We stand as One!

The Philippines was a Spanish colony for over 300 years and is named after King Philip II of Spain. Ferdinand Magellan landed on the Philippines islands in 1521 and claimed them for Spain. During these times, many people have been murdered or abused. And for a long time, Filipinos have been invaded and corrupted. Not only that, the Spaniards deprived Filipinos of their rights, freedoms, and the right to justice. Will the Philippines be granted the freedom they deserve?

The Spaniards finally gained a foothold in the Philippines when Miguel Lopez de Legazpi led an expedition in 1565. In 1571, they built Intramuros, which was later renamed Manila and became the country's capital. Eventually, Spanish rule took over, and a feudal system was established, with the Spanish owning large estates and Filipinos working for them. The Spanish years were prosperous for the Philippines, and their rule was uneventful. This changed in 1762 when the British captured Manila. The city was returned in 1764 under the terms of the Treaty of Paris, which was signed in 1763.

National Hero

During the 19^th century, feelings of nationalism began to emerge. With the support of Jose Rizal, a novelist who wrote "El Filibusterismo" (The Filibusterer) and "Noli Me Tangere" (Touch Me Not) this rebellion grew. These books sparked outrage, and nationalism spread like wildfire across the Nation. Jose Rizal founded the Liga Filipina movement in 1892, which advocated for reform rather than revolution. As a result, Rizal was arrested and exiled to Mindanao's Dapitan. Parallel to this, Andres Bonifacio founded the Katipunan, a more extreme organization. A revolution began in August 1896, and Jose Rizal was executed on December 30, 1896, despite the fact that he did not support the revolution. His execution, however, merely inflamed Filipino sentiment, and the revolution grew.

Liberty!

In 1898, Spain and the United States went to war. On April 30, 1898, the Spanish fleet was defeated by the Americans in Manila Bay. On June 12, Filipino revolutionaries surrounded Manila, and their leader Emilio Aguinaldo declared the Philippines independent. When Aguinaldo was captured in 1902, however, American rule took over. In 1935, the Philippines was made a commonwealth and semi-independent under American leadership. The literacy rate rose as more American teachers were sent to the Philippines. The United States promised the Philippines complete independence in 1945. However, Japan invaded the Philippines and captured Manila on December 10, 1941. The Japanese now controlled the entire Philippines. American troops returned to the Philippines in October 1944 and recaptured Manila. The Philippines gained independence on July 4, 1946. Manuel Roxas was the newly independent country's first president.

Looking back at where we used to be, our country is one of the most valuable yet difficult to protect. Just like some of our “kababayans” that are eaten with greed that they have forgotten where they came from and failed to defend our nation. Fortunately, there are still who did not lose hope and still fight for what our country deserves. On June 12, the day of independence, we stand as we remembered the sacrifices of the national heroes, appreciate the country’s sovereignty, instill nationalism in the citizens, as well as celebrate our culture and tradition of ours.

On this day, we should loudly scream and happily spread the positivity of our victory as well as honor our heroes who sacrifice their life in this dangerous battle to get our freedom. This should be a piece of evidence that we will never forget. “Victory comes from finding opportunities in problem!”

Sources:

Independence day: https://nationaltoday.com/philippines-independence-day/

Victory quotes: https://www.askideas.com/125-most-beautiful-and-inspirational-victory-quotes/2/

Photos: https://www.cpsctech.org/2020/06/122nd-independence-day-celebrated-in.html

https://owlcation.com/humanities/noli-me-tangere-and-el-filibusterismo

https://nationaltoday.com/philippines-independence-day/