Filipino scholar says Macau people should be ‘more relaxed’

The Chairman of the Philippines National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), Professor Felipe M. de Leon, Jr., visited the University of Saint Joseph last week and gave a public lecture on the heritage of Filipino culture.
He spoke to the Times on the sidelines of the event and said that Macau citizens can learn from the Filipino culture of being relaxed.
“Macau people are very good in business (…) I think what Macau people can learn from the Filipino [people] is how to relax. After all, Filipino people are among the most relaxed people,” he said.
Regarding his lecture yesterday, Prof de Leon said that most people, including Filipinos themselves, are not aware of the true nature of Filipino culture, which contributes to the problems in his native country.
“Many Filipino politicians, even foreigners, tend to blame Filipino culture for the problems of our society. But our culture is not to blame for it. In fact, it’s the absence of Filipino culture in the educational system and in the media that is responsible for the illness of the Philippine society,” he said.
The scholar explained that it is the culture of power and wealth, which exists in every society, that has caused problems within Philippine society.
He said that those beliefs are encouraging people to accumulate, exercise and control power, as well as acquire material wealth and be trapped by the comfort and privilege that it brings.
Prof de Leon pointed out that the true “Philippine Culture”, the culture of ethnicity, is not like the two examples mentioned above. Rather, Filipino core values include the idea of unity.
“All human beings come from one being – the being of God or the creative principle of the universe,” he explained.
Prof de Leon said that the consequence of such belief is a desire to connect with others.
“So, the highest value of the Filipinos is to connect,” he said.
The scholar added that having such a high regard for connectivity has rendered the Filipino people healthier in both a physical and psychological sense.
He said that, as the Chairman of NCCA, he and his colleagues were trying very hard to educate people about the core Philippine culture so that they will practice it instead of the culture of power and wealth. But he admitted that it is “a difficult task.”
He also agreed that sometimes his Filipino compatriots are too kind, often avoiding protesting against corruption and other social issues. “But we are getting there,” he said, adding that his country has already imprisoned several high profile politicians, including the president and senators.
When it comes to the exchange of cultures between Macau and the Philippines, Prof de Leon suggested that there should be a festival that showcases the cultures and core identities of both regions so that people from both places can learn about each other.

New Consul-General on the way

The Philippine Consulate General in Macau is waiting for the new Consul General to arrive. Former incubent Danilo Ibayan has already departed the MSAR. Consul Pete Raymond V Delfin told the Times that the new Consul General is likely to arrive in the next two months. However, he said that the details of the appointment can only be released later due to diplomatic protocol.