Rigoberto Tiglao said it well when he presented the process which led to our having lost football from our culture. The article, which appeared in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, first posted 23:34:00 06/30/2010 at: http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20100630-278492/Why-were-not-into-soccer-2 has indeed identified this particular response to a particular stimulus as a symptom of a deeper national disease.We are playing a different game from that which normal nations are playing- a game which benefits their own nation and the world.We are playing a game that which a nation held in captivity is playing- a game which is injuring our national development, which has less benefits to the world, and which benefits only the north american nation.
We have been developmentally forced to play basketball, a favorite north american sport, inspite of our genetic handicap as far as excelling requirements of the game is concerned. While on the other hand we are genetically fit to excel in football, our original favorite sport since the time it was introduced to us, as indicated in the importance we gave to our stadium in Manila, by the official name “Rizal Memorial Track and Football Stadium” as well as our status in football in Asia decades ago.We are simply not anymore who we are.This is one of the symptoms of a nation with a social disease whose original national characteristics have been altered resulting to alienation to itself and disintegration. Therefor, there must have been a corruption of our national developmental code that brought about this deviation or mutation of our national development.This is a symptom and the process of an Alienation of Identity and Defilipinization Syndrome (AIDS).Except for the existence of God, all events came to exist as a result of a cause.AIDS is no exception.
We now have AIDS as a result of the weakening of our national defense instincts.Compared with normal nations all over the world particularly the well developed nations like France, Germany, Israel, Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam, and our nation which fiercely defended foreign invasion in the 1900s, we today do not anymore defend: our forests from being denuded; our rivers from being dumping sites; our economic resources from being taken over by the north americans and the chinese; our brother filipinos from being killed inside american military bases inside our country; our filipinas from being raped by U.S. personnel; and our national sovereignty from foreign aggressors.We have lost our instincts to defend our nation because we have lost our nation to disintegration.We have lost living for our nation.We have simply lived for our selves.This is indicated by the intensity and extent of moral corruption in our society.This is indicated by the extent of the level of moral corruption in our society as compared to normal nations.We have ceased to live for our nation, but only for our selves and our family.
Our having been corrupted is not merely a corruption in politics, in the judiciary, in the defense or in the legislature.It has become cultural because it is already in our national developmental code.This is the national counterpart of genetic code in an individual biological unit.
Our original national developmental code was a national characteristic of cleanliness in our rivers and streets, beautiful people with wholesome charateristics, socially responsive to our nation and to the world, fiercely resistant to foreign invasion and with a nationalistic defense system.This is sometime before, during, and sometime after the birth of our nation in 1898.The height of this characteristic was tested during the earlier years of the north american invasion when we resisted fiercely in 1899, sustained it in the early 1900s.The north american invaders suffered lingering and costly loses that they were in danger of giving up their invasion that they resorted to putrid and cowardly acts- hostage taking and extermination of civilians among us filipinos.This resulted to 500,000 to 900,000 deaths among us filipinos.Our physical resistance having weakened, the north americans took over control of our defense system, political system, economic system, education system, and cultural system.They transmitted into our systems the system they fabricated which turned our nation of filipinos and the succeding generations thereafter, into a denationalized, disintegrated individuals, worshipping dependents of our north american invaders.Our inherited national developmental code- the original characteristics of our nation has been injured.This is the Heredity Injuring Virus (HIV).
An interest in football among us filipinos could be an indication that we are begining to recover our organic national developmental code.A clearer indication of recovery is the kick-start of an organic constitution, organic defense system, and an organic culture.But the clearest indication would be when the next season, there would already be in our nation a kick-out of the north american control of all our systems.When will be the kickoff?
(Here is an essay written by a Korean student for the filipinos out of love for the filipinos:)
Filipinos always complain about the corruption in the Philippines . Do you really think the corruption is the problem of the Philippines? I do not think so. I strongly believe that the problem is the lack of love for the Philippines
Let me first talk about my country, Korea.It might help you understand my point.After the Korean War, South Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world. Koreans had to start from scratch because entire country was destroyed after the Korean War, and we had no natural resources.
