The Sisa Syndrome

and the Antidote to Our Depression

Dr. Jose Rizal in his novel Noli me Tangere tells of Sisa, a woman who fell into a very deep depression when she lost her two
sons. Sisa went around town looking for them. She knows that a priest killed her two sons but she never saw how and never
resolved to herself why.

Many think that this is something of a fictionalized narrative of the status of our country during Rizal’s time. If you read and
study why Rizal included this scene in his novel, you will definitely think that Sisa alludes to our country, an image he conjured
to reflect the Motherland. And she was. Rizal really meant Sisa to be the true image of our country under colonization. It is
worth remembering though that Sisa’s quest for her two sons continued until today. Later, in this short story, I will tell you why
I think Rizal wrote about Sisa and its significance in our present situation.

I often ask myself why some Filipinos find it extremely hard ages ranging from 10 to 12 say they wished to work abroad
to stay in our country. According to the Bureau of Immigra- someday. Sixty percent of children of overseas foreign work-
tion, at least 3,000 Filipinos leave the Philippines every single ers said they had plans to work abroad.
day. That’s 90,000 month, a million a year, and 10 million in
ten. Most of these Filipinos leave due to economic reasons. As of December 2004, some 3.2 million Filipinos reside in
different countries as permanent settlers while 3.6 million as
And every Filipino who leaves his homeland is one less Filipi- temporary labor migrants. Another 1.3 million migrants are
no who can help rebuild this country. A report says that “this in different countries, mostly in unauthorized situation in
country holds a snap election every day. Men and women vote the United States and Malaysia. A study shows an increasing
with their feet daily to search for better futures abroad.” trend of Filipinos, about 28%, leaving for abroad to marry.

The Filipino diaspora is not a recent phenomenon. A study This explains why our Potential Net Migration Index (PNMI)
by the Philippine Migrant Society of Canada says that Filipi- is a negative 22%, similar with Iran and just a tad lower than
nos started leaving the country for “greener pastures” in the Yemen (-23%) and El Salvador (-45), countries which are
early 1900s. A larger number of Filipino professionals moved more politically distressed than us.
to other countries in the 1950’s and continued to balloon up
until the 1960’s. During Martial law, the Overseas Filipino What is it that attracts Filipinos to go someplace else to live?
Worker phenomenon started to increase, attracting not just Why is it that Filipinos feel that their future lays elsewhere?
Filipino professionals but skilled and unskilled workers.
What’s so different with the Philippines than, say, the United
“The history of Filipino migration”, says the PMSC, “..is a States? Many things, someone would definitely say. The Unit-
product of extreme poverty, underdevelopment and jobless- ed States is more prosperous than the Philippines. Americans
ness in the country.” have equal economic rights that allow the individual to live
in prosperity and relative peace. Other countries have better
Labor migration is a socio-economic reality, one that even laws, another Filipino says. Some would even say that gov-
prosperous countries suffer from. What I am concerned here ernments in other countries are better than ours.
is the rising numbers of Filipinos who migrate and uproot ev-
ery single member of their family to permanently live in other Is this the truth? Are these really the true reasons why Fili-
countries. pinos leave?

A national survey by Pulse Asia in 2006, says three out of ten Compare our country with others, and you’ll find that the
Filipinos dream of living abroad…permanently. Interest in liv- Philippines ranks far better than those countries. Ask a Ger-
ing abroad is not just confined with adults. Filipino children man or a Canadian where he likes to retire and he would defi-
surveyed by Pulse Asia shows 47% of Filipino children with nitely say, “Philippines!” without battling an eyelash. Those

