Exploring The Filipino Psyche Day 24: “Code Shifting"

              

             Two  friends see each other at the lobby of the building where they were to have a meeting:

                  Friend 1: “Uy, pare! Kumusta na?”

                  Friend 2: “Okay naman. Ikaw?”

                  Friend 1: “Okay rin. Kumusta ang misis?”

                  Friend 1: “Okay naman. Pare, dalaw ka minsan sa bahay. Bisitahin mo naman inaanak mo."                          

                  Friend 2: “Sige. Minsan punta kami ni Amelia. Sige. Kita tayo sa luob.”

                  Friend 1: “Sige, pare.”           

The same two friends see each other again inside the conference room where they were to have a formal meeting.

And the meeting begins...

Friend 1: “The slow moving merchandise will be phased out by the end of this week. But we’ll be launching the new product three months from now.”

               Friend 2: “So how shall we market this new product?”

Friend 1: “We ‘re coming up with a whole plan for this. We’ll present this to the board by next month.”         
   

                  This is called code shifting—a common practice in the Philippines—the ability to change the medium for communication depending on circumstance and environment. As I have mentioned in my last entry, the Philippines has 170 languages and several dialects. And the national language is Filipino, a simplified version of Tagalog. Filipino is much easier than Tagalog, and in casual conversations among Pinoys, it is usually the preferred medium, unless they are kababayans— people who come from the same region or area—for example two people from Pampanga may choose to speak in Kapampangan, or two people from Ilokos would rather speak in Ilokano (Pampanga and Ilokos are two provinces in the Philippines). But those who grew up in Manila will only know Filipino and English, unless their parents taught them another language. These two languages are the usual mainstays in many households. If both are not practiced at home, at least they are both understood and used outside of the home.

                  In school, Filipino students are required to present their reports in English. All subjects, except for the Filipino subject and ‘Sibika’ (Social Studies, which is taught in Filipino in many schools in the country), are taught using the universal language. Therefore, recitation in class is also in English. But outside of the classroom atmosphere, the students converse with friends during recess and lunch breaks in Filipino (although there are schools where the students still speak in English among friends, or at the most, what is called Taglish—a mix of Tagalog and English ). And because of this, as the child gets older, this shifting becomes ingrained in the system of the individual that to shift from Filipino to English, as the mood of the conversation changes, becomes second nature to the person. I would hear fellow Filipinos say ‘nosebleed’ when they hear others speak in English. Nosebleed means ‘a difficult time to keep up with the flow of the conversation due to the constant use of the English language’, but what they are not aware of is that they do the shift, too. It just depends on when and where sometimes.

                  Filipinos like to use the Filipino language when with friends and in casual chit chats, but when in meetings or at work, in front of the bosses to present a report, the shift comes with ease. Suddenly the medium becomes English. And this, I feel, is because of the practice the Filipino adults had as students. The environment of the canteen, having lunch with friends, will call for speaking in the vernacular; but when in front of the teacher for group reports or debate class, which calls for a serious tone, the student is always required to speak in English. And this is why when politics is a topic even among friends, there is also the tendency to shift again to English because of the seriousness of the subject in hand. But when the conversation rolls back to a light mood and jokes are thrown at each other, the shift goes back to Filipino.

                  This may also be true in writing. Pinoys are trained well to write in English. And for some reason, many Filipinos find writing in the native language more difficult than writing in English, especially in expressing thoughts or insights. And I see this as the reason why many statuses in Facebook or in Twitter are expressed, most of the time, in English. But if it is joking time, the shift again goes back to the vernacular.    

                  Nowadays, the shift is even more frequent since casual conversations are slowly being done in English because of the many guests from other countries the nation has. And the serious tone is also spoken in the vernacular because, unlike then when news on TV used purely English, reporters are now using  Filipino, influencing the Pinoys to also speak in the native tongue even when the topic becomes a heated argument about politics.   

                  So there it is, another Filipino behaviour—code shifting. I am quite proud of it since it enables us to speak to people of different races, then go back to the vernacular when needed. Maybe this is where the behavior pakikisama also comes from, but that’s another story.

Next entry?

We’ll see...

                 

Exploring The Filipino Psyche Day 23: “Languages”

            If we go back to the 1^st days of history in the Philippines, well, not far back to the Tabon cave man, but just to that day when the country was discovered by other men of other nationals, we will remember how things began.

