WITH Philippine Independence Day just around the corner, flags are proudly displayed along our main thoroughfares and in front of government and private buildings and houses.
One afternoon when I was on my way from work, my daughter Sunis, who tagged along in picking me up, exclaimed, "Oh those are Katipunan flags!", when we passed by the Heroes Hall where the flags of the revolution are displayed.
I felt a tug at my heartstrings, proud that she can correctly identify some of the symbols of our country. Earlier on, she spearheaded the display of the Philippine flag in front of our house, knowing that it was already Flag day and Independence Day is coming.
As a parent, one of the constant challenges that I frequently face is how to pass on the right values to my child, whether or not I am doing the right thing.
Over the weekend, I realized that while we teach our children to be respectful, honest, kind, and God-loving, we tend to overlook the value of patriotism or love of country. It is a good thing that my parents in their own ways instilled in us this value, which eventually led to most of us being in the public service.
My father is a tenant-farmer who spent some years as an overseas Filipino worker in Saudi Arabia, my mother is a public school teacher who served our local barrio school for more than 40 years, my eldest kuya who passed away was a soldier, pilot, and humanitarian worker, my other brother volunteers as an artist and tour guide, and my only sister is a rural health doctor in Tawitawi. I am currently in my 13th year as a public servant for our city. One virtue that binds us together as a family is our love for country.
I often ask myself, how do I raise a patriotic child when kids these days are all global citizens? One of the reasons I gave my daughter a Kapampangan name, Sunis, is to establish a sense of pride in being a Kapampangan. While we speak English at home for competitiveness, we do not neglect teaching her our mother tongues: Kapampangan and Tagalog. We do this by not reading to her in all these languages but ensuring that we converse and communicate as well.
One of the best ways to cultivate patriotism in young children is through songs and folklore. I wouldn't wait until a child goes to school to learn our folk songs or legends, but introduce them in our daily life.
I remember putting my daughter to sleep singing Kapampangan songs instead of the usual lullabies and the way that these were retained in her memory is amazing. Introducing our kids to folk traditions at an early age helps in forming their sense of identity.
I don't mind when Sunis fumbles in singing the lyrics of the Philippine National Anthem but I patiently take time in correcting her when she refers to it as Bayang Magiliw, or places her left hand over her heart instead of the right one. I hope that before the summer ends she will be able to memorize the Kapampangan and Fernandino hymns as well, the lyrics of which I try my best to explain to her.
What is good about being in Pampanga is that our province is teeming with history and there is no lack of visual and multi sensorial heritage which we can share to our next generation. Instead of going to the malls, museums and other heritage attractions can be good alternatives for learning and enjoyment.
When we have guests coming to Pampanga or during our free time, we try to go around heritage sites as much as we can. This is quite affordable too since places like the San Fernando Train Station and Pamintuan Mansion are free to the public, while 50 pesos will give you access to three great museums and galleries at the Holy Angel University. Whenever we can, we also visit museums in Manila and catch productions of homegrown artists and performers.
Patriotism, love of country, love for country, sense of pride of place. Whatever we may want to call it, is not a responsibility of the school or community alone, and as with charity, it also should begin at home. I believe we can raise kids who are not only globally competitive but are good Filipinos too.