What If the Philippines Was Never Colonized by Spain?

For me, the most interesting event in history is the Spanish colonization of the Philippines. From all the worst things happening in our country, I sometimes wonder if Christianity was not introduced to us. What do you think would happen to us? Will it be better or worse? What if our country was not colonized by the Spaniards? It is interesting since Spain’s colonization for over 333 years is the reason why we have the traditions that we have now. But sometimes, it was not used properly or was used as a weapon to manipulate the state.

Back in 1521, Ferdinand Magellan discovered the Philippines. His main goal at that time was to find islands with spices, and our country was rich in that. The Philippines was named after King Philip II, and they easily invaded our state due to our hospitable nature. Alongside that, you can’t deny that they also introduced Christianity and used it to manipulate people. I’m not saying that it is bad since I’m also a believer of Christianity. Yet, it became a reason why many priests during that time were pedophiles, rapists, and abusive. It’s sad to say, but it was also used as a way to brainwash people.

It is interesting since the Philippines is one of the only countries (aside from Vatican City) that doesn’t legalize divorce. In our church, divorce is illegal in the eyes of God, but I believe that its implementation should still be pushed in the state. Until now, I still find it weird when some elders say that they won’t break up even if divorce gets legalized here. It is also unfortunate that they are encouraged to stay strong in their marriage even if their partner is abusive.

Most elders also hate the idea of same-sex marriage. Although it is slowly getting normalized, the Philippines and religious sectors are not yet ready for it. I understand the idea that it is not good in God’s eyes, but it can benefit many people as it doesn’t necessarily harm morality. I find others hypocritical since they throw hate on this, but normalize live-in setups, abuse, and other issues. It is also a sin to judge others, yet many still do it. Moreover, gossiping is also considered wrong, but people still do it anyway.

I also believe that the values of Christianity that we still practice today are sometimes abused by corrupt officials. Whenever a calamity happens in our country, we always practice resilience. It is our capacity to return to normal once a difficult situation happens. For example, the Philippines is home to some of the deadliest typhoons. Many people died in Cebu during a typhoon, and the government’s poor response made it worse. I’m not saying that being resilient is bad, but the problem is that it gets abused. If Filipinos like us practice resilience, then the government should also show leadership and be more proactive.

That’s why I find Spanish colonization one of the most interesting events in history. It didn’t just change our past, but it still shapes our beliefs, culture, and decisions today. I’m not saying that their contribution in our culture is entirely bad. I just don’t like how it gets abused by many. There are a lot of problems because of it, and religion highly influenced the leaders we have today. It is interesting to think—what if we were colonized by other countries like Portugal? What if we were still under Japan? What if we were influenced more by Muslim states instead?

P.S. This topic influenced me to write today because of our current situation. Imagine we still have old stocks of oil, but companies sell it in the world market. Instead of government subsidies, they use cash aids, which are only a band-aid solution. Plus, they can’t suspend VAT and excise tax on petroleum products since they will lose a lot of money. It’s just frustrating.