TO PIDCS,
As a Singaporean, i first would like to say that i am not comfortable seeing any other national flags being rallied, march upon openly in the public showing your nation’s pride of your national history on our soil – THIS IS SINGAPORE. I believe many other Singaporeans like myself shares the same opinion.
Orchard road is a very iconic place and it is close to most Singaporean at heart. Most of us grew up hanging out at Orchard Road on weekends where we mixed and meet new friends from different races. To share some of the golden age OF MY TIME of metal heads, punks, ska, skin heads who were often seen around that area back in the 1990s where it is more of a culture based than of a nation’s pride like your agenda of celebrating “Philippines Independence Day“. I seriously do not give a flying fuck about it, don’t get me wrong, celebrate it if you want, just in less crowded area which would not cause inconvenience to people who would like to enjoy their weekends shopping or watch street performers do their thing. Go do it in the park or something for that matter. There are plenty of parks in Singapore where you can hold your event or should i even suggest that you hold it at 20 Nassim Road where the Philippiness Embassy is. Oh do need i to highlight that your “Philippines Independence Day” is actually on the 12 June and not on a 8 June as posted on your PIDCS FB? i didn’t know that you can roll back historical dates as when you like if it such an importance and pride of every Filipino having to celebrate it here inSingapore.
Video Description: This is a participation of the Tau Gamma Phi Northeast Triskelions at the 2010 Philippine Independence Day Celebration held in New York City, New York.
If the intention of your event is purely patriotic and not trying to gain monetary benefit from it, i believe the suggestions to hold it in parks or your embassy would be a very reasonable alternative. I have nothing against Filipinos and i do have plenty of Filipino friends whom i have known for years however your insensitive intention to hold it in a crowded, tourist place like Orchard Road is seriously provoking our national pride as Singaporeans. You played no part in our history independence (WWII) and seriously you can see many are upset with it. As much as i would like to believe that you are being patriotic by organizing such event in Singapore, your poster below definitely saying otherwise:
I mean seriously dude, you are even selling your Independence Day for monetary benefits, such pride you have. I really hope that your permit to hold the event at Orchard wont be approved by the Singapore authorities.
Singaporeans can be a little xenophobic but sometimes for the right reasons – we have came a long way to live peacefully among races and religion. I know i am not all against the foreign influx, in fact, many times i mentioned to my friends how i glad am i thatSingapore had brought in “The Real Foreign Talents” to shaken up equal opportunity and balance things up right again. However your event is just not at the right place, time nor it has genuine patriotic intentions. So fuck off!
*** Update 19 April 2014 ***
I find these posters are disturbing. Singapore iconic landscape in their backdrop of the rising sun and Philippines flag / soldiers . Seriously, PH no landscape to use? You come to another country, you integrate, not to spread your propaganda and provoking the local community. Idiots.
Oh, read about a sensible American national who commented on PM Lee Facebook, he makes sense to me.
Bottom line is, celebrating your Independence Day openly in the public (especially iconic / tourist location like Orchard Road) is provocative. No hosts gives a flying fuck about your nation’s independence day. Go celebrate it behind closed doors or in public parks (like Singapore Day in London Victoria park), even to that comparison, Singapore Day has nothing to do with National Day / Independence Day – it was all just about food and culture, getting overseas Singaporean a feel of what’s back home.
*The author blogs at http://blog.cripperz.sg