Ricky Rivera is a former lecturer at the University of the Philippines and Dela Salle University. He is a prolific plogger or a political blogger. This
article is an excerpt from his the book, “ Bagong Istorya: Great Stories in Philippine History”. He lectures every so often on Communications,
Public Relations and Marketing. He wrote this after learning that one of his friends, a former great student leader, is now living abroad.
 The Sisa Syndrome and the Antidote to Our Depression

who already lived in Europe, particularly in London, would rel- In terms of having a very good “subjective well-being”, the Philip-
ish living in a hut somewhere here than suffer from the harsh pines ranks a good 30th standing. Most Filipinos go to Taiwan,
weather of that cosmopolitan city. Our country lies in the tropics. which ranks 31 and Japan a poor 39th. Italy, where many Filipi-
Our weather is far better than the bitter, cold and icy Canadian nos aspire to work and live, is ranked 35th. Our former colonizer,
weather. Spain, is three ranks lower than us.

And how do our lands fare in the natural aesthetics department? Compared with other countries, we, Filipinos, are happier than
We are definitely among the most beautiful in the world. them and live in relative good life and have better well-being.

We have wonderful coastlines full of pristine immaculate sand. This is what I really don’t understand. If we say we are happy
Nothing compares with our Boracays, our Palawans and our where we are, and our well-being is far better than other coun-
Guimaras. Wonderful mountains adorn our countrysides, filled tries, then, why do we still leave? Why do many of us still think
with beautiful sights, such as rivers, lakes and streams. We prob- that a better future lies elsewhere than here?
ably are not included in Yahoo!s 10 Most beautiful countries in
the world, but we sure are one of the world’s best twenty. The Enigma

Yes, we are sited in one of the world’s most dangerous quake belts Is it an enigma that we feel so bad when the fact of the matter is,
but our 6 or 7 magnitude quakes pale in comparison with those we really are blessed with so many wonderful things around us?
that strike Indonesia every single year or those in Mexico and That grayish and decaying landscape that is Manila, is not the
even in the United States. Our typhoons are wimps compared entire country. No.
with those cyclones and hurricanes which inflict harm upon
Americans every single year. Go out and explore Luzon, just this island, and you’ll find that
there are more extremely wonderful things here than, say, Sin-
The only difference is that other nationalities enjoy a far excellent gapore. Singapore does not have a range of mountains we call
governmental service than what we have. Despite this, Filipinos, Sierra Madre, nor do Singaporeans enjoy paradise-like islands
according to a study, are happy with what they have. such as Puerto Galera. Yes, they have their Sentosa, but as every-
one knows, that reclaimed island is not real. Those rocks which
According to the 2009 Happy Planet Index (HPI) published by you see there are all concrete and those sands are exports from,
the New Economics Foundation, the Philippines is the 14th hap- tadah, the Philippines.
piest place in the world, up 3 places from 2008’s 17th place rank-
ing. Everyone knows that we are a blessed people. But, why is it that
most of us want to leave and even consider this precious pearl in
The HPI index measures happiness combining life satisfaction, the orient as a hellish nightmare?
life expectancy and environmental footprint — the amount of
land required to sustain the population and absorb its energy Some scholars think that what we are feeling, the state of our
consumption. condition, lies in our inability to appreciate the finer things in
our lives. We always feel inferior to others. We always look at
Costa Rica is the happiest place in the world, followed by Domin- other countries’ situation as something better than ours. These
ican Republic, Jamaica, Guatemala, Vietnam, Colombia, Cuba, are indications of depression.
El Salvador, Brazil and Honduras.
What is the root of our depression? Scholars say we suffer from
In 2010, Forbes conducted another survey. Gallup poll shows the this malady called “Colonial mentality.”
Philippines ranked 94th happiest place in the world, still far bet-
ter than India or China. Malaysia, where most Filipinos go to The Root Cause of our Depression
work, is just a spot higher than us.
Colonial mentality is not just a predilection in thing foreign. No.
The survey is a telling one. Only 18% of Filipinos suffer from un- Colonial mentality refers to what analysts say as “institutional-
happiness. And the same number of people, about 68% struggles, ized or systematic feelings of inferiority within some societies or
the same case with Saudi Arabia, a country with most Overseas peoples who have been subjected to colonialism. “ The concept,
Filipino Workers. Singapore, despite being three spots higher according to scholars, refers to the acceptance by the colonized of
than us, have a huge number of people struggling, with 75% of the culture or mores or even doctrine of the colonizer, as intrinsi-
their people saying they are struggling in their daily lives to be cally more worthy or superior than theirs.
happy.

