The Damaged Culture of Filipinos - Penultimate Episode

Our ancestors during the Spanish period had education provided in schools established by the religious orders. This enabled the people to learn how to read and write which in the long term provided the basis to yearn for freedom denied by the Spanish conquerors. Despite the benefits derived from the conquerors, the conquered would pine and work for the liberty to chart the destiny without the dictates of said conquerors. 

Many have wondered why the Filipinos endured more than 300 years under Spanish rule. One plausible reason could be the divide and conquer stratagem of the Spanish rulers. It was helped immensely by the intense proselytizing efforts of the Spanish missionaries who converted many Filipinos to Catholicism. Remember Rajah Humabon of Cebu who was baptized by a Catholic priest accompanying the Portuguese explorer, Ferdinand Magellan.

  Thus began the Christianization of the principal islands of our archipelago. Of course, Magellan's mission to widen the territorial reach of the Spanish crown met a setback when he was killed by Datu Lapu-Lapu in the Battle of Mactan. However, succeeding Spanish expeditions eventually conquered the rest of Luzon under the banner of the sword and the cross.

Later on, the conquered could no longer bear the yoke of virtual slavery as pockets of rebellion sprouted all over the archipelago. Though, the conqueror managed to suppress these rebellious communities, the overwhelming desire for freedom continued to rage in the hearts of the conquered. The campaign for freedom was undertaken by two factions; viz, the intelligentsia or the Ilustrados and the Indios. The Ilustrados, as the brains, handled the propaganda movement in Europe while the Indios provided the brawn or the muscles of the Philippine Revolution. After Rizal's execution at Bagumbayan, now Luneta or Rizal Park, the uprising started by Bonifacio's Katipunan caught flames and the Revolution saw the eventual defeat of the Spanish conqueror.

The adage that history always repeats itself was proven true in the course of the Philippine Revolution. Like the French Revolution consuming its children, so did in the local setting. Bonifacio and later on Antonio Luna were eliminated by Aguinaldo's men in an apparent move to consolidate his hold to power. That quirk in character proved to be highly damaging to Aguinaldo's stature in the Philippine historical hierarchy. 

However, instead of leaving the Philippines to the hands of the victorious Filipinos, Spain sold our country to the Americans, against whom Aguinaldo fought the Philippine-American War to no avail. In this war, the divide and conquer tactics of the Spaniards was utilized successfully by the Americans to vanquish Aguinaldo. A platoon of Macabebe soldiers enlisted by the American forces was allowed unimpeded entry to Aguinaldo's Palanan redoubt. At a given signal, Aguinaldo was surprised at his unexpected arrest by these compatriots who sold their loyalty to the American flag. Such was another example of the damaged culture of Filipinos replicated on and on in Philippine history.