The need of separating the “religion” from being “Filipino”

Just what does it mean to be a “Filipino?” What is the Filipino Heritage? Who were we before the Spaniards conquered?

Tourism ads on the Internet or magazines will show you a kaleidescope of colorful festivals, pristine beaches, ancient churches and the unusual marriage of eastern and western cultures in food and architecture. There are more than a hundred native languages spoken; there are very different types of traditional attire depending on which region you are visiting; and you may as well be visiting another country since the landscape is as diverse as the languages spoken. The best way to define the Filipino identity is to identify what binds us: Religion, a strong sense of familial bond and ingenuity.

One of the highest points in Philippine history was the People Power Revolution. Part of what made it so successful was the support of the then Cardinal Sin which encouraged much of the populace under the flag of religion to lend a hand. I grew up during this period and bore witness to the protests and though I didn’t understand the circumstances at the time, I knew that it was one of the defining moments in Filipino History. Looking back though, I did wonder why it took so long for people to have the courage to riot or protest shortly after Ninoy Aquino was assasinated. Ninoy was killed on 1983 but we didn’t decide to have a revolution up until 1989. It took 6 years for us to finally drive Marcos out of office. Even with that, why is Imelda Marcos not hissed or booed at right now but treated as a huge celebrity despite openly and obviously squandering and probably is still doing?

Our religion teaches us to be modest, to obey without question and follow prescribed cookie cutter paths in life. We are discouraged to speak our minds or question authority. Inflicting physical punishment on children is accepted and the norm as a form of discipline to a crime even as simple as failing to come home with an acceptable grade from school. Women are second rate citizens whose main function is to maintain their flawless beauty, procreate and please their husbands (and mother-in-laws). All these virtues were leftovers from the Spanish eras to ensure obedient and docile natives at the beck and call of the then ruling Spaniards. We had a thriving culture back then that was deliberately destroyed because they wanted complete control over our minds. What better way to do so than through religion?

Where a religious Filipino is closely follows strong family values. Filipinos are well known for their tight knit families and expecting everyone regardless of where they are to be familiar with which clan they hail from. This is probably because of the commandment that dictates “Honor your parents” though most likely it’s more of a lingering and already present value we carried with us from before the Spanish arrived. Although this is a generally positive trait, it is very authoritarian and discourages individualism.

There is no such concept as “moving out” of your parents house. Perhaps it’s caused by poverty or lack of places where you can really move on to. We don’t have a tradition that signifies any sort of coming of age and it is sad to see 30 year old men and women still responding as if they were 7-year-olds towards their parents. It’s ludicrous. It’s very common for parents to even continue living with their children long after their children had their children. There’s never any respect to privacy and you are always expected to obey, even if that means deciding what you will be when you grow up and what you’ll do for the rest of your lives. Though I’m not aware of arranged marriages in our society, it is almost as if it is in effect because you are in constant search of a partner that is “acceptable” to your family and not to yourself.

What frustrates me about family gatherings for example is a phenomena I would like to allude to as the “pokemon card game.” It’s embarrassing to be present at an occasion with your parents huddled around with aunts and uncles or some distant relative of some sort spewing out your achievements like stats. The goal of the game is to boast who has the most successful/beautiful/talented “child.” Although it’s probably flattering, it’s highly degrading. It’s almost as if they are making up for what they were not able to achieve due to restrictions and the prescribed lifestyle their parents dictated for them to follow. It’s also awkward to find yourself in a situation to hug or sit on a lap of a distant relative but have no choice but to do as asked because your parents are glaring and motioning you to do so since it appears to be an acceptable form of “harassment.”

Centuries after the Spaniards left, we never quite recovered from the crippling effects they imposed which we still continue to believe and obey. They took away our pride and confidence by encouraging modesty and prudence. As an example, the traditional stance of gently taking an important or elder person’s right hand with yours and moving it towards your forehead as a sign of “respect” is in itself illustrates a sort of acceptable means to acknowledge your futility. It isn’t a virtue to prostrate one’s self to show “respect.” Be it avoiding eye contact, bowing, kneeling, there is no reason to do so. You should not prostrate yourself to anyone. This is one of the lasting and unfortunate traditions that passed on to ensure that inquisitiveness, pride and confidence is discouraged and rebuked.

Thirdly, ingenuity. This is perhaps the one shining trait that keeps Filipinos from falling into complete, utter oblivion. Our creativity is ever present in our love of singing, dancing, the colorful costumes evident from various ethnic groups… and the artists, writers, engineers, technicians, all individuals seeking opportunities outside of our country to further their careers and dreams. Where there is art, there is a seed for inquisitiveness, discovery, and truth. It is unfortunate that we can’t pursue these dreams right here in our country but it is what keeps us from being completely blind due to religious influence.

I hope to see one day that the Filipino identity would be one that embraces modernity. We are one of the most fortunate countries in Asia that is unique in being the most westernized which opens doors to further industry and technology. Those doors have been open and only briefly and temporarily closed to progress during the Marcos administration but it’s still there only waiting for us to take advantage of.

If there were any countries that at least left a positive effect on the Philippines, it would be the United States. They gave us the spirit of liberty and freedom, and more importantly, a form of government that separates religion and the state. This isn’t exactly what is happening right now since our government seems to always need approval from the church even if it meant saving ourselves from an oppressive dictator.

We no longer have living persons who suffered the horror and atrocities the Spaniards imposed to question Christianity but what really makes it any different from Bathala, Kan Laon, Lumawig, Mariang Makiling or any of the old gods we once hailed as our gods? Why couldn’t we just simply see that Christianity is just another mythology just like the one we used to have? In fact, all Christianity does is hinder progress by restricting/evading/discouraging modernity.

A much needed trait is introspection. It is common for us to prefer all things foreign (maybe that explains the preference for Christianity. It’s not as if a god who looked after people from a desert half way around the world will actually care or notice the likes of a native from an island right smack in the middle of the ocean.) We have so much in our history that is overlooked and left unappreciated that are the stuff of legends and movies such as the relationship between Bonifacio and Aguinaldo; Apolinario Mabini who was a close equivalent of Thomas Jefferson; Ramon Magsaysay who opened Malacanang Palace to the public; The unknown datus who opposed the Spaniards early on. Are these not individuals who chose to break the docile, obedient and ignorant natives the Spanish so wanted us to be?

Like the United States, we have the unique opportunity to reinvent ourselves and the chance to create a country in the image of our choosing. Are we going to continue to be slaves to the ghosts of the Spanish colonial era? Are we going to continue to sing hallelujahs to a foreign god? When are we going to learn to be masters of our own lives and the pursuit of happiness?