The Filipino View of ‘Real Americans’

[Tommy T.]

By the way, Mark, I should remind you that there are quite a number of people on this planet who believe the NASA moon landings were a hoax! And some who profess to believe that the world is, indeed, flat!

 

[Mark Berkowitz]

4 minutes ago, Tommy T. said:

By the way, Mark, I should remind you that there are quite a number of people on this planet who believe the NASA moon landings were a hoax! And some who profess to believe that the world is, indeed, flat!

There are also those who believe that all Mexicans are (oops!.... can't say this).

1 hour ago, Tommy T. said:

she also was not aware about how nasty we Americans (not you and I but you know what I mean) treated the "liberated" rebels who fought against the Spanish and didn't honour our pledge to help them after the Spanish defeat. And that includes torture and executions by American officers. She is very aware of that now so there is progress...

In short, the USA co-opted the Philipines's revolution against 333 years of Spanish rule, and I love to discuss the history of what happened, but I'm almost positive that we are prohibited from doing so on this forum.

[Tommy T.]

That's okay... But I thought the Germans were here maybe only 50-100 years before the Spaniards? So now I have to profess my own ignorance. I actually studied and read about this history when I first visited Davao in 2011. But now my depleted brain cells don't recall what I learned before. So I don't apologize, I just claim old age...take it or leave it!

But the facts remain about the horrible way Americans treated their Philippine "allies." That embarrasses me...

[Mark Berkowitz]

2 minutes ago, Tommy T. said:

But the facts remain about the horrible way Americans treated their Philippine "allies." That embarrasses me..

The odd thing (as you are already aware) is that many (or maybe most) Filipinos are completely unaware of America's past bad behavior in the Philippines, and they miss the 'good old days' when they were a Commonweath of the USA.

[Tommy T.]

Exactly! Duterte has mentioned it in some of his speeches, but the average Filipino (like formerly my SO) did not know about this. Another reason I am saddened or a bit upset with the education system here...

[Gary D]

Didn't know about the Germans as I didn't know they were a sea power before the 20 century. I know the British were in Manila for about 30-40 year in the early Spanish era.

[Mark Berkowitz]

4 minutes ago, Tommy T. said:

Another reason I am saddened or a bit upset with the education system here...

The odd thing is that is some respects, they are learning things in the 7th grade, such as 'Robotics,' which I believe is not in the 7th grade curriculum in North America.

[Tommy T.]

Yeah... sorry, but I really forgot my Philippine history... I just remember that the Germans were all over the western Pacific for a while. I am sure someone will come up with accurate data soon. There are a lot of resourceful people on this forum, I am learning...

[Tommy T.]

Hi Mark... I will ask my partner since she is a 7th grade teacher...But she is busy right now so it will be a late reply...

 

[Mark Berkowitz]

2 minutes ago, Tommy T. said:

I just remember that the Germans were all over the western Pacific for a while. I am sure someone will come up with accurate data soon. There are a lot of resourceful people on this forum, I am learning...

Germans in the Philippines

German settlement in the Philippines began during the Colonial era when the German Empire attempted to acquire the Philippines. This article also refers to the choice of Filipino citizenship and/or settlement in the Philippines by persons of either pure or mixed German descent who continued to reside in the country for a significant number of years or decades.

History

Spanish Rule

The first Germans to arrive to the Philippines were colonists. Otto von Bismarck’s Germany was one of the United States' rivals in replacing Spanish rule in the archipelago.[1] From 1890 to the outbreak of the Spanish–American War in 1898, there was a lull in Germany’s colonial campaigns. Like other colonialist nations, Germany sought to protect its overseas nationals and trade interests to the extent of safeguarding free access to markets. A German squadron arrived in Manila and engaged in maneuvers which Commodore George Dewey seeing this as obstruction of his blockade, offered war — after which the Germans backed down.[2]

First Philippine Republic

The Battle of Manila Bay took place on 1 May 1898, following the outbreak of the Spanish–American War. The German Emperor expected an American defeat, with Spain left in a sufficiently weak position for the revolutionaries to capture Manila—leaving the Philippines ripe for German picking.[3] Following the American victory in the war, the Philippines and the Far East were brought to the attention of the world and Germany recognized the great potentialities of the islands as a major commercial market.

On 12 June, the day the Philippines declared its independence from Spain, Vice-Admiral Otto von Diederichs arrived in Manila Bay. The number of German war vessels in Philippine waters increased to three. Earlier, on 6 and 9 May, respectively, the German ships Irene and the Cormoran arrived in the bay with a separate instruction from the German government, mainly to protect German nationals in Manila. German’s interest in the Philippines was cut short with the signing of the Treaty of Paris on 10 December 1898. The Philippines was finally annexed by the United States in 1899.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germans_in_the_Philippines