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The Spanish Influence in Building Our Nation The Philippines

Carmen N. Pedrosa (The Philippine Star)

It may sound ironic but there is enough evidence to show that Spain’s influence in helping build the Philippine nation has not been properly appreciated. There were evils, true but there were also good ones.

The most notable of good Spanish influences was the Spanish Cortes or Parliament of 1812 when it promulgated the Cadiz Constitution.


Filipinos were invited as delegates. The first Philippine delegates were Pedro Perez de Tagle and Jose Manuel Coretto who took their oath of office in Madrid. The Cadiz Constitution was officially implemented in Manila soon after.

According to Wikipedia, it established the principles of universal male suffrage, national sovereignty,constitutional monarchy and freedom of the press, and supported land reform and free enterprise.

It also dealt with policies on Spain’s colonies including the Philippines. It issued a decree “granting all its colonies representation as provinces in the Spanish Cortes through deputies chosen by the various capital cities.” This can be said to antedate the contemporary push for a parliamentary federal system states by Bayanko for the Philippines.”

 Here is the report on what happened in  the Philippines under the Cadiz Constitution.

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“Governor General Manuel Gonzales Aguilar called for an election of Manila officials which resulted in the selection of Don Ventura de los Reyes, a wealthy merchant and member of the Royal Corps of Artillery of Manila, as the deputy. The Vigan-born Don Ventura de los Reyes was a son of poor Ilocano parents. He took part in the Ilocos revolt led by Diego Silang in 1762, but later on engaged in the vegetable and indigo business. He was one of the delegates who signed the Constitution but it was only after a year that those in Manila knew about its decrees.

One of the more important creeds embodied in this constitution was the exemption of the natives from paying tributes and rendering public services based on its equality clause. The natives conviction that they should exercise their rights as established by the Cadiz Constitution, created a problem which compelled the governor of the islands to issue an edict on Feb. 8, 1814, explaining the extent of the benefits bestowed by the Constitution.

It is important to note that it was a liberal constitution which vested sovereignty in the people, recognized the equality of all mean and the individual liberty of the citizen, and granting the right of suffrage. But it also provided for a hereditary monarchy and for Catholicism as the state religion.

Not surprisingly, Filipino constitutionalists of the time were more aware of the tenets of the Cadiz Constitution. It can be said that the first attempts for a system of government for the Philippines was parliamentary federal patterned after Spain. Even then there was a partiality of parliamentary government.

It is a pity that not enough study has been made of this crucial period from Spanish to American culture. A useful resource for such studies is the cinema, especially the early struggle of Filipino film makers.

One such movie, really a telenovela is Secreto de Confesion. It was directed by Fausto Galauran and produced by Don Danon. It was written by Manuel de Amechazurria and among its stars were Armando Villa, Rosa Maria, Nita Farias and others. I am especially interested in this film because it was distributed by Parlatone Hispano Filipino with majority shares owned by my late father, Raymundo F. Navarro.  I would be grateful for any information on whatever happened to the film. It will be included in a book I am writing about my father’s role in Filipino film making. There were other stockholders, surprise, surprise among them was a Jose Cojuangco. Later, Parlatone Hispano Filipino became a major film producer and funded most of the best films directed by Jose Nepomuceno who is considered the father of Philippine Movies.

“Secreto de Confesión was the first Filipino film in the Spanish language, which was presented at the time as “la primera película hablada y cantada en español producida en Filipinas” (the first film spoken and sung in Spanish in the Philippines)” according to Wikipedia.

Parlatone Hispano Filipino did a good job of distributing Secreto de Confesión worldwide. It was a box office hit in the United States, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and several other Spanish speaking countries in the American continent. It was also shown in Macau, Hong Kong, Spain and Portugal.

Other Filipino films in Spanish soon followed the success of Secreto de Confesion. Among them wereLas Dulces Mestizas, Muñecas de Manila or El Milagro del Nazareno de Quiapo. According to Wikipedia, these later telenovelas  “had an even greater success at the box office, and started to create international distribution channels for the Philippine film industry spoken in Spanish.”

Unfortunately, copies of the film were lost or destroyed during the US bombing of Manila. There are only copies of five pre-war Filipino movies, none of them in Spanish. (CNP: Again I would be grateful for any reader of this column to come forward with information on this films.)

