Euro Filipino Journal: Jun Terra

War in the Philippines 1898

July 13, 2016 Admin 0

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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Battle of Alapan</td></tr>
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The Diary of Lieut X. 
 
Reviewed by Jun Terra 
 
Spontaneous 
 
He tried to see the events through the eyes of others, one of them, the pilot of one of the Spanish ships that sank. He interviewed participants as well as observers like the Frenchman, known as the Commander, who lived between Cavite and Manila, a long-time resident of the Philippines. More importantly he went on fact-finding missions. One of these occasions was when he and a party of nine went on board one of the American ships to survey the aftermath of the naval battle: “Each brought his own equipment for expedition, binoculars, cameras, pencils, note pads, etc. I am determined to scrutinize every detail..” he said. 
 
On May 30, he wrote: 
 
“We visited the markets of Binondo and San Miguel. There is an enormous crowd of Tagals and Chinese. Baskets full of fish and delicious fruits are everywhere…there is an abundance of lively colours and movements…people discussing among themselves…and yet fighting began this morning. very early, at Las Pinas, at the very threshold of Manila..” 
 
On June 7, our intrepid diarist observes: “Martial law is declared…there are a few speedy executions without trial…the atmosphere in the city is tense. The Tagals are not threatening the merchants, bankers and businessmen who are all foreigners…Aguinaldo could have benefitted from this bold coup de force if Admiral Dewey had not officially prevented him from doing so…Manila is no longer recognizable as the city it used to be. Escolta is sad almost desolate. The Chinese have fled, the shops are closed, there are no more strollers, no more buyers, no more coquettish ladies…and the off-key piercing voices of the Tagals, the mandolins the guitars.” 
 
Philippines’ central role in the Pacific 
 
Manglapus could not be more mistaken when he says that Lieut X “could not be expected to perceive through the mote in the eye of the Frenchman.” Far from it, throughout the diary, Ernest Motsch shows very sharp powers of analysis and strong sense of geopolitics. He looked at events beyond narrow French interests in the Philippines and the region. He saw the impotence of France to influence events in the Philippines with sadness, even as he noted the strategic importance of the country: 
 
“An incomparable situation now exists. Manila is the key to the Far East, being the geometric center from which all places radiate where colonies are of utmost importance to the powers with interests in the Pacific. With Manila at the center, having a radius equal to five days at sea, one can establish a circumference consisting of all the important commercial routes and all the trade between the north of Asia and the South of Europe, the Far East, Australia and the United States…The strategic importance of the Philippines in the Pacific is superior to that of the Azores in the European context. Besides this, the Philippines has a bigger surface area, a larger population and countless natural resources. These islands and Cuba are Spain’s most beautiful colonies…these fertile lands feed some 10 million and can sustain easily some three or four times that number.” 
 
And he analysed events in the Philippines within the wider context of the emergence of the vast Pacific Basin as one of the most important areas in the future history of the world. In another prophetic observation Lieut X could well have been speaking of today’s Pacific Basin where the whole of the world is once again rushing to control or at least be a significant participant in the enormous tradeopportunities in the area and partake of its riches, when he wrote: 
 
“Today, we are witnessing the creation of a new sphere of commerce in the Pacific. The immense basin which lies between the Russian part of Asia, China and Australia, on one side, ad the two Americas, on the other, is destined to be an area of immense wealth. From now on, the future is assured for those who settle in these areas, and power is assured to those who will rule over them. Europe in its blindness, does not realise that if England and the United States agree to dominate both the west and the western pacific, there will soon be no place left for other countries.” 
 
Does this not echo Seward’s panegyric, sans the rhetoric on America’s manifest destiny to rule the area, quoted earlier? 
 
His analysis of foreign contention over the Philippines uncannily confirms Mabini’s view that the Americans, the Spaniards and the Europeans coveted the Philippines. It is as though they read each other’s mind. Lieut X writes: “the struggle for the possession of the islands (July 26) has assumed such proportions that the United States would not know how to accept the loss of the spoils of war.” In the meantime, the various interests were waiting in the wings, ready to pounce should there be any mistake on the side of one of the principal protagonists: “the unstable situation is responsible for the feverish activities and nervousness of the Germans. This is also the reason for the friendship, colored with envy, shown by the British towards the Americans from whom they are still awaiting compensation for their services. Then there are the contrite and watchful Japanese. The appetites of all are whetted by the prey. Each one wants to take his bite and remove his piece but dares not, since each is fearful of the other.” 
 
