A pleasant afternoon to everyone.

I am Raiza Nicole Sotto, a Grade 11 HUMSS students and

your event speaker. We are gathered here today to celebrate the Buwan ng Wika for the year 2022
with the theme Patriotism. “A man is a patriot if his heart beats true to his country,” a quotation by
Charles Jefferson. Patriotism is such an enthralling concept human had created. And I already know
that we all appreciate the Philippines deep inside our hearts. But as what we can observe in present
times, we cannot even purely call it as patriotism due to countless influences from other countries that
most people nowadays prioritize more. To clarify, I am not saying that we need to sacrifice our life for
the country just to be called a patriotic individual. What I’m asking for us to do is to awaken our
sleeping hearts with the Philippines and its citizens as its center, standing beyond anything else.
We cannot deny that when you heard patriotism today, we can all agree that it is much more
visible back in the day, right? Now everyone, let me tell you how beautiful it is to love our country
wholeheartedly and exercise duties to our country for the goodness of its citizens. Even if our country
is not the most successful and the best country of all, isn’t it pleasing to know that you are doing
something for the country and prioritizing “we” instead of just “me”?
Even though patriotism have indeed weakened, the patriotism in our country didn’t completely
fade out. Voting during elections, assigning people to serve is one thing that shows patriotism. The
democratic country we are living in today is connected to patriotism, people with the same feelings
are joined together helping in providing decisions to make the country a better place to live in for
everyone, all thanks to democracy that hears the voices of the citizens. Furthermore, staying
informed and aware regarding what’s going on with the country is also one of the situations where
patriotism can be witness even today. In this case, we are expected to look at both sides of any
arguments and always take the path towards the betterment of our country no matter how brutal and
personal the issues our country is facing. Lastly and one of the most relevant issue that the country is
currently facing, the appreciation of our own cultures and creations. We Filipinos are very open when
it comes to any cultures and experiences whether it is our own or another country’s and I can totally
say that it was never a bad thing. But these past few years seemed to resulted as a concerning
matter for many people because other countries’ cultures and creations are much more appreciated
and praised than our own. When it comes to this type of situation, moderation is one of the best
solution in regards to other countries’ cultures and to pour more support to our own culture and works
is certainly to be expected. Let me tell you that these are just a few examples on how patriotism can
be shown, there are many forms of patriotism that everyone may showcase.
And l stand here today to encourage you to search and dig the hidden patriotism in the corner
of your heart. Always remember that a country without the support of its citizen could never flourish. If
I ask you now. Can you hear it? Can you hear your heart beating the rhythm of patriotism?

References:
- ThoughtCo. written by Robert Longley
- LinkedIn written by Jocelyn Harmon
- How to Be Patriotic via wikiHow