Independence Day Critic Paper

Sherry Marie Yleana Zosa Patron June 13, 2013
BBA Management – III Hist 52 – G

July 4, 1946: True Philippine Independence Day
(http://www.bibingka.com/phg/misc/july4.htm)

A column written in the year 1996 by a "media advocate and founder of the Media Breakfast Club (MBC)" – Bobby Reyes. First of all, I would like to question on how he could confidently and strongly accuse us Filipinos, for assuming June 12, 1898 as our Philippine Independence Day. When in fact in his column, he never had mentioned even a single source to make his argument credibly acceptable. Since showing presumptive sources to keep your readers from rejecting your arguments is very important, especially when you are going to officially publicize it.
How did he get to this conclusion? When and where did he get all this information? Who are the people behind and who are they trying to bombard all these arguments? What made them generate this argument after how many years since we Filipinos have already been embracing June 12, 1898 to be our Philippine Independence Day?
These are all the questions that are running inside my head from the very time that I’ve had the glimpse of the title of this column. And as I was reading, Americans and Filipinos were dominantly talked about yet centering our (Filipinos) wrong Philippine Independence Day assumption. I may not want to point this out but I could see why he is inducing this argument, for only three reasons. First, he could be one of the Filipino Americans that he had mentioned in his column that is torn between two countries. Or second, he could be just a Filipino searching for the truth so he could warmly/lovingly/proudly embrace his native country – Philippines. And/or thirdly, he is an American digging for justice and dignity for his own country – America.
Whatever his reasons may be, it didn’t stop me from questioning our historical background. What if they really did change our Philippine Independence Day to June 12, 1898 from July 4, 1946 for the reason “that to be pro-Filipino is to be anti-American.”? For it was on the latter that the 48-star United States flag was hauled down at the Luneta Park.
“Truth-seeking requires that we grow beyond a sense of shame at discovering ourselves mistaken. We strive to replace this with acceptance or even pleasure that we can grow and that others can outgrow us. It means being willing to subsume our opinions and preferences to a higher calling. Our yearning for truth must exceed our yearning to prove ourselves right, if reality is to guide our action, compassion and love.”