Suddenly, this word is being nudged into our consciousness and we’ve forgotten what it’s all about. What, honestly and truly, is nationalism?. Okay, the easy answer. It’s love of country. It’s a return to the values of yesteryear when the notion of nation drew us close together, particularly the war years. Fear and loathing of the Japanese invader and occupant. The tramp of his hobnailed boot, the terrors of Fort Santiago. Bataan and Corregidor. The Death March. Filipinos dying by the multitudes. The sword of Dai Nippon plunged ruthlessly into their entrails.
That is the only time I personally remember, outside of the Philippine revolution against Spain and the insurgency against the United States, that many Filipinos were ready and willing to die for this entity called Bayan kong Pilipinas. The Filipino nation. Pilipinas kong mahal. Hundreds of thousands did perish if not a couple of millions. Then and only then did love of country surge into the Filipino soul like molten lava. La patria was the revered fatherland. And a brace of Filipino heroes at the end of the 19th century gave their lives – willingly, courageously, indomitably.
Then the patriotic songs – Bayang Magiliw, Bayan Ko, Pilipinas Kong Mahal.
Lupang Hinirang
Bayang magiliw
Perlas ng Silanganan,
Alab ng puso,
Sa dibdib mo'y buhay.
Lupang hinirang,
Duyan ka nang magiting,
Sa manlulupig,
Di ka pasisiil.
Sa dagat at bundok,
Sa simoy at sa langit mong bughaw,
May dilag ang tula at awit
Sa paglayang minamahal,
Ang kislap ng watawat mo'y
Tagumpay na nagniningning,
Ang bituin at araw niya
Kailanpama'y di magdidilim.
Lupa ng araw, ng luwalhati't pag sinta,
Buhay ay langit sa piling mo;
Aming ligaya, na pag may mang-aapi
Ang mamatay nang dahil sa'yo.
Bayan Ko
Ang bayan kong Pilipinas
Lupain ng ginto't bulaklak
Pag-ibig ang sa kanyang palad
Nag-alay ng ganda't dilag.
At sa kanyang yumi at ganda
Dayuhan ay nahalina
Bayan ko, binihag ka
Nasadlak sa dusa.
Ibon mang may layang lumipad
Kulungin mo at umiiyak
Bayan pa kayang sakdal dilag
Ang di magnasang makaalpas!
Pilipinas kong minumutya
Pugad ng luha ko’t dalita
Aking adhika,
Makita kang sakdal laya!
Pilipinas Kong Mahal
Ang bayan ko'y tanging ikaw
Pilipinas kong mahal
Ang puso ko at buhay man
Sa iyo'y ibibigay
Tungkulin ko'y gagampanan
Na laging kang paglingkuran
Ang laya mo'y babantayan
Pilipinas kong hirang
Ako ay Pilipino
Ako ay Pilipino
Ang dugo'y maharlika
Likas sa aking puso
Adhikaing kay ganda
Sa Pilipinas na aking bayan
Lantay na Perlas ng Silanganan
Wari'y natipon ang kayamanan
ng Maykapal
Bigay sa 'king talino
Sa mabuti lang laan
Sa aki'y katutubo
Ang maging mapagmahal
Ako ay Pilipino, ako ay Pilipino
Isang bansa, 'sang diwa
ang minimithi ko
Sa bayan ko't bandila
Laan buhay ko't diwa
Ako ay Pilipino
Pilipinong totoo
Ako ay Pilipino, ako ay Pilipino
Taas noo kahit kanino
Ang Pilipino ay ako.
Ako ay Pilipino, ako ay Pilipino
Taas noo kahit kanino
Ang Pilipino ay ako.
Panatang Makabayan
Original version
Iniibig ko ang Pilipinas
Ito ang aking lupang sinilangan
Ito ang tahanan ng aking lahi
Ako'y kanyang kinukupkop at tinutulungan
Upang maging malakas, maligaya at kapakipakinabang
Bilang ganti, diringgin ko ang payo ng aking mga magulang
Susundin ko ang mga tuntunin ng aking paaralan
Tutuparin ko ang mga tungkulin ng isang mamamayang makabayan at masunurin sa batas
Paglilingkuran ko ang aking bayan nang walang pag-iimbot at ng buong katapatan
Sisikapin kong maging isang tunay na Pilipino sa isip, sa salita, at sa gawa.
Current version
Iniibig ko ang Pilipinas,
Aking lupang sinilangan,
Tahanan ng aking lahi;
Kinukupkop ako at tinutulungang
Maging malakas, masipag at marangal.
