Rice shortage, allegations of corruption, abusive doctors, and impending price hikes. These do not exactly instill in us a sense of pride in our country. And if the continuing exodus of talented workers is any indication, most Filipinos would rather pack up, leave, and search for greener pastures.

But it is also true that there are a lot of things that we can be proud of as a people. Our singers and artists continue to reap acclaim, as well as our athletes. The Gawad Kalinga movement has been gaining ground overseas. Why, we even scaled the roof of the world!

It is these and so many other achievements that the Yabang Pinoy movement wants to show off. With a simple wristband made of abaca, the movement wishes to tell the whole world that being Pinoy is something to be proud of.

The Yabang Pinoy Movement was started by the Children’s Environmental and Action Awareness Foundation (CEAAF) in 2005 as a way of raising not only the awareness of Filipinos, but their pride in their nationality as well.

"The volunteers of CEAAF would always ask themselves ‘Bakit mas mataas ang sinusweldo ng mga dayuhan o bakit mas madali na mag-import at magbenta ng banyagang produkto o serbisyo,’" says Mica Ferrer, a Yabang Pinoy volunteer. "The group agreed that one of the gravest problems in the country is the Filipinos lack of pride in being a Filipino. In the face of globalization, the Philippines will progress if each and every Filipino takes pride in being one."

Based in Makati, the Yabang Pinoy movement is not the group’s first foray into instilling national pride. Its first incarnation was called Yamang Pinoy, a environmental education campaign on the richness of biodiversity geared towards Grades 1-2 students. The program focuses on the endangered flora and fauna in the country and does so through modules, posters and activity books.

Just like the Yamang Pinoy, The Yabang Pinoy movement is rooted in the environment and in the grassroots. It is thus appropriate that the abaca wristband that Yabang Pinoy advocates wear is a source of livelihood of Barangay Ilaya in Muntinlupa.

CEAAF chose abaca because it is a simple but effective illustration of the character of Filipinos.

"Abaca is considered as the strongest natural fiber. It used to be one of our top exports together with sugar and tobacco," it states on website www.yabangpinoy.com. "Since abaca is the strongest natural fiber and unique to the Philippines, it aims to constantly remind Filipinos that we are tough, resilient and exceptional."

The band is not the only thing that the group uses to prop up national pride. The group collects testimonials, compiled on their website, from Filipinos great and small about what makes them proud to be Filipino.

On the "Advocates" section on their website, celebrities and normal people alike display proud poses showcasing the Yabang Pinoy abaca band. A long line of testimonials also adorn the webpage, displaying the myriad reasons why we should be proud of who we are.

"We have Pacquiao, we have Boracay, we have kare-kare, we have calamansi, we have adobo AND we’re hygienic," says one humorous testimonial from Amaya Legarda.

"In as bad as it may sound, Filipinos are so used to having problems that whenever one arises, we are able to take it ‘lightly’ and not have to make such a very big deal out of it. (Example, Singaporeans freak out whenever a black out happens. Us on the other hand are able to adjust to the situation and take it as it is.)," says Cristina Gomez. "Also, Filipinos have this ‘natural’ connection whenever we see each other in a different country - conversations arise easily."

The group hopes that the bands become a constant reminder to Filipinos here and abroad that their motherland is a place that they can be proud of.

"Yabang Pinoy advocates and volunteers wear the Yabang Pinoy band as objects of conversation to talk about being Filipino to family and friends," says Ferrer. "It is a way for them to express their love for their country and is a consant reminder to support Filipino ideas, concepts, talents, products, services and the like."

Yabang Pinoy is also proud of the fact that the website doesn’t distinguish titles or celebrity status.

"We don’t keep track of the celebrities that support Yabang Pinoy and wear the Yabang Pinoy band," says Ferrer. "If you notice on the website, walang attorney, walang doctor, walang engineer, mayor, congressman, senator, walang celebrity status. Pantay-pantay lang. Sa Yabang Pinoy, lahat ng Pinoy, bida at importante."

Yabang Pinoy has also used the proceeds it has acquired from the sale of the abaca bands to fund other charitable projects that continue to instill pride in Filipinos and help add more reasons as to why we should be proud of who we are.

The group has Yabang Pinoy T-shirts as well as Yabang Pinay bikinis. Yabang Pinoy pandan bags are also on sale, with a new bayong collection launching in June under the name "Ang Sweet ng Pinay". The group has also launched PinasPort, which is a travel log book for Yabang Pinoy advocates and volunteers.

There is also the Aking Pahayag project, a contest that aims to encourage Filipinos to voice out, to share their experiences on being a Filipino. Interested participants can submit any kind of literary work, whether it’s a poem, an essay, a short story, or song lyrics. The group even has "Bigkas Pilipinas", a spoken word album.

The Yamang Isip project, on the other, has much more tangible results than the group’s other activities. By calling on its volunteers and advocates, the Yabang Pinoy movement provides beneficiary schools with books and art supplies.

So the next time a particularly bad political scandal finds its way onto your TV screens once again, don’t despair and keep in mind that every person you see on the street wearing a simple band made from abaca is a person who hasn’t lost hope in what we can achieve as a people.