Cover Story
12 Things That Made Us Proud in 2007
By Michael Tan
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 08:36:00 12/30/2007
MANILA, Philippines - It wasn’t easy, I can tell you, when I was first asked to draw up a list of 12 things Filipinos did in the last year that inspire pride, mainly because I was thinking big, collective national action.
I had to remind myself that there’s no lack of individual valor out there: people who persevere, teachers, health professionals and thousands of others who serve, people who stand by their convictions, wage-earners who find, and turn in, hundreds and thousands of pesos of cash. The accounts of heroic honesty always get me, and I wish the Inquirer and other papers could honor them with a year-end list. I did try to track them through the Internet, but couldn’t track them all down.
1. Not even on Good News Pilipinas, which is an interesting website that wants to balance out the flood of bad news we get on the mass media. On this website you’ll find every little development that offers a ray (a sliver?) of hope. And for that, Good News Pilipinas gets into my attempt at a feel-good list. With that though, I have a caveat: Good News Pilipinas has a lot of coverage of awards, and I feel uncomfortable about that because awards are a peso a dozen now. So if I do pull out some awards for my list, it’s only because I feel the awards are genuine, that they do count toward national pride.
Onwards now with the rest of my list... this isn’t ranked, incidentally. I think every small gain—in the area of literature, or science, in or out of government—clears the way for greater collective achievements.
2. MAN Literary Prize 2007. Jose Dalisay, Jr.’s “Soledad’s Sister” made it into the short list for the first-ever MAN Literary Prize Award, which is given to an “Asian novel unpublished in English.” Watch out for future awards and, I hope, Filipino winners. I predict this award will gain prestige in years to come as a showcase of Asian literature.
3. RP Solar Car. Team Sinag, composed of De La Salle University students, managed to finish the World Solar Challenge, all 3021 kilometers, in Australia, driving their own solar car. They didn’t win it, but they were one of 21 teams from all over the world that showed what solar power can do... and how Filipinos might, literally, plug in.
4. Filipino indie films. The future of tomorrow’s film industry, our independent producers/ directors/cinematographers continue to reap international awards. A few of the winners: “Rigodon,” “Donsol,” “Kubrador,” “Kaleldo,” “Ang Daan Patungong Kalimugtong.”
5. UP and Ateneo hanging on. The two Filipino universities are still in the Times Higher Education Supplement (THES)’s list of best universities in the world. The listing is based mainly on votes from academics and job recruiters of large companies rather than more objective indicators, but then, reputation and perceptions do count as well.
6. Sports plus. Despite weak government support, our athletes still compete internationally, winning medals in events like the Asean Taekwondo Festival and the just concluded Southeast Asian Games. Also worth noting: we now have a 14-year-old chess grandmaster, Wesley So, who made it in the Prospero Cup International Open.
7. Six Filipino high school students won prizes at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.
8. Chorales and Choir Awards. UP Madrigal Singers won the European Prix for Choral Singing in Arrego, Italy, described as the “choral Olympics.” There have been all kinds of prizes won in other choral competitions, by all kinds of groups from the UE Chorale to the Sta Teresita Parish Chorale.
9. Every Juan Should Travel. Cebu Pacific continues to make travel more affordable for the Filipino with cheap tickets for both domestic and international destinations, forcing other airlines to bring down their fares as well. Let’s hope that means a more culturally open Filipino rather than just more shopping addicts.
10. Missionary routes. Kudos as well to SEAIR for offering flights to places like Jolo, Pagadian, Camiguin and several areas in Palawan, all good for stimulating local tourism, and linking these previously neglected places to the rest of the country and the world.
11. The Elections. Cynical as we are about politics, we still turned out in large numbers to vote in May. There’s some hope yet—we kept good governors like Grace Padaca in Isabela, voted in new blood like Father (on leave) Ed Panlilio for Pampanga, and shunned showbiz personalities and boxers.
12. Staying. Finally, for those who’ve resisted the temptation to pack up and migrate, even while understanding those who did leave, we deserve a pat on the back and best wishes for 2008 and beyond.
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