Reclaiming Independence

This rant requires familiarity with Filipino heroes, namely Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio and Emilio Aguinaldo. My knowledge is limited to word of mouth, and old editions of a textbook called “One Country, One People.” The textbook was published with the Code of Kalintiaw which is now known to be a fraud. That said, I am open for corrections.

The intellectual deficiency of the Philippines today can be traced back to three pro-independence revolutionaries in the late 19th century. Rizal, Bonifacio and Aguinaldo emerged as leading figures who opposed centuries of Spanish colonization. They rose to prominence when Filipinoes resigned themselves to a lifetime of oppression because of so many failed attempts at opposing Spain.

Bonifacio and Aguinaldo took up the usual route of revolts and initiated the call to arms. Bonifacio was no savant, charismatic orator, or  brilliant tactician but an ancestor of the “savage” datu, Lapu-lapu, who was first to defend our country centuries earlier. He lacks the attractive distinctions of the esteemed Jose Rizal but believed that if independence was to be gained, it would only be through our own power, courage and will. Freedom wasn’t something asked for, but seized. There is still much speculation and controversy over Aguinaldo’s execution of Bonifacio. To my knowledge, Bonifacio had to be eliminated in order to unite differing factions otherwise united bythe same goal.

A nation’s identity and ideology is usually shaped through violence. We lost the chance to experience the kind of transformation that instill self-confidence and self-reliance when Bonifacio died. Bonifacio is the stillborn symbol of pride and initiative. He is popularly described as being illiterate, impulsive, passionate, and having a fiery personality. These attributes may be the reason he was no match for the  ambitious and calculating Aguinaldo. His defeat lives on through the prevailing attitude of futility toward government corruption and societal ills that Filipinoes grudgingly tolerate instead of actively oppose.

In parallel, Rizal is identified as the revolutionary who took up the pen instead of the sword. I’ve only recently learned that he is actually an atheist, which coincides with his many criticisms of the Roman Catholic Church. To me, this means that he was not actually a pacifist but an intellectual. He understood that the religion was the greater threat than Spain.

Despite Jose Rizal being a fitting national hero, none of his philosophical views are even remotely understood by Filipinoes. Even today, we remain enslaved by the religion that he denounced long after foreign rule ceased. His works exist only as status symbols for superficial discussion, memorized lines devoid of any real meaning. Our respect for Rizal is limited to his historical prestige,  while neglecting what lead to it.

Though we eventually gained independence through peaceful means, I believe that had we fought for our independence instead of waiting to receive it, we would now have a better understanding and appreciation of freedom. Can a contemporary Filipino understand the basic principles of protecting its ideals from oppression, foreign or domestic?

The  Philippine People Power is cited the world over as proof that it is possible to make peaceful changes. Did we really learn anything from the experience? Marcos came to power as a popular politician with  many suggesting that his power ultimately corrupted him.  Marcos was a very religious man who merely practiced what he believed. The Bible is filled with many contradictions so it isn’t a surprise that even a brilliant man like him would eventually lead a country to ruin. Perhaps, he was the type of man Rizal envisioned and wanted to warn us against.

The purpose of history is not just to archive the past but to understand and learn from the successes and shortcomings of those who helped shape who we are today. The Philippines is no longer under foreign threat, but there is general stagnation in culture, politics, and economics that can only be addressed through philosophy. The prevailing philosophy is religion, which deters much needed reforms. If we want progress at all, we need introspection and to adopt a philosophy of  secularism.

Presently, we hail overseas workers as heroes for bringing in much needed revenue keeping the country from the brink of bankruptcy. Many others simply migrate for the promise of wealth and opportunity. The Philippines is teeming with talented, productive, hard working people. What it lacks and needs is intellectual leaders.

