Every year people in the UK marks the date in the calendar, I do the same thing. For many, his first birthday, and then Easter and Christmas, the holidays, several of its events and occasions such as Valentine's, Mother and Father's Day, Chinese New Year, St. Patrick's Day, Notting Hill Carnival, Glastonbury, Bonfire Night, we could go on! But very few people whom I know all the notes and even ask what happens in the Philippines Independence Day. Why is this happening?Maybe independence, as the concept is lost generations were brought up in a relatively peaceful democracy, especially if born abroad. Maybe it's because many still feel oppressed or have little faith in government. In many countries around the world, experience and terms of ring true, aggressive and repressive colonial master grant independence after the war, often bloody, followed by a period of economic and political collapse, when other states may try to take the country itself can not be socially and politically, before the dictator seizes power and establishes martial law, and then drove the peaceful modernization liberator.
What then? For me as a young British Filipino, I am very proud of our independence from Spain, but I am less proud of the American occupation and the subsequent descent into the country financially, politically and socially. If we truly free, when the Spaniards signed us to the Americans?
If we were in a better situation when the Americans finally provided us with a genuine independence in 1946? On the agenda of those in power was nothing but getting money for themselves and their families? There are so many questions, so many reasons of independence, the concept fell after more than 250 years of Spanish colonialism, and it's sad.
Dampened the effect could also be because the Philippine Independence Day was changed from 4 July to 12 June, the former president, Diosdado Macapagal (father of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo). Time was a direct response to the refusal of the U.S. administration from $ 73 million additional payment accounts of the war in the Philippines. The decision has already been done on the basis of July 4 was too big day for Americans, and therefore any public celebration or dinner, will not take part as human beings, rather than an American holiday! Another reason suggested is the lack of inspiration date will propose, in contrast to the day when General Aguinaldo was standing on the balcony, in Cavite waving a new flag of the Philippines.
It is this idea and inspiration that we should concentrate our efforts. I think we have lost this sense of inspiration and pride of the Philippine Independence Day should be a day for us to believe in themselves, believe that we are equal for all, to break down barriers that are perceived to stop us from achieving. We should feel inspired to do something in the Independence Day, not only to remember how many people have fought and died for us, but also note that we are a nation in our own right. Many other cultural celebration of the opening and noted everything. Why Filipinos in the UK continues to realize all that we do for ourselves?
Independence still means something today, remember that we were prosperous people to the power of Spain, it is important to know that we can travel the world to live, work and freely integrate important to know we still have our own language is very important. Like many other Spanish colonies can boast that? Will and determination to be recognized as equal, which makes for many reasons, and drove forward in the Philippines, but of culture, working abroad, sending money home, and did not cause any problems "is not what the country should focus its efforts on .
Inspiration and drive come from encouraging the young generation of Filipinos in the Philippines to stay in the country and drive it forward. Instead, many of them are preparing for life in a different country, so they can send money home to his family and send to college. This does not mean that we are free and independent, this is a very difficult situation and one that must be addressed, otherwise the ratio of dependents in the Philippines, workers will be skewed in that direction. More than 10% of the country are working abroad, it leaves depending figure at least another 10% of the population does not work as they expect money to be directed at them, ie 20% of the population do not work in this country. This may not even include the work or children are not very inspiring numbers.
In any case, that all Filipinos residing country recognize our culture is through food, music, cable TV, quarter, holidays and more importantly the community! This is the biggest success of the OFWs. As a child of a migrant worker, I am grateful to my mother came to the UK, my life is much different from what she felt, too, the life of my daughter, will be significantly different from 1, I felt that it is this progression that is inevitable. The fact that we must support, even though it is a holiday because we are all here today ... Philippine Independence Day.
Philippine Generations hold an event open to all on Saturday, June 12, 2010 at Paddington Recreation ground in central London. This is the first in the history of the Philippine Independence Day World Cup with 16 teams and more than 80 players competing to be crowned champion. Each team is named after the places in the Philippines, and must contain at least one of the Filipinos. It's free to come and support and see if you want to play a small fee to cover costs. What does this mean, however, that this is one of the first sporting events in the Filipino community that is truly open to all! How inspiring it is to see how people of all races playing number one in the world of sports in the Philippine flag and the name of Philippine independence?
