Is Choosing the Philippines a Matter of Privilege?

Local personality Vice Ganda posted his entry to the "Piliin Mo ang Pilipinas" social media challenge last Friday, May 10, following the release of a teaser the day before. The two-minute video immediately gained millions of views on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. But aside from earning all the clicks, which seems to be the main metric nowadays, the video was also lauded for cleverly raising awareness about the Philippines' most pressing social problems, such as labor issues amid the government’s push for jeepney modernization, destruction of natural resources to make way for tourism infrastructures, and the so-called "carmageddon," or the perennial problem of traffic  jams especially in Metro Manila.

After a run-down of everything and anything that makes you not want to choose the Philippines, the last few seconds of the video ask: "Kahit mahirap kang ipaglaban, pinipili pa rin kita, Pilipinas."

But if you could press a restart button on your life, would you really choose the Philippines? If you’re a Filipino with all the money, opportunities, and fame to live elsewhere and be someone else, pipiliin mo pa rin ba ng Pilipinas?

ALSO READ

World’s 50 Best Beaches 2024 List Includes 2 from the Philippines

Not Boracay: An International Travel Site Voted a Beach in the Philippines the Best in the World

How "Piliin Mo ang Pilipinas" Became an Anthem

"Piliin Mo ang Pilipinas" was a song I would hear again and again in the mid-2010s. Those first few festive notes of an ensemble of drums and lyre always bring to mind images of white-sand beaches, beautiful islands, rows of coconut trees, vibrant fiestas, and delicious local cuisine. It was a whole song packaged for the message it wants to deliver: piliin mo ang Pilipinas, or choose the Philippines.

Contrary to popular belief, "Piliin Mo ang Pilipinas"—and the Choose Philippines campaign that went with it—was not a Department of Tourism project. The song was composed by ABS-CBN Creative Communications Management head Robert Labayen, who was also behind several LSS-inducing ABS-CBN Christmas Station IDs, such as "Bro, Ikaw ang Star ng Pasko," "Thank You for the Love," "Magkasama Tayo sa Kwento ng Pasko," and more. The track, performed by Angeline Quinto along with Vincent Bueno, was launched during a special segment on ABS-CBN's ASAP Rocks in August 2011, marking a significant moment in the network's efforts to boost domestic and international tourism through its Choose Philippines campaign.

Along with the song is Choose Philippines, a now-defunct travel and lifestyle platform initiated by the ABS-CBN Regional Network Group. It represented a comprehensive social networking site dedicated to showcasing the Philippines' diverse attractions, from its stunning landscapes to culinary delights. By highlighting these features, the campaign aimed not only to attract tourists but also to foster a sense of pride and connection among Filipinos worldwide.

Four years after it was launched, I became one of the editors of Choose Philippines. The vision was—at least to me and the team behind it—to push content that would make a Filipino choose the Philippines. Choosing the Philippines meant choosing the Filipinos and, ultimately, choosing empathy toward the Filipino people. It's choosing a society where every individual's North Star is choosing the betterment of the collective.

The website lived on user-generated content, empowering Filipino travelers and bloggers (in the early days of blogging) to share their own finds and experiences. It was also witness to how a media network with people on the ground—courtesy of the also now-defunct ABS-CBN Regional—can champion feel-good stories from the most remote places in the Philippines. Choose Philippines was a repository of places, food, events, history, and personalities that invoke the albeit-overused phrase “Pinoy pride.” But that’s what it was really about: finding that sense of pride in an otherwise embarrassing front page.

And it’s likely the same vein of choosing to find a diamond in the rough that Vice Ganda was going for in the video.

Vice Ganda and the Philippines’ Own Version of the Asoka Makeup Challenge

The "Piliin Mo ang Pilipinas" challenge is—well, the local content creators’ take on the Asoka makeup challenge, which has recently taken TikTok by storm. This trend, inspired by the 2001 Bollywood film Asoka, features participants transforming themselves into a look reminiscent of the movie’s characters, particularly the regal and bold style of Kareena Kapoor’s portrayal. It went on to become an online phenomenon that showcases the dramatic flair and vibrant aesthetics of Indian bridal makeup.

The challenge was initially popularized by Indonesian makeup artist and TikTok user Sita Suwarnadwipa, whose TikTok video set to the film's song "San Sanana" went viral, accumulating millions of views. Participants mimic the elaborate makeup style characterized by its opulence and intricate detail, which is synonymous with traditional Indian bridal looks. These include heavy eyeliner, bold eyeshadow, and the iconic red dot on the forehead known as a bindi, paired with luxurious jewelry to complete the transformation.

As with all things popular, Filipino content creators immediately hopped on the trend and chose to add a Filipino twist—literally, choosing the Philippines with the song "Piliin Mo ang Pilipinas."

Vice Ganda's video begins with a visually striking portrayal of the Philippines' scenic beauty, pulling in viewers to what seems to be a tourism-centric video. In all their glory and fast-paced transitions, we’re reminded—among others—of the geological wonders of our mountains and waterfalls, the whale sharks in Cebu as proof of the Philippines' rich marine biodiversity, and the Banaue Rice Terraces as evidence of the Filipinos' ingenuity, and so much more. The clips quickly transition into a showcase of various national issues, such as traffic congestion, the jeepney modernization program, and the ongoing disputes in the West Philippine Sea.

For every beautiful sight, there’s a corresponding image of current headlines in the Philippines. For example, a drone shot of the Chocolate Hills is followed by an image of a controversial resort constructed between the karst formations in Bohol—an issue reeking questionable permits, unethical tourism practices, and corruption. Next, we zoom in on the West Philippine Sea, then the recent attack of Chinese ships on Filipino fisherfolks. These imageries of irony—a comparison of expectation versus reality, if you will, bring our attention to two choices: fantasize about the expectation and ignore reality OR maintain the expectation and do something about the reality.

This choice is culminated in the video with Vice Ganda, clad in a stunning Filipiniana gown, struggling to reach and then triumphantly waving the Philippine flag—and choosing the Philippines.

And then, the truth sets in.

Would I really choose the Philippines if I had all the money, opportunities, and fame in the world? Probably not.

Reality bites and it bites hard. I don’t have the money, opportunities, and fame to live elsewhere and be someone else. I am stuck in the Philippines, but I have the "choice" to choose the Philippines, which means making it more bearable for myself and my fellow Filipinos.

Imagine if everyone else—from the bottom rung to the top of the triangle—chooses the Philippines, too.