Hidalgo's 'Assasination of Bustamante'

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="237" caption="The famous Hidalgo masterpiece is undergoing some preservation work"][/caption]

The masterpiece is currently undergoing some delicate repainting. Time has eroded some of the pigments out of the canvas and preservation is needed to prevent deterioration. I remember the exhibitions of Lopez Museum, they did impress me with their preservation technology. They hired top rate chemist and employed good artist to do the maintenance and repair for the damaged old paintings. They have a very technical systemized way that i thought was awesome, there was a visual presentation that showed how they were able to achieve it.

Are they exchanging technologies? is the private supporting the government run museums? I hope coordination is working well with this institutions for the benifit of the public.

In Museo Nacional, I'm quite unsure how the preservation is done. No one has entertained my questions, in fact, they were quite dismissive when they found out that I was just a nobody, the man on the site just stopped talking to me, that was my cue - I was on my own.

Unlike the private ones, the museum of course is a government institution - and we all know how government institution functions in our country. I put my trust on the skill of the artist who I'm certain volunteered to work for the museum to help, if their getting paid I'm certain that their not getting much. Its noble ambition of keeping the art alive, especially the work of our renowned patriots in Hidalgo and Luna. I was once invited to join the MVP (volunteers) but was unable to make it due to my partime work and college.

But let me say this, I am very satisfied with the improvements made on the museum. If only money can be poured for the museum I'm certain that our national museum would even become better. Kudos goes to the administrators.

Interestingly enough, when i was there in the Hidalgo painting - the students where asking 'who was being murdered' after trying to observe the painting behind the scaffolds. It looks like their teachers did not read materials related to the painting in advance, someone failed to do their homework - after all this two artwork ('assasination of Bustamante' & 'spolarium') are the centerpiece of the museum. To my shock, one of the student leader, while the group was viewing Hidalgo's work, said to his group 'this is how Spain tortured those who opposed them when we were under their kingdom'. I was about to call 'security' at that time but restrained myself.

That painting tells a great but tragic story, a man who tried to straightened out the government and rid it with grafters, who in the end was accused of being corrupt himself, accused of being a despot who was overthrown by the righteous majority. On top of his tough policy on collections, he locked horns with the powerful friars. Which was his undoing.

Martin de Zuniga's book 'Historical View of the Philippines' gives us this short account of what took place, and how 'El Marcial' got lynched by the mob friars.

'...He began by issuing some strong decrees, and others still more severe were expected. These were principally directed to teh recovery of the above two hundred thousand dollars. Which he found were due to the royal treasury by different people,both by those in office, and generally by the public. These parties finding he was determined on the measure, began to murmur at his proceedings. Without, however, allowing himself to be influenced by any consideration of this nature, he laid an embargo on all silver that came in the galleon from Acapulco, and required from all the public functionaries correct statements of their accounts with the royal treasury. By an examination of those names which appeared as owners of the silver, he found it an easy matter to cover all those debts, and by this dexterous management recovered about three hundred thousand dollars to the treasury. Many of those, however, then indebted to the government, having died, or being reduced to poverty, their securities of course became responsible and this extend the consequences of his measures to so many in Manila, that he became an object of general hatred..'

As can be read, he was a determined administrator who not only offended the evaders but also some of the more high ranking corrupt official with their ill gotten wealth. Confiscation and imprisonment is his way of bringing justice. He single handled swept out the biggest grafters of his time.

So why is it that Friars are the one depicted murdering 'El Marcial'?

The story continues with the Oidor Torralba trying to arrest a man who sought refuge in the cathedral.

'...the Archbishop, convinced that Senor Torralba was the principal instigator of these unhappy disputes, with less prudence than the circumstances of the times required, issued a process against this violator of ecclesiastical sanctuary, and excommunicated him. This is the grand error he committed, and from which melancholy consequence resulted; for having sent two clergy to intimate to him the sentence of excommunication, Torralba, on observing them approach, went to meet them, and snatched from them the paper containing it. Immediately afterwards appeared in publication from him accusing the clergy of an intention to take his life, and suborned witnesses: having confirmed this charges, the Governor was induced to commit to prison the Archbishop, and several of the clergy and religious orders, with such other persons as had taken refuge in the churches.

Having thus made his dispositions, the Governor ordered the Archbishop, with all the ecclesiastical Cabildo, the Commisarry of the Inquisition, the heads of the religious orders, and various other clergy, to be seized...'

Of course the event that follows is obvious - its the scene that Hidalgo made immortal in his canvas. Bustamante's display of power backfired and the offended party fought back, ironically the people who returned his violence were the men of clothe.

'Leave me Father, unless you wish to murder me!' he cries, when the friars where already on his doorsteps. He broke his arm defending the attacks, his head severely wounded, he fell dead. His son tried to help him, with saber in his hand he gallantly defended his small space, but the mob was too much for his young body. He died with his father that day. The son cried, 'Father, do not abandon me until the last moment of my life...' a Jesuit priest was said to have given him his last confession. He was still alive, this time fighting to survive, being carried out in a hammock when a man came stabbed him twice.

