US July 4 celebration: A bridge to memories

The title is not original; "A Bridge to Old Memories" is from an American magazine. In fact, our house is cluttered with back issues of Life, Time, Newsweek, The Saturday Review of Literature, The New Yorker, Dialogue, The Atlantic Monthly, Harper’s Magazine, Seventeen, etc. You might say that colonial mentality here takes on a very literate form.

Our reading matter of (American) English goes back to the Thomasites, those valiant teachers who had arrived on the S.S. Thomas to immediately implement the US educational program for the Philippines which the US had taken over in its new euphoric adventure in imperialism.

History records that President William McKinley had fallen on his knees to seek enlightenment from the Almighty on what to do with the Philippines. Did he not know that the Filipinos were struggling to gain their freedom and independence from Spain?

In fact, Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo had asked Admiral George Dewey to help the Filipinos shake off the Spanish yoke. After simulated cooperation, the Americans took over instead as our new colonial masters.

Later, the US and Spain signed the Treaty of Paris which decreed, among other terms, that the US pay Spain $20,000,000. If there had been 20 million Filipinos at the time, each would then have cost the US, one dollar.

Gen. Aguinaldo had appointed the brilliant lawyer Don Felipe Agoncillo (incidentally, my grand uncle) ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Paris for the negotiations. Ironically, Agoncillo’s presence was not officially recognized by either the US or Spain, yet the main topic of the negotiations was the Philippines!

During the American regime, there were pros (the educational program, for instance), and cons. Analysts, among them my editor-mentor I.P. Soliongco, recalled that the US discouraged Philippine industrialization because we were exporting cheap raw materials to the US in exchange for finished products at enormous cost to us.

The presence of the two military bases was a thorn on the side of our nationalists. Some contend that the fact that the Philippines was an American territory playing host to the bases had led to the Japanese invasion which meant countless Filipino families losing either loved ones or valued property or both. Our own family lost both and it took us years to rebuild materially what we had lost — and only partially at that.

I must stress that the foregoing historical account is a layman’s view, but I venture to say it is basically correct.

Now that the war is over, considerable aid keeps pouring in from Japan. Ambassador Ryuichiro Yamazaki has repeatedly apologized for the atrocities committed by the Japanese military. Further, he and his wife Noriko have obliterated the bitterness of remembrance by their sincerity, warmth and friendliness.

The Americans, for their part, have given reparations — war damage claims — and helped to rebuild our devastated country. Educational benefits continue to be enjoyed by our youth; years ago, I myself was a recipient of a Fulbright grant and a fellowship from Radcliffe College, Harvard U.

America’s hold and influence is still tremendous. Turn on your radio and chances are you will hear Broadway and Tin Pan Alley songs, rock ‘n’ roll and "underground" music. Recall the surfeit of American magazines in our own house! For another instance, the July 4th celebration which marked US independence and RP-US Friendship drew over a thousand Filipino guests — the largest crowd ever to attend a National Day celebration.

I had never met Ambassador Kristie A. Kenney until then but reports portrayed her as a no-nonsense, dead-earnest, courageous ambassador who had extended the hand of cooperation and friendship to people in as far-away a place as Mindanao, a dangerous region ridden with terrorists.

At the embassy, I joined a very long queue, and when I actually shook hands with Ambassador Kenney, I bade her a belated welcome because as I told her, it was only then I was meeting her. She quickly replied: "But I know you; I read your column!" You could have knocked me down with a feather, you might say.

Ambassador Kenney’s brief remarks at the official program rang with fervor and sincerity. She said, among many gratifying things, that although she was far away from home, she already felt very much at home here because of the kindness, friendliness and hospitality of the Filipinos. She had set an amicable tone, as no other ambassador within recent memory, had done.

The exchange of toasts between her and DFA Secretary Alberto Romulo was likewise brief; nevertheless, it held assurances of mutual esteem and regard, firm friendship and cooperation between both countries. Again, the bitterness of old memories was erased. Mabuhay!

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Our hosts welcomed us warmly, some of them enjoining us to proceed to the lawn to enjoy the breeze and, of course, the sunset. Scott Douglas Bellard, Counselor for Political Affairs, and Sharon E. Ludan, Counselor for Management Affairs, likewise attentive.

In the mammoth gathering were Chief Justice Art Panganiban, FEU President Lydia Echaus, UP law Prof. Raul Pangalangan and lawyer-PEZA director Lilia de Lima (both of whom knew my uncle Justice J.B.L. Reyes), Consul Vince and Tinna Carlos, Consul Tony Rufino who wittily asked me if an encomienda went with my recent Spanish award.

I also saw Carlyn Manning, George Winternitz III, Renee Speitz, Brian and Leslie Murray, former UP President Jose Abueva, actress-director Naty Crame-Rogers, National Artist F. Sionil and Tessie Jose, Gaby Tabuñar, media colleagues Marixi Prieto, Anna Marie Pamintuan, Joanne Ramirez, Beth Romulo, Butch Bonsol and Joan Orendain who warned that 1,600 guests were being expected!

A towering American woman led tiny me close to the rostrum so I could see and hear better. How thoughtful of her!