Filipino Philosophy Today

I am in the (or about) the middle of reading Florentino T. Timbreza's book "Filipino Philosophy Today." I am beginning to understand the challenge of the task of the articulation of the fragments of Filipino Philosophy/ies. Through the comparative analysis of the local sayings, adages, and proverbs with teachings of well known eastern and western philosophers, Timbreza is establishing that the Filipinos are, as well, naturally endowed with the capacity to reflect about causality, morality and existence etc. as the more organized thoughts of other sages. Through his comparative study of the wisdoms (sayings, adages, etc.) in the different languages in the Philippines, he is trying (or proving) the existence of fragmented but unifiable or even organizable platform for the development of a future possibility of discourses and dialogs of philosophy in the Philippine setting.

Although it is well known fact that Filipinos, as observed in our languages, is not an abstract thinking people, yet our philosophy, which , according to Timbreza is more of a philosophy of life than a philosophy of being, has space for conceptual pursue of abstraction in the articulation of our philosophy/ies. It is here I think that the study of Filipino Philosophy is important. Although our language is not suited for abstract thinking yet there is possibility that, through, reflection and dialog, we may be able to discover discourses in the higher pursue of thinking by enriching or establishing our language/s with meanings that may someday be capable of expressing higher and more abstract philosophical reflections. Other Filipino philosophers have been doing this endeavor, of course, and it is bearing fruits (e.g. the exploration of the philosophy of"meron," the philosophy of "bahala na"), there is still a lot to explore.

The possibilities are encouraging as long as our thinkers and future thinkers will not be overwhelmed by the western and eastern philosophy and philosophers. As shown by Timbreza, the teachings of the eastern sages up the pessimistic outlook of Schopenhauer, to the nihilism of Nietszche have parallels in our local wisdoms. This only proves that there is a parallel development, or may I say, revelation of wisdom in the world-or the logos. The task is not to find originality in Filipino thought, for the search for originality will only lead to nowhere, the task is to find the context from which the philosophy came-the psyche, and how it is articulated in the Filipino context.

The search for Filipino philosophy is not just a matter of nationalism and pride. I think one of the most important values of finding a Filipino philosophy/ies is that we are also searching for the psychology of the Filipinos. We are searching for our soul. How we think? What do we think? What do we think about? Second, the search is important because we cannot establish a true Filipino philosophical discourses and even philosophical dialogs with other philosophies if we do not have our own to work from. Third is apprehensibility, a Filipino philosophy will naturally be understandable and explorable by the Filipinos.

Again, the task is not in finding originality in Filipino thought, that task is in finding that we have a philosophy or philosophies that developed from our own being.

Anyway, I’m still reading the book.

Sermon Outline: We may be able to give comfort...

We may be able to give comfort...


2Co 1:4 Who gives us comfort in all our troubles, so that we may be able to give comfort to others who are in trouble, through the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

As Christians, we are to comfort one another. It is the fulfillment of the law of Christ (Gal 6:2) The Bible tells us it is important that we comfort and encourage one another in faith so that we may strengthen each other against sin, to strengthen one another in the service of our Lord , to strengthen one another in helping carry one another's burdens, to strengthen one another in carrying one's own burdens, and to strengthen one another in worship.

I. Comfort and encouragement comes from God.

We cannot comfort another if the spirit of God is not in us. Yes, we can say good words but more or else it is simply flattering if it is motivated by the love of God. We begin with the acknowledgment that its is God who provides comfort. That it is our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father who had love for us, has given us eternal comfort and good hope through grace. It is God who gives us comfort and strength in everything we do. (2 Th 2:16-17)

But before we can encourage others, we must first be filled with the encouragement of Christ, through his grace.

II. Encouraging others requires praying.

The first step in encouraging others is to offer the persons that we want to encourage in prayer to our Lord. Paul wrote to James: Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. St. paul also wrote many times the churches asking for their prayers, for their prayers for the saints in the churches is what sustained Paul in his missions to the gentiles. "Now I make request to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the love of the Spirit, that you will be working together with me in your prayers to God for me (Rom 15:30 )."

Who do you think needs comfort, a friend, a family? Mention their names in your prayers. Ask God first for help. A friend in grief, mention his/her name in your prayers. A family with a heavy load, mention his/her name in your prayers. Words of prayer are more powerful than comforting words. "The prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him." (Jas 5:15)


III. Encourage others by how we live our lives.

Even if we recognize that comfort and encouragement come from God, even if we pray without ceasing, but if the grace of God is not evident in our lives, how can we comfort others. We cannot. We must, in our lives, show that we have the grace of God. That we are assured. That we have confidence in God. This does not mean that we have to be loud or "over religious". It simply means living a life that reflects God's serenity. That we reflect hope and assurance in God's promises. Paul in his letter James tells us:

But be doers of the word, and not only hearers of it, blinding yourselves with false ideas. Because if any man is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his natural face in a glass; For after looking at himself he goes away, and in a short time he has no memory of what he was like. (Jas. 1: 22 ff.)

Paul also tells us;

I have been put to death on the cross with Christ; still I am living; no longer I, but Christ is living in me; and that life which I now am living in the flesh I am living by faith, the faith of the Son of God, who in love for me, gave himself up for me. (Gal. 2:20).

To be a comfort to others, we must have a comfortable relationship with God.

4. The comfort of God overflow through us.

We are a source of encouragement for others. As Christians, God encourages us to share burdens. (Gal 6:2)

We can comfort others through words of affirmations. Words that can uplift saddened hearts. Words that can remind that God cares and that we too, cares.

We can comfort others through our charity. Christian giving is guided by love. It is not an act of compulsion nor is it an act of impulse but rather it is an act that comes from desire to share blessings especially if God has given so much for us, in material things, talent, or spiritual gift, or faith (remember the beggar who gave her last cent!). The Bible tells us that through this work of giving, they see what you are, they give glory to God for the way in which you have given yourselves to the good news of Christ, and for the wealth of your giving to them and to all (1 Cor. 9:12)

We can comfort others by how, through our faith, we face problems and trial with the confidence and serenity that only God can give. We can give comfort to others by showing that it is only God's grace through our faith that give us strength! How many times have we been inspired by the stories of Abraham, Jacob, Isaac, Paul, the prophets...We can be, in our own little way, live the life of confidence in God's grace that may prove inspiring to others. God gives us comfort in all our troubles, so that we may be able to give comfort to others who are in trouble, through the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (2 Cor 1:4).


And finally, we can be a comfort to others through our worship. God encourages us to worship for our edification through our fellowship with the triune God and with the brethren. Paul tells us Not to give up our meetings, as is the way of some, but to keep one another strong in faith; and all the more because you see the day coming near. (Heb 10:25)

Incense, spirits, and forgiveness...

I watched my neighbor burning incense inside her house. I watched her as she fan the smoke to every nook and cranny. I was a little puzzled, but I knew the reason why. Most Filipinos believe that incense could drive away spirits. Maybe, one of the reasons why this is so is that incense is associated with the gifts of the magis (or is that frankincense). Or, maybe we got the belief from the Chinese. Of course, the logic is that smoke drives away insects like mosquitoes out of the house...

She told the neighbors that she kept getting sick. She blamed malevolent spirits. I was watching her and I was asking myself, how can the demons be driven away? Of course my neighbor was good person, as far as I can tell. So, maybe she's just being superstitious.

I have often wondered about this "spirit thing" because I believe that people who sees spirits or ghosts in places like trees or houses may not be seeing resident spirits or ghosts that lives or resides there, but what they are seeing are ghosts or spirits that resides somewhere else. Somewhere very close to them.

Let us first take into consideration that during man's creation, the Lord put man or hmanity (through Adam) in charge of nature. Adam was the caretaker and the task was not given to the angels or to the spirits. Nature belongs to man, to subdue it and use it. So, how can the devil, demons, or spirits, who has no rights over them, live in places of nature, like trees or hills. Take another curios case event in Bible when Jesus was casting out demons, he did not cast out demons from trees, houses, o hills, or other structures man made or natural. He did not cast out demons from animals. In fact when he cast out demons (legions) from a man, the demons entered an herd of pigs, the pigs went berserk and then jumped off the hill. These pigs did not survive! So my inconclusive conclusion is this, demons cannot survive outside a person. Demons live inside a person. That is why Jesus always fights demons with forgiveness. No magic, no power, no tawas, just a simple act of forgiveness. Of course demons or spirits could roam the earth but theire home address is in hell.

