By Paolo Mariano

(August 11, 2024) – “Till we do, we had best stop talking about ‘our heritage of greatness,’ for the national heritage is—let’s face it—a heritage of smallness.” – Nick Joaquin 

Almost six decades have passed since Joaquin, a national artist for literature, wrote that passage in his essay, “Heritage of Smallness” in 1966. Unfortunately, it still rings true today, possibly even louder. 

It’s reflected in our society. In every sector. In every industry. In every field. In every track, court, course, mat, ring, and lane. 

The Philippines’ best performance ever on sports’ grandest stage, highlighted by gymnast Carlos Yulo’s two gold medals, is certainly a cause for celebration. The country’s bets in the 2024 Paris Olympics proved they can battle with the world’s best.   

But the stint was also marred by the toxicity of Filipinos, misplaced priorities, and familiar issues riddling national athletes. 

The thank yous, the we-are-proud-of-yous, and the free chicken inasals will pour in. And rightfully so. The Philippines’ 22 modern-day heroes deserve all the love, praise, respect, and admiration. But it’s also imprudent to merely dismiss the needless noises that disturbed the valiant feats.

What happened to Yulo following his historic triumphs showed that Filipinos would easily gravitate to gossip instead of focusing on the real story, which was—if we only deepened our appreciation rather than digging up private matters, chastising sexy pictures on Instagram, and reposting hokey memes—quite clearly, “Golden Boy’s” ascent. 

“We act on such a pygmy scale,” wrote Joaquin. “We have the habit, whatever our resources are, of thinking poor, of thinking petty.”

Instead of placing Yulo on the pedestal—even for just a few weeks—for bringing glory to a nation perpetually imprisoned by mediocrity, we placed a premium on his family’s bickering. It was, for the lack of a more profound term, sad. And outrageous. And frustrating. And foolish. Many even blamed Yulo for choosing his peace over his family.  

Because in the Philippines, no achievement goes unsullied. The country would smoke the competition in the Olympics if pulling down others was a sport. Simone Biles’ medal haul would be infinitesimal compared to Marites Dela Cruz’s. 

A level of indictment must also be hurled at the media for amplifying the controversy, which could’ve largely remained a private one. As the Fourth Estate, agenda-setting should’ve been exercised more judiciously, especially for a very sensitive situation. 

It dimmed Yulo’s glowing stint in the City of Lights. Filipinos probably remember the amount his mother allegedly stole but not Yulo’s score in his gold medal-winning floor exercise routine. The issue also became fodder for foreign journalists, which only deepened the second-hand embarrassment. 

Speaking of which, golfer Dottie Ardina described their uniform issue as “embarrassing.” It’s ridiculous that something so simple had to be problematic. As Ardina profoundly said during her rant: “Jusko!” 

Despite repeated pleas over the years, the inadequate support for national athletes amid their headways in international competitions remains a, pardon the French, load of bulls***. No amount of double-sided tape could fix it.

“It’s a great wake-up call for people back home that we can excel in sports. If we could just find someone to support us, that would be great,” said Ardina’s fellow golfer Bianca Pagdanganan.   

“Naa-appreciate namin lahat ng suporta niyo. Pero mas okay siguro na mas may sponsors na lalapit sa amin para mas mapagtibay pa ‘yung rowing community,” said rower Joanie Delgaco. “Hindi lang para sa akin, pero para rin sa ibang atleta na susunod na magiging Olympians.” 

“The depressing fact in Philippine history is what seems to be our native aversion to the large venture, the big risk, the bold extensive enterprise,” wrote Joaquin.

There’s also the coaching issue revealed by weightlifter Vanessa Sarno. Her request to weightlifting officials was simple enough: Bring her preferred coach. It was logical, right? But in the Philippines, logic is sometimes an afterthought. Her request was not immediately granted. Sarno also lamented what she described as a “toxic environment,” which affected her mental health.

In most countries, winning in the Olympics is an impetus for unity. But the Philippines isn’t like most countries. After Yulo’s success, many took out their pitchforks and demanded the defunding of basketball so the country could focus on other sports.

While the frustration behind the sentiment is valid, it’s merely a knee-jerk reaction. Besides, as others already pointed out, the country’s basketball squads are largely funded by private companies.

Don’t basketball players represent the country as well? They endure the same physical strain and mental stress as other national athletes. They also sacrifice, suffer injuries, and spend time away from loved ones. They also put their careers on the line to represent the flag. 

The mindset to shoot down one sport to tout another is misguided. It sows divisiveness. Joaquin wrote: “We don’t grow like a seed, we split like an amoeba.” 

Let’s not even start with the Filipinos’ comprehension of gender issues and religious representations that also hounded the Olympics. 

It is perhaps these aforementioned ills that drive other national athletes to change loyalties and instead represent other countries—preferably where one’s family problems don’t hostage a whole population. 

This entire litany isn’t meant to dampen the display of strength, courage, grace, and patriotism of the country’s bets in Paris. But rather an admonition of the systemic gaps and an invitation for genuine solutions. Because that’s how a heritage of greatness begins.  

ALSO READ: Carlos Yulo and his golden sequel to immortality

The Philippines have now won a combined eight medals in the last two editions of the Olympics, equaling the total haul in the previous eight iterations. The 22-strong delegation was the country’s biggest in three decades. The progression is clear. The latest stint in the Summer Games should be the inflection point for our society to not fall for foibles. Because it’s the uncomfortable truth that the euphoria and afterglow from this year’s Olympics will die.

We have to be better. We have to be bigger. 

Yulo, Ardina, Pagdanganan, Delgaco, Sarno, Elreen Ando, John Ceniza, EJ Obiena, Nesthy Petecio, Aira Villegas, Carlo Paalam, Eumir Marcial, Hergie Bacyadan, John Cabang Tolentino, Lauren Hoffman, Kiyomi Watanabe, Sam Catantan, Aleah Finnegan, Emma Malabuyo, Levi Jung-Ruivivar, Kayla Sanchez, and Jarod Hatch carried our collective plights as a nation. We as a people live vicariously through sports heroes. To survive, we scrape and scratch. To carry on, we claw and crawl. But it doesn’t always have to be that hard.  

Yulo said it succinctly: Every experience is important because there’s always a lesson to be learned.

For the Philippines, perhaps the biggest lesson to be gleaned from the 2024 Paris Olympics is this: We still have a long way to go as a nation.

As Joaquin asked: “Is not our timorous clinging to smallness the bondage we must break if we are ever to inherit the earth and be free, independent, progressive?”

The views expressed by the writer do not necessarily reflect that of the media organization.