Exploring the Filipino Psyche Day 1: Whitening Products for Whiter Skin

This is officially day 1 of my study on the Filipino psyche.  Well,  I can't really say that I went out of my way to know how we Filipinos are, but maybe let's just say, being a Filipino and seeing what is out in the market and how media has forcefully injected in the minds, especially the minds of young women, what is best for them, I have chosen for day 1 the need for quite a lot of Filipinos to be white.
The other day, as I looked through my makeup bag and realized that I have finished up all my pressed powder, I went to the department store to buy myself a new one. I went up to a saleslady and asked where their powder was. 'Ito po, ma'am,' she kindly said. She waited for me as I looked at the different products stacked in a pile. 'Ito po, ma'am,' she said again, offering me a very light colored powder for my skin. She showed me a product that was very far from my real skin color. I am brown, and I believe I am a little darker than the usual kayumanggi color of the Filipino, but I never saw my color as a flaw or a mistake. I always wore it with pride. 'Ay, wala ba kayong powder na brown? Ayoko ng powder na nakakaputi eh. Gusto ko yung dark-colored powder lang.' The saleslady chuckled as she answered, 'Ba't nyo gusto ng brown eh maitim na po kayo?' I was quite insulted with her tone that I wanted to answer her back, 'Eh kasi hindi ako ipinanganak na insecure,  kaya OK sa 'kin kulay ko!' I wanted to strongly say, but instead of saying that, I found myself saying, 'Baduy kasi ang nagpapaputi eh. Eh wala eh, hindi naman kasi ako baduy.' I guess if I really think about it, the words in my thoughts were no different with the words I actually used to silence her. She did become quiet after I said that. But in the end, I still had to settle for powder that was  lighter than my skin color. The department store did not have any brown powder.
I became more curious about all this fascination on whitening products. So I went to the soap section-lo and behold- a whole rack of whitening products with glutathione, placenta and the like. There were lotions, soaps and creams. I was amazed at how many brands have taken to this, may I call it... stupidity. I always wondered...why? There is nothing wrong with being white, as much as there is nothing wrong with being dark, yellow or whatever color the person may have. People have finally evolved in mentality. I think we have finally reached a point where we nearly have believed that equality does exist, that there is no difference between two people: not in color, not in wealth, not even in importance. But why do we Filipinos, of course not all,  still fall into the trap of thought that perceives fair as a preference and dark skin as a flaw? Why are there ads that insist in making our Filipinos white, making those who lack self love succumb to their call? Do we really want a generation of fake 'whites'? Do we really wish to have morenos and morenas then that have become white people now to represent our love for our race? I would want to believe that I am not in any way putting down those who have chosen to change the color of their skin to white. But still, it makes me wonder...why did they want to change their color in the first place? Why was brown not good enough?'

My first entry to day 1 is the question. Let's see if I can quickly find the answer to this.