Olympic Moment, and a lot of rage (as usual 😅)

 Lemme change things up for a second as I take a break from not doing my case report. 😅

😜😜😜

 Anyone here in the Philippines who is not living under a rock would probably know of the amazing feat that the local weightlifting fairy Hidilyn Diaz was able to accomplish.

Yup, I'd say it's hella difficult to miss posts like these on your feed.

I am no stranger to getting swept up in national pride, and for the first time in so long, I genuinely felt it again. This woman has gone through so much, and trained so hard to get to where she is now, and she really did it for flag and country! Watching her cry at top of the podium while singing the national anthem as Lupang Hinirang played for all the world to hear, gave me goosebumps as I felt an entire plethora of unexpected emotions.. 

I shall never forget this image, and will tell stories of it to my future children.. (Image source here)

The fact that she was praising and thanking God in the middle of it all was so touching and inspiring (Image source here)

To paraphrase and add to what a friend said earlier, she has lifted the country on her shoulders out of the depths of fear and uncertainty, even for a brief moment, to remind us of who we are and what we should stand for. It is just unfortunate that all this happened under the shadow of the pandemic, but that does not diminish her achievement at all. She bested powerhouse China, of all nations, to win the first ever Olympic gold medal for the Philippines.

Looks like Team China wasn't too happy about being beaten at their own game by the country they have been bullying, eh? #SorryNotSorry (Image source here)

I have to admit that I wasn't really an avid fan of Philippine Olympic participation the past years. My earliest memory of interest in the Olympics was when Masueto "Onyok" Velasco Jr. won silver in the 48kg boxing category during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Sadly, Onyok terminated his olympic campaign to capitalize on his popularity by acting as a comedian in local sitcoms. The unfortunate story can be read here.

The first Pinoy Olympic hero I was exposed to (Image source here)

Be that as it may, Onyok, like all the other national athletes representing or who have represented the Philippines, also primarily fought for flag and country. Hidilyn's victory made me do some introspection, and has led me to regret supporting another boxer a few years back.

No, I won't be posting a picture of him here, as I do not wish to waste any effort on him, and neither will I mention him by name, because this post is to honor the real sports heroes of the country.

I realized that said boxer was nothing more than just a paid mercenary, fighting not for flag, but for the purse. Filipinos, by nature, gravitated toward him and saw him as a champion of the people. We deluded ourselves that his fights were fights for the country, but that was nowhere near the truth. We threw our support behind him, showered him with praise and adulation. Heck, the army even gave him a substantial honorary command rank in the reserves, all because he was fighting for the millions of pesos that he would pocket after every bout. When he wins, he wins for himself. He brings recognition to the country, sure. Indirectly at best, but bear in mind that it is not an achievement for the nation, and nor should his wins be a source of national pride, kasi pera-pera lang naman yan eh. Our country becomes the "idiot nation" where said mercenary was able to charm the population into voting him into higher public office despite having nary a hint of competency for governance. And no, you can't justify that you will just learn on the fly, kasi hindi ito boxing, gago. The things you do in office will have an impact on populations of people. No wonder developed countries are laughing at us for being a backward banana republic. We put the wrong people in office turn a blind eye to them enriching themselves while the same people moan about how bad things are and how government should do more for them.

On the other hand, you have the true national athletes, languishing in their dilapidated training facilities, with nary a drop of support compared to the one shown to the mercenary. They only get a mere pittance of an allowance, and the government seems to ignore them unless there is a potential photo op to be had. Now I really feel sorry for not supporting Philippine sports in earnest, mainly because I was generally indifferent to sports growing up. Now I know better, and I intend to do better for them.

Another peeve I have for this boxing mercenary is his corruption of sport, although in hindsight, his actions were inevitable and should have been expected. Said mercenary made waves when he was drafted as a playing coach in the highest basketball league of the land. It was in al likelihood a massive publicity stunt by the company behind the said team, but it really pissed me off. You have this guy, a superb athlete in his field (boxing), who just happens to like basketball and plays somewhat well at the barangay level (I dunno, I never cared to see him play), suddenly shoehorned into a roster spot that thousands if not millions of hopeful players have been training their whole lives to earn someday. Initially I was so disgusted by this act, that he bypassed (and in turn, disrespected) the normal grind that any athlete goes through to reach the highest level, and just pissed on it all just because he got fucking popular due to his fights for money. 

I am no athlete, but as an avid basketball fan, I have massive respect for those who train to get to where they are. To have this total amateur take a free ride to the top just like that was just a slap to the face. I though sport was the ultimate equalizer, that money wasn't supposed to matter as long as you had the skills to compete at the highest level (I am aware that getting good training costs money, but that is besides the point I am trying to get across here). Its a bit funny, because the dude came from a humble background, quite similar to other athletes from the provinces who try their luck in Manila by way of college athletic scholarships. Now I realize that I should not have been disgusted, because that is the sort of thing that I should have expected from him from the get-go.

