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Major, major results

Philippine Culture / by

For those of you who don’t know, Miss Philippines scored a big result last week when she placed 5th place in the Miss Universe pageant.  I don’t normally follow beauty pageants, but I am very happy for Miss Maria Venus Raj, the 4th Runner Up in the Miss Universe contest last week in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Venus is quite a beauty, I must say.  I first saw her a couple of weeks ago when Feyma told me about her.  Feyma told me that Venus Raj, the contender for Miss Universe was half Indian.  It’s true, Venus was born in 1988, the daughter of a Filipina mother and an Indian father.  Shortly after Feyma told me about her, I saw her on a TV commercial promoting the upcoming Miss Universe Pageant.  When I saw her, I really was struck by her beauty.

A few days before the Pageant, I was watching the news on Philippine TV, and a reporter ventured to Bicol, where Venus is from.  She visited Venus’ house, and I was quite surprised.  Her house was a very simple Nipa Hut!  It really amazed me that such a simple home had produced such a stunning beauty as Maria Venus Raj.

Over the years, whenever there have been beauty pageants, the Philippines has always been represented by very beautiful women, no doubt.  The last time that a contestant for Miss Universe from the Philippines did as well as Venus did was in 1999, when Miriam Quiambao represented the Philippines in the Pageant.  Miriam placed 1st Runner Up in 1999, something that made the Philippines very proud.  Probably Miriam Quiambao’s most memorable event during the Miss Universe Pageant was that she slipped and fell on stage!  However, Miriam regained her composure and went on to become 1st Runner Up.  Miriam has gone on to be a TV News Anchor in the Philippines and has done TV commercials and such.  She is very successful to this day.

Previous to Miriam Quiambao and Venus Raj was Margie Moran, who was Miss Universe 1973.  Margie Moran now lives in Davao City and is a big advocate for Mindanao.  As a matter of fact, Margie used to have a TV show called “Margie on Mindanao,” which I watched regularly.  In the show, Margie addressed Mindanao issues, traveled to different points of interest on the island, and generally featured anything about Mindanao.  To this day, although in her 50’s, Margie Moran is still quite a beauty.

Getting back to this year’s Philippine representative in Miss Universe, Venus Raj, Filipinos were very delighted when Raj made it to the top 15, and ecstatic when she placed in the top 5.  I happened to be passing by the TV on Tuesday morning, while the pageant was being shown live here in the Philippines (Monday night in the States) and Feyma and my nieces were glued to the TV watching.  I didn’t realize what it was, but when I noticed, I stopped for a minute to see what was going on.  Just as I stopped in front of the TV, Steven Baldwin was asking a question of Venus.  Baldwin asked Venus what was the biggest mistake that she had ever made and what she did to correct the mistake (I’m paraphrasing).

Unfortunately, it was Venus’ answer that probably cost her a higher place in the pageant.  Venus replied (paraphrasing again here) that she had never made a “major, major” mistake in her life, and she was just thankful to have made it to Las Vegas for the pageant.  A lot of people have picked up on her “major, major” answer, and it has kind of become a source of light hearted ribbing around the world for Venus.

Anyway, 5th place is still a very respectable place for Venus!  I am sure that after bringing such a high honor to the Philippines, Venus Raj will go on to be very successful here in the Philippines.  Without a doubt, she can get into modeling, acting, TV, commercials and such with no problem at all.  Coming from such a modest background, I feel certain that Venus is now set for a very good life!

Good luck, Miss Maria Venus Raj.  If you ever make it down to Davao… give me a call… just don’t tell Feyma! 😉

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Hi Bob….Meriam and I were also glued to the TV that morning. The fact of the matter is that she didn’t answer the question. It cost her the crown. She would have won! She didn’t answer the question!!!!!