He did not look at events only from one point of view , from that of the French, but from all the contending forces, giving a particularly sympathetic attention to the point of view of the Filipinos or Tagals as he calls them. 
 
Ameican Duplicity 
 
More pointedly, he saw that the Americans did not really come to help the natives but to replace the Spaniards: 
 
“I have been observing these Filipinos for almost a year. Once again they find themselves being oppressed, a state from which they thought they had been freed…they had not conquered the Spaniards but rather they found themselves once again beneath the yoke, except that this time their chains were riveted by the Americans…the Americans, desirous of becoming masters of the Philippines, are beginning to behave as the Spaniards did. They too are convinced that there is barely any difference between the natives and monkeys..” 
 
Anticipating Dewey’s testimony to the US Congress, Motsch says: “the Filipinos are only a pretext for securing a stronger position in the country. There certainly has never been a question of returning the islands to them.” 
 
In fact, from early on in his diary, he voiced out his doubts several times about American sincerity and intention, almost shadowing Mabini’s prophesies. On the other hand he also rebukes the Spaniards who “prefer vengeance to the most noble of interests.” “Spain,” he continued,”would rather deliver the Filipinos to the United States than recognize them as a nation born of her colonization. In spite of high-sounding words, the narrow-mindedness of the Spaniard is evident.” Each event, as it developed, convinced him of American hegemonic intent and European impotence before the advancing American juggernaut. 
 
Aguinaldo dithers 
 
His analysis of Aguinaldo’s actuations during this period and the direction which the events were taking should be another confirmation to scholars and historians of the need to re-examine more closely Aguinaldo’s role in the ultimate defeat of the revolution in the hands of the US, the new coloniser: 
 
“June 2, Aguinaldo has not lost time. Within a few days he has established a revolutionary government in Cavite…The American squadron is in no position to attack Manila. It has exhausted its ammunition and is waiting for new supplies…Asiatic cunning is not evident in Aguinaldo. He appears to have implicit faith in the ability of the Americans to bring independence to his country which shows a limited knowledge of history. One must hold to what one has, and if this is not done from the start, one eventually loses one’s rights to his possessions. As long as the American soldiers have not landed, Aguinaldo remains master of ths situation. With the arrival of each American regiment from San Francisco the threats to the young republic increase…the provinces around Manila are all in a state of rebellion… If Aguinaldo has or pretends to have, such confidence in the Americans, this is not shared by the Tagals. Actually they are neither for the United States nor the Spaniards, they hope to use one against the other.” 
 
In an earlier entry dated May 29 long before the American reinforcements arrived Lieut X underlined the revolutionary forces’ dominant position: “Essentially, the insurgents are at the moment the masters of the situation. It is their word that prevails on land.” 
 
Aguinaldo’s failure to analyse the situation properly and push on for the capture of Manila and the surrender of the Spanish authorities – when American reinforcements had not yet arrived, while they were short of ammunition, and while the enthusiasm of the revolutionary forces was at its peak, flushed by victories in the provinces and at the gates of Manila is an area that historians ought to study in detail. 
 
Why did he trust the Americans so much, despite being rebuffed by Dewey on several occasions? Why was he so obedient to Dewey ( “He was most obedient, he did what I told him to do,” said Dewey)? Did he enter into some secret deal, or was he just naive? Why did he not listen to the wise counsel of Mabini, and the demands of his own fighters who were in control of the situation and were ready to enter Manila? Had the revolutionary forces captured Manila and demanded surrender from the Spanish authorities, they would have been in a stronger negotiating position vis-a-vis the Americans and the international community. Why did Aguinaldo allow himself to be dictated by Dewey not to enter the city at this point when the revolutionaries had the upper hand? Capturing the city could have prevented the Spanish authorities from surrendering to the Americans and giving them the rights of a victor to occupy the city, and gain a foothold in the country. 
 
Lieut X admiringly observes the loftiness of spirit that propelled the Philippine revolution and how well the Filipinos understood it: 
 
“In their manifestos and their proclamations, as well as their gatherings, it is remarkable that the Filipino leaders are haunted by the French revolution. Added to this is a religious undertone which recalls the American independence. Whether one likes it or not, these Indians are talking of a republic, of liberty, equality, fraternity, of a natural law reminiscent of western concepts. All revolutions resemble one another, based on the vindication of an ideal and of human dignity. It says a great deal for the Filipinos that this sublime symbol is recognised.” 
 
“Prelude to the Fil-American War” 
 
In anticipation of things to come Lieut X observes the behaviour of the Yanks when they landed: 
 
“A considerable number of American troops seen at close range show no sign of order or discipline. It is obvious why the Germans look down disdainfully on them. They look like an army organised for manhunts…The American soldiers are hefty and tall but appear narrow in the chest in relation to their height….. It seems their Achilles heel is tuberculosis. These men who exude self-confidence are more comfortable wearing cowboy outfits than military uniform…they all wear gaiters and belts of cartridges. During the day they are in their best behaviour and pay for all their purchases. At night they rid themselves of their inhibitions, drink excessively and, when quite drunk on whisky, become unbearable savages, killing at the slightest provocation. They do not unleash their brutish behaviour on each other but on the natives. As soon as they see one, the manhunt begins. This sport enjoyed by these who champion humanity was inherited from their forefathers, who pursued the redskins and the negroes. This war has certainly given Americans the opportunity for magnificent manhunts in the Philippines and Cuba at very little cost.” 
 
In contrast he notes how in the areas controlled by the Filipino revolutionaries: 
 
“Order reigns in most areas in spite of the war and that a high level of discipline is observed. Some excesses, naturally, have been committed, but which war has ever been exempt from them? In any event, there have been no massacres or shedding of blood. 
 
Retaliations have been limited to certain forms of vengeance directed mainly towards the monks…A certain method is evident in this revolution. Their troops are not very different from the regular troops, and they handle their arms rather well…Neither does the discipline of the Tagals suffer by comparison with the mediocre standards of the Americans.” 
 
In another entry Lieutenant Aime Motsch notes that the Filipinos would not easily accept subjugation, since they were aware, after all, that they defeated the Spaniard forces in actual combat. He writes sagely: 
 
“The real wealth of a country lies in the people themselves. They represent the work force, the land, the culture, the enterprises all of which cannot be sustained without them…A Filipino rebellion is not simply a political movement, it has the capacity to stop life itself. This is why exploiting the Filipinos could be a grave error on the part of the Americans. If it is their intention to make the Philippines their private fiefdom, they will have to eliminate the Filipinos or reduce them to slaves.” 
 
With the Americans gaining the Philippines through duplicity and not wanting to relinquish this prize; given Spain’s unbending pride dictating it to cede the Philippines to the US at the Treaty of Paris, rather than recognise defeat in the hands of its former colony; and given furthermore that the Filipinos would not allow themselves to be enslaved once more so soon after they had freed themselves at great sacrifice, the stage was set for the Filipino-American war. 
 
In his last entry dated August 31, 1898, Lieut X prophetically writes: “If the Filipinos deserve freedom, all they need to do is to have a mass uprising.” The following year, war between the Filipinos and the Americans would erupt. 
 
This war that would determine the shape and direction of Philippine history in the 20th century broke out in February 1899. Towards the end of the first decade of the century when the war petered out, more than 250,000 Filipinos had died in a terrible war defending their revolution and brief independence. The Americans, on the other hand, gained the piece they needed for their grand design on the Pacific, and a rich colony whose economy, politics and culture they still largely dominate with the help of their native collaborators long after they have relinquished direct political control. 
 
 
 
The Diary of a French Officer on the War in the Philippines, 1898 by Lieutenant X, Translated from the original French by Marietta Enriquez de la Haye Jousselin, Published by the National Historical Institute, T.M. Kalaw St., Ermita, Manila, Philippines, 1994
 
 
 
 
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Battle of Alapan The Diary of Lieut X. Reviewed by Jun Terra Spontaneous He tried to see the events through the eyes of others, ...

Cebu's Ice Age Carabao

July 13, 2016 Admin 0

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Bubalus cebuensis, a name new to science, is the one that was recently given to the pygmy ancestor of the present-day carabao or water buffalo that stands 6 feet tall and weighs up to a ton. Bubalus cebuensis was only 2.5 feet and weighed a mere 160 kilograms. 
 
Its fossilized bones were found in a cave-like depression in a remote mountain in Cebu 50 years ago in 1958 by mining engineer Michael Armas who was looking for phosphates. He kept the bones, then in 1995, he showed them to a friend, Dr, Hamilcar Intengan, a Philippine-born physician at Chicago’s St. Bernard Hospital who was visiting his family in Cebu. Intengan took the bones to Chicago’s famous Field Museum for identification. 
 
