Philippine culture has been represented by two top family media conglomerates and even a fresh face in the kindie scene.
Photo credit: Disney UK
In this blog entry, I will take on two stories of Filipino representation in the global media this week. Hope it gives you a break from politics, the recent string of storms in our country and many other global issues.
DISNEY UK HONORS FILIPINO CHRISTMAS IN RECENT COMMERCIAL
Let's face it: This Christmas is strange and unusual due to the present COVID-19 pandemic.
But for many Filipinos, despite losing some of our traditions such as caroling and the midnight mass (or we call it "simbang gabi") may fade away temporarily due to social distancing, one thing's for sure: Our love for family knows no distance, spreads out for thousands of miles, and can cross international borders and even across the decades!
That's the message Disney UK wants to impart, especially with this COVID pandemic showing us the importance of family ties and traditions passed down over time, despite many opportunities and dreams that have been "stolen" by the pandemic.
It starts in 1940, when a young Filipina is given a Mickey Mouse stuffed toy. Fast forward to a snowy, cold British Christmas in 2005, her granddaughter was given the toy and learned also to make parols, or traditional Filipino Christmas star lanterns.
As she got older, she started playing around with Mickey and then she forgot about that parol tradition after being too engrossed in her own interests. The stuffed Mickey also lost one of its famed ears.
Then in 2020, as the world faces a pandemic and as COVID-19 scatters families far apart, her lola feels very depressed that her daughter is uninterested in the traditions. She then looks at the old family photos and glanced at the one where her lola is very young, and she thought of making her bleak Christmas a little bit better, even if she can't see the rest of her family permanently. She then fills the room with many parols and manages to sew the ear back in Mickey's head. It would go on to make her Christmas merrier as she is reminded of her first love: Being in a place where you are welcomed, and that is the land you call home.
It is very great to see Disney make a tribute to Filipinos seeking better lives abroad. We know that we try to do the best we can to bring home closer to them, but ever since March when the coronavirus became the pandemic it is now and the whole world began to shut their doors, more Filipinos overseas are feeling very homesick this year due to travel restrictions and social distancing. That's where this ad comes in. To remind us that yes, we can keep traditions alive even if we're thousands of miles away, and we can help bring people closer to home in our own ways. It also told me something: Yes, the great big world is out there. There are so many world wonders, amazing places, friendly people, and interesting cultures but there really is no feeling than to be at home. And there is definitely no Christmas like a Filipino Christmas, as the rest of the world may see the holidays as one big commercial and financial bonanza, but here in the Philippines, it's all about faith, family and a love that connects across generations and defies national boundaries. Another message this imparts: Sometimes a simple Christmas tradition for Filipinos abroad may mean something big, and that is being and feeling closer to home.
In other words, I can really relate to this short but sweet masterpiece. Just what we needed in the midst of this crazy time.
And not just me, but the nearly 2 million viewers who have clicked on this video (at time of this writing)
BLUE'S CLUES AND YOU! HONORS FILIPINO FOOD AND FAMILY TIES
Let's face it: A lot of 2000s kids grew up the Nick Jr. classic "Blue's Clues". The cable network decided to bring it to a new generation with "Blue's Clues and You!" featuring a fresh new face, Fil-Am actor Joshua Dela Cruz. He bested thousands of other auditionees, including wrestler-turned-actor John Cena!
There was this big moment in the show and it has Filipino netizens buzzing.
It features Josh and Blue greeting Josh's grandmother, named "Lola" in the Filipino tradition, and they greet each other using "Mano po", a traditional gesture of respect to the elders.
That moment was teased by Fil-Am Professor E. J. Ramos David in a tweet put out last November 19. It features a 43 second snippet from an upcoming episode, set to air in the US on Friday, November 20.
The short clip has hit over 1 million views, generated 19 million retweets, and received 98 million likes.
Many people on Twitter can't help but feel excited about seeing Filipino ideals on global kid's TV. Others felt sentimental as they grew up watching the original Blue's Clues and some of them feel as if Nickelodeon was "paying it forward" to Filipino fans of the show.
It would go on to be seen on Philippine news outlets such as Philippine Daily Inquirer, ABS-CBN, and in Fil-Am publication Asian Journal, who put out an extended look at the heartwarming scene. The extended look also has an added bonus: They even baked "bibingka" or Filipino rice cake.
KINDIE ARTIST LITTLE MISS ANN HONORS PINOY ROOTS IN NEW CHRISTMAS SINGLE
Photo: Little Miss Ann Facebook page
Fil-Am and Chicago-based kindie artist Little Miss Ann (whose real name is Ann Torallaba) is one of those artists who are making their homelands heard in America by way of her music. She has released several albums since 2006. She has also collaborated with another Fil-Am kindie artist Mista Cookie Jar.
This is a very good tribute to her roots as a Filipino. It deeply touches on how she spent her Christmas and all the traditions she had in her homeland and how much she enjoys them. I could very much identify with each and every line in this song and they really have a good feeling of hitting me with memories that I can relate to.
And if you like this song, why not check out all her other tunes on Spotify?
UPDATE: This song is now on rotation in the US and Canada on SiriusXM's "Kids Place Live" channel (channel 78) so if you live in the US/Canada and are subscribed to SiriusXM, you will be hearing this song a lot!
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