A Tagalog version, produced years later, was screened after the end of World War II in 1945 in major cities throughout the Philippine archipelago, but with very limited box office success.

“Guillermo Gómez Rivera, Spanish-speaking Filipino writer and academic, director of the prestigiousAcademia Filipina de la Lengua Española (Philippine Academy of the Spanish Language), worked to recover this film in the memory of the Filipino film industry.” (Wikipedia)

According to cinema historians, the cinema of the Philippines (Filipino: Pelikulang Pilipino or Sine Pilipino) began with the introduction of the first moving pictures to the country on January 1, 1897 at the Salón de Pertierra in Manila.

The following year, local scenes were shot on film for the first time by a Spaniard, Antonio Ramos, using the Lumiere Cinematograph. Early filmmakers and producers in the country were mostly wealthy enterprising foreigners and expatriates.

 But on Sept. 12, 1919, a silent feature film broke the grounds for Filipino filmmakers. Dalagang Bukid (Country Maiden), a movie based on a popular musical play, was the first movie made and shown by Filipino filmmaker José Nepomuceno who later made other films for Parlatone Hispano Filipino.

The formative years of Philippine cinema, started from the 1930s. “Scripts and characterizations in filmscame from popular theatre and familiar local literature. Nationalistic films were also quite popular, although they were labeled as being too subversive.” There is much to learn of our history from films of those days.

Cebu City's Water Source is Drying Up

A barangay in Cebu City may have to double efforts to conserve water after one of its water sources is drying up due to the hot weather.

Four sitios of Barangay Busay have been experiencing water supply problems, GMA Cebu's Vic Serna reported Tuesday.

Worse, water rations from the City Hall have not been very frequent since the water source in Sitio Lower in Barangay Busay dried up as early as March.

Also affected by the water shortage are animals and even vegetables and flowers.

Private water truck owner Crispin Prantar has increased the prices of his water delivery service due to the short supply.

Prantar now sells water at P7 per container – more than double the P3 when the city's Department of Public Services was regularly delivering water.

The barangay is now considering acquiring a submersible pump to use in Sitio Garaje, to supply the affected residents with water.

For now, the residents may have to depend on Prantar's water truck delivery for their supply.

Dams drying up

Elsewhere in Cebu, GMA Cebu's Mark Anthony Bautista reported dams at the Jaclupan water facility in Talisay City have been drying up as well.

This has affected residents of Sitio Tabok-Sapa in Barangay Jaclupan as three of four water lines had gone dry.

Water pressure had also weakened for the other water lines, while the river in Barangay Jaclupan has started to dry up.

"Apektado talaga kami dahil sa init, wala na ngang tubig ang ilog kaya ngayon nagba-budget kami para makagamit rin ang iba," said resident Renato Elnace.

But some who set up water refilling stations are seeing brisk business.

"Opo lalo ngayong tag-init," said Lilia Elegin, when asked if her water refilling business had picked up.

The Metropolitan Cebu Water District said the water it produced had gone down from 42,000 to 21,000 cubic meters due to the drying of its basin.

Eight of 15 water pumps at the Jaclupan water facility are working.

"We cannot assure there will be convenience but there will be water to drink," said Engineer Lasaro Salvacion, MCWD acting assistant general for operation.

However, MCWD assured there will still be enough water supply as it gets 18,000 cubic meters from Carmen town.

"We are doing our best. We also need cooperation of our customers during this El Niño that (may) last up to October. The best way is to save water," said Salvacion.

 — Joel Locsin/LBG, GMA News

Philippines Has Most Resilient Economy

By Paolo Taruc, CNN Philippines

(CNN Philippines) — Should an economic crisis akin to last decade's Great Recession happen again, the Philippines would be the most "resilient" country and be able withstand it, despite its status as an emerging-market economy.

That's the assessment of Center for Global Development (CGD), a think tank based in Washington, D.C.

It's not that hard to imagine another financial crisis happening: Growth in China — the world's second largest economy — has slowed, the United States' bull market hasn't had a correction since 2011, and in the Eurozone, debt-ridden Greece has yet to strike a deal with its creditors.

Economist Liliana Rojas-Suarez of the CGD recently created a "resilience indicator" that measures the vulnerability of an economy to future financial shocks.