It took Larry Heaney, the Field Museum’s curator of mammals, only 15 minutes to recognise that the bones were those of a mammal and were those of a pygmy and not a baby’s and one which had never been found on Cebu. By examining the pattern of the teeth Heaney, a specialist in Philippine fauna, established that the bones came from a smaller version of a buffalo. 
 
Heaney is a world authority on the biological phenomenon called “island dwarfism” which traces size reduction to limited food supplies. Smaller animals would be more successful breeders under such conditions. 
 
Heaney himself, lead author Darin Croft of Case Western Reserve University, paleontologist John Flynn of the American Museum of Natural History, and archeologist Angel Bautista of the National Museum of the Philippines, documented their findings in the Journal of Mammology. 
 
Heaney dated Bubalus cebuensis to the Pleistocene during the Ice Age, some 100,000 years ago. He said that the Cebu buffalo lived 100,000 years ago when most of the island was covered by tropical savanna, a collection of grassland and scattered trees that formed an ideal habitat. He surmises that it probably disappeared when the Ice Age ended and the savanna disappeared as it got warmer and wetter. 
 
Heaney says the Philippines is a treasure trove of natural history. Of the country’s 200 species of mammals, more than two-thirds are found nowhere else in the world. Only Madagascar has a higher percentage of endemic mammals, he adds. 
He is at pains to point out that “The concentration of unique mammal species in the Philippines is among the very highest in the world, but so is the number of threatened species.” 
 
The Bubalus cebuensis is one of only two known species of dwarf buffalos that have evolved in the Philippines. The other is Bubalus mindorensis), popularly known as tamaraw, which is 20% bigger and is found on the island of Mindoro. While bubalus cebuensis has been extinct for a long time, bubalus mindorensis is on the verge of extinction due to the destruction of its forest habitat. If the present rate of destruction continues, it might not be long before the tamaraw goes the way of its relative, Bubalus cebuensis and the next generation of Filipinos would know the tamaraw through only photographs and bones preserved in natural history museums. 
 
[2007]
 
 
 
 
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Articles Contributors History Jun Terra Philippines Cebu's Ice Age Carabao

Bubalus cebuensis, a name new to science, is the one that was recently given to the pygmy ancestor of the present-day carabao or water buf...

Manta Rays Help Filipino Eco-Tourism

July 12, 2016 Admin 0

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Manta rays are numerous in the mid-water reefs of Sitio Tacdogan, Barangay Bagahanglad, off San Jacinto in Masbate. Now known as “manta bowl,” the site is the play, feeding and mating area of these giant fish locally called pasa-pasa, which has a wingspan of more than six (6) metres. A relative of the shark species, these plankton feeding fish are themselves a prey to hammerhead and thresher sharks with which they share their habitat. 
 
A study by Tristan Paylado, a researcher of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources reveal that manta rays are naturally friendly and enjoy the company of humans in their water world. They welcome “friendly connection” such as direct eye contact. Some manta rays enjoy the bubbles exhaled by divers on their undersides. They are not bothered by flash photography or video. 
 
However they do not like being disturbed when courting, mating and feeding and do not enjoy being mounted on their backs, in other words, too close a physical contact. 
 
Their presence in this coral reef area, has certainly added a big attraction to divers and other eco-tourists who frequent the site. With the rise in the number of tourists, however, come the threats and disturbances to the feeding and mating activities of the manta rays. 
 
The BFAR cited the need to put up a tourist zone marine reserve to avert the detrimental effects of the growing ecotourism industry on the manta rays. It also recommends putting up a preventive buoy system in Bontod-Tacdogan to regulate fishing activities, stop the use of drift gill nets, and minimize damage to the reef system. 
 
Limiting the number of tourists and divers is also proposed to minimize disturbance. The BFAR says closing of the reef during the mating season is needed to allow for successful mating among the manta rays. 
 
 
 
[2007]
 
 
 
 
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Articles Contributors Jun Terra Philippines Manta Rays Help Filipino Eco-Tourism

Manta rays are numerous in the mid-water reefs of Sitio Tacdogan, Barangay Bagahanglad, off San Jacinto in Masbate. Now known as “manta bo...

