COMMENTARY
By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ
Member, Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE), Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA), National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada (NEPMCC) and Reporters Without Borders
“Respect for ourselves guides our morals; respect for others guides our manners” ― Laurence Sterne
TORONTO - The event at Queen's Park was supposed to be the proud and shining moment in our history - the crowning glory of all celebrations - after all, it was on June 12 that the Philippines finally severed the chain that had imprisoned the country for more than three centuries under Spain.
To replicate that glorious day in 1898 in Kawit, Cavite, Filipinos the world over conduct simple flag-raising ceremonies as a reminder and symbol of their resolve to resist foreign domination and as an expression of their love for freedom.
The whole meaning of that day was lost on Wednesday, June 12 at the occasion sponsored by Philippine Independence Day Council (PIDC) at the legislative lawn attended by Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and some members of her cabinet, and Philippine officials led by Consul General Junever Mahilum-West.
PIDC, the non-profit umbrella of more than 200 associations, had two emcees for the program - a certain Tom Tan and one Michele Serrano - one nowhere better than the other but equally worst. That PIDC picked them master of ceremonies was consistent in making a full mockery of that day.
The two were so enamored with a fashion show that they kept plugging it every time they had a chance. I believe they have succumbed to the fatuous claim being foisted by organizers so much that they forgot the event they're hosting was about Philippine independence day.
I don't know if these two individuals were misinformed, out of touch, or just plain ignorant. But the fact is they debased the significance of the day with their shameless promotion of a non-related affair - the Canada Philippine Fashion Week (CPFW).
Tan and Serrano combined to bastardize a nation and a people's defining moment of glory, and that's saying it politely.
At the start of the short march from the back of the designated staging area to when the participants began walking on the front lawn of the legislative building, Tan and Serrano announced the presence of a Jeff Rustia and his models, the mainstays of CPFW.
That was before high officials of Ontario and the Philippine Consulate were publicly acknowledged. And when the duo did, it sounded like an afterthought.
To me, what Tan and Serrano willfully and knowingly did was disrespectful, improper and tasteless. "Kabastosan," as they say in Tagalog.
In the context of the freedom day celebration, who was Jeff Rustia to merit repeated mention and unwarranted introduction? What has his CPFW got to do with the event?
As if to show how much influence he had on PIDC, he sat right in the first row, occupying a place of prominence with his models, while the members of the provincial parliament stood facing the crowd. Consequently, the proceeding was reduced to a preview of CPFW minus the superlatives that Rustia is known for.
After the program I approached Tan. I told him I wanted to understand the reasons for the excessive promo in an event that had been intended as an observance of freedom day. He said it was because Serrano, his co-emcee, was connected to the CPFW in some capacity.
Honestly, as a Filipino I felt deeply offended by their conduct. I told him on his face that he and Serrano disparaged the importance of independence by their misplaced and overindulgent push for Rustia's CPFW.
My sentiment borders on the personal too, having two grandfathers who fought the Spaniards under General Emilio Aguinaldo, and survived. I wasn't going to trivialize their revolutionary activities under the Katipunan by the mere whim of two unknowing emcees.
People and organizations joined the Queen's Park ceremony because it commemorated Philippine independence day; they were there not to hear the constant barrage of advertising for CPFW.
At one point early on in the program, Serrano called attention to her mother and her family, even wishing them blah blah blah for their presence. Again, in the context of the event, who were they? What's the relevance of mentioning them?
In the last three years of my coverage, this latest one is the most demeaning.
The surge of pride has been replaced by the sudden burst of anger, not exactly at these unwitting tools, but at what they do to put us back where we were before 1898, that is, a slave to our own indifference, lacking self-respect and so easily manipulated.
Independence day? Go tell it to the marines!
(This Currents & Breaking News may be posted online, broadcast or reprinted upon request by interested parties. Permission by the author or the editor must be obtained before any re-posting online or re-publication in print or re-broadcast. Copyright by Romeo P. Marquez, Editor, Philippine Village Voice, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Volume 7, Issue no. 40, June 13, 2013. Email at: TheFilipinoWebChannel@
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