"Ang isang lahi na walang marangal na gunita hinggil sa sarili ay isang lahing madalîng alipinin at patuloy na may isip-alipin kahit bigyan ng kalayaan." - Virgilio Almario.
It is truly disheartening that Filipinos are not a patriotic people. Yet, a decade and a hundred years ago this country teemed with patriots - Sancho Valenzuela, Flaviano Yenko, Aniano Diokno, Maximo Abad, Luciano San Miguel, Eugenio Daza, Julian Santos, Faustino Guillermo, Macario Sakay, Simeon Ola, Arcadio Maxilon, Martin Delgado, Urbano Lacuna, Juan Cailles, Licerio Geronimo, Sixto Lopez, just to name a few of the unheralded. But today ineptitude, helplessness, indifference and disregard for law and order prevail. Seekers of favor, privilege and position outnumber those who are willing to make sacrifices for the country. And not one among contemporary public officials show any real interest in leading the people out of poverty, ignorance and apathy. The puzzle becomes even more pronounced whenever the question is asked why the likes of Aguinaldo, Rizal, Bonifacio, Jacinto, Del Pilar, Luna, Lopez Jaena, Mariano Ponce are nowhere to be found. Did something unusual happen in between?
Revisiting the Aguinaldo era
A diligent student of Philippine history could use the internet to get to the facts that would lead to the solution of the puzzle much faster. With some luck, he might find himself in a gold mine of information, The student would find books, pamphlets and documents containing unfamiliar accounts and events, facts that an average Filipino student could not have encountered in his school days or professional career. Indeed, so much had been deliberately missed out in Philippine school textbooks concerning the events that took place after the United States succeeded Spain as the colonial master of these islands at the turn of the twentieth century.
It will take a little while to gather the data and digest the facts, but eventually a clear scenario will form in one’s mind like several frames as in a graphical presentation. First to show would be the frame of Bonifacio, then Aguinaldo, then the battle of Manila bay, then the Filipino army and navy, then the siege of Spanish garrisons throughout Luzon, Visayas, and parts of Mindanao, then the victorious Filipino flag flying in towns and cities, then the first Filipino republic, then the armed intervention by the Americans, then the Filipino war of resistance, then the defoliation, reconcentrado and water cure, then the surrender of Filipino guerrilla fighters, then the American colonial government, then the public school system and the final frame, the new Filipino.
The student would realize no sooner that the reason why today's generation of Filipinos are not patriotic is because they are descendants of the new Filipino, or those that William Howard Taft condescendingly called the little brown brothers. (Taft, 125). These were the generation of Filipinos who had undergone a process of reeducation, which the nationalist historian Renato D. Constantino called the remaking of the Filipino. The parents were the patriotic Filipinos who fought side by side with Aguinaldo, but the offspring would be taught to become subservient Filipinos of the American colonial era.
But what would likely escape notice by the unwary student is that the reeducation process was not accidental, or a result of teaching English or other American-oriented subjects. As will be proved later, the reeducation process was deliberate. It was carefully designed to erase from the memory of the Filipinos a very sad chapter in their country's history. The public school system was utilized to implement a systematic process of indoctrination in order that Filipinos will have no recollection of the horrors they went through in their heroic resistance to American occupation. That the process was successful can be gleaned from its product, the new Filipino whose descendants today are wrestling with lost national identity, unfamiliar with the blood and tears that their forefathers shed in a bitter struggle to establish a government of their own, free and independent.
McKinley's clever ploy
The story of the transformation of the Filipino from the patriotic to the subservient came about with the rise of America as a world power in late 19th century. U.S. President William McKinley wanted to take the Philippine Islands as an American colony following the British model. However, territorial expansion that ignored the rights of the inhabitants to American citizenship violated the constitution of the United States and the libertarian tradition of the American people. Nevertheless, President McKinley was obsessed and completely consumed by his imperialistic design.
He ignored the favorable opinion of Admiral Dewey and the other American generals about the capability of Filipinos for self-government and their superiority over the Cubans who the United States freed after the Spaniards were driven out of Cuba. He also refused to acknowledge the accomplishment of the Filipinos in defeating the Spaniards and establishing a de facto government that held ninety-three percent of the country and administered to ninety-four percent of the population. The so-called Philippine republic, according to Washington officials, was not recognized as a belligerent by the powers, e.g., England, United States, Germany, Japan or Russia, and therefore, for practical purposes, did not exist. But whenever the American generals needed anything from Aguinaldo - oxen, horses, wagons, timber, encampments, supplies or information, he was addressed as Commanding General of the Philippine Forces.
Rather than sympathize with a struggling people, the McKinley administration concocted a very clever ploy. The American public was made to believe that the Filipinos were savages, uncivilized, and unfit for self-government. The Filipinos were likened to the American Indians who lived among several tribes scattered all across the Philippine archipelago. McKinley presented himself as the knight in shining armor that Divine Providence had anointed to lead the Filipinos out into the bright sunlight of western civilization. (Storey, 177). And so McKinley's obsession to colonize the Philippines proceeded with the ayes of the members of the United States Congress and applause of the American people.
War of extermination and devastation
What Aguinaldo thought was an alliance with the Americans against Spain was eventually exposed to him as a masquerade to the real motives of the Americans. Soon after Aguinaldo had defeated the Spaniards and a large of contingent of American troops had arrived in Manila, war was commenced by the U.S. military in February 4, 1899, which a wavering U.S. congress eventually ratified by a majority of only two votes. McKinley gave the Filipinos only one choice - submit to American authority or die. The Filipinos chose to fight a vastly superior army rather than submit to a new master. For almost a year, the Filipino army faced the superior American forces in open-field or conventional warfare only to be clobbered in each engagement. Filipino initiatives for truce were rebuffed by the Americans with a demand for an unconditional surrender of the entire Filipino army before any talks are opened. But the Filipinos refused the terms of an unconditional surrender without a clear commitment that a government under an American protectorate will be respected. And so the fighting continued.
Eventually, the succession of defeats in various battlefields forced Aguinaldo to change strategy. He issued an order to disband the 30,000 strong Filipino army in November, 1899 and constitute the officers and soldiers into guerrilla units in their home provinces. The change in strategy surprised the Americans who began to suffer heavier casualties from sneak attacks and ambuscades by Filipino guerrillas. So the bloody conflict, which should earn the title, the first modern guerrilla warfare in Asia, dragged on for three more years. The tenacity of the Filipinos was reflected in a statement of Teodoro Sandico, a member of the Aguinaldo cabinet, who issued a proclamation on May 16, 1899 which said in part:
Accordingly, the American generals were put under severe pressure to end the war soonest because the American public might soon ask why a small savage tribe is able to resist the most powerful army in the world with 70,000 soldiers manning 500 stations by June, 1900. (Storey, 160) And it was at this point that all rules of civilized warfare was thrown aside and strict press censorship was enforced.
McKinley’s predicament and the unusually stiff resistance of the Filipino guerrillas drove the American command to adopt a counter strategy. The new strategy targeted the civilian population who were deliberately made to suffer untold hardships so that they will have no other recourse but to long for peace. In his circular order no.22, General Bell, in implementing his pacification campaign in Batangas province, said:
Torture was resorted to all throughout the islands. John Morgan Gates said that by the middle of 1900, Americans and Macabebes resorted to the water cure and other forms of terror. They seized people and forcibly filled their stomachs with water until they revealed the hiding place of guerrillas, supplies, or arms. (Gates, 175). According to Blount, the water cure was practically the only way the Americans could get a Filipino betray his own countrymen. (Blount, 204).
Another harsh method used extensively was the reconcentrado, or something equivalent to a huge concentration camp, a method inherited from the Spaniards. Civilians were herded into designated security zone and any person, animal, food, or anything useful to the guerrillas, that were found outside the security zone were killed or destroyed.
The indiscriminate target of American military campaign was best described by John Rich McDill when he said:
The estimate of the death toll in Luzon attributed to the war was one-sixth of the population. (Storey, 121). The total population of the Philippine Islands in 1900 was somewhere between eight to nine million. An American war protester made this comment:
Blot on an immaculate linen
Definitely, against the backdrop of the great American heritage, this McKinley misadventure in the Philippines was destined to become an ugly episode in the glorious pages of American history. It would be a contradiction to the long held constitutional and democratic principles of liberty that the American people hold dear - that men are created equal and have inherent rights to freedom and democracy. Certainly, American authorities would not allow the true story of Philippine conquest blemish American honor. Therefore, it would be logical to assume that steps were taken to muddle this section of Filipino history, erase it from the memory of the Filipinos, make them forget the horrors they went through, and hide it from the prying eyes of future generation.
