batch 2014,
We cannot deny that a large part of our lifestyle has been influenced by our post-colonizers. The Spaniards, Americans, and Japanese all have contributed a large part on our society, history, and way of thinking. So much on this foreign impact that most of the time we are unclear to what is truly ours. And when asked, "What really is originally Filipino?" our answer is vague and hazy instead of clear and concrete.
After hundreds and hundreds of years of foreign occupation in our land, it is inevitable for colonizers to leave behind a trace of their culture. And it is up to the Filipinos to either adapt or adopt the new ideas they are exposed to. With the help of our ever-growing colonial mentality, these influences are more often than not taken to heart by us Filipinos. Therefore, our own culture and beliefs are overshadowed.
But there is still hope for the worrying spirits of our ancestral Filipinos. Although they are taken for granted--or just not remembered--there are still values and traditions that have stayed even after our struggle and conflict with the colonizers. These values and traits are things to be proud of, and we Filipinos should be thankful that they survived throughout the hundreds and hundreds of years that people from far-off lands conquered the country.
One of these traits is the ability to be cheerful, whatever the situation is. Be it either fire or whatever disaster, you can see the bystanders behind the TV reporter of the calamity waving and smiling at the camera, grateful for the chance to be on TV. No doubt that Filipinos are considered to be one of the happiest people in the world. Another Filipino trait is hospitality. If you ever attempt to interrupt a family while eating, you can expect that they will happily invite you to dine with them. And in a Filipino household , you can never have too many guests Respect towards elders is another Filipino characteristic. The saying of "po" and "opo" as a sign of respect is still practiced until now, by many of the Filipino youth.
These traits come to us as something natural and effortless, although a little do we know that these are remnants of our pre-colonization way of thinking. And to keep them alive, we need to practice and teach them to future generations, for they make a large part of our national identity, the distinctive feature that differentiates us from other nations.
Opinion (Submission): Defying Colonization
by Karmela Gabriel of 8-Butterfly 2014We cannot deny that a large part of our lifestyle has been influenced by our post-colonizers. The Spaniards, Americans, and Japanese all have contributed a large part on our society, history, and way of thinking. So much on this foreign impact that most of the time we are unclear to what is truly ours. And when asked, "What really is originally Filipino?" our answer is vague and hazy instead of clear and concrete.
After hundreds and hundreds of years of foreign occupation in our land, it is inevitable for colonizers to leave behind a trace of their culture. And it is up to the Filipinos to either adapt or adopt the new ideas they are exposed to. With the help of our ever-growing colonial mentality, these influences are more often than not taken to heart by us Filipinos. Therefore, our own culture and beliefs are overshadowed.
But there is still hope for the worrying spirits of our ancestral Filipinos. Although they are taken for granted--or just not remembered--there are still values and traditions that have stayed even after our struggle and conflict with the colonizers. These values and traits are things to be proud of, and we Filipinos should be thankful that they survived throughout the hundreds and hundreds of years that people from far-off lands conquered the country.
One of these traits is the ability to be cheerful, whatever the situation is. Be it either fire or whatever disaster, you can see the bystanders behind the TV reporter of the calamity waving and smiling at the camera, grateful for the chance to be on TV. No doubt that Filipinos are considered to be one of the happiest people in the world. Another Filipino trait is hospitality. If you ever attempt to interrupt a family while eating, you can expect that they will happily invite you to dine with them. And in a Filipino household , you can never have too many guests Respect towards elders is another Filipino characteristic. The saying of "po" and "opo" as a sign of respect is still practiced until now, by many of the Filipino youth.
These traits come to us as something natural and effortless, although a little do we know that these are remnants of our pre-colonization way of thinking. And to keep them alive, we need to practice and teach them to future generations, for they make a large part of our national identity, the distinctive feature that differentiates us from other nations.
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