The Archbishop was persuaded to take the governorship, he declined after his released from the Fort Santiago. He later assumed the post as an administrator but not as the governor, similar to that of an OIC, he then threaded cautiously in his administration, for he was well aware of the danger of his post. He then ordered the proper burial for the murdered governor, with all the honors accorded to the highest post in the land. The Archbishop ruled for two years, in those years he was technically the Governor of the islands minus the uniform.

Now, how is that for a Coup de Etat! we are accustomed seeing this venture being undertaken by an adventurist military and collaborating politicians. A great piece of our history - just an example how people at high places can be dislodged by the potent combination of  power grabbing forces, the church, and the masses.

History does repeat itself.

I just hope those students would continue their studies in history even if they pursue courses in college not related to it, books are always available. What is rare this days are open minds.

A Hispanized Philippines: A Good Option?

A Hispanized Philippines: A Good Option?
© Elizabeth Medina, Santiago, Chile, March 30, 2000

Recently a Filipino friend who lives in the U.S., Rafael Onrubia, asked me why I thought it feasible and positive for the Philippines to be hispanized, and my answer was as follows:

The Philippines has 479 years of written history (from 1521 to the present), and 379 of them have been recorded in Spanish. It is a fact that we have a documentary legacy that is untranslated into English and that therefore we are unable to read - a motherlode that has hardly been mined by our historians. Aside from this, the works of modern Spanish historians, who have researched and published innumerable works on our Hispanic culture and past with such dedication and skill, are accumulating in libraries without the Filipinos' being able to make use of such an invaluable store of new contributions.

It is undeniable and curious that the Spanish wrote much on the Philippines, and I suspect that they wrote more about her than about the majority of their American colonies. This surely is due in part to the fact that the Philippines only became independent 88 years after Spanish America. However there can be no doubt that the Philippines in and of herself was a fascinating geographical and cultural space that captured the imagination, scientific interest and human sensibility of the many scholarly Spaniards who spent long years living among the people.

Speaking as a non-expert and basing myself on what I have been able to gather from the few contacts I've had with Filipino academics and their writings, from my own inquiries and those of independent researchers, it seems to me that the Spanish-language documentation overflows with gems that still wait to be rediscovered by the scholars of Philippine history. Our historians have not paid them much attention, preferring to study the writings of Anglo-Saxon historians and the few works written by Spaniards and translated into English, for a very simple reason - because unless one has profoundly assimilated Hispanic language and culture, it is impossible to penetrate the deep, implicit levels of meaning in the documentation.

We therefore have a double magnification of the problem. Filipino historians and scholars cannot read Spanish documents on one hand; on the other, they study their own history by reading Anglo-Saxons' interpretations of the Spanish documents. Thus they study it from third hand, through the cultural filters of researchers who, though they may possess an operative knowledge of the language, nevertheless have cultural filters that invariably select only those contents that reinforce the particular way of knowing that characterizes their non-Hispanic sensibility and understanding.

Therefore, no matter how sincere their interest in penetrating into the profound messages ciphered in the documents, they lack the pitons that they need to scale that cultural glacier. Without pitons and all the specialized equipment that only profound experience and study of the culture that has produced that documentary wealth can give, it is impossible to receive its messages and capture its spirit. This is because, even more important than the external information that they offer, is the inner landscape, adequately grasped and then deployed, that equips a researcher for perceiving all the other information - implicit, invisible, unstated - that underlies the external linguistic content.

The result is that, although data and interpretations of apparently great scientific value are accumulated, the human and spiritual significance of that history remains unapprehended.
And if we assume - as I do - that knowledge must always incorporate a cultural and spiritual component that goes far beyond mere accumulation of neutral data, that concerns itself most of all with giving orientation to human development, then this manner of proceeding ought to be corrected and reoriented, without further loss of time and effort.

Culture, I am convinced, is the gold mine of this new century. It is the last undiscovered continent and the greatest wealth of nations. If a people discovers the way to create in other countries a vivid interest in their culture, and they materialize that fascination in marketable products, they can assure themselves of an inexhaustible source of earnings. Spain has created markets for her music, literature, architecture, fashion; Italy has done the same, particularly through her gastronomy and haute couture; Germany with her engineering know-how, her cars; likewise France, and of course, the U.S., whose products fill our homes to overflowing, even our brains, and everywhere on our planet.

The Philippines necessarily must learn to create external markets for her culture, not just the culture of folklore and tradition, which leads to not much more than a proliferation of objects. Most important, the innate talents of the Filipino people, which are already recognized worldwide, must be developed - in the culinary, plastic and visual arts, music, fashion, inventiveness and - something that today is just beginning to arise - the creation of a new literature that gives witness to the marvelous complexity and richness of our historico-cultural experience. All of these things have their deepest roots, their creatives sources, in the culture of the Hispanic-Filipino past.
This, without mentioning another issue of extreme importance, which is the development of our trade relations with the Spanish-speaking countries of the Pacific Rim.

An Invisible World that Refuses to Die
The 377 years of Filipino hispanization gave birth to a culture and a past that some have tried to annihilate and that is still under siege -- but that refuses to disappear and die. It is a culture and a past that only become visible when -- like the Little Prince of St. Exupéry -- one learns to see with the heart.

If one doesn't know how to speak Spanish fluidly, one cannot realize what a wealth of Castilian words there are in Tagalog and in so many other Filipino dialects. If one doesn't carry Hispanic culture within oneself, one cannot recognize the Hispanic culture that informs and suffuses Filipino social customs and practices.

