Fil-Ams, Identity Politics, and The Racist Philippine Media

This week there have been three big "triumphs" for Fil-Ams within the American media-industrial complex.

First up are the two guys who "pranked" McDonald's by hanging a picture of themselves inside their local McDonald's restaurant. They are now going to be part of a McDonald's marketing campaign.

https://entertainment.inquirer.net/294026/watch-fil-ams-who-hung-self-made-poster-at-mcdonalds-to-be-featured-in-campaign

The television host surprised Jehv Maravilla and Christian Toledo, two Filipino-Americans who hung their self-made poster at the fast-food chain, by announcing that they would be featured in its marketing campaign. Degeneres made the announcement on “The Ellen Degeneres Show” aired Monday,  Sept. 17. 

Degeneres said that what Maravilla and Toledo did was a “good prank,” and invited them to guest at her show. She asked them how they pulled it off. She got curious as to how Maravilla managed to get into the fast-food chain unnoticed—by dressing up as a fake manager. 

But she saved the best for last: Not only do they get featured in the campaign, but also get paid for it for $25,000 (approximately P1.3 million).

A good prank? Hardly!  By no means was this stunt a prank. It was more of a political statement since the genesis of the "prank" was that these two guys thought Asians were not being represented enough in the media. The one guy even says in the video clip that he was influenced by the movie Crazy Rich Asians, having seen it three times.

“If you haven’t noticed, there isn’t a lot of Asians represented in media,” Maravilla said in a YouTube video titled, “How to Become McDonalds Poster Models.” 

“And hopefully one day I could see someone like me on the big screen,” he added, alongside another Photoshopped picture of himself on the movie poster of the latest blockbuster hit “Crazy Rich Asians.” 

https://philippinefails.blogspot.com/2018/09/fil-ams-give-free-publicity-to.html

A good prank would have had these two guys eating a Burger King Whopper or a Subway footlong in that picture. That would have been subversive and hilarious. Or if they had been dressed like zombies to represent mindless consumerism. Or if they had been dressed as butchers and one of them holding a bloody cow's head because McDonald's uses factory farming to get its meat.  

But instead they did the whole identity politics thing and Ellen, a woman famous for her identity politics as she "came out" as a lesbian on her 90's sitcom, got them a spot on her show and a paid spot in a McDonald's advertising campaign. Ellen actually says, "McDonald's loves customers like you and they're committed to diversity and want to represent all their customers so they are going to use the two of you in a marketing campaign." Jehv and Christian become verbally excited at this literally shouting in surprise and joy. Do these two realise that now they are marketing tools in a campaign to allegedly promote diversity but the only real aim of which is to sell more Big Macs? McDonald's does not care about these two friends and is not rewarding them for their "prank." They only care about how they can capitalise on their ethnicity. Their ethnicity has now become a marketing ploy! Welcome to the machine!

Jevh and Christian have been given $25,000 as a price for their bodies. That translates to P1.3million which is not chump change over here and I can just picture relatives they barely know or have never met coming out of the woodwork, holding out their hands, and expecting a slice of that pie.

Second up is this guy:

https://entertainment.inquirer.net/294185/darren-criss-first-fil-win-major-emmy-prize

Darren Criss won best actor in a limited series or movie for his performance in “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” in the 70th Prime-time Emmy Awards held on Monday (Tuesday morning in Manila) at the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles. 

Criss elicited glowing reviews for his transformation as Cunanan—from a bright high school student, the son of a Filipino-American father and an Italian-American mother, who grew up in the San Diego area, to a spree murderer who killed himself eight days after fatally shooting Versace. 

According to Murphy, one of the reasons he cast Criss was that he is half-Filipino as Andrew Cunanan was. Criss, whose father Charles William Criss is of Irish heritage, noted the irony that he won plaudits for essaying the true-to-life story of a Fil-Am who was on America’s most wanted list.