True enough, steps were taken to make Filipinos forget!
Francis Burton Harrison, once the Governor General of the Philippine Islands, described the steps taken:
War relics and voluminous captured Filipino government records and documents officially labeled as Philippine Insurgents Records (PIR) were shipped to the United States. American teachers came to inaugurate an American-sponsored public school system. English supplanted Spanish, [a language change that was not done by the Americans in Puerto Rico or Cuba - author], and with it went the loss of Hispanic literary and intellectual heritage, making the succeeding generation of Filipinos fertile grounds for the propagation of the good sound stock of American ideas.
Filipino schoolchildren were taught to revere America, and belittle the land of their birth. The first line of a beautiful Tagalog love song, for instance, was translated to English with emphasis on the state of being borne poor, instead of placing the focus on the demigod character of the hero, who was born on top of a mountain with the clouds as his cradle; he played with thunder and was caressed by lightning. In another case, the popular Tagalog folk song, the bahay-kubo, was translated to English as “My nipa hut is very small”, again, the emphasis on smallness. And yet this popular folk song is supposed to depict a prosperous small rural farm where all kinds of vegetables abound.
Another important step that American authorities took was the designation of Dr. Jose Rizal as the national hero. Carl Crow, says:
Aguinaldo could not have been the choice for the national hero judging from the American effort to discredit him, as follows:
The new Filipino
From the day the American colonial administration was inaugurated in 1901 the new Filipino emerged, known today as the little brown Americans. These are Filipinos by appearance, but Americans in thought, word and deed. True to Harrison's specifications, the new Filipino spoke English very fluently, knew much about American ideals, history, arts, literature and music by heart, but have a very vague notion of their ancestors' struggle for freedom, or their sacred dreams and aspirations that drove them to arms. They would usually turn into very competent professionals, but would lack one very important trait – patriotism, thanks to the methodical classroom strategy that Harrison described.
The process of making Filipinos forget did not stop after the Americans let go of the Philippines in 1946. A Grade IV pupil in the year 1951 was still being taught to sing Star spangled banner, God bless America etc. By the time the same child stepped into High School, he would be made to study American history on the First Year and in later years memorize the address of Lincoln at Gettysburg and the poem, The Song of Hiawatha. In other words, for more than five decades the Filipino was subjected to something similar to what was considered diabolical - brainwashing.
In sum, the American conquest of the Philippines was not just a case of subjugating an unwilling people. It was also a case of making the same people forget that they were subjugated.
Where to, Filipino?
How else would the Filipino behave after being deliberately trained to think as an American? When Filipino leaders of the newly independent Philippine government signed treaties with the Americans that were today considered disadvantageous to the country, were those leaders dumb or lacking in intelligence? Definitely not. These leaders were very highly educated. The likelihood was by training the leaders had taken to the habit of putting the interests of America first, their own country's next. Strangely, the Filipino psychology mistook the interest of the American as his own, something that could only happen in a case of mistaken identity. The sad part was more and more foreigners, have now moved up to the same status as the American in the eyes of the Filipino. But the real tragedy seemed to be the low regard that the Filipino had learnt to give to anything native, while showing a religious-like devotion to things American or foreign, an attitude that had wrought havoc to the development of indigenous industries.
What lies ahead for the Filipino? For as long as schoolchildren are taught to sing Jack and Jill, not Leron Leron Sinta, and would likely never learn or hear the tune of Pamulenawen or Sarumbanggi, the Filipino would be doomed to national perdition. In other words, the Filipino malaise would remain unrecognized and no serious steps would be taken to unmake the colonial Filipino. Unless the Filipino national character changed, one could only hope that the nation would succeed given the heavy burden of corrupted sense of identity. The salvation of the Filipino would not come from foreign aid or investment, preferential treatment, free trade or remittances of OFWs. Rather, it would depend primarily on the rejuvenation of the Filipino mind, i.e., the rekindling the spirit of 1898 - the love of country and the aspiration to be free and independent. The only recourse of the Filipino would be to reclaim the patriotic character of the heroes held hostage by the muddled past, and to acknowledge that the Filipino race could accomplish great things just as Aguinaldo did. It will give the Filipino today the confidence, strength and courage to remedy the present and approach the future.
A nation can only succeed if the people make sacrifices. But without patriotism there can be no sacrifice.
Revisiting the Aguinaldo era
A diligent student of Philippine history could use the internet to get to the facts that would lead to the solution of the puzzle much faster. With some luck, he might find himself in a gold mine of information, The student would find books, pamphlets and documents containing unfamiliar accounts and events, facts that an average Filipino student could not have encountered in his school days or professional career. Indeed, so much had been deliberately missed out in Philippine school textbooks concerning the events that took place after the United States succeeded Spain as the colonial master of these islands at the turn of the twentieth century.
It will take a little while to gather the data and digest the facts, but eventually a clear scenario will form in one’s mind like several frames as in a graphical presentation. First to show would be the frame of Bonifacio, then Aguinaldo, then the battle of Manila bay, then the Filipino army and navy, then the siege of Spanish garrisons throughout Luzon, Visayas, and parts of Mindanao, then the victorious Filipino flag flying in towns and cities, then the first Filipino republic, then the armed intervention by the Americans, then the Filipino war of resistance, then the defoliation, reconcentrado and water cure, then the surrender of Filipino guerrilla fighters, then the American colonial government, then the public school system and the final frame, the new Filipino.
The student would realize no sooner that the reason why today's generation of Filipinos are not patriotic is because they are descendants of the new Filipino, or those that William Howard Taft condescendingly called the little brown brothers. (Taft, 125). These were the generation of Filipinos who had undergone a process of reeducation, which the nationalist historian Renato D. Constantino called the remaking of the Filipino. The parents were the patriotic Filipinos who fought side by side with Aguinaldo, but the offspring would be taught to become subservient Filipinos of the American colonial era.
But what would likely escape notice by the unwary student is that the reeducation process was not accidental, or a result of teaching English or other American-oriented subjects. As will be proved later, the reeducation process was deliberate. It was carefully designed to erase from the memory of the Filipinos a very sad chapter in their country's history. The public school system was utilized to implement a systematic process of indoctrination in order that Filipinos will have no recollection of the horrors they went through in their heroic resistance to American occupation. That the process was successful can be gleaned from its product, the new Filipino whose descendants today are wrestling with lost national identity, unfamiliar with the blood and tears that their forefathers shed in a bitter struggle to establish a government of their own, free and independent.
McKinley's clever ploy
The story of the transformation of the Filipino from the patriotic to the subservient came about with the rise of America as a world power in late 19th century. U.S. President William McKinley wanted to take the Philippine Islands as an American colony following the British model. However, territorial expansion that ignored the rights of the inhabitants to American citizenship violated the constitution of the United States and the libertarian tradition of the American people. Nevertheless, President McKinley was obsessed and completely consumed by his imperialistic design.
He ignored the favorable opinion of Admiral Dewey and the other American generals about the capability of Filipinos for self-government and their superiority over the Cubans who the United States freed after the Spaniards were driven out of Cuba. He also refused to acknowledge the accomplishment of the Filipinos in defeating the Spaniards and establishing a de facto government that held ninety-three percent of the country and administered to ninety-four percent of the population. The so-called Philippine republic, according to Washington officials, was not recognized as a belligerent by the powers, e.g., England, United States, Germany, Japan or Russia, and therefore, for practical purposes, did not exist. But whenever the American generals needed anything from Aguinaldo - oxen, horses, wagons, timber, encampments, supplies or information, he was addressed as Commanding General of the Philippine Forces.
Rather than sympathize with a struggling people, the McKinley administration concocted a very clever ploy. The American public was made to believe that the Filipinos were savages, uncivilized, and unfit for self-government. The Filipinos were likened to the American Indians who lived among several tribes scattered all across the Philippine archipelago. McKinley presented himself as the knight in shining armor that Divine Providence had anointed to lead the Filipinos out into the bright sunlight of western civilization. (Storey, 177). And so McKinley's obsession to colonize the Philippines proceeded with the ayes of the members of the United States Congress and applause of the American people.
War of extermination and devastation
What Aguinaldo thought was an alliance with the Americans against Spain was eventually exposed to him as a masquerade to the real motives of the Americans. Soon after Aguinaldo had defeated the Spaniards and a large of contingent of American troops had arrived in Manila, war was commenced by the U.S. military in February 4, 1899, which a wavering U.S. congress eventually ratified by a majority of only two votes. McKinley gave the Filipinos only one choice - submit to American authority or die. The Filipinos chose to fight a vastly superior army rather than submit to a new master. For almost a year, the Filipino army faced the superior American forces in open-field or conventional warfare only to be clobbered in each engagement. Filipino initiatives for truce were rebuffed by the Americans with a demand for an unconditional surrender of the entire Filipino army before any talks are opened. But the Filipinos refused the terms of an unconditional surrender without a clear commitment that a government under an American protectorate will be respected. And so the fighting continued.
