O, Inday
In 2007, one of our then clients visited our office to check their Manila operations. She was in her mid twenties and possessed a sophisticated charm which made her easily stand out in a crowd. I had the rare opportunity to be introduced to her during one of the slew of team dinners hosted by our account officer. The memory is a special one as it solidified in my consciousness a truth that was begging to be broken into pieces, to be analyzed and challenged, so it can be brought to light in an opportune time – like this forum for Comm10.
“This is *Tracy. Do you know she is half Filipina?” *Greg asked as he swept his eyes across the room. He continued, “Her mother is Waray. She is actually an Inday!” Tracy rolled her eyes and gave him a playful jab, “Nooooooooo…” She exaggerated the O in such a way that I almost pitied the letter for being a part of this dreadful conversation. They went on teasing each other oblivious of the people around them.
Greg kept insisting Tracy was an Inday and Tracy indulged him by answering back with her insufferable long Os. I knew what I’m about to say will place everyone in a potentially embarrassing situation but at that time, I honestly wanted it to be awkward, just to call them out. With a stoic face I asked, “What is wrong with inday?” A minute of silence which felt like an eternity followed. They both decided to ignore the question and move the topic elsewhere which in hindsight, was a relief. I was ready for a discussion, friendly or not.
Media Malice
I have lived in Manila for most of my adult life and this is not the first time I’ve been thrown into, serendipitously if I may say so, exchanges about Bisayas which are vexatious at best. The most common error I’ve encountered is the usage of Inday and Dudung while the belief that the entire Visayas and Mindanao are rural areas comes in as a close second. To be fair though, I believe it isn’t entirely the Manilenyos’ fault that they have these serious misconceptions about Bisaya culture. Tagalog soaps and movies have often shown our Inday as a yaya or househelp from the VisMin region — typically portrayed as a small minded probinsyana with a so called thick Cebuano accent and often required to provide the comic relief through either dumb and overly naive utterances or mindless slapstick comedy.
Sadly, mainstream news outfits have exacerbated the situation by validating these ideas. A good example of which is this news article which was published last June 2008 by ABSCBN News[1]. The headline was about Inday going back to school which would have confused any **Bisdak. A quick click on its link will have you ambivalent about the entire article. Well, it is certainly good news that our beloved kasambahays are given a second chance to have an education but to entitle its news article as “Education for Inday” is simply wrong. Let me clarify that I’m not implying that being a domestic helper is to be treated negatively, or be considered as lowly. It is a humble yet honorable job with a measly income and even fewer perks but could in fact, make or break a lot of households who have difficulty functioning without helpers. However, what I do question is the condescension carefully masqueraded, wrapped in pretty paper and finished off with a big bow — especially the one directed to our Indays.
Kinsa man gyud si Inday?
Oh, but they do turn their heads when you call them Inday! How can it be derogatory when they even smile with the kind of smile you will only give to a family member, when you call them that? This is because Inday is the Bisaya term of endearment for a younger woman or child — a daughter, a sister, a niece or a daughter of a close friend, much like the Tagalog’s Neneng or Neng. We use it to convey love and respect. Yes, the very ones you give to someone who is truly and essentially, a part of the family. Our Indays smile because it is a precious gift to find a family away from home. Some of these women move out of their hometowns and leave their young children to their husbands or relatives to try their luck in this big city in Luzon armed with only a few Tagalog words and a hope to somehow change the vicious cycle of poverty that has entrapped them for generations. They come to Manila to take care of your children so you can go and chase your goals and dreams without worrying about your home. These Indays, our Indays, smile because you are now family.
Bisdak Fists in the Air
If I had a hundred pesos for every social media post I see online from friends or acquaintances trudging somewhere along the lines of “Day off ni Inday” and accompanied by a photo or meme with the context that it’s a Sunday so hooray, she is having a rest day like maids everywhere, I would probably have a decent plot of land under my name.
Dr. Michael Lim Tan, our current UP Diliman Chancelor, has explained this phenomenon in 2010 on one of his articles for his Pinoy Kasi column in the Philippine Daily Inquirer[2]:
“The problem is that Cebuanos are singled out for ridicule because of class snobbery. Many domestic helpers are presumed to be Bisaya, which is equated to being Cebuano, when the reality is that poverty has driven women from all over the Philippines to become helpers. Some of the poorest regions in the country are in fact Eastern Visayas (the Waray area) and Bicol, which is not even a part of the Visayas. But when people from outside the Visayas hear vowels being mixed up, they presume it’s a Bisaya, Bisaya now meaning lower class.”
Another example is a trend that was in high circulation during the early 2000s about the slow witted Inday versus intellectual Inday, who both happen to be maids, text jokes. The pathetic yet supposedly funny stories being shared through SMS intend to elicit a snicker or maybe even a guffaw but have went beyond the creators’ expectations and have, surprisingly, become so well received that it was enough to launch books and websites solely dedicated to it[3]. Apparently, some Tagalogs assume that showing the disparity between these fictional Indays is doing the Bisaya people a favor. The new and improved Inday is incredibly erudite and sharp tongued which belies the fact that she remains Inday the househelp and is still beneath her masters. This subtle yet well packaged haughtiness reeks of hypocrisy and disconnects us from most of our countrymen. It begs us to ask, how can it be that on one hand we claim to be patriots and lovers of our motherland then belittle fellow Filipinos on the other? And more importantly, how can we even begin to fight for the Filipino people as a whole when there is a significant number of those who speak a language we barely understand and the only information we have about them are loosely based on stereotypes and biased representations?
Inday’s World
We speak three languages at home: Cebuano, Tagalog and English. My husband and I call our children Inday and Dudung because they are revered and adored although there are times I find it cumbersome having to explain why we call them as such to Tagalog friends. The world of Inday need not be tiny. She can soar with her wings if she wants. She can triumph over challenges if she believes. She can drive her destiny if she wills. Inday’s box is no more.
My dear friend and classmate, if this is the first time you’ve heard about the real meaning of Inday, it is my sincere wish that my entry to this DF enlightens you and moves you to make a change. The next time you meet someone called Inday, may you remember that her name has been lovingly chosen by people who hold her dear and you will treat her not with indifference but with the veneration that her name deserves. *Their real names are being withheld in respect to their privacy.**Bisdak is short for Bisayang Daku. Its literal translation is Bisaya Large. A Bisdak is someone who takes pride that he/she is mainly Bisaya in upbringing and culture.
References:
[1] News, ABSCBN. (2008, June 02). Education for Inday. Retrieved July 12, 2019, from https://news.abs-cbn.com/special-report/06/02/08/education-inday
[2] Tan, M. L. (2010, September 10). Bisdak. Retrieved July 12, 2019, from https://www.pressreader.com/philippines/philippine-daily-inquirer-1109/20100910/283953173902009
[3] Pinoy Inday Jokes and Banat ni Inday. (2012, April). Retrieved July 12, 2019, from http://www.boybanat.com/2011/12/pinoy-inday-jokes-and-banat-ni-inday.html?m=0
