UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES MINDANAO

MINTAL, TUGBOK, DAVAO CITY

A REFLECTION PAPER ABOUT A SOCIAL EVENT THAT PORTRAYS

NATIONALISM

A FINAL PAPER IN P.I. 100

ALNYSSA DIANE O. CORNELL

2014-14361

MAY 23, 2018

 Filipino Nationality: Do We Have This?

A country is consists of people who are sharing almost the same beliefs and practices.

Each has their own distinctive ethics that can help us distinguish them from the other ones. We

have our own culture different from those outside our country. These are some of the things

which a person is rooting on in order to have a basis on their love for their country. These will

give the people, both the younger and older generation, the experiences needed to realize what

really is their love for this nation.

As discussed in Rizal’s concept of Filipino nation, Guerrero said that Rizal called the

Philippines a racial secular nation. Most of the people living in our country are divided into each

of their ethnoliguistic groups. Each group were able to established their own political system

depending on who leads their community. They were moving from one place to another and was

able to establish a way of living unique in their community. This is the main root of their

seculation that is why the racial secular is the term used for the Filipino before. Is that what our

national identity is? It was also discussed that the analysis of defining our national identity is

through ethnoracial terms and political meaning. The ethnoracial terms discussed that we are a

Filipino because it is in our blood and this is where we are born. In relation to this thought, our

country clings on the idea of loyalty towards the ethnolinguistic group which they belong. We

tend to be choose those who belong in our clan or group without evaluating the works of their

opponent. The political part is about how the illustrados see themselves as superiors because they

were able to study abroad. How can we say which among them is the real Filipino? Some of the
illustrados are not pure Filipino but loved the country so much while the other Filipinos strives

hard to become one of the mestizos?

From that, the Filipinos were able to bring that thinking up to this point. In James

Fallows, A Damaged Culture, it talks about the observation of James in our country. It cannot be

denied that those were true. We Filipinos are bias in choosing foreign products and services

rather than using and being proud of the local produce. We, Filipinos, are the ones discriminating

and separating each class in the society. Instead of helping one another, we are doing the

opposite. Nowadays, those who were in the lower class level are having the true essence of a

family rather than in the top most level. They’ll be able to appreciate more the importance of

helping one another to be successful unlike those who were civilized. We are also blinded by the

ones leading our country. Mass revolution movements are effective in impeaching those who are

abusing us once we realized what they’ve done. The sad part is, when we are one step closer in

seeing and exploring our real national identity is, the American government always interferes.

It started with the American sponsored hero as what Renato Constantino would call it, the

false freedom from the Puppet Government of the Japanese, the way they supported the

presidency of Cory Aquino so more. Even today, the products of U.S. Military Base are still here

in country since beforehand and is still going on. When will we be able to stand alone from the

colonizers? When will we stop depending from them?

The Anarchy of of Families by Alfred W. McCoy discussed that our nation is a weak one.

There is no strong independent political system established in our country that is why elite

families are the ones governing our country. People did not see the importance of a family in our
political system. Filipinos are loyal to their families up to the point where they will never go

against their family even if they are already in the bad side. Moreover, this resulted to different

families comtrolling the provinces they lead. The families were able to hold everything going in

and going out a province of their hands. We did not oversee that the cause of this kind of

government is because as a weak state, we tend to depend on the goods and services that the elite

families can provide us through doing a labor works for them.

Labor works are usually the source of livelihood of every Filipino. These hardworks paid

off and resulted to different success stories of their children and families. You may be working in

the government, international company, national, local, or even family managed businesses,

these are all in the same levels. You are giving labour to the nation. Last May 1, 2018 is the

celebration of Labor Day for all those who rendered their labor work to the country. In line with

this, we were able to participate and witness a movement that fights for their right as a labourers.

During the rally, we were able to have a common feeling with those who are fighting for

the freedom they needed before. Yes, it was my first time but it was something that I was looking

forward to. I don’t want to go out in UP without experiencing it. I know I am not that politically

aware of the happenings aroud me and inclined in terms of my daily activities. It was the first

time that I was really sure of joining in that kind of acitivity. I did not join such things because of

what my parents would want me to do but joining the MOB was a choice that I’ve made for

myself. It was an exciting experience because I was able to appreciate the efforts of the mass

movement even with too much struggles that those labourers were encoutering.
 It was an exciting experience because I was able to appreciate the efforts of the Mayo

Uno Movement even if there were too much struggles. People from different class and

occupation came there to share the thoughts about what they wanted to tell everyone especially

with the current demonstration.

The nationalism that was discussed earlier was about how we were not able to see and

feel the real feelings of national identity. National identity is not just about where we were born

but where we feel of home is. A home where the people in it are living harmoniously in helping

one another. We may not be able to attain it in this era or time-frame but soon, it will pay off. We

must first established what kind of nation are we through accepting the fact that we are already

damaged. We learned from that damage which made us grow. This will be the nation that we

will be. A once damaged culture because of the colinizers but fought and had risen to be a better

one.