Today’s Guest Column is from David Katague. David has a blog about his place in his beloved Marinduque, give it a visit, and visit David if you happen to be in Marinduque too!
History of the Philippines in 10 Minutes
Yesterday, a friend forwarded me an e-mail titled Brief History of da Pinoy by Dioskodai, which is 5 pages long. This e-mail was very informative and humorous (if you understand or speak Tagalog), I decided I should summarize the highlights with my comments in parenthesis for the benefit of those who want to learn of Philippines History, but have only 10 minutes time or less to read.
Here it is:
1521: Magellan discovered the Philippines. Lapu Lapu killed Magellan in Mactan, Cebu.
Lapu Lapu was the local “siga-siga” (the haughty one) and Magellan was the culture-shocked Westerner.
1565-1898: Three hundred thirty three (333) years of Spanish rule. (Colonization Period)
Hundreds of rebellion were waged by native “firebrands” in many parts of the archipelago. Not one succeeded. The rebels were either caught, garroted or simply ignored by the Spanish Commandantes.
The execution of Jose Rizal in 1898 was a traumatic experience for the Filipinos. The Katipunan did their battle heroics led by Bonifacio and later on by Aguinaldo. Meantime, an American general named Dewey, entered Manila Bay and defeated the Spanish navy. Aguinaldo reneged on the Pact of Biak na Bato (Broken Stone). He resumed the revolution by proclaiming Philippine Independence on June 12. The Filipino-American war broke out. Aguinaldo was later captured and the war ends.
Population at this time is 8 million. The gap between the rich and the poor was 30% to 70%.
1901-1941: The Commonwealth Period under the Americans: The Americans brought with them democratic principles, education, transportation, constitutional rights, health, international trade and industrialization. The Americans turned out to be good tutors. Filipinos went crazy over American brand products. Hollywood films made Pinoy males fantasize on Jean Harlow, Betty Grable and Mae West. This is the time of “ Americanization of the Philippines and we call it Peace Time.
1941-Disaster: World War II and the American-Japanese War in the Philippines.
1945: MacArthur Returns and liberated the Philippines (from the Japanese).
1946: Philippine Independence from the Americans: July 4th
Population was 17 million and the dollar exchange was $1 to 2 pesos.
1947-1966: There was no peace at this time. A widespread communist rebellion led by Taruk and its band of guerrillas called Hukbalahaps ( Huks for short).
Six presidents were elected from 1947 to 1972, namely, Roxas, Quirino, Magsaysay, Garcia, Macapagal and Marcos.
Population this time was 27 million and the ratio of rich to poor is still 30 to 70.
During the 60’s the Maost communist try to overthrow the government. Marcos declared Martial Law in 1972 and assumed dictatorship.
Population was now 40 million and dollar exchange was $1 to 7 pesos.
In 1983, Ninoy Aquino, Marcos rival was assassinated upon his return to PI from US. Outrage and fury raged and rumbled like a tidal wave, and Marcus was forced to flee to Hawaii. People Power 1 was on!
1986, Cory Aquino, the widow of Ninoy was elected president. She was virtuous, sincere and full of good intentions, but nothing really good happened. Coup’s attempts by Honasan, power struggle and in fighting harassed the Cory administration. The gap between the rich and the poor remains the same. The dollar exchange rate was now $1 to 25 pesos and the population was now 65 million.
In 1992, Cory’s choice, Fidel Ramos and hero of People Power 1 was elected President. He was a terrific salesman for the Philippines, remove barriers to progress and the economy went on a roll.
In 1997, the Asian Economic crises struck. All of Ramos accomplishments evaporated and the poor remains poorer (And the Rich becomes Richer).
In 1998, Estrada an actor was elected President. For a while it was all right, until the Chavit Singson jueting scandal exploded. The impeachment trial serialized in TV was riveting. But the generals were unhappy and People Power 2 was on. Estrada was imprisoned and Gloria was in (in 2001). Hope was in.
In 2001, more economic catastrophies!. The pesos plummeted to horrifying $1 to 51. There are now 75 million Filipinos and the gap between the rich and poor remains the same (30/70). When will this end? It has been more than 350 years, since Lapu Lapu ‘s victory, 100 years since Rizal’s martyrdom and we are nowhere as a people or a nation.
