07/08/2026
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ผ ๐ถ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ. ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป.
Tony Olaes, the creator of The Filipino Story, grew up in the United States. He didn't speak the Filipino language fluently.
In fact, he used to hate being known as a Filipino.
โ(Filipinos in informal settlements) are just lazy, bad and kidnapping people. That's the perception that I grew up in my generation from TV. It was bad news because there's a lot of money to be made from it.โ
That all changed when he visited the Philippines and saw that even those who have less in life is more than willing to give or share.
When asked about his favorite Filipino word, he points to bayanihan:
"My journey was uniquely different from yours. I grew up in an environment, American capitalism, that is all about making money. That's it. Itโs just me, me, me. But, when I came here (in the Philippines), it's about โweโ. Thatโs probably the biggest thing that I've learned coming back and forth to the Philippines."Tony said.
For Tony, learning the language meant unlearning individualism. The second word he deeply connects with is kapwa:
"I used to work in the post office in the US. I worked at the graveyard shift. There was this Pinoy that would come into the lunch room. He had his tupperware with his adobo and rice. There were ten of us in the lunch room. After he heats it up, he comes up, puts it in the middle of the table and says "Come on, everybody! Let's eat!" I couldn't understand the gesture. But I do now. Because of that connection, because of that "kapwa" within us. We are caring and sharing with people."
Living oceans away gave Tony the clarity to see what truly matters. In the end, being Filipino is not defined by geography or fluency, but by the care, shared identity, and love we extend to one another.
To know more about changemakers, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders, like Tony Olaes, tune in to ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐บ๐ฎ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ airing every Friday on CLTV36, 8:00 - 9:00 PM.