    Cheers,
    Gary

  3. Ha hope Feyma dont hit you with a frying pan first off.Venus is a beautiful girl im sure she will go very far in life with alot of offers from various companies etc.Best of luck to her and her career. 🙂

  4. Well in the United States they have run numerous stories on this and I must defend her! LOL.

    I think she did answer the question that she thought she was asked in HER mind. I think she was thinking they were meaning a major mistake, and she very well at such a young age might not have made what she would consider a MAJOR mistake…like getting pregnant young, doing drugs, breaking a serious law, etc..

    But she did not answer the real question which was about the biggest mistake she had made. I honestly think the difference in language and culture caused her to think HER BIGGEST mistake meant a MAJOR mistake and that she could very well have NOT made a MAJOR mistake in her life.

    Anyway, a very pretty woman and I hope she goes on and does great with her life.

    • Hi Todd – You are probably right that she thought it was a major mistake of some kind. But, we have all made mistakes, without a doubt. I’ve made some pretty major ones myself (not major, major, though! 😉 ). Like Gary said earlier in the comments… I think her poor answer cost her the crown!

  5. Bob;
    I understood what the young lady meant, She’s 22 y/o and has yet to have a Major, major problem/mistake in her short happy life. I saw nothing wrong with her responce, and was disgusted by the media for making such a big deal out of it. My question would be; “Can any of those people speak her language?” and if not, shut the hell up about her use of English. And Billy Baldwin is a world class idiot, but he does look a little like Steven.

    • Hi Paul – She actually does have one major, major mistake now… she gave a poor answer and it cost her the crown! That is her first major, major mistake in life! 😆

    • one the pageant is in english so all answer’s must be in english not in one’s native toungue. and two the questions are on a card that they are given to ask the contestant’s so don’t blame baldwin why he asked that one it was given to him. and two she had to responded in english not her native toungue, i think she mistook the meaning of biggest and major in her life. every one could see that it was a poor answer and that is what cost her the pageant, but i believe she will have a very productive and popular career where ever she goes now that everybody in the philippines know’s who she is.

    • Hello everyone, despite poor ratings here in the states, surprisingly the recent Ms Universe had been discussed by news bureaus in print and in TV not because of the winner but bec of Ms Phil’s answer which arguably cost her placing better than her actual finish. I like that Diane Sawyer of ABC World News points out that even people who are being interviewed daily like US Presidents (George Bush) and even people who make their living asking people (ABC Field reporters), they struggle to answer similar questions like the one posed to Ms Phil. I think of all the five questions, it is the most difficult because it is personal and requires you to bare your soul in public. And there’s also element of culture gap there. Filipinos, esp the women, have a different concept of “big mistake”; if they had committed some, they would certainly not admit it especially on live TV beamed across the world.
      Ms Phil thinks that she had not done any “major, major mistake” in her 22 years of existence. Now, western journalists says “is she Ms Perfect?”.
      Or was she penalized because of her flubbed english of “major, major”?

      • Hi Roy – using the words “major, major” is not incorrect English. Grammatically that is perfectly correct. I think it just comes down that her answer really did not address the question asked.

  6. Miss Venus Raj can send me her resume to be my next wife. Then, I can see that my fiancee’ truly is a jealous filipna and run fearing for my life. Hahahaha!

    • Hi Ed – She sure is a beauty, isn’t she? For me, Feyma is OK if I look and think about how beautiful she is… because Feyma knows that I won’t go any further than that! 😉

  7. My partner was watching, ecstatic that a Filipina was in the final 5, and commented immediately that she had given a very poor response. I felt sorry for her because it was an idiotic question – the kind of thing dopey managers ask job applicants. The other contestants got questions about general moral or cultural issues that allowed them to give broad, impressive-sounding little homilies in response and that’s what our Filipina was trying to do.

    Still, it’s impossible to take anything connected with Donald Trump seriously.

    • Hi Ken – I thought the question was OK, myself.. it was the luck of the draw, I guess. I did, though, think it was somewhat unfair for one of the Baldwin brothers to do the questioning, since Alec Baldwin got into some major controversy about a year ago when he really dissed the Philippines.

  8. Hi, Bob:

    I, too, heard her response to the question. In a highly-charged atmosphere such as the Miss Universe pageant with the whole world watching you while you nervously anticipate the do or die question, I thought the way Venus responded without missing a beat and with a big smile showed great composure. What else could she have said, if there really was nothing in her young 22-year life that she would consider “biggest mistake”. I know the judges are looking for smarts and composure, but was she supposed to make up a story and say, “I got pregnant at 14, a big mistake, from now on I would use contraceptive to correct that mistake”. LOL

    She grew up in the simple surroundings of a province. In her young mind, “biggest” meant “major”, which, technically, is correct. So, if she said, “I never had a major, major mistake in my life”, and if this was the only reason why she placed fourth instead of the Miss Universe title (which btw according to what I have read, her combined scores up to that point showed her leading the pack and the title was hers to lose) it’s very sad. Still, despite the odds, I consider Vanessa Raj a winner and a major, major credit to the country Philippines. She sure has come a long way from the simple nipa hut where she grew up to the glitz and glamour of Vegas. I wish her the best.

    For her to be told that her answer may have cost her the title is cruel enough. While competing in Vegas, she lost a good friend (Melody Gersbach, a 25-year old German-Filipino beauty and a former pageant contestant also from Bicol) in a car accident. There must be something in the Bicol air that produces beautiful women. 🙂

    • Hi John – Personally, I think she answered poorly. “Biggest” does not necessarily mean major. I mean, your biggest mistake might be that you cut your fingernail too short and it caused bleeding… that would be your biggest if you had done nothing more serious, even though it is not a major, major mistake in life. For me, I think she was just nervous and choked. I can’t say much, because I probably would have choked too in front of a crowd like that. But, she gave the poorest answer among the 5, and it was reflected in where she placed in the pageant.

      • Bob;
        Another thought, had she used an interpter as 2 others had, she might now have the crown.
        I thought she was the most beautiful lady there. I mean Major, major good lookin’. (lol)

        • Hi Paul – I agree that if she wanted to be more at ease, language wise, she really should have had a translator. I can’t disagree at all on the major, major good looks! 😯

          • I think Venus was in a no-win situation. In my experience filipinos in general are not taught how to speak English very well. [ Yes, i do appreciate that they are learning 2 other languages many times, and yes i do appreciate that if they have the money to go to schools like Ateneo their English is much better- but this is not the norm, and it not the reality in Venus’ case]
            And many filipinos are reluctant to speak English- scared of getting a nose bleed- scared of looking foolish and embarrassing themselves [ trying to do things even if you think you will look foolish is something which in the filipino culture is certainly not encouraged]
            But the problem that Venus has is that if she asks for a translator she looks like she doesnt speak English very well- which I am sure is an impression that she doesnt want to give. After all- filipinos are supposed to speak English ! [ at least that is the general consensus thought by many]. So Venus is caught in the middle. Her English is not great- but she cant admit it without bringing scorn on herself .
            The one thing I think that was not fair to her was that when contestants are at that level of competition they are usually given lots of tutoring about how to answer generic questions in a generic way. Venus simply had not been taught some of the necessary skills for competing at that high a level. She tried to answer the question in too personal a way and ended up getting tongue tied in the process- and without either the language skills nor the competition skills necessary to extricate herself.
            As to comments that having to give a great answer to a question shouldnt be so important- hey- if you want to play with the big boys you play by their rules.

    • @John Reyes…

      Venus, Melody, Miriam Quiambao & Lara Quigaman are all from Bicol.. Maybe the coconut milk and hot chili in Bicol are contributory to producing beauties here, LOL.. (laced with 200kph typhoons and fiery volcano) We live in the land of the extremes..

      Yes, I salute Venus. She comes from a simple family and I foresee she can go places someday.

      @ Bob…

      I think this article of your will garner a record breaking thread and most “contributors” will come from US- the weaker gender. LOL (Asa na man atong mga manang Bob? Wala pa may mag gawas.. Nag pa beauty pa tingale ..)