Koreans used to talk about the Philippines, for Filipinos were very rich in Asia . We envy Filipinos.Koreans really wanted to be well off like Filipinos. Many Koreans died of famine. My father & brother also died because of famine.Korean government was very corrupt and is still very corrupt beyond your imagination, but Korea was able to develop dramatically because Koreans really did their best for the common good with their heart burning with patriotism.
Koreans did not work just for themselves but also for their neighborhood and country. Education inspired young men with the spirit of patriotism.
40 years ago, President Park took over the government to reform Korea. He tried to borrow money from other countries, but it was not possible to get a loan and attract a foreign investment because the economic situation of South Korea was so bad. Korea had only three factories. So, President Park sent many mine workers and nurses to Germany so that they could send money to Korea to build a factory. They had to go through horrible experience.
In 1964, President Park visited Germany to borrow money. Hundred of Koreans in Germany came to the airport to welcome him and cried there as they saw the President Park. They asked him, "President, when can we be well off?" That was the only question everyone asked to him. President Park cried with them and promised them that Korea would be well off if everyone works hard for Korea, and the President of Germany got the strong impression on them and lent money to Korea. So, President Park was able to build many factories in Korea. He always asked Koreans to love their country from their heart.
Many Korean scientists and engineers in the USA came back to Korea to help developing country because they wanted their country to be well off.Though they received very small salary, they did their best for Korea. They always hoped that their children would live in well off country.
My parents always brought me to the places where poor and physically handicapped people live. They wanted me to understand their life and help them. I also worked for Catholic Church when I was in the army. The only thing I learned from Catholic Church was that we have to love our neighborhood. And, I have loved my neighborhood. Have you cried for the Philippines? I have cried for my country several times. I also cried for the Philippines because of so many poor people.
I have been to the New Bilibid prison. What made me sad in the prison were the prisoners who do not have any love for their country. They go to Mass and work for the Church. They pray everyday.
However, they do not love the Philippines. I talked to two prisoners at the maximum-security compound, and both of them said that they would leave the Philippines right after they are released from the prison. They said that they would start a new life in other countries and never come back to the Philippines .
Many Koreans have a great love for Korea so that we were able to share our wealth with our neighbor-hood. The owners of factory and company were distributed their profit to their employees fairly so that employees could buy what they needed and saved money for the future and their children.
When I was in Korea , I had a very strong faith and wanted to be a priest. However, when I came to the Philippines, I completely lost my faith. I was very confused when I saw many unbelievable situations in the Philippines. Street kids always make me sad, and I see them everyday. The Philippines is the only Catholic country in Asia, but there are too many poor people here. People go to church every Sunday to pray, but nothing has been changed. My parents came to the Philippines last week and saw this situation. They told me that Korea was much poorer than the present Philippines when they were young. They are so sorry that there are so many beggars and street kids. When we went to Pagsangjan, I forced my parents to take a boat because it would be fun. However, they were not happy after taking a boat ride. They said that they would not take the boat again because they sympathized with the boatmen, for the boatmen were very poor and had a small frame. Most of people just took a boat and enjoyed it. But, my parents did not enjoy it because of love for them.
My mother who has been working for Catholic Church since I was very young told me that if we just go to Mass without changing ourselves, we are not Catholic indeed. Faith should come with action. She added that I have to love Filipinos and do good things for them because all of us are same and have received a great love from God. I want Filipinos to love their neighborhood and country as much as they love God so that the Philippines will be well off.
I am sure that love is the keyword, which Filipinos should remember. We cannot change the sinful structure at once. It should start from person. Love must start in everybody, in a small scale and have to grow. A lot of things happen if we open up to love. Let's put away our prejudices and look at our worries with our new eyes.
