Sunday, July 8, 2012

The Philippines is Where the Filipino is

The Philippines is Where the Filipino is (an excerpt from my midterm exam essay in Sociology 101)
Most Filipinos believe that we are naturally lazy, naturally corrupt, and are getting nowhere fast. We have developed a rather poor self-image (within the context of our own country) that has taken forever to improve. Instead of seeing ourselves as contributors to our country's development we see our country as a deterrent to our own personal development. 
It is hard to blame those who go out of the country to seek greener pasture. It is indeed more important for us to ensure personal stability rather than to be concerned of the nation's well-being. Through our country's colonial past (Spain, Japan, and the US), and the ability of the Filipino to adapt so swiftly to different cultures, somehow, during the course of history, we no longer felt the need for a political geographic. The Philippines is where the Filipino is. Maybe that's why Filipinos in other countries are more proud to be Filipinos than Filipinos in the Philippines. And maybe that's why we are what we are today. Maybe we did understand that we are products of the interplay of our personal biographies and our country's history. 
What are the implications to our society? It leads to social problems such as: broken families, separated couples, loss of manpower and talent in companies, lack of leaders and educators, and the list goes on.

The FMDS Perma GARDEN @ UP Open University

Welcome to the FMDS Perma GARDEN! Officially opened to the public on March 21, 2023, the garden serves as the physical centerpiece for UPOU’...