Fil-Am plays gay Fil-Am who murdered Gianni Versace (that's the fashion designer if you do not know). It's another case of identity politics. According to Philippine media this guy is not just Darren Criss. No not at all. He has transcended himself and become an ethnic archetype of success in the West for all Filipinos to follow. He is not just a good actor, he is the first Fil-Am actor to win an Emmy in a major category. It's historic! 

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/showbiz/showbizabroad/668220/fil-am-actor-darren-criss-wins-historic-emmy-for-lsquo-assassination-of-gianni-versace-rsquo/story/

To the Philippine media the only thing important about this guy is that he is the first Fil-Am to win an Emmy in the Primetime Lead Actor Category. He is not the first Fil-Am to win an Emmy though.

Darren Criss also thinks his performance is historic but not for the reason the Philippine media does.

http://oceanup.com/2018/06/21/darren-criss-explains-why-its-a-fcking-privilege-to-portray-gay-characters/

“It’s a historically heroic narrative that involves resilient brave people and to be any kind of beacon for that story for any characterization of that element is fucking amazing…Like what a f**king privilege,” he says.

Darren thinks homosexual roles are "historically heroic" and involve "brave people." Does that apply to the homosexual killer he pretended to be and for which portrayal he won an Emmy? It's funny Darren thinks playing a homosexual character is a privilege because there are many who think that straight people playing homosexual roles marginalises homosexual actors by taking away roles they rightfully deserve. According to these people only homosexuals should play homosexuals.

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/mb4wqb/how-straight-actors-playing-gay-can-hurt-the-lgbtq-community

In contrast to the Philippines it seems no other media outlets are making a big deal out of Darren Criss' Filipino heritage or his Irish heritage either. It's only the Philippine media that is screaming "Ethnic-American wins an Emmy." Is not this highlighting of race inherently racist? Having been born in San Fransisco and raised in the USA all his life the only thing "Fil" about this "Am" is his mother.

https://web.archive.org/web/20120718025806/http://www.zeibiz.com/2010/12/glee-star-darren-criss-visits-his-moms-homeland-the-philippines123/

“My mom is Cebuano, she’s Spanish, Chinese. My father is very, very white. I’m not like full Filipino but definitely I have many parts of me that are. My family’s Filipino. My family’s in the Philippines. It’s our culture and heritage that I’ve always been proud of, simply because it’s such a cool place. And my friends who are Filipinos are the coolest.”

There you go. He admits it. He is not Filipino. This man is an American. Like the lady who was lauded by the Philippine media for being the first Fil-Am federal judge he most certainly has no "Filipino consciousness." He does not even describe his mom as Filipino. She is described as Cebuano while her ethnic background is Spanish and Chinese! I have a thesis that Filipinos do not actually exist and this lady's genetic make-up seems to verify that hypothesis. What is a Filipino anyway? Ethnically I mean. A very mixed bag! If a Spaniard and a Chinese woman have a child in Europe would he be an ethnic Filipino?

Finally, a Fil-Am has been cast as the host in the revival of Blue's Clues.

https://www.rappler.com/entertainment/news/211978-joshua-dela-cruz-new-blues-clues-host-reboot

How great is that? Nickelodeon is hopping on the reboot and revival train and is firing up this old preschooler's TV show once more. Will it be as successful as the Roseanne revival or the X-Files revival? Will dela Cruz get recognised in public and hit on by single moms like his predecessor, Donovan Patton? (A long time ago I read that happened to him but that 16-year old article is not available.)

There is not much biographical information about Joshua dela Cruz online. His resume states that he earned a BFA at Montclair State University which is in New Jeresy. This article in Philstar does not give a definitive answer as to his birthplace though his bloodline is mentioned:

With Ilocano and Bicolano bloodlines, a Bachelor of Fine Arts graduate from Montclair State University in New Jersey, Joshua disclosed in an earlier interview that working with other Filipino-Americans reminded him of fiestas.

https://www.philstar.com/entertainment/2018/03/12/1795754/another-filipino-takes-lead-broadways-aladdin

But he does say he is remind of fiestas. Maybe he visited the Philippines when he was younger. Or maybe he was born here. I don't know. But it sure is great that a Fil-Am, not just a successful Broadway actor, is going to be the host of the revival of Blue's Clues. It's definitely more important to celebrate this guy's ethnicity than his years of hard work and professionalism in such a demanding field.