Eventually, the succession of defeats in various battlefields forced Aguinaldo to change strategy. He issued an order to disband the 30,000 strong Filipino army in November, 1899 and constitute the officers and soldiers into guerrilla units in their home provinces. The change in strategy surprised the Americans who began to suffer heavier casualties from sneak attacks and ambuscades by Filipino guerrillas. So the bloody conflict, which should earn the title, the first modern guerrilla warfare in Asia, dragged on for three more years. The tenacity of the Filipinos was reflected in a statement of Teodoro Sandico, a member of the Aguinaldo cabinet, who issued a proclamation on May 16, 1899 which said in part:
“... I think it is our duty to exhaust all our resources for war, organize all our forces, and not consider ourselves conquered until the last cartridge has been fired.” (Luzon, 21)McKinley did not want a prolonged war because he was facing a reelection. Neither was he willing to let the American public know exactly what was happening in the Philippine islands. McKinley refused to accept General Arthur MacArthur's report that the whole Filipino nation was loyal to Aguinaldo and that practically every town served as a base of Filipino guerrilla operation with full moral and material support from the townspeople. McKinley was following a very clear objective – put the Philippines on the map of the United States. Therefore, he had to misrepresent to the American people that the war was being waged only by what he called the Tagalog tribe, and that the several other tribes were willing to accept American authority. He had to keep the American public hold on to the misconception that the Filipinos were savages and unfit to govern themselves, and justify his intrusion into their purely domestic affairs.
Accordingly, the American generals were put under severe pressure to end the war soonest because the American public might soon ask why a small savage tribe is able to resist the most powerful army in the world with 70,000 soldiers manning 500 stations by June, 1900. (Storey, 160) And it was at this point that all rules of civilized warfare was thrown aside and strict press censorship was enforced.
McKinley’s predicament and the unusually stiff resistance of the Filipino guerrillas drove the American command to adopt a counter strategy. The new strategy targeted the civilian population who were deliberately made to suffer untold hardships so that they will have no other recourse but to long for peace. In his circular order no.22, General Bell, in implementing his pacification campaign in Batangas province, said:
"To combat such a population, it is necessary to make the state of war as insupportable as possible, and there is no more efficacious way of accomplishing this than by keeping the minds of the people in such a state of anxiety and apprehension that living under conditions will soon become unbearable. Little should be said. The less said the better. Let acts, not words, convey the intention." (Storey 120).Accordingly, the war turned into a war of extermination and devastation characterized by a very negligible ratio of combat prisoners versus deaths (historical data is about 4 prisoners to 1 death), torture, concentration camps, indefinite incarcerations, indiscriminate killings, defoliation and devastation of towns and farms, and fueled mainly by racist contempt - a colored race had no right to stand up before a supposedly superior white race - accentuated by retaliation from the Filipino side. According to a prominent American anti-imperialist, George Seawall Boutwell, one pretext for the war, has been the assertion that the Filipinos were uncivilized, and, therefore, that they were not entitled to consideration. (Willis, 250). The Filipinos were called niggers, gugus, khakias and ladrones. As the war dragged on American loathing of Filipinos amplified to higher levels. One author who described the conflict as a war of extermination says the war was characterized by the slaughter of innocent women and children “... the Americans burning and devastating all before them ... and shooting every Filipino.” (Valentine, 18).
Torture was resorted to all throughout the islands. John Morgan Gates said that by the middle of 1900, Americans and Macabebes resorted to the water cure and other forms of terror. They seized people and forcibly filled their stomachs with water until they revealed the hiding place of guerrillas, supplies, or arms. (Gates, 175). According to Blount, the water cure was practically the only way the Americans could get a Filipino betray his own countrymen. (Blount, 204).
Another harsh method used extensively was the reconcentrado, or something equivalent to a huge concentration camp, a method inherited from the Spaniards. Civilians were herded into designated security zone and any person, animal, food, or anything useful to the guerrillas, that were found outside the security zone were killed or destroyed.
The indiscriminate target of American military campaign was best described by John Rich McDill when he said:
"During our military operations in the field we saw a most beautiful country, but week after week we passed through abandoned and silent towns, villages, and fields, ... The women and children, the old and feeble, and the sick, were hiding unsheltered in the woods and mountains. We, a perfectly armed and equipped army of the most powerful republic in the world, were pursuing and killing sad-eyed little brown men and boys, who were scantily clothed, poorly nourished, and almost unarmed..." (McDill, 2).The new American strategy worked. By sowing fear, inflicting pain, causing death, or destroying property, the Americans succeeded in forcibly isolating the guerrillas from the civilian population, the main support base, and this was the principal factor that caused the weakening of the resistance and bringing it to an end. General Miguel Malvar, the last of the great Filipino generals to surrender, in explaining why he and three thousand of his men gave up in April, 1902, wrote that he could no longer bear the sufferings of the people.
The estimate of the death toll in Luzon attributed to the war was one-sixth of the population. (Storey, 121). The total population of the Philippine Islands in 1900 was somewhere between eight to nine million. An American war protester made this comment:
"There is no doubt that we have caused the destruction of more lives in the last three years than the Spanish did in any century of their misrule. " (Winchester, 13). [author: It brings to mind the holocaust four decades later. The only difference is, the Jews did not forget whilst the Filipinos did.]Despite the strict censorship employed by the U.S. military on reports by U.S. national newspaper correspondents, numerous documented accounts of the use of harsh methods found their way into local newspapers from letters of American soldiers to their families in the United States. Some of these letters led to investigations by the U.S. Congress. A transcript of one such investigation contained the testimony of two American soldiers, William Lewis Smith and Charles Riley, describing in detail the administration of water cure to the presidente [town mayor - author] of Igbarras, Iloilo and three of the town’s policemen, including the subsequent burning of the whole town.
Blot on an immaculate linen
Definitely, against the backdrop of the great American heritage, this McKinley misadventure in the Philippines was destined to become an ugly episode in the glorious pages of American history. It would be a contradiction to the long held constitutional and democratic principles of liberty that the American people hold dear - that men are created equal and have inherent rights to freedom and democracy. Certainly, American authorities would not allow the true story of Philippine conquest blemish American honor. Therefore, it would be logical to assume that steps were taken to muddle this section of Filipino history, erase it from the memory of the Filipinos, make them forget the horrors they went through, and hide it from the prying eyes of future generation.
True enough, steps were taken to make Filipinos forget!
Francis Burton Harrison, once the Governor General of the Philippine Islands, described the steps taken:
"The exhibition of the Filipino flag, under which they had fought their war against us, was made by statute a criminal offense. Patriotism was never encouraged in the schools, nor ideas which tended to arouse their own national consciousness. Everything which might help to make the pupils understand their own race or think about the future of the country was carefully censored and eliminated. Nevertheless, the good sound stock of American ideas which they received instructed them inevitably in our own democratic ideals, and in our pride in own liberties." (Harrison, 45).The irreconcilable former General of the Filipino army, Artemio Vibora Ricarte, who took to his grave his refusal to take the oath of allegiance to the United States, preferring solitary confinement, then a self-exile in Yokohama, Japan, saw beyond the facade of American altruism an insidious design when he said:
"The truth is America taught our young people the things that commemorate the lives of Lincoln and Washington in order that we will forget in our hearts the exemplary deeds of our nation's great heroes. The Americans believe that once we are able to speak good English is proof enough that we have learned, yet in our minds is being instilled a wrong thinking, the superiority of the white race." (author's translation of Tagalog text found in Kabataan, 12).Many political and military leaders of the defunct Aguinaldo government accepted generous offer of high position in the American colonial government. Those who did not and refused to take the oath of allegiance to the United States were exiled to the Marianas. [Aguinaldo, for his part, rejected all offered positions in the American colonial government, although he took the oath of allegiance to the United States. When the Japanes Imperial Army occupied Manila during WWII, Aguinaldo and Ricarte actively supported the Japanese sponsored government. - author]
War relics and voluminous captured Filipino government records and documents officially labeled as Philippine Insurgents Records (PIR) were shipped to the United States. American teachers came to inaugurate an American-sponsored public school system. English supplanted Spanish, [a language change that was not done by the Americans in Puerto Rico or Cuba - author], and with it went the loss of Hispanic literary and intellectual heritage, making the succeeding generation of Filipinos fertile grounds for the propagation of the good sound stock of American ideas.