            In the beginning, there were only the Aetas, the original dwellers of the country. Then the Malays came. The Malay Datus and the Aetas harmonized their differences with a contract that was done only with the spoken word. The two races agreed not to bother the other. The Aetas, as hunters and nomads by nature, stayed in the highlands, and the Malays stayed in the lowlands. I conclude, though, that up to this day, the Aetas honor this agreement. And if it weren’t for the Pinatubo explosion that happened in the ‘90s, and the excessive cutting of trees in the mountains, they would have continued to keep the pact they had with the Malays centuries ago. As I see it, the only reason the Aetas came down from the mountains is because of survival.

            Time passed and other races came. But unlike the first guests who came to stay and discuss a pact, the Spaniards came to colonize. For centuries they stayed and governed the country. Then the Chinese came to the Philippines as merchants. The Japanese came, too. And because of the open trade, countries such as Indonesia also dabbed its influence to the people. Then by the 19^th century, the Americans entered the country.

            And in the end, the Philippine Islands was left with 170 languages and several dialects, which I need to admit, I do not know how many. And even though there is a variety, one language was chosen to be the official and national language for all—Tagalog. However, problems arose when people from the Visayas area refused to use the language since they felt that there were more Visayans than ‘Tagalog’ people in the country. Thus, many Visayans in the ‘60s refused to speak Tagalog. They opted to use their local Visayan language and English as their second choice.

            Nowadays, the national language is embraced, and the name has been changed from Tagalog to Filipino. Filipino is the simplified version of Tagalog, where we do not speak in a ‘Balagtasan’ manner anymore and the words are more simple and more casual.  English words such as exam and notification are easily translated to Filipino as eksam and notifikasyon. But in Tagalog, these words are pagsusulit and pagpapatalastas.   

            Another invented language in the country is the mix of Tagalog and English. This is called Taglish. My friend and I, I guess for lack of a better thing to do, wondered and pondered on the idea of the ‘Taglish’ language. We debated and discussed on why ‘Taglish’ only chose to use the simple Tagalog words to be mixed with English.

            Examples may be:

            “Oh my! Can I just make you kwento? I saw him kanina  and he’s so guapo talaga, ha. You call me mamaya. Hay naku...I have tsismis.”

            “Oh no! We have an assignment pala! My things are so gulo kasi eh. I forgot tuloy.” 

            Then my friend and I thought, again, maybe for lack of a better thing to do, of trying our hand on doing our own mix in the language, and having our own version of ‘Taglish’. We thought, since Tagalog is pure in nature and the language is not really very casual in style, what if the bigger words were used in the combination?

            So my friend and I tried our own version of ‘Taglish’:

            Me: “Oh my! Don’t we have a pagsusulit  later? Come, let’s go to the silid-aklatan. We also have to do our gawaing-bahay eh. If not, hay naku, our guro will get angry.”

            Friend: "Wait! I have to make you salaysay  what happened when I saw him! I’m really nabibighani with his beauty! I like him bagamat I’m not sure if he likes me eh. I’ll give you the whole kasaysayan."

            I also found out that English is also mixed with the other languages in the country. My sister told me about a high school student she heard in Ilo-ilo speak to her friend and said, ”Gani. Let’s pass here para dasig.”  So I guess, because there are so many languages in the land that a mix of all this is normal. In that sentence alone there was English, Ilonggo and Tagalog.

            And even though the country has numerous languages, there are words that are the same but are different in meaning. For example the word subay means ‘bird’ in Cebu and it means ‘ant’ in Iloilo. So if someone was with a Cebuano and an Ilonggo and that person shouted, “Subay!”  one would look up, while the other would look down. I experienced something similar when I was in Kalibo, Aklan—this is in the Visayas area. I used the statement “saka na”, which means ‘next time’ in Tagalog, and means ‘go up now’ in Ilonggo. One day, my friends and I helped in organizing a talk for Maharaji—an Indian who inspired people to believe more in love and happiness. So there we were, my friends and I, walking around and checking what else was needed and how else we could help; those who attended waited by a bench near the staircase. My friends and I welcomed them and said our ‘hellos’. Then another friend, who was quite far from all of us, opted to talk to me from where he was. So suddenly he said with a loud voice, “ Carla, bayaran ko na ngayon (I’ll pay now)!” And I answered, also in a shouting manner, “Saka na!” I was using the Tagalog meaning as my reply to my friend, but when I looked again at the guests by the staircase, nervously and hurriedly they went up the stairs. “Ay,sorry, po. Hindi, po. Hindi po kayo kausap ko. Siya, po ( Sorry, sorry, I wasn’t talking to you, sir, ma’am. I was talking to him).” They thought I commanded all of them to go up right that instant.