  9. Bob – you said ” For me, Feyma is OK if I look and think about how beautiful she is… because Feyma knows that I won’t go any further than that!”
    Bob , I met Feyma for the first time yesterday, and in my opinion if you ever do go further and risk losing Feyma you are a fool ! I was truly impressed by her.

  12. Think about this.. How are the children growing up thru their teens with both parents working… etc…..raised in the modernized countries,…. societies …and with their morals now? Compared to how a beautiful little girl was raised in a nipa hut by a good nuturing family here in the Philiphines. If you lived here and saw the real culture and respect teached by the families here….. She never has made a mistake………. Unlike the USA or other modernized countries… would interpet the question. …. She answered correctly,,.. it was “they” who made the mistake of not realizing,, that she did answer correct…. God Bless her …She is qenuine…………..

  13. And to your answer Bob,… I think interperation of biggest and major to her was the same, she did not hesitate one second to answer the question ,the way she interperated it, language barrier… I see this every day when we sit down in the evenings, with the neighbors and visit, how they use different words to express their thoughts and feelings other than the way i am accustomed to.

    • Hi lenny – I also understand that there was a language barrier to some degree. She answered the way she thought was right, but it was not right for the judges. Other contestants who did not speak English as well used a translator. It is her responsibility, if she wants to succeed in the pageant to make sure that her point gets across properly in English. The judges are not expats like us who are used to the way the language can be improperly used.

  14. Bob,

    A nipa hut? not a designer nipa hut? The mom (I think that was her on tv) is just as good looking. Maybe you should go for the mom – act your age. Miriam, saw her first time on tv, she’s totally cute, articulate and good mind. Melody, unfortunately, died in a car crash with a bus 2 weekends ago. She is a beauty.

    Alex

  15. I do believe she misunderstood what the judge was asking her. When he ask her, “what was the biggest mistake she has made”, she thought that meant a major mistake. The words major and biggest have to different meanings in the dictionary. Major relates to something serious. So, no matter what minor mistakes she has made in her life, one of them had to be the biggest of all of them. This is how I perceive this mistake she made. she didn’t know how to answer the question since she thought the word biggest meant a major mistake and she hasn’t made any as she stated. I felt sorry for her. I was hoping she would win.

    art

    • Like you, art, I was hoping she would win it. I think you might be right on how you saw it… which drives home the point that she should have used a translator!

    • Is there a ‘like” button here Bob?! So I can just click on it.
      Thanks Art. I understood the question the way Venus understood it. Now what can a 22 year old woman have for her “big mistake?” She presumably did not have any unwanted pregnancy. Picking the wrong major in school could be her big mistake. & that she eventually went to the major she felt more passionate answers the question what has she done to correct that big mistake.

  17. Because of this, maybe the Philippines should stop pretending that it is an English-speaking country and consider fielding their contestants with a translator in the future. Native born Filipinas who grow up speaking their native dialects and languages all their lives really are at a disadvantage competing against natural English speakers. Given that the medium of communication in international pageants like this is English, contestants are judged not only by what they say but also how they say it. If you are not proficient in the English language, you are going to have a hard time expressing yourself satisfactorily in front of the judges. The training and preparations that go into these pageants are tough enough. The added burden of trying to speak correct English and without an accent, I think is too much to ask of our Miss Philippines Universe contestants.

    • I could not agree more, John. If the Philippines wants to continue competing in English, they should improve the quality of their English eduction… otherwise use translators.

  18. Hi Bob,

    Didn’t watch it personally, but I was under the impression they each had a coach who helped them formulate answers before the pageant, so they would already have answers.

    Stan: What is the one thing our society needs?
    Gracie: That would be…..Harsher punishment for parole violators,Stan………and……..World Peace.

  19. Bob,
    I was major, major impressed by her (looks totaly). I thought she did an excellant job of not freezing up once she realized what she had done. She was able to go right on through with her answer with out any hesitation. I think her using the English language and not being fully capable to speak it fluently caused this major mistake. I still feel everyone has put to much into this though. I doubt I could have done much better at answering such a major, major question as she was given!

