Are You Free? (Philippine Independence Day 2016 Special)

At the advent of Duterte’s administration, our country is yet to celebrate its 118^th Independence Day on June 12. Filipinos all over the globe will commemorate the freedom we inherited from the bravery of our forefathers who fought with their lives for our sovereignty. On the national level, it is evident that in ‘form’ the Philippines is a free country; but as for the lives of many Filipinos, freedom seems frail, somehow elusive, and an idea remaining to its ‘abstract’ form which haunts us with a question---Are we really free?

By definition, Freedom is the right to act, speak, or think as he wants. Freedom is a complex subject matter. It has been debated all over centuries and has been included in much scholarly writing which will not be taken into depths in this zone.  In celebration of its 118^th independence day, Filipinos, including myself, have somehow asked the relevance of freedom not only in a general sense but most importantly with our lives. Can we straightforwardly say that we are free?

For some, probably the answer is a definite yes but for countless Filipinos who struggle to live the life they believe they deserve, freedom remains a word written in our history books. As an OFW, I have witnessed the lives of my countrymen bounded by the limitations of their employment contracts. I have seen the fear of uncertainty whether they will still have a job the next day due to the compelling global crisis. Many worked for longer hours under the command of their employers for money they will send out home. Many have sacrificed their dreams and aspirations for the shot to financial freedom not only for themselves but for their families. In substance, they don’t get to choose the life they want or the job they truly value. They are compelled with the necessity regardless of the conditions because our country lacks the opportunities to accommodate its people.

Not only in the aspect of employment where freedom is in question. Freedom of speech in our country is played as we experienced in the recently concluded elections where media institutions were viewed as being manipulated in favor of a group. Meanwhile, looking around the slum areas of our country, freedom is a vague concept for Filipinos who have been struck by the illness of poverty. Many children are deprived of the freedom to enjoy their childhood since they have to work scavenging for food on mountains of garbage, peddle on dangerous streets for whatever items they could sell for a little money to live. At some point, others suffer the curtailment of freedom due to injustices and cruelty. In extreme cases, they are abducted and enslaved for the benefit of others like the plight of sex slaves, child labor, and victims of human trafficking.

The gravity or extent as to the curtailment or enjoyment of freedom in one’s life is relative to how he views, defines, and places significance to what constitutes freedom. Freedom is not limited to the absence of oppressors or constraining conditions but has evolved into somehow a subjective state. 

Others may say that they are not free because they cannot pursue what they truly want or they have no freedom to live the life they want.  In haste, I could quickly jump to the conclusion that I am not free if I check out where my life has been at the moment but when I ask myself the same question a couple of times, I ended up understanding freedom clearer.

Am I free?

Certainly I am because I have the choice and power to decide how my life would end up. Wherever I am, whatever I do or what my life has come up to this point it is because I made that conscious decision to live it this way. I could have chosen otherwise and enjoyed/suffered the consequences of my action or inaction. For as long as I have the final word on the direction of my life regardless of the existing environment, available resources, and favourable or unfavourable conditions, then I am free. The good thing I have learned from our heroes is that freedom is and has always been a choice. If at any point, we felt it being curtailed we can always seek and fight for it until we can achieve it.

Are you free?

The Philippines has been freed 118 years ago and as we remember that valuable aspect of our independence we might as well look freedom on a personal level. What are you willing to sacrifice for freedom? How far are you willing to fight for it? Are you really free?

Happy Independence Day!!

Photo credits: ryanx08