112th Year Anniversary of Philippine Independence

The elusive PEACE in search of independence is always a product of war and chaos. I’ll say that to achieve it, people in a nation, oppressed with rights but pulsating to be free, will wage war against the invaders in order to achieve that ultimate goal…FREEDOM.

June 12, 2010 made Filipinos all over the world paused for a moment in order to commemorate the Declaration of Philippine Independence happened on June 12, 1896 in Kawit, Cavite headed by the first ever President of the First Republic, General Emilio Aguinaldo. The site has been visited many times of both local and foreign tourists who took interest in one of the tangible marker wherein our forefathers showed to the Spanish invaders that we can be united and proclaim our independence to the government that was dictated by the King of Spain back in Europe.

Set of Invaders

If I’ll count the year since the Spaniards came in the Philippines in March 16^th, 1521, it will be 489 years ago. But the shadow of their influences are present in our day to day existence; the Roman Catholicism, and the way of life, food and culture, it’s so very Hispanic.

Next in line to visit and conquered our land is the Americans. Imagine how they bought the reign in just a thousand of dollars from the hands of the Spaniards?! Will I still believe the history books? But look, they’re still helping our government or maybe just guarding their interest in the Asia Pacific. Or was it just one of the many unsolved conspiracies that these invaders coined in order to continue oppressing weak nations (salting all the riches that they can get from its natural resources).

So far so good, we Filipinos are able to learn the English language (it became the second language in the land, aside from Tagalog). All that we can absorb, we get it from them. Those influences are what made us to be unique in this part of Asia. The only bad side is that we are dubbed as great imitators.

So far, Americans taught us how be independent and be educated. They believe that learning is a great foundation towards progress, although they are also utilizing our natural resources.

The imperialism of the Japanese government in the 1940s reached our land when they tried to conquer half of the world with the help of allied nations in Europe (Germany, Italy, USSR). But the Great Plan of War went poof or didn’t prosper because many people around the world, especially superpower nations (like USA and UK) didn’t want it to happen.

One of the strategic points in the Pacific was the Philippines, so they tried invading it and making a pseudo government that can be dubbed as puppet government because the seated president acted just like a marionette in a puppet play being dictated by Japanese government.

The last frontier of freedom during the Japanese war was the island of Corregidor in Bataan. Filipino and American soldiers fought side by side in order to defend the land but to no avail. The long Death March followed wherein hungry, wounded and ailing Filipino and American soldiers died one by one defending the country.

In Retrospect

Well, there are key players that made their names printed in the annals of the country’s rich history of fighting for freedom. That’s how they sacrificed their lives in order for us, the future generation to have a free nation that is self-governing and self-sufficient.

When the Spaniards tried conquering Mactan, the first to revolt was Datu Lapu-lapu where he killed Fernando Magallanes with a spear. There were names like Rajah Soliman of Intramuros,Manila, Magat Salamat, Lakandula along with other datus or chieftains who revolted to these invaders.

Who could forget our heroes, starting from Dr. Jose Rizal who was shot in Bagumbayan ( now the Luneta or Rizal Park ) because of his two controversial books (Noli Me Tangere or Touch Me Not and El Filibusterismo or The Filibuster) that chronicled the abuses of Spaniards through stories during those times.

The Great Plebeian, Andres Bonifacio was inspired by those two books, creating the most famous Filipino revolutionary movement, KKK ( Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan or The Highest Respectable Society of the Masses ) or better known as Katipunan or Brotherhood.

Well, these are just a bit and parcel of Philippine history. In the twentieth century, we witnessed the first-ever bloodless revolution called EDSA People Power Revolution on February 25, 1986 where people in all walks of life gathered at the Quezon City Memorial Circle along Ortigas avenue and EDSA (Epifanio de los Santos) highway to protest the presence of overstaying dictator, deposed President Ferdinand Marcos in Malacañan (Malakanyanng) Palace.

In other words, the quest for freedom is still continuing among the Filipinos. Who would like to be dictated by other nations, where we can also stand with our own decisions to run the government? I’m sure no one wants to be a slave of others in his own country.