If one has no familiarity with the landscapes of Spain and Hispanic America, with their imposing buildings from the Middle Ages and the Colonial Era, one will be unable to recognize the Hispanic past whose faithful witnesses are the old churches, homes and towns of the Archipelago.

The Responsibility of the Cultural Guardians of Filipino Society
The fact that the majority of our years of written history took place during the Spanish colonial period and that they are recorded in the idiom of our Hispanic-Filipino culture necessarily places the guardians of culture and education in a position of heavy responsibility. To erase the past is to erase the future. The greatest cultural problem that we Filipìnos face, in my opinion, is that fact that we do not have the habit of reflecting deeply on cultural and educational issues in the Philippines, because as we have said, we were not clarified about the importance of profound culture. Part of the blame rests without doubt on our old Spanish administrators; another on the North American educational system that was implanted afterwards, which necessarily tried to erase the cultural past in order to impose an Anglo-Saxonized present and future.

But another portion of blame rests squarely on those who have governed the country and have allowed the love of the old generations for Hispanic-Filipino language and culture to be abandoned under the new conditions of independence, when they surrendered themselves completely to the new foreign power, to the detriment of their own identity and historical legacy.

Therefore, though our new proposal cannot be an attempt to flip the cultural tortilla from one day to the next, and - just as English was imposed on us - to impose Spanish this time, what is indeed indispensable is the modification of the educational canon so that our historians, sociologists, anthropologists, writers, architects - all of our agents and formers of culture - may recover a full awareness of the past and be given the option of undertaking profound studies, whether in the Philippines, in Spain or in Latin America, in Hispanic-Amerasian history and culture, in the Spanish language.

I am likewise convinced that cultural exhange between Hispanic America and the Philippines cannot but lead to a new synthesis that in turn will produce a blossoming of the best in each one of our countries, thanks to the new climate of brotherhood and unity that it will tend to promote. A synthesis that will help lead our relations with Spain to a new level of maturity and mutual cooperation.

The foregoing does not mean that I advocate the separation of the Philippines from her Asian family, which would be absurd, a new backlash under the sign of the very same purism of those who today advocate our fanatic separation from our Western past. The fact is that we Filipinos are a living link between East and West. We come from both worlds, and both worlds are ours. The naturalistic and deterministic look, first of the Spanish and the North Americans, and now of ourselves in front of ourselves, said that we were Indians or Asians and therefore we had to be what we were and nothing more.

And this is the origin and the root of the continuing absurd debate about whether the Philippines should be hispanized once again, or not. When the Philippines has always been hispanized, except that the "Filipinos" born from 1901 onwards rapidly suffered, first of all, a cultural switch and the suppression of the past, and later, the outright deformation and annihilation of their historical consciousness.

In synthesis, I would say, in answer to the question of "Would it be positive for the Philippines to be hispanized once again?" that the Philippines already is hispanized. All that is lacking is for the Filipinos to realize this truth and make it work for their own benefit, to enrich themselves and progress, instead of impoverishing themselves and regressing. Because regression - unlike progress - has its limits, and it seems to me that we have already reached those limits.

Comment on the article by Alfredo Chicote, a Spaniard born in the Philippines, residing in Madrid, who considers himself Hispanic-Filipino:

"As you know, I am in complete agreement with your thesis. It is a fact, without the Filipinos' knowing it, that the Philippines is a hispanized country. I believe the article is well written and argued. It is necessary to know Spanish in order to dig into one's own past. We must see things as they are: the Philippines - for good or ill - was born as a country under Spanish dominion and her history -- as W.E. Retana well saw it -- must be read in that language, as well as in English, Tagalog, Bisaya, etc.

To give you an example to illustrate your thesis of the deformation of Philippine history, I cite a passage from a tourist brochure that I've just gotten:

"In the 19th century, Spain's colonies were racked by corrupt administration and internal disorder. Liberal ideologies fired the spirits of enlightened manileños (residents of Manila) like Philippine national hero José Rizal, who studied abroad, and Filipino rebel leader Andrés Bonifacio, who read books on revolutionaries and philosophers........"

"But freedom would not come so easily, for the Filipinos found themselves under their erstwhile ally, the Americans. Under the new conqueror, Manila spread outwards, roads and bridges were built and schools taught Filipinos Western culture in a new language -- English. Democratic processes were introduced; and Neo-Classical government edifices rose around the old city..."

Not one word about the Revolution and the war between the United States and the Philippines, which cost more lives, perhaps, than all the years under Spanish rule! And of course, they also taught the Filipinos Western culture -- as if Spain had not done. But Spain, aside from being Western, is also mestiza [of mixed blood] -- is Jewish, Arab, Roman and Phoenician; in other words, she is as mestiza as her former colonies. Therefore perhaps she has a greater capacity to understand the Philippines than the North Americans.

From another brochure, written at least by a Spaniard, I send you this very brief passage:

"When Magellan landed on the island of Homonhon in 1521, he claimed these islands for King Philip II and called them 'Felipinas'." Well, my dear, I don't know who taught this writer his history -- two huge mistakes in just one short sentence! The king at that time was Carlos I, and the name 'Felipinas' was coined by Ruy López de Villalobos in 1542 for part of Mindanao or Leyte -- we do not know with precision. Only with the passing of time was the name used for the entire archipelago. At that time, in 1521, it was known as the Western Isles or the Spice Islands, the latter because it was believed that spices grew there, as in the Moluccas Islands.

