NCCA Accidentally Does Nazi Salute to Show They Are Moving Forward
When the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) decided to inform everyone that they are “moving forward,” it accidentally took a couple of steps backward by inadvertently posing with a Nazi salute.
The agency posted the now-deleted photos of its representatives doing the Nazi gesture over the weekend. Many saw it as insensitive, considering how the Philippines was the only country in the world to open its doors to Jews when Nazi Germany was exterminating them.
“The NCCA Hour gesture is a forward hand motion followed by a wave and accompanied by Padayon's tag line 'Sulong na!' as seen in most of our video teasers,” said the Commission.
In a tweet, the NCCA stopped short of issuing an apology when it explained it did not intend for the gesture to be seen as a form of Nazi salute.
We are in no way encouraging or harboring Neo-Nazi beliefs /practices in the Commission. Following the comments on our earlier post, which we have already taken down, we will rethink of another hand gesture that better show our intent of moving forward.
— NCCA PH (@NCCAOfficial) January 24, 2021
“We are in no way encouraging or harboring Neo-Nazi beliefs / practices in the Commission. Following the comments on our earlier post, which we have already taken down, we will rethink of another (sic) hand gesture that better shows our intent of moving forward,” the NCCA said.
The people in the comments section want NCCA to issue an apology, while others underscored the irony of being guardians of culture and history without actually knowing history.
Just apologise and change it. Justifying this further makes you look stupid and ignorant of the history.
— AltABSCBN (@AltABSCBN) January 24, 2021
Your staff needs to study history in-depth and the culture you are tasked to preserve. Seriously!
— Ava Patricia Avila (@ava_patricia) January 25, 2021
Ano ang educational requirement for NCCA officials? Grade one? https://t.co/PrQBxAEyXg
— inday espina varona (@indayevarona) January 25, 2021
How ironic. This raises questions like
— AlphaNumEric???????????????????????? (@jaguar726) January 25, 2021
1. Are they qualified to be a part of NCCA?
2. Do they even know history at all?
3. How they didn't realize this kind of hand+arm gesture
4. How eschewfeed they can get?
5. Do they have a brain at all? https://t.co/BRNPMLUVCX
A Nation Obsessed with Gestures
It is not the first time government officials promoted physical gestures or greetings to national discourse. On January 19, 2021, the lawmakers passed House Bill 8149, which seeks to institutionalize the Pagbating Filipino, a new way of greeting strangers. The lawmakers voted 211-1-1 on the bill.
Many citizens criticized the move, saying the lawmakers are spending too many resources on trivial matters at a time of pandemic.
