(In which Mike Enriquez had me thinking.)
***
The countdown – to seeing the streets with less jeepneys and cars, multi-purpose halls filled with people, houses teeming of spectators and the criminal reports for the day minimal – has started. For Sunday, November 15 in Manila, was another moment where Filipinos from all places around the globe wait – with the world – and shout two uniform battle cries – Manny Pacquiao and Philippines.
Last Saturday, in Imbestigador, Mike Enriquez mentioned what their next week episode will be about love and pride for the Philippines. And his question was:
Do we just express our love and pride for our country when there is a calamity and Pacquiao has a match? Do we really love the Philippines in thoughts, in words and in deeds?
Not that it’s negative. It’s really nice to see your people lending hands to those in need in times of tragic calamities. It is also such an unusual sight – and a funny one too - to see that places are unusually peaceful and quiet as if all of the people were summoned (much to the disappointment of priests as my sister has told me) by their TV sets to watch Pacquiao fight.
Yet when the period of elation – which starts on a victory and ends days after the hero’s welcome - died down, everything goes back to normal. It would be interesting to know how much love and pride Filipinos give their country.
Do we really love the Philippines in thoughts, in words and in deeds?
It reminds me of the Patriotic Oath that we recite every day during flag ceremony way back my elementary school days. Not that my opinion counts, but I will take the original oath over the revised one anytime. Anyway, so how much do we really our Motherland? I am not sure if making the students recite the oath daily will suffice especially when they are living with adults in a country that can not even conduct a decent election.
I hope a boxing match would not be the yardstick of our pride and love for the Philippines. There are still small and individual things we could do than marvel that we have the largest shoe in the world and that the world’s best fighter to date is here.
Now I have another reason to stay up late next Saturday.
