Philippine Culture

          So much can be said about Philippine culture, but its most important element is the Philippine values. This video was taken from YouTube. There are two reasons why this video would attract audience. First, it uses pathos. The pictures, especially those showing happy faces, invoke a sense of happiness to the audience. Even if it's not their happiness, they will feel it because happiness is like a bottle of perfume. Once you spray it, it spreads throughout the whole room. Second, the people, especially the Filipinos, will be able to relate to the video since it is about them.

      15 years ago today, my family decided to leave our home country, Taiwan, to live in the Philippines. I had a hard time fitting in because the Taiwanese culture does not apply here, but as time passed by, I started understanding the traditions, practices, and values of the Philippines, and because of that, I started appreciating my life here. In Taiwan, respect to elders, hard work, hospitality, and family ties are practiced, but what I did not see in Taiwan but noticed in the Philippines are unity, optimism, and fear for God.

       One of the values shown in the video and in the picture above is bayanihan or helping one another. A single person can not move the nipa hut by himself or herself, but with the help of others, with unity, it is possible. Humans are social beings. We are all created to help, love, and care for one another, and the Filipinos fully understand this point. That is why they love outings with friends -- what they call pagsasama-sama. Also, they are willing to help their neighbors when they have problems. 

        Second, the Filipinos have the ability to stay optimistic despite their circumstances. It's quite hard to believe, but the pictures above are victims of typhoon Yolanda. They lost their homes, their properties, but they still manage to smile. It's one of the qualities I look up to as a Taiwanese.

       Lastly, I also admire the Filipinos' fear for God. It was only here when I learned about God. It takes a lot of faith to believe in a Being who cannot be seen, heard, touched, felt, or tasted, and the Filipinos have that faith. Their sincerity when in prayer is something I've never seen elsewhere.

        The Filipino values is something I look up to, and I hope that once day I can also be a Filipino, not by blood, but by heart.

       Others might say that the Filipinos have negative values such as the bahala na and the ningas cugon (Gorospe, V, n.d.). The bahala na is a trait of the Filipinos which basically means it's okay already, let whatever happen happen, but Jose Rizal noted that this is not necessarily a bad trait because it shows the Filipinos' trust for God. It's not "let whatever happen happen", but "let whatever God desire happen". Ningas cugon is another bad trait of the Filipinos, which is the tendency to delay their duties until the deadline approaches. This again, may seem like a bad trait; however, sometimes being too hardworking may not be a good thing. Relaxation is necessary, too, for the well-being of a human being. Working too hard may mean sacrificing the health of the person. The Filipinos may delay their duties, but they still accomplish their duties in the end, and they will not be stressed out since they had enough rest and relaxation.

        Although the video accurately portrays the Filipino values, there are two biases. One is that it assumes that all Filipinos have these values, but that is not the case. The values of a person is dependent on his or her upbringing, and that differs per person. Nonetheless, most Filipinos possess these values. The other is that only the positive traits are shown. As stated above, there are negative traits as well. Nobody is perfect, so negative traits are inevitable.

      This video was made to encourage the Filipinos to continue uplifting these values. Also, it serves as a basis for comparison for the other countries. As critical thinkers, perhaps the other countries will evaluate their values, and modify them to what they think is appropriate for their people.

Sources:
Gorospe, V. R. (n.d.). Understanding the Filipino Value System. 
          Retrieved from:
          http://www.crvp.org/book/series03/iii-7/chapter_vi.htm

Mendoza, J. (2012, May 27). Positive Filipino values [video file].
          Video posted to:
           https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIWw8EGndQw

Movies

     "Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor." Panem is a country which consists of a very wealthy Capitol and twelve districts in order of increasing poverty. The Hunger Games is an annual event that takes place in the Capitol wherein two tributes--one boy and one girl--from each district will be chosen to fight against one another. The winner will enjoy wealth for the rest of his or her life. It is considered a form of entertainment for the people in the Capitol. 