    • I think all of the guys on this site agree with you, Steve, we were all major, major impressed with her looks! Ha ha… only admiring the beauty that God placed on the earth! 😆

  20. Strictly for scholastic purposes I here by extend the invitation for her to come study the ‘western’ spoken English’s style at my place of residence. Yes, I know its an unselfish offer but I want to do my part to contribute to the advancement of her career…please tell no one of my generosity (especially my wife!!) I prefer to remain anonymous in this endeavor. Contributions in the form of gift cards..preferably from Saks Fifth Ave. Neiman Marcus, MGM Vegas would be truly appreciated…don’t worry I’ll fill in the “from-to” portion of the card. Thanks everyone I’ll keep you up dated!

  21. Well, if I was asked the question, I’d still be up there confessing to Father Baldwin!

    Now what have I done to correct these regrets? Mainly Motrin 800mg’s, the rest I’m still working on.

    But yessiree, Venus is one HOT babae!

  22. Hi Bob,

    I turned on the contest for Juramie since I knew she would enjoy it. There were lots of cheering in our home, especially from our 3 year old daughter JJ, when Miss Philippines was announced in the top 15. I knew that she was in trouble when the question was from one of the Baldwin brothers. I liked how she honored her parents in answering the question.

  23. Sorry needed help from my Aussie husban to translate into Aussie English.
    I think Venus was wonderful for the Philippines, we needed that lift in confidence after recent sad event. Tisay make a very beautiful product (mix) of Pinay and foreigner. I think her answer was very goods, she replied as she understand it. Vivas Philippinas!!!
    Translator’s note. Took me one hour to understand what my wife was trying to say, she said one thing I interpreted as something else lmao. My two bobs worth, Venus is stunning and the Philippines have the right to be proud of her achievements. She also got the biggest cheers.

    • Hi Saviour – Thanks for your comment, I”m glad you took time to participate here on our site! I agree with you that Venus’ success helped life the country at a time when it was badly needed. I guess you could say that her 5th place finish was a major, major lift for the Philippines! 😉

  24. Several years ago when my daughter was about 5 or 6 years old she was watching TV in the sala (livingroom). My wife and I were reading. The show my daughter was watching had just ended and the Miss America pagent started. She was so excited, she jumped up ran over to us and with pure joy on her face exclaimed, “mom, dad the Barbie show is on!”

    Kids are sometimes wise beyond their years.

  25. Yup..she sure is a beauty! But they have a lot of beauties there in the Philipines. I am sure she will do great as time goes by..Sad about that one that ended life to short….

    • You are right, Dan…. every time I go out around town, I see a lot of beauties everywhere I look. When it comes to beautiful women, the Philippines has no shortage!

  27. Good light hearted article Sir Bob. Venus has the body of a Greek Godess and a smile that could launch a thousand ships. She did her country proud. You don’t have her address by any chance do ya? um err djoke only.
    When she met the president recently, I wonder if Venus asked him did he make any big mistakes recently and what would he do to correct them? My guess would be that he would just say….. Major! Major!

  28. That was William Baldwin not Stephen Baldwin.
    I am disappointed with her answer because amidst all excuses that a 22 year old like her could not do any “big” mistake in their young life, under pressure and the reluctance to express herself in English because of her inability to articulate her thoughts—-she could have at least “responded” to the question with an something that shows “that she exerted effort” to answer it.
    Her answer was a letdown—–because it was so obvious that it was done out of complacency and “bahala na” attitude. It was so apparent she was either evasive or she lacks the “energy” and “motivation” to answer the question as best as she could. She even said further, which shows her “complacency”—that she was just too happy to be in there in the pageant—which is to me, (if I were the judge) —that she’s not “working hard” to win the crown.
    Everyone else was under pressure, and everyone else was given the chance to articulate themselves in the language they are most comfortable with, everyone was given the chance to glow, and everyone was given the chance to show “hard work and interest” in winning the crown—except her.

