BLONDE AND BLUE EYES

By Patricia Evangelista

When I was little, I wanted what many Filipino children all over the country wanted. I
wanted to be blond, blue-eyed, and white. I thought -- if I just wished hard enough and was
good enough, I'd wake up on Christmas morning with snow outside my window and freckles
across my nose! More than four centuries under western domination does that to you. I have
sixteen cousins. In a couple of years, there will just be five of us left in the Philippines, the rest
will have gone abroad in search of "greener pastures." It's not just an anomaly; it's a trend; the
Filipino Diaspora. Today, about eight million Filipinos are scattered around the world.
There are those who disapprove of Filipinos who choose to leave. I used to. Maybe this
is a natural reaction of someone who was left behind, smiling for family pictures that get
emptier with each succeeding year. Desertion, I called it. My country is a land that has
perpetually fought for the freedom to be itself. Our heroes offered their lives in the struggle
against the Spanish, the Japanese, and the Americans. To pack up and deny that identity is
tantamount to spitting on that sacrifice.
Or is it? I don't think so, not anymore. True, there is no denying this phenomenon, aided
by the fact that what was once the other side of the world is now a twelve-hour plane ride
away. But this is a borderless world, where no individual can claim to be purely from where he
is now. My mother is of Chinese descent, my father is a quarter Spanish, and I call myself a pure
Filipino-a hybrid of sorts resulting from a combination of cultures.
Each square mile anywhere in the world is made up of people of different ethnicities,
with national identities and individual personalities. Because of this, each square mile is already
a microcosm of the world. In as much as this blessed spot that is England is the world, so is my
neighbourhood back home.
Seen this way, the Filipino Diaspora, or any sort of dispersal of populations, is not as
ominous as so many claim. It must be understood. I come from a Third World country, one that
is still trying mightily to get back on its feet after many years of dictatorship.
But we shall make it, given more time. Especially now, when we have thousands of
eager young minds who graduate from college every year. They have skills. They need jobs. We
cannot absorb them all.
A borderless world presents a bigger opportunity, yet one that is not so much
abandonment but an extension of identity. Even as we take, we give back. We are the 40,000
skilled nurses who support the UK's National Health Service. We are the quarter-of-a-million
seafarers manning most of the world’s commercial ships. We are your software engineers in
Ireland, your construction workers in the Middle East, your doctors and caregivers in North
America, and, your musical artists in London's West End.
 Nationalism isn't bound by time or place. People from other nations migrate to create
new nations, yet still remain essentially who they are. British society is itself an example of a
multi-cultural nation, a melting pot of races, religions, arts and cultures. We are, indeed, in a
borderless world!
Leaving sometimes isn't a matter of choice. It's coming back that is. The Hobbits of the
shire travelled all over Middle-Earth, but they chose to come home, richer in every sense of the
word. We call people like these balik-bayans or the 'returnees' -- those who followed their
dream, yet choose to return and share their mature talents and good fortune.
In a few years, I may take advantage of whatever opportunities come my way. But I will
come home. A borderless world doesn't preclude the idea of a home I'm a Filipino, and I'll
always be one. It isn't about just geography; it isn't about boundaries. It's about giving back to
the country that shaped me and that's going to be more important to me than seeing snow
outside my windows on a bright Christmas morning.
Mabuhay. And thank you.
BLONDE AND BLUE EYES
By Patricia Evangelista
PATRICIA Evangelista, an 18-year-old
communications sophomore at UP Diliman, won
the 2004 Best Speaker award in the International
Public Speaking competition conducted yearly by
the English-Speaking Union (ESU) in London.
The petite, poised and pretty Filipina emerged
triumphant in a field of 60 contestants
representing 37 countries that are members of the
prestigious international British institution
dedicated to the idea of “Creating Global
Understanding through English.”
Evangelista won her place in the finals after
clinching one of two slots in her heat during the
tension-filled, hotly contested morning
preliminaries held at the ESU headquarters in
London. With the eight finalists known by
lunchtime, the action shifted to the Kinema theater
hall of the imposing South Africa House on
Trafalgar Square for the decisive showdown in the
afternoon.
Reaction About the Speaker
The seven other finalists came from Malaysia,
Pakistan, Czech Republic, Argentina, Brazil,
Morocco and Mongolia. The “native speakers” of
