‘Hiya’

"The secretary feels bad."

It’s an image funny, familiar and so Filipino all at the same time: Imagine a party, with a platter of food once full. There is one lonely piece of siomai, or fish, or a stick of barbecue, or a cupcake left. Someone always, always refuses to take the last piece.

Obviously the food is good. Otherwise, there would have been 20 pieces of whatever is left instead of one. But whoever had the urge to clear the plate did not act on that urge. Perhaps he or she does not want to be perceived as an eager eater.

In another scene, a gathering with singing. Someone thrusts a microphone onto your face, telling you to sing. “Ayoko!” you say with indignation, saying you can’t sing well, or you are shy. You may not want to be thought of as somebody who likes attention. Once you get over the initial inhibition, however, you are belting out one song after another, and others can’t really take their turn anymore.

“Nakakahiya naman” is an often-uttered Filipino phrase, used when we do things we would not otherwise do (or refrain from doing things we would normally do) because we care about what other people think of us. For example, during pre-COVID days, we invited people we didn’t really like to our gatherings. We showed up at reunions even though we didn’t have anything in common with our relatives or former classmates. We gave gifts just because coming empty-handed might not be perceived favorably.

Perhaps, “hiya” was also a factor when some lawmakers voted “yes” to the Anti-Terrorism bill even though, as they explained profusely later, they had “reservations.” It is, after all, one thing to vote in favor of something because you honestly believe in it, and quite another to say yes because you do not want to be perceived as uncooperative or ungrateful by the powers-that-be. Because why say yes if you have reservations? Why not push for further discussion until those reservations are addressed?

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Days since, and some of those who voted “yes” have withdrawn their votes and are now saying no. Is this a function of “hiya,” too? Hiya as in shame – when they have seen and heard the sentiments of the people whose interests (not their own) they are supposed to represent?

What takes the cake, however, for the usage of this term was the statement of Health Secretary Francisco Duque – remarkably still hanging on to his job, with the blessing of the President. Last week, we learned that the families of 32 healthcare workers who had died in the performance of their duties still had not received any financial benefits. The bereaved families are supposed to receive P1 million from the government under the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act. Health workers who fall ill are entitled to P100,000 in assistance. But there were still no implementing rules and regulations for the law.

In a meeting with Mr. Duterte, Duque said:

“Nakakahiya talaga, sir, namatayan nga tapos nagpa-wardi wardi yung mga tao ko na parang walang sense of urgency. Kaya po ang sama sama po ng loob ko, Mr. President. “

According to pinoydictionary.com, “wardi wardi” is a slang which means to bungle something or do it in a clumsy way. So Duque's statement translates as: “It’s embarrassing, sir. The families have lost their loved ones and then my people bungled the job without any sense of urgency. This is why I really feel bad, Mr. President.”

This after a long list of blunders, which includes pronouncements about us being on the second wave of infections, about asymptomatic patients not spreading the disease, about the still-murky details of mass testing, among others. Repeated calls for Duque’s resignation have fallen on deaf ears.

Then again, this is a form of “hiya” that is more difficult to explain. If Duque were really embarrassed at the failure to compensate the families, or at the numerous proofs of the failure of leadership, he would not blame his subordinates for them. He would, instead, realize his spectacular inadequacy that has indirectly spelled the difference between life and death for some, eat humble pie and resign, so that a more competent person could do the job for the country in these perilous times.

There has emerged a new use of the word. “Nahiya naman ako sa iyo” is a sarcastic expression which means that a person who is not supposed to feel a certain way does in fact feel that way, more than another person who is better entitled to that sentiment.

Thus we say to the Secretary, “nahiya naman po kami sa inyo, sir. Kayo pa talaga ang sumama ang loob.”

adellechua@gmail.com