Filipino schoolchildren were taught to revere America, and belittle the land of their birth. The first line of a beautiful Tagalog love song, for instance, was translated to English with emphasis on the state of being borne poor, instead of placing the focus on the demigod character of the hero, who was born on top of a mountain with the clouds as his cradle; he played with thunder and was caressed by lightning. In another case, the popular Tagalog folk song, the bahay-kubo, was translated to English as “My nipa hut is very small”, again, the emphasis on smallness. And yet this popular folk song is supposed to depict a prosperous small rural farm where all kinds of vegetables abound.
Another important step that American authorities took was the designation of Dr. Jose Rizal as the national hero. Carl Crow, says:
"Among other things the Filipino people lacked to make them a nation was a hero - a safe hero, the only safe ones, of course, being dead. Aguinaldo held the highest place in the eyes of his countrymen, as the leader of the recent insurrection, but he was ... one who might be of considerable danger to the American administration. It was expedient to establish a hero whose fame would overshadow that of Aguinaldo, and thereby lessen that leader’s ability to make future trouble. ... Governor Taft, ... at once fixed on Jose Rizal…" (Crow, 53).The designation of Jose Rizal as the national hero was calculated not only to lessen Aguinaldo's ability to make future trouble. It had the effect also, and this is the more important, of making future generation of Filipinos identify the Spaniards as villains and the Americans as saviors. On the other hand, if Aguinaldo were the national hero, future celebration of the hero's day would not only highlight the victory over the Spaniards by the Filipinos and the government they established, but also the unjust war of conquest waged by President McKinley on the Filipinos to deprive them of their freedom. The choice of Rizal over Aguinaldo saved the Americans from being remembered as the butcher of the Filipinos, the pillager of their land, and the destroyer of their republic.
Aguinaldo could not have been the choice for the national hero judging from the American effort to discredit him, as follows:
“Let it not be forgotten that Aguinaldo sold out his patriotism at Biac na Bato for a miserable pittance, which he failed to divide with his generals; that his ambition for preeminence did not stop short at the assassination of Andres Bonifacio and of General Luna.” (Briggs, 78).The truth is Aguinaldo and his comrade-in-exile in Hong Kong lived frugally from the interest on the $400,000 Biak-na-bato funds which they deposited in two Hong Kong banks. When the second phase of the revolution started, Aguinaldo used the funds to purchase armaments from Hong Kong. On the other hand, the death of Bonifacio and Luna being blamed on Aguinaldo were the unfortunate result of collision of strong personalities that threatened the very survival of the Filipino cause. Bonifacio was mounting a counter revolution, while Luna was dividing the army. To quote Teodoro Kalaw: “the times demanded firmness and the Filipino cause could not afford to be divided”.
The new Filipino
From the day the American colonial administration was inaugurated in 1901 the new Filipino emerged, known today as the little brown Americans. These are Filipinos by appearance, but Americans in thought, word and deed. True to Harrison's specifications, the new Filipino spoke English very fluently, knew much about American ideals, history, arts, literature and music by heart, but have a very vague notion of their ancestors' struggle for freedom, or their sacred dreams and aspirations that drove them to arms. They would usually turn into very competent professionals, but would lack one very important trait – patriotism, thanks to the methodical classroom strategy that Harrison described.
The process of making Filipinos forget did not stop after the Americans let go of the Philippines in 1946. A Grade IV pupil in the year 1951 was still being taught to sing Star spangled banner, God bless America etc. By the time the same child stepped into High School, he would be made to study American history on the First Year and in later years memorize the address of Lincoln at Gettysburg and the poem, The Song of Hiawatha. In other words, for more than five decades the Filipino was subjected to something similar to what was considered diabolical - brainwashing.
In sum, the American conquest of the Philippines was not just a case of subjugating an unwilling people. It was also a case of making the same people forget that they were subjugated.
Where to, Filipino?
How else would the Filipino behave after being deliberately trained to think as an American? When Filipino leaders of the newly independent Philippine government signed treaties with the Americans that were today considered disadvantageous to the country, were those leaders dumb or lacking in intelligence? Definitely not. These leaders were very highly educated. The likelihood was by training the leaders had taken to the habit of putting the interests of America first, their own country's next. Strangely, the Filipino psychology mistook the interest of the American as his own, something that could only happen in a case of mistaken identity. The sad part was more and more foreigners, have now moved up to the same status as the American in the eyes of the Filipino. But the real tragedy seemed to be the low regard that the Filipino had learnt to give to anything native, while showing a religious-like devotion to things American or foreign, an attitude that had wrought havoc to the development of indigenous industries.
What lies ahead for the Filipino? For as long as schoolchildren are taught to sing Jack and Jill, not Leron Leron Sinta, and would likely never learn or hear the tune of Pamulenawen or Sarumbanggi, the Filipino would be doomed to national perdition. In other words, the Filipino malaise would remain unrecognized and no serious steps would be taken to unmake the colonial Filipino. Unless the Filipino national character changed, one could only hope that the nation would succeed given the heavy burden of corrupted sense of identity. The salvation of the Filipino would not come from foreign aid or investment, preferential treatment, free trade or remittances of OFWs. Rather, it would depend primarily on the rejuvenation of the Filipino mind, i.e., the rekindling the spirit of 1898 - the love of country and the aspiration to be free and independent. The only recourse of the Filipino would be to reclaim the patriotic character of the heroes held hostage by the muddled past, and to acknowledge that the Filipino race could accomplish great things just as Aguinaldo did. It will give the Filipino today the confidence, strength and courage to remedy the present and approach the future.
A nation can only succeed if the people make sacrifices. But without patriotism there can be no sacrifice.
44 comments:
"The day on which you would see me in the clutches of the friars, do not waste time making petitions or uttering complaints or lamentations — it is useless. Try to put another in my place who may avenge me and make them pay dearly for my misfortune! If I would see a son of mine in the mouth of a shark, I would not try to pull him out — for it is useless and all I would achieve is to destroy him — I would kill the shark if possible, and if not, I would waylay him!"
-Dr. Jose Rizal to Mariano Ponce
Paris, 18th April 1889
----------------------
"When the people is gagged; when its dignity, honor, and all its liberties are trampled; when it no longer has any legal recourse against the tyranny of its oppressors; when its complaints, petitions, and groans are not attended to; when it is not permitted even to weep; when even the last hope is wrested from its heart; then..! then..! then..! it has left no other remedy but to take down with delirious hand from the infernal altars the BLOODY and SUICIDAL DAGGER of REVOLUTION!!!"
Dr. Jose Rizal,
To Our Dear Mother Country, Spain, 10 October 1889
-------------
“I am readying myself for death. I am making arrangements for what I will leave behind and am preparing myself for any eventuality; Laong Laan is my real name. That is why I wish to finish the second volume of Noli at any cost and if it is possible, I do not wish to leave what I have begun without anyone to continue it…
May our compatriots there obey the voice of their heart and devote the precious time of their youth to something great, which is worthy of them.
We do not have the good luck of other young men who can dispose of their time and their future.
We have upon as A DUTY; TO REDEEM OUR MOTHER FROM HER CAPTIVITY; our mother is pawned; WE MUST REDEEM HER before we amuse ourselves.”
-Dr. Jose Rizal to M. H. del Pilar
Brussels, 11 June 1890
See: http://j-rizal.blogspot.com/
The Philippines suck! It is a corrupt country filled with morons. The government are equally stupid. The United States offered the country a place within it's unity as a whole. Instead the Morons yes that's the Philippines opted to have keep their 3rd world country identity intact. It is so hilarious how morons lead the morons in that country. What a shame. In order for a filipino to get a decent job they would have to travel to the middle east to become servants or janitors. They do not have ambitions except to either be a stupid caregiver, a servant for some prince in the middle east or a burger king employee. How sad. hopefully one day they will disappear from the face of the earth and have a worthy race to manage the country because these degerates do not deserve to run it.
"Anonymous said...
The Philippines suck! It is a corrupt country filled with morons. The government are equally stupid. The United States offered the country a place within it's unity as a whole. Instead the Morons yes that's the Philippines opted to have keep their 3rd world country identity intact. It is so hilarious how morons lead the morons in that country. What a shame. In order for a filipino to get a decent job they would have to travel to the middle east to become servants or janitors. They do not have ambitions except to either be a stupid caregiver, a servant for some prince in the middle east or a burger king employee. How sad. hopefully one day they will disappear from the face of the earth and have a worthy race to manage the country because these degerates do not deserve to run it.
