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Art Appreciation: Reflection Paper

Defining the Filipino Through the Arts: From Specialistic Innocence to Participatory
Consciousness, a written work by Felipe M. De Leon, Jr. It’s all about how the cultural identity can be a
basis for development, how colonizers can weaken one’s culture, how education became a way in
colonizing us, how professional education affects our society, how we are affected by alien culture that
penetrates our society, and also, how we look down on our physical appearance and our abilities as
Filipinos.
I appreciate this written work because I got lots of information and it is very interesting. It can be
an eye opener for people especially for Filipinos. Although some ideas are agreeable and some are not.

Firstly, I will discuss the ideas that I don’t agree with. Being a Filipino, when we say Western
countries what comes first in our minds? We can think of many things such as education, religion,
technology and such. Today, we can say that these makes our lives much easier.
We all know that the American injected the system of education in our country as a gentle way of
colonizing us, hence, teaching us their way of life to the point that we forget ours. Until today, it is still
applicable with globalization rising, education becomes more prominent, presenting various
opportunities for us.

Most Filipinos tend to search for high-paying jobs as a way to fully support their family and give
them the good life they seek. That is the reason why most people choose to take the path of education
instead of turning to the easy way out; it’s an attempt in surviving poverty and in a way, a preparation for
the unpredictable future. Yes, people do really go by the old saying that Education is the key for our
better tomorrow.
With the ever increase of the rate of poverty nowadays, people can’t help but to be a little
aggressive in being practical. If they think that this is the best way, they are not going to hesitate to grab
for it. Nothing else matters — even themselves. For instance, Manileños choose to pursue migration to
other countries in order to support their families — that’s it. Do they want to travel across the globe and
be torn apart from their families? Of course not. It's all in the name of being practical,especially if their
lives are being dragged down by their endless needs. Today, it doesn’t matter if you want to work in a
specific or not because you need to; you have no other choice unless you want to be stuck in the pit of the
poor for a lifetime.

Now in the topic of jobs and migration, the thing we should avoid is the Doña Victorina
Syndrome. We should be proud of ourselves — of our own skin. We should always go and glance back at
where we truly belong despite being severely exposed to a new culture of a specific country. I mean,
surely we’ve all seen those people of our race that can’t even bring themselves to speak their mother
tongue just because they’ve been living in a foreign country for a few years. It boldly shows how little
nationalism we have; how willing people can be in completely turning their backs on the country which
basically raised them and really, it’s utterly disappointing at best.
Though, the proof of Doña Victorina Syndrome can still pass off as a lesson instead of something
purely negative. It has a message; a simple one, in fact. It means to tell us that no matter how many
countries try to take over us in such ways that the Americans have tried, we shouldn’t fully submit into it.
We can’t let ourselves be affected but in contrary, we should continue loving our culture and strengthen
our nationalism.
It’s still on us — and how we'll approach miseducation of other countries. It’s our choice whether
to lose self-esteem and be dragged along by a new culture —which is, a huge stab on ours, OR to embrace
all cultures but refusing to be taken by it. As free citizens, it remains to be our choice because years of
miseducation and colonization attempts would go to waste if we choose not to be swayed by it.
With that being said, we can protect our cultural identity and nationalism in many ways, like,
pursuing artistic and creative expression: formal theatrical performances, sculptures and paintings; as well
as doing cultural gatherings such as food festivals and celebrations.
These can be preserved by practicing and through learning within communities; with departments
adding a huge variety of programs and curriculums to further open our culture.

For me, western colonization contributed something great and innovative to us Filipinos
regardless of their ulterior motives. Education enhanced our lives alongside the rise of technology, which
also came from western countries.
As a Manileño, I can see these benefits in education first-hand. Nowadays, education has become
advanced; striking and refined with consistency.
So, in conclusion, despite negative facts of colonization, education proved to be a part of its
benefits for other Manileños like myself. Though, I still won't generalize this fact.

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