I am a Filipino but sometimes I ask myself, am I truly proud for being a Filipino? Or I’m just forced to be one?
I always ask myself, why I became an Asian, a Filipino. I mean, there are lots of other races in the world. There’s the Japanese, Americans, Mexicans and more. Why Filipino? To be honest with you all, I can think of reasons that make me ashamed of my race.
Let us all be for real, there are instances that make impacts on our dignity and pride. Like, we Filipinos are well known for being the most fluent in speaking the English language here in Asia, but at the same time we are also aware that there are Filipinos who cannot speak the English language because of lack in education in our country. Another one is that the Filipinos of today lack the discipline we need to perform, therefore problems in the society like numerous crimes and accidents exist. If we ever realize, our laziness in following rules and regulations can take away lives of the people in our society. It might be your life, your loved ones’ life or even people you do not know.
An additional to that is about the corruption here in the Philippines. Did you know that Philippines is pme of the worst country in the year 2009? Yes, we are just after India Africa and many more. We all know that Philippines is becoming poorer and poorer, there is no doubt about it, and yet we have a corrupt government. Our country is buried from debts and cannot escape from it. Sad to say, some cannot feel that the government is putting enough effort from leading our country to a better one, however we should not let ourselves get affected by the things that are happening in our country today. Let us reflect on what Buddha says “do not dwell in the past, do not dream about the future, concentrate the mind on the present.” Let’s just hope, pray and trust our government that they have beautiful plans for us.
In the other hand, there are still lots of instances which make us proud that we belong in the Filipino race.
Like, when typhoon Ondoy strikes the center of the Philippines, which is metro manila. We did not just mourn and waited for responses. Instead we joined our forces, helped and gave happiness to our fellow countrymen. We cannot take away the fact that Philippines is one of the most happiest countries all over the world. Even if we were struck by thousands of typhoons, we still have the smile on our faces that makes us stronger in facing our trials. We are also known for the categories of entertainment, fashion, sports, and sceneries. We have Leah Salonga for being one of the most well known theatre artist all over the world, Manny Pacquiao for being the world’s welterweight champion, Monique Lhuillier, Oliver Tolentino, and Alan Del Rosario who all displayed their original creations on the red carpet of the 69th Annual Golden Globes Awards in Beverly Hilton Hotel, most especially the people who never fail to bring their honor and glory just to serve their country.
So now, are Filipinos worth dying for? Is he not a coward who would readily yield to any colonizer? Is a Filipino more comfortable under an authoritarian leader? I have carefully weighed the virtues and faults of the Filipino and I have come to the conclusion that we Filipinos are worth dying for because he is the nation’s greatest untapped resource.
If they died for me, for you, for all of us, their deaths means nothing if we are going to waste what they have sacrificed. Be sensitive, be a hero for your country, be a living legend, be proud that you are a Filipino, because Filipinos are worth dying for.
