A great problem of the Philippines

Media

Part of Bangon

Title: A great problem of the Philippines
Language: English
Source: Taon I (Bilang 5) Abril 15, 1909
Year: 1909
Rights
Fulltext: BANC ION. . . 17 bahaginin pa sa niara mi. Manghinayang ka sa iyong paglingap. i\ko‘y Hindi na nagaantay na mahalfn .mo pa, di ko na inaasahan ang iyong mga pangakó, hindi ko na aalalahanin ang lahat ng ligayang idinulot mo ng unang panahon ng iyong pagsuyo, at hindi ko na rin gúgunitaín ang mga balakid na aking dinanas dahil sa iyo. Oo, hindi na nga, Gerardo. Yamang naipagtapat ko na ang lahat, ay malaya ka sa lahat ng bagay. May ganap ka nang kapangyarihan sa bawa‘t iyong loobfn. Hindi ka na magpa pagod ng pagtatanong bago gawin ang anomang bagay, wala na, at Alapat ka nang magsayá. Pagkatapos ng mga hiding salitang ito ni Rita, ay isang marahang daing ni Gerardo ang naringig: —Rita,... dahil sa iyó... ang aking... ikapaparoól...! At biglang tumakas ang diwa ni Ge rardo, sa ha rap ng kaniyang kasi. Si Rita, sapagka't kaylan ma’y mahalagá sa kanya ang pangako, at sapagka‘t mahál sa kanya si Gerardo, ay bangkay din ng mga san daling iyon. Dito n at upad ang inga pángakuan ng dalawang pusong nagibigan ng di kakaunting pa nahon, dito natunayan ni Rita ang pagmamahal ni Gerardo, na Hindi pinaniwalaan dahil sa masamang balitang tinanggap, at dito pa minsang naringig ang mga salitang: —Rita, ikáw at tanging ikáw lamang ang poon ng aking pag-ibig. Ikáw at tanging ikáw lamang ang mahal sa akin, na Hindi mo pinaniwalaang mahabang panahon. Paalam na akó...! Isang piping balita ang tinanggap ko ng gabing sumunód sa ganitong pangyayari, isang pi ping alingawngaw, na labis kong tinakhán, sapagka’t nagbulóng sa akin ng: “Ganito rin sii/a’t ikaw”. Taga-ULAP. A Great Problem of the Philippines Mr. Chairman, Members of the faculty, ladies and gentlemen: I must confess that I do not assume this duty given to me without feelings, both of pleasure and of dread; pleasure because I recognize the honor that the faculty bestowed upon me when it chose me to speak in these exercises, and dread at being compelled to face an audience such as this, every one of whom could teach me, and before whom, I should prefer to be silent. But much as I would rather give up the few minutes that I shall speak to whose, who are more able to instruct you, custom has made it unwise that I should do so. The choosing of a subject of general interest to an audience of this character is no easy task but after spending quite of good deal of effort, I have selected the subject that appears on the program—“A Great Problem of the Philippines.” I believe that when you hear me speak of a great Philippine problem, you have not the slightest idea as to which one I mean, for there are many. For example, there is that too cons tantly present problem of independence. Another one is that question as to when the big mass of the Filipinos will be educated, and there are still other problems which I shall not ehdeavor to name; for if I should but name them, they would take me all this hour. It is enough for me to speak of only one. Th) •ee hundred years ago, the agricultural conditions of the Philippines could have been said to be in a discouraging state. There were but few Filipino farmers who were very ineffi cient. The country was importing rice, her prin cipal food, and the greatest part of the land lay idle. Today these same conditions still exist and the question arises, when will all of them be changed. In another words, when will the Philippines be able to support herself with her principal bread; when shall we have Filipino farmers who really know how to treat the soil and plants; and lastly when will the vast area of our land lying incultivated, be of use to us. In the effort of curing this unhealthy state of our country, you perhaps have heard thdUa same subjects talked about, both privately and publi cly, and discussed in newspapers and magazi nes. Every day almost, plans and suggestions are being offered to the people for them to follow in bringing about better conditions; but I am sorry to say that the schemes -presented do not draw the people from their indifference, and consequently no changes take place. This fault of neglect is a fault not only of a certain class of Filipinos, but of all. Filipinos both educated and uneducated, students and not students are all to be blained. For instance, you will find our best educated brothers devot ing almost all their time to politics, a fact that has a blighting effect upon our country. It is in politics that they seek their fortune, and thus “draw away from the fields to take a humble, a very humble part in the campaigin, the men who would otherwise be be contentedly plowing the soil, or reaping the haXibst.” Among the students, you will find the tendency to be the same. Ask many of them what course they want to follow, and you will get a very discouraging answer. They will tell you that they want to become magistrates, lawyers, and politicians but seldom will you hear any of them say that he want to become a farmer. We may say then in just a few words that the plan which the educated Filipinos seem to desire to follow is that plan of living at public expense. As to whether this plan is good for our ¡country or not, I leave you to judge. Then among the rich Filipinos, you will seldom hear of any of