3. Pre-colonial Philippines (on culture and life ways)
– based on William Henry Scott's book Ba ra ngay
a. Looking into the Preface or the Introductory section of the book, what was/were the author's objective/s in writing the book and did he achieve that/those objective/s?
The objective of the author is to access the readers in learning about the pre-colonial Philippines. Because there many people that are wrongly educated with our own history, he wanted to correct these false understanding. Even history subjects in high school sometimes have wrong facts that are spread to the students, which makes us ignorant in the truth about our history. Many of his write ups and topics are amazingly good. Achieving his objectives to correct and enhance
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Before I read the book, I actually didn’t know that there is a civilized way of living before the arrival of the Spaniards. That we are not molded by the Spaniards. Secondary schools don’t really give importance to the pre-colonial history. But when I read the book I was amazed with fact that we already had our indigenous culture, a true culture that originated in our own ancestors and not created or influenced by the colonizers of our country. It is really a good thing to know about our pre-colonial history. I sometimes try to think, “what if we are not colonized by foreign cultures, would we still have these indigenous culture with us today?”
– If you look into the pre-colonial past of the Philippines and compare it to the current situation of the country, which aspects of the old culture do you wish to be retained and still be practiced until the present?
One aspect of our old culture that I wish to be retained is the equality of men and women. In our generation today, there are some things that are not equally given to men and/ or to women.
4. On Philippine
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That there was no system of living in the pre-colonial Philippines. Archeology aided in clarifying that civilization started years before the Spaniards colonized us. Because is a limited system of writing, scientist were having a hard time in finding records from that period. “Baybayin”, most commonly known as alibata, were mostly written in leaves or barks of trees which decays faster. So, scientists used fossils and other artifacts in studying early Filipino civilizations. Pottery, irrigation dam, agricultural materials, weaponry, clothing and vehicles like balangay are all evidences which are excavated by archeologists in several parts of the Philippines. These evidences shows that civilization occurred long before the Spaniards arrived. Archeology is a way to correct the wrong perceptions of the
In 1900, Senator Albert Beveridge, a Republican from Indiana, gave a speech in response to “The Philippine Question”. Beveridge was asked by senators and members of the House of Representatives to give a speech on the Philippines. At this time, the United States was in discussion of what the future steps would be after the Spanish-American War, which resulted in a win and subsequent acquisition of the Philippines. Senator Beveridge responded to the idea that the United States should stay in the Philippines for its available resources for the United States, its impact it gives the United States in the Pacific Ocean, and the destiny the United States has in spreading democracy. Senator Albert Beveridge makes a strong argument of why the United States should stay in the Philippines; his arguments of commerce, world powers, and race are all strong for the United States, but there is a strong resistance from the Filipino people and their vocal leader Emilio Aguinaldo.
Anais Nin once said that “we write to taste life twice: in the moment and in retrospection.” In his book, Seven Myths of Spanish Conquest, Matthew Restall tries to change our perception of the past in other to open our eyes to what life was really like during the colonial period. As Restall puts it, the main propose of the book is to “illustrate the degree to which the Conquest was a far more complex and protracted affair” (p.154) than what was supposed in the latters and chronicles left by the conquistadores. Each one of Restall’s chapters examines one of seven myths regarding the mystery behind the conquest. By doing so, Matthew Restall forces us to look back at the Spanish conquest and question
) Miss Columbia’s School House at 1894 and Emilio Aguinaldo Criticizes American Imperialism in the Philippines at 1899 illustrates the perception of being foreigners among the Americans. Among the short male figures outside the gates, is Hawaii (the men is carrying the Hawaiian flag) and Alaska. Around the 1950’s, the two states became part of America. Miss Columbia is the teacher and is in charged among the students. But inside the school house there is somewhat chaos happening with the different diverse people. An African American is running away from the school because a white male is stabbing him with some type of weapon. In 1865, slavery was outlawed but segregation was still permitted until 1964. African American were treated poorly among
they cannot deprive or divest their posterity; namely, the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety.” The Filipinos weren't treated as equals, but rather were governed over, which ultimately deprived the life styles of many. Also, the Filipinos were far from the pursuit of happiness, thousands of natives died trying to win independence, causing resentment and anger, the opposite of life, liberty, and safety. Understandably, the United States, a very successful nation in many ways, thought that their “charity case” to the Philippines was beneficial. Allowing the uncivilized to be part of a powerful, profitable, civilized culture seemed like the proper outreach to a country that had just been ruled over for 300 years.