Katniss and Peeta

     Katniss Everdeen (played by Jennifer Lawrence) is just a normal girl from District 12. This all changed when her sister, Prim, was chosen to participate in the Hunger Games. Out of sisterly love, Katniss volunteered as a tribute to save her sister. In the same district, Peeta Mellark (played by Josh Hutcherson) was chosen as tribute. In the end, Katniss and Peeta survived because they defied the capitol by threatening to commit suicide. Because of that, Katniss later became a symbol of hope for the people, and in the succeeding movies, Katniss will lead the districts in revolting against the capitol and removing the heartless Hunger Games.

   

      This movie was based on the Hunger Games trilogy written by Suzzane Collins. The movie uses several techniques to capture the audience's attention. First of all, the movie uses rhetorical techniques such as ethos and pathos. Ethos is seen because the book was already famous even before the movie was made. Also, Jennifer Lawrence is a famous celebrity. Pathos is seen because there are many scenes in the movie that brings sadness to the audience. An example is when Prim was screaming because she does not want her sister to go to the battlefield. Second, the movie attracts audience because it shows topics that are popular among people today. One of the topics is love and romance. In almost every movie, there is a hint of romance. This is also true in drama series. The plot is basically the same in most series. Two people meet some way, they fall in love, there's a problem, and then there's happily ever after. But despite the fact it's all the same, people still love watching these series. In this movie, Peeta and Katniss showed their love for each other by refusing to kill each other. They would rather die together than live alone. Lastly, the movie has things never seen before, so audience would want to watch the movie. This is seen especially in the arena, which is controlled by computers. The assistant game makers can make a beast in the computer and send it to the arena; then, the beast will really appear in the arena. This is not something that can be seen in real life, so it encourages people to use their imaginations.

Assistant game makers controlling the arena

     The movie shows three things: feminism, heroism, and hope. 

     Women are usually associated with the characteristics weak and helpless, but in the movie, women and men switched roles. Katniss is the provider of her family, like a father. She is a very intelligent and accurate hunter.  On the other hand, Peeta is more like a mother. He is selfless, loving, and caring. In one scene, Katniss was very hungry, and it was raining. Peeta intentionally burnt two loaves of bread so that he can use that as an excuse to give the bread to Katniss. His mother was very angry and hit him, but Peeta did not regret what he did.

        Anyone can be a hero. Katniss is just a normal girl from District 12, a very poor district, and Peeta is just the son of an owner of a small bakery shop, but they became symbols of heroism, leaders of revolutions, and reasons for hope.

      President Snow once said in the movie, "Hope. It is the only thing stronger than fear." The Hunger Games was actually created to stop the districts from revolting again. Many years before, there were 13 districts, and altogether, they revolted against the Capitol, but they failed. District 13 was removed, and the Hunger Games was established. President Snow does not like Katniss because by defying against the Capitol, she is giving hope to the people that the Hunger Games can be removed and that they have a chance of succeeding if they choose to revolt once more. Hope is what starts the revolution, and hope is what will bring them to success in the succeeding movies.

     Although the movie portrays feminism reasonably, it has some bias. It shows that men are weak. Peeta would have died without Katniss. Katniss defied President Snow. Gale, who was in love with Katniss, could not stop Katniss from kissing Peeta in the Hunger Games.

     The movie is being shown to encourage people to stand up for what they think is right. Katniss is just one girl, but what she did inspired all the districts to do what's right. Also, it tells people to go beyond what they think they can do. Katniss and Peeta are two ordinary people, but they became leaders of the revolution.


Sources:

IMP Awards. (n.d.). The Hunger Games. Retrieved  from: http://www.impawards.com/2012/hunger_games_ver23_xlg.html
Other images taken from: http://www.google.com/imghp

Music

For video with lyrics, please go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojx4CMMuORU

     This music video was made by Miley Ray Cyrus, an American singer and actress. In her teens, she was famous for playing the lead role of Hannah Montana, a television show about a girl who is trying to live two lives -- a rockstar and a normal girl (Wang, n.d.). The song The Climb is part of her album Can't Be Tamed, which was released in the year of 2010.

