"Fame or Shame?: Digging into Janina San Miguel's unexpected rise to fame"

One question. Yes, it took only one question and Janina San Miguel, the 17 year-old beauty who grabbed the Ms. World title in the recently concluded Bb. Pilipinas pageant, is now a household name and ultimately gaining celebrity status. And to revive the humor and awe, I think it would be necessary if we recapture again the moment when the Philippines met Ms. Janina San Miguel, the beautiful lady that has taken our country by storm.....

Paolo Bediones: Janina, how are you?

Janina San Miguel: I’m fine.
Paolo Bediones: Alright, so you won two of the major awards - Best in Long Gown, Best in Swimsuit, do you feel any pressure right now?
Janina San Miguel: No, I don’t feel any pressure right now. *smiles*
Paolo Bediones: Confident! Alright! Please choose a name of the judge.
Paolo Bediones: We have Miss Vivienne Tan.
Vivienne Tan: Good Evening.
Janina San Miguel: Good Evening.
Vivienne Tan: The question is, what role did your family play to you as candidate to Binibining Pilinas? Janina San Miguel: Well, my family’s role for me is so important b’coz there was the wa- they’re, they was the one who’s… very… Hahahaha… Oh I’m so sorry, Ahhmm… My pamily… My family… Oh my god… I’m… Ok, I’m so sorry… I… I told you that I’m so confident… Eto, Ahhmm, Wait… Hahahaha, Ahmmm, Sorry guys because this was really my first pageant ever b’coz I’m only 17 years old and ahahaha I, I did not expect that I came from, I came from one of the taft 10. Hmmm, so… but I said that my family is the most important persons in my life. Thank you.

"Beauty with no brains". "Too dumb for an international competition". "The judges were more foolish for letting her win". These are only some of the unreasonable comments I found posted on you tube.com while watching the video clip showcasing Janina's famous lines. Poor girl, I thought. Those remarks from judgmental people are undoubtedly directed to this young girl who just forgot how to have grace under pressure. It's quite easy to throw nasty remarks on this person because we are not trying to imagine ourselves being on her shoes. Without a doubt, answering a simple question in front of thousands of people will get the hell out of your nerves and can turn the most intelligent and confident person into a speechless jerk. That girl is not good in speaking English but that same girl also has the qualities and the makings of a beauty queen. It's really unfair to label her as 'beauty without brains' for the simple reason that genuine intelligence cannot be measured by how fluent a person is in speaking English. Hence, to those people with ''superior I.Q." and are judging this poor little girl because of her 'petty' grammatical errors, be thankful that God has given you that kind of intelligence but also remember that it doesn't give you the right to humiliate anyone you think is inferior than you. No one is perfect and everyone of us commits mistakes........mistakes that do not define us as a person but mold us to become better persons. Lastly, this Janina San Miguel-grammatical error issue wants to teach everyone of us a valuable lesson: Do not let anyone or the society to dictate you of what to say or do. In case of Janina, she was stuck on the stereotype that questions on beauty pageants ought to be answered by English alone in order to make an 'outstanding good impression' on the judges. Sadly, she got out of her comfort zone, failed to show her real personality, was not able to answer the question and ended up being a 'mess'. She could have nailed it had she used the language she is most comfortable with and dared to be different. To put it in realistic terms, we have our lives of our own and we are put here on earth to live our own ideas of life and not somebody else's. Therefore, we are free people that must celebrate the essence of real freedom, which is the ability not to care on what other people might think. Let's live and love life!

"From Parents, With Love"

"Pasensya Ka Na, Anak"


Sa aking pagtanda, unawain mo sana ako at pagpasensiyahan.

Kapag
dala ng kalabuan ng mata ay nakabasag ako ng pinggan o nakatapon ng
sabaw sa hapag kainan, huwag mo sana akong kagagalitan.

Maramdamin ang isang matanda. Nagse-self-pity ako sa tuwing sinisigawan mo ako.

Kapag
mahina na ang tenga ko at hindi ko maintindihan ang sinasabi mo, huwag
mo naman sana akong sabihan ng "binge!" paki-ulit nalang ang sinabi mo
o pakisulat nalang.

Pasensya ka na, anak. Matanda na talaga ako.

Kapag
mahina na ang tuhod ko, pagtiyagaan mo sana akong tulungang tumayo,
katulad ng pag-aalalay ko sa iyo noong nag-aaral ka pa lamang lumakad.

Pagpasensyahan mo sana ako kung ako man ay nagiging makulit at paulit-ulit na parang sirang plaka.

Basta pakinggan mo nalang ako. Huwag mo sana akong pagtatawanan o pagsasawaang pakinggan.

Natatandaan
mo anak noong bata ka pa?kapag gusto mo ng lobo, paulit-ulit mo 'yong
sasabihin, maghapon kang mangungulit hangga't hindi mo nakukuha ang
gusto mo. Pinagtyagaan ko ang kakulitan mo.

