What it means to be a Filipino

The concept of national identity is a tricky one. Asking what it means to be Filipino is basically the same as finding what it is that brings 94.85 million people together. Is it the fact that we share the same land? 7,107 islands beg to differ (at least when it’s low tide). Is it sharing a mother tongue? We have 185 languages between us. Is it having the same blood running through our veins? Whether we’re aware of it or not, almost all of us have a mix of Chinese, Spanish, American, or some other foreign blood.

Or it might not be the factual attributes as it is the cultural that matters, though culture itself is something continuously changing. When we once wielded bolos or wrote upon leaves and tree barks, we now dress in Western styles and use touch-screen gadgets.

Still, we have been faced over and over with the same blinding question: Does a unique Filipino identity even exist? From wading in knee-deep floodwater to our unique love for all things basketball, we delve into the rare attributes of Filipinos and their rich heritage.

One thing that a lot of people love to complain about in the Philippines is that we are a country without a culture. Indeed, regionalism is somewhat strong in the Philippines; some of our southernmost regions keep pushing for secession, many regions have stronger loyalty to their ethnic groups than to the Philippines as a whole; and Manila’s reach is somewhat hard to feel in some of the farther-off areas, especially due to the Philippines being an archipelago.

It’s a big challenge trying to sum up what it means to be a Filipino in just one article. Yet, there are some things that stand out about us as a people.

To be a Filipino is to adapt, endure, and somehow find happiness.

Filipinos have to embrace duality in many aspects of life. Having gone through three different occupations that lasted hundreds of years, we have learned to adapt and mold different cultures. For example, most Filipinos are Catholic, yet we also grew up with many decidedly pagan beliefs. As children we were taught to be good and to fear God; yet we were also quieted by our mothers and maids with threats of being carried away by dwarves or tikbalang (a sort of half-man half-horse creature; think a reverse centaur). We pray the rosary and visit churches to ask for favors; yet sometimes we also call in the local albularyo or folk healer.

Filipinos are also known for being able to adapt easily to life abroad. There are significant numbers of Filipinos in the United States, Middle East, East Asia, Western Europe, the United Kingdom and Australia. Remittances from these Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) totaled about 10-12% of Philippine GDP in 2010. OFWs know that their earnings are a boon to the nation’s economy; but they know even more that it is this money that allows their families to live better lives. That’s why they do it – it’s a big sacrifice to be away from family and friends for so long, but this is a small sacrifice to pay for a better life. Yes, it’s also an adventure and a chance to grow, but you have to understand how important family is for us Filipinos. To leave for a foreign land with no guarantee of returning to the Philippines for good is one of the hardest things to deal with. Technology eases the sting somewhat, but considers that Filipinos have been doing this for decades before Internet use became widespread. Filipinos before would cope by forming their own communities, and by bringing over what things they could of home, such as food (Filipino restaurants like Jollibee, Red Ribbon and Max’s have gained footholds in LA, for example), and by writing back home every so often.

Let’s look back earlier in time. History shows that when the Spanish, Americans and Japanese all came to conquer the Philippines; we did resist. Yet, we had to surrender when it became clear there was no way to resist. By all accounts, most of our leaders and our people were able to adjust remarkably well by cooperating with the new leadership. Some would call it cowardice; but most would agree that it was merely practical survival. Several revolts did spring up throughout the years, but sadly, most didn’t get very far.

Towards the end of the Spanish era, the members of La Liga Filipina, a civic organization devoted to achieving independence, would split. Some would advocate seeking independence through armed revolution; some would argue for using the strategy of propaganda and institutional reform. Again, neither group quite succeeded. During the American era, Filipino politicians were also split: some were quite aggressive towards the Americans, while some wanted to work with them and prove that the Philippines were ready for self-governance. During World War II, under the Japanese, some Filipinos took to the hills to wage guerilla warfare, while others stayed in their posts to act as a buffer between the Japanese and the Filipinos.

There were two widely different strategies, yet both had the same aims.

This is because we Filipinos do our best to endure. Yes, there comes a time when we have had enough, and we do fight – the EDSA Revolution of 1986 played a key role in forcing an ailing Ferdinand Marcos from office, for example. However, as long as things can be endured, we will find a way. Some argue that this is a bad thing – that if we had not been so patient, we would years ago have risen up and taken power away from the rich few in Manila who influence the way the country is run. On the other hand, it is a testament to the hardiness of our people that we somehow make the most of what little we have, and slowly, we grow.

In today’s highly globalized world, it has never been more important for Filipinos to act with an inherent national pride in doing things, from the littlest to the most ground-breaking, from crossing the street to paying taxes, from being the best in school or at work to engaging in social entrepreneurship.

Only when people attach being Filipino within themselves will they realize their vital role in continuously defining and re-defining what Filipino means and what it stands for.