We are told to be proud of being Filipinos, to carry our nationality with honor. Yet pride is not simply declared; it must be earned and justified. With the kind of leaders the nation has, and the disgraceful acts of irregularities they commit, that pride has become difficult to uphold.
Corruption remains the most glaring obstacle to national dignity. When high-ranking officials enrich themselves at the expense of public welfare, the image of the Filipino suffers both at home and abroad. These betrayals of public trust are not isolated incidents; they are systemic, entrenched in institutions, and often met with impunity. As long as those in power continue to prioritize self-interest over service, they stain the very identity they are supposed to represent.
Worse, the international community has not been blind to these failings. The Philippines is often remembered abroad not for its cultural heritage or resilience, but for scandal after scandal involving theft of public funds, rampant anomalies, and incompetence in governance. Such reputations do not arise without cause; they are the direct results of actions taken by leaders whose conduct undermines the moral standing of the entire population. National pride cannot thrive under such shadows.
To complicate matters, many of these wrongdoers occupy key positions, proving that the problem is not only in the leadership but also in the electorate. When citizens excuse or glorify leaders with tainted records, they validate the corruption they despise. This cycle corrodes the nation’s moral fiber, making it harder for genuine reformers to emerge and for the people to take pride in the integrity of their institutions.
If the Filipino people are to have a real basis for pride, there must be a radical transformation in leadership and in the standards by which leaders are chosen. The law must be enforced without fear or favor, corrupt officials must be removed and punished, and competence and honesty must become non-negotiable qualifications for public office. Only then can national pride rest on solid ground, not on empty slogans.
