Maka-Diyos, Maka-tao, Makakalikasan at Makabansa

Maka-Diyos, Maka-tao, Makakalikasan at Makabansa (Filipino for "For God, People, Nature, and Country"[1] or "For the Love of God, People, Nature, and Country"[2]) is the national motto of the Philippines. Derived from the last four lines of the Pledge of Allegiance to the Philippine Flag, it was adopted on February 12, 1998 with the passage of Republic Act No. 8491, the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines, during the presidency of Fidel V. Ramos.[3] Its adoption came twelve years after the abolition of the country's previous motto,[4] "Isang Bansa, Isang Diwa", which was adopted during the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos in 1979.

Maka-Diyos, Maka-Tao, Makakalikasan at Makabansa incorporated into the Great Seal of the Philippines.

Reception

The motto has been interpreted as embodying a set of common core Filipino values, with each of the four being connected to one another.[5] Columnist Bobit Avila of the Philippine Star interpreted the motto as showing that Filipinos love God first before anything else.[6] Another columnist, Kay Malilong Isberto of The Freeman, the Cebu City-based sister paper of the Star, meanwhile explains that the motto represents the duties of good Filipino citizens.[7]

Although Maka-Diyos, Maka-tao, Makakalikasan at Makabansa was made official in 1998, most Filipinos are unaware of it. In 2007, columnist Geronimo L. Sy wrote in the Manila Times that the Philippines didn't have a national motto (which he called a "national slogan") and that many of the societal problems plaguing the country were because of a lack of common direction that a national motto would embody,[8] despite the Flag and Heraldic Code being made law nine years earlier. Isberto would later suggest that most people probably don't know that there is a national motto to begin with, and of those who do know that there is one, they probably didn't take the time to contemplate how the motto should apply to their everyday lives.[7] This view was echoed by Manuel Quezon III in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, who also criticized the motto for being "kilometric",[9] as well as lawyer Lorna Kapunan, writing in BusinessMirror, where she expressed surprise at the existence of a national motto because she had not seen it in use anywhere. She continues on to write that the government should mandate that it be displayed prominently in government offices as a reminder of officials' civic duty.[10]

Avila notes that while "Maka-Diyos, Maka-tao, Makakalikasan at Makabansa" is "perfect" as a national motto, he claims that because most Filipinos only look out for themselves, they don't abide by the doctrines of their Christian faith, which makes the motto problematic in comparison to mottos like "Bhinneka Tunggal Ika".[6] This is in sharp contrast to his 2013 criticism of "Isang Bansa, Isang Diwa", which he denounced as embodying poorly-executed Jacobinist thought.[11]

Pledge of Allegiance

The national motto is inscribed in the Great Seal of the Philippines and the last part of the Pledge of Allegiance:

Filipino Version English translation
Ako ay Pilipino
Buong katapatang nanunumpa
Sa watawat ng Pilipinas
At sa bansang kanyang sinasagisag
Na may dangal, katarungan at kalayaan
Na pinakikilos ng sambayanang
Maka-Diyos
Maka-tao
Makakalikasan at
Makabansa.[3]
I am Filipino
I pledge my allegiance
To the flag of the Philippines
And to the country it represents
With honor, justice and freedom
Put in motion by one Nation
For God,
People,
Nature, and
Country.

See also

References
  1. Minahan, James B. (December 23, 2009). The Complete Guide to National Symbols and Emblems [2 volumes]. ABC-CLIO. p. 151. ISBN 9780313344978.
  2. "Global Peace Convention 2017 Plenary I: Opening Plenary | Global Peace Foundation". globalpeace.org. Global Peace Foundation. February 28, 2017. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  3. "Republic Act No. 8491". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. February 12, 1998. Archived from the original on May 25, 2017. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  4. "Memorandum Order No. 34, s. 1986". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. September 10, 1986. Archived from the original on July 10, 2017. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  5. Andrade, Jeanette I. (August 30, 2014). "Luistro says DepEd still for 'God-fearing' learners". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
  6. Avila, Bobit S. (April 27, 2011). "Unity? PNoy must reconcile with the church!". The Philippine Star. PhilStar Daily, Inc. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
  7. Isberto, Kay Malilong (June 9, 2009). "A National Motto". The Freeman. PhilStar Daily, Inc. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
  8. Sy, Geronimo L. (July 5, 2007). "A national slogan". The Manila Times. Manila Times Publishing Corporation. Retrieved April 11, 2016 – via Google News.
  9. Quezon III, Manuel L. (July 5, 2017). "The new Filipino". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc. Retrieved April 11, 2020.
  10. Kapunan, Lorna P. (July 23, 2017). "Criminalizing 'not singing with fervor'!". BusinessMirror. Philippine Business Daily Mirror Publishing, Inc. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  11. Avila, Bobit S. (August 22, 2013). "Make language part of our inclusive growth". The Philippine Star. PhilStar Daily, Inc. Retrieved April 10, 2016.
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