May 2, 2007 8:40 AM:"
HAHAHA! BOBO AMPUTA! FEELING MATALINO, TATANGA-TANGA!
you foolish, fucking, cunt of an asshole! OPEN MOUTH AND INSERT FOOT, OR BETTER YET, SPREAD YOUR ANUS WIDE AND STICK UP YOUR HEAD WHERE THE SUN DON'T SHINE. THAT SNOT-FILLED BRAIN OF YOURS IS A SERIOUS WASTE OF OXYGEN.
pfsst. you make me laugh with your ignorance, no, it's stupidity. and before everything else, fix your grammar, you idiot, regarding subject-verb agreement. you're only embarrasing yourself, especially when you open your statements with erros like that.
stop pooping your diapee, wittle whiner baby...
...
sure, life in the philippines sucks. i'd give you that. but first of all, have you ever even done even just one little something to help amend the national situation? or are you just a spoiled little brat who whines away all day? oh wait. YES YOU ARE.
Second, given your total, obscene, lack of BASIC historical knowledge, you come to conclusions without even the furthest, faintest idea of what you're talking about.
"The United States offered the country a place within it's unity as a whole. Instead the Morons yes that's the Philippines opted to have keep their 3rd world country identity intact."
HUH? WHEN? The US didn't want to make the Philippines one of its States. First of all, it's a lot farther than Hawaii. Second, the US government saw the Filipinos as more of monkeys than humans. WHY THE HELL WOULD THEY WANT SUCH CREATURES TO BE U.S.CITIZENS? Hell, they looked at Filipinos even lower than the Native Americans (Indians) WHOM THEY ALMOST WIPED OUT TO CLEAR THEIR TERRITORIAL SETTLEMENTS.
puta, kung yun ngang mga indians, halos inubos, pano pa yung mga pinoy?
The American soldiers didn't even hesitate to liquidate the whole population at Balangiga. Of course, being the retarded dumbfuck that you are, you don't even know that.
Third, the history of the Philippines' non-progressing agricultural economy dates back to the time when industrialization was taking place in the Western world. Locally, sugar was the main cash crop then, and farming was continued from the Spanish-era encomenderos' plantations which were given to the farmers which were the Filipinos. By that time, The Philippines was freely opened to international trade, but it was exploited by the American colonization. The Americans passed several bills on import-export relations, such as the Payne-Aldrich act, etc. which "regulate" the imposed tariff on products. For exported Philippine products entering the US, the tariff was high. For imported American products arriving locally, the tariff was low. of course, the cheaper "higher-quality" US products were patronized, leaving the locally made products to rot away as "low-quality" surplus items.
Sound familiar today? You bet it does. Of course, once again, you don't know because you're just an idiotic child. You're one of those who don't support local policies and goods, and damn you reek of pseudo-colonial visage. THE SPANISH HAS MADE A CONFECTIONARY SNACK AFTER YOUR IMAGE, THE APTLY NAMED FILIPINOS, WHICH ARE "BROWN ON THE OUTSIDE, WHITE ON THE INSIDE".
You're beeing made to kiss butts and feet, and you still worship them like a demigod. Hooray, you.
Fourth, in relation to the third one, over the course of time, the Philippines didn't develop. It didn't have the capacity to industrialize as the foreign policies which were imposed upon us (na embraced naman with arms wide open pa) were only insinuatively too one-sided as to serve the nation's purpose. Back then, and until now, the country has been suffering great economic losses. And more than 60 years after the war, we are still an underdeveloped (albeit they keep saying we are developing, duh, like hell) backward, agricultural country. And standard of living is very low, we are impoverished, and children beg on the streets. Sucks, right?
Dagdag pa, almost all of the politicos are corrupt, damn i wish i was one of them - rollin around executive villages in lincolns, cadillacs, withou really breaking any sweat. they just sit around in aircon offices and reach into the nation's pocket. Oh, such a job is tempting....
Oh, I'm not anti-American. Hell, I love Gumbo, Hard Rock cafe, Bubba Gump, Coney Island and Ben and Jerry's. i love Phish, blues, jazz, ad others og their music. I dig their extreme sports. I dig The Simpsons.
I'm not even tibak. Tibaks have biases too.
But, I know my place. What makes you think the Americans will welcome you as "kababayan" (w/ your poor english skills first of all)? Go the US or other Western countries with white population as majority, and experience for yourself discrimination. And if you turn your back on the only nation that you were raised in, you think you will have a home to run home crying to when you are shunned in a White country?
Wake up, and stop being an idiot, kid.
Well now - comments by Anonymous certainly deserve being flamed down.
It would be no surprise at all to learn that the seductive influence of capitalism has a very profound effect on the national psyche of the Philippines.
I have been aware for some time of the sad history thrust upon the Philippines - believe me when I tell you it wrenches my heart.
And yet there are still those - concealed behind the mask of affluence - like leaches - sucking the country dry - and pretending moral superiority. Tragically, they are believed - such is the conditioning of the people.
For too long they have been passive to interests other than their own.
For such a beautiful country and people it is a great tragedy indeed.
Thanks for this article.
Great work.
Which is most appropraite?
"Why Filipinos are not a patriotic people?"
OR
"Why people from Luzon are not patriotic people?"
Much of what is written in Philippine history are all based on events that happened in Luzon. Even personalities are those coming from Luzon like Rizal.
Interesting discussion, but a bit of perspective, please. Patriotism is an offshoot of nationalism, a worldwide phenomenon in the 19th century. "Nations" as old as Italy were not even in existence as such, and we were riding on the same wave. Some countries also happened to be more threatened by war than others (against Napoleon, for one - the "patriotic duty" concept). In other places, the idea led to chauvinism and racism (in a "national" idea based on ethnicity, I suppose it has to be a stage). Hence, I can't help questioning everything I was taught in high school and college, including patriotism.
I do have to agree that corruption is a pending assignment. Have you seen the Transparency International Corruption Map?
http://www.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi/2006
Rizal continues to be relevant: "There are no tyrants where there are no slaves".
Anonymous said: "The United States offered the country a place within it's unity as a whole. Instead the Morons yes that's the Philippines opted to have keep their 3rd world country identity intact." No, the U.S. applied the traditional English colonial model. See item on this site: "McKinley's imperialist policy"
an incomplete recipe for a new Filipino
1/2 cup idealism
2 tbsp. hospitality
5 cups patriotism
please do read this site: http://www.thebrownraise.org/ :D
For all of You who's keeping that look of downess to the philippines, Guy's You should be thankful that Your lucky to not be a filipino. I may not be as good as You in english and as You noticed; and will be noticing that there's a lot of gramatical errors. There is no requirements on being a nation, if we are unlucky on being filipino's then help us! even if we live in diferent countries seperated by seas You should always remember that we are all in one world! even if how great and rich or famous your country is You should not be proud! a small dirt on a plate is enough to ruin a restorant! what i mean is we all live in one place, the earth so why not instead of underestemating the capacity of a country to rise, why not suport and help that certain country in building its little dreams? beautifying something is not only beautifying a piece of it, it is about make the whole of it perfect! the piece i mean is the philippines, no matter how you beautify your own country iy wouldn't still count for we are all in one place! hope that you understand, I LOVE MY COUNTRY SO MUCH, no I MEAN WE FILIPINO'S DO LOVES OUR COUNTRY SO MUCH! that is why we keep on struggling to other countries and make our selves slaves!
we filipinos we are survivor and known as good workers around the world,why u hate filipinos that much? history is part of our past we have to focuse as an individual filipinos by heart how to make changes and how to help or inspire the young generation, because i believe if we help young filipinos tell them our great history , motivate them by the bravery of our heroes who sacrifice their lives for freedom like bonifacio, aguinaldo, rizal andt etc., inspire them to believe in their dreams, and learn from our history. Filipinos are smart people but one of our biggest problem is crabmentality......
I think it's a great article, but maybe the scope of history should be widened. The Americans may have reeducated and formed us into the white-wannabes we are today, but the Spanish did have a bit of an impact on our colonial mentality.
To the first Anonymous:
Shut the hell up! It's obvious that you're not American, there might even be a possibility that you're Filipino, but please, stop whining about something you don't know anything about.
It's people like you who keep the Philippines from rising from poverty. Selfish people who think of themselves before the country.
So what if it sucks. Go do something about it. Or better yet, go learn some English so you can be a part of the America you love so much. I'm not anti-American but the way you commented on a article written to motivate nationalism is pissing me off.
And what the hell is so wrong with being a janitor or caregiver? Every time you walk into a building, your feet are touching the floor someone else cleaned. Whenever you're too busy to take care of a loved one, a caregiver does it for you. That and the fact that Filipinos are the most preferred workforce in the world should prove that we're a worthy race.
