Filipino Nationalism and Cultural Identity

     I would like to begin by defining first the term nationalism. Many have mistakenly thought that nationalism and patriotism are one and the same. However, it is very essential to know that patriotism is the love for one's country-- literally the love for the land --whereas nationalism is the love for one's nation. Now, many will question the relevance of knowing the difference between the two. I've mentioned the difference because as for today's issue with the the Spratlys and Sabah, people may think that fighting for those lands can be called and considered nationalism when in fact, if it doesn't concern the sake of the Filipinos as a whole, it is not. 

     Now, given the definition of nationalism, let us then try to figure out how to consider a body of people asa nation. As we all know, the people in this archipelago started its political system individually. One barangay can be friends with other barangays, but not necessarily dependent and under one barangay's command. Each barangay have their own culture, that though similar at some point, still different to some extent. An example would be the tattoos given to the men. For some barangays, it is given only to those who have killed several men in wars while in others, it is just an accessory of some sort-- given just for the sake of beauty. It is safe then to conclude that since we have no cultural identity as a whole yet, the Filipinos back then cannot be considered a nation; for a nation is formed only when the people start to feel that they are all one: one's hurt can be the whole body's hurt and one's victory can be all the others' victory. This feeling and concept is driven by a group of people's unifying factor: for which can be religion, language, land, and as for the Philippines case, common experiences. 

     

     The eyes of the Filipinos were opened to this concept and feeling when hey have witnessed the Cavite mutiny and the execution of Fathers Gomez, Burgos and Zamora. By then, the people started to feel that whether they are Ilocanos, Visayans, Pangasinenses and etc., it will not matter. They will all be abused by the Spaniards as they did when they executed the three priests who actually came from different minority groups themselves. They started to tell themselves, "Pare-pareho lang tayong api dito, iisa lang ang kaaway natin kaya tayo-tayo rin ang dapat na magkakakampi." From then on, people fought the Spaniards not anymore because of their own motives like Tapar, Tamblot, Dagohoy and Rajas and Datus did, but because  of the nation's oppression like Rizal, Del Pilar, Luna and Ponce's reason for fighting. It is from their hearts we base our standard of nationalism. We regard their heroism as nationalistic. 

    Therefore, there is a relationship between nationalism and cultural identiy; for it is not possible to develop a feeling of nationalism if there is no nation-- which is only formed through the possession of cultural identity-- to begin with.