Last August 9, a controversy linked to Nas Daily, an Arab Content Creator who features the countries in the world, brought to life the issues surrounding Pinoy baiting. 

Filipinos have stormed the social media platforms for days mocking Nas Daily and all foreign content creators who targeted the Filipino audiences. Even the vloggers who claimed to love the Philippines, such as Wil Dasovich and Jessica Lee, are no exceptions to these accusations. While it is true that Pinoy baiting needs to be stopped, what these active audiences did not take into account was the other angle of the issue. 

A year ago, Jessica Lee, a former Korean idol and now a YouTuber based in the Philippines, addressed the issue by publishing a video in the hopes of explaining another side of Filipino baiting. In this video, she compared the YouTube Industry to formal businesses. Targeting what the majority wants is a smart marketing strategy used by business owners to sustain their businesses, the same goes for these content creators, whatever the public demands must be supplied. Given the fact that the Philippines is known as the “Social Media Capital of the World”, with 80 million users as of 2020 according to Statista Research Department, it is not impossible that the Filipino fans of these foreign YouTubers would not be curious about their reaction. 

This is an experience that Music Game News (MGN) shared in its channel to address the issue of Pinoy baiting. In the video, he stated that he encountered a comment from a Filipino fan requesting to feature their country in his channel, and when he did, views rushed in compared to his other videos. And in comparison to American audiences whom he described as rough and harsh, the Filipinos are a preferable audience due to their sweet and gentle responses. This made MGN curious about the Filipino culture, and since then, loved the country. 

Most responses from the foreigners show how they love the Philippines and how the country is worthy of every feature they get from genuine YouTubers. Within those comments was a local pointing out our thirst for global validation which is the effect left after the colonization period, Colonial Mentality. 

Colonial Mentality is a feeling of inferiority towards other cultures or internal oppression. As long as this attitude remains within the society, the Philippines will never be free from its colonizers. This thirst also pushed the Filipinos to claim the foreign celebrities who had an affiliation to the Filipino by blood as their own. Notice how Filipinos would claim that stars such as Hailee Steinfield, Bruno Mars, and Vanessa Hudgens achieved their awards thanks to their Filipino blood, even if they only possess a small percentage of it? This behavior is otherwise known as Filipino pride, a driving force that the internet baiters took advantage of.

The people have been oppressed for centuries and had their real identities erased as these colonizers tried to make the Philippines their own. Due to these oppressors constantly trying to take advantage of the country, the Filipinos have lost their trust and chose not to segregate the baiters from those foreigners who genuinely love the country. 

Looking on the brighter side, these Pinoy baiters are boosting the Philippines’ economy by promotion. These videos, even if they are filled with exaggerated reactions, can entice tourists to choose the Philippines as their summer destination. Promoting locations such as Puerto Princesa, Boracay, Baguio, Sagada, Siargao, Cebu, Vigan, and other places outside Manila would surely help the locals to make a living. 

If the Filipinos truly wanted to eliminate the negativity of Pinoy baiting, we must look at the brighter side of the story. Instead of using the time to support ingenuine content creators, use the time to support the local content creators and artists who make quality content that the Philippines can be truly proud of. Their achievements achieved through the Filipinos’ support is the true validation that the country needed. Lastly, we must stop the feeling of inferiority towards other cultures and acknowledge that our country’s rich cultural treasure is a gift that unfolds itself for the world to see.