When the news about the winning of 700 million peso jackpot in Lotto for the last couple of months broke out, many were truly surprised and some were even frustrated hoping that they would be the ones who will bring home the eye-popping jackpot. Luckily, only one got the best of fate to win the prize. He or she remained anonymous at this point in time so to protect his or her identity and prevent petty crimes to happen. Many Filipinos blurted out, “Ang swerte naman niya!” and almost everybody expressed the same thing. Yes, probably, Filipinos really think that this winner is indeed, lucky. Not quite if facing reality itself.
Putting myself in the shoes of the jackpot winner, I may have won the biggest prize ever bid in Lotto but the ways to get it at hand seem difficult. Why? The Filipino psyche could have an appropriate answer. Of course, going to Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) may took a lot of effort because at the first place, I will be careful in revealing my identity and if a single person in the office just knew something about it, I will definitely be in trouble in the sense of asking for balato, a term sharing one’s own fortune. But the dilemma does not only end there. Before getting the money itself, papers and important files will be laid upon me and there is really a dire need of signing all of these stuffs which will really take grueling hours. Besides, that 700 million peso jackpot will never be mine as a whole- partiality took place. Once I got my part, people (even the security guard) on my way outside will definitely wait for me to ask lots of balato. They would really wait and ask for it like I am some kind of a celebrity-turned-politician. I will definitely be exposed badly and my security now is at risk. I may have needed a body guard and personal assistants plus a bulletproof van (just an exaggeration) but how will I do such a thing if I am just an average Filipino who may have lived in barung-barong with no job and just got a not-to-mention dramatic past? Handling and spending the money will just bring headaches for sure. I am not a businessman neither a town mayor nor an economist to invest the money, lay it out for developmental projects and make contingency plans on how to manage it well. Maybe it’s better to be back to being a poor. A normal life I used to have.
With the above statements, do you still consider me lucky?
The Filipinos have already considered the indestructible bond between malas (bad luck) and swerte (good luck) in their kamalayan. It has been a tradition of searching for good fortune to establish a life full of positive vibes and success which entail wealth, good health and financial achievements. Long before the conquistadores step on our land, our ancestors already organized a system of beliefs regarding good luck and bad luck. Remember that the ancient Filipinos are nature worshippers and they only rely on the forces of the environment which eventually resulted to the formation of the so-called superstitions or pamahiin. It is a must to follow these to avoid bad luck that could cause eternal sadness, tragedies, plagues, and might even attract evil spirits to dwell in our body. If these superstitions will be followed, good luck will also knock on one’s door in terms of money, harmonious relationships, fame, power, well-being and other material rewards. In spite of their non-science basis, superstitions have become a widely renowned concept in Filipino Psychology and in our culture and history. Superstitious beliefs became our guide in making our choices regarding a certain subject. Pinoys look forward to these as parts of our daily crazes and as time passed by, we are still into horoscopes, fortune-telling,palm reading, feng shui consulting, astrological and numerical analysis, and bunch of other things that we used to amaze ourselves with so to swerve from malas or bad luck. Funny but true, these cultural templates undeniably make money and celebrities as well.
Countless ideologies of good luck and bad luck can be derived from different cultures and philosophical accounts. There is one concept about destiny- that one is really born lucky and destined to be fortunate for the rest if his or her life. On the other hand, there can also be one who is born unlucky and will be suffering as long as or she lives depending upon the analysis of that individual’s birth chart. Another, the stuffs like the number 13 and the black cat. We usually connote our thoughts on luck on particular events and by religious scriptures as well. So our values and beliefs truly affect on how we distinguish malas from swerte. Numbers and symbols also are factors that could determine the validity of fortune analysis. Sounds interesting I bet. Most of the Filipinos are more of phenomenological than behavioristic. We are experientially centered and our enlivened actions are not given entire focus by the behavioral oculars.
Pinoys always have these ideas of learning from mistakes from the past and recognizing the root cause of dilemmas and mishaps. We overstate situations and every little detail on it. The formation of the concept of malas and swerte may just be due to overreaction and bewildered thinking. Since it has been a part of our cultural heritage and identity reestablishment, it should stay existent and respect should likewise be handed over but there should be no force for compliance and conformity. We are democratic and courtesy to others’ outlook and flavor of life should retain to our conscience as proponents of Filipino Psychology.
Personally, I don’t believe that either malas or swerte exists. May be these two elements of Filipino customs have been taglines only to individuals or groups who are at least fortunate and to those who are for the mean time, lost some good charms. Life is a wheel so they say. We are all fortunate in the name of God. He will never ever give us bad luck. It is just that we have to learn to protect and maintain the gift of fortune that He has given us by the time we began to exist until to the point when we will harvest the good fruit. Humans are autonomous, we have the freedom of choice of whether we do right or wrong. Whatever the consequences are, it is neither malas nor swerte, it is still a jackpot for when we do right, success comes in, when we do wrong, we experience things that will redirect us from any shortcoming again.
This 2011, I hope these thoughts will somehow touch our minds and souls as Filipinos.
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