According to Alcantara’s article Baguio between two Wars, in 1901 during the Philippine-American War, Americans began constructing a Benguet mountain road leading to Baguio, a city that became the summer capital. This road also allowed the Americans to reach the Benguet gold mines. Alcantara said, “The acquisition of the Hawaiian Islands, Wake, Guam and the Philippines suited an expansive plan to build a system of stations for coal, cable, and naval ports to maintain an integrated trade route that would support America’s overriding ambition: to enter the China market and dominate it.” The United States found Baguio to be a great location for a hill station where troops could stay in cool weather and amenities in a health and recreation resort could be accessible. Alcantara said, “In 1913 Baguio’s contrived cultural landscape acquired all the key features of a classic hill station: Western architectural forms, sprawling golf courses, athletic fields, a formal marketplace and nearby gardens for temperate fruits, vegetables, and flowers”. From 1901 and on, Baguio became more and more Americanized under United States control.
The cost of construction costs were over two million dollars on the Benguet road, Kennon road, hill station etc. Alcantara said, “The Filipino press in particular, became critical not just of the road costs but also of the proposed mountain resort that they believed would benefit only the American colonial elite and a few wealthy Filipinos.” The United States government also sold private lots to the westerners and wealthy Filipinos. After years of new colonial policies, the Americans and wealthy Filipinos replaced the Baguio Ibaloy society. The Filipino press also mentioned that having a hill station would also mean American imperial control would continue to exist for a long period of time. This explains why in today’s Philippine government they favor the ruling class. The Philippines are still being colonized and the United States interests have been implemented in the Philippine government since the 1900s. An Anakbayan member from the University of the Philippines had a discussed the issues of the different classes in the Philippines. Only 1% makes up the ruling class and the 99% (1% national bourgeois, 8% peti-bourgeois, 15% working class, and 75% are lower class) are all oppressed. The Philippine government is always serving the 1% of bureaucrats and capitalists. The Philippine government implements laws that will not serve the people, but themselves. He also said that there are one-sided treaties between the United States and the Philippines. An example is the mining exploitation in Palawan. Because of mining, trees are being cut down and lands are being washed out.
It is true when Alcantara said, “From the beginning and throughout much of its existence, Camp John Hay was an American Turf. It had its own life.” All my life I have grown up living inside or near a U.S. military base. I always felt that the military base was a different world because no one could gain access unless they had a military ID card or a pass. I was born inside Misawa Air Force Base in Japan and I did not come to the United States until 1995, when my father was stationed in Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma. The influences of my childhood living in or around the United States military base have made me more Americanized. Similar to Camp John Hay, every base that I have been to has had a Base Exchange (shopping area full of clothes, electronics, salon, kitchenware, accessories, sports supplies, basic necessities etc.), commissary (grocery store), library, gas station, restaurants, school, golf course, gym, airfield, houses, movie theater etc. I attended school inside a military base until I was in 7th grade. My family did not need to go outside the base much because everything we really needed was inside the base. From Lumbera’s article From Colonizer to Liberator, I was able to understand how American media affected the Philippine society in the late 1940s and 1950s. Living overseas in the military bases had exposed me to American music, movies, and American way of life at a young age. I grew up listening and singing to American songs, watching American cartoons and television shows. Similar to what Santiago Bose did in the 1960s at University of the Philippines, I am also here reeducating myself by gaining knowledge about Philippine history, nationalism, and what it means to be a half Filipino-American.
(Commissary inside the Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington)
(Base exchange)
(homes for families with more than two children)
(golf course)
Visiting Camp John Hay was like being in an American city. There were traffic lights, no jeepneys, and clean streets. There were also a lot of western designed homes that were different from steel sheet roofs and nipa huts. At night the streets were filled with many people outside of rows of hotels, restaurants, karaoke bars, and shops. There were many parks and tourist attractions all throughout Baguio. I was glad to see a marketplace at Minesview Park that filled with traditional Filipino handmade woodcarvings and other souvenirs (traditional handbags, t-shirts, hats, key chains, sarongs, wooden kitchenware etc.). Bartering in the marketplace reminded me so much of when I bartered in the marketplace in Korea. Being exposed to traditional tribal attire and having the opportunity to wear it for only about 10 pesos was definitely worth it.
(Wright Park – One of the many parks in Baguio)
(Souvenirs from Baguio City)
(Group picture at Minesview park)
(Zip lining in Camp John Hay)
(Barrio Fiesta – one of the many restaurants in Baguio and Western designed homes in the background)
(The two houses we stayed in at Baguio)
(Kennon Road Tablet for the 2,300 Japanese immigrant workers who died or were sick from road construction)
(Kennon Road Memorial for American, Filipino, and Japanese workers)
(Recognition of Col. Lyman W. Kennon – “Builder of Kennon Road”)
I am thankful that the Philippine ancient artifacts are preserved at the Ayala Museum and continue to inform Filipinos and foreigners about our history and culture. I was happy to know that the Spanish and Americans did not take every piece of gold and that our treasures are still in the Philippines. I remember reading that gold was used to provide protection, healing and was a sign of status. I was amazed to see how Philippine handmade gold were created into different shapes and sizes with intricate designs. Professor Jose’s lecture about how the Filipinos had foreign trade with other Southeast Asian countries finally came alive when I was able to see different types of ceramics, pottery, and tools the Philippines had received from different countries. The Filipinos were skilled, creative, and used all the resources around them to go about their everyday life.
(Ayala Museum in Makati)
Alcantara said “Camp John Hay was finally turned over to the Philippine government in July 1991”. Other United States military bases in the Philippines such as Subic Naval Base and Clark Air Base were also in the hands of the Philippine government at that time. The United States military bases in the Philippines no longer exist, but it is evident that the interests of the United States continue to remain intact within the Philippine government.
I found it interesting when a member from Anakbayan Los Angelos, CA had said that the Philippine government acts as puppets to the United States and continues to implement United States’ interests in the Philippines. She sees the Philippines as one military base because during the colonization, Americans destroyed many mountains and land in search for gold and natural resources to benefit the United States. The presence of military reservations, Americanized homes and buildings is seen in the Philippines. Everything worked in their power and even today the Philippine government, police and military is highly dependent on the United States. Another member from Anakbayan Los Angelos, CA had explained that the United States government has a connection with the Philippine police and AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) because the United States provides them with equipment and training. The United States military continues to conduct yearly exercises in the Philippines on how to abduct people and how to kill activists without leaving a trace. Since the United States funding is given to the military, our tax dollars are being used to oppress the Filipino people. It is Anakbayan’s mission to uphold national sovereignty by educating people and raising political consciousness through discussions.
(Police station in Quezon City)
Professor Jose’s Philippine Commonwealth classes at the University of the Philippines has also allowed me to understand how the United States had played a major role in the Philippine government starting in 1901. During the tutelage period from 1901-1913, there was Americanization in the Philippine political system. The United States told the Philippine government what to do and was under constant surveillance. The Philippine government had to have a high commissioner who became the eyes and ears of the Philippines and had to report to United States President. Filipinos were in the political system but never on top. If a crisis would occur, the United States President could step in at any time and handle the matter. The Philippine constitution also needed to be approved by the United States. Because the American impact was very strong, the current Philippine political system is still dependent on U.S. political policies today. The question is not who the Filipino people should vote for as their next president, but how is the political system going to be changed for true national sovereignty and democracy.
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
Do you believe overseas (Japan, Korea etc.) government, military, and police officials are also
puppets of the United States? What can we do to prevent the United States from implementing their interests in the Philippine government?
So this is why it takes you forever to write your posts. They are so comprehensive and illustrative of our experiences and readings that I relive those moments you mention, almost word-for-word, scene by scene. You do a great job with the photos, too!
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