Collective Effervescence and the Filipino Spirit
If you, like me, watched Ms Hidilyn Diaz lift up a record-breaking 127kg barbell just yesterday, then you probably found yourself filled with pure euphoria. Pride overwhelmed me. And I, in all honesty, couldn’t help but shed a few tears at the sight of Ms Hidilyn herself be filled with so much joy over her accomplishment. Commentary surrounding her achievement touched on the idea that she carried the whole weight of the Philippines at the very moment. In mere seconds, she brought awe and pride to a country that faced a 97-year gold medal drought.
Bated breath. On the edge of my seat. A quiet gasp and then a soft scream—OH MY GOSH!—at the sight of her victory. I excitedly kicked my feet into the air (trashing about like a fish out of water!) as I watched her reality sink in. The torrent of tweets, Facebook posts and Instagram stories told me that I was not alone. And reading the barrage of posts and the outpouring of joy, amazement, congratulations and gratitude towards Ms Hidilyn was contagious.
Even with the distance separating millions of Filipinos all over the world, the solidarity was palpable. This shared experience of seeing someone grab her dreams in front of our very eyes—how could we not lose our inhibitions and shout in unadulterated joy?
Émile Durkheim named this experience. Collective effervescence. A beautiful term to describe an equally remarkable moment. People often describe it as a spiritual experience, one where we go beyond ourselves. Moments where energy and exhilaration bubble in the air, adrenaline coursing through our veins and we cannot help but be united by our common interest as our hearts beat as one. Moments where we feel the thrill down to our bones, empowered and left on a high by our experience. The same ecstasy we exhibited when we first watched Pacquiao defeat his opponents or when Pia Wurztbach and Catriona Gray won Ms Universe. Here it is again. Pride. Joy. Love. Thrill. Overwhelming Peace.
This is what Ms Hidilyn has trained for and here she is.
It is powerful. It is unitive. It has bridged millions of Filipinos worldwide. Distance cannot stop us from experiencing this profound phenomenon.
Perhaps Ms Hidilyn’s victory simultaneously running with the current administration’s SONA was no mere coincidence. I am neither God nor have the gift to predict what is to come. However, Ms Hidilyn’s accomplishment at the Olympics was–no, is our shared experience and one that is a source of light and hope as we wade through disappointment after disappointment thrown at us by our government. Now, more than ever, Ms Hidilyn and her endeavours are timely in reminding Filipinos to hold on and to never give up. Her wounded and calloused hands are a testament of the kind of hard work that must be done to be where we want to be. At a time when our country is becoming all the more divided (even moreso due to the upcoming elections), our gold-medal achievement was a marker in our journey. It may have only been a few minutes of seeing her on our screens, but it was more than enough to draw a shared affinity. A collective gasp, a shout for joy. A fitting reminder that we remain connected — in solidarity — even in the face of our crises.
Our Filipino spirit has once again been ignited and will live on.
Congratulations, Ms Hidilyn! Your Olympic journey was not just for one. Para din ito sa ating Bayan. We will celebrate you for years to come. You have imprinted yourself in our history books. May there be more chapters to go.