Her metric looks into several economic indicators that fall under two categories:

• a country's ability to withstand external shocks
• government's ability to "rapidly" implement policies that counteract the effects of such shocks

"I compare the values of the identified variables in 2007 (the preglobal financial crisis year) with the respective values at the end of 2014," she said.

Rojas-Suarez explained: "A country is said to be highly resilient to adverse external shocks if the event does not result in a sharp contractions of economic growth, a severe decline in the rate of growth of real credit and/or the emergence of deep instabilities in the financial sector."

Of the 21 countries she studied, Rojas-Suarez ranked the Philippines as the most resilient economy, ahead of South Korea and China, which fall at second and third, respectively.

Rojas-Suarez found that the Philippines posted a strong improvement in its indebtedness. The debt indicators had substantial influence over the country's ranking.

For example, she points out that the country cut in half its external debt to GDP ratio "from around 40 percent in 2007 to around 20 percent in 2014." This figure stands in stark contrast with most whose ratios are "without significant changes" within that same time period.

She also cites the country's lower government debt to GDP ratio which stood above 40% in 2007, and subsequently shrank to below that figure in 2014.

Likewise, the country also stood out because of its improved inflation performance in 2014 relative to 2007. Rojas-Suarez pointed out that inflation rates have been within the government's targets.

Latin American countries did not do well in the study: "Four of the six Latin American countries in the sample have deteriorated their positions in the ranking. This includes Argentina, which now holds the last position. "

Apart from "bad luck in terms of unfavorable trade," Rojas-Suarez explained that such countries ranked lower because of "the squandering of opportunity to implement needed reforms in the good post-crisis years."

Her study ultimately affirms a long-running cliché: An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.

"Policy decisions taken in the precrisis period played a major role in explaining a country's macroeconomic performance during the global economic crisis (of last decade)," explained Rojas-Suarez.

"[I]nitial conditions at the onset of a severe adverse external shock matter a lot. The good news is that, besides the commodity price shock, the most feared external shock: a sudden rise in interest rates in the US has not (yet) materialized. Time is still on the side of emerging markets’ authorities."

Disaster Early Warning Device in Comval Province

Comval Gov. Arturo, assisted by the teachers, harvests Broccoli, considered to be one of the world’s healthiest foods and is expensive in the market.  Other vegetables are also planted in Manat Elementary School  in Nabunturan through its “Gulayan sa Paaralan” program, part of advocating for healthy and nutritious food. (a. dayao/ids comval)

ComVal bags Agri-Pinoy Rice Achievers Award

For vigorously implementing agricultural interventions for the production of rice in the province, Compostela Valley has been recognized once again by the Department of Agriculture (DA) as one of the Top 10 Most Outstanding Rice-Producing Province in the country.

ComVal Provincial Agriculturist’s Office (PAGRO) Chief Dr. Rolando Simene received the plaque of recognition and cash prize amounting PhP4 million on March 26 at the Newport Performing Arts Theater, Resorts World, Pasay City during the 2014 Agri-Pinoy Rice Achievers Awarding Ceremony.

The Agri-Pinoy Rice Achievers Award is DA’s program to recognize the provinces, municipalities, cities, and irrigators’ association, small water impounding associations, agriculture extension workers, and local farmer technicians who have done significant contributions for the expansion of rice production in the Philippines. Particularly, “it aims to encourage the participation of LGUs and other stakeholders in rice production and sustain their awareness, support, and commitment to attain rice self-sufficiency.

The Philippine rice industry data shows that in 2014, national production reaches to 18.97 million metric tons (MT) or 2.87% production growth which exceeds its 2013 record by 528,406 MT.

Meanwhile, Fishery Division Chief and PAGRO Planning Head Ronald Sibayan said ComVal has been recognized as one of the top leading rice producers in the country because of the province’s Rice Sufficiency Program and best practices in rice farming such as the Palay Check, Techno Demo, Farmer’s Field School, and the implementation of farm-to-market roads.

The plaque and check was turned over by Dr. Simene on March 30 to Executive Assistant Isabelo Melendres, SP Member Moran Takasan, and Provincial Treasurer Carmen Razul during the Regular Employees’ Convocation at the Capitol Lobby.

