Friday, July 24, 2009

This is SO Major League Bullshit

I was going through Google Videos just now and I found this video entitled Human Rights in Zamboanga City. Watch it first.

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Finished? What just pisses me off is the fact that this report is one sided. Overly so. You get a poor guy from one of our indigenous tribes and they will definitely rant about how poor they are. This guy in the video even sounds like those cab or tricycle drivers who continually rant about how corrupt the government is. From someone like that, what do you expect to hear? A sweet life?

Number two. I thought the video is about Human Rights in Zamboanga. Zamboanga. Yet the guy also kept referencing to Jolo and Muslims. There are no hospitals in Jolo, no nurses, yada yada. Well, Human Rights in Zamboanga does not cover Jolo, sorry, end of story.

Number three: Yes, there are people who go to Malaysia to find a job. The same number go to the States, UAE, London and even in the armpits of the world. Double that number are those who go to different parts of the Philippines (like me) to seek employment and/or education. This is the non-issue of non-issues. And if we don't know, this thing does not only happen in Zamboanga, but everywhere else.

Number four: Big stores, yet no Muslim working there. What a gross misrepresentation! There is no data, and I am pretty darn sure that the guy didn't spend the time to examine all the workers in the store from salesladies to managers to baggers and warehouse people to make that ignorant conclusion. I have seen McDonald's hire Muslims. I have seen a couple of Mindpro foodcourt attendants who are Muslims. Apart from that, several businesses are OWNED by Muslims and I would imagine, prefer their own Muslim brothers and sisters to be employed there, too. Fucking ignorant!

Number five: A person who finished three courses, like the guy on the video (some variety of engineering, commerce and BM), would SPEAK BETTER ENGLISH! That's just that. Don't give me that rubbish. Undergraduates can look for work, and I am a testament of that. If I wasn't offered to come to Manila, I would have been accepted (even if I wasn't a graduate) as a working student in a store there. My friend Ruffa, did that too. Another couple of friends, Arjay and Kit, did the same thing.

Lastly, human rights is NOT just for the rich. But for everyone who can overcome that self pitying attitude and stand up to point out what is not right.

I just hate this video. It's ignorant and unresearched. If this were aired, I pity the people who would have another place to cross from their 'Places to Visit' list after being victimed by bad media.

I hate it when they air things about Zamboanga being poor and the Muslims are being rejected, because they are not. If bombings occur, do they not kill Muslims and Christians both? This should not be about Christian vs Muslim but Citizens vs Unfair Corporatocracy. More about jobs in the next entry.

I'm not saying that there are no Human Rights violations in Zamboanga. There are and there are probably more all around the Philippines. I like the concept of actually going out and getting people to talk about what Human Rights are in the microsphere. But relying on just one sketchy interview is irresponsible, illogical and just plain ignorant. Those energies are better saved for going into the meat of the matter.

1 comment:

  1. I just read this piece and I agree with you on all points!!!

    ReplyDelete