“ The Sisa Sydrome and the Root of Our Depression” an excerpt from the book, “ Bagong Istorya: Great Stories in Philippine History” by the same author
 The Sisa Syndrome and the Antidote to Our Depression

Colonial mentality is the chain that enslaves us Filipinos. It is Curiously, the more educated you are, the more you feel ashamed
not imperialism that gnaws our self-image. No. It is this mental of yourself as a Filipino. Fifty three percent of college gradu-
state or condition called colonial mentality that continually op- ates say they are ashamed of their country, compared with 33%
presses us and makes us feel far inferior from other nationalities among elementary dropouts, 35% among high school dropouts
or races. and 46% among high school graduates.

David and Okazaki (2006a) conceptualized colonial mentality This, however, contradicts with a 2003 ISSP survey on national
as a form of internalized oppression, characterized by a percep- identity. Eighty three percent of Filipinos felt very proud of their
tion of ethnic or cultural inferiority, believed to be a consequence race, and only one percent feels not proud at all. Our pride as a
of centuries of colonization under Spain and the United States. Filipino was second highest among 33 countries, topped only by
Their study among Filipino-Americans is telling. It shows that Venezuela’s 92, and three percent higher than the United States
this involves an automatic and uncritical rejection of anything (80%) and others.
Filipino and an automatic and uncritical preference to anything
foreign. We Filipinos are proud about our achievements in sports (84%),
history (82%), arts and literature (78%), armed forces (57%), sci-
The study also shows this mental condition, affects every single entific and technological achievements (80%), the way democ-
Filipino’s self-image and self-esteem. It manifests in how Filipi- racy works (54%) and the fair and equal treatment of all groups
nos denigrate his own self, his culture and body, discriminates in society (51%). On the other hand, we feel less proud on our
against less Americanized Filipinos and tolerance and accep- economic achievements (47%), social security system (45%) and
tance of historical and contemporary oppression of Filipinos and our political influence in the world (36%).
Filipino Americans (David and Okazaki, 2006).
So if eighty percent of us are proud of being Pinoys, with some,
A survey of over 600 Filipino Americans shows that one out of 40 plus percent feeling ashamed of some of the things which hap-
three or about 30% exhibit some form of Colonial mentality. Da- pens to us, why is it that there is still a big proportion of our
vid and Okazaki found that these Filipinos feel either inferior population who dreams of living and staying permanently in
of their ethnicity and culture, feel ashamed and embarrassed of some other country?
their ethnicity or culture or tend to feel indebted toward their
part and present colonizers or oppressors. Colonial Mentality: Social-wide Stockholm syndrome

Empirical research shows that those who have Colonial mental- One possible explanation is the effects education and media has
ity have significantly lower personal self-esteem than those with- to us, as Filipinos. Look at the SWS study—the more educated a
out. Those who have colonial mentality have higher depression Filipino is, the more he shows or feels ashamed of his racial roots.
levels than Filipinos without colonial mentality. The reason is obvious. His education is patterned after Western
models. Obviously, his standards of everything are based also on
Is there something to be ashamed about our country? Western ones.