English -- from the USA, England and Wales, and
Australia -- had earlier been eliminated in the
heats. South Africa, always a strong contender, also
failed to make it to the finals.
The theme of the competition this year was “A
Borderless World,” with as many interpretations
coming out as there were speakers. The diversity
added excitement to the event.
Patricia was easily a crowd favorite even during the
preliminaries. Her speech was praised by one of
her heat's judges as "very well crafted." Her
subject matter was the Filipino diaspora and the
contributions of the global Filipino, as well as her
own dreams of travelling abroad but coming back
to help her country.
This, plus the confident, relaxed and engaging
manner with which she delivered her piece, won
the judges' nod, and for her the honor of being the
best in a field of outstanding young communicators
from all over the English-speaking world.
There was a hush in the hall as the chairman of the
board of judges – BBC veteran journalist Brian
Hanrahan -- announced their “unanimous
decision.” He first read out the names of the
winners of the “Best Non-Native English Speaker”
prize -- Malaysia -- and the runner-up prize --
Mongolia.
At the mention of Patricia Evangelista's name as
Best Speaker, thunderous applause erupted.
Ambassador and Mrs. Edgardo Espiritu and the rest
of the Philippine embassy delegation congratulated
the winner, who was in tears as she called up her
parents in Manila on her cellphone.
Evangelista accepted her prizes as Best Speaker
from Lady Dean of ESU's board of governors and
Dame Mary Richardson, chief executive of the
HSBC Education Trust and member of the board of
judges representing her bank which is this year's
major sponsor of the competition.
The Best Speaker received a salver, a certificate, a
dictionary and an encyclopedia. She will return to
London in November to formally accept her prize
at the Buckingham Palace from Prince Philip the
Duke of Edinburgh who is also the president of the
English-Speaking Union.
There are those who wonder if Patricia actually
wrote the piece, "Blonde and Blue Eyes," that
helped her win the competition. "I did. In my
original speech, I damned the Filipinos who left,"
she says. She called these migrant Filipinos
"traitors" who "deserted" their family.
However, she noticed that "always, I felt there was
something wrong with what I was saying. My
mentors crystallized it.”
"I reversed the piece," Patricia says, because what
was important to her is not leaving the country, but
"basically coming home."
Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) "relate to that
speech. I think that’s the best part of winning," she
adds.
Patricia believes that Filipinos have an advantage
when working abroad because they are resilient
and proficient in English.
"They are able to deal with integrating themselves
into another country. We’ve been going all over
the world and been successful in everything we
do," she said.
For family members left behind by OFWs, Patricia
says they have to "accept that it has to be done. It’s
not abandoning, it’s a necessity."
Those who choose to stay, she says, should
"admire the people who leave. They’re going to
another country, a life that is different from theirs,
and live on their own without their family. For
people who are left behind, take advantage of
what they send us and make sure that their
sacrifice is well worth it."
LITERARY DEVICES:
Allusion – “Hobbits to the shire” referring to a Lord
of the Rings reference to balikbayans or returnees
to their own country.
Symbolism/Metaphor – The concept of a
"borderless world" is used metaphorically and
symbolism to emphasize the interconnectedness of
cultures.
Symbolism – “Blonde and Blue Eyes” symbolize an
idealized Western standard of beauty and culture.
- “Melting Pot” symbolizes the diversity
and multiculturalism present in many modern
societies.
Repetition – The repetition of the phrase "We are"
is used to highlight the contributions of Filipinos
abroad in various professions and industries. This
repetition reinforces the idea of Filipino identity
and global impact.

 Desertion – Betrayal
 In search of “greener pastures” – pertaining
to Filipinos leaving for other countries to
please their wants of green places.
 Tantamount to spitting on that sacrifice –
referring to how Filipino heroes fight for our
own country but the current ones are flying
from it.
 Microcosm – a small situation is the
embodiment of something much larger.
 Blessed spot – pointing to England, the
Philippines, and so do other countries.
 Ominous – unpleasant
 To get back on its feet – referring to the
Philippines situation right now after years of
foreign countries' dictatorship
 A melting pot of races, religions, arts, and
cultures – indicating Britain being a multi-
cultural nation
 A Borderless world – about how people can
openly go and stay in other countries
 Hobbits to the shire – referring to a Lord of
the Rings reference to balikbayans or
returnees to their own country.