Uts reflection 8 political self-philippine nationalism

Nationalism is something I never truly understand until now. Back then, I have defined nationalism as
“one’s love for his nation” and “making your country proud”, however, I never really recognize the
deeper sense behind it. I realize that this fact is really disappointing, especially for my ancestors, that is
why I began contemplating about how I should define nationalism and how it really affects my life and
identity as a Filipino.

Nationalism is more than one’s personal devotion to their own country. It is about recognizing the
essence of it and sharing it to everyone. Nationalism usually works well together with other people
because this strengthens the Filipino spirit. Nationalism start within us, and if we take an initiative to
advocate the nation, then we’ll be one step closer to our goal of becoming a developed country.

Having a nationalistic personality should be developed and one should start by showing the willingness
to learn about the country’s cultural practices and historical background. It is important to make it a
habit of showing that you love, respect and appreciate your country’s culture and history. Another thing
to remember is to practice speaking our own national language and the ethnic dialects. Instead of
learning first how to speak foreign languages, why don’t we start with our own so that we can also share
it with other people who are willing to learn the Filipino language. Last and most importantly, we should
never hesitate to say that we are proud to be Filipinos and we are proud of our local products. We
should learn to adore the things made in the Philippines and to promote and share it with others.

I believe that the spirit of nationalism is within us all along. All it takes to realize it is to learn more about
our own country and to learn how to act according to its customs and traditions. No matter how
liberated our generation is today and how influenced we are by other countries through social media,
time will come that our country will need us and we will have no other reasons not to support it and not
fight for it.