The legacy of the American occupation within the Philippines is complicated. According to experts, the perception of the brand new agreement in society could also be influenced by the strong influence of the United States in shaping the fashionable nation. According to Vicente Rafael, a history professor on the University of Washington, the unequal relations between the 2 countries resulted from the presence of the United States colonial authorities from 1898 to 1946.
Rafael says the Philippines’ trade ties with the United States are essential to its economic prosperity. The military relies on the U.S. for guidance, assistance and weapons.
Since gaining control of the Philippines from Spain on the turn of the twentieth century, the United States has maintained a strategic military relationship with the Philippines. According to Rafael, “The United States created a native colonial militia to help them suppress the Philippine Revolution, which was then raging. It has grown into a military defense force that cooperates with the United States, especially in the face of domestic threats.”
With civilian government and the establishment of English-language public schools throughout the country, an import substitution economy was also introduced, which left Filipinos depending on American aid.
According to Richard Chu, a history professor on the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, “The Philippines has not been capable of create its goods for its own needs.” As a result, the Philippine economy became depending on the American one.
But not everyone holds a grudge. According to Chu, schools within the Philippines placed more emphasis on American history and Western culture than on Philippine history and culture. “A generation of Filipinos has been raised to believe that American colonization is beneficial to the nation.”
Many Filipinos today would still support the establishment of military stations because they see China because the Philippines’ nemesis and the United States as an entity with their best interests in mind.
More than 30 years have passed since Philippine lawmakers decided to finish the everlasting U.S. military presence within the country. Previously, the United States operated two most important bases, but many Filipinos saw these bases as a legacy of American colonialism and wanted to say their independence.
Now the Philippines is inviting the United States to again expand its military reach within the country, providing access to 4 latest military bases amid rising tensions with China
Source: TIME.com