And even if we aren't, it doesn't matter because you are no better. So please, spare me the pain of trying to read your awful English and stop posting comments like that. It's disgusting.
Sana nag-Tagalog ka na lang. Sana sineryoso pa yung opinyon mo.
I am glad that I have come across this site, I feel that or I thought that I was patriotic to my mother land even though I was raised in the U.S. I recently been searching for the history of our HEROES and how they defended the rights of the people. I feel really bad on how we got oppressed by countries that over time we now served them again and again. Philippines will only change if the people will accept responsibility and act accordingly from richest of the rich and poorest of the poor. The government is corrupt because the people of the Philippines are letting it to be corrupt. One can make a difference but others need to follow. We all love and proud to be Filipinos/Pilipinos even the one that we're born outside the Philippines. Maybe not all but most of them are proud. The others are just lost because they don't know their roots. The author is right not to forget our history specially the real history that nobody cares or intend to open to the public. This opened my eyes and I will definitely tell my kids about our Philippine history so maybe they could find or take back their identity as a FILIPINO. THE REAL FILIPINO. IT'S NEVER TO LATE!
I don't see a point in this blog. I'm only a kid and I myself as a Filipino, I find these comments offensive. Are you guys RACIST or something? OPEN YOUR EYES! We are all created equal! Seriously, this made me feel stepped on. And what the hell? The Philippines suck?? That's just immoral okay?? So very childish of you guys, as a kid, I find this very very immature! Not just being immature but, this is a put-down to us Filipinos, I never knew someone could say horrible things like this! I don't understand how other people could say things like this. I could just kneel down right now and pray to the Lord that you people will realize what you have done wrong.
thanks for the great post. i am just relieved that you've pointed out one of the culprits to our situation and i agree with the Anonymous (posted at March 30, 2009 7:58 AM) that it's never too late.
the title (at first, i thought that it was a flamer but i'm just happy that i'm wrong) made me read the post.
here's a quote from National Artist Virgilio Almario that i'd like to share:
"Ang isang lahi na walang marangal na gunita hinggil sa sarili ay isang lahing madalîng alipinin at patuloy na may isip-alipin kahit bigyan ng kalayaan."
more power to you!
If I were you, I would rather start the article with "It is truly DISHEARTENING that Filipinos are not a patriotic" because I can feel that our people do not have sense of History!
I am a small businessman with History as my hobby. What you have written is an eye-opener for me. I have bookmarked it as reference for my research. More Power!
I have long known our people to be deprived of a clear national identity and without sense of History. And after reading your article, I gained an insight on how Filipinos have lost themselves in the process of benevolent intoxication of their patriotic soul. But sad to say I don't see any hope of national identity revival when I observe young people today in poverty-stricken squatter areas dancing zestfully with American rock tunes despite their obvious sign of malnutrition.
TO: Erichan. I adopted your suggestion. Thank you.
To the showroom manager: Thank you for sharing your quote from national artist Virgilio Almario. I adopted it as the catchphrase.
I have emailed your article to about hundred of my friends whom I suppose to be belonging to the diminishing patriotic few! We have a long vacation now that I believe they will surely have time to read it in detail. This will serve also as my moral support for you! If you don't mind, please give me your email ad for future contact!
To Erichan: here's my email ad: macariocapili@yahoo.com. Thank you for your support.
as an english teacher i think im brainwashed myself! but now im fully aware.. long before i have even come to teach english, nationalism came to me but i did not fully understand how come i only felt it now, not when i was still a child. but now it is clear to me. if we were tricked through education, then i believe education itself is the answer to restoring nationalism. schools should focus on philippine history and nationalism, as to what our anscestors died for. so that their contributions, their lives would never be but to waste or worse, FORGOTTEN.
we may have western clothing, or listen to western music or even adopt the western way of living, BUT WE CANNOT FORGET WHO WE ARE OR WHERE WE CAME FROM.
let our children know, let us as adults remember. PILIPINO TAYO. i believe if we really care about patriotism or nationalism, we should contribute to nationalism through our skill. i would do my best to teach our history and nationalism in our classes. you can do the same in your proffession. lets focus on spreading nationalism first then i believe everthing else will fall into place. the government is just a part of our decline, a small part. but through education, at least i would know we may have a glimpse of a brighter future with a next generation of nationalistic filipinos.
It is a sad thing that most Filipinos aren't that patriotic these days. Heck, I even started to think like another race. But that was only because we have forgotten our ancestors' struggle.
If America hadn't colonized us, we would end up being a German colony (Germany nearly took over our country), and would also end up as a Japanese colony (the Treaty of Versailles would still be in effect since Germany would lose the Philippines as a reparation requirement), so either way, we're screwed over by either America, Germany, or Japan. (Unless, by a miracle, Germany would allow Austria-Hungary to use the Philippines as a penal colony for its subject races)
As of today, our nationalism is pointed inwards as a result of family loyalty and the interests of America being the number one priority. However, let us not forget that the Spaniards also injected to us another bitter medicine in the forms of family loyalty that resulted in the corruption that happens today.
So, as Filipinos, we should take this opportunity to take back what's rightfully ours and turn our nation from a 'nation of servants' as a certain Hong Kong jackass of a journalist would say, to a 'nation of patriots and warriors' in the same line as the nationalists that dominated the rest of South East Asia, and to a lesser extent, the Balkans.
TO THE FIRST ANONYMOUS:
rot in hell you sucker!
Even BEFORE the colonizers came, the Philippines has already established its own "mini" government and social groups in the form of Barangays.
Kung Pilipino ka at hindi mo alam to, magduda ka na dude!? Baka HINDI ka tao.
Anyway, I'm currently going through a subject called PI 100 (philippine institution) and it basically deals with the Life and Works of Rizal. However, we also delve into our nation's history, along with the other heroes. I stumbled into this site because I am making a report on the subject regarding Ilustrados and the Clase Media.
My professor in that certain subject has told us how RICH our culture was before the Spaniards came. It was quite a shock too, really. He said that the early natives and inhabitants of our archipelago had its own writing system, the Alibata (kung tanga ka di mo din to alam kingina mo! ~> to 1st anonymous) and we also have already started trade with the Malay and Chinese people.
A language is considered developed if it is simple, it is a proof that it has already matured through the years. Complicated languages therefore have yet to evolve. (e.g. the complication of European language is due to it being "young", only 1000 years old)
Alibata is already a 2,000 year old language. It originated from one of the native languages in India (?) (i was just listening to the prof) and was one of the earliest languages formed. This proves how developed we already were before the colonization period and how we have already come in contact with other civilizations as well.
In relation to Filipinos being UNpatriotic nowadays, we can trace it to the geographical situation of the country. We were merely separate islands before we became a nation/country. Hence, there is a vast difference in dialects, traditions, cultures, etc. The first nationalistic value was instilled when the middle class, specifically the Ilustrados, emerged. Even though it is quite ironic that they used the term Filipino to unite the people (Filipino initially referred to the Insulares, Creoles, and other mestizos), it was a starting point since it gave a sense of "identity" to the people - not as mere individuals but as members of a nation.
Patriotism. As to why we do not have that much TODAY from our fellow countrymen, I really cannot answer. The individuality of people, the differences in the POV, and the status in life may contribute to how one would feel for his/her country.
Not every Filipino is given the chance to enter elementary - malamang wala silang alam tungkol sa bansa natin kung ganoon.
And there's even a smaller percentage of those in elementary who will be able to enter high school. At hindi naman lahat ng paaralan ay maayos ang pagtuturo - and more so, hindi lahat ng nangyari sa ating kasaysayan ay itinuturo sa high school. I am a living proof for that. I was totally shocked when I reached college. It was only then that I learned the smudges behind the history books, the blurred events of out past. For instance, hindi ko na-imagine na si Aguinaldo pala ang nag-utos na ipa-chop-chop si Bonifacio!? And where are they now? Magkatabi pa ata sila sa ibang national heroes list!
Unang presidente pa lang natin, corrupt na, opurtunista pa!
BUT I still have not lost hope for my country. Mahal ko ang Pilipinas. I want my country to gradually open its eyes, to be able to have a change in perspective and be able to struggle, to fight and to finally emerge victorious.
PILIPINO tayo, matatapang, matatalino. Amerikano, Español at Hapon nga kinaya natin eh. Now is the time for us to stand up for ourselves. Sarili na natin ang kalaban natin.
(along with some others na walang magawa kundi siraan ang sariling bayan at kapwa. And if ever they're actually not Filipinos, they have no right to judge us. We are all human beings. Discriminating us will not raise you to a higher level than us or make us bow down to you. To actually insult another race, tsk.tsk. I think you're a SUB-human. An underdeveloped homo sapien existing amongst the elite of the species. OR WORSE! you're a lost homo erectus.
