The Independence of the Philippines
"All that is necessary for evil to prosper is that good people do nothing."
We have seen and experienced the political maneuverings of the 2-party systems (Liberal and Nacionalista) in the democracy of the Philippines that saw its independence with the guidance of the United States on July 4,1946. And fittingly, every 4th of July, Independence day is pompously observed at the plaza Luneta in Manila where the seat of the government is and where the president lives - the Malacanang Palace. On May 12, 1962, President Diosdado Macapagal of the Liberal Party moved the commemoration of Independence Day from July 4 to June 12. Despite the accusation of politicizing the holiday by many people which is normal in a democracy, Macapagal stood his ground on the recognition of June 12 as the true Independence Day because it was "the birthday of the independent Filipino nation. This has unprecedented support, unity, and resolve of various leaders from local government nationwide. Macapagal argued that when America declared its independence from England on July 4, 1776, it was only after 7 years on Sept. 3, 1783, when the former Mother Country formally recognized the United States' independence. " "Nevertheless, the American people have regarded July 4 as their day of freedom. In the same way, June12, 1898 is the true birthday of an independent Filipino nation, for it was on this day that they called the whole world to witness their powerful resolve to consider themselves absolved of allegiance to the Spanish crown, said Diosdado Macapagal."
We have seen and experienced the political maneuverings of the 2-party systems (Liberal and Nacionalista) in the democracy of the Philippines that saw its independence with the guidance of the United States on July 4,1946. And fittingly, every 4th of July, Independence day is pompously observed at the plaza Luneta in Manila where the seat of the government is and where the president lives - the Malacanang Palace. On May 12, 1962, President Diosdado Macapagal of the Liberal Party moved the commemoration of Independence Day from July 4 to June 12. Despite the accusation of politicizing the holiday by many people which is normal in a democracy, Macapagal stood his ground on the recognition of June 12 as the true Independence Day because it was "the birthday of the independent Filipino nation. This has unprecedented support, unity, and resolve of various leaders from local government nationwide. Macapagal argued that when America declared its independence from England on July 4, 1776, it was only after 7 years on Sept. 3, 1783, when the former Mother Country formally recognized the United States' independence. " "Nevertheless, the American people have regarded July 4 as their day of freedom. In the same way, June12, 1898 is the true birthday of an independent Filipino nation, for it was on this day that they called the whole world to witness their powerful resolve to consider themselves absolved of allegiance to the Spanish crown, said Diosdado Macapagal."
"The Philippine Declaration of Independence was proclaimed on June 12, 1898, in Cavite 11 el Viejo ( present-day Kawit, Cavite) with the public reading of the Act of the Proclamation of Independence of the Filipino people." (www. history.com/) Independence was declared by Emilio Aguinaldo at Kawit, Cavite).
And when a new administration enters the door of the Malacanang Palace, new programs are installed in the name of the incumbent forgetting those programs that were started. especially so that new cabinet members were chosen by the coming president. Four years are not sufficient for projects or programs to be fully implemented.
This vicious cycle in Congress plus the bickerings, shades of vengeance tend to slow down the smooth flow of the legislative process. Thus, the first term of the president is a preparatory period for the re-election campaign and of course, the programs that were undertaken were not fully implemented. All along the rough road of Democracy, problems sprouted; the people of the Palace have their picnic time of abundance, catering to the halves, befriending the mighty and moneyed echelons of society.
The political arena was greatly monopolized by the two parties - the Nationalista and the Liberal. And names like Quezon, Roxas, Osmena, Quirino, Macapagal, Garcia, Magsaysay, Aquino, Marcos, etc., occupy the spaces. And Benigno Aquino has the ambition to occupy the Palace only to be overshadowed by the popularity of the promising UP law grad Ferdinand Marcos whom the old Laurel found a presidential future that led to his non-conviction on the Nalundasan case. Marcus of the Liberal Party was courted by the Nacionalista stalwart to go against Macapagal. Meanwhile, Benigno Aquino, the young journalist was with the Liberal Party who has the secret plan to topple Marcus by creating a unique plan to destabilize the government with a man called Jose' Maria Sison to plant the seed of rebellion by fertilizing that seed with chaos painting the Palace as adamant to the demands of the poor, of the marginalized while the rich are getting richer, those with power became powerful.
We have democracy on July 4, 1946. And I was 6 years old from the municipality of Labason who had one private Protestant high school and college and two years later a private Catholic high school was founded. There was no radio at that time in a farmer's hut. Neither was there adequate plumbing. The meadows, the bushes, the forest, the swamps, the streams, the rivers were our friendly neighbors who cater to our wants and needs. Reading materials were the vernacular media, Bisaya, Liwayway, Song Hits, and the Philippines Free Press.
The airwaves floated with the vernacular's tunes of " Birds they voted in Lanao at pati aswang pa raw ang eleksiyon lutong Macao 'til Magsaysay see them how? Mambo-mambo Magsaysay, mambo-mambo mabuhay ang eleksiyon lutong Macao 'til Magsaysay see them how". And Ramon Magsaysay who was the Secretary of National Defense became known through his great job of letting the members of the Hukbalahap movement surrender and captured them led by the supremo Luis Taruc and later emerged the Communist Party whose armed force is the New Peoples Army (NPA). The main concern of their rebellion was about land reform. So Magsaysay opened the homestead to the vast virgin lands of Mindanao, particularly Lanao, Bukidnon, Cotabato, and Davao.
