Flag of our fathers - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos
If Filipinos read the 1898 Declaration of Independence, they will be surprised and disappointed to find out that the three main colors—red, white and blue—that have traditionally stood to mean bravery, purity and peace were actually borrowed from the flag of the United States of America under whose benevolent protection the founding fathers sought assistance! History further tells us that when Spain ceded the Philippines to the United States at the end of the 19th century, the ally had become an enemy, thus sparking the Philippine-American War that to this day is still considered a gray area in textbook history. Some textbooks mention the Filipino-American War in passing, some ignore it, others downplay it.
I’ve hinted here and there about my feelings concerning Ambeth Ocampo. Once upon a time he filled his role admirably; he (purportedly) dug up little facts and information on Philippine history and spun them in fanciful ways. It was interesting, a little intriguing, but essentially…fluff. He’s like a poor man’s version of Mark Kurlansky.
The last few years though, it feels like he’s begun to mail it in. His nadir as a culture and history savant came with painting the Rizal house…green. Completely and totally out of period context. His columns have also shown a decidedly less rigorous aspect with regards to his history.
Take for example, this column. I would like to point out that US flag was modeled after the Union Jack and the East India Trading Companies flag. That did nothing to undermine it’s status as a symbol for the nascent country.
The Founding Fathers of the Philippines looked rightly towards the US for inspiration. The US had demonstrably shown that a colony could thrown off imperial shackles and thrive on its own. The early history of the US is frequently glossed over in favor of myth-enhancing, but they struggled dramatically. However, they built their country on a fusion of new political and humanist ideals. But again, the US pulled inspiration from the Scottish/British and French Enlightenments. Things that the Filipino leaders looked to for inspiration. Remember, within a global context, the Philippine Revolution (enlightenment driven, with apologies to Reynaldo Ileto and Renato Constantino) was a natural extension of the French and American revolutions. We were the Eastern culmination of those two movements; and in our own way sparked the later revolutions in Asia. Do not forget, Aguinaldo and others specifically studied the US constitution to act as a model. Why reinvent the wheel when there was a working example in existence.
And this commentary on the Philippine looking to the US for assistance? Of course they did. Just like the US turned to France and Germany for assistance in fighting off the British. The difference was, in the case of France and Germany, they did not go back on their word. The US did.
They could not know that, driven by Roosevelts misguided extension of the Manifest Destiny, the US would turn it’s back on it’s national soul. Remember, the US turn towards imperialism was completely out-of-charactre: At least if ignoring their history with Native Americans.
This type of commentary by Ocampo is unnecessary and frankly illogical. Our National Anthem is based on Spanish song, does that make it any less our national anthem? The US national anthem is based on an old British drinking song? Does that make it any less important to them? No, no it doesn’t. Why anyone would be dismayed by this, I do not know.
By the way, I wonder where Ocampo stands on the Philippine-American War. It’s patently obvious that the US stabbed the Philippines in the back. But, that requires taking a historical stand. However, Ocampo frequently chooses to not take historical stances; instead, again, focusing on the gossip side of Pinoy history.
Sometimes I wonder if I should stop asking too many questions and stop opening proverbial cans of worms. Maybe I should just take in everything that has been passed down to us from childhood as true.
What can of worms? The self-congratulatory love fest is astounding. Do not forsake us oh great historian!
Of the historians who have opened up ‘cans of worms’ so to speak Ocampo has not reached their hallowed halls. Historians like Ileto and Constantino (for all that I disagree with them), Benedict Anderson, Glenn Anthony May, Nick Joaquin, John Shumacher, Beniting Legarda, Felice Sta. Maria and Anding Roces (to name a few) have done more to unearth and recreate the truth underlying Philippine history than many others. They have tried to envision new methods of understanding who we are as a people.
Ambeth Ocampo stands on the shoulders of giants (not even having the grace to acknowledge them), pulling little tidbits out of primary documents and spinning them into grand discoveries…ultimately I think to feel more important. The danger behind this line is, he seems to think he has become bigger than history and without his work, none will ever be able to understand it. That is a fallacy; an egotistical one at that.
I will not say that the field of Philippine historiography is worse of with him. Everyone has a role.
Ocampos is as the court’s gossip columnist and pop tidbit purveyor. A role he fills aptly well.