Mabuhay ang PINOY! =)
tuloy ang laban!
(for any comments, opinions, or criticisms, you can contact me on my URL)
Your website article needs views from other fields of study or a WORLD VIEW. The MASSIVE CIVIL WARS in Latin America is a result of the OUTDATED MEDIEVAL SUPERPOWER SPAIN.
Why AGUINALDO HAD ANTONIO LUNA and ANDRES BONIFACIO KILLED is similar to the Civil Wars of Latin America. THE ELITE CLASS VERSUS THE MASSES ( examples: Mexico---Porfirio Diaz versus Madero, Pancho Villa, Zapata. ).
Another important field of study is the HERITAGE OF PHILOSOPHIES & ETHICS running GOVERNMENT, COMMERCE, & INDUSTRIES.
Spaniards are outdated. THE MALAY NATIVE PHILOSOPHIES & ETHICS HERITAGE in commerce, Industries, Government are not developed enough to run a nation. (Example: JAPAN-BUDDHIST-CONFUCIAN DETERMINATION & SUFFERING is vital to the RISE OF INDUSTRIES & GIVE JOBS.)
You remember the incompetence to maintain CDCP, PNR, NAWASA, MMTC, etc. It's a trait of the natives called NINGAS-KUGON. Do you want to run a nation with that?
To Valentin: you should read the over 40 pages of report of Messrs. Sargent and Wilcox, two navy men from Admiral Dewey's squadron, who toured northern Luzon and observed the life of the Filipinos under the new regime of president Emilio Aguinaldo, a few days before war was commenced by the American military in Feb. 4, 1899. The report said in part: "As a tribute to the efficiency of Aguinaldo's government and to the law-abiding character of his subjects, I offer the fact that Mr. Wilcox and I pursued our journey throughout in perfect security, and returned to Manila with only the most pleasant recollections of the quiet and orderly life which we found the natives to be leading under the new regime." The failure to keep CDCP, NAWASA, etc. happened under the watch of the new (or remade)Filipinos.
To Valentin: Let me quote a section of my blog: McKinley's Imperialist Policy in which an American officer described his observation of the machinery of the Aguinaldo government after Santa Ana, a town near Manila was overran on the second day of the war by advancing American troops:
"When we reached the headquarters at Santa Ana another surprise awaited us, for here was found some of the machinery of Aguinaldo's government. Among the papers scattered about in confusion by the retreating officials were telegrams, letters, and commissions, showing something of their system. One letter was from a township governor asking relief from his duties; a surgeon's certificate was inclosed. It had been forwarded through official channels to Aguinaldo's secretary of state and returned with abundant indorsements approved. With it was an order to the governor of the province to have a new election. Another letter was a complaint made against another local governor for mal-administration. It stated the charges in real legal form, and was duly signed. The numerous papers concerning school teachers' appointments showed that the Filipinos had already perfected arrangements for the education of the youth on a large scale. I might also mention the deeds of property, records of births, deaths, etc., to show that Aguinaldo's organization is at least not a laughable farce. I might mention also meteorological and other scientific instruments and records to show that the Filipinos didn't neglect science during those busy, warlike times. Letters dated February 4 from Malolos showed that they had a good courier system. A book on tactics, engravings of the several uniforms, beautiful topographical maps, copies of the declaration of independence and the revolutionary constitution, military and state seals, and other articles all went to show that labor and intelligence were united in their production. "
Efficiencies are more in Latin American nations, and yet they all still went to civil wars. They're closer to Europe where they get latest education (remember elites Rizal, Luna, etc. studying in Europe).
Mother Spain herself went to not just one, but two civil wars!
Here's why.
World history's three major divisions:
-Ancient
-Medieval (European event)
-Modern
Ancient times had great Empires with great ancient learning (Roman, Middle East, India, & China, etc.). Rome fell hence the Dark Ages, then the Medieval times.
In the Medieval, a lot of great Roman Ancient learning were lost(example massive water supplies). SPAIN & Portugal came into power during this time.
Modern Era came led by the Industrial Age among others(advent of Democracy, French Revolution, Age of Enlightenment, etc).
Spain and colonies were NOT able to keep pace, particularly WIDESPREAD MODERN LEARNING available to the masses.
The rest of the world(Middle East, India, China) jumped from Ancient to Modern. In the transition, some had great difficulties. China is a classic example. Maraming hirap thru most of the 20th century, but they're coming back.
As far as running facilities, deep character such as DETERMINATION, DEEP THINKING and SACRIFICE usually come from philosophies. PHILOSOPHIES ARE TIED UP WITH RELIGION, hence convictions.
It is beyond university learning.
There is an article – Towards a Philippine Philosophy - by Paul Kenkai Manansala researching Filipino philosophies. Guess what? They are not developed enough.
Kung malalim ang pinangalingan ng mga Filipinos, the short 48-year American rule with its modern learning will not be enough to change us... because philosophies are about convictions.
To Valentin: It is unreasonable to expect the Filipinos to own a philosophy when they were not even a nation before Aguinaldo declared Philippine independence in June 12, 1898. However, it was clear that a truly Filipino political ideology was starting to develop that was nipped in the bud by force of American arms. This political ideology sprouted from the seed sown by Rizal and the propagandists who urged the Filipinos to improve themselves and be worthy of being assimilated into the body politic of the mother country, Spain. Then came the katipunan which advocated separation. But Bonifacio knew independence meant responsibility so he prescribed self-education and self-improvement. Thus, it was katipunan’s purpose not only to recruit members but also to teach the path to righteousness through Jacinto’s “Liwanag at Dilim” and Bonifacio’s “Kartilya”. These documents contained teachings that essentially catechized the members into the proper understanding of basic human rights, religion, love of country, responsibility to family, and relationship with neighbors. Aguinaldo took advantage of the bond and unity created by the katipunan and brought together the various ethnic groups into one Filipino national organization, the Malolos republic, whose first congress was convened in September 15, 1898. From here on, the basic principles of republicanism – a constitutional government, separation of church and state, the absolute power of the executive versus the supremacy of congress became issues before the new government. Even after the capture of Aguinaldo in March 23, 1901 , the remnants of the army resuscitated the katipunan and used its sacred oaths, solemn rituals and teachings to initiate new recruits. Even as late as 1906 Macario Sakay was still out fighting in the field and reports of men who signed their names in blood was reported in Ilocos Sur. These are proofs that convictions guided actions. Too bad, the Americans intervened.
You keep on referring to Philippine History inside the country only, and no reference to the whole colonies of Spain. Where would Aguinaldo GET his modern learning to give to the masses?
Please study Latin American History(Mexico, Argentina, etc) and we are the only Spanish colony(along with Puerto Rico and Guam) that did not go through Civil Wars because of American Modern Learning.
Had America not annexed us, we will be like Mexico or a central American country. No modern learning means no global Pinoy, and it won't be annual 35 billion dollars remittance to the country.
To Valentin: You presupposed that Filipinos would have no access to modern learning without American intervention. I think this is preposterous. The propaganda movement brought knowledge from most of Europe that was mainly responsible for the enlightenment of the masses. Bonifacio learned from the French revolution while Aguinaldo was enamored with the concept of the great North American Republic. Isabelo delos Reyes brought in from Europe the ideas of socialism. The Hongkong junta contributed the Asiatic experience, more so with Mariano Ponce’s Japanese connections. Sixto Lopez spent time in the United States sufficiently long enough to draw ideas from the American system. Galicano Apacible talked about the early use of electricity in the country in presenting to the American public how modernization had come to the Filipinos. Among the first major acts of the Malolos government was the establishment of a university of arts and letters, along with a military academy. An American POW, Albert Sonrichsen, closely observed the Filipinos’ efforts at education and wrote:”In September we were taken up the Abra River to Bangued, in the heart of the Abra Mountains, and here we were allowed the full liberty of the town, well treated and cared for. I was able to teach school here, for which I received a pay almost equal to that of a second lieutenant in the insurgent army. Many of my companions were able to do likewise; all, in fact, that were capable of speaking the Spanish language. Even during the war the Filipinos established schools in every town, and Vigan could boast of an excellent college which followed its daily routine as in times of peace. Upon the arrival of the Americans these schools and colleges were broken up, and the buildings ever since have been confiscated as barracks.” (follow this link) I think the conclusion that without American annexation the Philippines would have no source of modern learning and fall into the Latin American propensity to civil war lacks strong historical basis given the character of the government that Aguinaldo had established. Also, no local armed force could have stood up before the expanding, fully armed 30,000-strong Filipino army that some ambitious regional upstarts might try to muster to wage a civil war.
