By Keith Acebes and Paul Magdadaro
The process of Filipino nationalism has been historically influenced by the fight against oppression of the nation, oppression by colonialism in the past, or the institutional failures in modern times. The life and the works of Jose Rizal are the best example of an idealized nationalism where there is a national love of country in terms of intellectual bravery, moral uprightness and a strong devotion to social reform. Namely, his novels, Noli Me Tangere as well as El Filibusterismo, revealed the ingrained misdeeds of the Spanish colonial regime and awakened Filipino national consciousness. Nationalism thrives, as Anderson (2006) argues, when a people are made conscious of shared pain and shared dreams, a process that Rizal precipitated in his time.
Corruption is a unique and no less dangerous menace that the Philippines should face. Although colonial missionary writing has been eroded and foreign rulers have been sent packing, contemporary policymakers still maintain relations that have similarities to the exploitative relationships criticized by Jose Rizal a hundred years ago. The high levels of corruption in the form of misappropriation of national resources, a network of patronage and the preference for personal gains over the national interest continuously undermine the growth of the nation. Statistics given by the Transparency International (2023) report show that the Philippines has continued to record poor rankings in global corruption scales, hence representing the systemic weaknesses in the systems of governance and accountability in the eyes of citizens. Rizal did not express his patriotism to the Philippines in a blind way, but because of critical thinking, in which he questioned established systems of power, revealed the injustices of the system, and asserted the revolutionary power of education and citizenship. This model of principled nationalism has been incompletely forgotten and this explains why corruption has been allowed to persist. In case we revive the vision of Rizal to its full extent, we would view the present-day corruption practices with sharp moral insight, thus realizing that the scandals of today are the reflections of the abuse as he did in his time.
Moreover, contemporary nationalism cannot be limited to the romantic concept of heroism. It must be reflected in the daily practice of integrity, e.g., declining to partake in any corrupt practices, insisting on transparency in the government and the maintenance of institutions that foster accountability. This needs to be a motivating factor for modern society in restoring a collective responsibility culture, considering that they have a belief in the Filipino people.
Filipino nationalism in modern times should be understood as a call to address the instances of moral crisis that undermine the nation internally. The love that Rizal had for the Philippines was based on the belief that Filipinos had a right to a just, dignified and progressive society. In the memory of this heritage, the citizens should reject any form of corruption and strive to create a country based on integrity, equality and truth. Nationalism goes beyond mere memory of historical heroes; it involves the incarnation of the ideals in which they lived and died.