In other words, two vivid examples that illustrate your thesis:

An absolute lack of knowledge about one's own past -- no doubt inherited from an equally ignorant "Thomasite" -- that no one throughout the years has bothered to correct.

An utter disregard for the achievements of the Hispanic period. In the Philippines, before the Americans arrived, there was nothing -- only corruption and disorder. Western civilization and democracy reached the islands with Merritt's soldiers (the Cádiz Constitution never existed). And Manila, far from being the vibrant and beautiful city that the chroniclers describe for us (See Morga), did not have a single building worth mentioning, until the "Neoclassical" government buildings were built (might they be copies of those in Washington, D.C.?).

Worst of all, Elizabeth, is that the people who publish these brochures really believe these things. There are a lot of false beliefs that must be changed! Long live Sr. Gómez and his grain of sand![*]
Regards,

Alfredo

[*] Refers to Prof. Guillermo Gémez, Head of the Spanish Department, Adamson University, Manila, who to this day publishes two Spanish-language newspapers in that city.
Everybody is invited to discuss this article on our Discussion Board.
See also by the same author:Who was Wenceslao Emilio Retana?
The book "Rizal According to Retana: Portrait of a Hero and a Revolution" is available from the author.

Feliz Cumpleaños

Papa with his sons, Bernardo y Samuel

Just wanted to greet mi Padre, Señor Bartolome Arnaiz y Rivera, feliz compliaños! Born on August 24, he was named by his parents after San Bartolome, whose feast falls on the 24^th day of the month.

A proud Ilonggo but very humble man, soft spoken and during his younger years, this mestizo was a tall, well-built looker, guapo si Nonoy. He's the hardest working man I have ever known in my life.

I'll never forget how he takes good care of his hair, which is, unfortunately - all gone now. He just turned 72.

My thoughts on the paralytic hero

I took this Picture at A Mabini Corner Quirino, it was an odd place for the monument. Homeless people occasionally do their thing near it or on it. Good thing it was made of bronze not iron for if it was, it won't last!



August is famous for the simultaneous commemoration of Ninoy's heroism in EDSA chapel and in the other parts of our country bearing relation to the slain solon; his dedication towards bringing the nation back to democracy is truly inspiring. Even knowing well in advance that his life was in peril, he knew that his death would only fortify his fight and this in the end, would strengthen the nations resolve to move against the dictatorship.



Amidst the solemn dedications, televised mass offerings and media publicity, I was unsure why I kept on thinking about this other hero, this Mabini person - it could be because I have been reading books about him lately, his biography by Majul and his letters that were compiled by TM Kalaw, now published by NHI. This books were great resource if one is to understand what Mabini was like. I'm sure he was the serious kinda guy type unlike Rizal and his buddies. In Mabini's letter you would feel his tone, his formality and his admirable courtesy.



I read that there were two events held in Manila in his honor, celebrating his birthday this year, one was in A. Mabini (Manila), where the former Mayor of Manila erected a handsome looking ‘Paralitico' in bronze, I barely recognized the image, I thought at first it was the great Mayor Lacson! Mayor Lim led the commemoration with some students, government employees and bystanders. The other celebration was in PUP grounds, where his small house was moved from its former location in Nagtahan. I could not understand why it was transferred but there it is, in a school campus waiting to be harmed by vandalizing souls.



In all honesty, I never really admired Mabini with the same esteem I've had with the other giants of our history, I've read about him, for one it would be difficult to avoid his name, much his role. His presence is consistent in all of our history texts. I failed to recognize how this man, with his paralysis and loneliness conducted himself during the endless battles of the first government. How he, at some critical moments orchestrated the governments operation, leading the battered republic with Aguinaldo.



In a undated letter circa 1899, Mabini, with no military experience other than witnessing real battle and assisting in planning battle positions with the other commanders, provided a seasoned warrior in Aguinaldo how ‘to seize Manila', his ‘pointers' were that of a fighting general, minus the distinguished uniform. This only goes to show how this man, deserves his title as the ‘brains of the revolution'.



In all his letters to Aguinaldo, although always respectful, one could sense that he had always doubted the Generals capacity to lead the nation. His criticism were sharp, his objections, direct to the point. In one of his letter he acknowledged his being ‘troublesome' to the presidents busy schedule but still insisted that he be heard. His observation that living the treasury in the hands of the ‘rich people of Manila' would mean trouble for the people. How it was ‘set up' would place the government ‘under its power' according to him - how brilliant is this man that he understood even the minds of soon to be grafters.



Nick Joaquin, in his popular book, ‘Questions of Heroes' noted that Mabinis character always wanted to be ‘blameless' of all the missteps that the government commits. The great national artist has pointed out that Mabini was too critical of the government that he himself help designed. In Malolos, he objected to the point of alienating the rich and ilustrados, when substantial number of this faction retracted their support and went back to Manila accepting America's rule, it made matters even more difficult for the revolutionary government. The ‘blameless' Mabini has antagonized all, the story of his relation with with his old master ends up in a sour note, his allegation against Aguinaldo's misled government and abuses was a show of a complete breakdown. Much to his credit, he swore allegiance to the American only after securing certain rights for the Filipino under the bill of rights of the Yankees, while everyone, all his contemporaries swore to the American flag without any guarantees.



