P rof. Alex Fabros posted today, Feb. 15, 2011, at 4:53 a.m. (Pacific Standard Time) a video in his Facebook page about a March 1998 online posting made by his father about the campaign of the Media Breakfast Club (MBC) of Los Angeles, California, to discourage Filipinos from calling themselves “Flips” or “Pinoy” or “Pilipinos.”

Readers with Facebook accounts may click on the following link to view Professor Fabros’ video:

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1279396401407

This writer, as the MBC founder and chairman emeritus, posted the following comments in Professor Fabros’ Facebook page: “Thank you, Professor Alex, for resurrecting the issue of using ‘Flip’ as another moniker for the Filipino. I have posted in my Facebook page a link to 2009 article about the controversy. I will also post more materials about the ill-advised uses of ‘Pinoy’ and even ‘Pilipino.’”

Then I shared in my own Facebook page these postings: “Why Lolo Bobby and Friends refuse to call themselves ‘Flips’”:

http://www.mabuhayradio.com/unsolicited-advice/the-fal-will-fall-over-its-decision-to-name-its-e-magazine-the-flip

“Why Lolo Bobby & Co. don’t like to be called ‘Pinoy’ or even ‘Pilipino’”:

http://www.mabuhayradio.com/unsolicited-advice/why-many-filipinos-don-t-like-to-be-called-pinoy

This writer and his fellow MBC members have campaigned since their first breakfast meeting on July 7, 1993, for Filipinos to refrain from calling themselves “Flips” and/or “Pinoys” and/or “Pilipinos.”

Using Politically-correct Terms and Phrases

S ince I will (or should be) a politician in the Philippines pretty soon, my political handlers have reminded me of the dictum that “politics is addition.” They advised me to use politically-correct terms and phrases, so that I will not offend Filipino voters who like to call themselves “Flips” and/or “Pinoys” and/or “Pilipinos.”

But I told my political advisers that some Filipino voters still pronounce the “P” as an “F.” And, therefore, they often say “Finoys” and “Filifinos.” And some of them pronounce the “Flip” as “Flif.”

And I reminded my handlers and advisers of an article written by the venerable historian, Hector Santos, the cofounder and cochairman of the Philippine History Group of Los Angeles. Ka Hector wrote this article that backed up the contention of the MBC members:

There's no 'f' in pilipino but there's one in Filipino

Then I remembered the advice of my then-literary mentor, Poet-pundit Fred Burce Bunao (now deceased), who said that often it is advisable for politicians to seek the middle ground. Mr. Bunao said that often the centrist-politicians get more support.

So, today, Feb. 15, 2011 (the day after St. Valentine’s Day), I now propose to my good friend, Prof. Alex Fabros, and his supporters and to the MBC comrades and our backers, a compromise. Why don’t we emulate the spelling of certain words by  the “Price Pfister Pfilter Pfaucet©” Company?

A La Sarah Pfalin, oops, Palin

If Filipinos were to emulate former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, who wants to be the President of the United States in 2012, there should not be a problem in copying the spelling style of the “Price Pfister Pfilter Pfaucet©” Company.

Readers can read my take on how Ms. Palin spells some words in this article, http://www.mabuhayradio.com/humor-satire/top-ten-new-words-coined-by-sarah-palin

So, following the Sarah Palin’s and the “Price Pfister Pfilter Pfaucet©” spelling styles, can we now call our pfeopfle, oops, people, the citizens of the “Pfhilipfpfines”, as “Pfilipfinos” and/or “Pflipfs” and/or “Pfinoys”?

There is one problem though with my suggested comprise terms. The slogan of the “Price Pfister Pfilter Pfaucet©” is the “Pfilter and Pfaucet with the Pfunny Names©.”

What if the whole world will wittingly or unwittingly call us the “Pfeopfle with the Pfunny names?” Then we may have also to face a lawsuit from Ms. Palin and/or the “Price Pfister Pfilter Pfaucet©” Company for trademark violation or copyright infringement.

So, what do you think, Dear Readers? # # #