The essence of "Filipino Pride"

People around me especially in the case when something significant has happened on a certain Filipino and such that it brings "pride and honor to the country" are highly immortalized and brought a somewhat "Filipino Spirit" that certainly leads to euphoria of pride in our heritage. That we can actually reach great heights as a people and the hope of rising up from the shambles that we are currently into like the "diaspora" of our fellow Filipinos abroad to find greener pastures. As well as the heavy impoverishment of people both in the provinces and in the cities. But it saddens my heart that such concepts are misplaced and a great illusion has clouded these aims. These misplaced pride and hope continually brings us down and is hindering the unleashing of the Filipino's full potential to bare. The point that I'm trying to give here is that the recognition to certain individuals is not bad but we got to be in touch with the reality that these can only be possible when certain effort is being done that resulted to the achievements and success these certain individuals. And is as such, must not be merely praised but these successes but this must also be a point of inspiration for others to emulate a sense of ambition or a sense of looking to oneself as someone that can contribute something that is "good". But let us not put a narrow concept to this issue, as this can have different perspectives of which even I cannot fully discuss and that it would be much as well to narrow it down to the key aspects on this value of "Filipino Pride" and how it has created a cultural dysfunction that I will discuss and hopefully address some ideas that can help in alleviate the ills it brought to our society.First is that the we have the attitude of relying to a particular to someone to resolve our ills, a somewhat "extraordinary hero" that will save or help us in particular problems that we can actually deal to ourselves. This kind of cultural disposition can be heavily be seen in our films like this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1B539459tE

Such attitude attitude that the masses portray in such films somehow puts a reflection of how the Filipino society runs even until this day. This attitude that we are always the "victims" and at some point, we are "helpless" to deal with the ones that oppress us has been detrimental to the growth of our nation as a whole and that the potential of most people have not been used in order, to be able to help themselves to rise to the occasion and do the seemingly extraordinary things themselves. The best example of this problem is that people, specifically the masses tend to always blame the government to the problems brought about to them like poverty and such. As well as demanding to the government to some extent that almost everything is demanded. I do not mean that to demand to the government to help us is bad as that institution is created for the purpose of serving us. The people that run that institution is elected by us and should serve for us. Yet we must take action as a people too, for the government cannot do anything for us and to simply whine on the problems we face do us no good at all. We cannot be the victim always, we must also be in sense, a hero for ourselves and with God, do what we can to go on fighting, a certain person once said to me, "It is for us to work(in righteousness) and for God to help".

Now what of the pride that we cherish as we cheer to certain individuals that brought honor for our country by doing things that make the Filipino people "shine into the limelight"? It seems hypocritical when we say we are proud of being a Filipino while its majority suffers from many things like poverty, cultural dysfunctions and such that what this writer can say a product of misconceived pride as a Filipino. I can see many things to be proud of as a Filipino, but I am appalled that this "pride" has been so misplaced and that it costs us dearly as a people. To have a sense of pride should be correspondent with doing things that we can actually be proud of and with His help, we are able to achieve something great as a people. We cannot confine this pride to a certain portion of our fellowmen but we must also earn it by developing to ourselves potentials that will help in rising from the problems that we face. As what I have read in the Scriptures, "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also."---James 2:26; This is very much we can parallel to the general situation of the country. Do away with a few of our kababayans that truly earned their pride for what they do, it is now our time to earn it for ourselves but we cannot forget that out of all that we do, we should ask Him for guidance to do be able to succeed and earn that pride that we can truly cherish for ourselves as a people. Better yet call the pride that we can glorify to Him on what He has done for us. For I believe in what the Scripture has written, "Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches. But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD."--- Jeremiah 9:23-24; Let us now then go forward and redefine the "Filipino Pride" for the better.