I Am A Filipino

I Am A Filipino is a poem written by Ruth Mabanglo, a female Filipino poet who is now a retired
professor at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa where she taught Tagalog Language and
Literature. Mabanglo’s poetry had brought her fame and considerable amounts of literary awards.
Mabanglo’s I Am A Filipino centers around the themes of identity and patriotism. The themes of
identity and patriotism is seen in the poem through the dramatic situation of the poem. The poem’s
setting, character, and action contribute to establishing the dramatic sitatuion.

The author is the persona and the dramatic situation of this poem is how having pride in your origin
and not forgetting your roots will make you feel a sense of identity that gives you strength. The
bold title instills a sense of pride and patriotism in the readers as it is a declaration; a statement
with conviction. The use of “I am” acts as a reinforcement of her identity. She stresses the fact
that she is indeed a Filipino. As a result, this sets the patriotic tone of the poem and consequently
gives the readers an idea of what subject the poem revolves around.

The first stanza starts with the line “I am a Filipino” and the author then continues to describe
herself with different characteristics or features that attribute to being or living in the Philippines.
Lines 2-3, “With the ocean’s breath”, “With the forest’s hair”, and “With the suntanned skin” give
the readers an idea of how the Philippines is; it is a tropical country. The author states that she is
as a Filipino, reinforcing the idea by incorporating features that makes up Philippines into her own
beingness. The author then states that she was “allured by distant stars” insinuating a sense of
curiosity and adventure. This implies that she wanted to experience something different or
something new as. “Distant stars” suggests a far away place - a place far from the Philippines.
The author then “travelled overseas” as a result to her attraction to “distant stars” thus leaving the
Philippines behind.

The second stanza now sets place in a new country. The first stanza starts with “the land was
opulent” which could mean that the new land or country that the author’s in is rich - both in
amenities and culture. The author is saying that the new country she’s in is luxurious and she was
“overwhelmed by pleasure” which means she was engulfed by excitement and awe. It was a new
place and she felt a sense of satisfaction being in the new country. The tone of the poem changes
in the second stanza from awe to confusion. Lines 12-19 contains words that yield dissonance
such as ravaged, storm, scorching, cruse, and despair. The tone’s transition from awe to confusion
reflects the poets feelings as she is in a new land but there is a “despair that burned’ in her mind.

The third stanza starts of with a question asked by the author: “How can I become lost?”. In the
next line, it is revealed to the audience that the country the author travelled to is Hawai’i. She then
states that Hawai’i resembles her country the she left behind [the Philippines].

In stanza 3 lines 31-32, the poet says that her tongue is forked and “so too, my culture.” This could
imply that her culture is divided or split into two different cultures just like a forked road. Her
‘tongue forked” could also allude to the idiom “speaking with a forked tongue” which means to
make empty or false promises. It could mean she spoke beguilingly or deceptively as a forked
tongue is a distinct feature of a snake - a symbol of deceit. The underlying meaning of that line
could imply her guilt for leaving her country behind.

In the fourth stanza, the author talks about opening her diary so “they” can read about the courage
of Mactan’s hero, or the Katipunan’s revolution, or the death of the guerillas. They “they” could
represent her students in Hawai’i as she was a professor there. She’s telling the audience that she
opened her “diary”. The diary could symbolize the author’s memories and knowledge about the
Philippines. However, she also states that “they were merely amused” and “they seem unaffected”.
The last two lines of the fourth stanza say:

“This is not their country,

This is not their culture.”

These lines say that it does not matter that “they” are unfazed by the rich Filipino history or culture
because it is not their country nor is it their culture.

The fifth stanza reinforces the theme of patriotism by reiterating the title of the poem “I am a
Filipino”. The author then states:
“My children:
You must return to your roots”

“Children” could be a metonymy for the Filipino community as a whole. This is because the target
audience for this poem is mainly towards Filipinos as the title in itself will catch the eyes of a
Filipino native. This could mean that the author is calling out to Filipinos to embrace their heritage
and roots, especially to those who harbor humiliation or shame. The patriotism of the poem is
particularly evident in the last stanza through the repetition of “I am a Filipino”.

The last four lines in the fifth stanza reinforces the central themes of identity and patriotism.

“I am a Filipino with a soul

That will remain Filipino,
In whatever Country, in whatever Time,
In whatever Body.”

Just like the fourth stanza, the author is saying that no matter where you are from, it is part of who
you are because it is where you come from. It does not matter that the author is in Hawai’i because
it does not change the fact that she is a Filipino. The guilt of the author from leaving her country
[the Philippines] behind hda vanished and a sense of patriotism has emerged.

In lines 6-11 in the last stanza, the author states that:

“I vow to be free
From any shame—
I am a Filipino with a shadow
Certain and clear;
I am a Filipino with children who
Will know their roots;”
This gives the audience a sense of how culture is strongly rooted in generations who went before
us. The author wants to leave a mark or a legacy that will have strong implications for her
“children’s” future as well as the future of succeeding generations to come.

A person’s heritage is made up of many things big and small. One can see it in architecture and
even in archaelogical remains. Filipino culture can be distinguished through natural sources and
the agriculture that is connected with it. Culture can be preserved through objects, pictures, art,
and literature. Things that make up a said culture can at times can be tangible but at times,
intangible. The intangible item that makes up culture is seen through the poem wherein Mabanglo
promotes both patriotism and pride for one’s country. The theme of patriotism and identity is
shown through the poem’s reflection of a deep love of the Filipino land. The author does not
hesitate to show her intense love for her land and country; the Philippines.