It would be difficult to understand what Mabini desired the most, he was said to be against allowing the rich in power, he saw it as a class issue, that this few should not be allowed to reign - their rise in his mind must be averted, he insisted that the peasantry and the lowly soldiers must have a say and be represented, something that does not really sit well with the men of properties. In all of this, one could not help but think that Mabini led a campaign that disunited the most important elements (the mass, the soldiers and the rich, the ilustrados) that could've increased the chance of the government's survival. The Mabini with the great revolutionary mind was a flawed statesman, unwell in compromising with his fellow Filipino, a luckless diplomat who end up fighting a crucial class, the group that Rizal wanted to be involved in order to win the battle.



I saw in Mabini the intellect that none of his contemporaries could match, he is a perfectionist - he always demands what is ‘right' in his eyes. He always questions, clamoring for answers. He could be the most beautiful mind our revolution ever had, for his time was different one, he was fighting - not physically but mentally. War was in front of him most of the time; his battles were different in so many ways to that of the ‘propagandistas' and the other political thinkers who wanted to liberate the country.



My view of this man is, yes, different from the usual Mabini we think of when we were younger - but reading how he lived made me ask more questions about who he really was. For me, he is a great Filipino - still but I long to know more, that in time, I'm certain would be answered by my lifelong study of our nation's history. No one could deduct what he has already done for his country. In a biography I saw how this Tanauan native rose to prominence because of his intellectual mind, how he valued education and how passionate he was for his fellow Filipinos welfare, which should served as an example for all of us. In his letters and writings, I saw his mind and how accurate were some of his observations, some are still very relevant to our modern times. He was not perfect, but in the end, his story, his role in our history, his achievements, his heroism and yes, his failures deserve to be read and studied by all young Filipino historians.

NATIONALISM: THE PHILIPPINES' EXPERIENCE THUS FAR'

In line with the questions raised by some of our friends on the topic below, I'm posting this article.

i would like to apologize that I misquoted Bro. Andrew's book, it was not 1% but 2.8% - that's the percentage of Filipinos according to him that spoke in Spanish (at the turn of the century, 1900's).

---

A REVIEW OF BROTHER ANDREW'S BOOK: "LANGUAGE AND

NATIONALISM: THE PHILIPPINES' EXPERIENCE THUS FAR'

By Pío Andrade

(Historian, Researcher and regular contributor of the Philippine-Chinese weekly magazine TULAY published by Teresita Ang See in Binondo, Manila. Author of the best selling book, ‘The fooling of America'.)

Brother Andrew's treatise "Language and Nationalism" was praised in the forword by Cecilio López as "the most exhaustive and up-to-date treatment of the language problem in the Philippines".

It may have been up-to-date when it was published, but by no means could it be described as exhaustive. One look at the list of references shows the absence of very important sources such as the following but which were not consulted at all:

1)The Official Census of 1903;

2)The Ford Report of 1916, which shows that the use of Spanish

was more widespread than commonly admitted, and,3)Velenzuela's History of Philippine Journalism.There are many big and important facts on the language question that are not mentioned at all in Brother Andrew's book, such as the fact about Spanish being the language of the Revolution, the role of Spanish in effecting the unity of the various Filipino ethnic groups which made the 1896-99 Revolution possible; the role of the Chinese Filipinos in disseminating the language of Cervantes all over the country due to the fact that the Philippines was the most thoroughly educated Asian colony in the last decades of the 19^th century, and, the fact about the much higher circulation of Spanish language dailies than either the Tagalog or English dailies in the 1930s.
Brother Andrew González, FSC, uncritically accepted the figure of 2.8% as the percentage of Filipinos who can speak and write in Spanish at the turn of the century given by Cavada Méndez y Vigo's book. This book was printed in 1870, just seven years after the establishment of the Philippine Public chool system in 1863 by Spain.

Surely by 1900, more than 2.8% of the Filipinos were speaking and writing in Spanish and there was incontrovertible proof behind this assertion.

Don Carlos Palanca's Memorandum to the Schurman Commission listed 8 Spanish-speaking provinces in the islands in addition to the 9 Tagalog-speaking provinces which, according to him, are also Spanish-speaking. To this total of 17 Spanish speaking provinces, Don Carlos added that there were only 5 other provinces where "only a little Spanish is spoken". Don Carlos Palanca was the gobernadorcillo of Binondo and the head of the Gremio de Mestizos. (Chinese Christians were the ones referred to as Mestizos since the Spanish half-breed was called Criollo).

William Howard Taft's 1901 statement after his tour of the Philippines clearly says that Spanish was more widespread than Tagalog.
This fact about Spanish being even more widespread than Tagalog in the entire archipelago is further attested to by the well-documented fact that American soldiers during the Fil-American war had to speak bamboo Spanish to all Filipinos, ----not bamboo Tagalog----, in order to be understood without any interpreter. There is still that other fact about the early occupational government of the American Military in the Philippines having to publishe, in Spanish, not in Tagalog, all its official communications in order to be understood by the Filipino people. An English translation was appended whenever necessary for the consumption of the Americans themselves.