     The music video uses several creative techniques to attract my attention. One is the singer. I've heard of Miley Cyrus a lot of times ever since I was young, and I used to be a big fan of her show Hannah Montana. This shows ethos since Miley Cyrus' credibility was established since before. Second, the video uses pathos because the lyrics are made up of emotional language such as the lines "Every move I make feels lost with no direction. My faith is shaking." It evokes sadness because it brings a picture where one is lost in life, not knowing what to do. Lastly, it uses logos. In YouTube, it says that there are 209,393,197 views of this music video. Since many people have watched it, the tendency is for a person to think that The Climb is a nice song.

     The message of this song is that life is a journey. There will be mountains and mountains of problems we will try to push away. Sometimes we succeed, but sometimes we fail. We continue to push on until we reach our end goal, but what matters the most is not the reward or the goal, but the process in attaining it. It's the hard work, the perseverance, and the determination that matters. 

     I agree with the message. Many times when we have become successful individuals, we tend to look back, and what makes our position or our achievements special is what we have been through to attain it. Some might argue that it's the end that matters because without it, we would have nothing to live for. That is true, but as humans, we tend to cherish what we worked hard for than what we don't. It's the hard work that makes the end worth treasuring.

     The message is biased because it is subjective, and it assumes that all people go through the events she mentioned in her song; such as being disappointed, fighting hard for what they want, and living life as if everyday is an uphill battle. Not everyone feels that way. Some people are just really optimistic and think that there really are no problems in life.

     This message is being sent to encourage people to never give up, and to cherish every moment of their journey towards their goals. It also serves as a realization that problems are inevitable, and sometimes, we are destined to fail, but all those problems, failures, will one day be something to be thankful for.

Sources:

hollywoodrecords. (2009, February 13). Miley Cyrus - The Climb - Official Music Video [video file]

            Video posted to http://www.youtube.com

Wang, J. (n.d.). Miley Cyrus Biography. 

            Retrieved from http://www.people.com/people/miley_cyrus/biography/

Places

     "It's more fun in the Philippines!" That is true, especially in the island of El Nido. El Nido is located in the northern part of Palawan, and is known for it's sceneries and marine biodiversity. The Snake Island--shown in the picture above--is just one of the attractions in El Nido. It's not an island filled with snakes, but an S-shaped sandbar that stretches across the sea. During low tide, anyone can walk on the sandbar.

     This picture was taken from a blog by Bianca Capiral, a nurse who is fond of travelling and blogging about her adventures. Although she had to endure 6 hours of car ride from Puerto Princesa, it was all worth it when she finally arrived at El Nido. She said, "I fell in love with the place." She also showed a couple more pictures to further prove her point.

     This blog reminds me of my personal experience in El Nido. We went there through an unusually small airplane. We went off the plane, and rode a jeepney to the Lio dock to ride a boat to the resort we are staying in, Lagen Resort. As my mom and I rode on the boat, we enjoyed the view while the wind blowed through our hair. The view was breathtaking. Never in my life have I seen waters so clean, skies so blue, and trees so green. We enjoyed the facilities, especially the kayak. We went island hopping on the second day, and Miniloc Resort was one of the islands. The fishes there were almost two feet long! I also went for a dive on the third day, and the underwater world was even a hundred times more beautiful than when it was viewed from above. There were schools of fish and tons of corals. Jellyfishes also came in groups. I was so amazed despite the fact that I was terrified of jellyfishes.

     Bianca uses both ethos and pathos in her blog entry. El Nido has always been a famous resort, so her blog entry would be credible, attracting many readers; therefore, showing ethos. Although pathos was not explicitly stated or shown in the pictures, the spectacular views would definitely spark the emotions of the readers.

    The message of the blog, I believe, is to show the beauty of El Nido. It shows that El Nido is an epitome of what a perfect island should be like. I agree with this message, for I have experienced its beauty. Some might argue that those pictures have filters or have been edited through Photoshop; that's why it looks so beautiful, but nature is something that cannot be "photoshopped" because its natural look is what makes it beautiful.

