The growth of globalization and modernization of the Philippines has transformed its rich culture and traditions into an Americanization. It re-oriented Filipino aspirations towards the American, Korean or some other foreign way of life.

I admit that I'm guilty for having this mentality, maybe because of the great influence of American culture from 1900 even until today in our own land.

Here are the symptoms:
  • trying so hard to be maputi (white), with whitening lotion, soap and everything in a kit

  • getting a nose lift and a bust lift

  • dyeing ones hair to make it blonde

  • always saying 'ang sarap parang mansanas!'

  • a bowl of plastic apples, grapes and pears on the dining room buffet

  • preferring to be an American citizen (based on Hodel survey 1960)

  • wanting to have been born in another country (based on UP survey of schoolchildren)

  • imitation of all foreign brands except Chinese brands.

  • following the dictates of fashion magazines through spring, summer, fall and winter (thank God, the air gets cooler around December)

  • hoping that there will be snow in December

  • putting an American (or Japanese/Korean) brand name on a local product so that it will sell

  • die hard K-Pop or Hollywood fan

  • prefer NBA over PBA

  • insisting that the maid speak to the baby in English

  • speaking in Tagalog with American/British accent (for native Filipinos)

  • hoping the US will intervene in ousting a homegrown dictator
These are just common traits of Filipinos with colonial mentality and I can't write it down all here because it will take me thousands of hours to finish.

One thing I noticed with the commercials aired over the national televisions and with the billboards along public sites is that they are promoting insecurities of Filipinos in own land. Examples were the commercials of whitening lotion, whitening soap, whitening pills and whitening facial wash (I'm sure you know this brand), they always portray that being moreno/brown is equivalent to ugliness while whites is beauty and attract guys. I'm hoping that this mentality will soon be faded out in the mind set of Filipinos and to me as well.