The first half of the twentieth century saw MILLIONS OF LIVES LOST in most of the world because of the masses do not have modern learning to get income from.
The result: massive poverty, massive internal wars and of course, COMMUNISM.
-Russian Revolutions(1905,1917,1918 to 1922)
-Chinese Revolutions(1911 to 1912, 1913, 1917 to 1922, 1926 to 1928, 1927 to 1949)
-Korean Wars North versus South (1950 to 1953, etc)
-Vietnam/Indochina wars (North versus South – 1941 to 1954, 1959 to 1975)
-Indonesia(Dictator and communistic ideals)
-Eastern European Nations became communists
-Latin American nations revolutions (from Mexico to Argentina) Socialistic/Communistic ideals
-African nations communistic/socialistic ideals.
Filipinos with no deep heritage, no modern learning and HEAVILY HISPANICIZED CORRUPT GREED... What are your chances of applying all those concepts you've mentioned?
P.S. Aguinaldo KILLED Bonifacio then how can he apply French Revolution knowledge? He is dead. Don't you think Latin American countries would learn more from the US and Europe since they are closer. Why on earth they went to wars?
Wow. Thank you for this article.
I have to agree about how history is being taught today and that many Filipinos do not have a sense of patriotism. If you ask a typical pinoy student when the Philippine Revolution broke out, he probably couldnt answer. Even when singing the Lupang Hinirang, many do not respect the national flag. Its tragic that Filipinos have become decadent and that only a few seem to care.
to Anonymous (march 31,2009), Im also a kid but i dont think this has no meaning. Maybe you could read 'veneration without understanding' by Renato Constantino. That'll help you see the point.
To Valentin: Do you know that the Malolos congress enacted a law to sell government bonds - 40-year, 6%, $20 million Mexican dollars, of which $5 million was floated with $388,650 actually sold. The many heretofore unknown facts that I have learned about the Aguinaldo government is completely changing my outlook. I am convinced that Filipinos can learn from the achievements of that government and take them for inspiration which can give a clearer view of present day realities. You keep on harping that Aguinaldo killed Bonifacio and Luna. These are the same propaganda lines used by the Americans to discredit Aguinaldo and neutralize him as a potential source of future trouble. The truth is both Bonifacio and Luna were misfits in the great drama of the revolution. Bonifacio clung to his ragtag katipunan and refused to accept a more appropriate national organization. He counted on the loyalty of the Magdiwang faction of Noveleta and tried to get Miguel Malvar to his side to mount a counter revolution by setting up his own government. But Aguinaldo sternly warned that such actions against the new government was tantamount to treason and for this reason Bonifacio was arrested and tried. He voluntarily accepted the jurisdiction of the court martial which sentenced him to death by firing squad. On the other hand, Luna condemned the Bonifacio-led revolution but volunteered his services to Aguinaldo after 9,000 Spanish prisoners were taken. When Luna was in the midst of battle against the Americans at Bagbag, Bulacan, in May 1899, he took off with a battalion of troops and marched to Guagua to arrest General Mascardo, who refused to obey his orders. Only General del Pilar and a smaller number of troops were left behind to defend the lines, and the Filipinos lost. Eventually, Luna secretly divided the army by enlisting fellow Ilocanos and Macabebes, the latter being the mortal enemy of the Tagalogs. This action of Luna was taken as a preparation for a coup and for this reason he was assassinated. Bonifacio fought the Spaniards for only 4 months, August to December, 1896, while Aguinaldo waged the struggle for four and a half years, from August 1896 to December 1897, and then again from May, 1898 to March, 1901, the year he was captured. However, the remnants of his army continued the fight until September 23, 1906, the date the die-hard katipunero, Macario Sakay, was treacherously captured and hanged. Mr. Valentin, I am totally impressed by the exploits of the Filipinos of the Aguinaldo era. What you see today are the workings of the new breed of brain-washed Filipinos, and I am very cognizant of that distinction.
I'm on a deadline and super-busy.
I'll get back to you.
Signore Macapili, thank you for sharing this thoughts to us. I am a Filipino-Canadian living here in Toronto. I am married to a wonderful Italian woman who gave me a daughter. My daughter knows Italian history from her mama and Canada from school. Eversince she was six years old, she was asking about Philippine History. I just have the time to do a full research and reading your article, it makes sense now about the modern brain washed Filipinos. Valentin kept insisting Filipinos are not capable of modern learning and lecturing us about history. Valentin, almost all EU countries have started as barbarians and made their way becoming industrialized nations. Valentin, you kept looking down on us Filipinos incapable of this task. Valentin, I think you are one of the brainwashed Filipinos who is ashamed of our heritage and civilization. I think you are one of those Filipino-Americans who have only one view - American interest. Valentin probably you are one of those Filipino-Americans who defaulted on their mortgage payments which resulted to foreclosure. While the whole world is investing our hard earn assets, Canada, Italy and Philippines went to this global crisis. Thanks to the American plunder! Reading your writings, you are kissing ass with the Americans. You should be proud of your Filipino heritage and civilization. But I guess most Americans down south are narrow minded and inconsiderate just like you.
Signore Macapili, I will pass this on to my collegues, Filipino-Europeans and my only daughter.
Gratzie,
Juan De La Cruz of Toronto
From what I've read, Filipinos lack a great deal. Though I am an ordinary filipino citizen it is with great concern and interest to me that many of us lack something, and that is the obedience, responsibility, and above all the compassion for our beloved country. For the past Centuries our forefathers gave their lives for us to be united and free ourselves against our foreign oppressors and to have a country for ourselves to run in prosperity and development. But now the freedom that they died to accomplished was but a waste. Though we have accomplished our sovereignty, we lack traits to run it, the once united filipinos in the past are now selfishly killing each other for their own ambitions, deceiving their fellow filipinos for their selfish ways. Remember that "Love one Another as you love your self."(Mark 12:31) And also I tell you "It is not only how good we are to the world! But also how good we are for our country!". As I've said we lack the responsibility, obedience and compassion for our country. What's lacking is not within only our Government but also within our selves as filipinos. For even ordinary people do extra ordinary things. And rebellion is not the solution nor is Blaming others not the answer also. What we must do is to reach out to every filipino in the Philippines and also to the whole world. To give a helping "Hand to Hand" to fully develope and prosper as filipinos, so the world will know that in this time patriots still exist in our country. For its not how big you can do for your country but how little you can do for your fellow filipinos.
From what I've read, Filipinos lack a great deal. Though I am an ordinary filipino citizen it is with great concern and interest to me that many of us lack something, and that is the obedience, responsibility, and above all the compassion for our beloved country. For the past Centuries our forefathers gave their lives for us to be united and free ourselves against our foreign oppressors and to have a country for ourselves to run in prosperity and development. But now the freedom that they died to accomplished was but a waste. Though we have accomplished our sovereignty, we lack traits to run it, the once united filipinos in the past are now selfishly killing each other for their own ambitions, deceiving their fellow filipinos for their selfish ways. Remember that "Love one Another as you love your self."(Mark 12:31) And also I tell you "It is not only how good we are to the world! But also how good we are for our country!". As I've said we lack the responsibility, obedience and compassion for our country. What's lacking is not within only our Government but also within our selves as filipinos. For even ordinary people do extra ordinary things. And rebellion is not the solution nor is Blaming others not the answer also. What we must do is to reach out to every filipino in the Philippines and also to the whole world. To give a helping "Hand to Hand" to fully develope and prosper as filipinos, so the world will know that in this time patriots still exist in our country. For its not how big you can do for your country but how little you can do for your fellow filipinos.
From:
Jozhua Rey Dagasuan
C.D.O., Phil.
To Macapili:
"Bonifacio clung to his ragtag katipunan and refused to accept a more appropriate national organization. He counted on the loyalty of the Magdiwang faction of Noveleta and tried to get Miguel Malvar to his side to mount a counter revolution by setting up his own government."
Er, no. Caviteno spin doctors got to you. The most recent findings indicate that Bonifacio in fact headed a republican revolutionary government called Haring Bayang Katagalugan (Sovereign Tagalog Nation), or simply Republika ng Katagaluhan (Tagalog Republic), which was the Katipunan transformed. Far from being a ragtag group as you put it, Bonifacio's Katipunan was the people's government even before Aguinaldo formed his own. Aguinaldo was the subversive or upstart. Hell, even Wikipedia has this already.
"Bonifacio fought the Spaniards for only 4 months, August to December, 1896"
What about December 1896 to May 1897?
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