Being Free is somehow literal

Haidee F. Sabido, Far Eastern University, Nicanor Reyes St., Sampaloc, Manila
2018014401@feu.edu.ph

Introduction
“There ain’t no such thing as free lunch” (Pierre Dos Utt, 1949). Do you think free taste in the mall
is really free? In today’s age nothing is really free, In order to have that want or need there is always an
equivalent exchange for something else according to Karl Marx. For instance in the context of EDSA People
Power Revolution Filipinos back then doesn’t want former President Marcos how the governing structure
of the Philippines, which is a dictatorship. They feel that the administration is cruel and violent with it’s
power that every Filipinos that time fight for their own “Freedom” that they want which is to have
democracy. Just like in the context of Karl Marx there are two main types of people in the society the
bourgeoisie and proletariat. Wherein it can be similar in time of Edsa People Power there is an oppressor
and oppressed. Those people that are oppressed can be classify the ones want to abolished the administration.
While the oppressor is the government itself. While looking back in the history of the Philippines,
“Revolution” had a big picture in the archipelago’s history wherein it’s countrymen fight for country’s
freedom and identity. Through our national heroes such as Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Aguinaldo,
and etc. But looking in some corner of the Philippine History, does all Filipinos are been oppressed that time
or the marginalized people only feel the oppression? So looking back in the past do you think the Philippine
Revolution is a want or need of the Filipinos back then? The Philippine Revolution is really not successful
in the following factors: The focal point of the Revolution is in Luzon specifically in Manila and the
atrocities were experienced in the said place.
It is true that evidence exists about the islands prior to the conquest, that certain regions such as the
hill country of northern Luzon and the Muslim south escaped Hispanization, and that violent
reactions to colonial rule were fairly regular. (Ileto,1998)
The Philippine structure is archipelago and the dissemination of news is hard, imagine that time there is no
available source of information and social media is still not yet invented that’s why there is no availability to
be connected in some part of the archipelago by that it resulted in
The main Visayan Island. As the Philippines entered the world economy. In the late 18th century,
the archipelago began an accelerated socio-economic transformation. (McCoy,2001)
Government, Administration of Justice, Inheritances, Slaves, and Dowries (Plasencia,1598)
In some part of the Tagalogs, people there were governed them by Datos and they were able to illustrate a
different norm and culture to the part of the Philippines that were being under the colonialism wherein these
people are can be a mixture of indigenous Filipinos and Indians customs. Another is the people behind this
revolution to fight for the independence of the sovereign wherein our national Heroes is categorized into
two groups: The reformist ( Illustrados ) or Revolutionist. The Reformist these people are very intelligent
they and their families are in the middle class, in conclusion, these people are were able to take formal
education. While the Revolutionist these people were so-called “Indio” that they are classified in the bottom
part of the triangle that the oppression here is evident. In that we can see in the collective ideals of the
Philippine History the revolution where so incapacitated in such factors that not all Filipinos were not
informed that there is an outbreak of oppression that there is a need to be revolt and also in some instance
is that some of our national heroes specifically is Dr. Jose Rizal doesn’t want a revolution in some factors
that are kinda not highlighted but on the other side Andres Bonifacio want a revolution, according to Karl
Marx, Bonifacio is classify as a proletariat wherein the oppression is so evident while Rizal can be classified
as bourgeoise he is capacitated in the most shallow reason is that to have a formal education. Like what’s
happening in the context of Duterte’s administration now is that wherein there are some Filipinos doesn’t
want how he lead the country that’s why some people now and then keep on doing rallies and can be a form
of revolution and by some instance not all Filipinos have disagreed with President Duterte’s governing tactic
that’s why in at the end revolution where not really so successful in these kinds of instances that Filipinos do
not have this one consensus to revolt. Just that those people feel the oppression are only the wants revolts
and some are not.

