FEELING PROUD TO BE PINOY

When someone has brought pride, honor or something good for the country, most of us are in euphoria, shouting for joy and feeling proud to be Filipino.  You’ll be sick and tired of hearing and reading they’re proud to be Filipino.  We rejoice, we inspire, we wave and live up the confidence over the triumph that we achieved.  And the compliments that we’re giving to that person are just so overwhelming.  But if someone’s defect, shortcomings and faults have happened, expect the immediate severe criticism, tirade, and accusation will be expressed and hurled by the over critical fellow Filipino.  Is it the sign of what the analysts say crab mentality?Or in general, is it natural in citizens of the third world countries?

When I was able to work abroad and interrelate with different nationalities, I have noticed the big dissimilarity of my own fellowmen to those people of powerful countries like USA, UK and European countries.  While I always heard from my own crowd about the negative feedback that are being told on our country, I’ve noticed on the other hand that these people, such as the Americans, the British, and the Arabs are not into detailing their own mess.  Instead, often they have are the praises for their countries and talking nice things about their government, culture and history.  I feel belittled to see them smart when they’re showing their nationalism through knowing their roots and speaking their good account.  But to my countrymen, I’ve observed that when it comes to our own history and political knowledge, we’d rather like to talk entertainment and gossip instead.  Many of us love hurling each imperfection as way of teaching, retribution and destroying until fail miserably our rivals.  We keep blaming our leaders and recount their flub-dub, even small things like traffic, flood and garbage.  Surely rich countries have garbage, faults and politics but they do not tell such negative impact to us.  The White men and the Arabs may fall but they stand to defend their culture, government and belief. They may have political issues and differences but over than that is their national interest that prevails.

We always say we love our country.We denounced to punish whoever betrayed or oppress our country.  We’re fuming mad when other has badmouthed our homeland.  We want to protect and boost our country but we’re dearth of determination, perseverance, sincerity, and attitude to do it.The truth is, most of us are so fast and easy to criticize but so hesitant when told to put their share into action.  We demanded changes for the better but we don’t start the change within ourselves.  There is no unity.  Many among us are still not patronizing our own products and services, not believing in our own brand, talent, and capability and even not embracing our own root.  We’re not united in giving all-out support when we sent our representatives in international competitions such as in sports, arts, and pageantry; instead some are even spreading the weakness of our representatives.  Instead of praying guidance from the Lord, we ourselves are pushing down our own countrymen.  The worse, some hopeless would say they’re rather to choose other countries, and worst they lead to lambast their own root, government, people and country.

If personally you do not believe in your own, it is fine to say you dislike it but no need to say unpleasant words for your discontentment.  Because if you don’t trust, believe and respect yourself, who do you expect will do the same thing to you?  If you can able to do destroy and ridicule your own, how much more doing it to others?  It’s unbecoming of a decent, matured and professional.  In the west, regardless of what their differences are but for the sake of their country they are united towards one direction.  Call it biased or call it claiming all the good and best for their own but these are how they express their compassion and patriotism without oppressing.  Revealing all our account be it good or bad is not a matter of honesty.  Hiding our dark side is not untruthfulness but rather preserving and protecting our dignity without the need of dishonoring and defamation – and you are not lying.  Uttering unpleasant thing and foul words for the sake of reality despite of knowing you can damage is more unholy.  If all together we can simultaneously live, take to heart, and do in action our sense of nationalism, then we can purely express ourselves that we’re proud to be Filipino.

By Alex V. Villamayor

November 8, 2013