Face of Empire

Face of Empire, by Frank Hindman Golay, exposed the many faces, rather than a singular face of American colonial policy in the Philippines. In an epic work of history, Golay described how American policy moved from taking up white man's burden, to a strategic choice to project power across the Pacific, to ostensibly benevolent projects to educate the masses and build public works, to a heroic struggle by brothers-in-arms against Japanese invasion, to a final, shameful separation that made the country's recovery dependent on parity rights with Americans. The degree of autonomy Philippine leaders enjoyed was rare in the annals of imperialism, but there was no question who the master was in this relationship.

Observers from the left argue that Uncle Sam never really left, and his influence remains pervasive. That is probably true, but I would say it was also the case for many other countries allied to the US, especially during the Cold War. We finally stood up to the US in 1990 by ejecting their military bases from Philippine soil. Even so, the Philippines has failed to pursue an independent foreign policy befitting a middle income nation of 90 million with a strategic location. Just a few days ago, President Arroyo basked in the glory of being the first head of state from the region to meet Obama, and the Philippines being named as "coordinator" for US policy in the region. How glorious is it really to be asked to serve another country's interests?

Yet the relationship with the US remains complex. The Philippines must not rely too much on an ally that, like any other country, naturally holds its own interests above any other's. But the election of Obama and the continuing infatuation of Filipinos with living the American dream remind us there is much to learn from the most powerful democracy on earth.

The Last Time I Saw Mother

I have never heard of Arlene Chai before. The only reason I read The Last Time I Saw Mother was because my wife had a copy and it was on our shelf. After reading it, however, I realized what a gem it was. It is the story of Caridad, a Filipino immigrant in search of her past, but it also tells the story of the Filipino people in the past half century, from the horrors of the Japanese occupation to the euphoria of the EDSA Revolution.

The central plot of a woman learning late in life of her true identity is no longer new for Filipinos used to the melodramatic twists and turns of telenovelas. The real appeal of the novel is how Filipino it was. It is impossible for any Filipino not to be able to relate to Chai's depiction of the sufferings during the war, the cultural practices surrounding courtship, marriage, and childbirth, and the changes that happen as Filipinos live in other countries - as one in ten of us have decided to do. She describes our stories, and the stories we hear at the dinner table from our parents and grandparents. She gave me a more profound understanding of Anderson's "imagined community." Filipinos reading this book and recognizing himself and his family will understand how it is to be part of the imagined community that is the Filipino nation.

Caridad's story is similar to the story of a woman close to me. I can only hope she, too, will learn about the secrets of her past, and the women in her life will also find redemption.

Purpose Driven Life

As a skeptical and agnostic college debater, I would not have been caught dead reading Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Life. But as a young father and manager with more maturity and experience, and a profound sense of spiritual emptiness - something I would have derided as sheer nonsense - I finally gave it a chance.

It is not yet one of the books I consider life-changing. There is a lot in it that the scientist and intellectual in me cannot accept without wincing, especially the simplistic explanations of God's relationship to man as being like a family or like friends. I would like to think, however, that this is Warren's way of making the Word of God accessible to a mass audience, not a literal interpretation of the Bible. I see them as a human analogy to a divine - therefore, hard to describe in human terms - relationship.

But there is a lot of Warren's message I agree with: It is not about me; it is about living well for the glory of God; it is about serving others; it is about making good use of God's gifts to us so we can honor Him. Unfortunately, I cannot say yet that I made my leap of faith, but Warren has certainly kept me in the right path.

Shaping of the Modern Mind

Writing in the 1950s, Crane Brinton argues in The Shaping of the Modern Mind that it is the Enlightenment that has most influenced the 20th century mindset. Democracy, individual liberty, the natural goodness of man, and a belief in progress are the key elements of this mindset. A half century later, I wonder if the Cold War, globalization, and post-modernist discourse have done much to alter that mindset.

9/11 and the Crash of 2008 remind us that history did not end with the Fall of the Berlin Wall. Not only is the triumph of democracy and free markets seen as no longer inevitable, some even argue that China's combination of one party rule and state intervention in the economy is a viable alternative model. Genocide in Rwanda and Serbia, and terrorism in the past few years also cast doubts to the belief that man is naturally good and that progress is certain. Post-modern disdain for grand narratives have led many to distrust institutions such as the church and the nation, leaving many individual identities without cultural moorings.

Yet I suspect that the desire for democracy remains fervent as recent protests in Iran suggest; individual liberties are still an ideal for many, but it is by no means a universal goal; man wishes to be good, but is still capable of unspeakable evil; progress continues, but it can just as easily be stopped or reversed. The modern mind remains optimistic, but it has been tempered by the reality of evil, and the precariousness of progress.

Revolt of the Masses

Mahihinuha sa pamagat ng akda ni Teodoro Agoncillo ang kanyang pagtatangka na ipakitang ang himagsikan ng 1896 bilang pag-aalsa ng mga masa sa halip ng mga ilustradong nanguna sa kilusang Propaganda. Sa kanyang pagtalakay ng buhay ni Andres Bonifacio at ng kasaysayan ng Katipunan, malinaw na ang himagsikan ay nagsimula bunga ng pagkilos ng mahihirap na pawang nakiisa sa Katipunan sa kanilang pagnanais na makatamasa ng liwanag at ginhawa makalipas ang ilang daang taon ng dilim at pagdurusa sa kamay ng mga prayle.

Subalit sa pagsiklab ng rebolusyon, unti-unti na ring nakianib ang mga nabibilang sa principalia. May ilang napilitan dahil isinangkot sila ni Bonifacio ngunit mayroon ding kusang lumaban para sa bayan gaya ni Emilio Aguinaldo na capitan municipal ng Kawit. Mahalaga man ang naging papel ng masa sa Katipunan, mahirap ilarawan ang mismong himagsikan bilang pag-aalsa lamang ng masa. Anuman ang nagbunsod sa matataas na uri na makilahok, kapwa sila naging bahagi ng rebolusyon gaya ng masa.

Sa bandang huli, ang pagkakaiba ng pananaw ng masa at ng mayayaman ay naging sanhi ng pagkasawi ni Bonifacio at ng pagkakahati ng mga Pilipino. Ang kawalan ng pagkakaisa, ang alitan sa pagitan ng mga uri ay mga suliraning patuloy nating hinaharap. Mahigit isang daang taon na ang lumipas mula ng sumigaw si Bonifacio sa Balintawak at natamo na ng Pilipinas ang soberanya subalit patuloy ang paghahangad ng bayan sa ganap na kalayaan.