I discover that every person is worthy to be loved. Trust in love, because it makes changes possible. Love changes you and me. It changes people, contexts and relationships. It changes the world. Please love your neighborhood and country. Jesus Christ said that whatever we do to others we do to Him. In the Philippines, there is God for people who are abused and abandoned. There is God who is crying for love. If you have a child, teach them how to love the Philippines. Teach them why they have to love their neighborhood and country. You already know that God also will be very happy if you love others.
“The Filipino nation today is less of a nation than it was at the time of it’s embryonic formation in the last years of Spanish colonization.”(1)
WHAT ARE WE AS A NATION TODAY?
POVERTY
We are an impoverished people. Those among us who have the skill for the production of food, shelter or to serve the health and transportation needs of the nation either stop practicing it or join the mass exodus outside of the country to serve the needs of other nations. Many medical doctors among us, go to the United States to practice not what was studied for many years, but nursing. Nursing is one of the most honorable and heroic profession but together with Medicine, the supply of it is slowly becoming a shortage here in our country. Teachers among us are going abroad to practice not teaching but serve foreigners as domestic helpers. Domestic helpers are doing a dignified and heroic service to many families but is slowly being lost in our nation for that of others.
INFERIORITY
Many among us cannot communicate effectively in the Filipino language with fellow Filipinos. Many among us become handicapped in comprehension when reading documents written in Filipino. Many among us are even ashamed not to be able to speak in English even if quite effective in Filipino.
Although majority of us Filipinos have an inherently dark complexion, many among us have a burning desire to whiten our skin. The only explanation for this is that many of us believe that white skin is superior to dark skin. We have associated things Filipino with the inferior and things American and white and lately Chinese, with the superior.
Being of the poor is regarded as a source of shame. Being of the rich is regarded as a source of pride. We consider poverty equals to Filipino equals to inferior. Likewise, we consider prosperity equals to being American and lately, being Chinese equals to being superior.
A RESULT OF A CORRUPTED NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: NO PLACE TO REST DUE TO POVERTY AND INFERIORITY
Today, we are in a biological situation of inferiority. Today, the Americans and Chinese, particularly those who are in control of our defense, economy and our psycho-social development, and their behavior and treatment of us, have been our only points of references (for our language, culture, education, history, military doctrines, definition of friend and enemy, logistics, food supply, construction supplies, economic goals, aspirations and values). Such points of references being probably organic to them have made them the top of the areas of their aspirations and endeavor. The original general American and Chinese characteristics of taking advantage of us Filipinos whom they look down as inferior and perpetuate it thru our weaknesses have already been replicated in many among us who have been made to adopt them as our only points of reference. Such points of references being apparently outside of our own specific biological development frame but which have been transmitted to become our own, have only resulted to an inferior replication in us, of our foreign idols. This explains why many of us today look down on things inherent to us, as inferior. This explains why we have remained impoverished and our defense system perpetually weak and has only Filipinos, registered as its main enemy (our soldiers being basically oriented in counter-insurgency). This explains why we have been perpetually dependent on them. This is already pathological. We have to identify this as an enemy characteristic. We can register this in our psyche as the Heredity Infection Virus.
Our original characteristics have been corrupted. Such characteristics present opportunity for love of our nation to be injured. An injured love for our nation in turn presents opportunity for corruption in a vicious cycle. This is the virus that has been injuring that inheritance fought for with the blood of our fathers. A breakdown of love of nation and defense of its sovereignty is the advanced stage of Heredity Infection Virus. This is already the setting in of the stage of an Alienation Infection and Defilipinization Syndrome.