This official use of Spanish by the Americans themselves went on up to 1910 when they started to issue communications in English but still followed by a corresponding Spanish translation of the same. In view of this fact, if a national Filipino national language needed to be established other than English, the correct choice should have been Spanish, not Tagalog.

A big fault of Brother Andrew's book lies in his uncritical acceptance of Teodoro Agoncillo's History of the Revolution. Agoncillo's History book has already been proven to be heavily distorted by omission of facts, false interpretation of events and documents and by outright lies.. The omission of these other facts was done because the same could not be reconciled with Mr. Agoncillo's own personal bias in the narration and teaching of Philippines history.
An example of Brother Andrew's fault with regard his uncritical acceptance of Agoncilo's distortion of history is the conclusion that the founding members of the KKK (Katipunan) were Filipinos of lowly origin. The founding Supremo of the KKK is Andrés Bonifacio and it is not so that he is of lowly origin. Bonifacio was definitely not a poor man when he got into the Katipunan. Nor were the other Katiputan charter members. Agoncillo also failed to mention that the Philippine economy was booming during that decade and that Bonifacio, unlike most other Filipinos, approved of the torture of a captive Friar.

The years 1900 to the Commonwealth period (1935-1941) were not well researched by Brother and "Doctor" Andrew Gonzalez. Thus, the language issue affecting the Filipinos then are not well discussed. Had Brother Andrew researched more on the language issue of that period, he would have found out that as late as the 1930s Spanish dailies out-circulated both the Tagalog and English language dailies.

He would have found out also that the use of Spanish during the following decade of 1940 was bound to even get stronger had it not been for the devastating 1943-45 war.
The strength of Spanish is evidenced by the majority of cinema films shown between 1900 and 1940. These films, even if made in Holywood were in Spanish subtitles and talkies. And several of the Philippines produced full-length films had an all-Spanish talkies.
Another important fact not found in Brother Andrew's book is the role of the Spanish language in assimilating and integrating the Chinese emigrants into mainstream Filipino society. The 100,000 Chinese in the Philippines at the turn of the century spoke Spanish in varying degrees of proficiency. The Philippine Chinese Chamber of Commerce since its establishment in 1904 wrote its minutes in Spanish until 1924. When they ceased using Spanish in their official meetings and minutes, they reverted to Chinese, not English. Today, strange as it may seem, the last bastion of whatever Spanish language is left are the Chinese Filipinos, and not those of Spanish descent except the Padilla Zóbel family that maintains the annual Premio Zóbel.

Finally, Brother and "doctor" Andrew González treated very superficially the question of nationalism and language. There should have been more discussions on the point that adopting a foreign tongue, or using foreign words, are not per se against nationalism. If nationalism is love for ones country and foreign words and language can best help literacy and communication, it is nationalistic doing so.

Neither did Brother and Doctor Andrew González realize that nationalism in the question of language can be destructive as has been the case in the Philippines. Doing away with Spanish orthography and the cartilla, the educational authorities did away with a very inexpensive and very effective method for teaching reading skills to the young Filipinos.
Exterminating Spanish in the schools made the Filipinos today estranged to their Hispanic past and made Filipinos prey to nationalist historians who misled several generations of Filipinos in the sense that Spain had done the Philippines very little good when the contrary is true.
What is the prime purpose of language? Is it not to make us understand one another better. Yet, Brother and Doctor Andrew González' book gives the impressions that showing nationalism is the prime purpose of language.
To be fair to Brother Andrew González, we want to think that he is a victim of too many distortions found in Philippine History including the history of language among Filipinos. Thus, the remark of Cecilio López in his introduction to Brother Andrew's book "Language and Nationalism", that the same "is the most exhaustive and up-to-date treatment of the language problem in the Philippines" is only true in the sense that the very few books on the same subject are mostly superficial.
Perhaps it will be correct for us to recall a Spanish saying that prays: En el país de los ciegos el tuerto es rey.

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Thanks to Senor Gomez for sending me this article.

Spanish 101

I started taking classes in Spanish at the Instituto Cervantes, the Spanish language school and cultural center, located in Avenida Kalaw. Filipinos are fortunate to have this institution around, it provides everyone the oppurtunity to learn the Castillian language.

I have been reading Spanish text for sometime, although I could discern the meaning behind the words I feel that I am missing some important pieces. I am incapable of effective communication in Spanish. I realized that formal lessons is the right course.

I regret the fact that we removed Spanish subjects in our schools, It is a beautiful language, its part of our history and heritage - something that some popular history scholars would immediately dismiss, out of their nationalistic sentiments and the hate of everything that is Spanish.

The role that this language has played in our development has been annulled by our leaders in the past (both political & educational - an American manipulation) who views it useless. Instead, we make English subjects compulsary for everyone - a foreign language who came to our shores less than a century ago.

We Filipinos owe so much from this language, it enhanced our way of life, gave us Catholicism - our faith, Education and all the wonderful things that was shared to us by Spaniards through this language. It is only fitting that we respect it as part of our culture and history.

Let not the 'historia negra' blind us, the Spanish era was not the dark ages, it was a transitional period were we progressed into a better way of life, having better working communities, civilized, God fearing, educated and in order. We have to start reading our history - the real history.

