which actually belied an indifference to the colonimer's presence. Thus the Filipinos obeyed the Spaniard's law but did not surrender The same paychological distancing saw Filipinos through other dark period in their history. But history has also demonstrated that there is a limit to what Filipinos can tolerate, a point at which they say sona, tama na lenough is enough). The EDSA Revolution resounded with this battle cry. Just as resilience gives rise to pragmatie indifference, so does it prompt optimism in a people who incorrigibly believe that the future is always brighter than the present Nationwide surveys conducted regularly reveal thin optimistic streak. Filipinos complain about their lot, but predict things will improve. Dvery beginning is a season of hope. Every new regime promises a better life. Dissatisfaction with the past government on which Filipinos had pinned much hope for change canta pull of cynicism over the last national elections. Their choice among the presidential candidates was none of the above. But came election day, they queued up at the polls, making up the largest electoral tumout yet. Although the new president won by a slim margin, he termediately received the support of the majority and the country's optimism was renewed For Filipinos hope is founded on religion, with a deep faith in God, their innate religiosity enables them to comprehend and accept reality in the context of divine will and plan. Faith in the Resurrection and in one just reward in the hereafter eases the suffering even of the poorest lives. The Filipino God is a personal God whom they thank, threaten, call upon for mercy or forgiveness and appease by pledges Prayer comes naturally and rites of thanksgiving and appeasement are a part of individual and community life. Faith allows Filipines to leave matters in God's hand and is best summed up in the expression, bahala na. The term has its roots in the ancient Filipino god Bathala, the supreme caretaker, to care the meaning of bahala, is a prime function of divinity in whom mortals put their absolute trust Bahala na is sometimes viewed as defeatist resignation, but among Filipinos it is a reservoir of psychic energy from which they can draw strength when things get rough. It is what allows them to endure even when the situation is uncertain or becomes overwhelmingly hostile. It was this font of faith that gave Filipinos the courage to face armed tanks in 1986. Faith is not rooted in the dominant Catholic religion alone. Prehistoric ritual artifacts recovered all over the country show evidence of folk belief years before Islam or Christianity reached the Philippines. The folklore of the ancient Filipinos tell of their own unique view of the world: their belief in a spirit world populated by deities, in the existence of the soul and in an afterlife the quality of which was determined by the life the person led on earth. Then as now, faith is the wellspring of hope for Filipinos. And with abiding hope, they face a brighter future​