‘Ah, of course, the American imperialists replaced the Spaniards as overlords. Then, in the 1940’s, it was their turn to be booted.’
CONSULTING with the Time Variance Authority, we get to watch selections in the Time Theater, and today’s trailer is the Pearl of the Orient, start date 08 May 1570:
“While in this port of Mindoro the master-of-camp sought information concerning the distance to Manilla and the towns which would be found on the journey…The natives of Mindoro added also that the Spaniards were crazy to go to Manilla with so small a force, and that they pitied us. They recounted so many wonders of Manilla that their tales seemed fabulous; they said that there were very large oared boats, each carrying 300 rowers, besides the warriors; that the people were well armed and excellent bowmen; that the ships were well equipped with artillery, both large and small; and that any one of those vessels could attack two praus, and sink them when within range. With these accounts the Moros tried to discourage the Spaniards; but the more they attempted to frighten them with such things the more desirous they all became to set foot in Manilla.” [“Relation of the discovery of the island of Luí§on, one of the western islands.” Blair and Robertson, The Philippine Islands, 1493—1803]
The second time slice, “Possession taken of the island of Luí§on in his Majesty’s name,” 1570:
“In the island called by the natives ‘Luzon the greater,’ in a town and river of the same called Manila, on the sixth of June in the year one thousand five hundred and seventy, the honorable Martin de Goite, his Majesty’s master-of-camp in these Western Islands, declared before me, Hernando Riquel, chief government notary, and in the presence of the undersigned witnesses, that, inasmuch as–a thing well and generally known–his Excellency being in this river of Manila, with the men and ships accompanying him, and having made peace and drawn his blood with two chiefs, styling themselves kings of this said town (by name Soliman and Raxa respectively), and without giving them cause or treating them in a manner that would make the said natives change their attitude, the above said chiefs began war treacherously and unexpectedly, without advising him beforehand; and wounded and seized certain Indians accompanying us. After that they discharged the artillery in their fort, two balls from which struck the ship ‘San Miguel,’ on board of which was the said master-of-camp.
He, in order to guard himself from the injury which the said Moros were doing him in starting the war, and to prevent their artillery from harming his men, attacked the said fort of the Moros, and captured it by force of arms and is now in possession of it. And inasmuch as the said fort and town of Manila have been won in lawful and just war, and since, according to the said natives, Manila is the capital of all the towns of this said island: therefore in his Majesty’s name, he was occupying and did occupy, was taking and did take, royal ownership and possession, actual and quasi, of this said island of Luzon and of all the other ports, towns, and territories adjoining and belonging to this said island.
Moreover, as a sign of real occupation, he ordered his ensign to raise the flag of his company on the fort built by the natives, had the artillery found in the said fort taken for his Majesty, and performed other acts and duties as a sign of real occupation. And when he had thus taken the said possession in his Majesty’s name, he asked me, the aforesaid notary, to certify and attest it, and to draw up a statement so that the proceeding might be clearly set forth. In fulfillment of that demand, I, the said Hernando Riquel, certify, as an actual witness, to whomsoever may see this present, that the said master-of-camp took and seized in his Majesty’s name the said possession in the manner above specified.”
Thus was the Ciudad of Manila landmarked in the Spanish Occupation. At this point, the TVA chrono-monitor adjusted the screen bringing us to 1902:
“How different from his home, Manila, the low green odorous city on its lazy steamy estuary, clustered round the vast, crumbling, weed-shagged walls of Intramuros. A dome, a spire here and there, peering above the trees and the plain of white tin and terracotta roofs. The heat, the damp, the crawling pace. Life moved at the speed of a carabao cart, people said, one mile per day. And now here in Sampaloc he heard those loud white voices again, different accents but with the same bustling swaggering confidence. Here too commerce held sway. He felt a brief pang of nostalgia for the life he had known before the Americans came. The late start to the day, the city stewed in humid lethargy, the siesta, then the polite curiosity, the discreet and civil flirtations of the paseo…” [William Boyd, The Blue Afternoon, 1993]
Ah, of course, the American imperialists replaced the Spaniards as overlords. Then, in the 1940’s, it was their turn to be booted:
“Corregidor, May 1942–that was the culmination of a battle in the Philippines,” the hippie was saying. “The Americans got wiped out. A month before had been the Bataan Death March–65 fuckin’ miles after the US surrender. A lot of American prisoners didn’t make it.
This is why there’s such a big American cemetery and memorial in the Philippines–it’s in Manila. That’s where I gotta go and tell my dad I love him. I can’t go to Vietnam, and die there, before I can visit my dad,” the young American said.” [John Irving. Avenue of mysteries. Toronto: Alfred A. Knopf Canada, 2015]
Technically, the American cemetery is in Taguig (BGC), a different city. Japanese fascists had thrashed the Pearl of the Orient. “The City of Manila would remain under Japanese control until the 1945 Battle of Manila, waged from February 3 to March 3, 1945, which decimated much of the city. The battle, fought by the combined forces of the Filipino guerrillas and the US army, against the Imperial Japanese forces, razed the city to the ground. At least one hundred thousand men, women, and children perished. Architectural heritage was reduced to rubble, thus making Manila the second most devastated Allied capital of World War II, after Warsaw, Poland.” [http://malacanang.gov.ph/75830-the-evolution-of-manila/]
With that, the TVA trailer was concluding and the chrono-monitor set it to 11 November 1972, Malacañan Palace: “Finalized at luncheon the draft of the constitution. Met Bibit Duavit, Tony de Guzman, Turing Pacificador, Ballane, Von Yeneza, Baby Navarro, Cesar Serapio and Gunio. Most important is the plan to change the name of the Philippines since King Philip after whom our country is named was not such a model of a king to be proud of.
Tagalo, Manila, Rizalia, Silangan, Maganda, Kayumanggi, Maharlika were suggested. The last seems the most favored.” [https://philippinediaryproject.com/1972/11/11/november-11-1972/]
This was an entry in the Marcos Diary where we saw “Manila” as one of the seven suggestions for the renaming of the Philippines. See more in: https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/featured/declaration-of-martial-law/.
We shall ask Mr. Tesseract (Junior Management in the Time Variance Authority and subordinate of Mobius M. Mobius) to schedule more screenings in the Time Theater.
