I am Proud to be a Filipino

H.G. Wells an author once said that “Our Nationality is Mankind”. This would
mean that humans as we are, we have to live our identity as being who have
the capacity to think, to excel and to be someone to take care of other
beings, other creatures. Our pride rests on our nature. Man’s nature is to
grow, develop and multiply. On the one hand, religiously speaking we are
created in the image and likeness of God (Gen. 1:26). We are even told to go
and multiply abundantly. Well the spirit of these words is to spread,
communicate, connect and share who really we are. As we were made out
love we are called to live with it and live by it. No wonder why we are called
stewards of creation. We are God’s masterpiece. On the other hand,
scientifically speaking man is the highest form of animal. Man has the
capacity to think, act according to his will by his ways. These facts are the
edges we have compared to other living things. We are above and over other
beings yet its heart doesn’t apply the same. Since we are the highest form of
animals, we are to oversee and take good care of other living thing. For all
creatures has connection, each specie has its personal and very distinct role
to play on earth’s vitality. Our distinction gives us the value of respect we
possess.

Respect is something we need to exercise, not something we ask for. This

virtue comes with us the moment we are born. When we speak of respect, it
has so many faces for it is seen in a single manner yet applies in so many
ways. The truth is, each place executes respect depending on the way they
have inherited it to their ancestor. Even us Filipinos we have our very
personal ways to show how much we respect.

Here in our country, in the Philippines, two common ways of paying respect
are by asking for the blessings of our elderly, through getting their hand and
kissing it (pagmamano) in layman’s term and saying po and opo whenever
 we talk to others especially those who are older than us. These are as well
some of the most sincere ways of displaying how much we value and respect
each other in the Philippines if not the whole world.