Those who show indications of CM says that they feel ashamed Media also shows images of prosperous countries, of cosmo-
of some of the things that happened or is happening in their politan cities and of the perceived relative stability and progress
countries. A trans-national study however shows that Filipinos other countries, particularly those in the West. These images are
are sixth from the bottom of those with something in the coun- imbedded into our sub-conscious minds. These affects our pref-
try to feel ashamed about. Social Weather Stations (SWS) found erences, our choices. These images create a sub-conscious and
that only 42% of Filipinos agree that there is something to be often, emotional link (Poiesz, 1989, p. 461).
ashamed of their country, compared with 28% who either agreed
or disagreed and a far less number (27%) says nothing is shame- As we continually expose ourselves to these images, we then form
ful about the Philippines. an opinion or a perception that our situation is worse than oth-
ers. When certain situations such as a bungled police operation
SWS discovered that the huge bulk of those who feel ashamed or when government acts contrary to popular perception, we feel
about our country resides in Metro Manila (52%) and the ashamed and angry with our government. We often perceive that
Visayas (50%) than in the rest of Luzon (39%) and Mindanao our governmental system is much more inferior to others.
(35%). Most Filipinos who belonged to the middle to upper ABC
(58%) feel ashamed compared with the masa (40%) and the very Memmi (1965), Fanon (1965) and Freire (1970) theorized that a
poor (42%). salient effect of colonization is the internalization of the inferior
perception imposed on the colonized by the colonizer. Such in-
“ The Sisa Sydrome and the Root of Our Depression” an excerpt from the book, “ Bagong Istorya: Great Stories in Philippine History” by the same author
 The Sisa Syndrome and the Antidote to Our Depression

ternalization may lead to feelings of inferiority about oneself and Why Rizal did used Sisa as someone representative of the Moth-
one’s ethnic or cultural group. Feelings of shame, embarrassment erland? For a good reason, I think.
or resentment normally follow; then outright rejection of one’s
self. Sisa represents every single Filipino who believes in the superi-
ority of the colonizer’s system, particularly of education. Rizal
This explains Filipino preference to products from the United pictured Sisa as the Motherland who sent her sons to learn more
States, Europe and even, Asian. It extends even to Filipino per- about the colonizer’s culture and education, only to get killed in
ceptions on his own skin, being brown than white. the process.

Colonial mentality-driven preferences apply, but are not limited Like two of Sisa’s sons, most of us, Filipinos go to different lands
to, culture or lifestyle, physical characteristics, socio-economic in search of greener pastures. We assume different personalities
opportunities, language, material products and leadership or when we are abroad. Like programmed robots, we think that ev-
government. (Bergano & Bergano-Kinney, 1997, p. 202). Even erything foreign is good, and life is better in some country than in
the use of language exhibits signs of colonial mentality. Strobel our own. We are lost in enculturation, that we believe everything
(1997) says that some colonized peoples ridicule or resent oth- is better there than here. Our minds have been programmed to
ers who belong in their ethnic group who does not know how to accept everything foreign as something good, benevolent and