            So this is how my country is, there are numerous languages and dialects. And also because of this fact, the preferred medium still, in dailies, directions, signs, and even in school, is English. Sometimes there will be signs or instructions, written in English, with their share of errors in grammar and construction. Nonetheless, this medium is, if not understood by all, is indeed understood by many Filipinos. It is a plus, in many ways, and sometimes a minus, when people identify too much with the English language to a point where they discriminate our very own.     

              And as a nation, this is our make-up. It may be quite difficult to have so many conversation tools for the people. But maybe this diversity also adds to our color. Maybe it also adds to our spice as a people. Maybe it also adds to our pull as an interesting race.

Exploring the Filipino Psyche Day 22: “Names”

Now I go to names. A few weeks ago I was with a couple of friends, and in the enjoyment of these hours I spent with them, the topic went to names. The existing ‘h’ , in particular , was the fascination we conversed about. In our exchange, we felt like philosophers trying to analyze the origins of the silent ‘h’: Why is it there? Who thought of putting an ‘h’ in names?  Who invented the trend of the famous ‘h’?

As we tried to analyze the roots of the letter, which found itself  in many IDs of Filipino citizens, we then began the search of other fascinations in the Filipino name. As we scrolled the list of ‘h’ names such as Mhela, Vhong, Jhun, and Bheng; we found ourselves digging deeper into the common ground of  names that had the equivalent value as the ‘h’. And there, as we searched, we remembered ‘lyn’ . The famous last syllable in female names that has become a companion of  many 2 syllables like Junalyn, Jennelyn, Manilyn and Decelyn.

 Although we have our share of Jims and Johns in the Philippines, the names of bells such as Kleng, Klang Klang, Ding Dong and BingBong, tend to have a stronger ring to people who do not come from the Philippines. An American once asked if the Filipinos take the Senator Joker seriously, I told him that we never laughed when he talked. Another asked if the name of President Noynoy was common.  "It’s as common as Jayjay, Tintin and Bong-bong. The repeated syllable is very common in my country,” I said.   

  And as I wish to someday meet the Filipino Chinese, Edgar  Allan Pe, I also wonder who Jonathan Livinston Sy is. Pinoys like to work on themes when it comes to names. My sister’s friend, Harmony, has sisters named Melody and Symphony. Then there is the ‘Kano’ family. The oldest is Ameri, next is Mexi, the third Child is Ilo, fourth is Chaba, and the youngest is Mag. I guess when parents are thinking of basing their children’s names on themes, it would be better to be the older one than the youngest. Freddie Webb, an actor who turned Senator at one point, has a grandson named Spider, and I’m not sure if a younger one will simply be called Cob.

Aside from themes, we also have the mix of names. The present Vice President is named Jejomar, and this comes from Jesus, Joseph and Mary. A former senator is Heherson. His name simply means ‘his and her son’. Although they are not a mix of words or names, my favorite combination comes from the Racela brothers. The professional basketball player, Olsen Racela, was named Olsen because he was born on ‘All Saint’s Day’. His brother is Nash because he was born on National Heroes’ Day, and the youngest is named Wally, for, well…walang okasyon (sometimes I wonder how true this story is,though).

Other names are pretty simple, and is usually American in influence. So if maybe in another country you meet someone with an American name like Henry or Jane, and with a last name that is Spanish in nature like de la Cruz, more or less you have just met a Filipino. So aside from the usual blend of themes and stories underlying a Filipino name, this mix of an American first name with a Spanish last name given to a person of Asian descent, maybe and most probably, is an individual from the Philippines. But if you meet someone named Jun-jun, Rhodette or Luzviminda (Luzon, Vizayas and Mindanao), there is no doubt that you have just met a true blue Pinoy.

