25/06/2025
"Create from your authentic truth first."
❤️
Napaisip ako with SB19’s recent historic Taipei Arena performance.
Two realizations:
“Support Local” as we know it isn’t always the best message.
And “Pinoy Pride” as a battlecry isn’t always effective globally.
Lemme explain bago niyo ako murahin.
Example: You walk into a local café. (Di halata yung hilig ko sa kape at this point haha)
Anyway. The coffee tastes burnt, service is slow. You talk about this and tell the baristas but you’re met with “Support local nalang, dami mo pang kuda eh.”
Here’s the thing - supporting mediocrity isn’t actually supporting local businesses, artists, products.
It’s enabling them to stay mediocre.
When we hide behind “support local” to excuse poor quality, we’re creating a culture where “pwede na” becomes the standard.
And that’s the opposite of what true support looks like.
Real support means: celebrating excellence when we see it, giving constructive feedback when we don’t, and believing our local talents can compete at the highest level.
It’s holding ourselves to elevated standards.
SB19 gets this.
They didn’t just show up asking for support because they’re Filipino.
They showed up because they’ve been relentlessly pursuing excellence - in their craft, performance, and artistry.
The support follows naturally.
Which brings me to point two: “Pinoy Pride” as a battlecry.
I’ve noticed something lang kasi - the more you have to announce your pride, the less confident you actually sound.
It’s like constantly saying “I’m funny” instead of just being funny.
Feeling ko lang kasi — when you’re on an international stage shouting “PINOY PRIDE!” to a global audience, you’re essentially saying “Please pay attention to me because of my nationality” rather than “Please pay attention to me because of my art and message.”
But here’s what SB19 does differently:
They let their Filipino identity flow naturally through their authentic expression.
Their experiences, stories, and artistry carry the Filipino spirit without needing to announce it constantly.
It reminds me of Rick Rubin’s principle: “The audience comes last.”
Create from your authentic truth first.
Express your real experiences, vulnerabilities, thoughts.
The connection with audiences happens organically when you’re genuinely yourself.
I mean, being Filipino is already rich enough diba? Our natural warmth, storytelling, resilience, creativity, humor - these shine through when we’re authentic.
You don’t need to parade these qualities; you embody them.
I mean — Would you rather hear “LOOK AT MY PINOY ART EVERYONE!” or “These are my authentic thoughts and experiences. I’d like to invite you into my world”?
Kasi I feel like art is not self expression lang eh - it’s self expression that invites people in a world. Your world.
When artists create to attract attention, it feels forced.
When they create to invite people into their truth, it feels magnetic.
SB19 has mastered this invitation - their Filipino identity is woven into their authenticity.
Excellence speaks its own language.
When you show up excellent every single time, whether sa local gig or international stage, the pride follows naturally.
People don’t need to guess your background - they feel it in your work.
But just to be clear: This isn’t about abandoning Filipino pride.
It’s about expressing it through excellence rather than slogans.
It’s about being so good at what you do that your identity becomes part of your artistry, not separate from it.
Kaya nakakaiyak kasi SB19 today didn’t just represent the Philippines - they invited the world to experience Filipino artistry through their lens.
That’s the difference between performing your identity and living it.
So here’s my challenge to more Filipino creatives out there:
Instead of asking “How can I make this more obviously Filipino?”
Ask: “How can I make this more authentically me?”
Your Filipino experience is already part of your authentic self.
Support local by commending excellence.
Show pinoy pride through consistent growth and authentic expression.
Create art that invites rather than announces.
This is how we elevate not just individual artists, but our entire creative landscape.
SB19’s Taipei Arena moment wasn’t historic because they waved the flag the loudest.
It was historic because they earned their place through undeniable talent, preparation, and authentic artistry.
That’s the standard we should all aspire to.
Congrats to SB19 for showing us what it means to honor our identity through authenticity and excellence.
You didn’t just represent your country today - you elevate all of us with you.
Here’s to more Filipino artists who understand: the world doesn’t owe us attention because we’re Filipino.
We earn it by being undeniably good. 🇵🇭✨
Yun lang thanks for coming to my TED Talk 🙂
Photo Credit: SB19 Official page
