Independence

Just hours from now, people in the US will be celebrating their country's 233rd Independence Day. Well, I really don't have any concern about it, but the Fourth of July used to be our Independence Day too, but some lunatic in the name of Diosdado Macapagal changed it to June 12th.

The Philippines has a long history of being a colony. It was March 15, 1521 when Ferdinand Magellan arrived in the Philippines - the start of colonizations in the Philippines. Our ancestors have fought hard and long for our independence, but too bad for them, because I don't see my country standing on it's own two feet anytime soon. Too many names to mention, they all sacrificed their lives just to see something that hasn't happened until now.

Then, when Spanish forces are becoming weaker as more and more Filipinos are starting to realize that they should not let other people rule them, a man named Emilio Aguinaldo "led" many brave (though I can't call them honorable) men to fights against the Spaniards. He wasn't making any real progress, but I think he convinced himself that he was. Then, on June 12th, 1898, he declared the Philippine Independence and formed his own government and blah, blah, blah. The problem is, he CAN'T declare independence when the Spaniards were still clearly ruling at the time. He just can't. And independence, according to wordnet.princeton.edu, means "freedom from control or influence of another or others." But neither the Malolos Republic (also called the First Philippine Republic, it's the insurgent government that Aguinaldo established) nor he wasn't free from such things. The so-called government's money even came from bribes given by the Spanish people. Aguinaldo's decisions were based on the advices of the people around him AND what the Spanish officials want. Freedom? Nah.

Past almost fifty years later the Philippines was still under another "giant" country: the United States. We became a commonwealth, because the Americans thought Filipinos weren't ready to lead their own country. Then Japanese occupied, but their invasion only lasted for two years. The Americans "helped" us become "free" from the Japs and General Douglas MacArthur declared the Philippines "completely liberated" on the 4th of July 1946. But we're not. Independence Schmindependence. Our economy remained under the control of the US, because of the Bell Trade Act (this stupid law made the stupid Filipino leaders amend the constitution just so Americans can exploit the natural resources of the Philippines, plus all other unfair agreements ALWAYS in favor of the "mother" country).

Here comes the Macapagal. Oh. The OLDER Macapagal. He didn't do any great deed, and he's more known for being the father of the current president of the Philippines and by changing the date of our "Independence" from July 4 to June 12 than anything else. I don't know what's in his mind, but I believe he did it just so there's something "good" in his track record.

And just look at the Philippines now. GMA prolly can't even decide ANYTHING without consulting the IMF, the WB, or Kirstie.

Oh well. Change the dates anytime. Whatever. We're still NOT independent.

***I'm a think- then-type-instantly kind of person. I don't proofread. So if there's anything wrong, it's all me. It's not like people read this blog anyway.