Travel destinations: The Philippines – Part 12

The Shoes. Sorry, no, that is a completely Imeldific response. Inevitably, any mention of a trip to the Philippines, results in a number of responses from parties unfamiliar with it.

Before 9/11, it was, “Oh, yeah, will you do an Imelda and shop?” and “Oh, I love adobo and lumpia.” As if the basis of this entire trans-Pacific trip (if originating from the US) was to encounter these delectable dishes. I can’t blame them – anyone who’s had the privilege of coming into contact with either of these understands it’s a party in your mouth.

Most people, it appears, have heard about the Philippines due to a neighbor or co-worker who naturally brought some goodies along and tried to feed the “Americanos”. They’re a generous bunch and you will never go hungry as long as you’re around them.

Post 9/11, I started getting comments obviously influenced by our now heightened awareness of terrorism and its dark arts. Comments like, “Is everyone armed?” or “Don’t the Abu Sayyaf still kidnap people?” Perverse come-backs lurk beneath my lips and I’m tempted to casually quip, “Sorry, not this month, it’s Ramadan and kidnapping is just NOT on the agenda, sigh, maybe next time, hmmm?” Or “no, it’s the National Hi-Jacking Convention, we can’t accommodate both, you know, so many foreigners, so little time!”

I stop myself because these comments are not completely unfounded. After all, in spite of having been born and raised there, the distance in years I have lived away as well as my own genetic origins often mark me as a visitor. The Philippines can be dangerous and politically unstable, it IS still largely believed to be part of the Third World and yes, adobo and lumpia are amazing when eaten with sticky white rice on a growling empty stomach.

Putting these considerations aside, let’s look at why it would be a good idea to troop to this Pearl of the Orient:

1) The “Mabuhay” Attitude:

Translated from Tagalog, the native Philippine tongue, “Mabuhay” means “to Live”.

This simple phrase uttered as a greeting as well as an expression of triumph belies a philosophy that has been the backbone of the people’s survival.

In the face of corruption, poverty, crisis, and natural disaster, this is what gets the Filipino through. Anyone who’s traveled in the capital, Manila, will understand from the shanties, the crowded streets, the dust and the noise level, that the reasons to be unhappy are too many. But they don’t have time for that.