Nationalism without independence

June 12, Independence Day, is when we allow nationalist sentiments to be expressed openly. It is when we commemorate how the “three stars and a sun” came to be, and when the colors red, blue, yellow, and white became meaningful. It is the time to remember the Philippine struggle for independence. But this commemoration lasts only a day, after which no Philippine flags become as prominent until the next June 12.

Nationalism in the Philippines seems to have become passé. I am not saying that we do not love our country; only that we don’t seem to be nationalists. If we are, we do not know how to make nationalism less banal in our contemporary Filipino ways.

What may be surprising, however, is that nationalism once filled intellectual discourse even abroad. In 1959, American economist W.W. Rostow, who conceived the famous “stages of growth” model, pointed to the role of reactive nationalism during the stage before economic takeoff. In 1982, American political scientist Chalmers Johnson described the Japanese economic ministers and other government officials to be nationalists in explaining the second economic miracle in Japan.

I contend that there are three reasons why nationalism has waned in the Philippines. One, our understanding of nationalism is myopic. Filipino kids learn in school about the “national heroes” who were willing to die for independence. I recall writing essays in high school about what I might be willing to sacrifice for the country. I remember writing about working hard, but never fully understanding what working hard could mean for Philippine independence as we are already free from colonizers.

Two, our discourse on nationalism has simply focused on gaining freedom from foreign rule. Our nationalism has not caught up with new demands in the era of sovereign nations. Nationalism continues to be linked with personas like that of Jose Rizal. No new persona has emerged to successfully usher the Philippines toward the more relevant endeavors of economic growth and national development in today’s world.

Finally, we have also failed to consider that nationalism and globalization can become complementary. The case of South Korea is instructive. In 2003, Stanford sociologist Shin Gi-wook argued that the drive for globalization actually coincided with intensifying nationalism in South Korean society. Export orientation and the overall openness to trade need not necessarily reject nationalist ideals. South Korea now attributes its economic miracle not just to the state or the market, but to the implementation of a policy mix that pursued late industrialization with the end goal of joining the ranks of advanced nations.

As the South Korean case shows, nationalism can be a sentiment that orients a country toward economic growth and development. Nationalism can be defined in many ways. We are free to define it our way and use it to our advantage. I offer a more helpful definition from Boston University sociologist Liah Greenfeld: Nationalism is “… a unique form of social consciousness” where “lies a compelling … image of a sovereign community of fundamentally equal members” and which, as a result, orients people toward economic growth for all of those within the nation.

What is fortunate for us is that our love of country has already translated into love of our fellow Filipinos. As we have witnessed from our experiences during the pandemic, we do care about each other. For instance, the nationwide phenomenon of community pantries should indicate our capacity for the type of nationalism that we need today. Ano nga ba ang larawan ng pag-ibig sa tinubuang lupa ngayong tayo ay malaya na? Hindi ba kapana-panabik hirayain ang isang Pilipinas kung saan tayo ay hindi lamang mayroong pagkakaintindihan at pagkakaisa, ngunit maginhawa rin sa pang-araw-araw at higit na nakaririwasa kasabay ng ibang mga bansa?

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Marjorie Muyrong-Rodriguez is a Ph.D. sociology candidate at La Trobe University. Despite the sociological focus of her dissertation, she is a trained economist from Ateneo de Manila University. Email majomuyrong@gmail.com for comments.