speak, read and write English which they perceive as the “univer- better than ours.
sal norm and marker of intelligence.”
Just like Basilio and Crispin, we think that education is the best
An individual who already assimilated or encultured himself answer to our poverty. A diploma from a university or college is
with the colonizer’s cultural norms, and is already convinced or something of a dream since we hope to transform this diploma
programmed to think that the colonizer’s is superior to his, the into a visa someday.
colonized begins to view the colonizer in a positive light. Mem-
mi and Rimonte referred to this as “colonial debt”. Such a belief From that very minute that Sisa gave his two sons to that priest,
might lead to the normalization of the maltreatments such as dis- she already lost them. The priest maltreated and eventually killed
crimination from the dominant group, since such maltreatments one of her sons. This is an allusion to how colonial mentality kills
might be perceived as the natural costs for progress or civiliza- some of us.
tion, a perceived price one has to pay in order to become as much
as like the dominant group as possible (Memmi, 1965). Desirous for a better life, we succumb to the wiles of our colo-
nizer, suffering even maltreatment, yet thinking that this is just
The Allusion of Sisa a consequence, a “price to pay” so to speak, of a better life. We
accept the norms and culture and lifestyle of our colonizer, only
Going back to what I wrote at the start of this paper. I used Sisa to pay for our life in exchange.
as a vehicle for us to further understand our present situation. I
told you that Rizal used Sisa to show the colonized status of our Like Sisa’s sons, we also lost our identities, our “who we are”. We
country during the Spanish times. sacrificed our self-worth, our self-image, just to become at par
with our colonizers. We tried to assimilate ourselves with our
If you still remember your Noli me Tangere, Sisa was once a sane colonizer’s systems, only to realize later that doing so, we gave
woman. She was mother to two fine sons and an unfortunate wife not just our minds, but our very souls to the colonizer.
of a brute. Like a lady of those times, Sisa suffered while she was
with her husband. She was being maltreated. Despite her sorry This “Sisa Syndrome” infects every Filipina mother who allows
state, Sisa never thought of leaving her husband, for fear of being her sons to dream of working and living abroad. Fact is, this syn-
cursed by God. Divorce was never an option back in 18th cen- drome affects every single one of us who thinks that we are an
tury Philippines. Catholicism has taken a decisive root in Philip- inferior race. That we fare far worse than others. That everything
pine society that divorce is a sin and domestic violence is to be here is worthless.
taken as part of married life.
Sisa reflects our collective sigh, our collective depression caused
Anyway, to make the story short, Sisa sent her two sons to a priest by colonial mentality. We think that Malaysians live far better
to study. Being poor, Sisa thought that her sons would make good than us that’s why many of us migrate there. We think Saudis live
acolytes. Acolytes enjoy food and education from the church. It far better lives than us that’s why despite the insufferable heat,
was only when she learned of the deaths of her sons that she lost most of us desire to work there. We believe Americans have far
all her faith and all her confidence not just to her religion but to better lives than us, that’s why despite some Americans going
life as well. here to work, most of us scamper to the nearest U.S. embassy just

