On the Desperate Housewives Issue
I don’t consider it a racial slur. It’s a very fine line that divides an insult against Filipinos themselves, and one against the standards of educational institutions in the Philippines. I don’t feel that Teri Hatcher’s character said something offensive about me as a Filipino. But I feel indignation that doubt is cast on the ability of any (and all) licensed Philippine-trained doctor.
Why? Because I’m proud of the quality of care that Filipino medical professionals give to their patients.
And that, I think, is the root of all the upheaval about this issue.
This is something we are proud about. The tradition of excellent nurses and doctors who come from the Philippines goes back decades. We use words like compassion, caring, attentiveness, hard work, and personal touch when we describe our nurses and doctors. Qualities we are proud to point out whenever we talk about them. It’s not a point of over-stated national pride like “People Power”. But it’s there.
To have it put down, and implied as inferior, that just touches nerves. Because we are proud of our doctors.
And I’m glad that people are making an issue out of this. It shows national pride, and isn’t that something that Filipinos need to cultivate?
It is also a sign of a refusal to keep silent.
There are just too many Filipinos who try their hardest to blend into their surroundings, to lose their Filipino identity, as if the aquisition of a blue passport changes their very blood and genes. They don’t want to be identified as Pinoy. Instead they are American, or French, or South Asian. So to stand up and be identifed through one’s outrage is good. Better that than a silence that is indifferent to the world’s perception of the Philippines and its people.
Tags: Teri Hatcher, Desperate Housewives, Filipino doctors, Philippine medical schools, racial slur
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POSTED IN: General: Philippine Culture
October 5th, 2007 at 7:29 am
think flips should take jokes as jokes. Jokes abound in the Philippines, too. A convicted drop-out former president who’s been the brunt of jokes take jokes in stride in his palatial jail - similar to Escobar’s self-made jail in Colombia. That’s right guys. Flips imprison corrupt government officials in palaces - so that the incumbents if convicted with similar charges get to chose their palace jails, too. Going back to this convicted president, this guy reportedly replied when his doctor said he will apply local anesthesia to his wound, “Money’s no problem. I can afford imported anesthesia.”
Where in the world doctors would downgrade themselves as nurses just to get to the US? Where in the world medical board toppers surprisingly come from low-end diploma mill med schools? Where in the world med students have to re-take board exams even if they passed the first one? Only in the Philippines because of money and corruption. Money really gets you around in the Philippines. It’s not what you know but whom you know (you can bribe).
A mother brought her child to a Flip pedia. “What wrong with the kid?”, the flip doc asked. The mother says the kid’s not been eating. The flip doc replied, “… maybe he’s not hungry.” - as his findings.
You can’t blame Flip docs and nurses if they see their American patients as zombies or cadavers they used to dissect at their low-end med schools. It’s green bucks they’re after, you know and nothing more. They’re just like any US migrant who would do anything in their country just to get to the Big Apple or anywhere in America.
Anyway, ABC’s apology is merely a marketing ploy and they’re laughing their hearts out of this brouhaha.
October 5th, 2007 at 9:45 am
My dear, would you rather let something bad happen to any person in front of your own two eyes???
This is the case here and there is nothing more than what it is, an insult to a fellow good person in a medical school here in the Philippines ( a fellow Filipino ) in general. More so, is there anything better you can do than justify what is not right here?
It this not an insult to all the Filipinos and Philippine medical schools? Would rather let something this bad happen to any person you know, much more a fellow Filipino?
Please don’t be insensitive in this issue.
October 6th, 2007 at 2:00 am
you know what, whether there’s truth to that comment or none, bottom line is they have no right to insult the filipino medical practitioners working in the USA. doing so would also be questioning the professionalism of their own licensure examinations because before a foreign practitioner can work in the US, he has to pass a lot of qualifying exams given by no less than THEIR OWN licensure council. i despise those who justify and rationalize the action of the production team behind this show… philippines may have a lot of flaws, but then again, what country doesn’t have? they don’t have to flaunt on National television (even worldwide) their unfair outlook on philippine medical schools. for those who are saying that we are being onion skinned for reacting to this issue, well i ask all of you, how do we suppose to react? give that show a standing ovation? get real! maybe you are not on the medical field that’s why you are not so affected or the USA have colonized you deep down to your soul but remember this, millions of people have seen that episode around the world and it HAS tarnished our reputation and degraded us. that comment is downright unfair and racist. dont justify their actions just because we have dirty laundries of our own. I say it’s just like being in one family. we tend to throw pranks towards our brothers and sisters, even calling each other names and throwing insults toward one another but when other people start doing that, we stand and fight for our siblings. just like in the philippines, we stand against those foreigners who tend to belittle and oppress us because it’s simply THEY HAVE NO RIGHT to do so. we’ve done them no wrong, so why all of these sudden media attacks towards us?
lastly, all i can say is that I can take insults and jokes on how i dress, what i eat or even throws of derogatory remarks on my physical appearance. it’s just skin deep and very superficial. but when they start to criticize without basis my views, beliefs, culture, nationaltiy and my professional capacity, all hell will break loose!!! because that’s the very essence and core what i am. No one has the right to insult that. a person who cant control what’s coming out of his mouth has control over nothing.