The Demographic Structure

A country’s main ingredient to have a successful revolution and to attain its absolute freedom is to have
whole support of its countrymen and the same experience in order for them to create unity among themselves.
The Philippines Revolution lack that kind of qualities in order to have a successful revolution.
It is true that evidence exists about the islands prior to the conquest, that certain regions such as the
hill country of northern Luzon and the Muslim south escaped Hispanization, and that violent
reactions to colonial rule were fairly regular. (Ileto,1998)
The problem is that during the Philippine revolution in the time of the Spaniards. The focal point
colonization is in Luzon specifically in Manila wherein there in the main point of the colonization that is
being controlled by the Spaniards.
The unevenness of colonial scholarship and denied the field an adequate fund of historical and
ethnographic data and The Philippines lacked a strong tradition of colonial scholarship.
(McCoy,2001)
In some part of the Philippines not in Luzon especially in Manila Spaniards were prohibiting some
researchers to do some research about in this archipelago somehow is the Spaniards are scared of the atrocities
that they do in the country, it will be exposed and some of the resources that the archipelago has they use it
for their own benefits. That’s why some Filipinos that are out of reach in the revolution that is happening in
Manila some of them are part of the world trade and in the latter of the country are being governed by the
Datos
As the Philippines entered the world economy in the late 18th century, the archipelago began an
accelerated socio - economic transformation. The wellsprings of the post 1970 burst of regional
historical studies were several. (McCoy,2001)
Those Filipinos part of the world trade most of them are in the provincial or regional part of the country
that’s why researchers in some part of the country (e.g. Americans) were able to conduct and to write a more
comprehensive and detailed history in those part of the philippines. Through that it is evident that Filipinos
that are being outside of the big circle that the Spaniards create they do some other business in such a way
they do trading that regionals were being dominated by the influence of the world trade system through the
different countries most especially in the southeast Asian countries, Americans, and Europe.
Influence of the Anglo - American merchant houses that dominated the export economy. Areas such
as Bikol, Cebu, and the Western Visayas. (McCoy,2001)
Sulu, Iloilo City and Central Luzon demonstrate that external linkages to world markets, not to
manila, were the dominant. (McCoy,2001)
In the latter of the archipelago, there is a kinda isolated area wherein Filipinos there are been called
“Tagalogs”. There is a small governing organization called “Barangay” that is being governed by Datos.
According to Juan Placencia, the barangay works with the caste system wherein there are there kinds of
people: Nobles, Commoners, and Slaves. Those three category acts according to their duty in society.
The nobles were the free-born whom they call “maharlica”
The “commoners” are called aliping namamahay. They are married, and serve their master, whether
he be a dato or not,
The slaves are called aliping sa guiguilir. They serve their master in his house and on his cultivated
lands, and may be sold. (Placencia,1589)
Some Filipinos were not able to participate in the revolution that is being happened in those times the reason
is that some of them are been part of the world trade and those people ingrained there mind is to be a
capitalist to earn profit and the second is that in the latter of the archipelago there is already a civilization
happening and those part of the bottom of the triangle which are the slaves they only know is that they need
to live a life through that they need shelter and food. In order to have that is they need to serve their master.
Through this factual information, it only manifests that the demographic structure of the Philippines
somehow significant and had a big role in order to have a successful revolution. The problem is that the
Philippines is composed of many islands and its countrymen are far away from each other and it resulted in
the revolution is only focuses on the Manila wherein the oppression has highly fluctuated.That those
Filipinos where in that place and experiencing the oppression are the only the ones is revolting while those
Filipinos in the world trade and in the latter part of the Philippines didn’t know that there are atrocities and
revolution that is happening in the Philippine during those time.
The Taste of Freedom and Oppressed
During the revolution there are prominent persons in time of the revolution, those are Andres
Bonifacio and Dr. Jose Rizal. These people are the minds of the revolution but they come from different
groups the reformist which include Dr. Jose Rizal and revolutionist under Andres Bonifacio but of these
“Revolution Organization” work hand-in-hand. But as these organizations were established that time the
revolution somehow it also the reason why it is not successful. In Kataas-taasan, Kagalang-galangang,
Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (kkk). This revolutionist is established by the supremo Andres Bonifacio
but there is speculation that the real one who established the Katipunan is Marcelo Del Pilar that time was
in Spain.
The spanish authorities claimed that statues had been sent from madrid by the renowned
propagandista Marcelo H. Del Pilar, who Governor General Ramon Blanco regarded as the true
instigator of the separatist movement. (Richardson, 2013)
Who was it brought instructions from Spain for the establishment of the katipunan in Manila?
(Richardson, 2013)
That’s why there is no clear history where does the revolution is started? But the deal here is that when the
revolution is pop like a mushroom most Filipinos being part of the said organization is that are those
marginalized and oppressed in the society. Just like Andres Bonifacio that one is being proclaimed as the
supremo of the Katipunan looking onto his background he didn’t come from a famous family, he is also
considered poor and were not properly educated. Unlike Dr. Jose Rizal and part of the reformist most of
them their family are famous, and they are considered elite that has a proper education.
Biographies of Rizal earned a degree in ophthalmology, became recognized as well in the fields of
ethnography and linguistics, wrote two influential novels and numerous scholarly works,
distinguished himself in the propaganda movement, and so forth. (Ileto,1998)
It is clearly evident that time Andres Bonifacio and the members of Katipunan are the one’s fight with for
the freedom’s country through arms struggle because most of them are been part of the bottom of the triangle.
While Dr. Jose Rizal it only signifies he just wants a reformation in the country or to change that is something
violate his rights not really a revolution. Revolution must take place to be united as one nation. In that time
Manila is only the one considered as the territory of the Philippines wherein the violence, cruelty, and power
so enforced that those people are inside the pueblo are only the one’s experience the atrocities happening and
fight for freedom’s country. That some part of the country wasn’t included and in some part of the country
there is trading that is being happened (World trade) and some are been governed by the barangay under by
a Datos.
As time goes by Filipinos that were able to achieve victory against the odds but does the freedom
that they attain is really attainable? In the time wherein the US is part of the picture already of the Philippine
revolution, there is war arise between Vietnamese and US is under a feud. Here in this context, the Philippines
is allied of Vietnamese it only shows that the Philippines is against US imperialism.
To instill political consciousness in the people and get them to support the just struggle of the
Vietnamese people; to relate US imperialist exploitation and oppression in the Philippines to US
imperialist and to support the justness of people’s war as the answer to US imperialist aggression.
(Lacaba,1986)
It only manifests that since the Philippines thought that they have already the freedom that they crave for
decades and they take it seriously and they think they can stand on its own. That’s why they are against the
US, Filipinos that time thinks the US oppressed them and the answer of to that is to revolt against the US.
The big but is that not all Filipinos can be, not against US imperialism only those people think that it is
wrong just like happening in the present, not all people does rallies in roads only those people that are
affected of the oppression and by that revolution can be resulted as an epic failure.

