My Perspective on Liberalism

By Manuel Rodriguez II

The liberal person is stereotype as a militant, not often esteemed and often misunderstood. In the present Filipino culture we have lost track between political liberalism and moral liberalism, to be “liberated” now is to be an immoral person.

As I see it, the term “liberalism” is almost certainly one of the most misapprehended words in the society of Juan dela Cruz.

Perhaps the supreme fallacy of the term is that one cannot be a liberal and a God believing individual at once.

As a Christian-liberal, let me state my political view and assertion on the subject matter. It is a delusion that only politicians should have a political view, every citizen must get involved in the affairs of his State.

My liberal perspective is probably a “hybrid” of my first being a believer and a practitioner of the Christian Faith and second as an advocate of democracy and liberalism as a political system. Back in senior college I was the Chairperson of the Students’ Democratic Party which is the first political party to be organized after the lifting of martial law and a promoter of liberalism and democracy in governance.

I do not expect all fellow liberals to agree on my perspective; many liberally-educated individuals and political scientists (and maybe the religious) may differ or oppose my personal view.

It’s OK, I have learned to accept the fact that it is uncommon to meet two liberals who would agree on a common definition of the term unless in all probability if they are a part of a same political party which has a liberal brand.

It is only normal that the liberals from different walks of life will argue among themselves regarding the definition of the term “liberal” and the principles and ideals that are anchored on it. As liberals tend to price their personal opinions, you should anticipate a flood of ideas, opinions, positions and even formulas in putting up the “ideal society.”

In my opinion, to be liberal does not mean to be a part of a political group. Liberalism is a belief. It is similar to Christianity, Islam, or any other religion however the focus in liberalism is not the belief in a supreme being but in the belief on the attainment of the ideal society.

As a philosophy, the focus of liberalism is on the freedom of the individual. Liberals believe that in order to attain the ideal society, the individuals must be free to do the things that they want as long as it does not affect the rights of other individuals. Liberals give higher importance to the lives of the individuals rather than the life of the State; they believe that the State must be the protector of the people and not its oppressor.

Unlike the traditionalists who stick to lenience and understanding, the liberal always demand change when change is being called for, they are open to new ideas and values. He always calls for genuine reforms, but is not easy to call for arms unlike the radicals and leftists. In fact, he shuns violence as a solution.

The liberal always respect the rule of law and works within the system and not against it. He boldly presents the cancers of the society, asks the hard queries, and offer solutions.

The liberalism political thought asserts that every individual is rational and is responsible and are at the best position to choose his or her interests. Liberals believe that to go after personal interests freely and rationally would lead to the finest of all social systems.

It is in contrast to the view of the fascists and the conservatives that individuals in the social order are linked collectively in an organic whole and affix on social order. Liberals also disagree with the socialist argument that individual interest should bow down to the interest of the society as a whole.

Liberals are firm to their ideal that no principle can ever authorize the restriction of freedom in the political and economic spheres. Liberals give emphasis to equal opportunities to all, they dream of a society where the hard-working and the talented are rewarded the amount of their work. They shun the idea of equality of ends wherein people will simply receive equal shares of the economic benefits.

In my opinion, it is not wrong for liberals to profess a faith and advocate to Christian values of humility, honesty, justice, love and prayerfulness. Religious freedom is one fruit of many libertarian efforts. Liberals believe that each man must be free on his worship to a supreme being, if he chooses to worship at all.

To end, let me state the six core liberal principles that I have learned being a seeker of political knowledge. These six principles sum up everything about liberalism. First is Individualism, or the belief that the individual is more important than the group or society where he/she belongs. Second is Rationalism or the belief that the world is rational and it can be disclosed in the eyes of the human person through the exercise of critical inquiry. Third is Freedom or the ability to act as one desire in agreement to self-determination. Fourth is Responsibility or being responsible for one’s social and economic circumstance. Fifth is Justice or the giving of every person what is due them. And the sixth is Tolerance or the willingness to accept the views or actions that one disagrees or of which one disapproves.

This is my perspective of the liberalism political credo. As I mentioned earlier I do not expect everyone to agree and that will be fine for I respect the differing views regarding the topic and I uphold the sixth core value abovementioned.

There are many professed supporters of liberalism are at times unconfident as to what precisely their political philosophy is all about. I genuinely hope that my perspective helped those people.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY.

To the Nationalist Christian Filipino

by: Manuel "Manny" Rodriguez II

No administration can thrive without you full support and cooperation. No matter how courageously our next President exercise political will, he will never make a meaningful change and reform without the active participation of the people, especially people like you; a nationalist and God-fearing citizen of the Republic.
A prolific Filipino writer in the field of Public Administration Dr. Jose Leveriza puts it this way:


“The reality of the situation shows that the authority of a public administrator can no longer be exercised purely by the strength of the law vested upon himself, but it requires the acceptance and support of those being governed. A government official cannot fulfill his responsibilities without winning the loyalty and support not only of his own organization, but also of his external environment.”


This nation seeks the cooperation of its citizens, the likes of you is the least expected to just abandon the call of our motherland.

We, who hold this passion for love of our Nation, must accept the challenge. We must embrace the opportunities available here on our motherland, to be at the head of new enterprises. We must lead the generation as we enter the new dawn our Nation will soon face.

I pray that morally upright men and women will get elected in the coming election. I also have faith that you with the grace of our God will be the most enlightened and trustworthy in practicing the duties of a Filipino citizen, considering the training in the Christian perspective that you possess.

The age of computer science has arrived; it is already an established fact of our daily life. The ability to operate a computer will soon be the measure of literacy. No field in the physical science is further than the reach of today’s high technology. These developments we have will radically change and alter the lifestyle of the Filipino people which includes their social values.

The concepts of ethnic loyalties, religion, nationalism and the solidarity of the family will be challenged and perhaps modified. These are the issues and concerned citizens like us must address. These are the issues that will test not just our convictions but more of our faith. We will soon find ourselves making very difficult choices and decisions.

If you despair hearing these realities, then I have faith on your spiritual moorings. I am counting on you to provide the leadership for the generation that is to come. To Christian educational institutions whether Protestant or Catholic, I call upon you to build up your value-immersion subject even as they revise and modernize the assorted curricula in the physical sciences.

Our fellow Filipinos, although great believers of democracy, are not great believers in its tedious process. They are impatient for quick results, quick progress and quick change. Our democratic institution often fails us, sometimes we tend to think to change the entire institution but the real problem is the anchor of our institution not the institution itself.

We must keep in mind that the enduring and lasting institutions of the human race are those that have been anchored on moral values and on an unshakable faith.

To the Christian Filipino, let us take with us the challenge. Let us serve something greater than ourselves, let us think of our beloved Philippines, let us think of this world and exert every effort to change it for the better and spell the differences in our short lifetime.
SO HELP US GOD.