Things Fall Apart

Okwonko, like many heads of the family, worked hard and paid his due. He respected his elders and ancestors, followed tradition, and fought valiantly for his village. But he was swimming against the tide of history, the remorseless, ruthless, and relentless tide that uprooted centuries of culture and tradition, and replaced it with the religion and government of the white man.

In 1571, there was someone like Okwonko in Manila who was about to take his place in society, but was suddenly subjugated by the conquistadors of Spain. He lost his status and was baptized a Catholic. Centuries later, we, his descendants, hardly understand him. It is hard to imagine what were his hopes and dreams, what gods he worshiped, what values he held.

Such is how things fall apart. Now, however, the destructive power of colonialism has been replaced by the centrifugal forces of globalization. More than ever, we must understand who we are and where we came from so we can learn to adapt to our time without losing our sense of self.