Long are the days when Filipinos aren’t heard and known. Long are the times when Filipinos are slaved for more than three hundred years of vindictive colonization. Long are the years when Filipinos’ boundaries lie within the corners of 7,101 islands of the archipelago. Gone are those obscure nights when darkness fills the country for the bright and lucid days for Filipinos had arrived and proved to the whole world that Filipinos, know no boundaries!
Struggling, conquering, soaring—these exactly define them. They are known for their defined merit for democracy that once revealed their voices and stand. Remember how Filipino people made history by making a stand? Remember the first ever EDSA Revolution? People boldly expressed their convictions against the tyranny of dictatorship, not withstanding the danger of facing them. It is the first of its kind where people had made a stand and they stood firm by their belief. This event will forever be in the history books and never will it die, for it embodies the true Filipino spirit alive in every individual Filipino.
Filipinos nowadays are known in various fields they are inclined to. They are competitively acknowledged and recognized with their exceptional skills and intelligence that continuously marking names and legends globally.
Who would have questioned the talents of Filipino in terms of sports? Look how far Filipino athletes constantly soar in their respective field. In boxing, Philippines had produced Filipino world boxing champions. Two of the four Asians enshrined in the New York-based International Boxing Hall of Fame were Filipinos, namely: Pancho Villa in the old-timer category and Gabriel "Flash" Elorde in the modern category. Manny Pacquiao have beaten and still beating the Mexico’s boxing tiger and have gained numerous WBC titles. Paeng Nepomunuceno and Bong Coo are just examples of the country’s known bowlers who have been included in the International Bowling Hall of Fame. Billiards is a consistent source of pride for Filipino sports aficionados. Filipinos like Efren “Bata” Reyes and Francisco Bustamante are some of the many billiard artists who have proven everyone that they are among the world’s best that have played the game. Who would forget the Asia’s fastest woman? Lydia de Vega is also one of the respectable athletes that Philippines ever had. There are still a lot of sports where Filipinos have bagged global recognition; something that uplifts Philippine pride.
Filipinos are talented and world class artists and performers who have won international competitions and even become a part of various world class groups. Nothing had stopped Lea Salonga in invading the Broadway as she plays the role of Kim in Ms. Saigon. Many cheered to Allan Pineda of Black Eyed Peas. Many were enchanted with the voice and beauty of Nicole Scherzinger of Pussycat dolls. They are just some Filipinos who are well known in the international music industry. Filipino actors and actresses are also conquering the international entertainment having been starred some Hollywood and Asian movies. When it comes to beauty, talent and intelligence, Filipinos enthralled the whole world as they are crowned with various international beauty titles. Best examples are Miss Universe 1968 Gloria Diaz and First Runner -up Miss Universe 1999 Miriam Quiambao who had outsmarted the women of different nationalities.
Filipinos are now equipped with the updates of the fast developing technology. Filipino scientists have produced world known inventions. Agapito Flores is the inventor of the first fluorescent lamp which is the most widely used source of lighting in the world today. International Pediatric Association awardee, Fe del Mundo is the first Asian to have entered the prestigious Harvard University School of Medicine is credited for her studies that led to the invention of incubator and jaundice relieving device. Just last year, Sinag, the Philippines First Solar Car, joined the World Solar Challenge 2007 in Australia surviving the 2000 KM race. Such are only few examples of world renowned achievements of Filipinos.
Enumerating all the achievers and the globally competitive Filipinos will never be enough without recognizing the modern Filipino heroes, the Overseas Filipino Workers. Go around the globe and there will find Filipinos serving not just their country but also the world. Filipino nurses conquer the world with their tender care and services. Come to United States and find many Filipino businessmen topping the business industry. In fact, Filipino-Americans are the second largest Asian-American group in the United States next to Chinese while they are the largest from the Southeast Asia.
After all the succumbing threats, wars, trials and ruins that Philippines have encountered, Filipinos keep on battling the world’s challenge, surpassing and even winning them. The history have made defined difference among the lives of the Filipinos and now, Filipinos will continue making difference not just for its nation, not in Asia, but in the whole globe. Once, the country was named as “Pearl of the Orient” but now, the test of time have proven that Philippines is not just a pearl that lies in the orient but a pearl that shines around the world. It is indeed more befitting to be a “global pearl.” Who are Filipinos now?-- Globally competitive!