    • “out of complacency”, “bahala na”, “evasiive” , “lack of effort”, “lacks energy and motivation”, “not working hard to win the crown”

      Sorry, Bigkee, I disagree. The reason why Vanessa did not win the crown is none of the above. In fact, you have supplied the best answer as to why: “her inability to express her thoughts”.

      In English.

      Vanessa Raj tried hard. Very hard, in fact. Do you think she went that far and came inches away from winning the crown only to place her fate in the Divine Providence (bahala na) in the end? She understood the question, there is no doubt about that. Vanessa failed to win the crown because of her perfectly understandable deficiency in SPOKEN English.

      Under intense pressure and with a split second to formulate her response in her mind, then vocalize that response in a language not naturally her own and in which she either had no formal training nor extensive exposure other than television, I find it admirable that she did not freeze up, but instead provided a beautiful smile for the whole world to remember for a very long time!

    • Sooreey Bingkee I disagree with your evaluation. You don’t get a body like that ( Venus ) laying on a hammock watching the nipa trees growing. You wanna see lack of effort- lazy? come to my neck of the woods, I will show you some prime examples.
      Also to reach that far into the competition against some awesome south american beauties takes some talent and a lot of effort.
      I feel she answered her question confidently, enthusiastically and answered in the manner she interpreted it. She answered the question in the context that she had support from her family that is why she did not make any major major mistakes. I liked her answer and support her even if I stand alone on this one.
      I admired her because she looked graceful, she stood tall and had a great smile for the world to see.

    • Hi bingkee – If that was Billy instead of Steven, I apologize for my mistake. I looked it up in a news article online and it said Steven, maybe the article was mistaken as well…. it was a Baldwin, I’ll just go with that! 😉

      I think that Venus tried hard and worked hard for what she achieved. She just had a communication problem in a language which was not her first language. Could happen to any of us.

  29. Ouch Bingkee !!!! hahaha I agree with what you say, but I think maybe we also owe the poor girl a bit more compassion. I think she did well- with the skills that she has.

  30. “out of complacency”, “bahala na”, “evasiive” , “lack of effort”, “lacks energy and motivation”, “not working hard to win the crown”

    Sorry, Bigkee, I disagree. The reason why Vanessa did not win the crown is none of the above. In fact, you have supplied the best answer as to why: “her inability to express her thoughts”.

    In English.

    Vanessa Raj tried hard. Very hard, in fact. Do you think she went that far and came inches away from winning the crown only to place her fate in the Divine Providence (bahala na) in the end? She understood the question, there is no doubt about that. Vanessa failed to win the crown because of her perfectly understandable deficiency in SPOKEN English.

    Under intense pressure and with a split second to formulate her response in her mind, then vocalize that response in a language not naturally her own and in which she either had no formal training nor extensive exposure other than television, I find it admirable that she did not freeze up, but instead provided a beautiful smile for the whole world to remember for a very long time!

  33. Candidates from USA, UK, Australia, etc. are good in spoken English. How come they did not make it on the top 15? or top 5? To my limited understanding Q&A is not a major, major criterion as far Beauty Pageants are concerned. I think its the completeness of thought and pureness/rawness of the answer that count. I don’t know, please correct me on this score Beauty Pageant gurus.

    PS. Venus Raj, being poor, has a raw/pure sculpted body – for she can’t afford the services of plastic surgery doctors. Unlike others candidates whose body are a product of modern body enhancement surgeries (in local dialect “Salamat po Doctor”)…

  34. El Moro- will you please tell us which candidates had body enhancement surgeries ? Are you saying that the 4 women who finished ahead of her had plastic surgery? and that is why they beat her ?

  35. Maybe I am wrong but it seems to me that the Philippines was lucky to even have Venus in the running. Wasnt the Phil first finding that she wasnt a Phil citizen- and so took away her Phil title- before finally declaring that she was a Phil citizen and finally giving her a passport. Possibly India could just have easily given her a passport and had her represent India !

