The Real Pride of the Nation - the Filipino Within

Think about it...

While it is good for us to take pride in our ancestry and roots, we must
also remember that the achievements of those who have pledged allegiance
to a foreign flag are within the domain and claim of their adopted
country. The achievements performed by Filipinos elsewhere are
achievements that are not necessarily due to the fact that they are of
Filipino descent but that the system in which they now function in
provided them with the means to become the best that they could be.
Their only connection to the country is their ancestral roots--that is all.

Great American discoveries were mostly contributed by American citizens
of foreign ancestry, but their achievements were never once attributed
as a consequence of their ancestral or national roots, or racial
origins, but to the fact of America. Germans, Jews, Irish, Italian,
English, French, African, Middle Eastern, Asian, Pacific Islanders,
Russian, Filipino.

Not once did Einstein reckon his achievements to his German ancestry.
The Manhattan project, for example, that introduced the A-bomb was made
up of scientists from different parts of the world, but the achievement
is American. NASA employs Filipinos in top engineering positions,
Microsoft, Oracle, JPL, the US Military, Hollywood. All of these
institutions have top notch Filipinos, but they will clearly identify
themselves as Americans with Filipino ancestry. That is as far as it
goes. Whatever they accomplish in life will always be American. To
reference their ancestral roots is trivial at best. The fact is, to
even bring up the issue of ancestry or race as a reason for success or
failure is unacceptable and taboo in the American system. This is
considered prejudicial even if it was meant as a complement.

It is good for us to be proud of those of our heritage that have made
significant contributions to society in general, but we need to remember
that most have pledged their allegiances to a foreign country who bears
the right to lay claim on their achievement by default. Achievements
have nothing to do with race or ancestral roots, but has everything to
do with the system that provided them the means to achieve.

I could just imagine a Filipino scientist in the employ of the NSA who
invents a new encryption technology claiming that because he is a
Filipino, the invention must be owned by the Philippines! He would be
carted off to federal prison even before he completes his statement.
The fact is, this scientist would not be allowed, if he holds any secret
credentials, to discuss or disclose any of his inventions as it will
serve a threat to American National Security and goes against the
interests of the American people. He will even be prevented from the
working in the same field should he decide to leave the NSA.

Even among our beloved OFW's who toil without ceasing cannot lay claim
to achievements or innovations they may have had participated in as
Filipinos, but as individuals in the employ of their foreign company.
We can be proud that Filipinos performed great feats, but this does
little to encourage (save the bragging rights) our people who similarly
toil every single day with the meager resources afforded them IN THE
PHILIPPINES.

If we are to truly showcase the Filipino, we need to begin looking
inwards, for within the confines of our Fatherland are men and women who
deserve to be recognized for achievements. Those that make it big
elsewhere are the exceptions that are far removed from the system we are
living in. They operate under a different system. If we are to measure
or establish a point of comparison, then we need to make sure that the
basis of measurement we use is common to the objects or instances being
measured. Besides the ancestral issue, nothing else is common between
Filipinos living in the Philippines and those living abroad.

Trying to show how great Filipinos can be outside of the country, in
fact, adds insult to injury, sends the wrong message about how we value
nationalism and the ideals of patriotism, as well as engenders envy,
haplessness and despair among those who have no means of moving to
another country. It puts material gain and expediency as more valuable
than fundamental values, loyalty, fortitude, and tenacity. It sends the
message that the most important priority of the individual is his or her
family. Bad news. As Filipinos, the most important, the ultimate
priority we must have is God and Country...or have we forgotten? The
better question is, have we ever been taught?

Do we remember the constructs of the Preamble to our Constitution? The
benefit of the family is only implied as a function and fruit of
establishing a government that embodies the ideals, but, is not
explicit. What is explicit is the reference to establishing a humane
society, to promote the common good, etc. Even the reference to
posterity is directed to the Filipino posterity as a people and not the
particular posterity of a single family.

The pride of one's heritage does not necessarily equate to the pride of
a nation. Have we forgotten the result of Ma Roxas' call for Filipino
scientists to repatriate and contribute to the betterment of the the
nation? It is only in these situations when individual Filipinos return
to the Philippines and offer the sweat of their brows that they become
the pride of the nation since the nation directly benefits from
individual (regardless of current national allegiance) action.

Why not search and showcase greatness from within. Doing so will
stimulate belief and confidence among ourselves within our community,
and our country. The masses can really identify with them for they know
these yet to be discovered men, women or children, operate within
circumstances and conditions similar to their own.

Instead of showcasing and belaboring the reality of despair (which
exists and is more pronounced elsewhere, why don't we showcase the
potential for constructive change. It is a shift from the "kaawa-awa"
mentality to the "kaakit-akit"; from the "ala kang magagawa" to the
"mahalaga ang iyong gagawin"; from the "tumigil ka na" to the "huwag
kang titigil"; Instead of commiserating we need to instead cooperate
and collaborate.

We must look inwards if we are to truly find greatness that is
duplicable and contaminating...We must celebrate the Filipinos IN the
Philippines. The achievements and work performed by Filipinos in the
Philippines is unquestionably and undeniably Filipino!

I know that values or loyalty or fortitude does not fill empty bellies,
but, it delights and strengthens the heart of the collective body. What
we need as a people today is not a full belly but a stronger heart.
Stronger hearts results in a healthy body. Bigger bellies result only
in obesity and lethargy. Practically, the only reason why these values
do not result in material gain for those within the Philippines is
because we allow ourselves to continually be subject to deconstructive
behaviors and mindsets.

We have a propensity to always show how good it is outside the
Philippines rather than show what is good and work towards what can be
good in the Philippines. Mindsets, mindsets, and mindsets. Our
hospitality is equivocal; it is only good when offered and extended to
foreigners, but we have work to do when it comes to how we treat our
own. Like chicks in a pen, we peck at our own wounded, at the sight of
first blood. It has been said that we have a short memory, yes, indeed
we do especially when it comes to remembering the evil we showed and the
slanderous remarks we made against our friends or neighbors.

The practice of lauding the accomplishments of those with Filipino
heritage is equivocal and useless to our people. It is only good for
causal discussions--nothing more. We need to laud the achievement of
Filipinos in the Philippines! We need to invest in Filipinos in the
Philippines to give our country a fighting chance to live and not just
to exist.

Material gain must only be the result of our action and not the motive
for action. What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but
losses his soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

If our country cannot secure the unconditional love, commitment,
substance, and life of its citizens, then what good is there to have a
country? Is the Philippines simply a necessary inconvenience?

Think about it...

Mabuhay ang mga Pilipino sa Pilipinas!

--
Dennis Reyes, Ph.D.
dennis@dbreyes.com

"Learners prepare for the world for tomorrow."

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