We Filipinos have strengths and endearing values. We are Christians, God-fearing and peace-loving.
We are patient, tolerant to a fault. We are musical. We sing our blues away. We have a sense of humor.
We have also thousands, MBA, and Ph.D’s in economics and management from Harvard, Yale, UC Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon, UCLA etc.., but most of them are overseas. We have also a surplus of technocrats for nation building, but we have many shortcomings. We are immature in our politics. Given a choice between a movie star and a brilliant political scientist, we voted for the movie star.
We have many stupidities, like dogs, we pee on walls and tires (in public view). We drive like maniacs and our service quality is inferior (We do not answer our E-mails). But this is the only country we’ve got. We live and die here. Will we ever see the dawn (of progress)?
Mahabagin Diyos, Nasaan Ka Pinoy (Merciful God, where are you, Pinoy). The English translation is mine, Since I am not a Tagalog native, my translation may be incorrect! Comments anyone?
Please note that the original article I received from my e-mail was 5 pages long and has a lot of funny commentaries in Tagalog. If you have not live in the Philippines and do not speak Tagalog, the commentaries may not appear humorous and irrelevant. I will be glad to forward the email if you want the 5 page original article.
Hi Bob
Interesting (as always)
Somebody once told me that there are more people alive on earth now compared to the number of people who have ever lived on earth.
I guess that might be true when you consider there were less than 8 million Filipinos a few hundered years ago compared to over 75 million now.
Phew !!!
Interesting to note the ratio of rich / poor remains the same, but I guess that's another topic in its own right.
Hi Barry – Just want to clarify that this was not my article, but a guest article written by David.
OK
Interesting article David 🙂
🙂
regarding 1947-1966, maybe a mention that there actually was a time of peace in 1954? president magsaysay (with US support) defeated the huks. the group, led by luis taruc, surrendered in 1954.
i've always been fascinated by this period because the philippines without an armed insurgency sounds so alien today.
also, the Philippine-American war (1899-1902). true, it was very brief. but it is hard to omit a war that mirrored vietnam in some aspects & took an estimated 1 million filipino lives.
lastly, the "5 pesos" guy had the "10 pesos" guy executed.
Hey Bob, thanks for posting this, I've always loved history, especially my own country's. Love the Lapu-Lapu – Magellan bit.. lol. If only we elected more Magsaysays and Ramoses….
And Mr. Macky, 5-peso guy only had one of the 10-peso guys killed 😛
Bacolod Barry: You are welcome and I am glad you find the article interesting.
Macky: Yes you are correct, I remember the Magsaysay administration. It was peaceful but short live. I cried when he died in the plane crash.
David, Love this summary! I was a history junkie in grade school. I believe it was Mt Manunggal where Magsaysay's plane crashed.
Thanks for sharing David. I found the article facinating.
Michelle: I am glad you like my very,very short summary of the history of the Philippines. Have a good day!
David S. Yes, Philippine history is indeed fascinating, but most of us do not really have the time to read the details, thus I decided to write this 5 minute version. Cheers!
David:
Very interesting. One of these days, Rebecca and I will have to go to Marinduque and see what you've written about.
Be careful when comparing exchange rates over time periods… There are many influences on FX. Though they look good and can serve to make a point, are really not a good comparison (Many economic influences have happened since WWII, both in the US and here).
I would be surprised if the split is 30/70 today. I would think 15/85 is more accurate.
yes its very nice here in the philippines especially here in bicol if you have time you can visit out place here.
John: I think I will agree with you that the split is closer to 15/85 between the rich and the poor than the 30/70 in the article, I just summarized. I also believe that the Philippines is really an oligarchy instead of a true democracy.
Regarding visiting my island Paradise, just let me know when you are ready. Easter week is the time to visit, although the crowds can be annoying. November to March, the weather is perfect and you will own the whole island to yourself…no traffic, no pollution and friendly residents..
Hi David – One quality you omitted is honesty even if it hurts.Rome was not built in a day and neither will the Philippine nation, but it will eventually.In real terms freedom has only been around for 50 years although not all those years were used wisely.Few countries with the exception of Singapore were able to transform themselves in such a short time and with a much smaller population than the Philippines.If there is enough people with your perception and insight into what is wrong and what is required to effect the necessary changes, change will surely happen.I may not see it in my lifetime but I hope my children do.
