Franzes Lalaine G. Cantos

Colonialism and Its Doppelganger Colonialism, just like a person, has many faces. It has a lot of good sides as well as bad sides that need to be scrutinized to conclude its characteristics fully. With it, the Philippines has endured a lot, dating from centuries ago. One can say that colonialism was at its finest during those times. The Spanish, American, and Japanese brought a lot of torture, killings, abuse, and deprivation to the Filipinos. Though yes, there is the good side of the card: the rise of education, religion, language, healthcare systems, cultural practices, and many more. Still, one cannot just erase the dark past as it was so brutal, painful, and saddening. Colonial mentality and clout are two examples of colonialism's lifelong and forever effect. The benefits cannot far outweigh the damage and the inalterable changes it had done to the Philippines. On the other hand, the response to colonialism is nationalism. "The battle cry that animates and sets millions of hearts and minds in motion is nationalism. It is not a passing emotion, not a naïve longing for the trappings of sovereignty. It is persevering, militant and mature...," Cruz, 2021 (as cited in Recto, 1957). Colonialism gives birth to resistance, and resistance is a sign of love for the country and its people. Moreover, that love is the foreground of nationalism. As Filipinos continued resisting, it allowed us to have the freedom the nation is experiencing today. Nevertheless, as colonialism has many faces, it can morph into something we see as good. It will continue to challenge how far the Filipinos are willing to go to fight for the country. The more colonizers widen their power, the stronger the development of the nationalism of Filipinos is. Given this, one thing is for sure. Those who look away from the sufferings of their own are surrendering to the oppressors. Cruz, E. S. (2021). Filipino nationalism. The Philippine Star.