ArtashNikki

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Nene” Q. Pimentel, Jr. (PDP-Laban) today expressed concern that an episode in the film “Sakal Sakali Saklolo” is conveying a wrong message to Filipinos by seemingly denigrating the use of the Visayan language, which is most widely spoken in the Visayas and large parts of Mindanao.

Pimentel specifically cited a portion of the film in which a grandmother was telling a nanny (yaya) in Tagalog: “Bakit pinapalaki ninyong Bisaya ang apo ko?” (Why are you rearing my grandchild as a Bisaya?)

The mother butted in by telling the yaya: “Speak to the kid in Tagalog. Parang Pinoy. (So that he grows up like a Pinoy).”

He said such conversation smacks of an ethnic slur to non-Tagalog speaking Filipinos as he called on the producer of the film Star Cinema, to promptly take steps to rectify the error.

“It offends the sensibilities of the Visayans and other non-Tagalog speaking citizens by making them feel as if they are less Filipino than the Tagalogs. It creates useless hatred in the nation,” he said.

Pimentel also voiced disappointment that the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board has overlooked the palpable flaw in the film which it should not have tolerated in keeping with its functions.

“Sakal Sakali Saklolo,” with Judy Ann Santos and Ryan Agoncillo in the lead roles, is an official entry to the ongoing Metro Manila Film Festival.

Read more comments on: http://www.pinoypress.net/2007/12/27/visayans-unite-or-why-they-should-boycott-sakal-sakali-saklolo/

My own point of view:

Like you guys, i came from Mindanao, raised to speak Visayan language. I am glad to know that there are people from Mindanao and Visayas are fighting for this issue. It’s true that some or most of the Tagalog speaking people often discrimate Visayan speaking people, specially our accent. I’ve known some of them. I agree with Proud Cebuano’s point if view. For me, its better to separate Mindanao-Visayas area from Luzon area.

At present I am in UAE. In my own observation, there are lots of bisaya people than tagalog people here. That only means, we are successful than the tagalog once, hehehe. They dont know that  mas dghan professionals sa mga bisaya. People from Visayas and Mindanao are live decently compared to Luzon Area, at least tayo, d nkatira sa squatters area, and we do have our own house and lot.