CONTENDING views are healthy for democracy.
However, agreeing to disagree for the sake of finding the truth or the best option needs an anchor, something to make sure the country ship will not be lost to the raging waves while we debate the right course to take.
Nations have their set of fundamental or core values that their societies have come to acknowledge through history and use as guide for setting ethical standards and developing personal virtues. They are the sources of national unity and strength.
We need to discuss core values with historical perspective. From the experiences of our heroes and their legacy of patriotism and ideals, the historical roots of the Filipino core values must be explored to enhance our love and commitment for the country.
“Mahalin mo ang Diyos nang buong puso.”
This is the first in the rules or value ethics that Gat Andres Bonifacio incorporated in his Dekalogo.
Dekalogo was a list of 10 commandments for the members of the Katipunan. Since the Katipunan was the core of an emerging new and independent “bansa”, the Dekalogo of Bonifacio was an early stage of law-making for the “bansa”.
We can imagine Bonifacio seriously pondering what the Filipinos value most at that time and what is good for them before he wrote his Dekalogo.
While Bonifacio rose in arms against the Spanish colonizers, including the friars who brought Catholicism to the colony, apparently, he never abandoned his faith in God. We easily remember his raised bolo of ultimate patriotism, but we miss to appreciate his being Maka-Diyos, first and foremost.
Still from Dekalogo, second in the list, “Pakatandaan lagi na ang pag-ibig sa Diyos ay siya ring pag-ibig sa Tinubuan, at iyan din and pag-ibig sa kapwa.”
Bonifacio during his time was already correlating the three main core values of Diyos, Bayan and Kapwa in defining the sublime love that Filipinos should develop.
“Ibigin mo ang Diyos at ang iyong puri ng lalo sa lahat ng bagay…,” wrote Mabini. The virtue, Maka-Diyos, was also number one in Mabini’s own El Verdadero Decalogo or True Decalogue. He wrote his own version of decalogue for members and their constituents to follow.
In number 4 of his El Verdadero Decalogo Mabini elaborated, “Ibigin mo ang iyong Inang Bayan ikalawa sa Diyos at sa iyong puri at higit sa iyong sarili, sapagka’t siya ang kaisa-isang Paraisong pinaglagyan ng Diyos sa buhay na ito…”
Mabini was already presenting the hierarchy of core values, “Diyos” before “Inang bayan”. “Inang bayan” before “sarili.”
And in number 3 of El Verdadero Decalogo, Mabini taught us how we can be useful to our Kapwa, “Dagdagan mong pilit ang talos ng isip at katutubong alam na ipinagkaloob ng Diyos sa iyo sa pamamagitan ng pag-aaral, at magsumakit ka nang ubos lakas sa gawang kinahihiligan ng iyong loob,… upang matipon sayo ang lalong maraming kagalingan at sa ganitong paraa’y makatulong ka sa ikasusulong ng lahat…”
Mabini was a great statesman. He knew what the Filipinos value most that would guide them in building the nation. He was already describing what Filipino nationalism and Filipino democracy should be.
In number 5 of his El Verdadero Decalogo he told us, “Pagpilitan mo ang kalayaan ng iyong bayan bago ang iyong sarili,… sapagka’t kung malaya siya ay lalaya rin ikaw at ang iyong kamag-anakan.”
And in number 6 he said, “Pagpilitan mo ang kasarinlan ng iyong bayan, sapagka’t ikaw lamang ang tunay na makapagmamalasakit sa kanyang ikasusulong at ikatatanghal…”
Mabini was a staunch republican or a strong believer in a form of government in which representatives are elected and there is no monarch.
In number 7 he warned us, “Huwag mong kilalanin sa loob ng iyong bayan ang kapangyarihan ng sino mang tao na hindi inilagay ninyong magkakababayan, … ang taong ituro at ihalal ng mga konsyensya ng sangkabayanan ang siya lamang makapagtataglay ng tunay na kapangyarihan.”
In number 8 he further said, “Ihananap mong pilit ang iyong bayan ng Republica, yaon baga ang lahat na namamahala ay palagay ng bayan, at huwag isipin kailan man ang Monarkiya, ang pagkakaroon baga ng hari; sa pagka’t ang hari ay walang binibigyan ng kamahalan kundi isa o ilang angkan lamang… ”
With the above, Mabini defined for us what should be the basic essence and nature of the emerging “Bansang Pilipinas” for and run by Filipinos.