That is why spirits cannot live on (or in) non-sentient (being) thing because they cannot feed there. Take the case of the pig, pigs do not have souls, how can legion survive there? The Demons cannot and they did not beucase there is nothing to eat there. There is no fear, no greed, no envy, no addiction, no insecurities...! The point is demons or spirits can only survive in a thinking and feeling organic being because there, they could exercise their power.

So, my guess if a person kept seeing ghosts or spirits in places or in things ... chances are...the ghosts are in their hearts. Psychology has proven this somehow.

Forgiveness and repentance, just like what Jesus have shown, is the only cure for spiritual diseases.

Anyway, just thinking out loud.... but there is truth in it. (Maybe even Freudian truth....)

Good bye Paquito

Villains get all the best line-Roger Moore

So, Paquito Diaz is gone. Why do I feel sad?

I am not sad like I lost a relative or something. Its the sadness one gets from looking at an old wooden school building being torn down. Its the sadness of losing a rustic farm. Its the sadness of losing an old tree that has been there since I could remember, then waking up in the morning finding the tree felled. Its a sadness that one gets from losing a part of his life that is not really a part of his life. Its the sadness of losing a memory.

I never liked Paquito Diaz. As far back as I could remember, together with the late Romy Diaz and Joaquin Fajardo aka "Buwaya," he was baddest person I knew. I never liked the guy. He was evil incarnate. Growing up watching the movie of Fernando Poe, Rudy Fernandez, Lito Lapid, etc. as a boy, I always saw him beating the hero, raping many women, burning houses etc. He was a bully, a gangster, a murderer, a gambler, and of course a rapist. Of course as child, the line dividing reality and movies is not well defined. His effect on the screen was so convincing, rumor has it that when an FPJ movie was being played in the province, an audience toting a gun stood up and shot him in the movie screen. I don't know if this is true, but who knows?

Now, he is gone. I can't remember any title of the movie he played villain in. I can't even remember any name of the characters he played. But I do remember one thing, if its a bad guy, it has to be Paquito Diaz. He was the definition of the role. He was the epitome of the villain which without him, there would be no to guru for the new villains to learn from. He was the classic. His roles were so forgettable yet his acting was so unforgettable.

He was also a good comedian. I have seen him together with Eddie Garcia playing a Kompare of Eddie, and he was hilarious.

I don't know how many of FPJ's gang is still alive. But as one of FPJ's people are disappearing, so is an era in the movie history of the Philippines.

I hope old movies are being preserved so that the younger generation can appreciate the acting of the pioneers in the Philippines movies.

Good bye Paquito.

Aquarium Story

I keep an aquarium. It is beside the computer. I put it there because it relieves my stress (so I thought). Once in a while I would glimpse at it to relax my eyes. Or, If I am thinking I watch the fishes (there about three species) swim leisurely.

It is really relaxing. But once in a while (or too often), I would plunge my hand into the water, scaring the fishes into panic, to move a plant here and there. Once I bought a driftwood that costs me 200 pesos (I asked the pet storekeeper why it was expensive, he told me it was a yakal wood. I don't know. I just took his word for it.) I put the driftwood and it added a natural look to the aquarium.Unfortunately, after a day, the driftwood dyed the water yellowish. I put a new filter but the color did not change. Nothing I can do about it. A yellowish aquarium is not good to look at.

I remove the driftwood and then replace it with a sea shell of unknown specie. The one where, a long time ago, my sister once wrote a Bible verse to piss my mother off. Come to think of it, that sea shell must be older than me! Anyway, its history...we all love our mom very, very much. Still, I was not satisfied, so I replaced it with another shell. Anyway, my wife kept shaking her head. "Di na naman mapakali sa aquarium!," she whispered audibly.

A few days ago, I saw this strange looking fish, dragon fin according to the aquarium label. It looked like an eel but it has a dorsal fin running along its back and its tail looks like a tail of a Chinese dragon (European dragons have hooks on their tails). Anyway, I bought it and put it in the aquarium together with goldifsh, bubble eye, and rhubarbs. The dragon fin was an added attraction.

