IT’S A happy day for Ilonggos with the victory of Ms. Rabiya Mateo as Miss Universe Philippines.
Her face is plastered all over social media with words of congratulations and joy. It seems that despite all the horror, 2020 has some blessings for Iloilo province.
Others who are also trending are Ms. Quezon City and Ms. Taguig City, though for not so pleasant reasons. They are flooded with criticisms for being sore losers over the fact that a simple small-town girl beat them in a prestigious beauty pageant.
Some people from other regions are even expressing disbelief and doubt over Rabiya’s victory even to go as far as creating rumors.
Sad to say, this is a common occurrence whenever someone from the “province” achieves more than someone from the National Capital Region (NCR). It’s like Filipinos have a civil racism towards one another.
In other words, we think OUR provinces are better than the rest. This regionalism has long been engrained in our blood. Ever since pre-colonial times, we have practiced the “barangay” system where each community kept to themselves. There was little to no interaction with other communities. When the Spanish arrived they used that tradition to their advantage and kept Filipinos apart so that we wouldn’t overpower them.
NCR and neighboring areas were places that set the standards for the Philippines long after the Spaniards left. Even our national language, “Filipino” is derived mostly from Tagalog. This has given people from this region a subconscious elitist demeanor and ignorance of what life in other regions is like.
These regionalistic practices are what cause tension between Filipinos. In my opinion, they are also the foundation of crab mentality.
Let’s be honest Ilonggos, even us practice this regionalism. I know so many people who sneer or give funny looks to those from Bisaya or any non-Hiligaynon regions. It’s like the words “ug” and “unsa” are force fields that deflect us from these people.
I admit that I sometimes get carried over by this mindset. Though I don’t intend to but I feel a little uptight and hesitant to interact with people from these regions. I am trying to catch myself and change though, and I hope there are others who are doing the same. It may be tricky, but it is possible to change this mindset if we make an effort.
I saw a quote online that said, “Your initial reaction to a situation is a product of the beliefs you have inherited. Your second reaction is a product of the virtues you are trying to teach yourself”. People now are realizing that it is possible to change the negative beliefs and biases we were taught.
This regionalism can be improved with time, effort and most importantly, dedication. Hopefully, the next victory we earn won’t just be credited to Iloilo, or Quezon, or Cavite, but credited to the whole Philippines./PN