Exploring the Filipino Psyche Day 21: “Have Mercy” (Inspired by Conrado de Quiros’ article today (August 18, 2011: “Still, ‘awa’ ”)

               ‘Awa’, this word was part of Conrado de Quiros’ title for the day in his column, and I chose to ponder on the same sentiment. This, in the English language, means sympathy for others or mercy. Now the challenge for me right now is to be able not to mince Conrado’s words with mine. His words are his, and I will see what I can come up with by using mine.

                The Filipino behavior is kind and forgiving in nature. Although I do believe that this forgiving quality is a strong point of the Filipino, in my opinion, this quality is also our flaw. While reading Conrado’s article, I could not help but give approving nods in parts where he stressed the Pinoy’s ‘awa’ factor. Filipinos were brought up in a Catholic/ Christian environment, so it seems to me that even though we are not one in this faith, since majority of the people belong to this faith, its influence had rubbed off to the culture itself. Thus, having the similar definition on how to handle forgiveness and mercy.

In the Filipino community, forgiveness to those who have wronged us is very much integrated within our system that the end result is usually forgetfulness. In all this exchange I get myself into regarding issues of all sorts, I find this statement taken by the bible—“Let the man who has never sinned cast the first stone.” –as a recurring remark of others to defend their stand. In my view, this line has been somewhat misinterpreted in essence. Mary Magdalene was judged for being a prostitute. She was judged for being who she was. And this may be in line with someone who has AIDS or someone who did drugs. They are judged. But the difference is they did not do anything to directly hurt us. They did not treat us badly and they did not offend us in any way; but the people I  refer to, such as the corrupt officials, did. These people have treated us harmfully and in a very hurtful manner: they steal from us, they oppress us, and they disrespect us. And here we are, when we see them suffer a little, ‘awa’ outpours and everything is forgiven.

                 I remember when Mr. Joseph ‘Erap’ Estrada was jailed after EDSA 2, suddenly a somber mood filled the air and everyone, or almost everyone, went “Kawawa naman (Pity him). ” when he was finally arrested, rethinking if we should really put the former president behind bars and in such a sorry state. After a few years, the rage that turned into pity transformed into forgiveness, and finally forgetfulness. And this enabled Mr. Estrada to run again and almost win the presidential seat. He finished number 2 in the race.  

Then there was Mr. Angelo Reyes who was called by the Senate for questioning. He was scrutinized and badgered. A shock came to the country when suddenly he committed suicide. Everything was forgiven, after a little while, again, everything was forgotten. Amnesia spread all over the country that he was even buried at the “Libingan ng mga Bayani”. I do not believe in mocking the dead, but to be given so much honor to someone who died with corruption still connected to his name, at least in allegation, should have been buried quietly by family and close friends—a private burial should have sufficed. Just like a friend of my sister said, “Angelo Reyes’s suicide can not be defined as a heroic act and should not be seen as ‘hara kiri’. Hara kiri is a Japanese practice, and we are not Japanese.” And as someone born and raised a Catholic, Mr. Angelo Reyes himself may have not perceived his own doing as an act of bravery, but a surrender to cowardice. I respect him as a human being, but I believe the probing of his connection to corruption should not end with his death.

Next is the gentlemanly move of Mr. Miguel Zubiri. Never in Philippine history did a senator resign when hunches of anomaly surrounded his being an elected official. I look up to what he did. But after a few days, I saw a paid ad in the newspaper praising too much the honorable act, and suddenly I doubted the man and his sincerity. For it is displays like these that makes me think: “Are you taking advantage of our ‘awa’ behavior to win you some ‘pogi’ points?” It has happened then, it is not far from possible for these things to happen again.

Then there is the former President Gloria M. Arroyo, also known as GMA. St. Lukes Hospital is where she runs to when called for questioning by the Senate. She may be in a serious condition, and she may be suffering from physical pain; but it is not far from my thoughts that she might be hoping to bank on our ‘awa’ trait to forgive, and eventually forget her wrongdoings such as taking us as fools by sucking us dry.

So the ‘awa’ behavior, or the sympathy we have for others is a good trait, but also a bad one. This sympathy should be for those whom we have judged. But mercy for those who have wronged us gravely and who have chosen to strip us off our dignity, well, to forgive them—maybe, in time; to forget what they did to us—never.