It was enough to make Gillego’s ears burn. “This is Philippine territory,” he cried, “and
no one has right to stop Filipinos from demonstrating where they want!”. (Lacaba,1986)
Filipinos that time are so thirsty with the freedom that they want. But the freedom that they achieve is like
the Philippines is just change its course and was given to the US. That the freedom that Filipinos taste is just
an appetizer that it is not whole how they crave for it.

Conclusion
Revolution holds a big picture in the history of the Philippines. That it talks about the freedom that
every Filipino wants in this country. But the revolution back then doesn't give really a guarantee that we will
be free form the colonizer. The reason why the revolution is an epic failure is that the Philippine structure it
only tells that the revolution erupts only in Manila, not in the whole Philippines main reason why it is only
in Manila. The Philippines has a geographic structure wherein it is compost of different island. While in
Manila there is a revolution happening in some part of the country there is trading happening some people
there are busy doing very good business with Chinese mestizos and some of the population is that being a
slave. According to Karl Marx is that there are two kinds of people in the society the bourgeoisie and
proletariat the latter part those slaves are included it has an interconnection with the trade that is happening
that Filipinos back then are been part of the labor force. During the time of the revolution, we have these
national heroes are the one’s fight for the country’s freedom but somehow they were lack of the capacity to
freed the country. Imagine that without these colonizers we going back in the idea of “There will be no
Philippines”. Looking in the revolution that is happened in the time of former President Marcos we can say
that somehow the revolution there is successful because the people of the Philippines were able to overthrow
the dictatorship governance in that revolution. But given that we already have that freedom up until now,
looking into it more deeply does the Philippines is really a free country? The answer is still, No by looking
in the surroundings that are been happening now people in the time of President Marcos want a democratic
country. Now we are under democratic governance but still, there are some people doing rallies in the streets
holding some big placards and against in the governance that is under democracy that in time of Marcos we
carve for it. It is so ironic that something we really want from the past and now that we are against it. Another
reason is that the Philippine revolution is really not successful and it is not absolute freedom in the means
that this country is very dependent on the other country like the US. looking back in what happened when
Philippines join the war between the US and Vietnamese it so ironic also that in those time Filipinos really
the US the reason is that they thought they were colonized that why they revolt but seeing now in the present
US is the one helping us in some problems that the Philippines were faced. Revolution in these day has a
different face now that, Just like what happening in the social media most influential people are known and
when there are some issue about them and people will revolt for that person in a millennial senses it is called
“bashing” and in terms of school when students doesn't like there professor the students will have a
consensus not to attend its class and that kind of act can somehow a form of revolution in modern generation
that we didn’t notice it is already a revolution. but way back in the past we define revolution is about the
Bolo, Swords, Shedding of blood, and etc, revolt to the people that are oppressing us through violence and
cruelty but the real revolution that we are facing nowadays is mainly yourself we are the one killing the
country and putting at stake because yourself is the real colonizer and the enemy that’s why these country is
repeating the same mistakes again. Revolution means is that it will unite each everyone of us for the
betterment of this country. A revolution we should start in ourseleves that will face the sharp edge of the
sword in the real enemy.

Reference:
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McCoy, A.W. (2001). Introducation: The Social History of an Archipelago, Retrieved from
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Lacaba, J. (1986). The May 20 Incident Days of Disquet, Nights of Rage , Retrieved from
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Richardson, J. (2013). The Light of Liberty, Retrieved from
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N.A. (1927). Proclaiming a state of martial law in the philippines, Retrived from
http://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/downloads/1972/09sep/19720921-PROC-1081-FM.pdf