Andres Bonifacio appointed Emilio Jacinto as “Pangulong Hukbo sa Dakong Hilaga ng Maynila.”
Jacinto represented the army of the emerging “bansa.” The army is one major component of state sovereignty. It is the army that enforces the rules and the laws that will govern.
Jacinto wrote the Kartilya ng Katipunan and Bonifacio thought it was better than his Dekalogo and so he adopted it.
And number one in Jacinto’s Kartilya is the importance of “banal na kadahilanan” in life. He did not use the term Diyos but the essence of the core virtue of Maka-Diyos was apparent.
Jacinto elaborated on what “kabanalan” meant in number 3 of his Kartilya, “Ang tunay na kabanalan ay ang pagkakawang-gawa, ang pag-ibig sa kapwa at ang isukat ang bawa’t kilos, gawa’t pangungusap sa talagang Katuwiran.”
Jacinto in essence reflected on the Filipino core values and virtues.
“Kabanalan” was being “Maka-Diyos.”
Pagkakawang-gawa” was being “Makatao.”
Pag-ibig sa kapwa (Pilipino)” was being “Makabayan.”
With the various foreign influences that our forefathers encountered, they adopted ways and ideas that for them were meaningful and useful in their lives. Being Makatao or giving importance to your “Kapwa” in the community was already of value to our ancestors even before the coming of foreign colonizers.
Number 12 in Jacinto’s Kartilya interpreted the Confucian “golden rule” in the family context, “Ang di mo ibig gawin sa asawa mo, anak at kapatid, ay huwag mong gagawin sa asawa, anak at kapatid ng iba.”
It was recounted that on March 29, 1891 Dr. Rizal wrote Dr. Blumentritt about the persecution of his family because of his activities. His heart ached over their misfortune, but his spirit was not broken (hindi nasiraan ng loob o nawalan ng loob).
He was not sorry that he was involved in the propaganda movement and even said that if he were to be born again, he would do first what he had done because it was the duty of any man, and God might ask why he had not fought evil and injustice when he saw them.
Dr. Rizal emphasized God’s intention in creating man. In his “Message to the young women of Malolos” he wrote, “Men are born equal, naked, and without chains. They were not created by God to be enslaved, neither were they endowed with intelligence in order to be misled, not adorned with reason to be fooled by others. It is not pride to refuse to worship a fellow man, to enlighten the mind, and to reason out everything.”
Marcelo H. del Pilar was branded as “hereje” for his written attacks against the friars and for satirizing Catholic prayers and yet in one of his writings titled, “Ang kadakilaan ng Diyos,” he quoted God, “Sukat na mahalin ang kapwa tao, alang-alang man lamang sa pagmamahal mo sa lahat; mahalin mo ang minamahal ko at bukas makalawa’y may tanging ligaya pang pilit na tatamuin mo.”
He then explained, “Diyan ay sukat mo nang mabanaagan, nanasang irog, ang kadakilaan niyang Diyos di nililingat sandali man sa pagkalinga sa atin. Dakila sa karunungan at dakila sa pag-ibig; sa pagmamahal at pagpapalagay sa kanyang mga anak dito sa lupa; at pantas man o mangmang. Mayaman man o dukha ay walang mawawaglit sa mairog at lubos niyang paglingap.”
In number 9 of his El Verdadero Mabini wrote, “Ibigin mo ang kapwa mo tao kaparis ng pag-ibig mo sa iyong sarili, sapagka’t siya’y binigyan ng Diyos, at ikaw ay ganon din naman, ng katungkulang tulungan ka at huwag niyang gawin sa iyo ang di niya ibig na gawin mo sa kaniya;”
Then Mabini starts to emphasize the importance of enforcing order and discipline by the emerging nation state, “nguni’t kapag ang kapwa mo tao ay nagkukulang dito … at pinagtangkaang lipulin ang iyong buhay at kalayaan at pag-aari, ay dapat mo naming ibuwal at lipulin siya!”
During times of uncertainties that challenge our unity as a nation, we can always look back to the legacies of our heroes like the core values that they commonly adhered to that gave them the courage to unite and fight for a vision of prosperity for the people.
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