Best wishes from a retiree living happily in the Philippines.
Hi Jim : I am glad to hear you are living happily in the Philippines in your retirement years. I quite not sure what you meant in your statement about honesty a quality being omitted even if it hurts ( first sentence). Could you clarify, please? Best wishes to you also!
Hello Mang David,
1 thing that jumped out of your article- the Spanish-American War was actually a treaty – the Treaty of Paris. The US took over the Phil colony at the turn of the century. Filipino revolutionary struggle continued against the new colonizers – the US. It resulted to over thousand of deaths among the Katipuneros. This is what I learned in my UP history class during my college day in the 1980's. I can research the author of the textbook we used if you want.
Hi David. I too loved the article as I am a student of Philippine history even though I have not moved there yet.
One thing that I am curious about is that history says that Magellan discovered the Philippines. (Here in the U.S., it is reported that Christopher Columbus discovered America. Others say that Amerigo Vespucci discovered America). Since the indians were already here, how could it be discovered?
Granted, I am no scholar, but shouldn't it be concluded that one or both of these men are responsible for letting the world know that there was this place unknown prior to their landing?
I say that to say this, were there any inhabitants here when Magellan landed on the shores which were probably called other names before the present day name Philippines? I think I read where there were Muslims on Mindanao before "outsiders" came. Please enlighten!
Thanks a million!
Hi David, very interesting article. You know I love to learn everything about Philippine history. I posted already several articles here, although they mostly explained the German-Philippine relations. Anyway, thanks a lot. i enjoy reading your post very much.
Hi David- Sorry for the delay in replying to you.To clarify what I meant, I have always found the majority of Filipinos to be honest even if it hurts them and that to me is a virtue worth mentioning.
Kind regards.
Jim.
Gerry: You are correct the Spanish American war of 1898-1902 resulted in the death of about 1.4 million Filipinos. For details, a good start will be wikipedia. I do appreciate your additional comments regarding the Spanish- American War of 1898.
Ed Griffin: Yes there were inhabitants in the Philippines before the Spaniards came. Your comment about Muslims in Mindanao is correct. A good article in Wikipedia, Chapter 6, describes the growth of Islamic sultanates in Mindanao from 1380 to 1521.
Klaus: Thank you for your comment. Most of us do not have time to read the more than 450 years of Philippine history. My article is an attempt to encourage readers in LiP who loves history to read more at their leisure. Here In Sacramento, our public library is a good resource for topics like Philippine History, US and World History. Have a good day!
Jim, thank you for your clarification. Have a good day! David
As my college professor once said, history is more often than not the story of the victors over the vanquished. It's the victors story of how they "discovered" this land populated by "not-one-of-us" who needs to be taught "how-to-be-like-us". It didn't help that my ancestors wrote on very perishable tree barks and banana leaves. You'd be hard pressed to find 1 in 100 filipinos now who would recognize the alibata, the indigenous filipino script writing.
As for the demise of the filipino guerrillas against American soldiers, I'm reminded of Rex Navarette's punchline… On the battle of Tirad Pass, filipinos were surprised why the Americans could see them in the jungles… one responded "Put— ina, we're wearing white".. 🙂 (for those who don't get it, google Emilio Jacinto's images)
Milper: I loved what your professor say about Philippine history. I also like the joke of Rex Navarette. I like to read more of Navaratte jokes. Will Google be be a good start? Cheers!
Hi David Katague,
Indeed a good summary.
Just stating an observation…It's also a representative of what is/was taught at school as Philippine History.
I stated in other threads that 333 years of Spanish influence but Filipinos can only consciously profess the events in 1521…(fast forward)….1896 (Rizal's martyrdom) and (Dewey's) 1898. Filipinos are totally oblivious or consciously ignorant to what happened between 1521 and 1896. As if nothing happened in those 300 years. Filipino historians have done injustice by not digging much to events in those years. Yes, there was Dagohoy in Bohol and Rajah Sulaiman in Manila but still very nebulous accounts.
Hopefully and luckily Hispano-Philippine History is now starting to be "sexy". Students and scholars like Ambeth Ocampo are coming out with fascinating dissertations. I hope this trend will blossom.