The next day, I checked on my pets, I was horrifed to find that a bubble eye has lost an eye and another bubble eye has lost half of its face! But still, they were alive. I went back to the petshop and asked about dragonfins. The store keeper told me that dragon fins are carnivorous. They eat other fish. They start at the eyes, then the face...I asked the him if he would like to buy back my dragon fin, he said no. How unintelligent of me! Now there are two strange, pitiful looking fish in my aquarium. Lesson learned: research about fish before buying them. The sight of the marred fish depresses me.

I don't want to kill the dragon fin. So, I bought s small aquarium for him or her or it.

Every time I look at my aquarium, I feel I have to move something, or add something. In fact the fishes got so used to my hands plunging down their little world, that now, they do not even pay attention to me. Instead of scampering, some even lick (that is if fish could do that) my hand.

I am now trying to avoid looking at my aquarium, it stresses me becuase feel I have to move something, or change something... And my wife looks at me every time I look at the aquarium. I am also starting to annoy my daughter.

Maybe its a disease...

Conducting...

Our school's master teacher for music is retiring this coming school year. She sees that I have a little understanding of basic music theory although she knows that I could not pick up a tune vocally. So, one day I was called to the office. (Everytime a pupil comes to my classroom telling that I am being called by the principal, my heart skips a beat. I have never overcome the fear of "the office.") Anyway, there are two teachers in the office. I am the third. The principal asked if can conduct. I said yes. Actually, my conducting experience is conducting our church's singers. It can not even be called conducting. I think it can be more appropriately called beating, as in, like my hands are holding a spoon and a fork beating eggs in a bowl! Anyway, I can read a little music so getting lost in a piece is no problem, for me that is what important in conducting, or beating...I think.

Then the principal asks if I can teach music theory. Although I am not musically trained; I do read music books. So, teaching elementary music theory is no problem with me. Right there and then I was told that I will be the grade six music teacher. Of course I can decline, but I gladly accepted because I am also musically inclined, I think.

I am told that I will be the conductor in the graduation ceremony. Before, I am told that I will be the emcee, but, now I am the conductor. Emceee-conductor....Anyway, I attended a division seminar on conducting as a preparation. I never thought conducting can be fun. The first discussant is the Division Music Supervisor. He is also the composer of the Calabarzon march and the school hymn. He gives us a demonstration on how to conduct 6-8 time signature using two beat pattern. He is graceful, commanding, and he radiates musical authority. But I do not recognize his movements. His head bobs, his hands reaches high, he shouts as if in orgasm (sorry about that but music can do that)...then it hits me, he is not a choral conductor, he is a band conductor. That's why his hand movements are always changing, his beats are big, his stresses are exagerrated and his movements are ecstatic. I like watching him. His performance is dignified and, really, beautiful yo look at. Maybe, with the a band, he can really show his stuff. Anyway, I learned a lot from him. He is a very good conductor, and he is a famous band conductor and a composer of marches. Anyway, the Province of Rizal have the best marching bands in the Philippines ands the best band conductor proof of that is the late Maestro Lucio San Pedro.

After his presentation came the boring stuff.

This morning when I came to my classroom, wearing my headphone, conducting an invisible congregation like mad...I turned around and saw my pupils were looking at me with a strange look...

So, if anyone sees me walking wearing a headphone, my two hands doing soft karate chops, don't be surprised, I am practicing.

American Idol musings...

I am sad when Cowell left American Idol. Watching the show without Simon Cowell is worrying me because without a devil's advocate, the show, I fear, will become errr....mushy. Cowell's bluntness and Britishness and unpredictability (well sometimes he is) adds flavor to the show. Also his criticisms, though they hit hard and painfully, is mostly justified and correct. Well he is gone, not dead I mean, but the show is doing well without him.

Steven Tyler (I have always known him as Steve) and Jennifer Lopez, the new judges, is proving to be very good and entertaining judges. I have reservations about Steven Tyler because he is a hard rocker. I fear that he would be too hard to the contestants. Steve (before becoming Steven) belongs to the old school rockers. These rockers, the pioneer of hard rock and heavy metal, have bad reputations. They are famous for their notoriety, drugs, sex, violence etc. during their heyday in the late 60's to the early 80's that they are called anti-christs, devils , demons, etc, especially Ozzie Osborne of Black Sabbath because his theatrical concerts includes eating bats and mocked beheading. They are the parent's enemy no. 1 because of their hold over their children. Well things are different now. They are now senior citizens. My friend once showed me a video of a Black Sabbath concert where Ozzie Osborne suffered a broken hip when he tried to do what he thought he could, he jumped on the stage. Funny. But the accident showed that rockers are becoming brittle (or soft) as they age.