Bottom line is that he should not have deserved my respect and admiration as a supposed national sports icon. If ever, he would just be noticed because he seemed good in winning fights for prize money.

Before I end my piece, I would like to share another thing I saw that got me triggered all over again:

Now this is just pathetic. Coming on the heels of Hidilyn's historic win is another case of Filipinos trying to ride the coattails of someone who does not represent them. No disrespect to the athlete. A win is a win, and this post by no means aims to diminish the achievement. Congratulations all the same. What I'm hitting at is the attribution of the achievement. Wake up guys, the person is still classified as a foreigner who plays for another country, so it's cringeworthy to see putting #Olympinoywalangimposible hashtags underneath this, because she ain't Pinay in the Olympic sense. Kahit pa sabihin niya na Pinay pride siya or whatever, bottomline is ang panalo niya ay hindi para sa atin, kundi para sa Amerika! She does not represent us, and it makes no sense that you are trying to foster a sense of ownership and pride over something that is clearly not ours. That above post should not have been done, or at least could have been handled a bit differently. We go from praising Hidilyn as a true local hero, to lumping her together with all these Fil-Ams and their wins for other countries. We should have more national pride than that. We should not be riding the achievements of people who are not truly "one of us", because they did not really do anything tangible for the country, na nagkataon lang na may lahing Pinoy. Ang pathetic lang kasi.. Nakakahiya na.. Yun lang.

Crab Mentality

 

Image from here

 I was just browsing my old social media posts when I stumbled upon one of my most favorite quotations of all time. It is just a simple comment to an article, but I love it nonetheless. It pretty much hits the nail on the head, so I decided to also repost it here for posterity.

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 "... Filipinos indeed have this unspoken social protocol of "not allowing others to get ahead". Consider the reverse custom among Filipinos when it comes to celebrating one's birthday. In other countries, your friends throw a party for you (should you be "party worthy" that is), all expenses on them and not on you. They celebrate you being their friend, not as benefactor. In the Philippines, whether to celebrate your birthday or a job promotion, the protocol is "mag-pa-blow-out ka". It's ostensibly done to "share the wealth", but if that were true, then why would people feel resentful if you don't treat "them" during "your" day of celebration? In the process of spending for that blow-out, whatever financial gains you might have had from your job promotion is negated..."

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For those wondering about crab mentality, here is the Wikipedia definition:

"Crab mentality, also known as crab theory, crabs in a bucket (also barrel, basket, or pot) mentality, or the crab-bucket effect, is a way of thinking best described by the phrase "if I can't have it, neither can you". The metaphor is derived from a pattern of behavior noted in crabs when they are trapped in a bucket. While any one crab could easily escape, its efforts will be undermined by others, ensuring the group's collective demise.

The analogy in human behavior is claimed to be that members of a group will attempt to reduce the self-confidence of any member who achieves success beyond the others, out of envy, resentment, spite, conspiracy, or competitive feelings, to halt their progress"

Celebrating a Great Loss

Yesterday, the local version of the hit reality show series The Biggest Loser wrapped up its first season after the final weigh-in of the 5 finalists. Cash prizes and gym memberships abounded . But more importantly, there was a general outpouring of admiration and goodwill from the audience who have followed these contestants as they fought to take steps to improve their fitness, self-image, and ultimately their very lives.

The 5 finalists (image source here)

Just because there were only 5 finalists did not mean that the rest of the other 11 contestants disappeared into obscurity after their appearance on the show. These 11 were called back to have a weigh-in of their own and whoever had the highest percentage weight loss (relative to their initial weigh-in at the camp) was also awarded a cash prize for being the Biggest Loser Home Winner.

How everyone looked at the start (image source here)

I think this program is one of the finer examples of reality TV that is of benefit not just for the contestants themselves, but for the viewership at large (pun not intended). As opposed to the usual bickering about as reality contestants jockeyed for position and did stupid/embarrassing things just so they could win a prize, the "bigating Pinoy" were doing it for their health and well-being. The competition was just secondary (at least thats what I think). The people who joined the show but didn't win are not leaving empty-handed. They have been shown the tools to better themselves and hopefully improve their lives in the process.

Having followed the show and being a budding health nut myself, I feel genuinely happy for everyone who participated in the show. Even though there was a prize in store, you couldn't help but feel like rooting for everyne, given the trials they underwent and the determination they showed in order to reach their goals at the camp.

The "Fab FIve". Holy Weight Loss, Batman!!

(Image source here)

The results were nothing short of amazing. You have these enormous 300+ pound guys and 200+ pound girls losing about a fourth to a third of their weight to emerge fitter, stronger, and definitely looking better!

On the filpside, I find it a little sad that obesity is now a growing problem here in the country. What used to be a lifestyle disease of the more developed western nations has began to show its ugly head in the islands.. Its great that people a becoming more health conscious already, with shows like this and fitness lifestyle magazines like Men's (and Women's) Health flying off the shelves. As a physician., I honestly hope that the prevalence of Pinoy obesity can be kept at a minimum, if not eradicated completely.

