When the Philippine flag was first hoisted in Kawit, Cavite 119 years ago, the conditions were different and the aspirations of the Filipino people were a far cry from what they are today.
Then, what was being celebrated was independence from the colonizers, who came to our shores, stayed for more than 400 years, and dominated—suppressed—our way of life.
That independence was short-lived.
When we started governing on our own, other evils threatened to conquer us. We tried to ward them off. We are still doing that.
Indeed to be free is not the be-all and end-all of our existence. What we do with that freedom is as crucial as enjoying that freedom in the first place.
In this case, many challenges threaten to shackle us and leave us with just a few options in building our nation.
First, poverty. While it is true that the Philippines has managed to achieve a stable economic growth in the past few years, the benefits of that growth have not yet trickled down to those who need it most. Millions still count themselves poor and hungry, with no viable, sustainable income sources. The Duterte administration has acknowledged the need for boosting infrastructure—the next few years will show us whether these efforts are enough to make a dent.
There, too, is the problem of peace and order, from the fighting in Marawi, to the crimes being committed with impunity on the streets, to the perennial threat of terrorism. President Duterte has declared martial law in Mindanao to show he is serious about protecting the citizenry from these forces. The people understand he is resolute about this, but we need to be assured that the measures, while drastic, will continue to be within the bounds of the law.
Corruption continues to hound the nation. Public officials only change faces and political affiliation, but the culture of bad governance continues. It can be so easy to resist age-old practices and even well-meaning crusaders and reformers find themselves unable to change the habits of their institutions.
Finally, there is no true freedom when the boundaries are blurred.
We continue to suffer needling by China in the South China Sea, and the administration’s responses to it have been, at best, uninspiring. We need to hear more of Mr. Duterte’s assertiveness—the kind he uses on other countries that try to ‘meddle’ in our affairs—so that our giant neighbor to the west may take us seriously. He himself said in his Independence Day statement, that we can pay homage to our heroes by preserving our sovereignty.
We have no issue with the President missing the Independence Day rites on Monday. We completely understand he needs to recover after an exhausting trip down south, meeting with the families of slain soldiers. But we look to him to show us that independence does not equal isolation and refusal to consider other points of view.
To imagine there is absolute independence—from colonizers, or from modern-day challenges—would be foolhardy. Fighting the good fight every day is enough.