davidcmartinez@sbcglobal.net

On with the movie though. I felt it was a little flat compared to the first one. It seemed to me like they were trying too hard. It wasn’t a totally bad movie. It just wasn’t a very good one. I am hoping that there won’t be a sequel next year but I’m quite certain that I will be disappointed.

Bigotry in Metro Manila Film Festival
By Prof. Fred Cabuang
Are the Bisayans, Kapampa­ngans, Pangasinense, Ilocanos, Bicolanos not Pinoys?
I was told that scandals and brouhaha are inherent in the Metro Manila Film Festival like fireworks are in the New Year festivities. I’m not a movie critic nor an entertainment writer but a language advocate who fights for the protection and preservation of the endangered languages of the Philippines. The recent release of an entry in the 2007 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) brought indignation to many non-Tagalog speakers (and moviegoers) who reside in Metro Manila because of the disgraceful treatment of the Bisayan language in particular in one of the scenes.
In the movie entitled Sakal, sakali, saklolo (Star Cinema), Judy Ann discouraged the Bisayan yaya to speak Cebuano to her child saying, “dapat Tagalog para Pinoy!” Meaning “You should speak to the child in Tagalog otherwise it’s not Filipino.”
The statement is not only an act of language discrimination. It also demeans Filipinos whose first language is Bisaya, Ka­pampangan, Pangasinense, Ilokano, Bikolano, or any non-Tagalog language.
When will we ever learn that being a Pinoy is not measured by one’s ability to speak the Tagalog language only? Are the Bisayans, Kapampangans, Pa­nga­sinense, Ilocanos, Bico­lanos not worthy of being called “Pinoys” too? Do our Bisayan athletic heroes who did well in the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand have to learn Tagalog well before they are considered “Pinoys?” What about the world re-known Manny Pacquiao, does he have to learn Tagalog well too, before he can be called a real “Pinoy” hero? And surely, nobody will question the pride of Pampanga, our beloved President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her father Diosdado Macapagal; did they become Pinoys only when they learned to speak Tagalog?
I join honorable Senator Pimentel in calling on the public to boycott the movie. I am even calling on a boycott of all Star Cinema films if its executives do not make a public apology in all the Philippine regional languages.
Republic Act 3060, Section 3 states that “The Board [of Censors] shall have the following duties and powers:
(a) To screen, censor, examine and supervise the examination of, approve or disapprove or delete portions from, and/or prohibit the introduction and exhibition of all motion pictures, imported or produced in the Philippines for non-theatrical, theatrical and television distribution which in its judgment are immoral, indecent, contrary to law, and/or good customs or injurious to the prestige of the Republic of the Philippines or its people;
(c)To screen, review, delete portion from, approve or disapprove and censor all publicity materials in connection with any motion picture including trailers, stills, and other advertising materials which in their judgment are immoral, indecent, contrary to law and/or good customs, or injurious to the prestige of the Republic of the Philippines or its people;
The Board approved a movie that is “contrary to law, and/or good customs or injurious to the prestige of the Philippines or its people” (specially the Bisayan population.)
The linguistic attack of the movie “Sakal, sakali, saklolo” allegedly is a violation of Republic Act 7356, Section 7, that states, “Preservation of the Filipino Heritage.—It is the duty of every citizen to preserve and conserve the Filipino historical and cultural heritage [Note: Regional Languages are part of Cultural Heritage] and resources.”
Not many are aware that the discriminatory statement of the movie is contrary to the UN Declaration of Linguistic Rights, Article 38, that states, “The languages and cultures of all language communities must receive equitable and non-discriminatory treatment in the communications media throughout the world.” The movie is one of the best media of communication considering that the celebrities are the pop heroes and models of the general public.
Perhaps it will take another generation for every Filipino to realize that speaking Tagalog is not synonymous to speaking the Filipino language. The language issue has been a heated topic of debate among congressmen, senators, academe, students and the public. It’s been made clear in print, television and radio that Filipino as a language is still under development. A speaker of any regional language and other indigenous languages is no less a Filipino than those who speak Tagalog.
Some of our Philippine languages are dying and the people and their culture die with these languages. It is abhorrent to see that the movies, whose leading men and women are the idols of the masses, have become the portals and spreaders of bigotry among Filipinos.
Sorry to say, but we, Bisayans, together with the Kapampangans, Ilocanos, Bicolanos, Pangasi­nense, et al must proclaim that Tagalog is not our native tongue but we are proudly Filipinos.

I also recommended that movie script writers educate the viewing public through their movies about how smart Visayans are.

I lived 50 years and have expanded my consciousness oh so many times. There are times when one needs to be calm about issues like this. No need to burst an artery but it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do anything about it.

Expand your consciousness. Go out of yourself. The effects will not be felt now, but sooner or later, they will.

Those who find nothing wrong with the remark do not understand the bigger picture. It’s not about one film. It’s about the general portrayal of non-Tagalogs by Tagalogs as inferior citizens, as seen in film.

Again, it is best to be scholar about it than to be smart asses.

Again, FILIPINOS, be sensitive but not too much.