The heroes whom the nation commemorated and honored on Monday, National Heroes’ Day, certainly loved their country. While they came from diverse backgrounds, contexts and situations, all of them put national interests above their own. They made great sacrifices not to bask in glory but to serve the common good.
As a result of those sacrifices, Filipinos are where they are today. We are no longer under any colonizer. People can say what’s on their mind, show dissent, criticize their government and offer suggestions on how their affairs can better be run. Everybody is able to participate, if not as public officials, then as part of civil society or their communities. Through technology, they can also make their voices heard through social media. Systems are in place—and, at least according to theory, a citizen can find recourse if he or she is aggrieved. Laws govern our way of life, and they are enforced, ideally.
Nobody will say however that the times we live in these days are perfect, or ideal. We are still plagued by many problems that seem insurmountable, just because they have always been there. Corruption, incompetence, double standards, criminality and drugs are just a few of these ills. We still cannot seem to take off, despite the great potential from our natural resources and human capital. Despite having pockets of governance gems, we keep electing clowns to public office, and their pronouncements anger and divide us such that it is easy to lose sight of the things we need to do.
Does this mean that we do not love our country?
An unhinged senator recently posed this question to a student whom he browbeat during a congressional hearing. Fortunately, the student responded with grace and maturity, saying that people can show their love of country in different ways. Most certainly, disagreeing with our leaders does not mean we are less patriotic.
No need for grand sweeping gestures or dramatic professions of patriotism. It’s easy to say we love our country if it gives us the things it is supposed to give us: competent and upright leaders, good infrastructure, social justice and equitable opportunities for all. But in a scenario where none, or just some, of these are present, the fact that people keep themselves aware of what is going on, participate in the way know how, plod through despite their personal everyday struggles, and hope for the best outcomes nonetheless is a sign that we all love our country—and nobody has the right to tell us that we don’t.