“Pag May tiyaga May Nilaga”

Translation: “If you persevere, you will reap the fruits of your labor.” 

Context: The informant first heard this Filipino phrase from their grandparents and then saw as it was passed down to their parents. Essentially describing that persevering and hard work is how you will be successful because success doesn’t come out of nowhere, you need to earn it. Additionally saying “no pain, no gain” or how it takes time for something good to happen, encouraging patience. The informant was always told this phrase when they would be going through difficulties with school, friends, or anything that emotionally or physically affected them. As a whole, this encouraged Filipino children to always work hard for what they want and to make sure they persevere and don’t give up. It allows them to create goals and strive to achieve them even when life gets tough. The fixed phrase is full of wisdom, but that wisdom can be problematic because it illustrates that Filipinos that aren’t succeeding aren’t working hard enough which is false.

Analysis: This proverb gives children and essentially everyone motivation in whatever they are doing. To tell them that you need to work hard to be successful. However, it’s kind of problematic in a way because for certain minority groups, as much as you work hard, you are still at a disadvantage to straight white men. Although it encourages good working habits, you aren’t guaranteed success no matter how hard you work because our society is structured around the needs of straight white men. The rest of society is at a disadvantage already because of the foundation our country was built upon. Even though it’s not the same everywhere around the world, in America, it’s easier said than done for most people. The term is more widely known around the world as “no pain, no gain” which displays that you have to suffer in order to succeed.