Philippine History, Society and Culture

                To become better people and to become a better nation, it is of utmost importance that we look back to our past and learn from it, i.e. to avoid making the same mistakes.  The Philippines has a dramatic past that weaved our present rich culture and unmistakably, our society.  Problems of today, then, could have its roots in our history and in turn, the solutions.  It is vital therefore to learn about the past so that the present could be better understood and improved.

                In the lecture, we learned, through some readings, about the history of the country: before the colonisations of the country, during and after.  It was important to note that before the Spaniards came, the Philippines was flourishing and was prospering.  When they came, the riches of the country were exploited along with the inhabitants.  Then came other colonizers and after everything, the Philippines was left traumatized by the events that had occurred.  Though now free, we are not THAT free.  We are still under neo-colonialism, which is oppression or colonization in the mental level.  All these facts then, when combined can show why our present society is what it is today.  And from these, we can think up solutions then to counter the recurring problems of our nation brought indirectly or directly by our past experiences with foreign colonizers.

               

                From the lecture, I learned more about the history of the Philippines which made me see how it shaped the culture and society we have today.  I was also encouraged to learn more about neo-colonialism and to think up of solutions to break this mentality like patronizing national products for example.  I also began to understand how problems today like corruption can be indirectly linked to our past due to the degradation of morality.

                Knowing our history is important if changes are to be made in the present.  We need the past to understand the present and change the course of the future.  This was the main object of the lesson.  This was a very important learning because it made me, as a student, realize that my actions today can affect my tomorrow, your tomorrow and even my country’s tomorrow.