About Jon E. Royeca

(Part 8 of the “In Defense of the Filipino” series)

ANOTHER upsetting negative charge against us Filipinos is that we have short memories, that we have no sense of history, and that because of it, we disregard our patriots and the crucial events that had happened in our country. These are misleading accusations.

The human mind does not have the ability to fully know, recall, or understand every historic episode that had happened before, why and how it happened, and what its worth is in the present and future lives.

Thus, because of this natural human frailty, almost all countries have set aside certain dates as their respective holidays. The objective behind it is to inform, remind, or make people understand that on those particular dates, something remarkable took place.

There are national and local holidays, anniversaries, foundation days, and other similar festivities to mark the births of nations, regions, provinces, states, cities, towns, villages, schools, institutions, associations, etc.

There are holidays reserved for patriots, leaders, veterans, and other special individuals to remind everyone of the importance of those people.

Proofs. Surveys, studies, and tests in many countries all prove it: That human beings do not have a sound mental faculty for the full awareness, recollection, and understanding of the past.

In 2001, the National Assessment of Educational Progress examination conducted by the U.S. Department of Education showed that about six of every ten American high school seniors had an extremely weak grasp of their country’s history. Of the eight graders, only 39 per cent knew that the First Continental Congress was largely formed because of dissatisfaction with the British Parliament. Only 57 per cent of the fourth graders were aware that one of the primary causes of the American Civil War was the slavery issue. 29,000 students in grades 4, 8, and 12 from public and private schools took the test. History scores were lower than those of mathematics, reading, and any other subject evaluated by the examination.

A survey in 2002 made by NFO-Trends for the Ateneo de Manila University showed that many Filipino youth did not know their country’s heroes: 93 per cent were aware of Jose Rizal; 63 per cent, of Andres Bonifacio; 38 per cent, of Apolinario Mabini; 25 per cent, of Emilio Aguinaldo, and most could not recognize Juan Luna. Then only 37 per cent could sing the National Anthem correctly, and only 28 per cent were able to recite the Patriotic Pledge.

A survey in March 2003 revealed that most Canadians were not that aware of their nation’s history: Most did not know the French explorer who discovered their country, the founding father who established the first European settlement in Canada, and who opened the fur trade in North America (http://hnn.us/comments/13182.html).

In the U.S. in 2008, a civic-literacy survey conducted by Intercollegiate Studies Institute found out that of the 2,508 randomly-selected respondents, 1,791 failed the historical, political, and economic basics tests. Only 49 per cent of the Americans could identify the three brances of their government; 40 per cent of college graduates had no idea that corporate profits equalled revenues minus expenses; only 24 per cent of college graduates felt that the First Ammendment to the U.S. Constitution forbade the establishment of an official U.S. religion; 30 per cent of office workers had no idea that the phrase “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” could be found in the U.S. Declaration of Independence; and only 21 per cent correctly pointed Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Adress as the source of the words “government of the people, by the people, for the people” ttp://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Americans+are+dangerously+ignorant+of+U.S.+history&articleId=032498f2-3aca-4af3-b66b-63c912cdfddf).

Preservation. Some say that other countries have a sense of history, for they preserve their historical sites, while we Filipinos don’t because some of our historical sites are neglected.

Just because other countries keep their historical sites and relics, they are fully aware and have a sense of their history already? The surveys don’t tell so.

It’s not an issue of having or having no history sense. Other countries, especially the wealthy, have sufficient funds to maintain their historical sites; while in ours, a poor nation, even if we want to preserve such sites, there is not enough money for them.

It is not true that other countries really preserve all of their historical sites. Many of those sites are being torn down to give way to progress, urbanization, and expanding populations, be they in affluent or impoverished lands.

Arguments. In February 1986, the people power revolution drove President Ferdinand Marcos out of office, forced him to flee to Hawaii together with his family and close friends, and installed Corazon Aquino as the country’s first woman president.

In 1987 and 1989, some of those who helped Aquino gain power mounted unsuccessful bloody rebellions against her. In 1992, Marcos’ wife, Imelda, ran for president, and was defeated but received more than two million votes. In 1995 and 1998, Gregorio Honasan, a coup d’état leader against Aquino, aspired for a Senate seat and was elected.

These events made anti-Filipinos comment that Filipinos had short memories. They argued that Filipinos easily forgot the people who had done them wrong: They elected Imelda, a thief and the wife of a dictator who was the principal thief. They elected Honasan, a coup leader.

“Filipinos easily forget the very near past. They really have no sense of history!” anti-Filipinos decried.

This is not a matter of history sense, but a matter of arguments.

More than two million Filipinos voted for Imelda as president because they easily forgot? Let’s have the arguments.

First, the Marcoses were accused as thieves when they had fled the country, were prosecuted in courts, but were acquitted. The accusers failed to prove their guilt.

Second, not all Filipinos joined the people power revolution, which happened in Quezon City. The Marcoses still had a strong following in many parts of the country.

Those who voted for Imelda were not forgetful or unaware of history. They were the Marcos loyalists who did not believe that their idols were thieves and murderers.

Honasan was elected because of Filipinos’ poor memory? Not all Filipinos voted for him. Those who went for him must have been disenchanted with Aquino’s presidency. They wanted someone who could ease that frustration, and saw Honasan, one who challenged Aquino through coups.

Again, such events are not a matter of history sense, but a matter of arguments.

Conscious. We Filipinos do have a sense of our nation’s history.

The 1998 Philippine Centennial was the country’s biggest and most colorful festivity in the 20th century. It recalled the occasion when General Emilio Aguinaldo, our nation’s first president, proclaimed Philippine independence from Spanish rule (1565-1898) before a huge crowd on the afternoon of June 12, 1898, at his residence in Kawit, Cavite.

Filipinos celebrated it through flags, parades, books, songs, plays, paintings, contests, reenactments, renovations of historical sites, balloons, parties, dances, and concerts.

2.2 million Filipinos voluntarily applied as members of the Philippine Centennial Movement—a project launched by the government to help observe the centenary. For a modest application fee, members received centennial ID cards, shirts, literary items, and souvenirs.

Filipinos bought Filipino flags and displayed them in parks, homes, schools, offices, factories, stores, malls, and markets. They bought commemorative mementos like publications, shirts, caps, bags, stamps, pins, wines, gold and silver coins, and paper bills.

On June 12, 1998, the centennial day, Filipinos watched on their television sets the programs from early morning, where President Fidel Ramos reenacted what happened on June 12, 1898, at Aguinaldo’s residence in Kawit, Cavite, until late night, where the celebrations were capped through a massive fireworks display.

The Grand Centennial Parade in the afternoon in Manila was done through floats, songs, dances, and reenactments. Five million Filipinos witnessed it.

The centennial year ended with the showing in December of Jose Rizal, a film about our national hero. Four million viewers trooped to theaters, where it was played for several weeks. It was a records-breaking movie, and it garnered numerous awards.

Not conscious of history? The Philippine Centennial celebrations disproved it.

Other articles by Jon E. Royeca