales Park". Oh, that was what I thought.

I went there on my own primarily to see how the "salo-salo", or picnic, fared this year compared with last year's. Well, the green grass and the little wild flowers must be deliriously happy in not being stomped by thousands of walking, running and dancing feet. There simply wasn't that many people.

And I am told that one plausible reason for the absence of hundreds of warm bodies to bring life to the community picnic was the rift between friends, courtesy of television networks ABS-CBN and GMA.

The competing stations have quite succeeded in dividing Filipinos in Toronto - now variosuly estimated at between 200,000 to 250,000 - into the Kapamilya and Kapuso camps. Except for their call signs, there's not much difference. It's the same "tail wagging the dog".

That phrase might as well apply to the community. However big each network claims to be, its size still falls short of being the "kapamilya" or "kapuso" of the community. They will remain a "tail". But the fact is, it is this tail that's wagging the dog, which in essence is the community.

It's sad, to say the least. The true celebration of community is distorted by injecting a culture of make-believe that both the "kapamilya" and "kapuso" propagate to capture the minds and pockets of hard-working Filipinos.

As I walked around the park, I saw groups of Filipinos who purposely stayed away from PIDC's salo-salo. They would rather be with their families and friends than be with bigger but fake families in the "kapamilya" circle, which was one of PIDC's sponsors.

At the picnic I thought luck smiled on me, believing that my long wait was coming to an end. I've been seeking PIDC for stories that its officials would not like to tell, or books they would not open, or secrets they would not confide? I even challenged them - after I felt exasperated not getting any answers to my queries - that I would dig into their affairs and bring out the truth about the state of PIDC.

There's more than one way to skin a cat, so the saying goes, and I'm prepared to show to PIDC that I could do it without having to beg them for a response.

And now, out of the blue yonder this beautiful day comes the PIDC president, introducing herself. "I am Minda Neri," she says in a tone that almost escape my hearing because of the blaring music from the PA system.

It's just been a couple of days since I created a video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdKKs-I10j0&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL ) about the PIDC-sponsored flag-raising event at Queen's Park and I figured that because of its unflattering content, it might have prompted Ms. Neri to talk to me.

She extended her hand and I shook it, introducing myself to her. Then she said she's inviting me to have lunch at the PIDC booth, a gesture I truly appeciated but which actually did not materialize, after weighing in the implied consequences of accepting it.

My personal policy has always been not to give in to invitations like Neri's because it could be fraught with hidden meanings. I tried to avoid misinterpretations specially if my news coverage has turned adversarial.

One, two, three - any number of lunch or dinner - does not win me over. Telling me stories up front, answering my questions in all honesty, could change that, however, even without an expensive treat.

A few hours later, I bumped into Ms. Neri again in another booth. I asked her pointblank: "Are you able to talk to me, on the record, before my camera? I got a lot of questions to ask you".

"Lot of questions?" she whispered, hesitating to commit herself. She asked if we could do it later, and then walked to a nearby booth in search of another person who might be willing to help her answer questions. I knew evasive tactics when I see one and Ms. Neri's demeanor falls into that category.

In journalism, being asked to wait is different from being asked to play second fiddle. In most cases, the availalbility of a journalist is much valued so that a subject readily accommodates and willingly talks without having to make an appointment. That's de rigueur in the highly competitive media industry.

In Ms. Neri's case, she wanted me to do both. My point is, in the scheme of things I am just as important as anybody else. I might look like I have all the time to squander but I don't. Each ticking minute spent waiting is a minute wasted. I don't have that luxury.

So as I expected, my interview with Ms. Neri did not come through. Questions remained about PIDC's financial situation. How much money does it make and spend in staging its gala parties, community events, fund-raisers? How much does it get from its sponsors? Who gets paid in PIDC? Where does its excess funds go? What kind of projects does it have? What benefits are derived from its programs, by who?

Meanwhile, on stage two young "Miss Philippines" were having a good time reading background information about Jose Rizal to a small crowd of photographers and onlookers. Where are the rest of the people?

When the part came about Rizal's two novels, the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, one of the beauty queens stammered and choked. "Tangere" sounded like a Filipino cuss word. "El Filibusterismo" became a tongue-twister, seemingly worst than Mary Poppins' "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious".

Ha ha, ha talk of a Miss Philippines being a symbol? I wonder why PIDC let them loose not knowing how to pronounce those words.

The day was just unfolding. At a booth manned by woman named Amy, the affable Consul General Pedro Chan was being given a stick-on piece of paper to attach to his chest. The stick-on had "Liberal" emblazoned on it to mean Liberal Party (of Canada). Amy herself oferred it. And, of course, the consul general declined.

I also declined. Ambassador Chan explained it to Amy: "he's a journalist". I don't know if she understood, the implication being that I am independent of any political party and Amy's stick-on would consequently tag me a Liberal hack. That's what I had in mind. Never for a moment would I be mistaken to belong to any party, let alone Amy's Liberal.

It was stupid, I honestly believe it was, for Amy to offer the stick-on to Ambassador Chan. There's more meaning to it than just a cursory stick-on. But then, this is the same Amy who had her photo ops ahead of the flag-raising at Queen's Park; the same Amy who disrespected the Philippine flag; the same Amy who put more importance to her personal "kodak moments" than the solemnity of an independence rite.

I must have been so engaged to forget what's happening onstage. For one moment, I thought I was transported so quickly to another event. Look, the only banner that says PIDC had been taken so it could be used during the parade. How come, I asked myself, they could waste thousands of dollars for a gala night of self-promotion and not a few bucks on a decent banner that proudly proclaims our culture and heritage?

As a result, the celebration appeared like it was an event by the Toronto Sun. The paper's huge banner not only dwarfed the stage, it also made Filipinos look silly singing, talking and gyrating under the shadow of Toronto Sun. Where's the Filipino identity?

I'm fed up. That's enough for the day. I've had enough of the PIDC chop suey. #

(This Currents & Breaking News may be posted online, broadcast or reprinted upon request by interested parties. Permission by the author and the editor must be obtained before any re-posting online or re-publication in print or re-broadcast. Copyright by Romeo P. Marquez, Editor, Philippine Village Voice, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Volume 5, Issue no. 12, June 21, 2011. Email at: TheFilipinoWebChannel@gmail.com, PhilVoiceNews@aol.com or CurrentsBreakingNews@gmail.com).

My news channels can be viewed by clicking the links:


The Filipino Web Channel at YouTube:
1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cT74cbxq6ak&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2FLYca354w&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

At Vimeo:
1. http://vimeo.com/16962555
2. http://vimeo.com/user4144767

For other stories, please visit:
1. http://currentsbreakingnews.blogspot.com/  
2. http://torontonewsroom.blogspot.com/
3. http://timecircumstance.blogspot.com/
4. http://travelsthemes.blogspot.com/  
5. http://gotchajournalist.blogspot.com/  .