MODERN ASIAN THOUGHTS BLOG #2
It is evident that Philippine Culture has been influenced deeply by the colonizers. A whopping 90% of Filipinos adhere to Christianity (albeit the various denominations), a ‘gift’ from our Spaniard colonizers. The American colonizers, on the other hand, has given us the public school system. These are just some of their influences; many of our practices (and even our lexicon) have been imbedded with foreign influences. With all these, I sometimes ask: “Do we really have that unique identity?”
From the various foreign influences, we could surmise that our identity is like our famous delicacy—“Halo-Halo” –a mixture of different ingredients formed as one product. This kind of identity, I believe, has made the Filipino consciousness ‘unstable’ in a sense that our uncertainty has led to some complications. For example, a lot of us do not really have that good sense of history. Another is that words like ‘patriotism’ and ‘love for country’ are mere ideas which are not put into action. What could be done? In reflecting on this matter, I turn to Gandhi.
One of the key concepts in Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy is the swaraj (or self-rule). It arose as a response to the British Colonization of India which brought capitalism, colonial imperialism, and rationalist materialism. The English rule over their country has become oppressive to the consciousness of the people. Hence, Gandhi hoped and advocated for a society where individuals have liberated consciousness in order to better serve the nation.
Gandhi’s swaraj employs self-control, simplicity, peace, physical work, and moral education. The practice of swaraj could help in purifying colonial mentality as it enables one to really have a grasp of one’s own identity and consciousness. I think that this could also be done by our people.
In the practice of swaraj, educators and educational system and institutions play a pivotal role in this. Learning should not only touch the mind (via gaining knowledge on concepts), but also touch the heart (via inculcating moral values) of learners. Maybe our learners need a re-iteration or a re-definition of patriotism or of love of country. It is also the time to bring everyone back to our history in order to have a better grasp of ourselves so that we can propel to a better future and to avoid the horrors of our past.