Marvin Isidore "Sid" Macatol Weblog

I cannot help but realize that we're a very young independent nation, this Philippines that we claim our own. June 12, 1898. Was this really the day we became a nation? All you have to do is go to the Ayala Museum (see my earlier post) and see the beautiful dioramas there, and somehow you just get the feel of the continuous stream of events that transpired since 1898. You will realize that we have never really been an independent nation then. No, we have not been. Even Emilio Aguinaldo has admitted that it was "snatched" from us. The year 1898 was a terrible year for us. It was the year we declared Independence from Spain, it was the year Spain sold us to the Americans, and it was the year the Americans took over us as colonizers. The independence movement was practically nipped in the bud.

I'm researching the internet about the Filipino psyche: how a Filipino thinks, what his aspirations are, and things of that sort. This research is related to a project I'm engaged in right now. In the process, I came across a lot of blogs that either talks about or makes references to the Filipino psyche. Among the many entries I found, I find this post very interesting: http://blog.totalphilippines.com/filipino_dream/20080813-18050-The-Filipino-Dream It opens and ends with these paragraphs: The once famous American Dream have already been absorbed by many cultures around the world. The American Dream is not exclusive for the Americans alone, but for the global citizen. . . . To achieve their goal is the most important thing for a Filipino. To give their family a better life, to help others, share their knowledge to their fellows, and bring smile to everyone, even in times of problem. This is what the true Filipino dream is. I like the way she puts it. The American Dream, to Fi...