Today, we commemorate the birth of the Filipino State. El estado filipino. The birth of our country. The birth of our national being. El nacimiento del ser filipino.
Manila was founded as a capital city on 24 June 1571 at the heart of what is now known as the Walled City of Intramuros, “la Manila de nuestros amores”. It should only follow that its declaration as a capital city 446 years ago implies that a state, a country —albeit under a much larger empire— was already in existence, has been readied, was in full swing.
446 years ago today, Miguel López de Legazpi established Manila as the capital city of Filipinas at this exact site. Legazpi became its first governor-general, in effect our country’s first national leader.
Filipinas was not born in 1872 nor in 1898. Filipinas was already in existence for more than 300 years. If only Manila could speak, she would have screamed this historical fact from the top of her lungs.
To Filipinas, la patria de mis amores, a grand salutation to your 446th founding anniversary!
EL FILIPINISMO
(Pepe Alas)
Filipinas
Filipino:
dos palabras
de vigor
son emblemas
de platino
obras maestras
de fulgor.
Castellana
en mi suelo,
Cruz y espada —
creación,
una mezcla
de nativo
e hispanista
corazón.
Han cosido
las isletas
esmeraldas
un collar,
y el colgante:
el enorme
la laguna
como el mar.
Y en el centro
de esta estrella
otra isleta
de puñal,
atributo
la piadosa
y Materna
Virginal.
¡Custodiar y difundir
y también enaltecer
esta lengua muy divina
cuya faena es proteger!
Preservar la identidad:
la cultura, nuestra fe,
¡elementos que alimentan
nuestro ser hispanidad!
Filipinas
Filipino:
dos palabras
de honor
son emblemas
de platino
¡obras maestras
de amor!
Derechos de reproducción © 2017
José Mario Alas
San Pedro Tunasán, La Laguna
Todos los derechos reservados.
¡Feliz 446° cumpleaños a mi patria adorada, Filipinas! Y que el espíritu de San Juan Bautista cuya fiesta también se celebra en este día bautice el pueblo filipino para que experimenten un nuevo despertar.
And yes, I’m back. Y sí, estoy de vuelta. For good. Definitivamente.
¡A Dios sea toda la gloria y la honra!
EL FILIPINISMO 
Great! I hope the truth about June 24, 1571 being also the founding of the FILIPINO STATE, WITH MANILA AS ITS CAPITAL CITY, will be known. Congrats, Pepe Alas!
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¡Gracias, maestro!
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At this point in time, the depth and breadth of the Pihilippines hasn’t been even mapped yet, so nope, there is still no Filipino consciousness to speak of which would be required by a statehood
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Hi, Sir! I’ve been reading some of your articles here in wordpress and also to your facebook account. I learned many things that is not taught in school. But I just want to ask you how did you learn Spanish? I’m interested in acquiring this language but I don’t know anyone I could ask for some tips.
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Hi, Londyn. Save money and enroll at the Instituto Cervantes de Manila, the best school in town to learn Spanish.
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