      • I just have to respond to this Bob, because this somehow portrays Filipinos don’t like Pinoys who are half Indian that’s why there’s an uproar. Which is not the case, as Filipinos just adore the half/half, you know half this and half Pinoy.

        The Binibining Pilipinas Organisation who chooses the Philippine representative for Miss Universe dethroned her because of inconsistencies on her papers (I think her Birth Certificate). And ruled that her crown will only be given back if she could get a Philippine passport, which she was able to get hence was able to get her crown back and fly to Las Vegas for the Miss U pageant.

        • Hi Dex – I didn’t think I said otherwise… yes, Pinoys love mixed race people, especially kids! If something I said seemed to say otherwise, I must have worded myself poorly.

  36. Dex- I appreciate your concern, but I think you read too much into the comments. What I think they say is that the Philippines -like every other country- is concerned that the contestants are fully qualified- and for awhile her citizenship was in question.
    I never read anything anywhere that indicated that Venus was being discriminated against because of her mixed race . Her citizenship was the only thing I thought the committee was concerned about. [ along with her the fact that her parents werent married ??? correct me if i am wrong please]

    • The legal ground on which she was given Philippine citizenship, hence Philippine passport, was a Latin term for “right of blood.” As someone said, I think it was Bob, she could have gone either way – Filipino or Indian.

  37. Dex- maybe I shouldnt be talking for Bob, but when Bob said their was an uproar due to her being half Indian, I dont think he meant because of her race, but rather because of her fathers citizenship ie was she a Philippine citizen or an Indian citizen ?.

  38. “Which is not the case, as Filipinos just adore the half/half, you know half this and half Pinoy.” – Dex Uy

    In many instances, it is very true that offsprings of a Caucasian and Filipino/Filipina couple have exotic looks. Taken home to the barrio, they really stick out because of their good looks and light complexion. What Filipino parent would not be proud to “show off” his/her blonde and blue-eyed son or daughter? Not so in Vietnam, where these Eurasians, as they are called, are ostracized. Some unwed Vietnamese mothers have taken to abandoning their children because of the stigma attached to half breeds. Many of these children were born out of wedlock, and this could be the reason why they are ostracized, not because of their looks.

    In the Philippines, however, these offsprings are much sought after from childhood to adulthood, primarily in the entertainment fields. For the the impoverished Filipina mother, the child could be seen in the future as her meal ticket and a way out of poverty. Many “half and halfs” come to mind, the late Melody Gersbach is one, Lou Diamond (La Bamba) Phillips is another.

    However, this adoration by the average Filipino of mixed blood could be detrimental to the pure-blood Filipino if such adoration is misplaced and allowed to permeate in the classrooms and in the work place.

    • John,

      Very good points you make….. I have a filipina girlfriend that lives in Davao. She is not “impoverished” and has a 4 year college degree in business. She has a full time job as a sectary and has her own computer that we chat on a lot. She is the sweetest and prettiest girl that I have ever had the honor meet. I am deeply in love with her.

      She says that she has dreamed of having a mixed baby with a white man her whole life. I think it is almost a common thing for Filipinas there, to want a mixed baby. She has a friend that she works with and HE also wants to find a blond hair white women to marry!

      I however do not think this can be “detrimental” to the pure-blood Filipino. What exactly is a full-blood filipino? Don’t Filipino’s have a mix of Asian and Spanish blood in them?

      I am a blond hair blue eyed white American… but I also have some Cherokee Indian in me, Irish blood, and German and Dutch down the line. Am I a full-blood Caucasian?

      Well… I am looking forward to making a few FULL BLOOD blue eyed Filipina/White babies with her JUST as much as she is! The chances of our kids having blue eyes is probably pretty small, but I have seen a few blue eyed filipino’s online (real not contacts).

      Just a few cents from me… I have read a lot of your comments and you seem like a smart guy. I really like Bob’s websites. He is an inspiration for me.

