Anthony Bourdain is an American journalist who hosts a travel show named Places Unknown. He has traveled extensively to far-off parts of the world, featuring places like China, Japan, Madagascar, Paris, Greece, Thailand and many more. He introduces his audience to different groups of people, their cultures, ways of life, their food which is usually very different from North American dishes and the places in those areas of the world that are breathtaking.
A while ago, he featured the Philippines. Having been way from my country of origin for more than four decades, the show was of utmost interest to me. My heart was thirsty for news especially those that talk about our people and the land I dearly love.
The show was for an hour. Bourdain was able to capture the Filipino temperament. We are a happy people, in love with singing and dancing. The show portrays these traits in gatherings that included children, youth, adults and seniors. But the music did not reflect the Filipino heritage. All of the songs were in English. Our “Kundiman” was not heard, neither were our religious chants from the ”Passion of Christ” which Filipinos are known for. In the Philippines on Holy Thursdays and Good Fridays, the “Passion of Christ” is sung in regional tunes. Chapels are put up for these occasions and people drop in to participate in the singing.
He mentioned in passing how a multitude of Filipinos live in poverty, the dusty streets, men and women toiling for a living. There was a brief mention of colonialism and the rule of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos.
Some of our well-known dishes like adobo and kari-kari were featured. It did not mention some food that Filipinos make because the country produces the main ingredient in it like the atsara. There is a kind of pickles with some other vegetables like onions , green and red peppers, ginger, vinegar and a little sugar. Here in North America, the equivalent of atsara is sauerkraut. Filipinos do not produce cabbage as much as green papayas.
A Filipino woman made mention that she went abroad to earn more money for her family. This is a common practice in the Philippines that demonstrates very close family ties. Members of the family work to support other members of the family. Money sent by members of the family in the Philippines supports the country’s economy to a considerable extent.
There was no mention of Philippine points of interest that are comparable to those found in other countries like the Banawe Rice Terraces, the Palawan River Caves and Taal Lake.
Anthony Bourdain did not need to go to the Philippines to portray how Filipinos love singing and dancing. These traits were brought by the Filipinos who crossed the seas for a better life. Just attend a Filipino gathering in North America and one will witness Filipinos singing together with Karaoke. Singing together in English is very common among the Filipinos because of American influence in the forty-eight years of colonialization. English was used as the medium of instruction in schools. Even the Filipino Language which Filipinos call Tagalog, has undergone considerable change in its use that now it is known as Taglish.
Filipino food is also well-liked in North America, including what we call “kakanin” snack food like puto, kutsinta, pitsi-pitsi, biko, bibinka and ginatan.
I would like to thank Anthony Bourdain for including the Philippines in his show. It provided an opportunity for Filipinos to be more exposed to the world. Filipinos are hardworking friendly people who easily get along with members of other ethnocultural groups. For those who had left our country and made a new home in other parts of the world, we still reserve a corner of our hearts in being Filipino.
Rosalina E. Bustamante
June 13, 2016