LSD-2-Focus-Filipino-Galing

Focus on the Filipino ‘Galíng’

By Erly de Guzman

President, Galing Pilipino Movement (GPM); Co-Founding National Council Member, Katipunang DakiLahi para sa Pambansang Pagsasanib-Lakas

[This is based on an article Ms. De Guzman wrote for the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s issue of June 11, 2005, eve of the third anniversary of GPM.]

THIS question I now ask you all: are we getting better as a nation and as a people? Or .are we getting worse?

As of early June, no less than 2,272 Pilipinos had ex­er­cised their freedom to choose and enlisted in the Galíng Pilipino Movement (GPM), staunchly believing that there is much good and galíng in Pilipinos and in be­ing Pili­pino. Each one of them now carries a “mission order,” a se­rial-numbered Galing Pilipi­no Award sticker with a match­ing citation sheet, to be given to some Pi­lipino who has done some­thing they regarded as galíng. It is a pur­posive way to write history… our history.

The incidents and circums­tances that characterize these awards are, in fact, incon­tro­vertible. Some­thing hap­pen­ed, someone ach­ieved, somebody did the ga­líng deed – and we want to recog­nize, affirm and propa­gate these “moments of So, to answer the question, and to keep it from being mere­ly a rhetorical matter, let each Kwentong Galíng, let each Ga­líng Pilipino awardee and awarder, let each day of GPM’s three-year track record resound in the affirmative. As a nation and as a people we have what it takes to create the kind of Philippines we can be proud of.

Erly de Guzman

Check out our website www.galingpilipino.com or at­­tend any of our GP Kapihans or Galing Pilipino seminars and know for yourself what we mean. There is a lot of galing happening around us. Imbibe the spirit and share it. Keeping to this course of thinking, believing and living is not easy. The key to keeping the course of going for what is good and galing about being Pilipino and about Pi­lipinos is focus —we choose to give importance and put the spotlight on ordi­nary Pilipinos doing ordinary things in an extraordinary galíng way.

GPM celebrates the signifi­cance of June 12, both as an anniversary date of the con­scious choice we made three years ago to root for Ga­ling Pilipino and as a testa­ment to the galíng we are as the first Asian nation to de­clare inde­pendence from a west­ern colo­nizer (Spain) and establish the first duly constituted demo­cra­tic republic in Asia.

And what should we do with the glaring face of cor­ruption, greed and medio­crity in our midst? How about we try and drown them out by os­mosis? Ponder the possibili­ty of a national turn-around built one person at a time, one fami­ly at a time, one street com­mu­nity at a time and so on. Beyond political will it is real­ly a matter of ‘I will.’ Let us affirm the do-good­er, celebrate his/her exceptional galing, extract the lessons and learnings and teach these to others.

Let us create a contagion… an epidemic that will,

.........1. Propagate the pioneering values that made the pre-co­lonial ‘Pilipino’ an honorable race. Let us harness the galíng evidenced by our Banawe Rice Terraces which were built with the d.i.g.n.i.t.y of labor of free men — people whose sense of survival and accomplishment re­sonates with pagkukusà (spirit of volunteerism and self-sac­rifice). This man-made monu­ment testifies to the resiliency and innovativeness of our an­cestors. This was, and still is, a life-giving engineering marvel, not merely an aesthetic tourist attraction. Let the seed of the Life grow in us today. If that seed isn’t there, try a trans­plant or an implant.

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.........2. Debunk the social con­ditioning that colonization has brought upon us. “A is for ab­aca” should be as good as “A is for Apple.” Let us revisit our heritage through education and participation. Try GPM’s Yugyog-tugtog Pinoy Dance Music Workshop led by UP professor Edru Abraham and Kontra-Gapi. GPM did a road­show in Vis-Min with the help of SuperFerry (see photo) and Chowking last June. For 11 days, our 30-man conti­ngent held 29 events that wowed on land and on sea. Kids and ad- ults learned to appreciate our indigenous instruments and na­tive dance movements. They were made to play and dance as well. For many it was a revelation of how ‘cool’ and ‘galíng’ our sariling atin can be, how potent the prospect that Galing Pilipino performers here and abroad can evolve our own dance craze or world mu­sic. In conjunction with the bed & breakfast program of GPM’s Bisita Pilipinas, natural farm­ing practitioner Andy Lim and Victoria Hotel Manager Bong Banan imparted their expertise in agri-business and house­keeping.

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......... 3. Breed the Galing Pilipino generation. During the second weekend last June when GPM celebrated its 3rd anniversary, we exulted in the fact that ma­ny young people of the land have started taking charge of our programs and projects. Ga­ling Pilipino youth took the lead in Magallanes; in Cavite; in Ce­bu; in Butuan. There was also a GP Kapihan in Baguio on June 15. This was mar­vel- ous to behold. Moreso, it has been exhilarating to ex­perience their involvement in translat­ing GPM’s visionary project, Bisita Pilipinas, into real com­munity-based enter­prises ar­ound the country.

I have said too much. Or maybe, I have said too little. It depends on how you wish to look at it.

There is still so much more to tell. It’s time for me to wrap up and for you to stop reading. It’s time for action.

Let us harness galing for nation-building. Tará na!

WEALTH CELEBRATED: Having a thousand-peso bill in your pocket makes you feel rich for a day or a half-day before you part with it. Something is here that you’ll never have to lose. Pictured at the back are the Banawe Rice Terraces, left, the Manunggul Jar, and other proofs of our very own cultural wealth in earlier days. That wealth still throbs in our hearts, flows in our veins, flicker­s in our spirit, al­though our brains have been made to forget it. At the right is a Galing Pilipino celebration aboard the Super-Ferry recently. Photo was taken, and e-mailed to the LD editor, by Atty. Celia Valdez.

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