500 year old fiction

June 12 this year is the 123rd Anniversary of the Declaration of Philippine Independence. With the theme, “Kalayaan 2021: Diwa ng Kalayaan sa Pagkakaisa at Paghilom ng Bayan” (Spirit of Freedom in Unity and National Healing). It's been made more contentious by two other events.

It's also the year-long celebration that marks the Spanish and Filipino encounter in 1521. The 500th Anniversary has considerably divergent tales. As well as the year leading up to another presidential election come May 9, 2022.

image courtesy of nqc.gov.ph

Filipinos are immensely proud of our history of rebellion and revolution. Every Filipino child is raised knowing by heart the tale of Lapu-Lapu, the Mactan leader and hero who repelled and killed Magellan the foreign villain. 

Our local perspective proudly retells how we successfully fought off a foreign invader and foiled the attempt to subjugate and colonize us. This forms a strong and solid foundation for our national pride and identity - who we were before we were colonized. 

Until recently most Western created histories falsely depict March 16, 1521 as the date the Philippines was "discovered" by a European white man in the name of the Spanish Court. Willfully erasing all Filipino heritage and history prior to Magellan's arrival on Philippine shores has been a pain filled thorn on our national soul. 

The typical tale told by our conquering hordes perpetuates this aggravating fiction, repeatedly regurgitated and largely believed by most of the rest of the world. As the Philippines and Spain celebrate 500 years of transactions and trade, the scars on either side of this historical divide are long and deep.  

The 500-year-old ties that bind the Philippines and Spain are long, enduring, rich, and convoluted. Our understanding of these ties are worth questioning deeply and thoroughly so the history can truly reflect our past. 

As the Philippines marks the 500th year since the Spaniards arrived on our shores, President Rodrigo Duterte called on Filipinos to learn from their ancestors' past and "never again allow" their sovereignty to be compromised. 

This is the same clown who has allowed recent offensive and blatant incursions by China into our country. The same inept fool whom we as concerned Philippine citizens are now united against to prevent him from running for another term and continuing his corrupt and ruinous reign of death. 

This year's quincentenary of the Philippine-Spanish encounter is an opportune time to reflect on and take real steps to repair and retell the narrative. Then the Philippines and its people may face a brighter and better future to be part of.