Anyway, after a few episodes, my reservations is proving to be wrong. Steven, though he uses the "F" word a lot, is a sensitive and a politically correct judge. (The "F" word is slowly losing its power, and according to linguists words lose their meanings when they are misused. Maybe in a few decades the "F" word will have a very different meaning from what it is now.) Truth to tell, I am a little disappointed because I am expecting a very rowdy Steve and not a very proper...err... a relatively proper Steven. Though sometimes I disagree with his choices for the obvious reasons, but as a veteran musician, maybe he is seeing something else from the contestants that I can not. I thought he would the bad lubot in the panel but, I'm glad I am wrong. I am seeing his good and soft side (as far TV could tell).

J Lo, as expected, is not unlike Paula Abdul. She talks a lot about authenticity, being real to yourself, about being honest to the art. She's emotional. The problem is that she says the most positive thing that I can't tell if she is just being nice! But her positive comments meant a lot to the contestants. I can see how the contestants' eyes shine with hope every time she gives encouraging remarks.

Alas, Randy Jackson is taking the place of Simon Cowell. He is now the primary source of negativity in the show.

The judges' chemistry is very good. Abangan ang susunod mga susunod na kabanata...

General Ligot and his general limot.

I suffered (or had) asthma attacks (hinika ng bonggang-bongga). I was not able to report to school for two working days. I tried to relax lest a slight "provocation" could start a coughing attack. Anyway, I spent the hours watching the news.

I tuned in to NBN 4(the government station), and I was captivated by the senate hearing. There were the generals lined up at the tables in their barongs looking very proper but also very vulnerable. There was Generals Ligot, Garcia, Cimatu, Villanueva and the other lesser known generals. It was already the latter part of the hearing and every time a question was asked to General Ligot, his answer was always, "my right against self incrimination", or "I forgot your honor" even though the signatures of his wife was staring him right in front of his two bespectacled eyes. (You know, the general has that benevolent look. The whitened eyebrows gave him an aura of wisdom, honesty, and kindness. He looked like a priest!) His selective amnesia won him the monicker " General Limot" nearer was "General Lubot" because he was making the senators look like lubots (sorry mga Autobots).

I didn't know what the senators want to accomplish. It was obvious that the general would not be shamed into telling the truth since any truth could lead to his incrimination. And wasn't it obvious that this general would not talk because. He knew in his mind that after all those years of plundering, his sins would catch up on him and his family. He has mentally prepared for this moment. He has done all he can to cover his tracks, and I think he has contingency plans for such times as these. (My gulay, he was a general and generals prepare for their battles.) If anything else fail, his stone walling may prove to be his best defense. In fact, I think any siege against his person would not move him. He has dug in, and if he is tough enough, his chitinous skin would deflect all the attack till the senators drop down.

The senators would not be able to touch him because they do not have the prerogative to prosecute nad pronounce judgnment. They only create laws, and with the speed of the wheel of justice in the Philippines, he would (or they would, or we all could be) be long dead before any conviction could come down. He and his family and their dummies had already enjoyed the fruits of their plunder.

Ligot will not do an Angelo Reyes. This general is cool, calculating, signs of a very smooth criminal. He might even outlive and outlast some senators.

The senate hearing was good entertainment. Although I could see that there were some senators who were really doing their job to dig into the problem, but what could they do. All they could do was to hold all these hearings in the name of legislation. Would another legislation solve the problem of corruption in the AFP?

Will medicine labels cure the disease? Gulay no...take the medicine...by force if necessary!