Objective truth

The Legacy of Stunted Potential

My grandmother was the happiest when her grandchildren were crowded around her fighting over a remote control. As soon as a channel was agreed upon and the children’s chatter ended, she would issue various orders that would stir the children back in action. I don’t think she did this out of malice, but because she enjoyed seeing us in action. There was a twinkle in her eyes and an almost imperceptible grin when in the presence of boisterous children. This paints a wonderful, stereotypical picture that most adults use to convince women to bear children. It’s superficial reason that only serves to depict children as benign, decorative objects to be paraded around or stirred in action. However, there are far more degrading conditions that children are subjected to. Children are especially targeted and victimized with indoctrination, unrealized dreams and hopes of the very adults who are supposed to help them. Children are autonomous, living, breathing, miniature, human beings.

One of the last Filipino movies I saw was about a woman who married several husbands each of whom died after fathering one child each. She eventually ended up with five children, each having a different father. The eldest child was going to college and was trying to win the heart of a nice girl. Long story short, the happy ending involved the eldest child quitting college to pursue work and breaking up with the girl he eventually won over to help support the family despite the mother finding another husband to marry. The eldest boy’s “sacrifice” subplot was combined with the search for a lost deaf sibling because money was needed. It’s even more disappointing when they found that the lost sibling didn’t even get that far and was found hiding behind a box near their home.

There is a stereotype in media that unless your family supports you with your ambitions, you’re just being “selfish.” Well, isn’t that just an oxymoron? Ambition only works if the person involved really believes in it. The eldest child from the movie had a lot of potential but was throttled before he could even take flight. What kind of a message were they even trying to achieve after building up a subplot of how the eldest child was going to college to pursue his dreams that was actually going to help save his family from poverty? Pursue your dreams but family will always come first no matter what? The boy should have continued his college education which would have only lasted a few more years and gained him more money to comfortably support his family and fulfill his dream. The eldest child damned himself into a mediocre existence that neither helps himself or his family. He was preparing ahead, working on a plan that would take some time to benefit from but had to abandon it for a temporary fix just to be with his family for what turned out to be a modest crisis. I wanted to burn the VHS after the corny ending which hinted that the new step dad was going to get into an accident like all the others and how the family got to stay together in the old dilapidated house achieving nothing at all.

The type of experience the eldest child went through is common and experienced by many. From childhood, we are encouraged to do our best, be successful and be open to every opportunity. This unrelenting pressure to be the best is inflicted especially for those who can afford an education. It’s common to hear someone losing sleep from studying for an exam or being punished for coming home with a dissatisfactory grade. Despite the strong support for education and the recognition that it would lead to a better life, they will eventually be told to settle for the “practical” choice, the “modest” choice, the choice that will ensure familial stability. The youth is told to abandon their ambitions; which contradicts what they were told when they were young. This has left many of us with the impression that the life of an adult is dull, unrewarding and apathetic.

If genius can be nurtured, why not have another child? Why not have more? A large brood is very popular especially in the provinces where children are used as free farm hands that also double as a lottery ticket to a genius who will rescue the family from poverty. Everyone should be familiar with this popular anti-abortion story:

How would you advise a mother who is pregnant with her fifth child based on the following facts: Her husband has syphilis. She has tuberculosis. Their first child was born blind. Their second child died. Their third child was born deaf. Their fourth child had tuberculosis. Would you advise the mother for an abortion? Oops! If you said yes, you would have just killed the great composer Ludwig van Beethoven! We cannot know what God has in mind for every individual…”

This story is factually untrue. It’s more like an urban legend, with the details changing from person to person. Nonetheless, most Filipino couples embrace this tale. It gives them another reason to have children.

Although both my parents came from large families, they didn’t entertain having more than three children despite regular nagging from us. My brother wanted another younger sibling since he had tired of us. I wanted a little sister. My younger brother disliked being the youngest because he was at the bottom of the pecking order. Despite setting up mock romantic dinners, hustling our parents to go on a date or another honeymoon, they ignored our requests, or discouraged us by giving us impossible tasks or sending us out on errands. There goes the unborn sibling who could have been a genius, an inventor, a talented actor or just the revolutionary the country had been waiting for since the Spanish era ended.

