Landscapes of our
Memory
I have walked around this place, barely knowing its
true character but it has and will always draw me
to its fold. Again and again. That is why I know it
is home.
For the most part of my residence and life in the
Philippines, my knowledge of the country has been
limited to what was given to me by books, lectures
and occasional beach trips with the family. And
so when we were asked in class to answer the question,
“What is a Filipino?” I found myself
lost in the myriad of characteristics, norms and
values I was taught were our own. But I have never
stopped looking for my answer. My search brought
me here. With men and women who are also searching,
discovering what it means to be a Filipino.
This is the reason YTRIP exists. Lahat kami
sa YTRIP naghahanap ng sagot, naghahanap ng paraang
totoo sa amin upang makatulong sa bayan. And
this is what we know is true. That in building a
nation, we must start with meeting each other. We
must start with knowing ourselves.
We must be firmly grounded on our past, and on
the many aspects of Philippine life and character
we are proud of. And so we intend to take in the
greatness in Philippine history while we envision
and work towards a future that provides more spaces
for dreams and individual fulfillment.
We will start by discovering
our home.
And because it is home, we must search for that
longing to discover each and every niche, listen
to every story and every voice it houses. It is
when we open ourselves to all its doors that we
gain a better sight of where we are, who we are
as a people.
We will start by knowing and listening to the stories
of women and men who toil, of those with hard lines
and compassionate eyes in their faces, of children
whose smiles are true. We will listen to stories
that were buried by our indifference. We will consciously
look at screaming images of poverty and loss so
future generations may see less of them. We will
ask the hard but necessary questions about everything
that is lacking and wrong in society so that we
can find answers, so we can find real fixes that
will truly hold our nation together.
We will start by discovering so we can collect
the blocks within which to build a nation that is
truly our own. We will create new landscapes of
memories we will want to go home to. YTRIP will
endeavor to take on the task of sustaining the Filipino
sense of discovery and sense of pride and country.
This is where we will be. This is where we choose
to be.
It is the hope of YTRIP that our generation will
leave a memory of a collective that is interested,
involved and responsive. That in Philippine collective
history, future generations of Filipinos will see
that we were courageous enough to take on task of
nation-building by discovering our home and its
people so we could build a future they can be proud
of. So we can collectively say that we are Filipinos,
and yes, the Philippines is our home.
Text: Leslie Anne Umaly
Photo: Nards Coll ©
