How Bisaya-speaking Americans got to meet Pres. Duterte
Back in May, a video of Bisaya-speaking Americans with President Duterte in Davao City right after the elections made the rounds online.
Uploaded on YouTube, the clip showed five Americans in awe when they realized that Pres. Duterte was seated at the next table.
Confused how they should react, Sumner, Connor, Jake, Tylan and Davis members of the "Hey Joe Show." decided to just come up to him and do the tradition of “pagmamano,” which is how Filipinos show respect to elders.
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In an exclusive interview with ABS-CBN News, the five Americans narrated the story behind the viral video.
“When we went to Davao to do a show last summer, we were invited to have lunch with him. We just met him and we talked with him and we told him our love for the Philippines. Grabe ang experience! We were so happy to meet him and we didn’t know na he would become the president at that time,” recalled Tylan.
Although not seen in the clip, Connor revealed they also got Pres. Duterte to dance a little bit during their encounter.
Meanwhile, Davis praised the President for his generosity.
“He wanted to help in any way he could. He wanted to make sure that we had a good stay in Davao, that we were safe in the Philippines. He’s very humble, very considerate of others,” he said.
“He wanted to help in any way he could. He wanted to make sure that we had a good stay in Davao, that we were safe in the Philippines. He’s very humble, very considerate of others,” he said.
They are all part of the Missionary Training Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and they came to the Philippines to serve a Mormon mission. And, during their two-year mission in the Philippines (2012 to 2014), they easily adapted to the Filipino culture that they learned to speak Bisaya in six months.
They previously said that they hope to make more videos and spotlight the Bisaya language and Filipino culture.
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