A close friend in high school came from a poor family of five girls, all of whom lived in a one-room Nipa hut she told me about, but never wanted me to see. She graduated as valedictorian from elementary school, and all her sisters were decked in school medals till they graduated from high school. The conditions of her lifestyle satisfied the Beethoven analogy but still made it difficult to raise their status from poverty.

I can’t imagine living in a one-room home with five other people. I grew up in a modestly-sized home where I had my own room, even if it doubled as storage. We also had some kind of a yard where we could actually run around and play, but also have the misfortune of being ordered to trim the grass with a giant pair of scissors on our haunches.

The Beethoven analogy doesn’t bother to satisfy if a couple is able to provide adequate shelter, food, attention or guidance for all the potential children involved to nurture genius. It relies on a gamble that you have as many chances of being saved from poverty from the number of children produced. Even if none of the children end up being a genius after all, they are treated as indentured servants who are forever in debt for the gift of life. We are talking about children, not livestock, investment or an inanimate object. Doesn’t this seem inhuman and disingenuous? Dreams coming true, good fortune, success. These are merely by-products of reaching a goal. If children are to be encouraged to do their best from the beginning, it should be encouraged further when they reach adulthood. Elders supporting youth to aim for the superficial results of success alone is tragic and cruel.

There may never be a perfect parenting method and no one can predict what kinds of moments and memories will be important to a growing and developing child. What does matter is to keep in mind that a child will eventually become an adult. What kind of legacy are our elders really looking for? A brighter future? More money? Success? Aren’t those all just generic platitudes designed to placate youth to keep up appearances of a supporting parent? Even if the disingenuous support produces results, the individual finds himself tied down to be just good enough for familial stability. The cycle continues and the desire for further progress hindered. The result of this upbringing in the larger scale of society results in an individual’s loss of initiative and inevitable stagnation.

Conceptual Corruption

Ever wonder why it’s difficult to explain ideas or concepts to people? Take the time to watch this video as it explains why.

I like to put the blame on public schools since the video pretty much explains the method of teaching, popular or enforced in schools today. Memorization of patterns, routines, the way certain words look or even formulas explain why it’s so difficult to grasp subjects that require logic like math.

Think of how this translates to people’s morals and values. When you ask them their thoughts on moral dilemmas, they can’t even begin to grasp what it really means to them.

Sex and Sensibility

Right now would be the perfect time to have Eraserheads’ classic song, “Magasin,” playing in the background as you read this article. No one seems to take sex seriously unless it is discussed in the form of toilet humor or hushed silence. Teachers would take pains to be careful with their choice of words to make sure that no student would laugh at the mention of “certain” reproductive body parts, their functions, locations and purpose for fear that parents would come storming the school. The religious mainstream is catered to and follows the credo of sex being reserved specifically for reproduction within the constraints of married life. Parents dread the question “where do babies come from?” Sex is viewed with such naivety, immoral curiosity and agnostic disgust which has led to the booming “bomba flicks” to cater to the guilty pleasure of Philippine cinema goers.

It is difficult to accept that despite living in an age reaping the benefits of knowledge unveiling the mysteries of a once supernatural world that such a natural act as sex is still continued to be viewed with such disgust, disdain and feigned ignorance. Sex is the very reason why we are all here, why we exist. More than any other individualistic value or trait, it has suffered the most from layers of infantile ridicule from centuries of religious doctrine and double standards. It’s a very private, intimate celebration of life.

Is it really any surprise why the proposed Reproductive health bill is met with such strong opposition? The reproductive health (RH) bill promotes information on and access to both natural and modern family planning methods, which are medically safe and legally permissible. It assures an environment where women and couples have the freedom of informed choice on the mode of family planning they want to adopt based on their needs, personal convictions and religious beliefs. The fact that most people who oppose this bill haven’t even read it is proof of the naive and ignorant attitude that Filipinos have towards sex. Basing their decisions on superficial values without a thought or consideration for the needs of the invisible population who do not enjoy their comfortable, “righteous” lives.

Please support the bill.