My favorite is the ex-Convento de Churubusco that has been re-christened Museo Nacional de las Intervenciones, an elegant euphemism for invasions. The convento was a bastion where the Battle of Churubusco took place in August 1847, when the USA invaded Mexico. In that museum, I saw an old map where Texas was called Nuevas Filipinas. … Read more
In the recently HOCUS exhibition at the National Museum of Fine Arts, one of the paintings, “El Hombre Olvidado” (Forgotten Man) depicted an ex-conquistador on his deathbed attended by friars to whom he bequeathed the Hacienda de Orion in exchange for Masses celebrated, until the end of time, for the eternal repose of his soul. … Read more
Mandar a Manila!”, – literally , “Send to Manila!” – was a verdict slightly better than a death sentence. While researching at the Mexican National Archives in the 1980’s, I came across letters written by mothers to the Viceroys of Mexico, begging them not to exile their sons to Manila. As late as the 19th … Read more
During those more than 300 years in a convent (according to Carmen Guerrero Nakpil), the Philippines was never considered a settler colony, unlike its Latin American counterparts. Perhaps it was because of the distance from the metropolis. However, there were certain categories of non-permanent migrants like government officials, military volunteers, members of religious orders and … Read more
The prologue of Saul Hofileña’s latest book, International Law, is discordantly funny for such an intimidating opus. It uses a German legend, “a thousand times retold” about the Schildbürgers of Helm, a town in Germany. They were reputed to be the most learned and wisest men in Europe during the Middle Ages. They were so wise … Read more
This monumental tome entitled International Law, by Saul Hofileña, Jr., is very timely because it speaks of things that have disconcerted us lately – the Law of the Sea, treaties and how these are generated and broken, how a criminal who has escaped to another country may be extradited back to the country where he … Read more
How refreshing it was to listen to someone so cool, calm, and collected! For a change, there were no vulgar expletives or menacing epithets, only the soothing civility of en elected official who is self-possessed and respectful. What a pleasant respite it was to hear Vice President Leni Robredo speak about her flagship program during … Read more
A provocative monograph entitled “A Massachusetts Woman in the Philippines” was published in Boston in 1903, anonymously because the Philippine-American War had not yet ended, contrary to President Theodore Roosevelt’s official declaration. The lady reporter was a member of the Anti-imperialist League (AIL) which was founded in November 1898, in the USA by former abolitionists, … Read more
To date, I have seen three movies about the siege of Baler. As you already know, on 27 June 1898, 54 Spanish soldiers, mostly young recruits with no battle experience, were holed up in a small-town church in Baler with their commanding officer, Capt. Enrique de las Morenas. For 337 days, the army of our … Read more
Several times in the recent past, President Rodrigo Duterte has threatened to resign. He is not the first Philippine president to do so. More than a century ago, Emilio Aguinaldo actually wrote a letter of resignation to the Filipino people and begged them to accept it as their “Aguinaldo” (Christmas gift) to him. The first … Read more