The never-say-die Pinoy

I recently read an interesting article in the sports pages about something special that happened in the Smart Subic International Marathon, which was held a couple of weeks ago. As we all know, running in marathons and participating in Ironman races are now the “in” thing here in the Philippines. It almost feels like there’s a race happening every week, and almost everyone I know is into running. Everywhere I go, people are sporting a “runner’s tan.” A few years ago, the fashionable answer to the question, “Where did you get that tan?” was “Oh, I came from Bora.” But now, the “in” thing to say is, “Oh, I ran a marathon.” That’s what I’ll say next time someone comments on my tan, even if my tan is actually just the result of doing errands for my wife.

Anyway, while fun runs are now a dime a dozen, there was something different about the Smart Subic International Marathon. For one thing, it was going to be held at dusk. Instead of the usual sunrise race, this started late in the afternoon. Also it was the first time Smart heavily supported a run — at least insofar as I know. Smart has mainly supported the two “B” sports — basketball and boxing. It was usually Milo or brands like Adidas that backed fun runs and full marathons. But apart from those two “curious” things, there was nothing particularly different about this run. It was like any other run. That is, until it ended more than seven hours after it started.

Kenyan marathoners won the race – as expected. But it was this guy named Jonathan Gener, who clocked in at 7:56:17, that caught my attention.  According to Philippine STAR sports writer Abac Cordero, Gener, a clerk for FEU, walked onto the Remy Field of this former American naval base knowing that he’d go down in the record books as the last finisher of the 42-km. footrace that was flagged off at 4:30 p.m. Saturday. When Gener arrived, the Kenyan winners were already about to get up for breakfast. He literally arrived the next day. But, undeterred, he raised his arms and smiled as he strode to the finish. He was met by just a handful of race officials, including my good pal, Smart Sports head Pato Gregorio who, I suspect, was already on his fifth beer and drawing up plans for next year’s race when Gener arrived.

Pato was so impressed with the never-say-quit and against-all-odds effort of Gener that he rewarded the resident of Bulacan with a brand-new Nokia cell phone. Pato told Gener, “You did not quit when you could have quit. And now you’re here. ‘Yan ang tunay na Pinoy,” added the Smart executive, the man behind the running of this night’s marathon.

I was so struck by that article that I called Pato and invited him to a beer the next day. I told him, “Pardner, what you did was very commendable. In this world that only rewards the first, the best, and the fastest, you decided to give credit to the guy who ran the slowest — the guy who came in last — and yet did not quit. This was telenovela material, man. It would have been a great script. The fact that it happened in real life makes it even more special.”

He replied, “Bro, this guy is what the Pinoy spirit is all about.”

Pato and I had an animated discussion about how we both admired this quality in the Pinoy.  Sure, sometimes we Pinoys have a tendency to be too hard on ourselves.  We’re certainly far from perfect – and we know it. We often joke about ourselves: our idiosyncrasies, our quirks, our unique Pinoy-isms. But man, you’ve got to admit, we’re a pretty darn patient and determined lot. We have a way of tolerating some of the worst situations — situations that would be totally unbearable for other races. We have the ability to take the harshest things in life with a smile.

Take the recent Ondoy and Pepeng catastrophes, for example. While we witnessed a lot of tears and cries for help, we also witnessed the best in the Filipino. We all saw the heroic acts, the self-sacrifice, plus the endless smiles. In the news, I saw some people who were smiling and laughing as they lined up for food along muddy roads. On one Philippine STAR front page, we saw a picture of a bunch of guys playing basketball in floodwaters. I thought to myself, “Where do these people get the strength to smile?” This afternoon, I had lunch with Volvo Philippines president Albert Arcilla. He told me that what impresses him most about the Filipino is more than his ability to withstand the worst of situations; he is blown away by the Filipino’s willingness to help — even if he himself needs help.

Albert said, “Rod, I had technicians who were affected themselves by Ondoy. And yet, despite the fact that they were suffering, they worked their (bleep) off as late as 11 p.m., servicing the cars of those who got affected by the storm. It’s one thing to help if you were not affected by the calamity.  But it’s a totally different story if you yourself were a victim and yet you go the extra mile to help out others.  That, to me, is what makes me proud to be Filipino.”

I know this sounds a little bit fatalistic, but perhaps the reason why Pinoys are so patient is because we’ve become so used to the hard situations that Mother Nature deals us. Every year, we get hit by 20 storms! New Orleans was hit by Katrina and to this day, the people there are still reeling from its effects. Ondoy and Pepeng hit us back-to-back, but somehow we are moving on. I’m not saying the suffering is over.  There’s still a lot out there who are in dire need, and who are still wailing for help. But overall, I feel that things are getting back to normal. There’s still a lot of work to be done. But the Philippines is slowly but surely picking up the pieces – even if it’s only been a month. And we’re doing it with our trademark Pinoy smile.

It’s this selfless, patient, never-say-die attitude of the Pinoy that makes him such a hero. It is for these attributes that make him so in demand in the international labor market. And it is these attributes that will make Filipinos a force to reckon with on the world stage. For centuries, we’ve had this image of the typical Pinoy as being Juan Tamad. Personally, I think that’s slowly changing. We’re now becoming Juan Tiyaga, Juan Sipag, and Juan Kawanggawa.

And if you’re still not convinced, just check out CNN Hero Efren Peñaflorida, who Pato said Smart is also supporting. For the past 12 years, Peñaflorida and his team of teen volunteers have taught basic reading and writing to children living on the streets. Their main tool: a pushcart classroom. Stocked with books, pens, tables and chairs, his Dynamic Teen Company recreates a school setting in unconventional locations such as the cemetery and municipal trash dump. Peñaflorida knows firsthand the adversity faced by these children. Born into a poor family, he lived in a shanty near the city dumpsite. But he says he refused to allow his circumstances to define his future. He is going out there and helping others get an education. Even with just a “kariton” classroom.

“Instead of being discouraged, I promised myself that I would pursue education,” he recalls. “I will strive hard; I will do my best.”

Talk about grit and determination.

I know there are a lot of cynics out there who still view the typical Pinoy as the shirtless, tambay-sa-kanto, gin-drinking, checker-playing bum hanging out at the corner sari-sari store. Sure, there are still a lot of them out there. But with all the adversity and challenges we continuously face, I believe a new breed of Pinoy is emerging.

And I have all the confidence in the world that the Pinoy will eventually see his day in the sun.

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Thanks for your letters, folks! You may e-mail me at rodhnepo@yahoo.com.  And, by the way, I’ve finally done it. I’ve started my blog! Check it out at http://rodnepo.blogspot.com.