Filipinos sure do get excited when anyone with the slightest drop of Filipino blood coursing through their veins does anything noteworthy and positive. Is it racist or is it merely ethnic pride to reduce a man to his ethnicity so long as he has done something which reflects positively on his ethnicity? What is the difference? Is it racist to be proud of your race? 

It's understandable that Filipinos want to be recognised. They want to see their countrymen's faces in bright lights because they think they have been marginalised and left out of society at large. Couple that with the world-wide trend of people demanding studios accurately portray fictional characters in TV and film (which means only transexuals should play transexuals and only an Asian actress should play the main character in an anime film) and it's hard not to miss the hypocrisy that FIVE Filipino actors were cast in the Broadway production of Disney's Aladdin.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/pinoyabroad/news/594453/broadway-rsquo-s-lsquo-aladdin-rsquo-one-big-happy-filipino-family/story/

Five of the “Aladdin” actors playing at least five distinct roles in this Disney musical are Filipinos. If we are to count Angelo Soriano juggling a dozen male parts, it does feel like an all-Pinoy cast, validating a popular notion that there is, indeed, an ethnic Filipino enclave on Broadway.

The hypocrisy is that in the Disney movie everyone is Middle Eastern. In the original tale from the Arabian Nights Aladdin is Chinese! Do they realise the whole production is guilty of Filipino-washing!

Puppy Tied to Door Right on The Street

Just as bad as letting your dogs have the run of the neighbourhood is tying your dog on a very short leash. Especially when the place he is tied to is right on the side of the street.

This poor little puppy is the victim of a bad owner. He is tied to a door the entrance of which opens onto the street! How stressful it must be for this puppy to be subjected to the loud sounds of cars and trucks and tricycles and people shouting.

It might be that he is tied up here so he can do his business but if that is the case the owner could easily take the dog for a walk down the street where he can quickly do his dirt and then come back into the safety of the shanty. Maybe the owner does not have time for that!

Parents Leave 5-Year Old In Theatre Lobby So They Can Watch R-rated Movie

Found on Reddit.  Not sure of the source.  Parents decide to watch an R-rated movie and leave their daughter sitting outside in the lobby for two hours.  Management said nothing.  How nice of them

The Nun v. The Chid 

BOTHERED & CONCERNED 

This poor five-year old figure was made to wait outside the cinema hallway because her companions, composed of four adults including both of her prints, all went to watch the R-13 movie, The Nun. 

While cinema porters and even the guard on duty suggested to just have their tickets refunded because they cannot bring the 5-year old with them due to MTRCB restrictions, still, the adult group pursued what seemed to be, an unplanned movie viewing and left the poor girl waiting outside the hallway for two hours. 

Matters like this should have been brought to the attention of the cinema management but it seems, nobody did; no one realised the risks in allowing this girl to wait alone in public.

Cinema should have refused on this, citing security reason.

Cinema manager is nowhere in sight. 

As simple as it may look, to parents leaving your child out and unsupervised is negligence and abusive. To the cinema's management, you are very strict about brining in shwarma, pizza, pasta and canned drinks, you ought to be stricter in accepting "valuables" too.

Martial Law: Passport to Jihad

Imagine the thrill and excitement of finally getting away from your hum-drum boring life and setting out in the world to make a difference. Where will you go and what will you do? Why not travel to Mindanao to help out your Islamic brothers in the war against the Crusaders?

https://thedefensepost.com/2018/09/12/philippines-isis-foreign-fighters-europe/

A video released by Al Hayat in September 2017 featured a Singaporean foreign fighter in Syria calling on people to “Join the ranks of the Mujahidin in East Asia, and inflict black days upon the crusaders. Otherwise, make your way to Sham [Syria], Khurasan, Yemen, West Africa, and Libya.”

