By taking advantage of our unique “Pinoy” identity, one of our greatest cultural traits, is our diversity. We are not easily fitted into the more common “cultural stereotypes.” Filipinos are not found in just the Philippine archipelago; we are found all over the world. Filipinos aren’t restricted to just its two official languages: we are a mélange of different accents, languages and dialects, yet are still able to understand and relate to each other quite well, regardless of which island we come from. We are a broad range of faces, not just physically, but also mentally, religiously and personally.
We Pinoys also have our own unique ways of showing our Pinoy Pride. From the OFW who sends money back home to support her family, to the Pinoy in the Philippines who opts to support a local family business instead of buying imported goods. From the Pinoys who showed endurance and perseverance during the devastation caused by Ondoy, to the overseas Filipinos and compatriots who helped them get through it. It’s not the t-shirts with the map or flag that show pride, but rather the Filipino at heart who wears it with pride. I don’t think there’s a single “best” way to show nationalism. But exploring our potentials both in and out of the Philippines while maintaining a deep-rooted appreciation of our culture and heritage certainly does a good job.
Nationalism and Pinoy Pride, most of us our saying “I’m proud being Pinoy”, wearing shirts with the map or designs based on our flag,.. but have we ever think of how can we be more nationalistic?.. what will be the essence of this design, if we cant FOLLOW the simple RULES and REGULATIONS we have… a little example is following traffic rules, red for stop and green for go, proper use of pedestrian, and over and under pass.. proper garbage management and being on time… simple rules that can really emphasize us being a true Filipino, a better PINOY..
There are several things that I am very proud of about being true blooded Filipino and about the Philippines; and still be proud of some of the Filipino traits. Here are just some of them.
1. Our unique beauty. Filipinas usually have thekayumanggior brown skin. When you visit here though, you will notice how diverse our beauty is. Probably, it’s because we are a mixed of different ethnicity traced from the early groups of people who occupied our land until the Spaniards colonized our islands for 300 years. Then, we also became under the American and Japanese rule. Anyway, I’m so happy that this trait of Filipinas our now being recognized by the world. For the last couple of years, our representatives always get to the top 5 of international beauty pageants and recently, Miss Universe crown is wearing by the Filipina Pia. Pinoy guys are handsome, too.
2. Our Talents.We have all sorts of talents but let me just focus in music on this one. Filipinos love to sing and you will find karaoke machines even at funerals. There are a lot of famous Pinoy artists already known to the world. Some are not pure Filipinos but as long as they recognize their Filipino blood, we feel so proud of them. The composer of the phenomenal song “Let It Go” has a Filipino blood. The singing voice of the Disney princesses from these movies is from Lea Salonga who won a Tony Award at the age of 20.
3. Our hospitality.If you are a guest (especially from a different province or country), Filipino families will offer you the best of what they got. They will give you give the best food they can serve and make you feel at home.
4. Our strong family ties. It is common here to stay with parents and not move out when you’re still not married. Well, some say it can make the children dependent (and maybe that’s why I’m still used to my mother’s home-cooked meals) but when the parents get old, they will sure take care of them.
5. Our Willingness to Work Hard.A lot of Filipinos work overseas so they can be able to provide more to their families. They work in a foreign country and endure the pain of being far away from their loved ones just to be able to give them a good and comfortable life.
6. Our resiliency. As you all know, we just experienced a super typhoon last November. It was indeed heartbreaking but I am amazed on how the Filipinos quickly they have recovered and I’m still praying that their cities will be built again.
7. Our creativity/resourcefulness. I just learned that these cool things were invented by Filipinos. Read:The 12 Surprising Filipino Inventions You Might Want to Know. Besides these, here are some photos that went viral the past few years during the floods that we experienced. These pictures show our resourcefulness, creativity and even humor.
8. Our optimism.Yes, we face a lot of problems but we are always included among the top 10 happiest countries in the world.
These are some of the reasons why we should be proud of being a true blooded Filipino by heart and mind, words and deeds.
By: Edwin Riel Bermillo |Education Program Specialist-II | SDO-Bataan
