Saturday, December 29, 2007
Ignore ‘ethnic slur’ in movie: Rama
AN insult, yes, but Visayans should not dignify with a reaction an “ethnic slur” in the movie “Sakal Sakali Saklolo”, a local official said.
This, Cebu City Acting Mayor Michael Rama said, is what Cebuanos should do after Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr. reacted to a line in the movie starring Judy Ann Santos and Ryan Agoncillo.
Pimentel, a Bisaya from Cagayan de Oro in Northern Mindanao, slammed the movie, which suggested that Filipinos who speak the Visayan dialect are second-class citizens compared to the Tagalog.
In the movie, a character portrayed by Gloria Diaz chastises her grandchild’s nanny for raising him “like a Bisaya.”
“Bakit pinapalaki ninyong Bisaya ang apo ko?” her line goes.
The mother, portrayed by Santos, responds by telling the nanny, obviously a Visayan, to speak to the child in Tagalog so he would grow up a Filipino.
Pimentel called the exchange insensitive and arrogant, adding that it needlessly fuels hatred among Filipinos.
Quoted by national dailies, however, movie writer and director Jose Javier Reyes was unperturbed. He instead advised Pimentel to watch the other movies and then rest so he has strength after the holidays.
“The film is conveying a wrong message to Filipinos by denigrating the use of the Visayan language…. It offends the sensibilities of the Visayans and other non-Tagalog speaking citizens,” the senator said.
But Rama said Cebuanos should just let the slight pass.
“We get to be affected if it is the truth. I don’t want to react violently with regards to that particular scene,” he said.
“I would not want to elaborate and make it big as an issue. It’s an insult if it is really wrong to grow up a Bisdak,” he added.
City Councilor Sylvan Jakosalem, too, said that while he understands what Pimentel felt, being a Cebuano himself, he said the national legislator has overreacted and played into the hands of the movie producers.
He believes that the conversation was intended to get the exact reaction of Pimentel to generate controversy and raise moviegoers’ interest.
“Probably Gloria Diaz speaks like that to her grandchild’s nanny. But that could be before. The Visayans are now the envy of the nation. Cebu is so much better off than Manila. We are in a better shape politically and economically. And I think we speak English better,” the councilor said.
“Sakal Sakali Saklolo” is so far the second top-earning movie in the Metro Manila Film Festival, with opening day gross receipts of P17 million. (RHM)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (December 29, 2007 issue)
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