Also I don't agree anymore of the 30/70. I think it's now 15/40/55. The OFW and the outsourcing phenomena(the middle 40) have dramatically changed the feudalistic structure of Philippine society. Is this a new middle class? Politically, it's not there yet but I hope it will eventually be….I can see hints of that…and it's a wonderful prospect.
Cheers.
Errata: Should have been 15/40/45….that's more optimistic.
Dr Long: I would agree with you that not much has been written in the history of the Philippines from 1521 to 1896. With regards to the growth of the middle class, if indeed this is true, is a good development for the Philippines to be a truly democratic nation instead of a nation run by a few rich families (an oligarchy). Thank You for your comments!
Whoever made the comment that Spanish Filippino history is becoming more popular is well attuned to what is going on with Filippo Collectibles.
I believe antiquarian books to do with the Philippines are now going for astronomical prices. Books published from 1896 to the present day are quite common and do not really fetch significant money. However books books and maps published in the 1600's and 1700's command five and six figures and can only be bought at top auction houses in London and New York.If you can find books which were actually published in the Philippines (during this time frame), rather than Spain we are talking about very serious bucks.
Ironically despite the poverty that exists throughout the Philippines there are many people in the Philippines and from the Philippine Diaspora who will part with serious money in order to acquire these rare books from the Philippine past.
I believe the early Mallat Atlas of the Philippines ( published around 1846)in fine condition would set you back between twenty and thirty thousand dollars.
The Spanish kept a great deal of records to do with the Philippines and many of these papers and maps are now becoming hot collector items.
It seems to me that many people from the Philippines have a hunger to buy these items( that is those people who are very well heeled). It was quite easy to buy the above Atlas twenty years ago but I have just done a search and I am not able to locate even a single copy worldwide on the Bookdealer Database. It is truly quite astonishing.
I am a Bookseller by profession but I am not plugging my books and indeed I have no antiquarian books to do with the Philippines for sale. I guess I have not sold anything nice from the Philippines in nearly seven or eight years according to my records. If you guys are ever on the look out remember that very early Imprints from the Philippines command the crazy bucks. LOL
As an after thought I would think that perhaps two out of every hundred people in the Philippines are rich ; there is also a small middle class. I would be delighted to be wrong and this is simply an opinion.
Joe thank you for your comment. You have aroused my curiosity about books published before 1896. I know my grandmother has a book on the Spanish-American war but it was published after 1896. Most of the books in the Philippines published before 1896 would probably have been lost during the American-Japanese war anyway, even if it existed. Personally, my father's library was destroyed when our house was bombed by the Japanese in 1942, destroying all books and furniture. Luckily, no one in our family was killed. Have a good day!
Hi Joe,
That's an amazing information you gave.
I was in Madrid a few months back and was asking everybody where I can find Philippine artifacts. In the "Prado" our museum guide pointed us to the Museo Nacional de Antropologia (10-minute walk from the Prado. It's located across the Atocha train station).
The museum devotes the whole second floor for "Las Islas Filipinas".
I saw old maps. Cebu was Zebu. Palawan was Palau…etc. There were bits and pieces of new information to me but I was disappointed with the whole display. It was more of displays of native furnitures, bamboo fishing gear (crab and lobster traps), Pina clothing, etc. I was looking for more literatures. The weirdest thing was the display of the bones of 7-foot giant …totally out of place. I found out later that "Las Islas Filipinas" artifacts were mostly a collection of a certain Senor Ventura (a physician who lived in Manila).
All in all it was a refreshing experience. Spaniards seem to glow in excitement when talking about the Philippines. I read somewhere that the loss of the Philippines was a very traumatic experience for the Spaniards.
…Just to reiterate your information that indeed it's hard to find artifacts/literatures between 1521 and 1896.
Cheers.
Good Morning to you both; David and Dr. Sponk Long .
There are really no hard and fast rules when it comes to collecting and I would tell anyone to buy what you are really interested and passionate about.
Having said that it does seem to me that books and maps from the early days of Magellan to the 1880's are the most desireable from a monetary point of view when it comes to the Philippines.
The age of a book has little to do with price or rarity and there are many books that were written in the 1500's that have little monetary value. Everything really hinges on desireability (contents, maps, plates, provenance, where the book was published, first edition ect).
