Happy 12th of June, everyone!

If the Americans have their fourth of July, Filipinos too, have their own reasons and a date to celebrate today.

Indeed, the Philippines has come a looong way after being held captive under several foreign hands. Our archipelago looks really enticing to the foreigners even 400 years ago. Our land, located at the center of the Pacific, wouldn't be declared as the Pearl of the Orient for nothing. We absolutely stood out among the rest of our Asian counterparts.

Our roots can be traced back from our Malay ancestors. That explains the warm tone of our complexion. Our first rulers are the so-called datus, sultans, the Maharlikas. And Lapu-lapu is just one of our great forefathers.

The beauty of our land first caught the eye of King Philip II of Spain and he sent the famous antagonist of our History, a Portuguese, named Ferdinand Magellan to explore the land and perhaps make the Philippines a colony of Spain. But, Ferdinand Magellan was ill-fated in the end. He was doomed by Lapu-lapu. And no, they did not argue because of some stupid diaper like that of the commercial on tv. Maybe, Lapu-lapu saw the boiling scheme of the Spaniards. So the Spaniards were sent off to their native coasts. Hey, we did beat the Europeans back then.

For 300 years, under the Spanish rule, we were indios. We were treated as dumb people, were made to follow unnecessary and ridiculous customs like that of following the prayles regarding the financial donations in church. We were told that if we don't give, then our souls will be fucked up in hell. And yes, we believed that, only to find out that the said donations were used to buy the weekly groceries of the prayles.

It wasn't so bad after all, if it wasn't for the Spain, we wouldn't have Intramuros today and I doubt if University of Santo Tomas will be able to celebrate their 400th year. Several structures, like that of the old Jones Bridge wouldn't emerge if it wasn't with such strong influence.

University of Santo Tomas, Manila

Old Jones Bridge, Manila

Three hundred years it was, and then it was time for a change. Obama wasn't born yet at the time being and I doubt if he's going to fight for us. That's why we have Rizal. An illustrado. A jack of all trades. He was a prolific writer and with his quill, he narrated to the world the oppression of the common Juan through his two novels,  the Noli me Tangere and the El Filibusterismo. It was a very silent attack to the oppressors but nevertheless, bold enough to make a statement. Unfortunately, Rizal didn't make it to the interviews for his success of provoking the prayles, he was shot at the Bagumbayan shortly afterwards.

Then came Bonifacio. He's that guy over at Monumento. He's got the blood of Lapu-lapu, I think, bringing the Katipuneros into battle with their bolos and itak over the guns of the Spaniards. We have great heroes and their stories were retold to every generation.

The Americans and the Japanese have also their fair share of our history. Under the American regime, we've got Westernized. The educational system was reformed, culture was liberated. And yes, Jones Bridge was reformatted, American style. We've got this tie with the Americans ever since. They even opposed the date of our Independence day. They want fireworks looming at the Manila skies on fourth of July. Children those days sang the Star-Spangled Banner. Trust me, my lola knows. 

The Japanese came in and another bloody chapter of Philippine history unfolded. The decade of comfort women, of terror and of the lost Yamashita treasure. But we have the Americans behind our backs and Nagasaki and Hiroshima were lost in the maps. So the Japanese didn't lodge in our coasts for too long. 

That answers the complexities of Filipinos today. Be it physically, culturally or spiritually. We now have the meztizas, the chinitas, the half-breeds, but we still have the same rooting. 

My beloved Philippines has endured centuries of being dragged into pains and gains, though it didn't emerged unscathed, it was still the Pearl of the Orient Seas. Bittersweet our history was, here we are, savoring the triumph and freedom that our heroes once fought for. And it will still dazzle the foreigners by its magic and halina.

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas, tunay kang malaya.