“ The Sisa Sydrome and the Root of Our Depression” an excerpt from the book, “ Bagong Istorya: Great Stories in Philippine History” by the same author
 The Sisa Syndrome and the Antidote to Our Depression

to get that visa. from Philippine forests and mountains.

The antidote for our colonial mentality Filipino hands made those excellent cuisines now being enjoyed
by the world’s rich and uber famous. Some of the world’s greatest
There is a cure from this Sisa syndrome, and that is, the accep- chefs are Pinoys, while most of the hotel staff of top 5 and 6-star
tance of our present situation. Accepting who we really are, and hotels around the world are Pinoys. The world is slowly warming
why we are economically underdeveloped than others is the first up with the Filipino’s version of the adobo and chicken tinola.
definitive step. History is also another vehicle for us to further Filipino cuisines are starting to dominate the world’s kitchens,
understand our situation and to allow ourselves to accept our with uniquely Pinoy creations being served at millions of homes
present condition. around the globe.

We start by recognizing that we are descendants of a proud race. We eat potato chips and pizzas uniquely modified to suit Filipino
That we were once a glorious people who once conquered the an- tastes. We salivate at Filipino fruits, like mangos and durians. We
cient world with our talents, our trade, and our goods. We con- lavish ourselves from the products from our seas and oceans. We
tinually conquer the world with our excellent personal traits, our enjoy every morsel of rice which came from our fields.
inventions, our discoveries and our intelligence.
When the world goes to work, they ride on modern cars pow-
As what Atty. Alex Lacson wrote in his piece, “ The Filipino To- ered by Filipino minds and ingenuity. Filipino hands and intel-
day”, the Filipino mind is the greatest asset in the world today. lect power the world’s greatest cars. Pinoy engineers now design
This is not something invented purely by a nationalistic mind. the most sophisticated machines inside our Ferraris, BMWs,
This is a fact recognized even by the international community. Chryslers and Mercedes Benz. From the headlights down to the
suspensions and wheels, there is some speck of Filipino there
We, Filipinos, are the World’s Greatest Assets. for the entire world to appreciate. Fact is, those modern designs
we now see in our cars, even if it’s a Toyota or a Mitsubishi, are
Look around you, and you’ll realize that everything you see are mostly inventions by Filipino car designers.
wondrous works of Filipino creation. Travel abroad, and expect
to find at least one Filipino bravely holding himself up before Whatever the world sees in classrooms or in their work stations,
the rest of the world. Look at the tee-shirts you’re wearing, and chances are, there is at least one made or invented by a Filipino.
you’ll find that even its threads are probably Pinoy and even if
its “Made in China” or “Made in the USA”, chances are one of You’ll find a Filipino in the top universities in the world, pitting
those who sewed it and made it the best tee-shirt in the world is his brains against some of the world’s best. Nowadays, it’s entirely
a Filipino. common to hear a Filipino graduate from Harvard or Oxford.
Ivy League schools in the United States are full of Filipinos; same
When the world wakes up every morning, they use a product goes to the top European institutions. We have some Filipinos
that is Filipino made. The bed they lie on, the soft and nice pil- graduating at the top of their classes in the US military acad-
lows they rest their heads on and even those comforters they emy and commanding battalions as officers of the world’s great-
wrap their bodies to keep warm, at least one Filipino invested his est army. And we have great Filipino academicians teaching the
time and skills to make it. world’s business titans how to run their companies.

When the world rise from their beds, and put on those slippers, We have Filipinos at NASA and Pinoy scientists over at BERN.
at least a billion wears those made from the Philippines. They go We see Filipinos tinkering with sophisticated technologies in
to their comfort rooms and brush their teeth and probably not Japan, the United States and Europe. Filipinos are also working
just a billion feels great using toothpaste and a toothbrush made as inventors of newer technologies. Those who don’t know must
by Filipinos. They clean themselves up using soaps which prob- know that Filipinos are also active in the fields of bio-technology,
ably came from a factory somewhere in Laguna or in Subic. And neuroscience, and information technology. We have bio-engi-
they wash their hair using shampoos promoted by top Filipino neers who are now involved in developing creative and useful
marketing managers and professionals. technologies for the rest of the world to use and enjoy.

They go to their dinner tables and chances are, they’ll find at least Those laptops we now currently enjoy have Filipino intellect in-
one Pinoy product there. They use cutlery which material prob- vested into it. The very chips that power those personal comput-
ably comes from the ore mines of the Philippines. The very wood ers, IPods and IPods are proudly Filipino made. From the sands
or steel that makes up their dinner tables are materials harvested of this great country comes silica, the prime component of elec-

“ The Sisa Sydrome and the Root of Our Depression” an excerpt from the book, “ Bagong Istorya: Great Stories in Philippine History” by the same author
 The Sisa Syndrome and the Antidote to Our Depression

tronic chips. And from the ore mines of Zambales and Mindanao almost realistic Spider-man or a Superman flying over rooftops
comes forth copper and other minerals which the world uses in and skyscrapers made by a Filipino computer animator. Some
manufacturing electronic gadgets and wires. What’s important is of the world’s top comic’s characters came alive from a Filipino
we Filipinos invest our minds in transforming those tiny sands sketch book, while the creepiest villains and admirable heroes
into chips that power human civilization. spring forth from the mind of another Pinoy.