One of the symptoms of the setting in of the stage of an Alienation Infection, and Defilipinization Syndrome manifested in our generation today, is the collaboration of GMA with the foreign invaders of our nation. This led to the following: the surrendering of our claim to Sabah; the opening of our shores, jungles and military camps in Mindanao to the Americans; the helping of American officials in bolting of a US Marine convicted of raping one our women, out of our Manila City jail; the supporting of American invasion against the Iraqi people with the American alibi of destroying weapons of mass destruction which after many years have not yet been found; the protection of Chinese smugglers, loggers, and rice cartels; the protection of a Chinese owner of a shopping mall destroying economic survival of Filipino retailers in Clark; opening of our Spratly Islands to the Chinese for exploration; and many more acts that lead to our loss of our home our fathers wrestled from foreign invaders with their lives.
There are Americans like Capt David Fagen, Mark Twain, Andrew Carnegie and many others who defected on our side or have fought for the rights of nations which their own nation have abused.(2)(3)There are Chinese or Chinese meztizos in the Philippines such as Herman Tiu Laurel, Alejandro Lichauco and Gen Danilo Lim in the Philippines who: came here with legitimate purpose; fought for the cause of our liberation as a Filipino nation-- they are more Filipinos than the collaborator GMA, the congressmen for sale or Filipino mercenaries in the Armed Forces. They are not the enemies referred to in this report.
OUR INHERITANCE, OUR ORIGINAL UNCORRUPTED NATION
DEVELOPMENTAL INTERCOURSE
In the early 16th century, those who were fragmented, who were of many different clans of from 30 to 50 families each under a chief, succumbed to the tide of Spanish colonization. Their villages were separated by mountains and seas and located on hundreds of islands. The Spaniards were few. But among them “were hardened veterans of the European wars”. They were persistent in engaging a long and protracted process of conquering one village after another, for more than a century. From then on, consolidation of the archipelago and the different groups of people in it, all over the islands and the seas composed approximately of what has been known today as the Philippine Archipelagic Baseline began to develop.(4)
EMBRYONIC FORMATION OF THE FILIPINO NATION(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)
The clans of fifty families each, were bonded together and from them, developed a new level of political organ- the pueblos, each of which were under a gobernadorcillo. These were organized into provinces. From these provinces, formed the Filipinas as christened by Spain. It’s umbilical chord was attached to Spain. This was the development of Filipinas, still a colony until the last years of the 19th century.
We became one people under Spain. The conception of our nation with a national feeling, was a product of that developmental intercourse which resulted in the start of formation by a cultural, geographical, biological and socio-psycological bond in the later 16th century. Among the bonds that formed us during that period were: the faith in the one living God and the parish churches; the University of Santo Tomás- a pontifical university under the authority of the Vatican where many of our heroes studied, and also one of the oldest and largest Catholic universities in the world; the wheel and plow; the paper, painting and architecture; the map and the charting of the Philippine baseline; the camote, adobo, pan de sal and the guisado; the Spanish blood in some of our heroes like Andrés Bonifacio who organized an independence movement for us and Fr. José Burgos who upheld our status and rights; the fiesta; and the Philippine national government among others.
In a geographical unit called Las Islas Filipinas during the Spanish rule, only the Spaniards born in the Philippines were called Filipinos. Then on October 1889, a group of ilustrados among us in Paris, signed ourselves as “The Filipinos” in addressing this message “To Our Mother Country, Spain”:
When a people is gagged; when its dignity, honor, and all its liberties are trampled; when it no longer has any legal recourse against the tyranny of it’s oppressors, when its complaints, petitions and groans are not attended to; when it is not permitted even to weep; when even the last hope is wrested from its heart; then. . .! then. . .! then. . .! it has left no other remedy but to take down with delirious hand from the altars the bloody and suicidal dagger of revolution!
In the1890s, we of the different islands in the orient under Spain became of one identity as Filipinos. Our Filipino Nation was conceived.
On one hand, there was the oppression of Spain from which, we wanted to be free. On the other hand, there was the beautiful people and islands we already wanted for our inheritance. Both of these pulling us towards a strong desire for independence.
