To the Filipino
To the Filipino, who cannot see the reason to love his own country.
To the Filipino, whose eyes have been coveting the beauty of other countries, and yet is blind to his own motherland’s nature.
To the Filipino, whose ears have been listening to the music of the foreign lands, and yet is deaf to the songs of his own country.
To the Filipino, whose nose has been longing the fragrance of the unfamiliar foods, and yet is unable to breathe in the delicacies of his own meals.
To the Filipino, whose mouth has been uttering the languages that are widely known around the world, and yet is unable to speak a straight conversation in pure Tagalog.
To the Filipino, who has tried to see the beauty of patriotism, and has failed, this is for you.
Only a fool would say that the Philippines is poor. And this is not in the sense that the country is still a developing country. Let me help those who wish to be patriotic for the country. Use the senses of the body that was given by the Almighty to Himself, not to covet the riches of other lands, but more importantly, to embrace your motherland.
Open. Open your eyes. See the nature, the festivals each culture holds. Have you not embraced the preservation of culture as you walk along the streets of Vigan? Have you not become excited as you plan to swim underwater along the waters of Palawan? Have you not longed to see the beauty of the Banawe Rice Terraces? Have you not admired the perfect cone of the Mayon Volcano or the minuteness of the Taal Volcano? Have you not wanted to go hiking in the mountains of Mt. Daraitan? Have you not wondered what it would feel like to travel along the sand dunes in Ilocos? Have you not been curious about what it must feel like to surf along the beaches of Baler? Have you not been adventurous when visiting the Chocolate Hills? Perhaps, you are not a person who is fond of nature. But still, take a look, and inhale the city life. Pause and see the busyness of the city in Manila, or perhaps in Cebu, and see how fast life in the city is. Or if you want, sneak a peek at one of the many festivals in the Philippines. See the harmony of socialization and nature in Baguio during the famous Flower Festival. Appreciate the religiousness of the country with the festival of Turumba and the Maleldo Festival. Embrace the night with the Giant Lanterns Festival. Open your eyes. Embrace the sight of what the Philippines has in store for us. Through nature, through festivals, and through people.
Listen. Listen with your ears. Long to listen to the different stories from each culture, listen to their stories. Listen to how the monsters Aswang and Duwende come to life. Listen to the tragedy of Magayon and Panginorin. Listen to the story as to why pineapples are said to have many eyes. Listen to how Mount Makiling became a woman, a beautiful lady named Maria Makiling. Listen to who the ancient people believe Bathala is, or their own version of the great biblical story, “Noah’s Ark.” You might not be a listener of stories. After all, they are merely myths and legends, only stories of fiction, said to be inspired by inanimate objects. But surely, you must love the music of the Filipinos. If not the folk music, the contemporary music must surely excite you. You may deny this, but your body betrays you every time you sway to the music of Silent Sanctuary’s song, “Sayo.” You may say you dislike Filipino music, but surely, every time a song of Aegis echoes through the radio, you want to sing in the rain and join her as she heartbreakingly sings, “Heto ako, basang basa sa ulan.” Surely, you have heard the news saying that the statement “OPM is dead.” is actually dead. New artists have promoted Pinoy music. Surely, you have sung along Yeng Contantino’s “Hawak Kamay,” or swayed to the heartwarming music of IV of Spades “Mundo.” Surely, you have felt your emotions of unknown heartbreak every time Ben&Ben’s song “Kathang-Isip” was sung. And who can forget Orange and Lemons song dedicated to the Filipinos itself, entitled “Pinoy Ako.” Listen. Listen with your ears. Embrace the stories. And let the songs embrace you also.
Smell. Smell with your nose. Chinese food? Japanese food? American food? Korean food? Who wouldn’t want to eat a siomai? Who wouldn’t want to have a taste of that delicious sushi? Who wouldn’t get tired of eating hamburgers? And who wouldn’t love to eat kimchi? We often want to try to eat the delicacies of the other countries so much that we often forget that our own specialty and uniqueness in our food choices is more than delicious. Who could deny a meal of sinigang? Who can say no to a plate full of adobo? And dare I forget one of the memorable meals of the Filipinos — -rice and tuyo? I agree, of course, that I would love to have that siomai, and I would love to eat that hamburger. But nothing beats the mouthwatering smell of homemade Filipino food.
Speak. Speak with your mouth. Most educated Filipinos are bilingual, knowing the language Filipino and English. Yet most of the people I know are more comfortable in speaking the English language rather than our mother tongue. But, as each language is unique, and so is the language of the Philippines. Who wouldn’t brag that one syllable can have multiple meanings? The iconic “bababa ba?” “bababa.” is a famous and iconic saying or phrase in the Philippines. And although the Filipino language has been influenced by the colonization of Spain and America, a Pinoy cannot deny the beauty of the language. The mother tongue is said to have a more intimate tone compared to the English language. “Mahal na mahal kita.” seems to sound sweeter compared to “I love you very much.” “Aking sinta” sounds more intimate compared to “My dear”, even though both contain the same meaning. As Filipinos, we should be proud of our language, and take it as our own.
Open your mind. Know the beauty and the vibrancy of the Philippines. Is not the 7,641 islands enough to see the diversity in each culture the Philippines has tried to preserve? Is not the colonialism of the Spaniards, to the Americans, enough to see the perseverance of the Filipinos to fight for their own land? Is not the Philippines worth fighting for, after the war with the Japanese and the two people power revolutions? Open your mind. See the bravery and courage of the Filipinos, not just in the present, but throughout history. Challenge after challenge, generation after generation.
Open your heart. If the history, the language, the food, the music, the stories, the festivals, or the nature of the Philippines, still does not give you the sense of patriotism for our country, then let me ask you to open your heart to the people. The politics in the country might be awful, and some of the men here might need to have a beating every once in a while due to their objectification of women. But. Look at the people. The Filipinos are said to be kind and hospitable. Just as the country is filled with color, so are the personality of the Filipinos. Just as the country is rich in music, most of the Filipino people are lovers of music, who can sway to the beat the minute you ask them to. Just as the language of the Filipinos seems unique, so do the people itself. The Filipinos are said to be religious, their love for God shows in church and in charity. They are filled with faith, hope, and love.
The Filipinos are kind, are hospitable, are helpful. The Philippines is a rich country. But I hope that one day, we Filipinos can become patriotic. May we be proud of our country.
