Back To My Roots: The Philippines (Part 2)

Here’s Part Two of the Back To My Roots article on  “The Philippines“.

In this article, we’ll delve into a brief (but complete) history of the Philippines, talk about what the flag means, give you some new phrases to introduce to your children, famous Filipinos that your kids should know and some other Filipino sites to check out!

Tayo na!

The Flag of the Philippines

The blue stripe on the flag of the Philippines represents patriotism and justice.  The red stripe represents the blood shed for freedom and independence.  The white triangle represents peace and equality among all people.  The three stars represents the three main regions of the country: Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.  The sun represents independence and progress.  The eight rays of the sun represents the first eight provinces that led the effort for independence against Spanish rule: Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Laguna and Batangas.

A Very Brief History of the Philippines

(further abridged from Wikipedia):

Prior to 1521, there was no unifying political state in the Philippines.  The islands were divided and ruled by various rajahs and sultans. In the 1500’s, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan arrived in the Philippines, and claimed the islands for Spain and the Spanish established Manila as the capital.  Roman Catholic missionaries converted most of the lowland inhabitants to Christianity and founded schools, a university, and hospitals. An ideology of revolution grew from a movement in Spain lobbying for political reforms in the Philippines, organized by José Rizal and others. Rizal was eventually executed on December 30, 1896, on charges of rebellion.

In 1892, a secret society called the Katipunan was established which sought independence from Spain through armed revolt; the Katipunan started the Philippine Revolution in 1896. On June 12, 1898, the Katipunan declared Philippine independence from Spain and the First Philippine Republic was established the following year. Meanwhile, the islands were ceded by Spain, together with Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Guam, to the United States for $20 million dollars, in the Treaty of Paris. This led to the Philippine-American War after the First Philippine Republic was not recognized by the United States and eventually resulted in American control over the islands.

In 1935, the Philippines was granted Commonwealth status. Plans for independence over the next decade were interrupted by World War II when the Japanese invaded. Many atrocities were committed during the war such as the Bataan Death March and the Manila massacre that culminated during the Battle of Manila. Allied troops defeated the Japanese in 1945. On July 4, 1946, the Philippines attained its independence.

In 1965, Ferdinand Marcos was elected president with his wife Imelda.  Nearing the end of his second term and constitutionally barred from seeking a third, he declared martial law on September 21, 1972 and governed by decree. On August 21, 1983, Marcos’ chief rival opposition leader Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. ignored warnings and returned from exile in the United States. He was assassinated as he was taken off the plane at the Manila International Airport (now called the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in his memory). With political pressure building Marcos eventually called for snap presidential elections in 1986. Corazon Aquino, Benigno’s widow, was convinced into becoming the presidential candidate and standard bearer of the opposition. The elections were widely thought of as rigged when Marcos was proclaimed the winner and this led to the People Power Revolution.  In the face of mass protests and military defections, Marcos and his allies fled to Hawaii and into exile and Corazon Aquino was recognized as president.

The return of democracy and government reforms after the events of 1986 were hampered by national debt, government corruption, coup attempts, a persistent communist insurgency and Islamic separatists. The economy improved during the administration of Fidel V. Ramos.  In 2001, amid charges of corruption and a stalled impeachment process, Ramos’ successor Joseph Ejercito Estrada was ousted from the presidency by the 2001 EDSA Revolution and replaced by the current president, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

The Top 10 Most Famous Filipinos (to me…)

Imelda Marcos – Politician, those damn shoes keep popping up in jokes!

Manny Pacquiao – Boxer, Go Manny Go!

Sharon Cuneta – Singer

Dolphy – Actor

José Rizal – National Hero

Tito, Vic & Joey – Actors

Pilita Corrales – Singer, my Lola loves her music!

Corazon Aquino – Politican, Original “People Power” Leader

Top 10 Basic Tagalog Phrases to Know

TagalogLang.com has come up with a great Top 10 list with audio pronunciations!  Here’s the link to their Site to get the audio clips and see below what you’ll find there!

1. Magandang araw! = Beautiful day!
This is how Filipinos would say hello. It’s the equivalent of “Good morning!” though you can use it in the early afternoon too.

2. Mahal kita. = I love you.
This is the most common way of saying ‘I Love You.’ This phrase can be used with anyone, from your wife to your grandfather.

3. Sarap nito. = This is delicious. / This feels good.
The Tagalog word for ‘delicious’ is also used for something that feels good.

4. Maligayang Bati. = Happy Wishes.
This is how Filipinos would say Happy Birthday.

5. Ayaw ko. = I don’t want. / I don’t like. / I don’t want to.
This Tagalog phrases is often shortened to one word: Ayoko.

6. Gusto ko ‘to. = I like this. / I want this.
The Tagalog word gusto can mean ‘want’ or ‘ like.’

7. Sandali lang. = Just a moment. (Wait. Hold on a sec.)

8. Ingat ka. = Take care.

9. Aalis na ako. = I’m leaving now. (A phrase Filipinos use when they’d like to say goodbye.)

10. Pasensya ka na. = Sorry, bear with me.
Use this phrase when you’ve done something that inconveniences a Filipino.

Other Sites to Check Out

Here are 2 other sites you should check out as you connect your children back to their Filipino Roots!

Mama Lisa – A neat site that focuses on conversations about the languages and cultures of the world, especially the traditions and songs of children.  The link takes you straight to her Philippines page.

Philippines, My Philippines – A nice collection of high quality photos around the country to show your kids.

To really connect your kids back to their roots, use the information above to learn about your own roots, start talking about what you’ve learned with your kids and start using some of the phrases above around your home!

When you show an interest, and if you catch them young enough, I believe you’ll be planting a seed that will grow into a deep appreciation of their culture in time.

Good luck!

Other Posts That Might Interest You:

1. Back To My Roots: The Philippines (Part 1)