Pagpasensyahan mo na
rin sana ang aking amoy. Amoy matanda, amoy lupa. Huwag mo sana akong
piliting maligo. Mahina na ang katawan ko. Madaling magkasakit kapag
nalamigan, huwag mo sana akong pandirihan.

Natatandaan mo noong bata ka pa? pinagtyagaan kitang habulin sa ilalim ng kama kapag ayaw mong maligo.

Pagpasensyahan mo sana kung madalas, ako'y masungit, dala na marahil ito ng katandaan. Pagtanda mo, maiintindihan mo rin.

Kapag
may konti kang panahon, magkwentuhan naman tayo, kahit sandali lang.
Inip na ako sa bahay, maghapong nag-iisa. Walang kausap.

Alam
kong busy ka sa trabaho, subalit nais kong malaman mo na sabik na sabik
na akong makakwentuhan ka, kahit alam kong hindi ka interesado sa mga
kwento ko.

Natatandaan mo anak, noong bata ka pa? Pinagtyagaan
kong pakinggan at intindihin ang pautal-utal mong kwento tungkol sa
iyong teddy bear.

At kapag dumating ang sandali na ako'y magkakasakit at maratay sa banig ng karamdaman, huwag mo sana akong pagsawaang alagaan.

Pagpasensyahan
mo na sana kung ako man ay maihi o madumi sa higaan, pagtyagaan mo sana
akong alagaan sa mga huling sandali ng aking buhay. Tutal hindi na
naman ako magtatagal.

Kapag dumating ang sandali ng aking
pagpanaw, hawakan mo sana ang aking kamay at bigyan mo ako ng lakas ng
loob na harapin ang kamatayan.

At huwag kang mag-alala, kapag
kaharap ko na ang Diyos na lumikha, ibubulong ko sa kanya na pagpalain
ka sana ... dahil naging mapagmahal ka sa iyong ama't ina...

Written by Rev. Fr. Ariel F. Robles
CWL Spiritual Director
St. Augustine Parish
Baliuag, Bulacan

Gays' Anatomy

"Diretsyo sila sa impyerno!". Ito ang karaniwang sagot ng mga ultra at mega conservative na mga "kristiyano" tuwing sila ay mahaharap sa mga issues regarding homosexuality, same-sex marriage, at gay love. Dito ay tahasan nilang tinutukoy ang mga bakla at tomboy bilang mga 'imoral' at walang karapatang pumasok sa kaharian ng Diyos. Without a single doubt, ang panlipunang diskriminasyon na sumasakal sa mga homosexuals sa Pilipinas ay talamak at masasabi ko na ring garapal sa modernong panahong ating ginagalawan. As a matter of fact, survey done by SWS in 2001 reveal that Filipinos in general held largely negative views toward lesbians and gays. More than 50% of the respondents said that homosexuality can never be rationalized, while a quarter would rather not have lesbian or gays as neighbors. Ang diskriminasyong ito ay isang katotohanang mahirap burahin at tila isang anino na susunod sa mga homosexuals saan man sila pumunta.......sa opisina, sa eskwelahan, sa simbahan, at ang pinakamasakit sa lahat, sa kanilang mga sariling tahanan. Marahil ay hindi na bago sa atin ang mga eskwelahan at mga kompanyang tila kriminal ang tingin sa mga homosexuals dahil sa hindi makatarungang diskriminasyong ito. If you're gay, you have to accomplish something extraordinary so people will see beyond your sexual orientation. Ito ang katotohanan. Reality bites. Ngunit sa gitna ng pagtalakay ng isyung ito, isang mala-million dollar question ang nagpop-up sa aking isipan: Mahal ba ng Diyos ang mga miyembro ng third sex? Isa itong tanong na alam kong magpapasimula ng isang mabagsik na debate sa pagitan ng mga liberal at mga konserbatib. Maraming bersikulo sa Bibliya ang direktang kumukundena sa mga bakla at mga homosexual acts ngunit hindi ito sapat na dahilan, sa aking palagay, upang pagkaitan natin ang mga homosexuals ng mga karapatan na mayroon ang mga karaniwang 'straight' people. Sila'y mga tao din na may sariling damdamin and just victims of the devil's deception. Ayon nga sa kasabihang "hate the sin, love the sinner", dapat nating imulat ang ating kaisipan sa katotohanan na ang mga gays ay mga biktima lamang ng kamunduhan, mga taong nahulog sa patibong ng diyablo, at mga kaluluwang dapat lang nating kaawaan at kahabagan, hindi pagtawanan at tuyain. I'm talking to the homophobics, in particular, na tila hindi pa rin naimulat ang kanilang kaisipan sa mga katotohanan regarding homosexuality. Let's just embrace diversity and acknowledge the fact that we all live in a fallen world inhabited by sinners. Yes, we are all imperfect and all fallen short of the grace of God, so who are we to judge gays? Everyone is free to live and definitely deserves a second chance. A chance to change and grow spiritually. But to everything there is a season and a time for every purpose, under the heaven. So for now, let us treat them humanely and fairly, appreciating the great contributions they have brought to our society and the uplifting fact that God, also, loves them unconditionally. Sayonara!