As I spoke about the Mallat Atlas above I guess it is better if I elaborate on the main reason why it is becoming so rare; the main reason being that dealers will break up the Atlas and sell the maps individually to collectors. Individual maps from the Atlas can sell for thousands of dollars and so from a monetary view it is more profitable to break up the atlas and sell the maps individually. Unfortunately once the atlas is broken up, it is removed forever from the market and the remaining books shoot up in value.
VOYAGES A PEKING, MANILLE ET L'ILE DE FRANCE FAITS DANS L'INTERVALLE DES ANNEES 1784 A 1801.
GUIGNES, Chretien Louis Joseph de:
1808
The above title is a four volume set that used to be quite common. It is now also rocketing in value; the set has three text volumes and one atlas and was published in 1808. Most of the books have to do with the Philippines and the set has nearly 100 engravings and maps.
Again the reason for the increased rarity is that many dealers are breaking the Atlas apart for the maps and engravings. The maps and copper engravings of Manila Bay contained in the Atlas are particularly desireable and so dealers continue to break the books up and thus find the extra value.
I write dispassionately and I offer no opinion as to whether it is right or wrong to behave in the above fashion.
I personally believe that this kind of material is going to dramatically rise in value as the Philippines becomes more prosperous. I do understand that these books are out of reach for the normal Filipino but I think more and more people from the Philippines are buying such material. I also believe that it is Filipinos that are pushing the values sky high and not Westeners from countries like America or Spain. I believe Filipinos are beginning to realise just how varied and rich their history is, and if they have the bucks they will spend.
The period from 1890 to 1910 is interesting but a great deal was written and published about the conflict and many of the books published during the period have little monetary worth.I do think that old photos from this period are becoming more collectible and valuable. I sold an old album (at a public auction in San Francisco circa 2002) which showed public executions during the 1898 war; many of the photos involved public garrotings with American soldiers and clerics looking on and I was quite staggered at how much money the album fetched. Again we go back to desireability and rarity.
I am a generalist and so I sell books from all over the world but I have a personal interest in the Philippines in that my wife is an Illocano.
I was toying with the notion of moving to the Philippines and selling online but the logistics are quite formidable and I would be forced to sell completely online.
Best wishes to all
Joe
Joe: Thank you for your comments on Filipino collectibles. Although, I am not an economic guru, the principle of supply and demand still applies here for sure. The rich Filipino collectors demand to buy the maps and engravings from the Atlas versus its availability makes the price skyrockets. I have a friend who collect early Filipino paintings. I think this is another item which is getting popular with rich Filipino collectors.
Speaking of Filipino collectibles, Ten years ago, I started collecting Japanese paper money issued during the Japan's occupation of the Philippines (1942-1944). I know this is worthless now, but I collect them for sentimental reasons. My experience growing up in the Philippines during that time, have been documented in my blogs for the benefits of my children and grandchildren. But when they actually see the Japanese paper money in my collection, their eyes get excited and they can really relate to the article that I have written about my experiences at that time. Regards to your Illocana wife!
To All Readers of LiP who are history enthusiasts: My favorite website which discuss the history, cultural and political life in Marinduque from 1493 to 1803 as well as the Japanese American War is: http://www.ulongbeach.com
This website is manage by an Australian who married a Marinduquena. Curt and Delia has a beach resort in Mogpog, Marinduque
My favorite chapter is "The Philippine Islands" ( Marinduque) 1493-1803
The original has 55 volumes. The article was translated, edited and annotated by Emma Blair and James Robertson
My second favorite article is the "Battle of Puting Lupa" ( White Earth), the first defeat of the Americans from the local Marinduquenos Katipuneros, 1900
Enjoy!
Hi Joe – There is a link to David's blog right at the start of this article.
Joe: Besides the website that Bob listed in the beginning of this article, I have several other blogs about Marinduque as well as personal blogs.
http://marinduqueawaitsyou.blogspot.com ( All about my island paradise)
http://lifeinus1960present.blogspot.com ( Life Experiences in US since 1960)
Thank you for the book data base. I will browse on it soon. I also enjoy our exchange of ideas. Regards!
