THEY did not just call us names. They tried to tell us how little we were supposed to be.
A video circulating online, reportedly linked to Chinese state media, called Filipinos monkeys. For a moment, it was easy to feel anger. It was easy to focus on the insult, the disrespect, and the painful reminder that words can become weapons in times of conflict.
But as a Filipino student watching this unfold, I found myself asking a different question: Why does an insult meant to diminish us reveal so much about the importance of how we see ourselves?
Because being Filipino has never been about proving our worth to those who doubt us. It has always been about showing who we are despite the challenges placed in front of us.
We are a nation that survives storms, rebuilds after disasters, and carries hope even in difficult times. We are students studying for a future we believe in, workers supporting families, fishermen who depend on the seas, and communities connected by a shared identity across thousands of islands.
So when someone calls us something meant to make us seem less human, the answer should not be to become consumed by anger. The answer is to remember our humanity.
The growing tension between China and the Philippines is not just about disputed waters, ships, or political statements. It is also about dignity, respect, and the question of how a nation responds when its identity is challenged.
I used to think geopolitics belonged only in textbooks. It lived in maps shaded with neat borders, in timelines of treaties and disputes that felt distant from everyday life. But now, these issues appear on my phone screen, in classroom conversations, and in the concerns of ordinary Filipinos trying to understand what is happening around them.
It is strange how something as large as a territorial dispute can suddenly feel so personal.
- Aika Ramirez