I was entertained by General Cimatu. I saw him on TV presenting his medals to the cameras and proudly telling the journalists that these were the pabaons that he received from the AFP. He was almost into tears, bravery, valor, honor etc. I gave the good general the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he was different. But during the hearing, Sen. Drillon presented copies of land deeds in the name of Cimatu's wife and the other a joint ownership under Cimatu and his wife's name. When confronted, I saw how his pretense crumbled. He could barely speak, he could barely explain. He was stuttering. His memory was also failing him. The properties were prime properties, and his salary could not afford such purchase. I saw him fidget like a pupil caught by the teacher stealing the teacher's cellphone. Of course, once the right to a counsel was invoked, it was safe to conclude that there was something wrong. Maybe its time he start thinking about eating his medals. (Harsh words but, hey, that's how I feel.)

Anyway...we all have interest on the issue. I do hope the general will be convicted by the courts based on the evidences, and that they will suffer the full force of the law for their alleged plundering.

I pity our front line soldiers.

Justin Bieber's hair

I heard that Justine Bieber's lock of hair fetch 40, 000 US dollars. Its crazy. Why would anyone want to buy a lock of hair? For forty thousand dollars!

Maybe its the mystique. I heard that Manny Paquaio (okay, I saw it on the news) also had his hair cut. If I were the barber, I would have collected all Manny's hair and then put them in a plastic container and then had them signed and sealed by Pacquaio for posterity. Who knows maybe in the future Many's hair would cost a lot. Who knows maybe in the future when our country has aready advanced in the field of genetics and cloning, our politicians and our sports officials may want to clone Manny Pacquaio so that we could produce another world class boxer.

Why stop there? Imagine if Bata Reyes' barber also collected the billiard champion's hair. Maybe we could clone another billiard magician. How about Charice Pempengco's manicurist? Why I hope they are saving samples of her nails.

Hmmm...

Anyway, its the relic mentality. This phenomenon (not Manny Pacquiao's Bieber haircut, I mean why would he had that haircut in the first place!) is not unusual. People have bought hair, bones, straws from the manger of our Lord that according to the experts...well...would make our Lord a very hairy person or would make his mangers a very big manger. Bones of saints, blood of heroes etc. People want a piece of the people they admire.

Maybe we can trace this back to the belief that if a person ate another person's brain, he also ingests the person's power or prowess. Maye eating Justin Bieber....hehehe. Anyway, he is a phenomenon and I just hope that Bieber would grow up to be a normal person. Teen stars usually have a very unhappy life, look at Michel Jackson.

Ahhh... shocks, what am I saying :-)

Trying to get back to blogging

I missed blogging. The last time I posted here was more than year ago, a lot of things have happened since then. I am now teaching at a public elmentary school. I imagine teaching at a public elementary school as an easy job.Go to school in the morning, post a manila paper here and there, discuss a litte here and there and then sit down. But I was mistaken.

Teaching a lesson is the easy part. The most difficult part and the most exhausting part of being a public school teacher (you're teaching 50+ pupils) is the amount of energy it requires to hold back you temper and your hands. It is easy to get angry, shout and humiliate pupils. It is easier to pull a pupil's hair here and there, or pinch them here and there. To hold back and look cool, relaxed and in control requires...hmmm...great faith mixed with great amount of love.

Another thing about being a public school teacher is the amount of paper works. We have o fill up a lot of forms most of which are just known by numbers. I am not complaining I am just overwhelmed by the amount of reports that is required by the "chain of command."

Anyway, I am enjoying my job now. Once in a while in my free time, I will post something here.

A Better hero

The last time Manny Paquiao defended his title, our preacher unashamedly admitted to the pulpit that he is going to make the sermon a little shorter because of Manny’s fight. I admit I was a little shocked at the thought of Pacquiao’s fight getting precedence over the service on the Lord’s Day. But I understand, or I don’t, or maybe I can’t.

I have nothing against our boxing champion. He may beat the hell out of all the Mexican for all I care, but there’s something surrealistic about the Filipino’s obsession with Manny. Maybe it’s because I am not a boxing guy. I believe the sport is the devil’s sport. (My father was an avid boxing fan and if he were alive today, I think my father would also shorten his sermon.) Boxing is gambling, violence, sex, and hedonism all rolled into one.

I think boxing is the remnant of the Roman gladiatorial fights. You have two warriors in the ring trying to smash each hurt each other, drawing blood and getting cheers for every punch landed and blood spilled. This sport brings out the animal instinct in us, especially for the men.

But to each his own…But I believe the Filipino youth deserves a better hero.