Conrado de Quiros' article : http://opinion.inquirer.net/10151/still-'awa'

Exploring the Filipino Psyche Day 20: SONA

Sa kadahilanan na mabilis kasi akong mabato,

Tula naman ang aking ihahanda para sa inyo.

Ito ay kahit papaano ay aking susubukan

Subali’t isang mahusay na makata ay siguradong ‘di ko matutularan.

Ang SONA ay aking napusuang pagmasdan

Sapagkat ito’y isang talumpati na tunkol sa ating bayan.

Ikinuwento ng Pangulo ang ating estado

Pati na rin ang 10 milyong kape para sa  taga PAGCOR, na malamang mga dilat pa ang mga ito.

Ipinakilala rin niya sa taumbayan ang bago nating Ombudsman.

Isang maprinsipyong babae na problema sa korupsyon din ang ipapasan.

Si Justice Conchita Carpio Morales ang kanyang  magandang pangalan.

Isang babae na may integridad at hinahangaan.

Maliban pa dito ay ang iba’t ibang proyekto

ang kanyang isinaad na kanilang iuunlad.

Isa na rito ang pantawid pamilya na pondo

At ang monorail transit na kanila’y binubuo.

Naisama rin sa kwento ang buwis na ine-eskapo

ng ibang mga negosyante, doktor at abogado.

P5,783 lang daw kada taon ang binabayad nila sa gobyerno.

Aba’y daig papala sa ‘minimun-wage’ ang kinikita ng mga ito.

Nakakalunkot din ang aking nabusisi,

 Isang doktor ay siya ring naninilbi

Ngunit pagdating sa singilan ang P1,000 naging P1,120

Sa kadahilanan lang na ang pasyente ay resibo’y hinihingi.

Aba’y ngayon ko lang nalaman

Na may presyo na pala ang kanilang sinusulatan.

Isang simpleng papel na dapat talaga ay tayo’y bigyan

Kung kaya’t isang salita na lamang ang na buntunhininga sa mga ganyan.

Naman…

Syempre maraming doktor at abogado ang dapat tingalaan

Kung kaya’t sana ang mga baluktot ay hwag isira ang kanilang pangalan.

Tama na ang praktis ng ‘tax-evading’

Upang sa gayo’y ang bansa natin ay malayo ang mararating.

Kung anu-anong struktura na lamang ang ginagawa ng aking tula.

Sana’y hindi magalit ang mga tunay na makata

Ngunit ito’y itutuloy ko hanggang buo na ang kwento

Tunkol sa napagmasdan ko sa SONA ng ating Pangulo.

Ang SONA ni PNoy ay isa lamang paalala

Na tayo’y mga Pinoy ay kailangan ng ating bansa.

Ngunit kung siya lang aasahan, mahihirapan ipabago.

 Dapat tayo’y magkaisa sa matuwid na daan na ito.

Maraming pang nakahain

Marami pang dapat gawin

Ngunit para tayo’y sumulong

Positibong ugali raw ay makakatulong.

Kung kaya’t tayo na

Ika nga nang aking nabasa

 Tama na ang sigaw na ‘Ibagsak!’

‘Itayo!’ naman ang ating ibandera.

Exploring the Filipino Psyche Day 19: 'Signs'

                If one may go around and take a stroll around the flatlands, or even the mountainous places in the Philippines, one shall notice a community of warm hosts and friendly people. But aside from the warm bodies I take pride in as people of my race, one may also see, in the streets where we live, a composition of signs. These signs add to the color of the culture. I do not speak of the gigantic billboards one may see in main roads and highways, or the fancy establishments found in posh places, but rather the small ones that may be overlooked if it weren’t for the entertaining content it may have.  Sometimes as simple as a clean piece of white paper can do the trick, and once one reads it…it entertains.

One instance I can recall was when I was walking down a street which is quite known for their girls in bars, I saw a sign that said: ‘Wanted: GRO without experience’. I started laughing alone and hoped that I looked like I was just smiling because of the strong glare of the sun.  These signs are sometimes very direct or even emotional, some show multi-talented skills such as this very unique combination of services my friends saw:

Available Service:

Manicure/Pedicure

Hot Oil or Hair Spa

Hair Cut and Blow Dry

Rebonding or Hair Straightening

and we also do Vulcanizing

But whatever they may be, if you are not from my country, make sure to be on the lookout for these signs and get ready to be amused with my people.

Filipinos like playing the association game when naming their small businesses. Since Jollibee is known all over the country and some parts outside of it, maybe “Jolly Boy” can get a share of their customers. Then a barber thought of associating a popular old cartoon to the name of his shop: ‘Felix the Cut’, and another one named his ‘Harry Cutter’.  There are numerous shops and eateries that use this technique to lure potential customers to try their products and/or services. There is ‘Aristoback’, a little eatery found at the back of a known restaurant with the name ‘Aristocrat’.  Other names are ‘Mami Pakyaw’, a noodle house; ‘Kisame Street', a service for ceiling installation; ‘Lord of the Wings Lechon Manok (roast chicken)'; ‘Bread Pit’, an eatery; and ‘Prints Charming’, a printing shop. 

Another style would be changing the spelling of famous words or phrases such as ‘Curl Up and Dye’ for a parlor, or ‘Obeertime’ for a place where one can have a beer. Jimmy’s Shoe Repair Shop expressed compassion for your shoes: ‘I will heel you, I will save your sole, and I will even dye for you'. It is quite amusing to walk the streets of Manila, or places outside Manila, and read a variety of information in signs such as stating the obvious: ‘Our Public Bar Is Presently Not Open Because It Is Closed’. Oh. Okay, now I know… Then there is a word of caution: ‘Drive Slow and See Our City; Drive Fast and See Our Jail’. Or even a sarcastic sign: 'Gusto Mong ma Korog ang Imong Itlog? Hala! Pangihi diri (You want your balls to get electrocuted? Sure! Go pee here).' And from those who believe that every creature deserves to live: ‘Pls. Don’t Throw Your Cigarettes End on the Floor. The Cockroaches are Getting Cancer'. 

Then we go to spelling. The Philippines is a country of many accents. Maybe this is the reason why a few foreigners cannot tell exactly what a Filipino accent is since it is a variety of different tones. Some have a strong curling ‘r’ and a thick ‘p’ when they speak, while others are sweet and mellow, then there are those who interchange their short and long vowels; but whatever may be the difference in accent or pronunciation, all of these are very Pinoy—and we embrace them all.  One accent is the interchanging of the letter ‘e’ and ‘i’. So sometimes check-in will sound like chik-en, cheer will sound like ‘cher’ or cheese will be heard as ‘ches’.  This accent may be a little difficult to understand at first, but once one gets used to the interchanging of these two letters, it gets easier. But when this accent, or a different way of pronouncing words, is placed on a sign, it can, in some cases, come out with a whole different meaning. One furniture shop had a sign that said: ‘Available Here: Tables, Chairs, Cabinets, Beds (Single, Queen Size, King Size and Double Dick)’. I am quite sure they meant something else for that last bed.

There are also signs that give requests: ‘Our Aim is to Keep this Bathroom Clean—Gentlemen: Your aim will help. Stand Closer. It’s shorter than you think. Ladies: Please remain seated for the entire performance.’  And one that just states the fact: Starr Box: Yosi (cigarettes) Bad for you, Good for me—Business is Business by Steven Cigar’.

So when you are in your car or walking around, especially if you are a guest of the country, look around and read the amusing little pieces of paper posted on walls, or those cardboard and metal names of different shops and eateries, and you will discover little things about our culture—the creative sense of humor of the Pinoy, the emotional side that we pour into our signs, and the play with words we do that will make you smile. All you’ve got to look for are the signs.

  Source: 

Just Google 'Funny Filipino Signs' :-) 

Exploring the Filipino Psyche Day 18: 'Jose Rizal'

150 years ago, a hero was born. In the midst of all harshness, the second son and the 7^th child of Francisco Mercado and Teodora Alonso entered the world as a Filipino.  His mother treated and loved her children equally. But as a child, she already noticed the special talents of her second son. His name, that will be forever known not only in his nation but also to be commended and honored in other countries, is Jose Rizal. His last name, Mercado, had to be removed when he entered Ateneo because of his brother Paciano’s close association with Fr. Burgos, whom the friars branded as a filibustero, beheaded together with three more priests. Filibusteros were the activists of those time, and they were branded by society as outcasts and troublemakers. And later on in his life, Jose Rizal was branded as one, too. 

The first influence in Dr. Jose ‘Pepe’ Rizal’s young life was his mother. Teodora introduced to her son the beauty of Tagalog poetry. She would lull him to sleep with the poems made in the native language. And it was through the young boy’s observation on his mother’s choices that he learned a sense of independence in thinking and reasoning. For even though the Spanish friars regarded Tagalog as mediocre and undeserving of attention, which many Filipinos that time believed and took in as true, Teodora Alonso differed from the rest and fell in love with poems from our native language. She was her own woman. And according to history, through example, Teodora molded her son, the Philippines’ national treasure, in his formative years to do the same thing and be the same way—to be a free thinker. And just like his mother, Pepe fell in love with words and its power. And this he used to express his love for country and countrymen. 

Dr. Jose Rizal was the first Asian to fight colonial power, but his greatness was eclipsed by the sensation of Mahatma Mohandas Gandhi.  Our national hero’s brilliance is not as popular as Mahatma Gandhi’s fame because the Philippines is much smaller than India. Thus, in world history, many people know more about the fight of the people of India against British rule.  But the magnitude of recognition was never the main mission of our hero. It was our equality with the Spanish brothers. It was change and reform for the Filipino people. Though not as popular, our national hero did inspire many, even Mahatma Gandhi wrote letters to his daughter, Indira, about Dr. Jose Rizal. 

Reading the life and works of Dr. Jose Rizal made me appreciate more what our hero did for our country. The love he had for the people and their right to a better life was a passion parallel to that of recent heroes such as Ninoy Aquino, and even those who live like Heidi Mendoza. So this made me wonder:  Why is it do we have so many of them, still? Hereos—I mean. Though times are much better than what our brothers and sisters of then went through. The 16^th century, which continued up to the 19^th century, hurdled our people to an existence of lower men and women. The entry of colonizers reduced many to a life of unworthiness. And this was the fight Dr. Jose Rizal had to face—the removal of oppression for the entry of independence to happen. Fast forward to the time of Ferdinand Marcos and we have Ninoy Aquino, leading the pack towards the goal of freedom. Then to the time of GMA (Gloria Macapagal Arroyo), tyranny is alive again and cruelty is back.

So I wonder, after centuries that passed, why do we still fight the same battle? But I cannot say that things did not improve for us. Of course we have our independence because our heroes of that time made sure we regained it. We have our freedom back because, again, heroes sacrificed their lives so that we may enjoy ours in liberty. And now we have living heroes such as Jun Lozada, Heidi Mendoza, and Grace Pedaca, just to name a few, who continue with ideals of making integrity flow again and corruption removed. It is nice to know that we are in company of heroes.  

But how long do we need heroes? How long do we need to wait until we realize that the job we need to take is not a responsibility of only a handful, but is a responsibility of all. That improvement and development is not the duty only of the government, or people in public office, but is the duty of all. That calamities and devastation are not needed for the hero in all of us to come out, because the hero in all of us can become a choice. It can become who we are. It can become what we are all about. We do not need to be woken up any longer, because we will be awake. All we need to do is care more. Just like what Jun Lozada said in a rally I attended then when he just came out as a witness for the NBN-ZTE case: “Sana ang laban natin para sa pagbabago ng ating bansa ay hindi galing sa galit kundi sa pagmamahal.  Pagkat ang galit ay nawawala. Pero kung ginagawa natin ito at nandito tayo dahil mahal natin ang ating bansa, kahit ano pa ang mangyari, hindi natin ihihinto ang laban patungo sa ating pagbabago ( I hope this fight we have for change comes from love, not from anger, for anger fades. But if our fight comes from our love for our country, no matter what happens, we shall continue this fight for change).”      

So it is actually good to know that we do not need someone as great as Dr. Jose Rizal for changes to happen. All we need to do now is to respect. Respect our people. This way we shall not forget them and we will help them if they need us. Respect our natural resources. This way we will think more than twice before we support or promote acts that destroy the beauty of our land. And finally, respect our country. This way we will always remember that no matter where we go, the Philippines is home. And just like any home, we need to take care of it, beautify it and protect it.

Reference: 

Rizal- Filipino Nationalist and Patriot    by Austin Coates