Vice Ganda turns the ‘Piliin Mo Ang Pilipinas’ TikTok trend on its head by showing what it truly means to choose the Philippines.
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Vice Ganda is no stranger to using her platform for spreading awareness and commenting, even jokingly, about socio-political matters in the Philippines. The host, performer, actor and comedian has done it again, earning praise for her sharp, commentary-rich entry to the Piliin Mo Ang Pilipinas trend.
The Piliin Mo Ang Pilipinas trend is a viral TikTok trend that features people getting glammed up and showcasing different aspects of Philippine life and culture, set to Angeline Quinto’s tourism campaign song of the same title. Following the footsteps of the Asoka challenge, it’s become a way to highlight Filipino beauty, creativity, landscapes, values, and more. But Vice Ganda took it a step further as one of the biggest personalities to not just make a bongga entry, but also send an important, relevant message about politics and the state of our nation.
SCATHING CRITIQUE
ANG GANDA HELP 😭😭 I love you sm @vicegandako pic.twitter.com/G0fPr9T7ag
— 𐚁 (@kaypatricktayo) May 10, 2024
Vice Ganda’s Piliin Mo Ang Pilipinas entry featured the host and comedian undergoing a makeup and outfit transformation and showing the stunning landscapes of the Philippines, before transitioning to different green screen settings, making controversial structural decisions and the struggles of many of Filipinos the highlight of the video.
Rather than do what everyone is doing, Vice Ganda weaves the celebratory aspect of the trend with the gritty realities of the Philippines—the state of the nation, in all its grime, glory, and ridiculousness. From being stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic to joining the protests against the jeepney and PUV phaseouts, frolicking in the controversial resort at the foot of the Chocolate Hills to getting caught up in maritime dispute in the West Philippine Sea, Vice Ganda is able to traverse relevant and timely Filipino issues with wit and style.
A MARK OF DISSATISFACTION
This is why using your platform matters 👏 Maraming salamat @vicegandako https://t.co/3CQzLs2Q6A pic.twitter.com/blt1gZyE3m
— Pinoy Pop Kulto (@PinoyPopCult) May 10, 2024
The juxtaposition of Vice Ganda’s glamorous Perlas ng Silangan ensemble (made by Neric Beltran and Jaggy Glarino), bright smile, and uplifting song with the hard look at the realities and hardships that the Filipino people face, makes for striking criticism of the current socio-political landscape and the lack of action towards addressing the struggles of the people.
The video was also very resonant to audiences, going viral across platforms and giving people the space to commiserate, share more information about the topics Vice acknowledged, and call for more people with platforms to do the same.
POWER, INFLUENCE, AND SATIRE
I don't even follow local
— tetsuya makino (@TetsMakino) May 10, 2024
Showbiz but Vice's contribution to LBGTQ visibility and social awareness while packaging them in comedy is unparalleled https://t.co/NmPQLr9Jmr
These days, it seems like all we can do is laugh at the ever-increasing problems that plague our nation. But while we can IJBOL wryly, the issues presented in Vice Ganda’s video are very much real, and very much affecting people. Even laughing is a privilege, because most of us see these realities through our screens, from the comfort of our own home.
But bringing them to light in any way, whether through news articles or TikTok videos, ensures they remain in the public consciousness, raises the idea that action must be done to address them, and also lets communities know that people stand with their fight for justice. Raising awareness, especially by those with a massive platform, is crucial to unite audiences and incite discourse. The louder we are, maybe the better people in power will listen.
The video ends with Vice crawling to pick up the Philippine flag and waving it around, driving home the main point—we can’t give up on the nation or on each other. Despite all the struggles and hardships, choosing the Philippines means being one in the fight for a better one.
“Kahit mahirap kang ipaglaban, pinipili pa rin kita, Pilipinas.”
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