‘Bayanihan’ Speech Delivered @ Harvest Bible ChurchNiles

By: Veronica Leighton

 

When Ms. Linda Mendez emailed me an invite and a request to speak about the topic of “Bayanihan” for this Filipiniana Day occasion today, I was a little bit hesitant as I never had this kind of topic to touch on my plate before, yet I took up on the challenge and thought deeper on what I know about this very interesting Filipino trade name or brand name that’s associated with the good trait of helping each other. When you google the word “bayanihan,” you come across the following meaning, “the old tradition of neighbors helping a relocating family by getting enough volunteers to carry the whole house, and literally moving it to its new location.” It is a Tagalog word, taking its root word from “bayani” (hero) and putting the suffix “han” thus making an acceptable meaning of “cooperation” or helping one another. It is a Tagalog word that has spread all over the country among natives speaking different dialects (more than 70).but accepting the meaning and values and practicing the true meaning henceforth. Though I will be giving away my age, I am proud to say that I witnessed this scenario when I was a little girl from Navotas, Rizal, a suburb of Manila and now part of Metro Manila. I can still remember it vividly and even knew then that my father and uncles were participants of the so-called “bayanihan”, although the scenario had become scarcer by the time I reached my teenhood. Modernization and changes in living standards had taken over in the actual practice of bayanihan moving of the house. Maybe little by little, the demise of the literal meaning of bayanihan in my childhood town had occurred but not in the remotest provinces and barrios of the Philippines, as I heard from some people who swear by it. Some kababayans in remote areas of the PH still practice this tradition. The spirit of Bayanihan among the Filipinos is not dead and will never die as it has been inculcated in our minds by many generations before us. The Filipinos’ indomitable spirit of courage, resiliency hospitality and generosity together with the Bayanihan spirit is ingrained in us as a people, and will stay with us, through generations to come. Even American Presidents Clinton and Obama and other visiting government officials, had to use the word “bayanihan” in their speeches in addressing the Filipino people and the Philippine government. Living for many years in this country as a transplanted Filipino immigrant (now citizen), my bayanihan spirit as a Filipino is alive and well and has made me thrive in this country through the course of establishing myself as a successful Filipino media leader in print, broadcast, and social media in the U.S. Yes, it was the bayanihan spirit that persisted when my friends helped me out during the primitive stages of publishing Via Times, editing, cutting and pasting from my kitchen floor onto the hood of my car, delivering the papers all over Chicago and to many events, as I didn’t have money then to pay for employees (it is still happening, believe it or not). Likewise, it is also the bayanihan spirit that prevails whenever they need help from me, in supporting and mentoring their writing and broadcasting careers. In closing, let me repeat former President Ramos’ phrase in his every speech…”kaya ba natin ito?” (“Can we do it?”) We answer, “Kaya,” (Yes, we can) And, that is the whole meaning of “Bayanihan.” Good night to all!

Veronica served as guest speaker at the Filipiniana Day of the Harvest Bible Niles Campus speaking about topic of “Bayanihan.”