I'm pleased with what I found out in the Instituto, they have been seeing an increased in enrollment. They credit the call centers demands for Spanish representatives. I hope that in the process, the students would not only use the skill to increase their pay grade but find in themselves the splendor of the Castillian language and how important it was then to our county - and how relevant it is now for us Filipinos. As the Profesor said in one of the class, 'I hope you'll fall in love with the Spanish language just like I did, you'll understand our history and how people was then through this language'.

I've always advocated that our educational system bring back to our schools the Castillian language, if its too much to ask, at least make it an optional subject. Students of history, like me would definitely be interested in taking it up - and all the other Filipinos who understands its true historical value.

According to Pio Andrade, Spanish was widely used althrough out the archipelago. Proof of this is the Chinese Filipinos of Binondo. He uncovered that most spoke fluent Spanish. The 1% theory of the late Bro. Andrew in his book is inaccurate. It was not the language of the aristocrats but of common folks too. Filipinos was widely using the language in different levels of proficiency, most having a working knowledge of how to communicate, in fact in Visayas and Mindanao - it was the language that would be understood when, for example a Cebuano would find trouble understanding a Waray, not the Tagalog.

Americans study French, and some other country still honor their colonial language by studying it. It is still being disputed how widely used the Castillian language was during the Spanish era, some has cited that the Spanish intentionally disallowed its teaching because they do not want the poor Indios to learn Spanish - this is not true, the reason why it was controlled (not totally banned) is to protect the country from the liberals and antimonarchs coming from Spain and the rest of Europe, which was a natural reaction from the Catholic and Spanish hierarchy.

They wanted to limit books and all the other types of communication that could have subversive liberal contents. They fear that it could create a movement in the islands that would seek to overthrow the Spanish leadership.

In the end, the revoution did took place. If it was any consolation, it was the proof that Filipinos, was the most educated Asian of his time - thanks to the Spanish language.

Why Learn Spanish then?

Here are some exlanation Gerald Erichsen of About.com provided:

Better understanding of English: Much of the vocabulary of English has Latin origins, much of which came to English by way of French. Since Spanish is also a Latin language, you will find as you study Spanish that you have a better understanding of your native vocabulary. Similarly, both Spanish and English share Indo-European roots, so their grammars are similar. There is perhaps no more effective way to learn English grammar than by studying the grammar of another language, for the study forces you to think about how your language is structured. It's not unusual, for example, to gain an understanding of English verbs' tenses and moods by learning how those verbs are used in Spanish.

Knowing your neighbors: Not all that many years ago, the Spanish-speaking population of the United States was confined to the Mexican border states, Florida and New York City. But no more. Even where I live, less than 100 kilometers from the Canadian border, there are Spanish-speaking people living on the same street as I do. Knowing Spanish has proven invaluable in speaking with other residents of my town who don't know English.

Travel: Yes, it is perfectly possible to visit Mexico, Spain and even Ecuatorial Guinea without speaking a word of Spanish. But it isn't nearly half as much fun. I remember about two decades ago — when my Spanish was much less adequate than it is today — when I met some mariachis on top of one of the pyramids near Mexico City. Because I spoke (albeit limited) Spanish, they wrote down the words for me so I could sing along. It turned out to be one of my most memorable travel experiences, and one unlike what most tourists have the opportunity to enjoy. Time and time again while traveling in Mexico, Central America and South America I have had doors opened to me simply because I speak Spanish, allowing me to see and do things that many other visitors do not.

Cultural understanding: While most of us can't hope to learn the languages of more than one or two cultures other than that of our own, those that we can learn help us to learn how other people learn and think. When I read Latin American or Spanish newspapers, for example, I often find that I gain a sense of how other people think and feel, a way that is different than my own. Spanish also offers a wealth of literature, both modern and traditional.

Learning other languages: If you can learn Spanish, you'll have a head start in learning the other Latin-based languages such as French and Italian. And it will even help you learn Russian and German, since they too have Indo-European roots and have some characteristics (such as gender and extensive conjugation) that are present in Spanish but not English. And I wouldn't be surprised if learning Spanish might even help you learn Japanese or any other non-Indo-European language, since intensive learning the structure of a language can give you a reference point for learning others.

Fire in Carriedo and an old picture never found

I took some photos of the Carriedo fire (Avenida Rizal corner Bustos), which destroyed the Good Earth store. There was black smoke all over the place. I heard that the LRT coaches were stranded that day, electricity in the vicinity gone for a few hours, traffic re -routed but I was surprised that few people minded the chaos. Stores were open surrounding its area, people were walking and shopping - it is as if there was no danger present from the fire and the thick black smoke.

Only in the Philippines!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="356" caption="Look at the family on the right side (pedicab), enjoying their moments amidst the raging fire less than a block away!"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="354" caption="Good Earth! on Fire!"][/caption]

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I was walking the streets of Manila the day when this fire took place, I don't have much to do lately but study and treat myself with this leisurely walks. Its good exercise you know.