What is certain is that the recent number of attempts by Europeans is unprecedented. Although only a handful of Europeans have succeeded in the journey, the risk that this is the start of a larger trend should be a concern for the Philippines, nearby nations, and Europe. A more internationalized and radicalized conflict will be more dangerous for the Philippines and the foreign fighters’ own home countries, while helping provide ISIS with a reliable overseas branch at a time where they are suffering setbacks elsewhere.

Certainly the growth of ISIS in Mindanao including the influx of foreign fighters SHOULD be a concern for the Philippines but it's kind of not because publicly AFP Chief Galvez has consistently downplayed the threat of ISIS calling ISIS claims of responsibility for attacks in the Philippines "propaganda."  Only reluctantly and behind closed doors at a budget meeting did he acknowledge that ISIS is any sort of threat.

“The greatest threat that we have now is really ISIS,” said Galvez during a budget hearing on Wednesday.

https://www.rappler.com/nation/210709-deadly-bombings-demonstrate-isis-tactics

The Duterte administration was so happy about the win in Marawi that both they and the public think that victory spelled the end of ISIS in the Philippines. But such is not the case.  The fact that a local ISIS cell was able to take and hold Marawi for 5 months continues to be a major propaganda point for ISIS.

While a physical loss for ISIS, with the death of almost 1,000 fighters including the emir, Isnilon Hapilon, and many other key commanders, the Marawi fight suddenly thrust the Philippines into the spotlight amongst ISIS supporters. The demonstration that ISEA had the ability to seize an entire city was a great success for them, showing off a capability that few other ISIS branches have achieved. 

This effect was boosted by the large volume of propaganda produced during the battle including Amaq statements, photosets, and short videos detailing the fighting. 

The tenth edition of Rumiyah, the group’s monthly magazine, was subtitled “The Jihad in East Asia” and contained multiple articles focusing on the Philippines. 

https://thedefensepost.com/2018/09/12/philippines-isis-foreign-fighters-europe/

On the surface, the operation in Manchester seemed to confirm what so many analysts had been asserting for some time now: that with the loss of territory in Iraq and Sham, the Islamic State would shift its focus towards carrying out attacks on Crusader soil. What many of these analysts failed to admit, however, is that losing territory was nothing new for the Islamic State. The loss of most of its territory in the wake of the Sahwah initiative in Iraq did not lead to its defeat. Rather, it only led to the Islamic State regrouping, redoubling its efforts, rekindling the flames of war, recapturing every inch of territory it had lost, and expanding into Sham, Sinai, Khurasan, and multiple other regions around the world, regions where no one would have expected that the mujahidin would take control and establish the rule of Allah. 

So it came as no surprise when, several thousand miles from Manchester, the soldiers of the Khilafah in East Asia stormed the city of Marawi in the southern Philippines on the island of Mindanao, chased out the local police and the military, and raised the banner of the Islamic State in a scene reminiscent of the liberation of Mosul from the Ra di murtaddin and their Crusader allies. The victory came several weeks after Rodrigo Duterte, the Crusader taghut of the Philippines, admitted that the situation in the southern part of the Philippines was giving him a headache and making him lose sleep.  

This taghut came into power believing that he had the ability to negotiate with the “Islamist militants” in the southern region of the Philippines, particularly those in his own homeland of Mindanao, in the hopes of bringing an end to their jihad and subsequently expelling the American forces present in the Philippines. But when the soldiers of the Khilafah repeatedly demonstrated to him that they only negotiate with their enemies using bullets and bombs, he was reduced to begging the mayors governing the Muslim areas in the southern part of the country to help him deal with the mujahidin, while simultaneously threatening to impose martial law in their areas if the problem wasn’t tackled. Then, when the soldiers of the Khilafah stormed the city of Marawi, he held to his promise and imposed martial law, sending in his military to try to regain control of the city, with the mujahidin subsequently massacring dozens of his Crusader soldiers and kindling a new front in their war against kufr.  