Andrés Bonifacio organized a movement called Katipunan, which worked towards that independence from Spain. The Katipunan stressed the shared characteristics of Filipino which was birth of one and the same country, people and mother. This was to make us conscious of an identity for the purpose of a cohesive community. It was to be distinct from that of the Spaniards, the Americans nor any of our Asian neighbors. The revolutionary organization was guided by the principles of equality, honor, integrity as well as respect and obedience to legitimate authority. In April 1895 Bonifacio and a band of Katipuneros went to the Montalban hills, initiating some men of the area. Here in the Pamitinan cave they assembled; an indication of their presence is an inscription scratched in charcoal on the walls: "Viva la Independencia de Filipinas!" This was the 'first cry for liberty and independence’ by us Filipinos.
It was in this womb where the embryonic formation of our nation took place. Here, emerged the characteristics and systems of our nation, and it’s identity—Filipino.
NATION
This is our point of reference. This is organic to our biological development as a nation. This is our inheritance which makes us equal before the nations of the world. This is our own. This was not granted to us. This is ours by birth right. This is our home!
On June 12, 1898, we proclaimed the independence of the Philippines from Spain. We officially hoisted for the first time the Philippine National Flag as the Marcha Nacional Filipina was being played in public. With budget allocation, we developed our own government, our own constitution, our own defense system, our agricultural system, and our educational system.(14)
HOW OUR INHERITANCE WAS NURTURED
We became independent from Spain and become a nation in 1898. Shortly, thereafter, the Americans invaded us. We resisted fiercely with our blood in 1899. From 700,000 to 1,000,000 of us Filipinos died in that war. With a weak physical resistance, the Americans transmitted to us, the Heredity Infection Virus in the form of glorification of that invasion and making us believe in their claim that it was to liberate us from the Spanish colonizers and a help to make us capable of governing our selves. It corrupted our national identity to weaken any reason to resist any foreign invasion. This virus was transmitted to us in the form of the English language, American literature, American History and a whole American culture. They replaced our Academia Militar with an americanized Constabulary Academy. They replaced our organic and responsive constitution of that time. They blocked all of us Filipinos whose moves were related to resistance. They protected and facilitated those who colaborated with the Americans in promoting a constitution, a political development and a development of a whole new generation of Filipinos idolizing the abortionists of our nation, corruptor of our race and rapists of our Filipinas. They developed this corruption of a whole and succeeding generations of Filipinos and a whole pool of political leaders which continued the weakening of our resistance. They developed these pool of political leaders who have been facilitating the deepening of clutches of these American invaders on our defense, political and economic systems.(15)(16)(17)(18)
RECOVERY OF OUR INHERITANCE by OUR DEFENSE SYSTEM—OUR PEOPLE and OUR SOLDIERS
This is our inheritance from our fathers—Andrés Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, Gen Artemio Ricarte, Gen Antonio Luna, Maj José Torres Bugallon, Gen Vicente Lukban, Macario Sacay and many more died for, to give us our home. Our fathers were not mere reformers for change. Except for Bonifacio who was a revolutionist fighting for independence when we were not yet a nation then, our fathers resisted foreign aggressors who were invading our nation-- already a sovereign nation.
We have not yet been liberated today. The corruption of our race have been replicated from one generation to the next. One symptom of that corruption can be seen in our defense system which have infected many of the soldiers among us. Except for those whom the Americans consider as enemies, many of the Filipino soldiers among us have registered as enemies, only countrymen who are resisting either American control, or their puppet government. Since the time Americans have replaced our organic national development code with their artificial system, never have our brother Filipino soldiers registered as enemies or conceived as potential enemies any foreigner inspite of their having already invaded or occupied us. Even a number of soldiers among us who consider ourselves revolutionaries, have registered as enemies only corrupt countrymen and what is being labelled as a wrong system to which they belong. Indeed, if this is the case, mere reform is needed. This is an internal and political affair best left to the civilians and politicians. It is not the area of professional soldiers mandated to protect the nation against alien invaders and threats to national sovereignty and integrity. But who transmitted to us the system in the first place? Our elder soldiers resisted foreign invaders and their collaborators. Today we are still being invaded by foreigners—the Chinese and the Americans. GMA is collaborating with them.
