6 Little Ways to Lessen The Things That They (we?) Hate in the Philippines

I watched the video '20 Reasons I Dislike _____. (the Philippines) which featured an American named Jimmy Sieczka. He has been in Cebu for three years and he enumerated reasons on why the country sucks.  And I  was all agreeing, and thinking of my own encounters.

Yes, I hate all men shaking their urine all over the country. Cockroaches in every city I went to also disgust me. And I already have a traumatic experience with a beggar (punched and pinched me when I didn't give him money). What he enumerated are almost all the things I want out of my beloved land.

The man has all the points in the world; there's no reason to hate him. What we Filipinos do is try to lessen the things that can make anyone hate our country. Here's my list of what I'm doing and  going to do:

1. Refuse plastic bags. Whenever I have my bag with me when I'm buying something, I refuse the plastic bag that the bagger is offering. It will be redundant if I put the plastic with goods inside the bag, will it not?

2. Candy wrappers. Put them in your pockets. When trash cans aren't around (We really lack them here in the Phils.), I put my trash in my pocket or inside my bag if it's big for my pocket. Why? Because no matter how small the trash is, trash is trash and is unpleasant to look at, especially on the streets. Also, they will eventually go to our waters or they will clog our drainage systems.

3. Love thy color. I honestly am using some whitening products like papaya soap, but I am not gaga over being white (I like its smell, plus it's Pinoy made,so.). I like my color and I'm working on loving the whole of me. And it should not be about just the color, it should be about loving every part of your body. The thing about loving yourself is that it is cheaper. Ordinary lotion is cheaper than whitening lotion. Ordinary snacks are cheaper than diet snacks. Surgery-less face is free. And unique. You get my point.

4. Spit on sinks. Phlegm on sidewalks is always an eyesore. If you have a cough and sinks are nowhere to find, bring tissue to spit on. I would love it if we would adopt Singapore's law on spitting.

5. Read. We would see our situation with better eyes if we see other countries' progress. TV won't suffice, especially our networks. And we also need to think critically. And where can we get it better than in reading?

6. Accept criticisms. I read the comments section on the youtube version of the video and the Filipinos there are ranting on making Mr. Jimmy go somewhere else, cursing him and trolling each other around. What kind of reactions are those? Honestly. Mr. Jimmy may not be the best critic ever (his cursing is not helping the Filipino temper), but still he has points that we can use for the Philippines to be more fun to be in. They, criticisms, are quite painful to take, yes, but they can make us grow. So. We should have the strength to hear them and do something on how to improve ourselves.


Our country is faced with piles of problems, so let's do our part. Everything counts no matter how small it is. Let's try our best to not be a part of the problem. :)