Happy New Day!

Photo courtesy of filipinolibrarian.blogspot.com > map exhibit at Boston Public Library.

By now you know what this blog aims to achieve (that is if you didn't skip reading the  'about me' entry :) In short, this will be a random ramblings of just about anything and everything that you can find and experience Only in the  Philippines.  For non-Filipinos, I hope that the Philippines as a destination will pique your interest and that you'll take the first flight out and land in our shores (ok, ok.. I know I'm exaggerating but I believe you'll get there :P). For my fellow countrymen, this is our chance to form a deeper appreciation for our motherland -- happiness can also be found outside the shopping malls  after all.

Once again, a big appreciation for my dear friends/colleagues who agreed to contribute their precious time and views on what is uniquely Filipino. You'll know more of them as we go along so keep this site bookmarked. 

I reckon, before I even proceed further, there's a need to have a brief explanation of our country's history so we're all on the same boat.  As Allan Bloom once said:

"We need history, not to tell us what happened or to explain the past, but to make the past alive so that it can explain us and make a future possible."

Here it goes...

The first people in the Philippines were hunter-gatherers. However between 3,000 BC and 2,000 BC people learned to farm. They grew rice and domesticated animals. From the 10th AD century Filipinos traded with China and by the 12th Century AD Arab merchants reached the Philippines and they introduced Islam. The first Spanish expedition arrived in country in 1521 led by Portuguese Ferdinand Magellan. He named the country  Islas de San Lorenzo. He was defeated by the local chieftain Lapu-Lapu. 12 years after, another Spanish expedition led by Ruy Lopez de Villalobos came and named the island Las Islas Filipinas after  King Philip II. Spanish settlement was not yet established that time and once again 12 years later, a Mexican named Miguel Lopez de Legaspi led another Spanish expedition to the country. Spanish leadership was soon established over many small independent communities that previously had known no central rule. 

In 1762, Great Britain occupied the country for a few months. The Treaty of Paris in 1763 restored Spanish rule and in 1764 the British left the country fearing another costly war with Spain. The brief British occupation weakened Spain's grip on power and sparked rebellions and demands for independence. Spain ruled the country for 300 years.

Fast forward, the Philippine Revolution started in 1896 and two years later, the Spanish and American war commenced. On June 12, 1898, Aguinaldo declared the independence of the Philippines in Kawit, Cavite, establishing the First Philippine Republic under Asia's first democratic constitution. Though not absolute because by that time, Spain still has the walled

city of Intramuros under its reins. Spain for some reason sold the Phililppines for USD 20 million to the Americans. Even the Germans came into the picture by saying that if the American do not want to conquer us, they will. For 48 years, the Americans ruled us. 

World War II started and just like most countries in Asia, Philippines was occupied by Japan. The United States ceded its sovereignty over our country on July 4, 1946 and at last WE WERE FREE!

Whoa, that was some kind of roller coaster ride!  From the Spaniards, to the British, Americans, even Germans and lastly Japanese. Aren't we a hodgepodge of cultures? That explains why... what?  Anyway, if you love to know the  nitty gritty of how we evolved, click here. 

This is the start of a new beginning. 

Happy new day!

-r-