Am I a Filipino?

.....Ever since I was a child, every flag ceremony we will always sing the National Anthem. It’s like an obligation we must do whether we liked it or not. I admit that even if we have sung it for hundreds of times already, I can’t really understand what it says. The words are deep and not commonly used. I can understand the anthem better when it has a visual presentation showing the heroes who died fighting for our country, the beautiful sceneries and of the Filipinos from different regions with their rich culture. I think of what happened in the past and how every one of them contributed and helped in the sweet freedom we are experiencing now.


.....Thanks to our history teacher, nationalism and patriotism is always described and molded in us. Nationalism is supposed to objectify one’s sense of belonging to the nation while patriotism defines one’s love for one’s country. Knowing that we were born in our own nation, we are driven by love to do great things for the betterment of our country. When Manny Pacquiao wins many awards internationally, Leah Salonga sings on Broadway, Charice Pengpenco discovered and shown at “Oprah” and “Ellen” shows and other Filipino artists and achievers on their fields known in the whole world, we can’t help being proud and wanting our heart to shout, “I am a Filipino!” … But for how long? After all these, the tedium of daily life takes over and the feeling of dissatisfaction and weariness comes back, so that the same old feeling would have died out as fast as it comes. We are again drowned by the all-familiar refrain of kidnapping, corruption scandals, bombing and killing of innocent lives, severe poverty, the never-ending chaos and currency crises.

.....Sad to say that many people today are ashamed to admit that they are Filipinos. The fervor to fight for one’s country becomes apathy. The zest and passionate conviction of yesterday do not hold much to us anymore. Yesterdays have actually painted or shaped the way we are. The sacrifice and the deeds of the people before would just be another page in history books. Only a few hearts are that willing to follow the footsteps of our heroes. I am not saying we have to die for our country or give our everything just to show our love for the Philippines. We have to really know and fully understand what happened in the past so that we will know how to face and handle our present and future and to get to know ourselves completely. Knowing ourselves come from the willingness to accept new circumstances and the courage to leave what is unfavorable behind. We should not see our heroes as perfect and impeccable icons because they are humans too with dark histories but rather see them as people who have struggles just like us and learn from their mistakes and admit where we had erred. Only then can we correct the flaws and avoid the history from repeating the wrong things of the past. We have to reflect, rejoice and remember what it is to achieve freedom so that we will have that fervent desire to really reach for it.

.....We may think that we are already free from the bondage of the countries that captured us, in a sense we are but not totally. Unconsciously, we still let others control us. We still have that colonial mentality. Most of the time we prefer imported goods and with brands rather than our own products. Hey there’s nothing wrong with that. I admit I do too sometimes. I don’t want to be a hypocrite you know. What I am just telling is that despite all these, we should not forget our own-our land, our people and our identity as Filipinos.

.....I have mentioned before in my recent journal, “Chinese everywhere” that I have Chinese blood in me and many people mistaken me as Chinese. You know what I always say to them?

“I may look like a Chinese but my is full Filipino.”

.....It is with the heart that can really tell who you really are. It’s not Filipino foods you eat like adobo, sinigang, dinuguan or the culture or traditions that you do and have grown up to that can distinguish you as a Filipino. Maybe part of it but in the end, it all comes back to you. You are the one who decides what citizenship you want and what nation you want to LIVE for. I am a Filipino not because I was born in the Philippines or my family and friends are Filipinos but because I chose to be one. I love and care for my own nation and I am not ashamed of it. I will not die for the Philippines but rather live for it so that death won’t stop me from continuously serving my country, my life.

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