The purpose of this particular trip was to look for a photo studio where my father had a picture of him in an Americana suit, he was still a binata when it was taken. He was a handsome mestizo (I can't figure out why I am not!) and he had this show business aura, he was a looker! This was probably the reason why the studio owner used his photo as a display (without his permission!). So the first thing you would notice when you enter this shop is his blown up picture, ala Pancho Magalona.

Unfortunately, due to bad memory he cannot name the place, he gave me a big area to cover, but that's cool with me since I love to walk anyways. There was this one place near Quaipo church, but that was not it - we had a portrait there as a family.

He only found out about this from a relative. He never saw it personally. Inspired by this story, I tried looking for the photo studio around Carriedo, Sta. Cruz and Quiapo area; unfortunately I did not find it. It was later that I realized that this old studios are probably been out of business for sometime due to the new technology of digital photography or its possible that they've converted their business to one. Throwing away the old photos that once decorated their small shops.

Things I do to satisfy my cravings for the past!

Save Quiapo!

Isn't this beautiful! a church at the end of the road!

I was reading my round of blogsites the other day when I stumbled upon this cry for help to save Quiapo's Calle Hidalgo from one of the more popular blogger around Carlos.

Ironically, just last week I visited this place, but due to heavy rains I didn't notice that there was a four storey condominium being built along the street, as of this writing, according to a friend they have started digging, soon I'm definite that they would commence laying the concrete foundations.

Hidalgo is still one of my favorite streets of Manila, I'll never forget seeing this place for the first time when I was in grade school. My Tia Lydia brought me to the steps San Sebastian, I was awed by its beauty. It was so perfect, from Quezon if one would walk; the church would be visible at the end of the road. At the end of the long thread, the steel church awaits - what a reward! I can only imagine how beautiful this place was, back in the old days.

It is quite obvious that Quiapo has slowly deteriorated due to neglect, but it's never too late. ‘The heart of Manila' according toProf. Zialcita (subtitle of his book Quiapo) still has the potential - the beautiful houses are still there!

The Paterno house (not 100% sure though) when I tried to speak with the people who resides inside, all I got were blank stares.

I dream one day that I can bring along foreigners and show them how great Manila was, and how it protected its heritage while progressing into a first class city, through Quiapo.

Looking at David's map the building would be built between the Ocampo and Paterno houses, which would make it out of place, worst this would congest the already heavy foot and vehicle traffic, they should keep in mind that there are schools on that street (MLQU being one of them with a very substantial student population). If there's one thing that the city government of Manila does not have,  is the appreciation for these historic places - they just don't take the value of heritage into consideration when they allow private constructions, is it all money? la avaricia para el dinero!

This could be the Ocampo house. If only we could restore this houses!

When you look at countries like Singapore, Malaysia and even communist Vietnam, you would notice that they take pride in their colonial houses, you would not see them destroy this relics, instead they would put efforts to restore them - why can't we do the same?

In time, this houses that represents the glorious past would be gone, lost forever. That is why I usually would walk tirelessly, taking photographs of old houses and places, I would want to save them even in pictures - because at this moment, everything seems to be fading away and were not getting that much from our government.

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Please visit this site (click here) and be part of a signature campaign to stop this condominium construction that would not only destroy the historic corridors of Hidalgo, but would worsen the traffic situation! I don't understand why Mayor Lim gave the green lights for this, I should not be surprise anymore, what's new!

Rizal in polka dots

I was on my way to the archives in Kalaw when I noticed this statue, almost hidden, close to the Tourism building.

I can't help but smile when I saw this one, a man who look like Rizal riding a carabao wearing a polka dotted polo with red pants, carrying a plow, sleeves rolled up ready for days work in the rice fields!

I'm sure that even Rizal would laugh at this one, he has always projected himself well, he dress like that of a European man -a ‘vanedoso', very sophisticated and refined in his choices of clothing, and now this - a depiction of the fashionable Rizal on top of a carabao, in colorful polka dots!

Rizal monuments always catches my attention, for one, they are a common site in our country, they are everywhere. This one is not Rizal - but was molded in his likeness.

I read about a comment of one of Rizal relatives, even this man believes that we 'over do' monuments with Pepe as a theme, 'kulang na lang pati mga lugar na inihian ni Rizal tayuan ng monumento!' - I for one believe that we should, as a people try to pay homage to other significant contributors in our culture and history. Most monuments are either revolutionaries, propagandist or presidents, Its about time we look at our past, not confined by the revolutionaries and politicians.

This farmer statue reminds me of anatomical drawings I saw that dates back in the early 1900's, the male model had striking resemblance with the national hero; He was the perfect model of Filipino manhood during that time! so if one is to picture a Filipino, the Americans would want you to see Rizal.

The Americans was successful in their drive to make Pepe the national hero, he was the moderate one, the other revolutionaries were, well, a bit too radical.

So even though we are taught in our history books of the brave Bonifacio (contrary to popular belief, not a plebeian but an illustrado) and the Generalisimmo's campaign against mother Spain (Boni and his siblings killed in Maragondon by Aguinaldos men, it was a bloody revolution!) - we were given a propagandist for a national hero. When the other nation's national heroes were all fighters, we got for ourselves a writer.

As a young man I thought it was a simple case of the ‘Pen is mightier than the sword' situation, but as I later found out, his election to the stature of national hero has something to do with his reputation - a reformist and a pacifist. Even in this type of selection, political convenience plays a major role.