ARE THE FILIPINOS STILL WORTH DYING FOR?

UNEDITED SAMPLE EDITORIAL ARTICLE
By Jonah Aileen Oliva Reyes
IV - Enrico Fermi


I laughed foolishly at myself. This is absurd, I thought. Discussing Benigno’s heroic acts in the English class was banal, leading the symposium, of course, to none other than Philippine nationalism it profoundly dictates. Nationalism that has long been demolished and viciously wrecked in front of its hero’s eyes. Nationalism to which I have been opened as early as I have been able to hold a republic coin in my hand; to which I have been aware of its essence to human hood as soon as I embrace learning of wisdom and, lastly, to which I have been sentient of its upshot to struggle for the distant freedom it is ordained to be next to. I believe we all feel its spark, its heat, even just a bit deep within our hearts, but to acknowledge of its existence; I am afraid we lose the courage and will to do so.

Nationalism, in its definition, is the desire for political independence, excessive devotion to one’s nation or in one word; patriotism. In Benigno Aquino’s account, his devotion for the home he belonged to had proven its genuineness, in which he died from, saying the lines, “the Filipinos are worth dying for”, which awakened the people, inspiring millions of hearts to unite and build the unbeatable revolution that marked the history of our scarred land.

Well, that was way back decades, compared to what the status of our country is now, I feel ashamed that we have only wasted the democracy our ancestors fought for. The rising crises have never weakened making every Filipino suffer even harder. We have become little of what our predecessors had been, failing to preserve the glory that claimed the highness of our nation. We have recklessly and brutally shattered our precious dignity and discipline; making us monsters and destroyers of the land we ought to protect. Shamelessly demolishing the respect that our country earned thru our willingness to serve one another, even risking one’s life knowing that it would be returned with glory and honor, by doing what we can for our land in troubled times. This has now become a dirty republic with the greedy officials that rule it and greedy citizens that live in it, straining the fierce nationalism it formerly deserves, making me less wonder, why our Filipinos, the common people, had lost their fervor for our motherland that once saved her soul from the prison as fearful as hell back in the era of Martial Law. Indeed, we are all criminals and victims at the same time.

Philippines is slipping away from the bright future it once nearly reached being distant just so seeing only the light at the end of a long tunnel. Things have changed now, making us undeserving of the nationalism a land must always receive. Death would only mean wasting one life for the expense of the others but never really making it worth it. The only chance of achieving patriotism or the passion of self sacrifice for freedom and triumph is by purely hoping that in the future, a better place would await a better Filipino nation. Still I know, Motherland is patiently waiting and will soon be healed in the long run.