[*all the above images are archival images*]
‘Independence Day’ 2008 has come and gone, so I figure it’s a good time for a visual retrospective on the years after Aguinaldo declared the Philippines ‘free’ on12 June 1898. As a Filipino photographer, I find these old archival images gripping…
The Philippine American War was fought from the moment the Americans claimed ownership of the Phils as a colony until at least 1902 (though fighting continued throughout the American term–and, arguably, is still going on today).
The country continues to bear the scars of this conflict. Official (aka American) numbers put the casualties at: 4234/2818 American dead/wounded and 20,000/200,000 Filipino dead (note the exact figures of the US casualities and the averaged out number for us Filipinos). Filipino estimates are MUCH higher (with at least 500,000 civilian deaths).
After the conflict the US did it’s best to create “little brown Americans.” The Thomasites opened up schools to ‘educate’ the populace. And members of the elite were groomed into political positions.
“Independence” was finally granted by the Americans in 1946.
For more info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine-American_War
