The Korean student is one of those who availed of the cheap but quality education here in the Philippines. He considered our country as his second home that is why he came up with the article. He is already in his second year of stay in the country, and in that span of time, short compared to my stay here in the Philippines, he had observed and now gives reaction on things that affects our country but most Filipinos ignore.

He started his article comparing Korea and Philippines. According to him, Korea is as poor as our country before. In fact, they envied with our country because it is beautiful and has rich natural resources. They also had rampant graft and corruption like us yet they succeed.

You want to know the reason why? Because Koreans truly love Korea. My reaction to that answer was so fierce to the extent that I did not want to continue reading his article. But I want to know more so I continued.

According to him, the richness, power, and influence that they have now all came from scratch. He started to cite the struggles of the Koreans. He talked about how great their race is. He shared that there were Koreans sent to other countries for force labor and were given opportunity to live there but refused and went back to Korea. The author said that Koreans won’t leave their country until they die because they are thinking of a better future for their children and a progress of their country for the welfare of the next generation. Because of that, he said that Koreans are the irony of the Filipinos. He then repeated the line: Koreans love Korea and added: How about you, do you love the Philippines?

Those lines rushed into my brain that made it so annoyed. I was so insulted with what he said. So I remembered Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio and all the heroes who died because of love of country. What would these Filipinos say if they read this article written by a stranger in our land?

He said that in his encounter with Filipino students, professionals, and even prisoners, when they asked them the question: Do you wish to go abroad and live there? What saddens the Korean was that all of them, if be given a chance, want to go abroad and leave this poor country. Students and even professionals rush to get passports and are dying to apply for their visas to different countries because they believe there is something better waiting for them there. I then admired the author because of one thing that he pointed out – a fact that definitely hurt Filipinos because it is the truth. This is what he was talking about. No questions about our bravery and patriotism when it comes to our freedom but when it comes to our personal choices, is this the one we call love? How can we say that we love a person if we leave him when he is down or in trouble? Through the remittances that they send to their relatives here? I don’t think so... Many Filipino nurses, doctors, pilots, teachers and other professionals who excel in their fields fly abroad and serve other races but those who cannot do something for our country and even to theirselves were left behind. Is this the one we call love for our country?

At the end of his article, he gave emphasis that graft and corruption is not the main problem of our country because in Korea graft and corruption is even worse; it is the dying love of Filipinos to the Philippines.

I shared this article because I am so greatful that a stranger in our country like that Korean student is concerned about our land. I am not against those OFWs because even my mother is one of them. This is just a warning to all that if we continue to leave, our country, the Philippines, will later on struggle and die.

I do love the Philippines and I know YOU also do.

This article is a challenge to me and to all the graduating students... Are we going to leave our country also? The future of our country depends on your answer to this question.

(The author graduated cum laude last March from San Sebastian College. This is her last piece submitted to SCU before she marched for her undergraduate diploma. For comments, email scubul@mb.com.ph.)