Something Ideal

A man in a slim-fit shirt with printed bold letters “PINOY” in the middle, is seen walking in a mall. The shirt is adorned with simplicity, with no designs other than the letters screaming in his chest. The man traversed along the air-conditioned paths, pulled his mobile phone and went straight to a Starbucks coffee shop nearby, to meet up with friends whom he hasn’t met probably one or two days ago. Their conversation seems to raise interest among the group as indicated on their incessant laughter and faces of approval. However what put them in the limelight are their loud, excessive twangs. It would produce a mix of reactions: some would look up at them, label them as intelligent set of human beings who can talk a topic in a language which a lot of people is struggling to learn. On the other hand, some would irk at them, accuse them as if they are trying hard to blend themselves into the Western culture.

It’s just sad to learn how other nations have been striving very hard to preserve their identity, while we, Filipinos, are willingly, or even proudly, to throw our own. It’s even sadder that even the thought of advocating Filipino Pride is bound to truckloads of contradictions with the proliferation of foreign elements almost permanently revolving around us from what the media is showing us to the nature of work we are in. Possibly, the thought of veering ourselves away from our own identity prevails that it delivers us from economic hardship. Thus, one would resort limited in the showcasing of Filipino pride by wearing it as slogans in his/her wardrobes.

This article might sound very pessimistic on where the Filipinos stand in this what others already consider a borderless world. We lack identity, or if not, we hardly have the knowledge of what comprises our identity is as a Filipino. It’s easy to say that one is proud of one’s nationality while at the back of his/her mind is the spring of hope that they could escape away of this country for greener pastures. It’s not that there has to be a stigma against people who aspire to work abroad, it’s considerable upon the fact that there hardly can be a choice, which makes this search for self-identity and hopes of preservation it, become more depressing. Some might have this sense of pride after all, but the limitations force them not to.

(One should not also assume that every Filipino who speak foreign languages will always be condemned as anti-Filipino. There is always a noticeable line between properly using them on the right time at a right place without letting loose of one’s own heritage and just plain trying hard.)

Here comes the issue of the Filipino’s role as inhabitants of the world, as we have responsibilities to our country. One will be referred as a global citizen in his/her pursuit to work for the benefit of the world. According to Yazufumi Ueda in her essay, Creating a Society of Global Citizens, “a global citizen thinks and acts globally and locally and his/her conviction is based on living people’s benefit. This is not based on nationality or religion but one’s value as a human being.” This statement may sound very idealistic but important. Then another question has to be raised: how could one be a good citizen of the world whereas he/she can’t take the role as a proud citizen of his/her homeland? It is imperative to be considered as a global citizen to be a good citizen of his homeland, and separating these two literally conjoined entities in terms of idea will be impossible.

Going back to the man in the shirt anecdote in the beginning of this article. The man wears a statement: a statement of pride of his heritage. Then he started talking in a manner which ultimately detached him away from the statement everyone assume he’s portraying. Of course, one would debate that a shirt will always be just a shirt, but one has to consider how message is being conveyed even through small things like a ballpen. In this sense, the man may be proud of his nationality but was trapped on the notion of what he feels is more acceptable to other people.

Filipinos are born with a number of outside elements that pull him away from his culture. He/she is constantly reminded of what is acceptable or not to the eyes of the society by what he/she observes in everyday life, putting the Filipino in a position where he/she sets a standard in doing things, whether it is simple or complex, regardless of how bad it would tarnish his/her own identity.

In totality, global citizenship will remain very idealistic in nature, although it is possible. What can the Filipinos contribute to the world is their individual concerns. It’s very difficult how the Filipinos and to be fair – and other nations – would work hand and hand especially that individual citizens were overpowered by those who are at the top and each single group has its own bundles of issues that have to be solved. The idea of global citizens will always be individualist in nature.