     There are some biases in this blog entry though. The author failed to mention any of the weaknesses of the island. It is beautiful indeed, but nothing in this world is absolutely perfect. There must be some things she encountered along the way that are not so appealing. Also, El Nido is the only island she mentions in her blog. Palawan has many other beautiful tourist spots as well, such as the waters in Coron, and the Underground River in Puerto Princesa. Nevertheless, it was a well-made blog entry.

     This purpose of this blog entry is to advertise and to share the author's experience. The pictures and the caption attracts tourists to go to El Nido, while the entry is the narrative of the author.


Source:
Capiral, B. (n.d.). Exploring El Nido in Palawan Philippines Part 1.
      Message posted to http://biancatalks.tumblr.com/post/34106963196/el-nido-
      palawan-philippines#.VDU-pPmSxkg

Heroes

     Heroes. There are so many ways one can define a hero. For Efren Peñaflorida, everyone has a hidden hero within them; it's just waiting to be unleashed. CNN Hero of the Year is an award given to individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the community, and Efren Peñaflorida was one of the ten individuals who were given this award in the year of 2009. Every Saturday, Efren and his companions would bring the pushcart classroom to reach out and to teach the underprivileged children counting, reading, hygiene, and more. The reason why Efren did this is he was once one of those underprivileged children. They join gangs and take in drugs to try to find meaning to their lives. Efren hopes to change this by providing them education. He said in his speech that one must learn to embrace education, and in the future, it will embrace us back. Education can help these kids have a future, so Efren felt the need to educate them. He also said that he is not the only hero. Every selfless, hardworking volunteer, and every persevering child deserves the right to be recognized as a hero as well.

     This message was created by CNN, a famous American television channel. The video utilizes two rhetorical appeals in the video, namely ethos and pathos. I wanted to watch this video because I knew that CNN is a credible source. It has been a famous television channel ever since the 1980's. This shows ethos, or appeal to credibility. The video also uses pathos, or appeal to emotion because it showed pictures of the underprivileged children to spark the audience's emotions. 

     I agree with the video that education is important for us to have a better future. Education can help us understand the things around us. Other people might say that literates can't live better lives than illiterates since not all literates get jobs, but being an illiterate is very depressing. I once read an article in ENGLCOM class describing the lives of illiterates. They can't read information from packaged food, or understand road signs. They don't even have the courage to visit their children's teachers in fear that they will humiliate their children. Basically, they can't do anything. Having a little, even just basic education can help these children live better. Also, one of the messages in the video is anyone can be a hero if they are willing to. Through this video, I learned that being a hero is not literally saving people's lives like Superman, but having the heart to help people no matter their age, race, or social status. Yes, some might argue that famous scientists are the heroes, for without them, we will not have the technology that will make our lives easier, but the heroes awarded by CNN are not the ones who've made great inventions, or the ones who've donated an amount of money to help a business grow, but the ones who tried their best to help those who were in need despite the fact that they aren't very wealthy. 

     The values that were presented in this video are love, education, and heroism. Efren didn't treat those children as mere attendees of a program, but like his children. In the way he looks at the children and the way he treats the children, I can see love. Every time a children sings, from the way he responds, I can see that he is not just there for the purpose of volunteering, but really to educate those kids, and that's where education comes in. He believes that education is important for those kids, so he tries his best to give them the best education he can give. Lastly, all his actions depicts what a hero should be like.

     I believe this message is being sent to encourage the underprivileged children that being an underprivileged child does not mean the end of the world. As long as they persevere, there will always be hope. There can always be a future. Also, this video also serves as an inspiration to everyone around the world to be a hero, to help those who are in need, to show them love, and to show them when there's a will, there's always a way.

Sources:

CNN. (2010, March 8). Heroes Tribute: Efren Penaflorida. Retrieved September 228, 2014, from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3YpbFjX9ps

Pushcart educator named CNN Hero of the Year. (2009, November 22). Retrieved October 1, 2014, from CNN: http://edition.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/11/16/cnnheroes.tribute.show/