It can be recalled that ComVal was given the same award by DA last year. (James Labrigas, FeM / IDS ComVal)

Compostela Valley Province – Tungod sa ilang dakong tabang  sa Comval Province ug mga natampo sa padayong mga paningkamot sa liderato sa probinsiya nga mamahimong Disaster Resilient ang mga katawhang Comvaleño labi na sa mokabat 15 ka bag-o ug highly sophisticated nga mga Disaster Early Warning Device nga ilang gihatag, opisyal karon nga gipaabot sa probinsiya pinaagi ni Vice Gov. Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora ang dakong pasalamat ngadto sa mga tagdumala ug sa mga dagkong opisyal sa Department of Science and Technology(DOST).

Ang maong mga kahimanan naglangkob sa Water Level Monitoring Sensors (WLMS) ug Automated Rain Guage (ARG) nga gibutang diha sa Montevista Bridge; sa Compostela Bridge; sa Monkayo Bridges 1,2, and 3; sa New   Bataan Bridges 1 and 2; sa Compostela-New Bataan Bridge; sa Maragusan-Coronobe; sa Monkayo Poblacion; Laak Poblacion; Mangayon NHS, Compostela;  Manat NHS, Nabunturan; ug Brgy. Mangayon, Compostela.

Si Vice Gov. Zamora maoy mihatag sa Welcome Message ni Gov. Arturo “Chiongkee” Uy sa diha nga gisugdan sa Comval Province ang “Comval i-Rice Advocacy Campaign” atol sa usa ka adlawng Launching diha sa kapitolyo niadtong Lunes (Marso 30,2015), panahon niini  iyang gisulti ang mga maayong butang nga nahatag sa DOST sa probinsiya pinaagi sa gipakusog nga Science and Technology Innovations  nga naglakip sa Technology Transfer nga nakatabang ug dako sa programa sa nutrition labi na sa Food Fortification Law nga giimplementar sa nasud ilalom sa R.A. 8976 ug sa Disaster Preparedness pinaagi sa mga Disaster Early Warning Device nga una na nilang gihatag sa probinsiya.

Matud pa sad niya nga ang Comval Province maoy unang probinsiya nga gipili sa DOST alang sa Better Mining Program niini nga pagahatagan sa pinakabag-o ug pinakamodernong kahimanan sa Ore Processing Equipment, nga gawas Enviroment Friendly makuha sad niini ang highest precision level sa recovery sa Gold and Silver Extraction nga moabot gikan 95% hangtud sa 96%.

Human naaprobahan sa Comval SP pinaagi sa Unanimous Votes ang “Comval i-Rice Ordinance of 2015” nga giduso sa Author niini nga si Health and Social Services Committee Chair Senior Board Member Tyron Uy, gisugdan dayon ang Advocacy Campaign aron awhagon ang mga katawhang Comvaleño pagkunsumo sa Iron Fortified Rice alang sa kaayohan sa ilang panglawas. ( Gibert Cabahug/ids comval)

Happy Easter! Frohe Ostern!

A Blessed Happy Easter to all of you my dear readers!

Allen  meinen Leserinnen und Lesern ein  gesegnetes Osterfest!

Philippines gets 2 Billion Pesos Climate Projects from Germany

By Janvic Mateo (The Philippine Star) 

STAR/File photo

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines is getting 41 million euros or around P2 billion from the International Climate Initiative (ICI) of Germany that will fund 10 bilateral projects to address the impact of climate change.

Climate Change Commission (CCC) vice chairman Lucille Sering yesterday met with Norbert Gorissen – head of the International Climate Finance of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety – to discuss the projects, some of which will be implemented until 2017.

“These projects are designed to build resilience of local communities, attain sustainable development, increase awareness, skills and capacity development for climate protection and adaptation, enhance employment opportunities and investments in renewable energies,” said Sering.

“All projects are aligned with our priorities and are consistent with the Philippine Climate Change Act, the National Framework Strategy on Climate Change and the National Climate Change Action Plan,” she added.

Among the projects funded by the ICI is support for the implementation of the framework and action plan on climate change adaptation and mitigation, amounting to over 3 million euros.

Sering said the grant has enabled the CCC to push forward with various programs, including studies on renewable energy and the mainstreaming of climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction in land use plan.

