Philippine history is full of myths that area unit, during a manner of speaking, a step shorter from delusions and hallucinations. As AN example, I offer 2 myths and a consequence of those myths. the primary story is that of a Filipino Civilization before the approaching of the Spaniards-or to be a lot of correct, before the approaching of Islam. The second story is that of truth Filipinos World Health Organization dwell at intervals such a civilization. the mix of each produces the primary narrative of the neurotic history of the Filipino folks. It seems currently that within the starting there was a civilization and therefore the civilization was good; the first Filipinos (therefore, True Filipinos) were smart maritime navigators, have already got a variety of faith, were able to turn out songs, produce wares, build little huts, cultivate lands and commenced agriculture, establish a government system referred to as barangay, establish trade with alternative Southeast Asian neighbours, etc. etc. it had been once the Spaniards came (the second and already censored narrative of the neurotic history of the Filipino people) that this civilization was enthralled, exploited, oppressed, raped and ripped to items, and in fact enthralled, exploited, oppressed, raped and ripped to items. (Just scan any Philippine history book.)
Here is what it extremely looked liked-maritime navigation that didn't establish a neighborhood lore on ocean adventures (mostly as a result of these maritime consultants were pirates and raiders), a faith therefore in the beginning pagan and doctrine, songs that were ne'er written as a result of writing culture wasn't nonetheless thought, wares that were somewhere between basic and elaborate, little huts ANd an beaux arts style that ne'er went on the far side primitive, lands cultivated by sticks, rice terraces while not the storage facilities within the variety of Mohenjo Daro, agriculture therefore primitive it ne'er went on the far side the realm of their minute political consciousness, with politics as minute as a ship, ANd an ego-centric trade (history tells of neighbours coming back to the Philippines and commercialism with the Filipinos, however ne'er the opposite method around once they were purportedly skilled maritime navigators). If this is often what it suggests that to be civilization, then i am starting to marvel what civilization extremely meant the primary time it had been used. After all, Philippine historians-much a lot of like Philippine politicians-are keen on redefining terms to satisfy their wants. One should rethink the term "civilization" once we observe pre-colonial Philippines inasmuch collectively should conjointly rethink the terms "literature" and "history" due to the shortage of a commentary culture. Besides, those True Filipinos of the pre-colonial period-irony of ironies!-do not have alittle of an inspiration of what it takes to be Filipino, what's a Filipino, which Luzon, Visayas and island area unit island groupings thought of as one unit referred to as the Philippines.
One could marvel if one will decision the Celts in primal United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland truth English (horrendous!), or the Ainus of ancient Japan because the True Japanese (unbelievable!), or the Goths of early Iberian Peninsula because the True Spaniards and therefore the True Portuguese (intoxicating!). this may lead USA to the consequence of our neurotic history: the concept of ancestral domain, that's the presumption that people who settled on the land initial area unit its original house owners. Is it not true that the Celts settled land plain so much too long than the Philippine autochthonous peoples have settled wherever-they-were before? i'm wondering if the japanese government can surrender the Yamato plain to the Ainus and move the japanese capital so much to the frozen north. can the ecu Union offer to the Italians-descendants of the Romans-the ancestral domain that was once below the jurisdiction of the Roman Senate? Pure folly that may solely return from the Filipinos.
The neurotic history of the Filipino folks are often summarized during this manner:
(1) they'd civilization;
(2) the Spaniards came and inactive more developments of that civilization;
(3) the Americans came and conjointly contributed to the destruction of no matter remained from that civilization;
(4) specified til now they're confused of what and World Health Organization they're as a result of they need lost most of their former innocence;
(5) that they emerged as, and still area unit, restricted Filipinos of the present time.
The changes that have occurred within the past 443 years (even more) area unit to be thought of as a corruption of their pre-1521 culture. They criticize themselves for being fakes and having colonial mentality, and praise their distant past for his or her innocence-for being "original" (whatever that means).
So, if we-in Jungian terms-translate the state as a personal, what will we wear the Filipinos is this:
(1) AN innocent kid full of most curiosity and freedom that what matters with him was solely taking part in and eating;
(2) the primary wave of changes came once his oldsters started pressuring him over several things and he started thinking that life isn't as easy as before;
(3) the second wave came through peer pressure as he entered into a confusing age of adolescence and extremely began to bicker that being a baby is far a lot of fun;
(4) he emerged as a confused adult despisal himself for having been corrupted by all the changes that happened to his life;
(5) worry of the current created him long for his innocent past-at this stage, the individual represses his own history as a history of pain and suffering, tucks it during a drawer, and creates substitute stories to hide the pain and suffering.
Nostalgia for the past is manifested in unendingly invocation the past to look important of the current. to hide the hysteria created by the terribly changes that occurred to him, he creates myths. Philippine history is neurotic up to now.
But, within the psychoanalyst, Adlerian, and Jungian method, these myths-this neurotic history of the Filipino people-cannot avoid to manifest what was tucked away within the subconscious. Thus, Philippine history up to now is expressible within the common neurotic symptoms of depression, anxiety, and therefore the inability to adapt through the ensuing changes of life and time. What we tend to so have in Philippine history is that the documentation of their own fears and tragedies and therefore the desire to travel back to a time once the Spaniards weren't there nonetheless to ruin everything. the merchandise of such a history may be a large collective complex that may solely feel pride within the punches of a Pacquiao, within the strokes of table game players, on the highest of Mt. Everest, on the passing of a bar examination, and on the small things that alternative nations realize not most of a significance however area unit within the Philippines thought of success. What their history is manufacturing isn't a historical those that will realize one thing to be happy with in their history-for Philippine history isn't a history of changes and accomplishments however of struggles and sacrifices-no, not a historical people; for as long as their history is sort of a Philippine tele-novela, a bit like its media counterpart, it's doomed to mean nothing. What it's manufacturing area unit a hysterical folks afraid and unrelated of its history-a neurotic race from its neurotic stories.
Alejandro Villanueva finished his Bachelor and Masters degree on History from the island State University - Iligan Institute of Technology. He was conjointly a former journalist of the Philippine Post and presently a contributor to the university textbooks on Philippine history. he's presently a History teacher within the same university and specializes on the life and works of Jose Rizal, general Philippine history, Asian Civilization, Philosophy of History, and History of European nation.
Post A Comment: