On Filipino identity, national consciousness, and unity

By Joshua Corcuera

 

Recently, I was reading several academic topics at the university level. For the most part, such topics involve law and computations since I am an accountancy student. But I stumbled upon a subject that is taught even in high school, but something that is seemingly difficult to answer. The topic of national identity, our identity as a Filipino people.

Have you ever wondered what makes us Filipino? It appears hard to answer the question immediately, and consequently, it affects the way we unite as a people. After all, if we’re unaware of who we are, then how can we be united? Hence, it is imperative to know first what makes us Filipino.

 

We must know ourselves first

Before becoming a united nation, we need to know who we are in the first place. Take a high school class at the start of a school year for instance. Students are unlikely to be united by that time since they don’t know their classmates. But when weeks or months pass by, they learn more about one another and are likely to get along with their tasks in school. Sometimes they would be united in greeting their teachers during teachers’ month, or when reviewing for an exam, or in some instances even in doing careless acts as teenagers. The point is that knowing who we are and those we interact with can initiate a sense of unity.

The same goes for society, particularly our entire country. When we Filipinos know who we truly are, we can agree on certain things which can be a cause for unity. Despite our differences and social diversity, unity is possible when we agree on fundamental issues. It may be difficult to define what makes a Filipino by heart, but we must pursue our identity in spite of such difficulty. Moreover, consciousness or being aware of what happens to us, to our fellow countrymen, and our country is important towards identifying and assessing who we are.

 

A single common cause can be a source of unity

From a historical perspective, it can be seen that a common cause among people can trigger unity. During times of war, for instance, people of a nation — no matter their differences and disagreements — unite to help one another and to ultimately overcome the challenges they face. Even though they debate on how to surmount the summit of their struggle, they know that they are a single people at the end of the day. Determination and perseverance towards achieving a common cause can be a source of unity.

Now, as we fight the pandemic we are facing, humanity can be united in ensuring the safety and welfare of each and every human being. Of course, there would be political disagreements on how to respond to our challenges and beat the pandemic — just like how it has been for our ancestors in the past. We should remember that opposition and criticisms are necessary for progress. What is essential is that we share universal values and ideals regardless of our differences.

 

The values we shared and we must share

Shared values among a nation are important to create a sense of identity and unity. Several nations have different values from one another. For instance, the United States is known for its emphasis on individualism — the idea that each person must be independent and self-reliant. While here in the Philippines, we have put importance on collectivism — the notion that a group as a whole must be prioritized over each individual in it. As we can see, the spirit of bayanihan is alive for centuries in our country up to this day. Moreover, damayan or being compassionate to one another — especially when dealing with a crisis — can be observed when we are wrecked by a terrible storm or by any other calamity. When we help one another with such problems, we don’t ask what their political views are, or what their religion is, or what is their opinion on some controversial issue. Rather, we help them unconditionally simply because they are human beings and they are our fellow countrymen.

The values we shared in the past such as duty, patriotism, compassion, love, truth, justice, and freedom must be practiced in real life as we preach these ideals to society. At the same time, we accept responsibilities to one another, the duty to take care of each other even if we do not know who they are. And despite our differences, we must remind ourselves that we are greater than the sum of our individual ambitions, and we are not as divided as our politics suggest. In order for us to unite, in times of crisis and in times of normalcy, we must remind ourselves who we are and the universal values we must fight for.