Hi Joe: In the beginning of this article is my website. In the website is my e-mail. If you send me an e-mail, I will be glad to give you the address of my other blogs ( about Marinduque-my island paradise) and the other my life experiences in Philippines and US from 1934 to the present.
I also enjoy our interchange of ideas in this magazine. Regards, David
Hi David,
Let us not forget the filipino middle class. Yes, PI has a middle class, but unfortunately they live abroad. You have some middle class living in PI too, between those who live abroad and those who live in PI. I would say the total would be 20 per cent of the PI POPULATION, so it would be 70-20-10.
Spanish filipino war (civil war for the spanish) about 10.000 dead. You think twice before kiling a brother.
Spanish American war 1.500 dead.
American filipino war about 1.000.000…
You add those killed in the 2nd World War, and you have the answer why spanish is not widdely spoken in PI,(la creme de creme of the filipino society was killed in these four wars).
David, I like the entrace of your house, it looks very spanish colonial. I love arquitecture.
Have a nice day.
Have a nice day.
Hi David B. Katague,
Let me inject a little controversy that recent historians are speculating about Magellan's death…that it was a suicide. I'm intrigued with this idea because it makes a lot of sense.
Here's an excellent write up by Rolando O. Borrinaga of Tacloban City about the subject:
http://www.geocities.com/rolborr/magsuicide.html
Here's an excerpt:
….Spanish royal orders prohibited the expedition leader to land except in the safest circumstances. Yet, when the moment to fight in Mactan Island came on April 27, 1521, Magellan rejected the suggestion of his men to stay safe and let them fight for him.
Laguarda Trias theorized that the Magellan who died in Mactan was a different man. He explained Magellan’s changed mindset in his last days as follows:
“The finding of the longitude of Suluan Island (performed almost eight months before the expedition arrived in the Moluccas) signified for Magellan the failure of the purpose of his expedition. It was an advance indication that the Spice Islands were located within the Portuguese hemisphere. Perhaps the moral premise of this failure was the motive that prompted Magellan to seek his death in Mactan, where he refused the help of the chieftain of Cebu and boldly exposed himself to the blows of the enemy. He probably did not wish to suffer the humiliation of having to announce to the Emperor, upon his return, that the Moluccas, contrary to what he claimed in his Membranza, were located on Portuguese territory. This was a matter of honor that his noble reputation would not allow to ignore, much less distort, as the changeable Antonio Pigafetta did.”
Blot added that the setting of the Christian cross instead of the Spanish coat-of-arms, and the strong religious zeal displayed by Magellan from the Homonhon landing until the fighting in Mactan, may be viewed as remaining symbolic acts left for him to do. The promotion of the Christian faith, the basic link between Portugal and Spain above their national interests, became Magellan’s last attempt at finding a meaning for his own failed mission before his suicidal death….
——
Enjoy.
Hola Antonio: I agree that the majority of the middle class are abroad. Your summary of the number of deaths in the three wars is depressing. I think the casualty during the American-Japanese war is much higher. The Bataan Death March is one episode of that war, I want to forget. I cried the last time after reading the Bataan Death March- the walk of death according to some historians.
The front of our house in Marinduque was a design we copied from an Architectural Digest magazine. The rest of the house, I believe is more of French colonial than Spanish colonial. I really do know much about architecture, but I subscribe to Architectural Digest. My forte is on landscaping. Again, thank you for your comments!
Dr. Long: Very interesting and provocative article on Magellan's suicide theory. I look at the web site and I love the painting of Battle of Maktan by Angel Carnio. Note that "Mactan" is spelled with a "K" instead of a "C", indicating the date when the painting was made, Am I wrong?. The theory that Magellan committed suicide also makes sense to me on first reading. However, if this is true, Magellan is acting like a true-blooded Filipino than a Spanish explorer. So, I think the assertion that he committed suicide is incorrect.
Again, thank you for your comments! David
Hello David: Nice little article on Philippine history. A great book on the history of Spanish and American intervention is "The Swish of the Kris" by Vic Hurley. Early editions of this book are very scarce,however the complete text is available on Google.
Roberto
Hi, Roberto: Thanks for the reference. I will certainly googled it soon. Have a good day!
