11/06/2026
Celebrating Independence, But Are We Truly Free?
After over 300 years of suffering and impatience, the Filipino people revolted against the tyrannical Spanish colonizers to free their families, communities, and their deeply protected ancestral lands. Led by various individuals, the himagsikan rose with freedom in mind.
In the late 19th century, propaganda movements led by intellectuals like Dr. José Rizal fueled national consciousness. In 1892, Andres Bonifacio founded the Katipunan (K*K), a secret revolutionary society aimed at freeing the land from Spanish control. The Philippine Revolution officially erupted in 1896. Following Rizal’s ex*****on by the Spanish, the revolution intensified, eventually leading to a leadership shift from Bonifacio to Emilio Aguinaldo.
By 1898, Spain was simultaneously fighting the Spanish-American War. Seizing the moment, General Emilio Aguinaldo returned from exile and rallied Filipino forces. On June 12, 1898, Aguinaldo declared Philippine independence from the window of his home in Kawit, Cavite. For the first time, the Philippine flag was unfurled, and the national anthem was played.
The joy was short-lived. Spain secretly sold the Philippines to the United States for $20 million in the 1898 Treaty of Paris. Refusing to trade one master for another, the Filipinos fought back, triggering the brutal Philippine-American War (1899–1902). The heavily outgunned Filipino forces were defeated, and the Philippines became an American territory.
The U.S. eventually promised the Philippines independence through the Tydings-McDuffie Act of 1934. However, World War II interrupted this timeline. In 1941, Japan invaded the archipelago. Filipinos endured years of harsh Japanese occupation and fought alongside American forces in a fierce guerrilla war until liberation in 1945.
To this day, our independence from tyrants is celebrated by Filipinos worldwide, as it affirms and positions the nation as a free, sovereign country governed by its own people and its own laws.
Or so we thought…
In recent years, we have seen the erosion of freedom and human rights. While we witnessed the lavish implementation of programs and initiatives, we also saw the anomalies hidden behind different schemes—disguised as goods, relief, or programs wrapped in carefully crafted promises. The Filipinos who fought hard to be free, to be recognized, and to be away from the control of others have, in a paradox of worlds, been corrupted and controlled by their own people.
While we celebrate our independence from foreign control, we have also accepted the fate of being controlled by our own people, just like the tyrants we fought so hard against over the years.
We have allowed our country of millions to be controlled by a few who are hungry for power, wealth, and stature. We have exchanged our liberty for a few cents, and in return, we suffer through years of torment as our votes, one after the other, are consumed for self-enrichment.
We must break the cycle, rethink, and revisit the story of our forefathers—how they fought for their rights, and how they paved the way to making our nation what it is now. We have to fight against our very own tyrants: the people we placed in power. We have the power to remove them and replace them, for this country is our own.
“Are we truly free?” That is the question. It may feel as though we are not. But in time, when the moment is right, we will have the power to free ourselves again and make our country, the Philippines, truly ours.
Happy 128th Independence Day, mahal naming Pilipinas!
Nawa'y mapukaw ang Katipunero sa bawat puso natin upang palayain ang bansa sa mga kamay na mapangmataas at mapangwaldas!