The reality faced by the Crusaders today is that despite their claims that the Islamic State has been weakened, the mujahidin’s ousting of the Crusaders and their puppets and their attainment of consolidation in the land can come as quickly and unexpectedly in any region of the earth, just as they did previously in Mosul, and their strikes in the heart of the Crusaders’ strongholds in the West will continue to occur just as suddenly and unexpectedly as occurred in Manchester. For just as Allah expelled the disbelieving Crusaders at their first gathering and mobilization in Iraq, it is He who will expel them from the lands of the Muslims in the Philippines and cast terror into their hearts in their own strongholds in the West. 

Such is the boast from ISIS about the Jihad in East Asia. They will continue to fight and Allah will expel the Crusaders and kufr. Remember when Duterte said this:

https://www.rappler.com/nation/183078-duterte-alien-ideology-philippines-terror-problem

The terrorism problem is wholly Islamic. "Islam" is what the "I" in ISIS stand for! Time and again Duterte and the AFP and the Philippine government in toto have shown their incompetence when it comes to dealing with the threat in Mindanao. This week has been no exception.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/667410/duterte-touts-effectiveness-of-martial-law-in-mindanao-despite-recent-bombings/story/

Duterte said that martial rule, which has been in place since May last year, has been a deterrent against crime. 

“It has lessened criminality by a large and the only way to do that is to conduct a survey amongst the people of Mindanao. The political leaders, they can call them,” Duterte said in his nationally televised exchange with Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo in Malacañang.

First of all conducting phone call surveys is no way to measure crime.  Second and most importantly the purpose of martial law is to put down rebellion and not to fight crime.

The President shall be the Commander-in-Chief of all armed forces of the Philippines and whenever it becomes necessary, he may call out such armed forces to prevent or suppress lawless violence, invasion or rebellion. In case of invasion or rebellion, when the public safety requires it, he may, for a period not exceeding sixty days, suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus or place the Philippines or any part thereof under martial law.

http://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/constitutions/the-1987-constitution-of-the-republic-of-the-philippines/the-1987-constitution-of-the-republic-of-the-philippines-article-vii/

Has Duterte reclassified terrorism as not a crime? Terrorism continues in Mindanao.

https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/09/14/npa-commander-slain-in-davao-oriental-encounter/

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1047697

Besides clashes with armed groups IED's continue to cause destruction and sow fear in the region.

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2018/09/11/1850624/explosives-experts-defuse-bomb-cotabato

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2018/09/16/1852019/7-hurt-general-santos-city-ied-blast

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1033090/blast-rocks-north-cotabato-town-hours-after-gensan-bombing

Four IED's exploding in less than a month. More ISIS tactics? Likely yes. With the way things are going more should be expected.

At the same time, as ISIS grows and as both ISIS and the NPA continue to fight the AFP, many have given up the fight.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1047919

http://mindanaotimes.net/eastmincom-652-red-fighters-surrender-to-army-pnp-since-january/

With all the fighting that happens in Mindanao it seems the AFP might have killed the wrong people this week.

https://mindanaoexaminer.com/fierce-clashes-in-sulu-leave-2-dozen-casualties/

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1032746/7-abu-sayyaf-bandits-slain-in-clash-with-govt-troops-ph-army-claims

Colonel Gerry Besana, public affairs officer of the Western Mindanao Command, said the incident was a “legitimate” encounter led by Task Group Panther under Lt. Col. Samuel Yunque and Capt. Michael Asistores of the Scout Ranger. 

Besana said more than 100 bandits under Radulan Sahiron clashed with the troops around 1:30 p.m. on Friday. 

