Happiest Kaleidoscope of Memories

All came back in flashes. I can picture all the histories made by the Philippine heroes and ancestors. The suffering, war, guns firing, rivals shouting, men dying, children shielding their ears, women weeping incessantly, the flag being torn in pieces, the elderly losing hope, and the hisses of invading immigrants.

Certainly, those who believe in and take a stand for their values will always meet the rainbow. Bad memories were buried through the smiles, triumphs, and celebrations performed by Filipinos to commemorate the good memories of the past — through its festive, lively, and rich cultural heritage associated with Filipinos’ practices.

The most popular and constant of all time are the festivals, more commonly known as “fiestas”. Annual celebrations happen with festivals on every corner, left and right- from the Dinagyang Festival in Iloilo to the Sinulog Festival in Cebu and the Feast of the Black Nazarene in Manila. Every province and city throughout the Philippines value the celebration of their respective fiestas.

It is astonishing to watch the Filipinos through the different activities being performed, such as grand parades, masses, festive dances and songs, and even beauty pageants. These were some of the gifts from the ancestors’ sacrifices and the symbolism of happiness in our Filipino blood.

Now, whenever I hear the word ‘Filipino,’ one of the pictures I can visualize is the widest smiles of Filipino children dressed in colorful festive garments, overseas workers wrapping their longing open arms to their hardly-awaited Filipino families, long-lived women kneeling, emotionally praying to the almighty God and many moving, heart-warming causes of happiness.

Without a doubt, Filipinos can build their castles out of all the bricks thrown at them, making us what we are right now and what we’re about to be tomorrow.