With this move, I surmised, the tentacles of corruption wriggled. The vast virgin lands of Mindanao were open for grabs. But you have to know somebody, a surveyor, a forest ranger, a politician local and national as the homestead land title is only processed in Manila. People from Luzon, the Visayas flocked to the Land of Promise- Mindanao.
Some enterprising minds looked at the centuries-old trees in the tropical forest of Mindanao and the rivers. ( Remember the Niles river of Egypt.) A certain unschooled man became rich because of the forest and the river. And there were those who have the capital that used dummies to operate the logging business. Here again, was the temptation of those who were elected by the people to ameliorate them only to impoverish them, instead. Years later, as the loggers basked in the glory of the good life, the poor farmers suffered the wrath of the bald forest, the rivers, and the streams.
By the way, Mindanao is really the land of its natives and those that later embraced the Islam religion. And there were three groups of Muslims: from the coastal- the Tausogs, (people of the current) the Muslims of the Sulu peninsula. The second to accept Islam were the Maguindanao of Cotabato (people of the flooded plains) and the third group were the Maranaos of the province of Lanao. (people of the Lake).
This vicious cycle in Congress plus the bickerings, shades of vengeance tend to slow down the smooth flow of the legislative process. Thus, the first term of the president is a preparatory period for the re-election campaign and of course, the programs that were undertaken were not fully implemented. All along the rough road of Democracy, problems sprouted; the people of the Palace have their picnic time of abundance, catering to the halves, befriending the mighty and moneyed echelons of society.
The political arena was greatly monopolized by the two parties - the Nationalista and the Liberal. And names like Quezon, Roxas, Osmena, Quirino, Macapagal, Garcia, Magsaysay, Aquino, Marcos, etc., occupy the spaces. And Benigno Aquino has the ambition to occupy the Palace only to be overshadowed by the popularity of the promising UP law grad Ferdinand Marcos whom the old Laurel found a presidential future that led to his non-conviction on the Nalundasan case. Marcus of the Liberal Party was courted by the Nacionalista stalwart to go against Macapagal. Meanwhile, Benigno Aquino, the young journalist was with the Liberal Party who has the secret plan to topple Marcus by creating a unique plan to destabilize the government with a man called Jose' Maria Sison to plant the seed of rebellion by fertilizing that seed with chaos painting the Palace as adamant to the demands of the poor, of the marginalized while the rich are getting richer, those with power became powerful.
We have democracy on July 4, 1946. And I was 6 years old from the municipality of Labason who had one private Protestant high school and college and two years later a private Catholic high school was founded. There was no radio at that time in a farmer's hut. Neither was there adequate plumbing. The meadows, the bushes, the forest, the swamps, the streams, the rivers were our friendly neighbors who cater to our wants and needs. Reading materials were the vernacular media, Bisaya, Liwayway, Song Hits, and the Philippines Free Press.
The airwaves floated with the vernacular's tunes of " Birds they voted in Lanao at pati aswang pa raw ang eleksiyon lutong Macao 'til Magsaysay see them how? Mambo-mambo Magsaysay, mambo-mambo mabuhay ang eleksiyon lutong Macao 'til Magsaysay see them how". And Ramon Magsaysay who was the Secretary of National Defense became known through his great job of letting the members of the Hukbalahap movement surrender and captured them led by the supremo Luis Taruc and later emerged the Communist Party whose armed force is the New Peoples Army (NPA). The main concern of their rebellion was about land reform. So Magsaysay opened the homestead to the vast virgin lands of Mindanao, particularly Lanao, Bukidnon, Cotabato, and Davao.
With this move, I surmised, the tentacles of corruption wriggled. The vast virgin lands of Mindanao were open for grabs. But you have to know somebody, a surveyor, a forest ranger, a politician local and national as the homestead land title is only processed in Manila. People from Luzon, the Visayas flocked to the Land of Promise- Mindanao.
Some enterprising minds looked at the centuries-old trees in the tropical forest of Mindanao and the rivers. ( Remember the Niles river of Egypt.) A certain unschooled man became rich because of the forest and the river. And there were those who have the capital that used dummies to operate the logging business. Here again, was the temptation of those who were elected by the people to ameliorate them only to impoverish them, instead. Years later, as the loggers basked in the glory of the good life, the poor farmers suffered the wrath of the bald forest, the rivers, and the streams.
By the way, Mindanao is really the land of its natives and those that later embraced the Islam religion. And there were three groups of Muslims: from the coastal- the Tausogs, (people of the current) the Muslims of the Sulu peninsula. The second to accept Islam were the Maguindanao of Cotabato (people of the flooded plains) and the third group were the Maranaos of the province of Lanao. (people of the Lake).
And life especially in an independent country is precious, let's enjoy it.
