Giving pride a face

MANILA, Philippines - It’s easy to say that you are proud of your country, but proud of what, exactly? Filipino Matters aims to give Filipinos specific reasons to be proud of the country.

The idea started with an experience Dale David had when he was in Boston in 2000. At a party, he asked another guest if he was Filipino. This person looked him in the eye and said no, though Dale was sure that he was. This incident bothered him so much that he shared his concern with some of his friends, and found that many of them have had similar encounters.

“Why do we deny being Filipino?” Dale asks. “We deny something if we’re not proud of it.” But, he adds, “There is so much to be proud of.” Thus he embarked on the project, Filipino Pride – a book that would give Filipinos examples of people, events, and things to be proud of.

Starting the book project with his friends, the contributors eventually formed a group, Filipino Matters – named because the group “talks about Filipino matters because the Filipino matters.”

Meeting each other through friends and through working together, Filipino Matters exchange ideas by text or email. They seldom are able to meet as a complete group, because of conflicting schedules. They are all volunteers and each attends to work and personal advocacies.

Filipino Matters is made up of Dale who came up with the project and is now devoted full time to the cause. Lucio Pitlo III, a research manager taking his masters in Asian Studies at the University of the Philippines; Julie Tañada, an advertising and marketing professor at De La Salle University; Ones Cuyco, who works for the National Livelihood Development Corporation; and Edna Co, a professor of Public Administration at the University of the Philippines. Also contributing to the book project are T. Lloyden Bautista and Rodolfo Brul.

The group started in 2007, compiling short articles for the Filipino Pride book. “We wanted to contribute something and show that Filipinos can make a difference,” says Dale. They have finished their first volume with 64 entries spanning eight categories – History, Literature, Sports, Business, Performing Arts, Visual Arts, Culture and Values, and Science. The book includes entries about famous Filipino icons (Manny Pacquiao, for example), as well as lesser known but equally important events and figures in different fields.

The project is a work in progress as the group aims to complete 365 articles in all. “It will be like a daily devotional,” says Ones.

“Each day, unti-unting lumalalim ang pride in the Filipino,” says Dale.

“It concretizes the pride,” Ones adds.

The group notes that they have yet to find an exact word for “pride” in Filipino. The closest, “yabang,” has a negative connotation. “If there’s no word for pride, how can we express or show it?” asks Dale. One of their members coined the word “tanukaka” which stands for “taas nuo kahit kanino,” though they decided not to use the word. The phrase “taas nuo” is what they use now, but some of them joke that “Pacquiao” could be the new word for pride.

Traveling throughout Luzon on a book tour, the Filipino Matters team says they have seen the face of pride in those that they have met along the way. “People really engage in conversation about Filipino pride,” says Dale. “You just have to start it.”

The Filipino Matters team completed their book tour to different schools in Luzon on a shoestring budget. “At first we had no sponsors and everyone just volunteered their own resources,” says Julie. While the tour and book were self-produced, another key aspect of the Filipino Pride book is that it is available for free online.

“None of us really wanted to sell the book,” says Julie. “It is really an educational material made to create awareness.” She notes that one of the problems that contributes to lack of pride is that nationalism is not part of the curriculum, and this lack of knowledge contributes greatly to issues regarding nationalism and pride. For those who do choose to purchase a book, proceeds go to funding copies to be given to public schools.

“It is very important to build the hearts and minds of the people,” says Dale. Lucio adds, “We are made up of separate islands. All the more we need nation building – and not just infrastructure.”

As for personal heroes, Julie cites the late Cory Aquino as her major idol. Ones, on the other hand, looks up to ordinary people who are able to make a difference. The latest Filipino hero, Efren Peñaflorida, has also been a speaker at a Filipino Matters event. “He actually had other invitations to speak on that day,” says Julie, but the now internationally-recognized Filipino gave time and importance to the Filipino Matters’ cause since he too believed in it.

When asked what they are most proud of when it comes to the Philippines, Dale says, “The country itself is so beautiful. Hindi ito maihahalintulad sa iba (It cannot be compared).”

Julie adds that the resilience of the Filipino people, the ability to bounce back and survive any adversity is another thing that makes her proud.

Dale says that showing pride for the country can be as simple as standing up when the Philippine National Anthem is played. He recalls another incident when he was working in Guam. The Filipino community there was gathered to watch a Pacquiao fight. Out of the over 500 people in attendance, only three of them stood when the National Anthem was sung. He again observed the crowd during another Pacquiao fight – seven stood for the anthem.

Dale admits that before, he did not pay much attention when the anthem was played during similar events or during the last full show in theaters, until one of his friends made him realize that by not standing, he was disrespecting the flag which represents his country and, in effect, disrespecting himself.

The group also offers simple ways to practice Filipino pride: “Talk about Filipino pride in the academe,” says Ones. “Buy Filipino products,” suggests Lucio. Talk positively about your country, especially when talking to foreigners, they all suggest.

It is through these small steps that nation building can begin. All it takes, they believe, is a simple change in mindset, which can be nurtured by daily doses of aspects of Filipino life that everyone can be proud of. “This is a crash course in Filipino pride,” says Lucio.

“It is a good start.” Dale adds, “Small things will count, as long as they are done consistently.”

To download a copy of Filipino Pride or share your own proud Filipino moment, log on to www.filipinomatters.org.