AMID the chaos and rising COVID-19 cases in the country, Filipinos found a way to distract themselves by thinking of other things.
These distractions came in the form of “Ama Namin” being sung in the Vatican, history lesson recaps, and hunky Spanish sailors.
We are celebrating two things this year – the 500-year anniversaries of Catholicism in the Philippines and the circumnavigation of explorer Ferdinand Magellan around the world. These events played a big part in the story of the Filipino, and they were all brought to us by Spain.
So, I guess we should be thankful to them, right? They shaped our culture and made us one of the few Catholic countries in Asia.
It amuses me how everyone is enthralled by these events. The Pope himself gave a special blessing to the Filipinos in the Vatican. The priest in the Filipino church I go to said we have to be thankful to the Spaniards for their gift of Catholicism.
No mention of how Spain forced Christianity on the natives and wiped many aspects of their rich culture from the face of the Earth. How the natives were forced to give whatever little money they had to church, lest they go to hell. How, because of our sometimes fanatical beliefs, we are constantly in hot water with our Muslim countrymen in Mindanao.
But whatever, at least we’re Catholic, right?
When the “Juan Sebastian de Elcano” anchored on the shores of Guiuan, people fawned over the sailors as if they were movie stars. They were being lusted over, the luscious Spanish “papis”. Even President Rodrigo Duterte, who typically shows an aversion to Caucasians, welcomed them with open arms.
These people make Magellan sound like a brave and valiant hero. Akin to those in the Greek myths who traversed through dangerous waters and landed in a strange land with, for lack of a better term, “savages”.
They forget to point out how this encounter led to the 300-year occupation of Spain in the Philippines. How the natives were treated as second-class citizens, or how they killed some of our bravest and brightest kababayans. How they turned us against each other, and how they so easily sold us over to the Americans during the Spanish-American war.
These actions have left us with an inherent sense of insecurity that we still see in most Filipinos today.
So, with all the things I have pointed out, am I saying that we should hate Spain?
No, of course not. Most of the Spaniards now aren’t even aware of the atrocities their forefathers committed. If they did, they would be horrified.
I have met many good people in Madrid. I wouldn’t have survived my first few weeks here if it wasn’t for their kindness and hospitality. Many kababayans are living their best lives in Spain with loving partners and great friends.
So, it’s up to us Filipinos to not forget. Spain brought many good things to the country, Catholicism included, but it wasn’t a clean journey. Many people, Spanish and Filipino, suffered during those 300 years.
In a way, these commemorations are good. We embrace the beautiful things about the Spanish culture and teachings. They are a part of our identity as Filipinos and they make us unique among the Southeast Asian nations.
Just remember all the sacrifices our ancestors made for us to have dignity. How they tried to teach us not to roll over like lapdogs for foreigners.
Our history goes hand-in-hand with Spain, but in the end, we have our own identity. We are Filipinos./PN
