Of Tony, Augusto, and Filipino pride

I was enjoying a high of Filipino pride in the wake of the Philippine episode of "No Reservations" when I read this. It seems the guy Anthony Bourdain himself credited for getting him sufficiently psyched to visit the Philippines was catching flack for, of all things, not being Filipino enough.

Some background: Viewers of "No Reservations" on the Travel Channel have seen Anthony Bourdain traipse across Asia in all sorts of exotic culinary adventures. But much to the dismay of many Filipino and Filipino-American fans, he kept skipping our 7,100+ islands. Then came a contest that solicited advice, nay, enthusiastically worded and videotaped suggestions, from viewers on where Tony should head next. Enter Augusto, a young Fil-Am whose video caught Tony's eye. With his "Philippines"-emblazoned hoody and a photo of a full roasted pig, Augusto somehow gave Tony the push he needed to finally embark on a Filipino food adventure.

Tony ate sisig and taho, slurped goat bile soup, got a little education on the origins of Filipino food, and drank lots of San Miguel beer. But he also went on a journey of discovery of sorts, with Augusto, who was trying to reconnect with his Filipino roots in Cebu. A New Yorker more than a Cebuano, Augusto was, in a way, just as wide-eyed (or even more so, Bourdain being the world traveler that he is) as Tony as he coaxed the bone marrow in bulalo, or crunched on crispy lechon skin.

The criticism of Augusto seems to stem from the fact that he had only been to the Philippines one other time before coming with the Travel Channel crew. He was no expert, on the Philippines nor its food, by any stretch of the imagination. Hell, he couldn't even speak Filipino.

Thing is, he didn't need to. Anyone who's seen the episode can see that Augusto was not there to guide Tony. They had other experts (local tour guides, chefs, bloggers, etc.) for that. Augusto was there to be Tony's companion, and perhaps to illustrate the crazy, confusing amalgamation that is the Philippines, its people and its food--constantly changing, struggling to be defined, yearning to be rediscovered.

Another thing: This is not new territory for the show. In one episode, Tony goes with a Korean-American on a trip to the countryside to visit her grandfather. She too was reconnecting with her roots, dining with relatives she hardly sees and perhaps barely knows. While she seemed more knowledgeable about Korean cuisine than Augusto was of Filipino food, the storyline was essentially the same. It was a journey into a new country for Tony, made more poignant perhaps when experienced with another American finding a connection to her heritage.

Whatever the motivation, whatever Tony's reason was for picking Augusto, I think the episode was successful in giving its largely North American audience a taste of what the Philippines has to offer to travelers. We've gone unnoticed for too long, relegated to the second, if not third, tier list of people's places to visit. Seeing the show, I was reminded of the country's complexity, the noise and clamor of its city streets, against the relative quiet of what I still consider my tree-lined streets in Los Banos. It's enough to keep me going back, knowing that with every visit, there will always be something new to see and do in my old town.

As for Augusto, I say kudos to him and other Filipinos like him who desire a connection with the country of their roots. So many of us have left the Philippines, and many more will follow in our footsteps. But to those to refuse to forget, who live their new lives in new countries as Filipinos still, I say thank you. And spread the word.

In the meantime, enjoy bits of the show here: