LITERARY DASHBOARD

ENGLISH 8 SSC (QUARTER 3) To become a valuable contributor in the growth of one’s country,
it is important to equip oneself with the necessary wisdom and skills that
make one a truly effective citizen of his nation. Nevertheless, it is his pride
GRADE LEVEL STANDARDS: and understanding of what makes up his identity as a Filipino that spurs his
desire to further involve himself in patriotic undertakings.
The learner demonstrates communicative competence through
his/her understanding of Afro-Asian Literature and other texts types for a The essay below, I Am a Filipino, written by Filipino statesman and
deeper appreciation of Philippine Culture and those of other countries. journalist, Carlos P. Romulo, reflects Filipino nationalism by highlighting the
Filipinos’ desire for freedom. It underscores the dignity of the Filipino
people and the fact that no matter the circumstance, the Filipinos are a
people of strength, eager to win independence.

Read the text below, then answer the process questions that
follow.

I AM A FILIPINO
by Carlos P. Romulo

I am a Filipino–inheritor of a
LESSON 1 glorious past, hostage to the
uncertain future. As such I must
Expressing Loyalty to Your Country prove equal to a two-fold task–the
Loyalty to one’s country does not only mean being ready to fight task of meeting my responsibility to
and die for your own country. Loyalty to one’s country can best be shown the past, and the task of performing
by being faithful to the ideals and values that your country holds dearly. my obligation to the future.
Being in the Philippines does not make you a true Filipino. Instead, it is your
service, love, and loyalty to the country that makes you a real one. It is your I sprung from a hardy race, child many generations removed
desire to help other citizens. It is taking pride of the country’s history, of ancient Malayan pioneers. Across the centuries the memory
present endeavors and future triumphs. When we show loyalty and comes rushing back to me: of brown-skinned men putting out to sea
faithfulness to our country, we are more encouraged to stand and rise in ships that were as frail as their hearts were stout. Over the sea I
against the differences dent our country. see them come, borne upon the billowing wave and the whistling
wind, carried upon the mighty swell of hope–hope in the free
Physical absence in your country does not make you less loyal. Take abundance of new land that was to be their home and their children’s
Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) for example. They are the best example forever.
of embodiment of loyalty because of their great service and sacrifices to
our nation thus, making them worthy of being called as modern-day heroes. This is the land they sought and found. Every inch of shore
that their eyes first set upon, every hill and mountain that beckoned
to them with a green-and-purple invitation, every mile of rolling plain the insignia of my race, and my generation is but a stage in the
that their view encompassed, every river and lake that promised a unending search of my people for freedom and happiness.
plentiful living and the fruitfulness of commerce, is a hallowed spot
to me. I am a Filipino, child of the marriage of the East and the West.
The East, with its languor and mysticism, its passivity and endurance,
By the strength of their hearts and hands, by every right of was my mother, and my sire was the West that came thundering
law, human and divine, this land and all the appurtenances thereof– across the seas with the Cross and Sword and the Machine. I am of
the black and fertile soil, the seas and lakes and rivers teeming with the East, an eager participant in its spirit, and in its struggles for
fish, the forests with their inexhaustible wealth in wild life and liberation from the imperialist yoke. But I also know that the East
timber, the mountains with their bowels swollen with minerals–the must awake from its centuried sleep, shake off the lethargy that has
whole of this rich and happy land has been, for centuries without bound his limbs, and start moving where destiny awaits.
number, the land of my fathers. This land I received in trust from
them and in trust will pass it to my children, and so on until the world For I, too, am of the West, and the vigorous peoples of the
is no more. West have destroyed forever the peace and quiet that once were
ours. I can no longer live, a being apart from those whose world now
I am a Filipino. In my blood runs the immortal seed of heroes– trembles to the roar of bomb and cannon-shot. I cannot say of a
seed that flowered down the centuries in deeds of courage and matter of universal life-and-death, of freedom and slavery for all
defiance. In my veins yet pulses the same hot blood that sent mankind, that it concerns me not. For no man and no nation is an
Lapulapu to battle against the first invader of this land, that nerved island, but a part of the main, there is no longer any East and West–
Lakandula in the combat against the alien foe, that drove Diego Silang only individuals and nations making those momentous choices which
and Dagohoy into rebellion against the foreign oppressor. are the hinges upon which history resolves.

That seed is immortal. It is the self-same seed that flowered At the vanguard of progress in this part of the world I stand–
in the heart of Jose Rizal that morning in Bagumbayan when a volley a forlorn figure in the eyes of some, but not one defeated and lost.
of shots put an end to all that was mortal of him and made his spirit For, through the thick, interlacing branches of habit and custom
deathless forever, the same that flowered in the hearts of Bonifacio above me, I have seen the light of the sun, and I know that it is good.
in Balintawak, of Gergorio del Pilar at Tirad Pass, of Antonio Luna at I have seen the light of justice and equality and freedom, my heart
Calumpit; that bloomed in flowers of frustration in the sad heart of has been lifted by the vision of democracy, and I shall not rest until
Emilio Aguinaldo at Palanan, and yet burst fourth royally again in the my land and my people shall have been blessed by these, beyond the
proud heart of Manuel L. Quezon when he stood at last on the power of any man or nation to subvert or destroy.
threshold of ancient Malacañan Palace, in the symbolic act of
possession and racial vindication. I am a Filipino, and this is my inheritance. What pledge shall I
give that I may prove worthy of my inheritance? I shall give the
The seed I bear within me is an immortal seed. It is the mark pledge that has come ringing down the corridors of the centuries,
of my manhood, the symbol of dignity as a human being. Like the and it shall be compounded of the joyous cries of my Malayan
seeds that were once buried in the tomb of Tutankhamen many forebears when first they saw the contours of this land loom before
thousand years ago, it shall grow and flower and bear fruit again. It is their eyes, of the battle cries that have resounded in every field of
combat from Mactan to Tirad Pass, of the voices of my people when LESSON 2
they sing:

Land of the morning,

Reading Dashboard
Child of the sun returning–
**** Every author holds an opinion regarding a certain issue which might
Ne’er shall invaders affect his/her writing. As a reader, you must try to understand and
Trample thy sacred shore. recognize these opinions to help you in examining and identifying whether
the author is for or against a certain issue.
Out of the lush green of these seven thousand isles, out of the
heartstrings of sixteen million people all vibrating to one song, I shall
weave the mighty fabric of my pledge. Out of the songs of the AUTHOR’S BIAS
farmers at sunrise when they go to labor in the fields, out of the
sweat of the hard-bitten pioneers in Mal-lig and Koronadal, out of Bias is an inclination for or against one person or group, especially
the silent endurance of stevedores at the piers and the ominous in a way considered to be unfair. It is a generalized impression or notion
grumbling of peasants in Pampanga, out of the first cries of babies that an idea, belief, a person, or a group is better than others regardless of
newly born and the lullabies that mothers sing, out of the crashing of the existence of relevant factors or circumstances that must be considered.
gears and the whine of turbines in the factories, out of the crunch of
Consider the following points to recognize and examine author’s bias.
plough-shares upturning the earth, out of the limitless patience of
teachers in the classrooms and doctors in the clinics, out of the tramp • Look for loaded words. An author might use emotionally charged
of soldiers marching, I shall make the pattern of my pledge: words which signal his/her expression of opinion regarding an
issue.
“I am a Filipino born to freedom, and I shall not rest until
freedom shall have been added unto my inheritance—for myself and • Watch out for stereotypes. An author who tends to give labels to
a whole group may indicate that he/she is being biased.
my children and my children’s children—forever.”
• Take note of vague language or generalizations. If the author does
not use specific language and makes broad statements instead,
he/she is probably showing bias.
• Look out for one-sided arguments. An author who only presents
one side of an argument means that he/she is being biased in
his/her writing.
• Be mindful of exaggeration. If the author is overstating something,
he/she is probably showing bias for or against a topic.
ANSWER ACTIVITY 1
 Activity 1

Name: ______________________________
Section: ____________________ 4. Who were mentioned to be the pioneers of our country? What did they
discover in our lands? What opportunities were they able to realize upon
1. What is the author’s purpose in writing the essay? Cite lines or reaching our lands?
statements from the text to prove your answer.

2. What is the tone of the essay? Cite lines or statements from the text to
prove your answer.

5. What is the author’s challenge to his readers in the conclusion of his

essay?

3. What does the author mean in the statement: “As such I must prove
equal to a two-fold task–the task of meeting my responsibility to the past,
and the task of performing my obligation to the future”? Why is it important
to look back and remember the past before moving ahead to the future?
 Activity 2
3. How were you able to identify the author’s bias? Explain.
Name: ______________________________
Section: ____________________

Read the editorial article entitled, “Doing what is right” posted in

Manila Bulletin found in the link: [Link]
what-is-right/. Answer the questions that follow.

1. Does the author show bias for or against the issue? Give evidence to
support your answer.

2. Does the author’s bias weaken his arguments? Explain.