We have young Pinoys like Brian Quebengco who spearheads Those games we enjoy in our PS3’s, Nintendo and PC games are
Inovent, a young startup company that invented the world’s first most likely produced and inspired by Filipino game creators and
interactive television. Despite working with meager resources, animators. Even some cell phone games are Pinoy inventions.
Quebengco and his gang of Innoventors are on the verge of un-
veiling this television which will revolutionize the way the world Pinoys even dominate the martial arts world, what with Pinoys
watches TV. competing in URCC and in wrestling matches. We see a Pinoy
making history as the most multi-titled pugilist in world box-
We build great ships that sail the world’s oceans and seas. Our ing history. We have a Pinoy legend in billiards, another one in
Filipino brothers and sisters are captains in some of the world’s professional bowling. Someday, Filipinos will dominate fencing,
biggest oil tankers. Filipinos also dominate the world’s skies as wushu, amateur wrestling, swimming, even football.
the most sought-after commercial and training pilots in some of
the top airlines in the world. Even at the world political scene, Filipino diplomats stand toe-
to-toe with the world’s greatest minds. We are considered the
When the world’s businessmen enter hotels, they are welcomed world’s best in diplomatic circles. The first United Nations head
by Pinoys. When they rest in those comfy beds, a Filipino attends is a Pinoy. The first ever Asian to head the International Labor
to their needs. When someone enjoys a cool daiquiri in an Ibiza- Organization is a Bulakeno. And most staffers of the United Na-
inspired pool in some resort, a Filipino probably made it for him. tions are Filipinos.
Those warm meals served are Filipino made. When they leave
their hotels or resorts, a Filipino gives them his most precious It is most unfortunate though that despite all of these, we have a
and warm smile to enliven them. Surely, millions of them when government that is as corrupt, as chaotic and as direction-less as
they arrive home, a Filipino will be there to arrange their meals an African or South American government.
and iron their clothes.
Yes, we are critical players in stabilizing the world, yet, we are as
Some Filipinos command great armies of workers around the destabilized in our own country. We give order in the world, yet,
world. They serve as managers, supervisors and field command- in our own soil, we are as disorderly and disorganized as some
ers in some of the world’s top manufacturing companies. In the petty state in an obscure place in the world. Our compatriots
Middle East, most of those who work to harvest that black gold abroad distinguished themselves as the best law-abiding citizens,
are Filipino engineers. While those fields of gold in the United yet, in our own country, most of us distinguish ourselves as one
States, South America, Asia and Europe are being attended to by of the world’s dirtiest and the most despicable thrashers in his-
hardworking Filipino workers. Even our oceans are populated by tory.
Filipinos either as sailors or captains, or in some places, Filipinos
are themselves commercial fishermen. We spread and give light to human civilization, yet, our country
is still under a state of extreme darkness.
The world listens to Pinoy music millions of times in a day. Cha-
rice Pempengco tops the pop charts in the US every single week. It is time for Filipinos to serve and be assets in their own birth-
Pinoy crooners spread the message of love in most of the world’s place. It is time for Filipinos to share their talents and transform
radios and video karaoke bars. Pinoy bands enliven the club this country and make it the best in the world. There is nothing,
scene not just in Asia, but even in Las Vegas, the world’s premier oh, nothing that can prevent us from achieving what we want.
entertainment site. We are in the top opera houses, the top or- We have proven time and again that if we only pool our acts to-
chestras, the top rock bands and even in carnivals and festivals gether, and use these bountiful resources in our midst, we can
around the world. Our dancers enchant the world every single achieve what others thought impossible.
day in most of the world’s great stages.
Our country stands at the crossroads. One road leads to great-
We see Pinoy art bringing joy to millions, and Pinoy writers ness while the other, perdition. That road to greatness is fraught
weaving words into art in advertising copies around the world. with dangers and sufferings. While the other, is as easy as cross-
We enjoy a Mickey Mouse drawn by a Filipino animator and an ing the street, yet the end of it, damnation.