We now have a basis for the functioning of our defense sytem. Soldiers among us should think about the meaning of our existence and actions:
"Do we exist as autoimmune mercenaries to protect our foreign invaders and kill our brother filipinos who are fighting to recover the inheritance, our elder soldiers sacrificed their lives for? Are we the protectors of snatchers just to follow a constitution conceived under a condition of an Alienation, Infection and Defilipinization Syndrome? Admittedly, this may be convenient for us personally. But this has already destroyed lives of our brothers, our elders, our sisters, our relatives, our friends, the poor Filipinos among us, our children who are looking up to our Filipino Nation as our only home. Are we willing to be a perpetually sick nation? Or are we, soldiers among us, the big brother of our Filipino people who can be depended upon as protectors in this struggle to liberate our home from these foreign invaders and their infected collaborators? Are we, soldiers among us, willing to give our lives, so that this home, our elder warriors have given their lives for, can be finally a home for all of us Filipinos?"
2. BOEHRINGER, Gill H., A Magnificent Seven and an Unknown Soldier: Black American Anti-Imperialist Fighters in the
Philippine-American War, Contributed to Bulatlat, Vol. VIII, No. 12, April 27-May 3, 2008, http://www.bulatlat.com/2008/04/magnificent-seven-and-unknown-soldier-black-american-anti-imperialist-fighters-philippine-am
3. BENDER, Stephen, Recalling the Anti-Imperialist League, January 13, 2005, http://www.antiwar.com
4. CORPUS, O.D., 1989, ‘The Roots of the Filipino Nation, Vol. I.’, Quezon City, Philippines: Aklahi foundation, Inc., x, xi.
5. CORPUS, O.D., 1989, ‘The Roots of the Filipino Nation, Vol. I.’, Quezon City, Philippines: Aklahi foundation, Inc., xi.
6. JOAQUIN, Nick, “Culture and History”, Pasig City, 1988
7. Agoncillo, T.A., 1990, ‘History of the Filipino People’, Quezon City: Garothech Publishing. 115, 40.
8. Alave, Kristine, L., Pope Invited to 400th Year Fete of UST, Philippine Daily Inquirer, First Posted 01:11:00 06/08/20
9. Serrano, Leopoldo R. "Mga Pangyayari sa Buhay ni Andres Bonifacio." Historical Bulletin 4.3 (September 1960 [1958]):
90-99.
10. OCAMPO, Ambeth R. "Andres Bonifacio: Old Questions and New Answers." Bones of Contention: The Bonifacio Lectures.
Pasig City: Anvil Publishing Inc., 2001. 76-98.
11. AGONCILLO, Teodoro A. 1990. History of the Filipino People. Garothech Publishing, 117 2nd St., Bitoon Circle, Barangay
Commonwealth, Quezon City. 40, 102, 115.
12. CONSTANTINO, Renato. 1977. Insight & Foresight. Foundation for Nationalist Studies, Quezon City. 75.
13. Corpuz, O. D., The Roots of the Filipino Nation, Vol. II. Quezon City: AKLAHI Foundation, Inc., 1989, p. 214
14. Agoncillo, Teodoro A. 1990. History of the Filipino People. Quezon City: Garothech Publishing, p. 200-201
15. Beede, Benjamin R., The War of 1898 and U.S. Interventions, 1898-1934: An Encyclopedia, Published by Taylor &
Francis, 1994, p. 271
16. AGONCILLO, Teodoro A. 1990. History of the Filipino People. Quezon City: Garothech Publishing, 228-230
17. GRAY, Heather, Resistance to US Military Occupation: The Case of the Philippines, CommonDreams.org, November 17, 2003, http://www.commondreams.org/
18. AGONCILLO, Teodoro A. 1990. History of the Filipino People. Quezon City: Garothech Publishing, p. 382
