Noynoying is all up to Noynoy

That Filipinos love coining words and phrases is only part of the reason for the surge in popularity of the latest such word to seize the imagination — Noynoying. The larger reason comes from the very person after whom the new word derived its inspiration — President Noynoy Aquino.

 Noynoying, according to those who coined the word, means doing nothing, especially in situations that require action. It denotes laziness, nonchalance, disinterest, of being oblivious to responsibilities.

Noynoying has become extremely popular. Reports have it that even the international media has featured the word in political and human interest stories. Clearly, such popularity must have some basis, otherwise the term would have withered away by now.

Indeed, this is probably the first time that a term coined by leftist elements has gained wide public acceptance. Leftists, known to protest anything and everything, have little or no credibility in the Philippines, except perhaps among themselves.

While they can be a nuisance and an inconvenience (12 people protesting have no qualms blocking entire avenues), nobody has really gotten around to taking them seriously. Filipinos have come to accept their irritating presence like they would arthritis.

 There is a reason for this wide public acceptance, despite the leftist circumstance of the word’s origin. And it is because there is credence in its application. The person that Noynoy is is the best reason for the survival of Noynoying.

At first Malacañang tried to dismiss Noynoying as just one of those things. But its occupant is not exactly known to be as impervious as a carabao. On the contrary, Noynoy has the skin of a green papaya. He is as sensitive as “kadyapa” or touch-me-not.

Malacañang promptly embarked on countermeasures meant to portray the president as not merely Noynoying away his time in the Palace, that he is in fact a great workaholic, as evidenced by a portfolio of photos released to the press showing him carrying stacks of folders.

But as always happens when a thing is contrived, the truth makes the intended picture look ridiculous. The photos meant to show what a hard worker Noynoy is only showed how puny his physical strength must be.

In case you have not seen those pictures, here is how they looked: Noynoy in white barong, struggling mightily from the weight of the folders to put them on top of his table while a female aide simply looked on.

Here is how it should have been if the photo had not been staged: No president ever carries by himself a stack of about 18 folders. And even if Noynoy wanted to, perhaps to see for himself how heavy the folders weighed, the aide would have rushed to help when he struggled.

But no, the aide merely looked on. Clearly she was under instructions not to interfere with the presidential effort to look busy. But there is a whale of a difference between merely carrying folders and doing what the president of a country is expected to do.

If carrying folders is Malacañang’s idea of presidential responsibilities, then heaven help the Philippines for we might as well elect the nearest office clerk. But presidential work is so much more than the physical motion of trying to look busy.

 The term Noynoying sticks because Noynoy himself has done no observable work that produces palpable results. Despite the many problems that require presidential attention, the only thing that seems to preoccupy the energies of Noynoy is to go after his enemies.