At the Oriental Mindoro Provincial Hospital, Mangyan patients are maintained in a separtate ward because other patients complain of their presence (and their allegedly foul smell).
Upon first hearing this, we, of course, thought this was an unforgivable instance of racial discrimination, reeking of American "separate but equal" maintainance of exclusive facilities for blacks. But the doctor assured us that this arrangement worked for the advantage of the Mangyans: They ended up getting better service. True enough, the Mangyan ward, which sits on top of a hill, is more airy, more spacious, and better maintained than the regular wards which are cramped, dank and altogether not that well-ventilated. The Mangyan ward even has its own kitchen!
I still don't know what to think of this arrangement. Is this patronizing for indigenous peoples? Or are we just over-politicizing an arrangement that people of Mindoro otherwise find natural? In any case, Mangyans in that hospital seem to be enjoying quite a preferential treatment that people of lighter color should probaly complain.
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8 comments:
i guess life has a way of equalizing things. :)
Let's teach the mangyan good hygiene and there'd be no discrimination issues. Let's not be too rush in mistaking discrimination where there is none. Resty O.
Speaking of body odor, I heard it said that people smell even if they're truly hygienic and clean. One African graduate student at UP was hurt because the students were talking about his odor not knowing he understands Tagalog. He protested that he washes sometimes even twice a day. One professor said that abroad we Filipinos smell like fish.
Gari,
Mas malala pag mataba ka kesa mangyan ka pag sasakay ka sa jeep. Iiwasan ka talaga tapos pag nakasakay ka parirnggan ka talaga ng driver lalo pag rush hour. Minsan me malaki kaming nakasabay. nang sumakay sya napuno ang jeep dahil 2 ang naoocupy nong mataba. Etong driver naman tigil ng tigil sa bawat pasahero sa daan pretending he doesnt know the jeep is already full, each time saying quite loudly, "ah puno na pala." Talagang na self-conscious yong mataba. I don't even know where to look to avoid seeing how embarrassed the guy was.
One time at UP Philcoa jeep, one American horizontally-challenged guy screamed, "There is no more fucking space!" as the driver was trying to squeeze another ass. I thanked God that time that I was thin.
I don't think once hygiene has been taken care of, discrimination will disappear. Oprah, it is reasonable to assume, washes everyday, but that didn't prevent her from being turned away from Hermes.
Talaga? Must be the diet. Is it true that Mangyans deliberately slather their bodies with sardines because the smell of sardines is a status symbol (sardines = pricey lowland food = upper crust)? No, seriously, I heard this one as a fact, not a joke.
stereotypes are stereotypes because they are partly true.
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