A radio anchor doing commentary about the show's ending commented this morning that in the US version of the show, the contestants there reported being unable to keep the pounds off after they left the program. I think that won't be the case with the winners here. Having watched both versions, the Pinoy has the advantage of great familial support to keep them focused, and the lower prevalence of obesity here (which would make the former contestants stop and look at themselves more often than their US counterparts who live in a country where obesity is sadly becoming more of a norm). Pair that off with the enormous portions served in the US and the more sendentary lifestyles they have there, and it becomes pretty clear why I'm not so worried about our former "Bigating Pinoys".

Congratulations to the contestants of The Biggest Loser Pinoy Edition! And props to Abs-CBN for producing a reality show that is actuially more than just crap on a stick. :P

Yet another RP team frustration..

I have to admit that I was a bit ecstatic over the news I saw the other day.

The Philippine Team made it to the Semifinal round of the FIBA Asia Championships!!!

To my dear readers who do not follow Philippine basketball, this particular tournament would serve as a passport to an outright berth in the 12-team field which will be competing at the 2012 London Olympics. As a consolation, the silver and bronze medal winners would have another crack at an Olympic slot as they will compete in an Olympic qualifying tournament pitting them against the runners-up from the different continents, with the top three from THAT tourney going on to fill the final 3 slots in the Olympics. For a graphical representation of what I'm talking about, click here.

Imagine my dismay when all my hopes were dashed when the team was totally overpowered by an upstart Jordanian team (which beat perennial powerhouse Iran in the quarterfinals). It was painful because the RP team was more favored to win, having previously vanquished the Jordanians during group play earlier in the tournament.

Despite the loss, the Philippine team still has a chance to advance to the International qualifiers, provided it beats the loser of the KOR/CHN semifinal game to get the bronze medal.

Dammit. First the Azkals lost to Kuwait, and now Smart Gilas loses to Jordan.. I'm starting to get a bit annoyed at these Arabs.. :P

Tita Cory's honor guards

I saw the sacrifice they endured, unflinching in their duty as they escorted the country's most beloved president to her final resting place. I just have to tip my hat to these guys. Their impressive performance of their duties brings honor to the nation's armed forces. They deserve some kind of recognition, so here are their names and the branches they represent:
ARMY (Green) - Pfc. Antonio Cadiente
AIR FORCE (Dark Blue w/ white pants) - Airman Second Class Gener Laguindan
NAVY (all white) -  Petty Officer 3 Edgardo Rodriguez
POLICE (Dark blue w/ blue pants) - Police Officer 1 Danilo Maalab

Although they will be receiving commendations from their mother units, I wanted to thank them for doing a good job of watching over Tita Cory. What they accomplished was no small feat. Imagine standing umoving atop a flatbed truck, totally exposed to the elements, for more than 8 hours, while the truck made its way SLOWLY through a massive throng of people.. and oh yeah, NO C.R .BREAKS!!

Gentlemen, I'm really impressed. Good job! :D

Goodbye, Tita Cory...

August 1, 2009 at 3:18am, Mrs. Corazon Cojuangco Aquino, the much-beloved former President of the Republic of the Philippines, quietly passed away after a 17 month struggle against colon cancer..

I saw the news when I flipped on the TV this morning, and although I had already been expecting it these past few days, the fact that she was actually gone moved me to tears..

I was still a little kid in kindergarden when the 1986 EDSA revolution broke out. As I gained awareness of my environment through the years, I recall often seeing this kind-looking lady clad in yellow on the newspapers or on TV. I was told that she was the "President" of the country, and people called her "Tita Cory". I also learned that she had done something really good for the country, although I had absolutely no idea what that was. Despite my ignorance, I had decided that l liked this lady since she seemed nice. :D

I guess you could say that I grew up under her motherly care, and I'm proud of this fact. Although people would argue that she didn't exactly have a good presidency, since she had a lot of crap to deal with like the endless coup attempts, the power outages, the devastating natural calamities during her term to name a few, at least I can say that I had lived under a morally upright president even just once in my lifetime. ;)

She was just a simple housewife, thrust into the limelight because of the assassination of her late husband, who was heralded as the one who would replace the ruling dictator at the time. Despite her simplicity and lack of political experience, she bravely faced the challenge and became the rallying point for a movement that changed the course of history forever..

In a way, she "reset" the Philippine government, bringing back the democratic system and it's institutions, which had been undone during the dictator's stint in power.

After her term as president, she still made her mark as a private citizen, serving as a kind of "moral standard" that Filipinos could emulate. Her soft-spoken demeanor, piety, and genuine love for the country endeared her to the populace until the very end...

Around March of last year, she was diagnosed with colon cancer. I'm assuming it was already stage 4 as she was given only 3 months to live. Chemotherapy was started, and thanks to the fervent prayers of the Filipino people, she defied the odds and survived for 17 months before losing the battle to the metastatic disease..

To many, she was not just a former president. She was an icon of morality, bravery, and simplicity. A mother who provided comfort and protection.  A kind-looking lady clad in yellow..