Asian Tiger | The Adobo Chronicles

Buwaya (crocodile), left; pig a.k.a. pork barrel

Manila, Philippines – Last month, The Adobo Chronicles reported that Philippine Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III proposed to replace the country’s national symbol from the Philippine Eagle to the Tiger, consistent with economic forecasts that the Philippines is now considered the new “Asian Tiger.” Well, it turned out that Sotto’s proposal received lukewarm reception among his colleagues in the Senate as well as from the Filipino people.

Consequently, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, chair of the Senate’s Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes asked the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to send out a survey to all registered voters in the Philippines to find out what their preference is for the country’s new national symbol. Santiago said that she wanted input from the Filipinos on the most appropriate symbol that would represent the country and its system of government.

The Philippine Eagle, left, and the tiger

Here are the results of the survey, with 98% of registered voters accounted for:

1. Pig – 48%

2. Crocodile – 46%

3. Tiger – 3%

4. Philippine Eagle – 2%

5. Mermaid – 1%

Dyesebel (mermaid) Photo credit: markednicdao — Dyesebel (mermaid)
Photo credit: markednicdao

In reporting the survey results, the COMELEC noted that Filipinos who suggested the pig were convinced that it best represents the pork barrel scam that has rocked the country and the political system in recent years. The crocodile, according to its proponents, represents the greed that seems to be a consistent characteristic of most politicians and government officials. As far as the mermaid is concerned, the COMELEC said Filipinos thought it best represents the marine and fisheries industry that is the prime source of livelihood for majority of the population. Observers, however, think that the choice of the mermaid was prompted by a new television series on the mythical creature that is about to make its debut in the Philippines. The TV series is titled “Dyesebel.”

Manila, Philippines – Vicente “Tito” Sotto III is a Philippine actor, singer, television host, journalist and politician. He is an incumbent senator.

Like most politicians, Sotto is embroiled in controversies, not the least of which was the accusation that he plagiarized several passages in a speech opposing the Reproductive Health Bill. The news and social media reported that Sotto had taken passages from a 2011 blog by American home economist blogger Sarah Pope. The bill, which ultimately passed, calls for government-funded contraception and sex education classes in the Philippines, a first in the heavily Catholic nation.

In 2013, Sotto filed a bill that would mandate all government and non-government employees to receive a “14^th month” pay as part of their annual salaries. Most employers already provide a “13^thmonth” bonus to their employees. However, Sotto pointed out that the existing 13^th month pay is not truly a bonus because there are 13 months in a year. “There are 52 weeks in a year and if you divide that by four weeks a month, that’s 13 months,” he insisted.

Now the oft-criticized Sotto has put forward another controversial proposal.

International financial experts and analysts have labeled the Philippines as the “New Asian Tiger,” referring to the country’s fast-rising economy and stellar investment climate compared to most other countries in the Asian region.

Capitalizing on this emerging image of the Philippines, Sotto is proposing that the country replace the Philippine Eagle with the Tiger as its official symbol. Once called the “monkey-eating eagle,” the Philippine Eagle – an endangered species – became the country’s national bird and symbol in 1995.

Political opponents of Sotto labeled the proposal “ridiculous” and “too literal.” “We don’t even have tigers in the Philippines, except in the zoo,” they said.

Prior to Sotto’s proposal, there were rumors that other politicians were scheming to change the Philippine national symbol from the eagle to the pig, in view of the 10 Billion-peso pork barrel scam that has implicated members of the Philippine Senate.

Sotto, defending his proposal, told reporters, “I’d rather call our country the Asian Tiger than the Pork Barrel Republic.”