“ The Sisa Sydrome and the Root of Our Depression” an excerpt from the book, “ Bagong Istorya: Great Stories in Philippine History” by the same author
 The Sisa Syndrome and the Antidote to Our Depression

As we usher a new day under a new administration, let us seize We are slowly transcending the old philosophical world-view of
the moment and make a new page in our history. Let us erase individual-centric, into mass or social-centric. This is made pos-
those painful memories of an evil past and try to create a better sible by an infusion of new thinking. This new thinking is slowly
one through unity of our minds. permeating the public sphere and infecting every one! The new
thinking is information-driven, and being exchanged every sec-
There is nothing, oh nothing that can prevent a united Nation ond. This is the new promise, the new Hope, the new Future!
from achieving greatness. If we all work together and think that
greatness is just an arm’s length away, nothing is impossible. Blot Let the new administration nurture this and serve as a guide.
out all negative thoughts and focus at the great task at hand— Guide us towards greatness. Be an example of greatness and the
rebuild this country from the ground up and establish a Nation rest of the country will rise up and follow.
that is the best in the world.
Rise up, o Motherland! Rise up from centuries of lethargy and be
We are the creators of our future. We are the creators of our own inspired by the work of your Patriotic sons and daughters! There
greatness. We are great when we think and believe that we are is a great enterprise rising over the horizon of despair. A new Sun
great. When 90 million Filipinos think great every single day, we has taken over the darkness. A new race of Filipinos are taking
will achieve what no other country ever did---propel this nation over. Let the millions of Filipino patriots seize this moment, cre-
to First World status by six years. ate a new page in History and build a great Nation from the ashes
of disbelief and despair. Time to re-build this Nation from the
We can do it. We can achieve what we want—a better quality of ground up! Time to create a Golden age where Filipinos are once
life for all Filipinos. Let us all be engineers of our great future. again proud of their heritage and of their race! We are Filipinos
Let us all be part of this great enterprise of nation-building. Let
and we are great.
us share this vision to everyone who wants nothing but a better
future for himself, for his family and for his successors.
Notes
Look around you, and you’ll see a very promising landscape. Just
go to Makati and Pasay, and you’ll see the Marriott group of ho- 1. http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/
tels near one of our international airports. Try to go to Ayala and view/20100820-287921/Policy-lockjaw
you’ll find a Raffles hotel being built beside Landmark. Go out 2. http://www.bworldonline.com/Research/populareconomics.
of Metro Manila and you’ll find great resorts and hotels being php?id=0102
established. Check out our new airports, and bridges and roads. 3. http://www.migrationinformation.org/USFocus/display.
These are infrastructures of our future. cfm?ID=364
4. http://www.forbes.com/2010/07/14/world-happiest-countries-
Even look at yourself in the mirror and you’ll find that there is lifestyle-realestate-gallup-table.html
something new, something dynamic, something promising in you 5. Ronald Inglehart et al. (eds.) HUMAN BELIEFS AND VAL-
that is worth sharing with other Filipinos. Find that new thing UES: A CROSS-CULTURAL SOURCEBOOK BASED ON THE
within you and spread it around. Instead of just being a passive 1999-2002 VALUES SURVEYS (Mexico City: Siglo XXI, 2004).
observer, be an intellectual entrepreneur. Spread that new think- 6. David, E.J.R. & Okazaki, S. (2006a). Colonial Mentality: A
ing, your intellectual invention with other Filipinos and within a review and recommendation for Filipino American psychology.
short period of time, you’ll be the leader of a great enterprise. Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology, 12(1), 1-16.
7. David, E.J.R., & Okazaki, S. (2006b). The Colonial Mental-
Look around you, and you’ll see a silent revolution, the entrepre- ity Scale (CMS) for Filipino Americans: Scale construction and
neurial revolt, spreading in every direction, in every nook and psychological implications. Journal of Counseling Psychology,
cranny of the Metropolis and even in the remotest barangays 53 (2), 241-252.
throughout this great nation. From thinking of just being labor- 8. http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/
ers and employees, a great majority of Filipinos are transforming view/20100903-290401/National-shame-is-global-not-Filipino
themselves into entrepreneurs. Yes, we are emerging into an en-
trepreneur’s hub in Asia.

What’s great, I sense that a great social infrastructure is slowly

“ The Sisa Sydrome and the Root of Our Depression” an excerpt from the book, “ Bagong Istorya: Great Stories in Philippine History” by the same author