HUMILITY IN THE WORK PLACE

IN JANUARY, I was tasked with delivering a pep talk for our agency as part of our Monday flag-raising ceremony. It was just a few days before the historic pastoral visit of Pope Francis to our country. Because of this, I chose to discuss the very virtue the "People’s Pope" is most known for: humility.

Pope Francis embodies deep humility. To him, humility means intentionally spending time with the people we find hard to live with—those we probably like the least. He actively denounced self-importance when he preferred a modest, two-room residence over the grand papal apartment in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace. He showed it again when he waited in line with regular employees at the Vatican canteen, and when he gave up his private chauffeur to take the bus to work.

When we speak of humility through the lens of the Pope’s examples, it is easy to sound deeply religious, as if preaching church doctrine. And why not? Humility is considered the mother of all virtues, and one of the most important lessons Jesus Christ imparted to his disciples, believers, and all present-day Christians. Scripture teaches us that God cannot work through us if we are consumed by pride.

The word humility comes from the Latin root humus, meaning "earth" or literally "on the ground." St. Thomas Aquinas noted that humility "consists in keeping oneself within one’s own bounds, not reaching out to things above one, but submitting to one’s superior." [1] This aligns perfectly with the Catholic Church's definition: humility, in a higher and ethical sense, is that by which a person has a modest estimate of their own worth and submits themselves to others. 

5 YEARS OF FACEBOOKING

IT WAS December 22, 2008, when I opened my Facebook account at the invitation of Arlyn, a law school classmate. This was more than four years after Mark Zuckerberg and his peers first introduced the online social networking service to their fellow Harvard students. A day after my name and ID photo cropped up in a blue-and-white corner of cyberspace, my cousin Danny Cadorna—whom I had not seen since he left for Japan in 1994—sent me my first-ever friend request. Soon, other relatives, friends, former classmates, coworkers, and even strangers requested to join my friends list. They say that most people who know how to use a computer and the internet have a Facebook profile. Unsurprisingly, in just a short span, my notifications swelled with requests to connect, play games, join groups, and "like" various pages.

WATERPROOF SPIRIT

EVERY ONCE in a while, I come across pictures that snag my attention and give me a good belly laugh. Just like jokes, funny pictures can lift everyone's spirits and divert the attention of social media users—like myself—for at least a few seconds. For that, we should be grateful.

Whenever I scroll down my Facebook feed, humorous images pop up like zombies from a popular video game, interspersed with event invites, unsolicited photo tags, and self-indulgent updates. The internet is a crowded highway of content being thrown at you constantly. However, I actively seek out the funny stuff. Finding things that truly make me laugh has almost become a lifelong quest. I even save some of these images—ranging from the witty to the outrageously funny—for my personal file, though I rarely repost them. The deeper I venture into the web, the more comedic gems I uncover.

It is no surprise that a vast majority of these viral images are created by Filipinos—a resilient race known for finding a quick laugh despite life's hardships. The subject matter ranges from incompetent government officials and the candid antics of Mommy Dionisia Pacquiao, to daily life sarcasm and popular movies. Even images that barely fit the current news cycle somehow find a second life on the internet, dipped in humor.

Recently, during the intense and prolonged monsoon rains of 2012—dubbed Habagat—that ravaged Metro Manila and nearby provinces, a specific image began circulating like a wildfire virus. It coincided perfectly with the closing ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics. The viral photo featured a simple but powerful translation: "You’re only a flood; I’m a Filipino."

This serves as definitive proof of the unique Filipino ability to cope with almost anything. Three cheers for that sunny disposition! Filipinos withstand whatever nature throws their way. Even when floods reach their rooftops—an occurrence that feels almost monthly or yearly in some areas—resourceful and flexible citizens always manage to raise themselves above water.

The Filipino has truly acquired a "waterproof spirit," a resilient trait that even impressed Canadian singer Nelly Furtado during her visit to the country. This explains why millions of us, even in the dead center of a natural disaster, still enjoy communicating with friends and family, trading jokes, sharing amusing snapshots, and venting about whatever strikes our fancy.

These circulating photos are a strong validation of how Filipinos utilize the internet. We are known for an easygoing attitude and a sharp sense of humor, which reflect strongly in the Photoshopped images tailored to suit our fun-loving personalities. If there were an Olympic gold medal for digital editing and the lightning-fast speed of sharing, liking, and tweeting masterpieces across the world wide web, Filipinos would win it every time. Despite systemic poverty, we are a deeply social people born to entertain.

Before these "waterproof spirit" memes took off, social networks were already abuzz with parodies of the Department of Tourism's campaign tagline, "It’s More Fun in the Philippines." Naturally, netizen culture took that pitch to a whole new level, using it to satirize their own dire situations during severe weather. What makes these images stand out is their razor-sharp truth and impeccable timing ("tayming na tayming," as we love to say). They drive the message home perfectly. Comedy in this country clearly survived, even after the passing of the legendary King of Comedy, Dolphy.

Of course, some of our countrymen strongly disagree with or are disappointed by the "waterproof spirit" label. To them, it serves as evidence that we do not take critical issues seriously. They argue it highlights a flaw in our culture: that we would rather make jokes about our misfortunes than demand actionable solutions. It is like saying, "Since we endure floods so well, we must love doing it." They bemoan the lack of public outrage regarding our pitiful infrastructure, pointing out that decades of devastation are the direct result of neglect and a lack of foresight by leaders, from Malacañang Palace all the way down to local barangay councils.

For now, however, people simply want a reason to smile. As the saying goes, when the world gets crazy, Filipinos seek out comedy. Come hell or high water, nothing can strip away that crisp, hearty laughter—the malutong na tawa we all love to hear. Filipinos make light of tragedy, shrugging off disasters as just another chapter in a long history of struggles.

Ultimately, there is nothing wrong with seeing smiling faces when neighbors are helping one another survive. While the government expresses its usual annual sympathies, we can only hope our leaders finally view our vulnerability to natural calamities as an urgent call for a comprehensive drainage master plan—and not just a laughing matter.

Until next year's rainy season, then!

Images used in this post are all shared photos. Acknowledgement is due to their owners, creators, or original sources.