Dahil mahal ko ang Pilipinas,
Diringgin ko ang payo
ng aking magulang,
Susundin ko ang tuntunin ng paaralan,
Tutuparin ko ang tungkulin
Ng mamamayang makabayan:
Naglilingkod, nag-aaral at nagdarasal
Nang buong katapatan.
Iaalay ko ang aking buhay,
pangarap, pagsisikap
sa bansang Pilipinas.
Revised Version
Iniibig ko ang Pilipinas,
aking lupang sinilangan,
tahanan ng aking lahi;
kinukupkop ako at tinutulungan
maging malakas, masipag at marangal.
Dahil mahal ko ang Pilipinas,
diringgin ko ang payo
ng aking mga magulang,
Susundin ko ang tuntunin ng paaralan,
Tutuparin ko ang mga tungkulin
Ng mamamayang makabayan:
Naglilingkod, nag-aaral at nananalangin
Nang buong katapatan.
Iaalay ko ang aking buhay,
pangarap, pagsisikap
sa bansang Pilipinas.
"Ang Pasko ay Sumapit", yan kasi ang unang kinakanta namin pag nangangaroling kami noong childhood days ko
As far as I can remember, I have joined my neighborhood friends when I was 7 years old and formed our own group of kid carolers. And with our creative ingenuity, we equipped ourselves with makeshift instruments to include the tambourines made of pinitpit na tansan strung on a piece of wire, drums made from cans or biscuit tins as we proudly sings even out of out of tune the traditional song "Ang Pasko Ay Sumapit" from out of our lungs.
The "batang yagit" sporting short pants, T-shirts or sandos and rubber slippers hopping from one house to another every night, and the same houses all throughout the Yuletide Season until January 7; singing Jingle Bells, Silent Night, White Christmas, Pasko Na Sinta Ko, Joy to the World, Pasko Na Naman, Star ng Pasko and, Sa May Bahay". After rendering 3 or 4 songs, with traditional chant of "Namamasko Po", we wait expectantly for the homeowners to reward us with coin, ranging from 0.50 centavos to 2.00 pesos. Afterward, we thank the generous homeowners by singing "Thank you, thank you, ang babait ninyo".
Some homeowners request non-Christmas songs. There was a drunk homeowner who asked us to sing "Lupang Hinirang," "Bahay Kubo," "My Way," "Maybe this Time," "Lead Me Lord," "Tanging Yaman," "May Bukas Pa," and "Kung Tayo'y Magkakalayo." Despite the odds, we sang it with pride and were awarded 5.00 pesos—not bad at all.
There are also stingy homeowners who doesn't entertain carolers which we named "bahay patawad" and others who refused to give us coins or drive us away from their house by simply uttering the traditional words "patawad", we return them a song "Thank you, thank you, ang babarat ninyo. Thank you" and start running away from their door.
After 3 hours of caroling, I still remember the feeling of delight when my friends and I would split our “earnings” each night.
I wonder if there are any Filipinos in the Philippines that has not experienced the Christmas caroling tradition? Iniisip ko kung ang mga batang mayayaman na kasing edad ko nuon from plush subdivisions ay nagkakaroling rin.
Ikaw, naranasan mo bang mag-karoling?
Bro, Ikaw ang Star ng Pasko and Christmas in our Hearts ❤️
Family is Love
Family is Forever
Thank You Ang Babait Ninyo
Thank You For The Love
Isang Pamilya Tayo Ngayong Pasko
Magkasama Tayo sa Kwento ng Pasko
Ikaw ang Liwanag at Ligaya
Andito Tayo Para sa Isa't Isa
Tayo ang Ligaya ng Isa't Isa
Pasko ang Pinakamagandang Kwento
Sa Araw ng Pasko
Pasko sa Pinas
"Ang Pasko ay Sumapit, Christmas in Our Hearts, Star ng Pasko, Thank You Ang Babait Ninyo ayan po ang mga gusto ko pong awiting Pamasko"
"Star ng Pasko, Kumukutikutitap, Kampana ng Simbahan... all Christmas songs po..."
Today? The songs still rouse us, sometimes. The memories still rouse us, sometimes. The myth of nationalism and nationhood still rouses us, sometimes. But even when it was supposed to resurge like a great redeeming flood, and set out hearts pounding like triphammers – like EDSA I and EDSA II – it wasn’t there anymore. When we toppled the dictator Ferdinand Marcos and the pretender Joseph Estrada, it was not because of nationalism. We swept these two dastards out of power because we hated their guts. We didn’t bring out the flags. We pealed no nationalistic bells. There was no notion of a nation streaking to the heights like starshells.
