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[av_heading heading=’PSYCHOTROPIC | The growing pains of ‘kalayaan’’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY ANGELICA LOUISE PFLEIDER
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Wednesday, June 14, 2017
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“INDEPENDENCE Day is an annual national holiday in the Philippines observed on June 12, commemorating the Philippine Declaration of Independence from Spain on June 12, 1898. Since 1962, it has been the country’s National Day.”
That was one of the results that came out after I clicked the cute little doodle showcasing islands, a sun, and a flagpole forming the word “Google”. It was nice to see that our local independence day was gaining attention worldwide. Most of the topics on the news spoke of the activities in Luneta park, how this province or that province were celebrating their local heroes, how we commemorated our soldiers in their struggle for peace in Marawi. How despite everything that was happening, all Filipinos worldwide, no matter what dialect is spoken, no matter what religion or belief is practiced, felt that June 12 was a day to honor.
June 12 was the fruit of all our heroes’ hard work during the 333-year struggle under the Spanish rule. June 12 was when soldiers, overseas Filipino workers, farmers, fishermen, all those who contributed to the development of our country, were honored.
To be honest, I was already halfway through my column about another topic when I remembered, Holy ****! It was going to be Independence Day! Since I sometimes base my columns on the nearest holiday, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of shame realizing that I almost forgot one of the most important holidays, the day we achieved kalayaan. The day that gave us identity, not as the simple Indios we were made to feel like for three centuries but as a race with pride. A race that could prove its worth in the world through our talents and skills.
Though there are some that still don’t feel kalayaan. This is due to the tensions arising in Mindanao, the interference on foreigners in local affairs, colonial and crab mentality still prevalent among most of the masses. These leave some Filipinos with a sense of disappointment in how we have developed from the first moments of kalayaan.
We are a young nation though. The number of years we have been free is still much less than the number of years we have been colonized. We are going through the growing pains of achieving our own identity as a nation. Let us give ourselves a little break from all the negativities going around. Times of adversity have brought out the best qualities of our race; resilience, bravery and cooperation.
So in the midst of all these hard times, of all the seemingly better foreign products, of all the disappointments and tragedies that happen, let us remember that a century ago, we were able to overcome adversity and though we are still tripping along the way, kalayaan is within our grasp. (angelica.panaynews@gmail.com/PN)
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