He said seven Abu fighters were killed, six wounded, including an Abu Sayyaf sub-leader Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan.

Out of 100 bandits only 7 were killed.  Here are their alleged corpses:

https://www.facebook.com/mahmur.arula/posts/2186590784957281

None of those men look like Abu Sayyaf fighters. It could be that they were in the wrong place at the wrong time or that they were assisting Abu Sayyaf with whatever they were doing. Child soldiers are not unknown in the Philippines.

242. The United Nations verified the recruitment and use of 30 children (6 girls, 8 boys, 16 sex unknown) by armed groups. 16 children were used as human shields by BIFF in a single incident; 6 were recruited and used by NPA; and 8 by the Maute Group. Children were recruited and used for combat, as part of medical squads, as cooks and to extract gunpowder from firecrackers. The United Nations received additional unverified reports of the large-scale recruitment and use of children by the Maute Group during the Marawi siege and of nine children recruited by NPA, indicating that the actual number of violations is likely higher. Some of the children were reportedly killed in combat.

http://undocs.org/en/s/2018/465

That report is dated 16 May 2018 and the data is from last year but the trend remains the same. It was only last year that MILF released the child soldiers in their ranks.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/03/hundreds-milf-child-soldiers-released-philippines-170311064133681.html

"This is something that started eight years ago," she said. "It required a lot of ground work, a lot of investigations, a lot of re-education, not just of leaders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, but also of parents who have had their children exposed to combat." 

In 2009, the group signed an action plan with the UN to end the recruitment of child soldiers, a practice that extends over generations. 

Some of the children fought on the front line with the group, but the majority performed tasks as couriers and support staff. 

Richard Heydarian, a professor of political science in Manila, told Al Jazeera it is important to remember that many of these child soldiers were born into the conflict. 

"We have to keep in mind that this is not like South Sudan or Sierra Leone ... where you have these children ripped apart from their family and forcibly coerced to become child soldiers," he said. 

"Many of these children are actually very much part of the fabric of the community that has been supporting the Moro Islamic Liberation Front."

That's great. The children are free, the BOL is passed, the next thing to do is vote and make sure the BOL is ratified by the people.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1031039/milf-fighters-expected-to-enlist-as-voters

Majority of the 40,000-strong Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) are expected to enlist in the three-day special satellite voter’s registration conducted by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) starting on Tuesday, a rebel leader said. 

“It is important for MILF combatants to register so they can (finally) exercise their right of suffrage,” he said.

After years of making Mindanao suffer with violence the MILF will finally get to exercise their right to suffrage. Isn't it wonderful? Who can't wait for the MILF terrorists to govern their very own province in Mindanao.

Surely peace is just around the corner.

99 Days Until Christmas!

It's that time of the year again.  Time to countdown to Christmas.

The Greatest Season on Earth!

This year's inspiration draws from the circus which brings to mind a very famous quote from P.T. Barnum, The Greatest Showman on Earth:

"There's a sucker born every minute."

And if you believe he said that then you are just another sucker because he never did say it.

Street Kids Harassing Jeepney Riders

Don't be fooled by the wide-eyed, dirty urchins you see roaming about begging alms whether by hawking towels or handing out envelopes or by holding out their hands and saying, "Give me money." These children can be wild animals.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1030634/street-kids-rob-harass-jeepney-passengers-in-macapagal-avenue

(The kids begging for alms went inside the jeep. There were about 12 to 15 of them in the group. Suddenly there was a commotion in the jeep. The kids were able to steal from the passengers and one mother, who was with her child, was also affected). 

“I first noticed those kids hanging out under a tree, there were about 12 to 15 of them,” said Bagatcholon. “When the stoplight hit and the cars slowed down, the group went inside the jeep, I believe they were asking for alms [because] my cousin said they handed out a box.”

Bagatcholon shared that the kids got rowdy after a few seconds and the passengers inside the jeepney started shouting. Bagatcholon then said that one of the kids, a girl with cropped hair, got off the jeepney and started hitting the woman with a child. The kid, too, started banging on the jeepney’s sides. 

As per Bagatcholon, the kids “stole junk food and a piece of clothing from the passengers.”  

Bagatcholon also said that there weren’t any law enforcers around the area to quell the ruckus.  

He said, “Everyone was in their cars. There was a bus though, but no one ever tried to stop them. Not even the jeepney driver went down to reprimand them, he just looked back at the commotion.”

It's doubtful these kids know they are fully protected by the law and will never be held accountable for any crime they commit.

SEC. 6. Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility. – A child fifteen (15) years of age or under at the time of the commission of the offense shall be exempt from criminal liability. However, the child shall be subjected to an intervention program pursuant to Section 20 of this Act.

http://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2006/04/28/republic-act-no-9344-s-2006/

What kind of intervention program will these kids be subjected to:

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1032485/breaking-street-kids-who-ganged-up-elderly-jeepney-passenger-nabbed

Operatives of the Manila Police District (MPD) have rounded up the street kids who mugged an elderly jeepney passenger on Taft Avenue. 

The incident was caught on video that went viral on social media on Friday. 

Based on a report by the MPD Station 5, the incident took place Friday at 1:15 p.m. along Taft Avenue near Pedro Gil, Paco, Manila.

Watch as these kids pull an old man out of the jeepney and try to steal his bag.

Notice how that man is left all on his own?  None of the other passengers offer any help nor does the driver get out and fight off the children.  Passers-by keep passing by. Absolutely no assistance of any kind was offered to this old man.

In the Philippines you are all on your own.

If you ever see a group of street children it's best to pick up a stick and be prepared to fight to the death. Or just get out of their way and avoid them altogether.

Oplan Dog Hang

Animal lovers are up in arms about a new animal control campaign in Quezon City.

"Wag nang manlaban, isuko na ang alagang hayop! Upang hindi na makapinsala at makadumi sa kapaligiran."

This phrase translates roughly to:

"Don't resist, surrender your pet dog. In order not to harm and pollute the environment."

On the face of it it would seem they are advocating for the public to give up their pet dogs. However that makes no sense. If you are a responsible pet owner, a rare breed in the Philippines, why would the local government want you to give up your pet animal? Surely this has to do with strays. PAWS, the Philippine Animal Welfare Society, had this to say:

The use of the term "dog"-hang whether as an allusion to “tokhang” (used colloquially to mean "to summarily kill someone") or as a way to encourage violent acts towards animals (ie. “hang”) as a means of animal control is wrong.  

Animal control or collection of strays must be done humanely under the Animal Welfare Act (RA 8485, as amended by RA 10631).  

Using “tokhang” to refer to the killing or rounding up of animals who have not committed any crime is unfair and ignorant. Its message is also dangerous and irresponsible as the poster gives the impression that inhumane acts towards strays are acceptable. 

By telling the public to surrender their animals to the pound, Barangay Capri officials encourage pet abandonment instead of educating them to become responsible pet owners.  

RA 9482 or the Anti Rabies Act already specifies what pet owners must do (aside from getting their pets regularly vaccinated): they should keep their dogs enclosed safely within their yard. Owned dogs, as a general rule, should not be allowed to roam the streets freely. They should only leave the owner’s property on a leash or under the effective control of their owner. If there are violations in this regard, it is the human owner that should be be penalized and not the animals. 

Barangay Capri claims that the LGU regularly coordinates with PAWS and other animal welfare groups about adoptions. This is NOT TRUE. Animal welfare shelters are not repositories of stray animals. PAWS focuses on the prevention of pet homelessness through education, lobbying and spay-neuter.  

Pounds do not regularly coordinate with animal welfare groups because they are well aware of the difference between animal control and animal welfare and their areas of responsibility.  

