Unsplash.com by Eryka Rose Raton
August is Buwan ng Wika, a month dedicated to giving value to the Filipino language. As our National Hero, Dr. Jose Rizal once quoted "He who does not love his own language is worse than an animal and smelly fish. It saddens me to hear some pure-blooded Filipinos, living in the country yet don't/can't speak the language and some cannot even understand the language. As we must be fluent in the English since it is considered the universal language, I strongly believe that the Filipino is as valuable as any other language. We can learn and be fluent in other languages, English, Korean, Spanish, French, whatever you want but let us not forget that we are Filipinos. Language is our identity. When we speak our language, we show them who we are. We show the world our culture.
Language brings us together. Based on my experience and observation, when we Filipinos find ourselves in an unfamiliar place, we tend to look for someone who speaks the same language as us. We connect with people and build relationships through our language. We are united by the Filipino language. This is evident in our "kababayan" in other countries. They unite to build a Filipino community in the countries where they are. They help and support each other and build strong relationships. They show the world who Filipinos are and what they can do when they stand united.
Unsplash.com by Wylly Suhendra
What value can Filipinos bring to Hive?
I can proudly say, it's unity The word unity is a general term to describe all other beautiful traits and values Filipinos have. When we say unity, there is resilience, generosity, sharing and giving, hospitality, love and compassion, and more. These values are what Filipinos bring to hive.
Not only in the physical world we can see the unity of Filipinos, but we can also observe that even in this virtual world called Hive. The @hiveph community is one clear evidence of the unity of Filipinos.
When I was new to Hive, I was struggling to find support not only with upvotes but with the hive culture. I lack the knowledge on navigating through this platform. But when I discovered this community and the hiveph discord, I gained a lot of knowledge about this Hive world. I felt at home knowing there are fellow Filipinos who are willing to share their expertise and knowledge and even their resources to help their fellow Filipinos. I felt like I have a family to run to when I feel like I'm lost.
Another thing I observe is that Filipinos on Hive support each other. When we know an account is owned by a fellow Filipino, we support each other by upvoting, reblogging, and commenting on each other's posts. And of course, we followed each other. This I believe is how Filipinos unite in the virtual world.
We unite because we are Filipinos and we speak of the same language and share a common culture. Let us continue to support each and other and show the world who we are. Be proud to be Filipinos.