The book “From Unincorporated Territory” [Saina] , by Craig Santos Perez, is an interesting story because it shows how colonialism is the destruction of the author’s culture and identity on his native island Guam. It forced the author’s family and himself to make a drastic change in their life and migrate from Guam to America on an outrigger. After leaving in the year 1995 and not returning until 2008, the author depicts to the audience what has changed due to colonization. My thought on colonialism is firm. That I am confused about it. The reason for my confusion is I believe it is necessary for a certain purpose most people cannot see. Even though know that it is wrong; I know it destroys somewhat the vast majority of the colonized culture but I can’t help to think that the author has a message of that purpose most people cannot see. After reading the book, what I just admitted even to me sounds a little cold hearted, but reading his point of view in this book, it made me realized I’m not too wrong for making such a confession. I believe the author has a hidden message about it. Once I had a gut feeling I wanted to expose that message in my essay.
To begin, by America walking away from an empire it will lessen racial issues between Filipinos and Americans. The Filipinos are incredibly diverse from the citizens of the United States; they speak a dissimilar language, they practice a different religion and they...
The Philippines was annexed because they needed guidance in leading their new nation. Owning our children is like the United States annexing the Philippines. The Philippine Islands our like children who are small and weak, but with the United States is like the parents that help the children grow and prosper into strong people. “That there was nothing left for us to do but to take them all, and to educate the Filipinos, and uplift and civilize and Christianize them, and by God’s grace do the very best we could by them, as our fellowmen for whom christ also died” (Doc C). The
In 1898, in an effort to free Cuba from the oppression of its Spanish colonizers, America captured the Philippines. This brought about questions of what America should do with the Philippines. Soon, controversy ensued both in the American political arena as well as among its citizens. Throughout its history, America had always been expansionistic, but it had always limited itself to the North American continent. Beginning in the mid-nineteenth century, however, there emerged a drive to expand outside of the continent. When America expanded to the Philippines, the policy it followed was a stark break from past forms of expansionism. Despite much controversy, America followed the example of the imperialistic nations in Europe and sought to conquer the Philippines as an imperialist colony that they would rule either directly or indirectly.
Historical novels written by authors who experience the history are great sources for a more first hand account of history that is often one sided and simply based on facts. Historical fiction can make the history more personal and enjoyable to the reader reading it, but it can also be deceiving if the reader is not already at least vaguely familiar with the history. God’s Bits of Wood and No Longer at Ease express and explain colonization and the way that it affected those who were colonized in a way that textbooks often cannot. When comparing the two novels, differences in the nature of the ruling and similarities in the impact it has on various social classes and generations are evident. Though historical novels are a great source, it must be kept in mind that they are novels and should not be relied on for one hundred percent factual evidence.
Over the years, the Philippines has gone from being one of the richest countries in Asia to being one of the poorest. It has experienced growth and development since World War II. The current administration under President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is aiming for a more rapid growth in the coming years. In 2004, the Philippine economy grew by 6.1% surprising everyone. In 2005, the Philippine peso appreciated by 6%, the fastest in the Asian region for that year. At present, the administration is meeting its expected target growth and is continually looking positive for the future.
The first inhabitants of the Philippines arrived from the land bridge from Asia over 150,000 years ago. Throughout the years, migrants from Indonesia, Malaysia, and other parts of Asia made their way to the islands of this country. In the fourteenth century, the Arabs arrived and soon began a long tradition of Islam. Many Muslims are still living in the Philippines today.
In this paper I have shown how women differ from men. They differ in everything from sports and education to their home life, women are unequal. Steps need to be taken provide equality for the whole nation. Maybe not to long after our century mark, everyone in this country, male and female, will have the same opportunities and chances for advancement in every aspect.
Philippines: Country Profile 2004 1 Dec. 2004 The Economist Intelligence Unit Limited 2004 15 Dec. 2004 www.eiu.com
Equality is a concept mankind never is able to grasp correctly. Of course humans will always search for different solutions to create fairness, but factors such as human greed, ignorance of mass populations, and even biological aspects stagnates the process of equality. The oldest and most relevant discussion on equality lies with the difference of sex; man versus woman. Initially, men, because of their physical superiority, were given the prospects many women never even dreamt to have. Conversely, as time has progressed, women have fought this unfair treatment with demands of suffrage and similar rights to those of their male equivalents. Greatly enough, this generation has done an exceptional job in the challenge of overcoming sexism and inequality. However, will this search for equality ever end? When can we say we have created an equal race of men and women? The fact of the matter is that it is truly impossible to have equality between the sexes because of predisposed circumstances that are not easily controllable in the slightest bit.
A. A. The Philippines People, Poverty and Politics. New York: The New York Times. St. Martins's P, 1987. 1-225.