Sadly, majority of the strays collected by pounds are put to death/euthanized because hardly any one goes to the pound to adopt a pet.  

PAWS urges the public to do the following to contribute to solving the problem of strays: 

1. Have your pets “kapon”ed or spayed (females) or neutered* (males) by a licensed veterinarian. 

2. If you want a pet, never buy one. Just visit your local pound or a shelter to adopt. 

3. Please keep your pets inside your yards /homes and always keep them in a carrier or on a leash when you are in a public place.  

Leashing your dog in a public place has nothing to do with whether your pet is well-behaved or aggressive. It is to keep your dog safe from any untoward incident and to keep him under your effective control in the event of an emergency. 

Note: PAWS believes in due process for all human and animals. “Tokhang” is not acceptable. PAWS representatives and volunteer-lawyers regularly attend all court hearings and file criminal cases against those who have committed the most heinous crimes against helpless and innocent animals. Every individual must have their day in court.

https://www.facebook.com/pawsphilippines/posts/1892581704120799?__tn__=K-R

One can understand the concern from PAWS at the thought of blindly killing man's best friend but have they considered what is at stake?

Last year, Quezon City reported 13,231 cases of dog and cat bites. Three people died from rabies.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/nation/metro-manila/04/14/15/bistek-signs-new-law-4-dogs-cats-qc-household

That statistic is from 2014, only four years ago. This news report concerns an animal control law enacted by Quezon City which was inevitably protested by PAWS, and ultimately repealed. It appears that this law is a response to the 13,231 cases of dog and cate bites reported in the previous year. In addition to this law, QC also embarked on a mass vaccination program which has seen very positive results.

http://manilastandard.net/lgu/ncr/259088/quezon-city-sees-rabies-cases-drop-30-percent.html

THE Quezon City government has posted a 30-percent drop in rabies cases in 2017 due to Mayor Herbert Bautista’s massive vaccination program that started in 2016. 

According to the city’s veterinary department, just 13 rabies cases were recorded last year, compared to 23 in 2016.

Yet despite the success of this program it seems there are still problems with dogs in Quezon City.  Given the fact that there is a mass vaccination program happening how likely is it that this QC barangay is really advocating abandoning pets or killing strays outright? Not likely I would say.

At best the play on words is misguided which has lent to a lot of confusion and what they really want is for the public to give up their animals to be vaccinated. At worst....well there really is no worst since eradicating stray animals who pose a risk to public health is a very good thing. PAWS may not like it, they may not be able to comprehend it, but stray dogs running around ripping through trash, pooping everywhere, mating uncontrollably, acting aggressive towards people, and causing a ruckus in general are no good for anyone. They are a danger even unto themselves. Who would want to adopt one?

And that is just the strays. There are too many owners who let their dogs do the same thing. They open the gate and let them run around the neighbourhood doing as they please or the dog roams the area in front of its hour like a entry making passing by dangerous if not impossible.

As with many problems in the Philippines the dog problem is self-inflicted and easily resolvable. However since neglect of dogs is ingrained in the culture this problem is not going away anytime soon despite the efforts of PAWS to educate owners. Take a look at these statistics from Davao:

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/422121

Hilario said there were 58,581 animal bites from dogs and cats recorded in 2017. 

Hilario said there were 1,713 deaths caused by rabies recorded from 2010 to 2016 -- that's an average of 245 deaths per year. 

Those  numbers are insane! Can PAWS really blame anyone if in response they start culling strays? 

Always remember the observations of  Jesuit from 300 years ago:

26. They do not care for any domestic animal—dog, cat, horse, or cow. They only care, and too much so, for the fighting cocks; and every morning, on rising from slumber, the first thing that they do is to go to the roosting-place of their cock—where, squatting down on their heels, in its presence, they stay very quietly for at least a half-hour in contemplation of their cock. This observance is unfailing in them.

http://www.philippinehistory.net/views/1720sanagustin.htm