The American Layer in the Philippines

 

The ironic juxtaposition of McDonald's at the corner of Taft and McKinley roads in Bangued, Abra

      

 The Philippines is a country of layers. There is an indigenous layer that goes back deep into history's recesses, its origins obscured by time. Then there are layers of migration from the Malay islands and mainland China. Like a veneer on a thick wooden table, the Spanish era has left its mark. Then, like another layer on top, is the relatively short half-century of the Americans. 

The legacy stands out in places like in Burnham Park in Baguio City, where the famous architect designed the entire city. Like Manila and other areas, the built environment was almost totally destroyed by the heavy bombing of World War Two. The American way of war is to hit hard. In studying the history of the reconquest of the Philippines, I wonder how much of the destruction could have been avoided with better tactics and less overwhelming force. The Filipinos are still recovering from being the punching bag in the slugfest between Japanese and American colonizers.

In Bangued, the American imprint of one day of bombing is still visible in partly reconstructed buildings and ruins yet to be rehabilitated 75 years later. I discussed the ruins in-depth in a previous post. Among the mostly Spanish and Filipino street names are the main thoroughfares of Taft and McKinley, two presidents who each left their mark on the town. Somewhat ironically, the two intersect at a McDonald's, arguably one of America's most well-known inventions and exports. I prefer eating the indigenous Filipino version of fast food burger joint called Jollibee. The restaurant stands just a block away, equally ironically, at the corner of Taft and Rizal. The intersection of the colonizing American president and the famous Filipino independence leader is translated into physical form in blending the American invention of fast food adjusted to a strong Filipino flavor.
 

On a pilgrimage to visit graves in the local cemetery, a handful of American graves caught my eye. One had the markings of a veteran of the First World War. What was his story? How did he end up being buried in Northern Luzon? When I return, I want to snap a photo and see what I can find out. 

 

There is a layer of American history here that complements our knowledge of the more extensive Philippines and American story. On the Bangued campus of the Abra State Institute for Science and Technology, the college where my wife worked for many years, there is a historical building designed by American architect William Parsons in the early 20th century. While Daniel Burnham is credited as the designer of Manila and Baguio City, Parsons is the person who actually did the work on the ground.

 The school buildings designed by Parsons were known as Gabaldon buildings, built in an American funded effort to construct schools across the country. The structures used indigenous design techniques to construct functional schools. A recent government effort has been preserving and protecting these historic buildings. 

The American attempt to create education in the Philippines may be the most significant lasting legacy. The millions of educated Filipino teachers, nurses, and fluent English speakers who contribute to the world as its most mobile, flexible, and highly educated workforce, all stem from these early beginnings.

 

The Gabaldon Building on the ASIST Bangued campus after recent restoration efforts.

There is more to the American layer here that I will continue to explore.