Are Heroes Out of Vogue Among the Youth now?
The National Heroes’ Day came and went on August 31. Is the sense of heroism still alive among the Filipino youth?
The Manila Times Editorial didn’t think so. But perhaps, the lament is not only directed to the youth but to the overall Filipino society:
“It is not just the youth, though.The majority of Filipinos in every generation—young and old—do not have the proper sense of history, no thirst for knowledge about our heroes and the conditions they labored in, no wish to learn what the Filipinos of earlier generations did to survive and develop, what amused them, what made them weep, what gave them joy.”
Let’s break down these accusations and try to address them one by one.
No Proper Sense of History. Filipinos, in general, do not have a strong sense of history. This can be seen in the way that the voters keep on electing people accused of wrongdoing against the Filipino society in the past. In this time and age of globalization and increasing online connectivity, most young people become interested in computers, fashion and gadgets.
Bantayog ng mga Bayani
No thirst of knowledge for Filipino heroes. For many of these young people, history is but a subject in high school or college. The national heroes are just names connected with dates that must be memorized for the coming exams. Every now and then, they may come across some names that they may admire. But generally, young people do not seem to care much about these heroes in the past.
No wish to learn what the Filipinos of earlier generations did to survive and develop, what amused them, what made them weep, what gave them joy. This is interesting! For this generation of teenagers, the Marcos dictatorship and the EDSA 1986 Uprising is but a distant memory told by parents to each other and taught by teachers in the schools. Perhaps this is caused by the increasing disconnect between this generation and the past. Their parents are busy working here in the Philippines or abroad. Lolo and Lola may be too old to tell stories about the past. Who bothers with historical fiction now anyways?
Even our lawmakers and our politicians are oblivious to the lessons of history. Look! Every major road and street have been renamed so many times that people barely remember what these streets were named before. Gov. Forbes Avenue is now A.H. Lacson, Buendia is now Gil Puyat.
Maybe this is a systemic weakness of the Filipino psyche! The Manila Times Editorial offers some suggestion how we can overcome this:
Something must be done to persuade the TV networks to suspend their inane and idiotizing entertainment programming and prevent the sponsors not to pull out their commercials from their usual time slots.
Shows of a higher quality, cultural level and patriotic tone must replace the gyrations of graceless dancers. Powerful mass media must help Filipinos become prouder of themselves and their country by knowing the greatness of their heroes.
This is in line with what Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno talked about during the launching of the Moral Force Movement on August 31, 2009 in the Far Eastern University Auditorium.
The Chief Justice said that the country needs transformational leaders who would do their best to implement reforms. If these transformational leaders would band together, they could create a social movement, which could help combat corruption in high places and help create a better Philippines.
This kind of talk appeals to the young people, whose usual reaction to government is between ultra-activism or apathy. Probably, the best course is somewhere in between. Young people engaging government and society in ways that transform themselves and the society.
Image credit: MrBinondo via Flickr
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