It has been an age old tradition for citizens in the Philippines to help each other in times of need. Typically, the bayanihan spirit is most famous in a situation in the barrios wherein a family moves to a new location and their townmates would gather together to help move their house made of bamboo and light materials by carrying it on their shoulders.
The 1986 EDSA Revolution is a major event in the Philippines that displayed the "we" trait among Filipinos and one which caught the attention of other countries. Tired of the dictatorship regime of former president Ferdinand Marcos, people of all ages and religion flocked in droves to the EDSA Shrine in February of that year to protest against the Marcoses and throw him out of his presidency. So successful was this mass movement that the Marcos family was forced to leave the country at that time eventually leading to the establishment of democracy.
In times of natural calamities such as floods and earthquakes, the Filipinos also unite to help the victims in any way they can. Immediate actions of help by food, clothing and monetary donations are taken by companies and private individuals as a way to alleviate the sufferings of those affected.
This is how the "Power of We" is put into action in the Philippines. Through this bayanihan spirit, Filipinos have proven that they can topple a dictatorship, move for the establishment of democracy, stop corruption and unite to help people badly affected by natural disasters.
Filipinos are always resilient citizens the reason why they are admired by people from other nations. Thanks to this bayanihan spirit, we always find a way to stand up and move on after a storm in our lives. Long live the Philippines and to the Filipinos, mabuhay tayo!
This post is in commemoration of Blog Action Day 2012 on October 15.