David,
I figured that Sandugo would be in your article on March 16, 1565 between Miguel López de Legazpi and Datu Sikatuna… You can read more about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandugo or http://www.bohol.ph/article26.html
Not trying to promote another site on LiP I am simply offering up an important piece of Philippine history.
Mike K: Thank you for referring the two websites. The history of Bohol is also of interest to me, since there is similarity to the history of Panay, my island province. Yes, Dato Sikatuna and Miquel Legaspi had also a blood compact during that time in Panay Island. Thank you for your comment.Incidentally, do you reside in Bohol? Have a good day!
Whew! Independence. It is our 111th year of independence this Friday, June 12, 2009. for 111 years that passed, question is still being asked;
Are we really independent?
Pls answer this from your heart. What is independent to you, as a filipino, or as someone who have seen the life and history of the Filipino.
I'll wait. A surprise will follow.
Hi Ronaldo: I am getting anxious what is the surprise waiting for me or for all the LiP readers. You are asking if we really independent. Here are my answers:
politically = Yes
economically= No
culturally=No
Thank you for your comment! Have a good day!
Hi David,
Here's a treat for everybody:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvpbsyNcI3I
Post-depression, pre-war Manila must had been stunning!!!
David,
Apologize for the late reply. Although, I am currently in the States. Haven't had an opportunity to visit Panay yet. It is on my list though.
Ha-ha I hate when I submit before I'm ready. Yes, David I live in Bohol. I would be happy to show you around when I have the time or could set you up with someone that can do it as well.
Dr Long: Thank you for the video link( Manila Queen of the Pacific, 1938). Indeed it a real treat. I love it and is now in my bookmark. This is a "must see video" for all history buffs and enthusiast. I love the antique cars and the women going shopping in their terno ( gowns with butterfly sleeves). Today, the terno is now an evening dress and only worn on formal occasion and not during shopping as shown in the video. Yes, Manila was very beautiful and stunning during that time. There is a related video titled Manila Castillan Memoirs, 1930 that I also recommend for Philippine History buffs. Thank you again for the link. Good Day!
David, thanks, I also have an interest in history and found your overview of Philippines history quite interesting, though I wish it wasn't quite so brief.. (guess I'll have to start studying more).
With regard to your statement that you "believe that the Philippines is really an oligarchy instead of a true democracy", I would venture to say, from my study of Australian political history and US political history, that most if not all democracies are actually thinly disguised oligarchies. The inter-relationships are hidden by marriages and such, but the same handful of families are almost always in control. I'd go so far as to say that there is no such thing as a "true democracy" on this planet.
Even Barack Obama is related (to varying degrees) to at least five prior US Presidents, including G.H.W. Bush, and can list at least four members of British Royalty among his ancestors. See http://tinyurl.com/jhcdt for some interesting details on US Presidents.
Wow.. thanks, Dr Long. Definitely a treat.. Marielle will enjoy seeing this. Interesting to see that back then, Filipinos still drove on the correct side of the road! (hehe.. sorry, I'm in Australia, and LH drive just seems unnatural to me)
Hi Garryck, I would agree with your comments that there is really no true democracy. My short article was intended to inspire LiP readers to read deeper into the history of the Philippines. Dr Long suggested link of old videos of Manila was very interesting. I was not aware of it until Dr. Long mentioned it. Again, thanks for your comments. What part of Australia are you residing? I have a brother who resides in the Sidney area. He has been there since the 1970's. Have a good day!
Hi David, I'm living in Brisbane, Queensland.
Hi Roberto, thanks for the reference. Unfortunately, it seems Google Books only has a single page available. The main website that had the full text (bakbakan.com) is no longer online. Happily, the Internet Archive "Wayback Machine" keeps copies of many websites that have gone to the great net-in-the-sky… the entire book (from what I can tell) can be read online at http://tinyurl.com/nw29yj It's fascinating reading.
hi..,you will enjoy the philippines while u are in here
hi bob, can you still send me the full copy of the HISTORY OF THE PHILIPPINES IN 10 MINUTES? thank you so much. 😀
Jonel – I did not write this article, it was a guest article from David Katague. The article itself is the 10 minute history, so there is nothing to send. Good luck.
good lunch sir. am i want to ask what is the latest summary of the Philippine history?i need to search this because i have an assignment,i need to pas this tomorrow can i have the summary sir.? i need your help sir.