Importance Of Nationalism In The Philippines

469 Words2 Pages
Essay - Philippine Nationalism By: Kevin Justin F. LImbo The idea of nationalism in the Philippines is believed to have been a unifying historical force, especially during the Spanish colonial period. It is also believed to have played a vital role in the Philippine revolution, not just as a unifying force, but also as a collective identity of the Filipino people under colonial and imperial tyranny. It has, practically, helped the Philippine revolution take shape and put the dissenters under Spanish rule to gain, somehow, a strategic leverage. Although, it was not what has given the revolution the victory over Spain. A lot of factors to consider that have, and could have been significant to the revolution and the collective struggle back then are still needed to be pointed out. Factors that I no longer need to mention here to avoid digression.…show more content…
Nationalism in the country then consisted of nativism and socio-ethnic influences, as it was a response to the colonialist and imperialist Spain. Nationalism today is composed of blind patriotism, power and coercion, and the bandwagon system. This was structured after the post-revolution and the imperialist governance. Nationalism then was a reactionary response to western imperialism, rather than a revolutionary one. Aside from that, it was also patterned after the western type of governance. The Filipino people were never liberated from this coercive and deceptive system. They were made to assimilate and accept western’s international “laws” as if self-governance of a country or a community needed to rely on the hierarchical and coercive structure of the war-mongering and power-corrupt system of the
Open Document