Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Philippines a Century Hence: Another point of view of another aspiring Filipina

Probably ten or so years from now when supposed I would be living in another country and would be truly successful I would look at the Philippines and think about her. Do I still want to come back or not? Thinking about that issue I probably would remember that once upon a time during my crazy college days I took a subject called PI 100. Remembering so many things I learned from it, with all honesty, I may consider going back to that country and just become a Filipino once again no matter what that statement would mean. I hope that by that time if the Philippines will be in such a mess I would want to be a Filipino because I want to help my country get better or if the Philippines would be a prestigious country then I would become a Filipino because I’m proud of it.

Unlike Rizal I have no intention of become a clairvoyant. In his article “Philippines a century hence” it appeared that Rizal is a clairvoyant having such ideas of what the future is and becoming quite right about what he is saying. Rizal in some of his works had showed how much he cares about the future. In his diary he had already dreamt about his death during a rather odd night. In Philippines a century hence he is saying things that might happen to Philippines and some of the countries. In his novel El Filibusterismo he is thinking of what this fight should be and is suggesting of a revolution as an answer to it all. Again El Fili is his work for the future. He might not be saying things about computers, or playstations or internet that would probably make him look like a crazy fortune teller but at some point he seems to look like a fortune teller –an intelligent one.

Roman numeral number one talked about the past. He writes things about religion and stuff like that. Here he is actually interpreting how the Philippines had lost its legitimate civilization. Filipinos become enticed with what the foreigners could offer. She forgot about her religion, her lifestyle and her original form. Because of these foreigners she forgot about her freedom and slowly she even forgot about herself as the time goes by. Colonization is not the act of giving a civilization to those barbarians but rather it is the decline of the national spirit of the ones colonized. Even until today the Filipinos are still more interested in foreign bodies. They would rather have relationships with foreigners rather than Filipinos. They would rather buy an imported item than a “tatak pinoy”. They would rather praise other countries than their own. There may be a few who still go out in the open and declare their love for the motherland in their day to day life but most of the Filipinos I see now do not have the right to be called Filipinos.

Rizal also talked about in the first part about the efforts of the 19th century intellectuals, where he was one of them, on rescuing the country from decline and fall. They have enough ideas and love for their country to be called heroes but since what they are doing back then does not made the Philippines free it was as if it was all futile. Like now, there are some Filipinos who have the potential of a hero but most of the people around him would not dare recognize this and even put the flame of nationality out. It was like they are trying their best to pour water over the flame so that it would die out and the person would be like them –always searching for a light that they think could only be found in other countries. But the light is already inside our country and it is very near to us. We just have some trouble looking for it because we are putting it out slowly!

If everyone would just let the flame burn then the whole country might light up and outshine other countries. But then again... that is somewhat like a dream... so it seems.

Roman numeral number two investigates the Philippines’ status quo. It was the Philippines during Rizal present time. Like that what Simoun suggested in the Bapor Tabo that the Filipinos should be given more work and suffering. It might be because once the Filipinos reached their certain boiling point they would finally realize that they cannot take it anymore and just fight for their freedom. I think it is a nature of some people that they would just become martyrs and take and take all of it thinking that someday it would be better without even doing anything to make it better. And once these kinds of people snapped there would be chaos.

The uprising of an entire nation would just bring one thing and that is violence. If people would fight it is expected that lives would be lost, properties would be damaged and normal everyday living would not be normal. But if this is the only way to make things better then so be it. However, not everyone is thinking that fighting is a solution. To some people fighting and dying in fight is the noblest thing to do. It is an honor to die fighting. Surrender and lost is such an embarrassment to the point that they would rather kill themselves than to succumb under another flag.

However like I said there are other people who believe that there is another way. Because for them life is important and every life should be saved. Death in the battlefield is just wasting your life without even knowing what your death could mean. In this part, Rizal seemed to hesitate probably because he did not want too much bloodshed. Because of this some people would think that Rizal is a coward. But he isn’t he just thinks that life is important and a blood bath is unnecessary.

The next Roman numeral talked about reforms. Rizal is a reformist, like what almost everyone thinks about him. This part showed him that he is at some point a reformist. If a war will not solve anything then let’s just make reforms. It is a peaceful and logical way. It is these intellectuals that think like these. Somehow it makes sense I mean people are logical creatures, since that is what separates us from animals, that maybe we can just talk things out to make them better. Humans are bounded by their laws and with these laws we can change the world. Humans are capable of thinking of ways can help him in making his life more comfortable and by putting it into black and white the word can be eternal. It is something that even as time passes by the people could still see it. Like what Rizal did in his novels. He might knew that he would die someday since everyone dies somehow so he made sure that he would leave something behind. Again, Rizal is thinking about the future. Because of all the things he left behind the people of the future became aware that someone as brave, as intelligent and as controversial as him existed. For him he might’ve done that on purpose because he did not want to be forgotten as the years go by.

Like I was saying the third part talked about reforms. He listed reforms. There can be a way that we can acquire freedom without wasting so many lives. And that is probably what he wanted.

The last Roman numeral is where he takes a world historical view. He is talking about more counties here and how their co-existence in this world would affect one another. It is the role of the Philippines to its neighbouring country and to Spain. It is also about Spain and the countries that she wanted for herself. Somehow this is the future part of the article. In here he was suggesting of what things to come may be. Of what would be of China, Japan etc.

Philippines a century from now... what kind of Philippines would it be? Would it still exist in the map the first place? Will its territory be bigger or smaller or non-existent? Will the people there suffer or be in bliss. I am not a fortune teller that could foresee of what things to come will be but I don’t know I still think that the Philippines would still exist a century from now. The people living in it will still be called Filipinos and the people there would be contented with what they have with a sense of being competitive when it comes to International market.

I just hope what I think is right for maybe some years after when I am already successful I shall visit the Philippines with a smiling face or who knows maybe I do not need to leave the Philippines in the first place.


>>>
This is my essay for my class Philippine Institutions 100...ehehehe

No comments: