Why I choose to love this country

I love the Philippines. This is something that comes as naturally as saying I love my mother. And could very well be the reason why we also call it our “motherland.”

I love this country despite the fact that many of our people are perceived to be corrupt, corruptible or both. I believe that there are much greater forces working together or separately to correct this and I trust I shall live to see a better nation of more honest citizens. 

I love this country despite the fact that our people keep on electing more wrong than right people in government offices. I know that as in any superhero story, our own heroes will come in and save the day, hopefully sooner than later. I also feel that we’ve finally gotten it right this time. And this is a good, no, it’s a great sign.

I love this country in spite of how poorly constructed and managed its main airport is. The fact that it’s constantly brought up as a national concern means hope and to have hope is good. Good enough for me at least. There are hundreds of beautiful reasons to still go and see this country which more than make up for the little inconveniences that we may experience in an airport.

Have you even been to Boracay, Bicol or Cebu? They’re beautiful! I myself have not been to so many places in the Philippines which cannot be traveled by land as much as I have been to places overseas. I am raring to see what else is out there that we can offer. 

I love this country in spite of how bad the traffic situation and its roads are. This means more time spent with family or friends, exercising our vocal chords while driving alone in the car, reading a good book in the bus going home from work or even praying the rosary, meditating or just going along our daily conversations with God. 

I love this country in spite of how densely populated it is now with over 100 million people crowding its streets. I am proud that we do not leave our families especially our elders to other people’s care and take them to nursing homes even if we can afford it.

I love this country in spite of how badly polluted its streets have become that even the mildest of rainstorms or mere rain showers create so much damage and devastation to our livelihood, our homes or sometimes and worse, even our very own lives. This only provides platforms where we are constantly reminded of how immensely we are indomitable in spirit. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many people walk along flooded streets still with smiles plastered on their faces, waving at the cameras like they were movie stars. It’s amazing!

I love this country in spite of how many of its good citizens flee it for what they think are greener pastures. This means more revenue from overseas Filipino workers (OFW) remittances and better lives for all the families left behind. 

I love this country in spite of its pronounced social chasms where we find most of our fellowmen thriving below fair and humane living conditions. It is in this situation that we are reminded of and experience the goodness of the human spirit and how amazingly we manage to live in a democracy and in peace. 

Love is a decision. And while I can think of a hundred other reasons not to love this country, I easily choose otherwise just because it is MY country. So go on sprightly ahead in the bright future my fellow Filipinos. – Rappler.com

Alvin Santos earned a degree in Manufacturing Engineering and Management at the De La Salle University and works as a banker for a multi-national organization. He is a full-blooded Lasallian, writer-hobbyist, a sports enthusiast and hosts for travelers around the world through travel sites like Flipkey, Airbnb and Travelmob but first and most of all, a proud Filipino.