PONDER on this: what the world needs is for each of us to have respect towards one another. from there, we move on to loving one another.
October 6th, 2007 at 7:46 am
What happened wasn’t fair but I think the nursing exam leak had a lot to do with this. In that case of course the med schools had nothing to do with it really since it was the greedy commercial review centers and govt regulators in cahoots with them that caused the leak and the subsequent scandal. They are the real cause of the damage to the reputation of OFW nurses which all Filipino Americans are now paying for. If nothing is done, it will surely happen again, and maybe ABC won’t apologize the next time.
As far as racist slurs are concerned, don’t forget we also have a log in our own eye with Miriam Defensor Santiago calling China the inventor of corruption for all human civilization.
October 11th, 2007 at 4:59 am
what ever!!!! this is just a waste of valuable time just to divert the attention of people away from the issue of the impeachment of PGMA
October 11th, 2007 at 7:53 pm
what makes that impeachment and ZTE NBN deal more important than this one? are you out of your mind? this issue tackles about the dignity and reputation of filipino professional workers that was degraded senselessly by that show… if you don’t care, well, that’s fine but don’t think that this issue is just a waste of time. i bet you’re not in the medical field that’s why you’re not so affected… keep you’re USELESS comments to yourself. remember, if not for that petition for apology, would the ABC company even be aware of the sentiments of filipino med workers? NO! and just to clarify my point, ABC issued a public apology and promises to erase that line from future airings and DVD releases, PLUS, they are now opening their doors for filipinos who wants to work in the company!!! so i’d say the results of the petition speaks for itself!!! we were able to reverse the damage that the DH script has done on our reputation as medical workers! Now, that’s what I call IMMEDIATE results!
October 12th, 2007 at 5:19 am
Let’s get even and produce a sitcom, “Desperate Housemaids” and have Aiai delas Alas as host spiced with toilet jokes flips are known for or make a movie, “Desperate Houseboys” and have Joey Marquez with his super “walis tingting” take the lead role. Who knows at this time producers have already these as lead money-making projects.
October 17th, 2007 at 3:33 am
important & chaz:
this is desperate housewife issue and not politics. pls avoid being off-topic. you may post your comments on the other forum.
October 17th, 2007 at 4:50 am
i did not discuss any POLITICAL topic… i merely reacted to what important? said “what ever!!!! this is just a waste of valuable time just to divert the attention of people away from the issue of the impeachment of PGMA”… I merely mentioned it and did not dug deeper into the issue… wear your eyeglasses next time you read the posts here so you’ll not make stupid presumptions…
October 17th, 2007 at 4:56 am
and for your rather “critical” (?) eye… here is an off topic comment you failed to see, courteousy of Desperate Flip: “think flips should take jokes as jokes. Jokes abound in the Philippines, too. A convicted drop-out former president who’s been the brunt of jokes take jokes in stride in his palatial jail - similar to Escobar’s self-made jail in Colombia. That’s right guys. Flips imprison corrupt government officials in palaces - so that the incumbents if convicted with similar charges get to chose their palace jails, too. Going back to this convicted president, this guy reportedly replied when his doctor said he will apply local anesthesia to his wound, “Money’s no problem. I can afford imported anesthesia.”
read first all the posts before making corrections at the wrong person… talking about barking at the wrong tree… (hope you don’t have RABIES, coz it seems it has reached your brain now)
October 17th, 2007 at 4:58 am
i did not discuss any POLITICAL topic… i merely reacted to what important? said “what ever!!!! this is just a waste of valuable time just to divert the attention of people away from the issue of the impeachment of PGMA”… I merely mentioned it and did not dug deeper into the issue… wear your eyeglasses next time you read the posts here so you’ll not make stupid presumptions…
chaz
Oct 17, 2007 at 4:56 am
and for your rather “critical” (?) eye… here is an off topic comment you failed to see, courteousy of Desperate Flip: “think flips should take jokes as jokes. Jokes abound in the Philippines, too. A convicted drop-out former president who’s been the brunt of jokes take jokes in stride in his palatial jail - similar to Escobar’s self-made jail in Colombia. That’s right guys. Flips imprison corrupt government officials in palaces - so that the incumbents if convicted with similar charges get to chose their palace jails, too. Going back to this convicted president, this guy reportedly replied when his doctor said he will apply local anesthesia to his wound, “Money’s no problem. I can afford imported anesthesia.”
read first all the posts before making corrections at the wrong person… talking about barking at the wrong tree… (hope you don’t have RABIES, coz it seems it has reached your brain now)
just repeating coz it seems you have a knack for overlooking messages you might not understand… high school…
May 16th, 2008 at 8:57 am
dont let them get you down