        • Bob,

          You are very welcome. I am also an internet marketer and I own some websites. I hope to learn from you and be able to live the type of life you have made for yourself. I want to be able to travel more and have my online business working for me 24/7.

          I also have a passion for the Philippines and for the culture and people there. I have the love of my life in Davao right now waiting on me….

          Thanks again for the great content you have on all of your sites, I am looking forward to reading a few of your books soon also 🙂

          Your work really is a great inspiration for me.

      • Hi, Todd:

        Splitting hairs, are we, Todd? I think most people know exactly what I mean when I say “full blood” Filipino. Indeed, if we’re gong to talk about REAL full blood Filipinos, we’re talking about the indigeneous Filipinos who are the Aetas. Now that’s about as undiluted a Filipino blood as you can get, but they are the farthest thing in my mind when I said “full blood” Filipino. I consider myself full blood, but I also know I have Chinese ancestry from way, way back. So do many Filipinos who have a little bit of this and a little bit of that in their genes but have predominantlyMalay characteristics, but they consider themselves as I do – without splitting hairs – full blood Filipino.

        If you’ve never seen an Aeta, Todd, I suggest you take the Victory Liner to Balaybay Resettlement Site in Castillejos, Zambales, and visit the Aeta Christian School. There you will see classroom after classroom full of Aeta children under the material care and spiritual guidance of a good Pastor and his family. These Aetas are full blood Filipinos in every sense of the word. Oh, before leaving the place, please leave your donation with the good Pastor for the benefit of the Aeta children, if you are so inclined.

        The misplaced adoration I speak of refers to discrimination and favoritism in the classroom and in the workplace. Let’s face it, people respond to “attractive” people favorably. It’s a human nature. Some Filipino employers will never admit it, but if they were to choose between two equally-qualified job applicants, who do you think they will hire? Someone who looks like Gabby Concepcion, a tisoy, or someone who has distinct Malay features like Manny Pacquiao?

        We can take this same example in the classroom. A teacher who favors a pupil with fine Western features openly and consistently may not realize the emotional damage he/she could be inflicting to the other pupils who do not receive the same favorable treatment from the teacher because they are not as attractive,

    • Hi, Paul:

      I’ve never flown PAL in my life, so I wouldn’t know, Paul. But if you’re saying that flight attendants at PAL are majority tisoys and tisays, PAL may find itself a defendant in a discrimination lawsuit one of these days, if such a thing exists in the Philippines.

      • John;
        I have no idea if it’s company police to only hire stunningly beautiful ladies of mixed heritage. Discrimination, or just a luck of the drew, not my place to figure that out. Singapore Airlines could also be included in that class action lawsuit.

  40. John- someone would have as much chance of winning that lawsuit as one that said PAL only hired good looking women !! lol ie – not in this lifetime !!

    • Not if you have Johnnie Cochran as your attorney, Ian. Btw, really, on what legal grounds can anyone file a lawsuit against an employer who hires only good looking women? I am not a lawyer – I read somewhere that you are one – but is it a crime to hire based on good looks?

      As far as I know, employers may be found guilty of a crime, if they discriminate against prospective hires based on sex, race, color, creed, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, and age. But attractiveness or lack thereof?

  41. John- as you already know from your travels- hiring based on looks in the tourist industry if fairly common. But try to prove that you didnt get hired coz of your looks !! lol No companies corporate manual will ever say only hire good looking people.
    But why should looks be any different than brains ? If a company only wants to hire the brightest people in the field- should they be liable to being sued?
    What about experience? A company that only wants experienced people I mean.
    Hey- life isnt fair. We arent all born brilliant, or competant- or good looking .

  42. Hello Kuya Bob,
    Guapa gyud si Venus ug sexy kaayo… bantayi basig mo-anha na diha sa Davao…. Good day!

  43. BIG HAHAHAHA on the last paragraph sir BOB, hehehe..

    oh! this article was 3 years ago.. 🙂 well, late is better than never. 😀