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Manila Bulletin devider Opinion devider Living our freedom every day

Living our freedom every day

Published Jun 12, 2025 12:05 am  |  Updated Jun 11, 2025 05:40 pm
DRIVING THOUGHTS
Today, flags will flutter on houses, cars, and government offices, a tradition to celebrate Independence Day. After today, we are left with an important question: How do we truly honor our freedom—not just once a year, but every day?
Independence Day is more than a date on the calendar. It is a reminder that freedom was not given to us easily, and that it must never be taken for granted. Our heroes—Andres Bonifacio, Jose Rizal, Apolinario Mabini, and countless others—fought not just for political sovereignty, but for a future where Filipinos could live with dignity, unity, and pride. The legacy they left us is not just a flag, but a duty.
First, we have to keep nationalism burning in our hearts. What does nationalism look like today? True nationalism is lived out through the choices we make every single day. It is about defending what is good in our society and correcting what is wrong. It is about practicing integrity in our professions, helping those in need, and standing up for the truth even when it’s uncomfortable.
There are many ways to live nationalism. Supporting local industries by buying Filipino-made products and services, is one. How many times do we choose to buy imported products even if similar Philippine-made products are readily available? Do we even check if a product is made locally before a purchase? Our entrepreneurs need your support to keep on producing Philippine-made products.
Nationalism also means preserving our languages and cultures, and ensuring that our children grow up knowing their history—not just textbook names and dates, but the values and sacrifices those names represent. Do history topics enter your dinner conversations at home?
It also means participating in civic life: voting wisely, holding public officials accountable, and being informed citizens. Make sure that you get your information from credible and trusted sources of news, or you will be contributing to misinformation, an enemy that threatens our unity.
It also means caring for our environment, protecting our natural resources, and ensuring that the beauty of the Philippines endures for the next generations. Let us make a choice to support local tourism by visiting local destinations. Domestic tourists contribute to the growth of a town’s economy through their purchases of food, services, and souvenirs.
These acts may seem small. Picking up trash in your barangay. Helping a tricycle driver push his stalled vehicle. Donating to a local school. Teaching your child to love Filipino stories. Speaking with honesty and respect online. Choosing to buy local products and visiting local tourist destinations. But these acts, when done with consistency and love for country, build a stronger nation.
In our modern world, nationalism no longer requires a call to arms, but a call to action. And while we no longer fight colonial rulers, we face enemies that are just as real: poverty, corruption, disinformation, social division, and environmental degradation. Our freedom today is challenged not by foreign conquerors, but by our own neglect—when we forget what it means to be Filipino.
To our youth: you are not the “future” of the Philippines—you are its present. You have the voice, the platform, and the energy to drive change. Use them wisely. Redefine patriotism for your generation. Raise questions, challenge systems, innovate solutions. Be the leaders your heroes dreamed you would become.
To our OFWs and overseas Filipinos: your sacrifices are deeply felt. Every remittance, every hour of work abroad is a testament to love for family and nation. But let your nationalism also be a voice that calls for change and progress back home. Stay engaged. Let your success abroad inspire transformation here.
This Independence Day, let us move beyond ceremony. Let us make a commitment—not just for one day, but for every day—to live our nationalism with purpose. We owe it to the heroes who gave their lives. We owe it to ourselves. And most of all, we owe it to the children who will one day ask us: “What did you do for your country?”
Let us wave our flags high and let them be a reminder, not just a decoration. Freedom is not a finished project. It is a promise we must keep alive.
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