Independence Day reflections and perspectives

by Levy Abad

On June 20, 2026, I attended the Independence Day Ball at the Victoria Inn, organized by the Philippine Heritage Council of Manitoba (PHCM). The theme was Diwa ng Pilipino or The Filipino Spirit. It was a well-attended event, where I saw people whom I had met while working for the Minister of Culture of the Province of Manitoba. Attending this event makes one reflect on the meaning of “independence.”

Someone asked me, “Are we really free as a people?” If we are free, how come we have a moribund social system in the Philippines? How come when a poor man steals food to eat, he gets jailed, while corrupt politicians who steal billions walk away scot-free? How come youth activists are jailed, tortured, vilified as communists and/or terrorists and murdered, while the armed minions of the system protect the corrupt and powerful?

Independence Day is a time to celebrate the achievement of the revolution of 1896, ending more than 300 years of Spanish colonialism. However, we should not lose sight of the fact that Spain, clearly defeated by the Katipunan (revolutionary movement), ceded some of its colonies to the United States with the signing of the Treaty of Paris of 1898. Spain ceded the Philippines to the United States for $20 million. The treaty effectively transferred Spain’s hegemony to the US. This colonial gambit of Spain should be studied critically. The books of Renato Constantino, The Past Revisited and The Continuing Past, provide accounts of the Katipunan continuing the struggle against the new colonial power. It is also noteworthy to mention Makario Sakay’s commitment to continue the Katipunan’s revolutionary struggle until his traitorous execution in 1913. The revolution of 1896 was the first, if not one of the earliest, revolutions against colonialism in Asia in the 19th century.

By 1902, cognizant of the rising opposition of the people, US colonial rule would be forced to adopt neo-colonialism to subjugate the resistance. Instead of direct rule through the governor-general, puppets were developed by foisting the children of the co-opted ruling class to rule the colonies or the Philippines in particular. It is not surprising that the 1935 constitution was patterned after the American constitution. From this would evolve the 1973 and the 1986 constitutions, which law students of my generation in the 90s studied and memorized to become ideologues of republican democracy. The US also granted flag independence that lulled the populace by providing a semblance of freedom and democracy in the realm of politics during the commonwealth period (1935-1946). The Philippine economy was subjected to unequal treaties, like the Bell Trade Act. All these laid the ground for semi-feudalism, as contraposed to feudalism, during the 365 years of Spanish colonial rule. Neocolonialism introduced capitalism in some areas in the Philippines while maintaining most regions as agricultural to supply raw materials for monopoly capital.

The introduction of capitalism gave birth to the Filipino working-class movement. In 1903, the Union Obrera Democrática de las Islas Filipinas (UODF) was born (Manggagawa: Noon at Ngayon, 2002, Eiler). This organization would eventually give birth to a new type of revolutionary movement. During the time of the great nationalist Claro M. Recto, those who called for national industrialization and agrarian reform were vilified as communists. Presidents of the Philippines were pressured to toe the line of the neo-colonial agenda or get overthrown.

The revolution of 1896 and the years of liberation struggle should be celebrated, while all the puppetry and betrayal of the motherland should be deplored and resisted. Unfortunately, the effects of semi-colonialism and semi-feudalism have a long-term impact. Nowadays, about seven thousand Filipinos go abroad daily in search of better opportunities – a bad case of brain drain – victims of “labour export policy.” Working abroad gives one a vantage point. People from industrialized countries go abroad to invest or tour, while the majority of people from pre-industrial and agricultural countries end up as an industrial army of labour. Given this situation, the celebration of Independence Day should rouse our people to help the motherland in its struggle for liberation. Doing so would lead to independence in the realm of politics, economy and culture through national industrialization and genuine agrarian reform. Indeed, the greatest achievement of the independence celebration is to make the children of the motherland reflect and pose the question, are we really independent?