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LINK: ‘Note Verbale‘, Manila Times (Sunday-Career Section) - 8 July 2007 Issue

There are really a number of things that every Filipino should see in a positive light. These nature and norms are characteristically Filipino and in them may lie the strength of the country and its people if harnessed properly.

Family ties. Every Filipino would put his or her family above all things. It is even safe to assume that to an ordinary Filipino it is almost always a case of family first before country. Family members would always find a way to look after the welfare, well-being and future of family members at whatever cost or form of sacrifice. The influx of Filipinos abroad seeking greener pasture is actually a reflection of this motivation. Unlike in other culture, a Filipino could grow old or get bed-ridden without worries that no one would take good care of him or her. A typical Filipino would less likely avoid his or her obligations to the family or abandon them, especially in times of crisis, even in situations of marital conflict when the family is supposedly divided. To a Filipino, blood is always thicker than water. And the family is always worth dying for, to paraphrase the words of a great Filipino, Ninoy Aquino.

Friendship. Next to family, Filipinos value friendship. And there is a natural tendency for a Filipino to be friendly with anyone who comes along his or her way. A Filipino would always feel good to be there for a friend in good and bad times. A close friend is considered as an extension of the family and every opportunity to seal this affinity would be exerted on significant events like baptism, weddings, and similar occasions. For this reason, betrayal and infidelity among friends are deemed as grave sins and oftentimes irreparable.

Fun-loving. Filipinos are fun-loving people. They love to entertain themselves. They would always line up to watch a good movie, or spend time in the company of friends or family members over meals or a cup of coffee or a bottle or cases of beer, organize parties and gatherings*, or simply be glued to a favorite music or television program. People wonder why shopping malls, bars and food houses thrive and are always filled with people even at a time when the economy is bad.  It is simply because Filipinos know how to have fun even if they do not have money in their pockets. Filipinos love to deliver and exchange jokes even over a serious public concern. It is not that Filipinos do not treat problems seriously. It is simply because Filipinos love a vibrant life.

Flexibility.  Filipinos are capable of adjusting to every given situation. They can be in any territory, any situation or condition, or any person or group of people with a totally different orientation. Yet, they would always find themselves fit in a given environment notwithstanding language or cultural barriers. This shows how intuitive and cognitive Filipinos are. They are fast learners too.

Faith-centered.  Filipinos who do not belong to, or are not identified with, a religious sect are rare. And it does not even follow that those who do not are agnostics or atheists. Chances are, they too believe in the existence of a Supreme Being. To a typical Filipino, God is always the source of strength especially in times of need, desperation and ordeals.  The same faith keeps the Filipinos spirit constantly alive despite all the odds that may come along their way.

Some critics and social scientists have viewed this very nature and norms of the Filipino as the root causes of many of the evils and maladies that afflict the country. But should they be?

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NOTE: *the modifier from the original text was changed because for some unexplainable reason the original word used by the author cannot be recognized by the write-post board.

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Illegitimate children, as a general rule, shall use the surname and shall be under the parental authority of their mother. But pursuant to the ”Act Allowing Illegitimate Children to Use the Surname of their Father” (R. A. 9255 – approved: 24 February 2004), which amended Article 176 of the Family Code, illegitimate children may however use the surname of their father if their filiation has been expressly recognized by the father through the record of birth appearing in the civil register, or when an admission in a public document or private handwritten instrument is made by the father. The father however has the right to institute an action before the regular courts to prove non-filiation during his lifetime.

In the course of my journey in life, I find it almost meaningless to reach my destination but leave behind all those who should have been with me in the first place.  And I am talking about our personal priorities.

We live in a very complicated world under a myriad of human activities that we have to take care of a lot of things. But which and how much of the things that we do day in and day out really matter at the end of our day? Some activities that others find trivial may be important to others and vice-versa.

Understandably, no one else would be able to define what our priorities in life are, except ourselves. Some people would set their priorities according to urgency. Others would act on the basis of relationships. Some would react according to duty while some would on the basis of the things that please them most.  

But regardless how one sets his or her priorities in life, I find it ironical, if not cynical, for some people to strive for fortune at the risk of their own lives or by bringing about the misfortune of others, or seek fame and recognition from others when they could not even command the honor and respect of their own children. Many people engage in charity when charity has not even began in their own homes. Many people make it appear to show so much love for others when it truth and in fact they are only meant to satisfy, or even cover up their own desire for, self-affection.

Some suggests that of the things we do in life, the order of precedence should be for God, country and people. But I do not believe that we should define our priorities in life in this order. On the contrary, we have to measure every decision we make or any action we take whether or not it satisfies what is good for God, country and humanity, concurrently and not successively. Anything less is unacceptable because it brings about a rift in the world we live in.

In the end, I believe that we should take our respective families, especially our progenies, at the center of our priorities in life. Personal success is nothing if we are all alone to relish it; what is worse is when our own family curses us for the neglect they suffer as a consequence. We say that the family is the basic unit of society and so whatever is good for them is also good for the country.  If we all raise our children well, we can rest assured of a better breed of the human race and I am sure our God would be pleased. I believe that we exist to make this world a better place to live in and the easier route to achieve this purpose is to make our own family our own disciple by following our own example.

There is nothing wrong with drive, determination, and ambition to realize our dreams and expectations. But make sure to bring with you your family in your journey. Do not leave them behind. We have to realize that in times of grief, solitude, heavy trials and tribulation, sickness, or even death, no one else would be there to comfort or be with us the way our own family would.

Whether you accept it or not, I strongly believe that as we travel through life our family should always define, set and be the underlying basis of our personal priorities. If we do so, I am almost certain that we will not leave this earth for another life in vain, even if we do not achieve what we please for ourselves.