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The other bilateral projects on climate change in the country are biodiversity, ecosystem-based land use systems and protection of climate-relevant biodiversity with focus on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.

Gorissen, who visited areas affected by Super Typhoon Yolanda on Saturday, cited the importance of the partnership between Germany and the Philippines.

Aside from the bilateral projects, he said 28 other regional and global projects funded by his government have a component in the Philippines.

The German official said they are looking into funding more projects in the country.

“Prevention of disasters and resilience and adaptation activities will be part of that. It will also include activities on the area of emission reduction,” he said during a press conference in Pasig City yesterday.

Patrica Javier - back on FHM

Here is more:

http://www.fhm.com.ph

New Typhoon to Enter the Philippines

By Helen Flores (The Philippine Star)

A typhoon with international name Maysak is expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) on Wednesday and bring rains over Northern Luzon by weekend, the state weather bureau said yesterday.

Aldczar Aurelio, weather forecaster of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), said the typhoon was 2,810 kilometers east of Mindanao as of 10 a.m. yesterday.

Maysak packed winds of 130 kilometers per hour near center and gustiness of up to 160 kph. It was forecast to move west at 20 kph.

“This typhoon is still too far to affect any part of the country,” the weather bureau said in an advisory.

The typhoon would be locally named Chedeng once inside the PAR.

Aurelio said Maysak could still gain more strength before it enters the country.

“If it maintains its speed and course it is likely to cross or pass near Northern Luzon by Friday or Saturday,” Aurelio said in a phone interview.

“If it maintains its strength (typhoon intensity) we expect it to bring strong winds and heavy rains over Northern Luzon,” he said.

Aurelio could not say yet the areas that would likely be hit by the typhoon “as it still too far from the country.”

He said the northeast monsoon that could cause the weakening of the typhoon has already dissipated.

Aurelio said zero or one cyclone usually enters the Philippines in April.

Aurelio said the whole country could expect generally good weather until Maundy Thursday aside from isolated thunderstorms.

In Metro Manila, temperature will range from 24 to 33 degrees Celsius this week, he said.

Aurelio said the weather bureau might officially announce the start of the dry or summer season in areas under Type 1 climate this week.

Areas under the Type 1 climate include the National Capital Region, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Bulacan, Bataan, Pampanga, Zambales, Tarlac, Palawan, Mindoro, Cavite and Batangas.

The agency declares the onset of summer season once the easterlies or warm winds from the Pacific Ocean become the dominant weather system in the country.

Philippines Poised for Even More Success

By Louis Bacani (philstar.com)

President Benigno Aquino III addresses the 4th Euromoney Philippine Investment Forum at the Rigodon Ballroom of The Peninsula Manila in Makati City on Tuesday (March 24). The Forum was host to a by-invitation-only audience of over 500 business leaders, investors and policy makers. Gil Nartea / Malacañang Photo Bureau

"You ain't seen nothing yet."

This was President Benigno Aquino III's message to investors on Tuesday as he boasted the country's economic growth under his watch, claiming that the best is yet to come.

Speaking at the Euromoney Philippines Investment Forum in Makati, Aquino cited the economic achievements during his term including the country's new all-time record in foreign direct investments, improved global competitiveness rankings and the credit rating upgrades.

"The tremendous amount of confidence the global community has developed for the Philippines is incredibly gratifying, especially considering that, not too long ago, we were known as the 'Sick Man of Asia'," Aquino said.

"However, our administration remains hard at work so that we can maximize every opportunity available to us, and I think many of you will agree with me when I say: You ain't seen nothing yet," he added.

Aquino told investors that the country is "poised for even more success" and that "there is indeed much reason for optimism."

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Despite the country's economic gains, Aquino said that the "limitless potential" of Filipinos has yet to be "sufficiently measured."

"I know that we have only scratched the surface.. To those who are here to take a closer look at the Philippines," Aquino said.

"I invite you: Bet on the Filipino people, and discover for yourself how it’s more fun and more profitable to do business in the Philippines," he continued.

In his speech, Aquino did not fail to take a swipe at the Philippine media for not trumpeting the country's economic achievements.

"There has been so much good news these past few years, and yet, this good news has often been relegated to the back pages of our broadsheets. I must admit: our campaign to change the mindset that negativism sells is still a work in progress," Aquino lamented.