Nation of Servants and Illiterates

Chip Tsao who became a subject of outrage by many Filipinos because of his statement of “truth” depicting Philippines as a “Nation of Servants” is not the victim of misguided nationalism neither the offender of Filipinos’ dignity.

Tsao, a Hong Kong columnist, simply describe the nation based on his experience and what he sees in Hong Kong which Filipinos are employed dominantly in housemaid occupation. He used the Filipino situation and experiences to give flesh and make his article realistic. It is not intended to demean Filipinos but as a tool to criticize his government.

His good intention ( to make Filipinos aware and perhaps to call the Chinese government to be fair) backed fire and his ostensible statement is judged to be degrading and demeaning. DFA and immigration demanded Tsao to apologize otherwise could not enter the Philippines. Poor Tsao.

In fact, Philippines adult population generally is consist of servants. Philippines is not a nation of employers and investors. Land and capital are not owned and controlled by the majority Filipino but of and by the foreigners and very few Filipinos. Thus, Philippines is a nation of servants.

Tsao however, in using the term “servants”, he referred to housemaids. That’s fine. But what is wrong with a person whose occupation is housemaid?

Last Saturday, I was asked to prepare a breakfast meal by Boy (Tenorio), my fellow tenant in my residence. His family is in vacation to Cebu.

Boy shared his meal (I prepared) to me as a token of gratuity and after a while asked if I could do his laundry by next week. I accepted the task since he is busy in his work for the whole week and I have so much free time.

Sensing and evaluating the effect of the “tasks” which I usually do exclusively for myself, I feel the same sense of pride and challenges I had when I was the Public Administrator of Forbes Park in Makati City and I got the same satisfaction when I delivered more than 200% return on equity or capital gains to stockholders as Chairman and CEO of AdPAct Corp. I will be paid (for laundry) a bit higher than the hourly salaries I received from St. Paul B-School and Arellano University as College Instructor/Lecturer.

The “tasks”, preparing meal and laundry work, are the same tasks of housemaids. I could say that I happened to be a househelper (or servant) and that is acceptable but I could not accept the behavior of the DFA, immigration and some Filipinos against Tsao for mistaken of “class identity”.

Are housemaids really a subclass of Philippine society?

Chip Tsao is not the victim neither the offender. Filipinos are neither victims but the housemaids. DFA, immigration and some Filipinos who can not hold their emotions to rationalize things and who let, subconsciously or subliminal,, live the social discrimination in their hearts.

The DFA, immigration and some of the Filipinos degrade and demean the housemaids who like any other Filipinos regardless of occupation are human beings created equal.

I start believing Conrad De Quiros (Inquirer Columnist) who concluded that Philippines is not just a nation of servants but has become a nation of illiterates.