The Promise

Count every morning that you sing the Lupang Hinirang and recite the Panatang Makabayan. I believe that if we do trace the history of hymns and oaths, it would not lead us into a very shallow definition of nationalism. Whether it is the song or an oath, it is the same in professing the loyalty and the heartfelt promise that an individual will abide by the law of the land.


For the Igorots, they practice "sapata" at times when crimes can no longer be solved by the laws. Sapata is a promise made with the elders, members of the community, and all those involved as the audience professing their innocence of a crime. The person to do the sapata is required to promise to the people and to God that he is innocent and he has nothing to do with the crime and in the vent that he is lying, may he be punished by either hideous sickness, abnormality or death. Sapata relies on the conscience and the deep culture of inayan and social respect. It most of the times proves to be effective as the power of words is upheld by the community through its culture.

Reciting the Panatang Makabayan is like exchanging vows with your wife or a husband. Is it because doing it everyday makes it a usual thus losing its latent meaning or is it merely taken for granted because from teh start we are not trained to give meaning to it. For if we give meaning  to it, where is the honor of the people in abiding by what they are promising almost periodically?

Sisikapin kong maging isang tunay na Pilipino sa isip, sa salita at sa gawa.
Now what is a Filipino?