Yesterday we commemorated Phil-American friendship

Yesterday was July 4, the day that the United States celebrates its Independence Day. It was on July 4, 1776 that the United States asserted the sovereign Independence of what was once a British colony.

To extend this historical tradition, the Americans recognized our Independence in July 4, 1945. This was just a few months after liberation. It is no exaggeration to say that no nation in history acquired its independence under a worst condition. Manila, then, was the second most destroyed city in the world — next only to Warsaw. And the Philippines was one of the five most ravaged countries in World War II. Out of a population of 18 million, one million Filipinos were killed. That is one out of every 18! The other four were Germany, Japan, Russia and Poland.

Yet, look at the country today. True that we are in great economic distress. But Manila since liberation has grown into a metropolis. The only irony is that Intramuros, "the noble and ever loyal city," has to this day not been restored. The original Manila that took 30 years to build was destroyed by just three days of American bombing and shelling during the liberation.

There was a time when Filipinos celebrated their Independence Day on July 4, along with the United States. This was counter to Independence Day traditions. All nations — including the United States – celebrate as their day of Independence, the day they declared their independence, not the day their independence was recognized. It also posed a problem abroad. We were a newly-born republic and when our embassies abroad sent out invitations, almost all foreign ambassadors decline the invitations giving exactly the same reason — a previous engagement, meaning the July 4 Independence Day celebration at the American Embassy.

It was President Diosdado Macapagal who changed our Independence Day commemoration from July 4 to June 12, the day General Emilio Aguinaldo declared our independence from our mother country Spain. It made clear a historical fact, that we were the first in Asia to declare its independence from a European power. When the Americans recognized our independence on July 4, 1945. we attained an added distinction. We also became the first nation to actually have our declaration of independence finally recognized.

Yesterday, we commemorated July 4 as the Philippine-American Friendship Day. It is an occasion that commemorates a relation that started with the Filipino—American War and culminated in Bataan, with both Filipinos and Americans fighting side by side like brothers.

So July 4 is a dual celebration for Americans in the Philippines. It is both their Independence Day and Philippine-American Friendship Day.