I give up! I know one main reason why it took me so long to write a blog entry about F Sionil Jose's "Why we are shallow" is because I didn't want to agree with him. I wanted to find arguments that would prove him wrong but I couldn't. In the first GLOBDEV class, I was asked whether I agree with the author after having shown the article. I said I didn't but I was not able to give any concrete reason for my stand. I guess I agreed even then but stubbornly did not want to accept it. Now, I'd like to enumerate the reasons why I've given up.
The author made a clear emphasis on the role of mass media on making the Filipinos generally shallow. On my first reading of the article, my eyes were immediately caught by the line "We are shallow because we don’t read." I know a lot of young people my age who love to read a lot. I myself have read books of various genres. Then I realized that we probably represent a very insignificant part of the population, those who have the luxury to buy books. I would not blame Filipinos if they'd rather buy food than books. The only thing that's wrong is if you buy magazines that probably contain 90% ads, 3% information, and 7% more text that implicitly encourage you to buy more luxurious products that you don't really need.
Another point given by the author I agree with is the deterioration of the Filipinos' interest in our own culture. According to Jose, "There is less emphasis now on the humanities, in the study of the classics which enables us to have a broader grasp of our past and the philosophies of this past." I agree on this. Even in our Philippine history class where we were supposed to research on our national hero's life, only a few was eager to know more about Jose Rizal. When we know exactly why we have become who we are today, we could make more meaningful decisions that can make up for all the bad ones we made in the past. When our professional organization offered a museum tour for us, I've come to appreciate our race even more. I learned that we were not at all shallow then. Our ancestors loved spending their time painting, making music, turning gold into very beautiful art pieces, etc. They were great potters and poets!
Lastly, Jose also mentioned that "We are shallow because we have become enslaved by gross materialism, the glitter of gold and its equivalents, for which reason we think that only the material goods of this earth can satisfy us and we must therefore grab as much as can while we are able." I think materialism in the Philippines should not only be blamed on the Philippine mass media but on the influence of Western culture that continues up to now. I blame this on globalization. Generally, more Filipinos prefer to watch news about Hollywood stars than watch local news about national events. We are more interested in what Angelina Jolie wore in her latest pictures than in how the impeachment trials are going.
Our shallowness, is like a gift to the businessmen. It is the reason why we continue to base our consumption on the advertisements we see everywhere. I guess the real problem here is the quality of information that is available. We see more news about fashion and entertainment online than global news that would affect our country. Our curriculum as of now only requires a minimal number units allotted for studying history. I know a lot of Filipinos who graduate from High School who can't even speak straight Filipino; and the worst part is, colleges tolerate this!
If we simply accept that we are shallow and join the majority, we will only be giving the next generations the same thing. I hope that the added two years of education in the secondary levels would give emphasis on Philippine culture. :)
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