Biodiesel from Coconuts

July 12, 2016 Admin 0

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Fuel from coconut? Now, why did it take them this long to even consider this? Haven’t the locals been using coconut oil for lamps and other small energy equipments? Biodiesel from coconut is a Philippine initiative and its research and study for fuel application had been conducted by the Asian Institute of Petroleum Studies (AIPSI) with the support of leading coconut methyl ester manufacturers in the Philippines — Chemrez Inc. and Senbel Fine Chemicals Inc. 
 
It was initially undertaken to provide a long-term, high volume, and sustainable alternative domestic market for coconut oil. To ensure its acceptance, AIPSI funded the first laboratory test conducted in the United States in 2001. The excellent results became the foundation that led to the development of cocodiesel in the country. 
 
Chemrez a Filipino-owned company based in Libis, Quezon City, has begun producing fuels extracted from coconut. According to Chemrez president, Leon Lao, the company now has a capacity to produce 60 million liters a year to cover local demand and even export to other countries. The Philippines is one of the worlds biggest producers of coconut and the many products derived from it. One cannot disagree with Lao when he says that biodiesel extracted from coconut which is cheaper compared to biofuels extracted from grape seeds or corn. 
 
With the issue of global warming on top of the international agenda, the development of biofuels and other “clean” alternative energy sources other than fossil fuels such as oil has come to the forefront. Lao said that the use of biodiesel will help reduce air pollution with lesser smoke emission from vehicles using biofuels. 
 
Chemrez has invested P650-million to construct a biodiesel plant in Quezon City and the firm has allocated P350 million for the acquisition of raw materials and operating expenses. Chemrez wants to increase the production of biodiesel in the coming years to be able to export to France, Germany, The Netherlands and Italy. 
 
The Philippines Senate has approved a biofuels bill that will encourage the research on and production of biofuels. 
 
Chemrez is among the young new and pioneering companies to go headlong into this new industry. Lao says that with the Senate approval of the biofuels bill, the use of biodiesel is expected to increase and help the country save money from the importation of crude oil. With biofuels, the Philippines – a largely agricultural country rich in natural and biological resources – can save money on energy and go green. 
 
[2007]
 
 
 
 
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Articles Contributors Jun Terra Philippines Science Biodiesel from Coconuts

Fuel from coconut? Now, why did it take them this long to even consider this? Haven’t the locals been using coconut oil for lamps and othe...

"Wondergrass"

July 12, 2016 Admin 0

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Vetiveria zizaioides L. Nash is the scientific name of a grass species found by scientists of the Farm and Resources Management Institute (FARMI) of the Leyte State University (LSU) in Baybay, Leyte to have properties of controlling soil erosion and rehabilitating poor uplands. Led by Dr. Edwin Balbarino, they came to this conclusion after testing various plants (including grasses) as contour hedgerows in barren and less productive upland farmers’ fields in the Leyte towns of Baybay, Hindang and Matalom. 
 
Popularly known as vetiver, the grass is a densely tufted perennial clump (clustered) grass with long and stiff leaf blades. Its leaf sheaths are closely overlapping, strongly compressed and keeled, creating a dense physical barrier at the ground surface. As the grass grows dense, it forms a thick hedge, making it a strong natural barrier to control soil runoff. It has a strong and dense root system that firmly holds the soil, making them withstand erosion even during heavy rains and intense flooding. 
 
Scientists also noted that the grass is versatile, growing well in both alkaline and acidic upland soils and could survive long periods of drought. Apart from that its sharp leaves and aromatic roots repel snakes, rats, and other pests. Vetiver requires minimal maintenance and does not spread to valleys since it does not multiply by seeds or rhizomes. 
 
From their researches, the LSU-FARMI research team devised the use of the grass as contour hedgerow and came up with the Vetiver Grass Technology (VGT) which they are now promoting. Farmers who were involved in the LSU-FARMI research project, particularly those who have decided to adopt the technology, claimed that with the use of vetiver as hedgerows, their crop production has dramatically increased. 
 
The use of VGT has spread to many parts of the country, not only in upland agriculture but also in road, irrigation, and dam projects to control siltation and stabilize slopes, hillsides, road canals, and embankments. 
 
But guess what. Vetiver is found in many parts of the country and has been traditionally used by rice farmers to strengthen rice paddies and stabilize canal embankments. This only confirms that there is a lot that could be learned from traditional farming practices and that new technologies can be evolved from them for the modern age. 
 
[2007]
 
 
 
 
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