them investigating large sums of money is agricultural business. Although the raising of the different kinds of 18 BANGON.. crops is encouraged and made attractive, still they do not take an interest in them; conse quently every now and then, when such oppor tunities appear, foreign capitalists come in to participate in the development, and so it is only the people of other nations that harvest the be nefits that should else be received by us. Thus beceause. of the careless attitude of our native capitalists, our country is being exploited by foreigners. Now, ladies and gentlemen, upon what do you account for all of these carelessness of the Fili pinos? Why is it do you think that we are not interested in this industry? Is it because the physical and climatic conditions of our country prevent us from thus progressing? I should say no; for right here before us are opportunities offered by nature which are very essential helps along this development. In the first place, our soil is fertile, and is thus most adapted to agri culture. It is a kind of soil that any nation would be proud to own. In the second place, our seasons do not in any way obstruct agricul ture. We have here but the sunny and rainy season, in both of which, different kinds of crops could be raised. We have no winter here, as in America, when the ground is cov ered by ice, and thus plants are likely to be killed and the raising of agricultural products is, in many ways, made difficult. But even though such conditions exist in same countries still you will find those same countries able to raise products sufficient, not only for them selves, but also for others. Now there appears no excuse for the Fili pinos not being able to make these islands produce abundantly since the conditions here seem to be more favorable than in other coun tries. It might be that the Philippines do not progress much in agriculture because her citi zens are satisfied that their country is being supported by other nations. If it is true, gen tlemen, let us do away with such ideas for they are centainly wrong. If we ever mean at all to become an independent people, it is our duty at the very beginning to make our country self-supporting. “If it were ever a good policy on the part of Napoleon to insist that the requirements of a nation should be raised, if possible, within the limits of its borders; if the policy has been a correct one that every nation should be self supporting, there is no reason why we should not strive with our might and intelli gence to feed and clothe ourselves. Now, ladies and gentlemen, the recognizing of a fault or of a great need, is only half a country’s work. The correcting the fault, the supplying the need is the other, greater half if I may he paradoxical. Who is going to direct the Philippines in the future? to redirect them now? The HigliSehool graduates. Not by all of us becoming lawyers and office-seekers, but by many of us becoming farmers on a large or a small scale. Permit me to say that upon the shoulders of no other (‘lass of Filipinos does this heavy burden fall more severely than upon the shoulders of our present students. At a time like this, when our country is inogj unfortunate of having her older sons magnetic^ attracted by politics, at such a time as this when there is a great demand for educated farmers, the students must sacrifice their whole energy and do the best that they could to cure this national defect. Our agricultural schools if properly improved might be the most powerful agents in bringing these changes about. As they are today, they our not in my humble opinion in a condition to meet the requirements of our country. They are not now in such a shape as to arouse the spirits of young Filipinos to pursue agri culture. In fact, we have no real agricultural schools yet: we have only agricultural classes in a few schools and one well organized course —that in the Philippine Normal School. For these reasons, we the students, must unani mously unite in one big cry for a speedy construction of agricultural schools, a cry that will echo in the ear of our government and in the several ears of our legislators. Then, after these schools are improved, if we, the students, will be patriotic enough to take up agricultural rather than political pursuits, and if our native capitalists will likewise be patriotic enough to invest their money in agri cultural industries, especially since combined expert opinion of the world assures them that they can make each a fortune, all these forces, I sav, will solve this Great Philippine Problem. Nemesío MENDIOLA. (To be eon tinned.) ----• «■■■ —— CARTA DE ACEPTACIÓN Manila, 2 de Marzo de 1909. Señor: * Tengo el honor de acusar recibo de su muy atenta comunicación, en la que se me nombra Socio Honorario de la Confederación, por esa Junta Directiva que V. tan dignamente preside. Al hacerlo así cúmpleme el deber de manifestar á toda la Junta Directiva, mis más sinceras gracias por el alto honor y aprecio con que han querido distinguirme á pesar de mi insignificante persona y mérito ninguno. Aún así y aunque el último de los hijos de la provincii que de tan preclaro nombre blasona, me siento sin embargo, orgulloso de poder os tentar este título con que Vds. me distinguen, porque podré ser siquiera el último, uno de los soldados que pueden militar bajo la bandera de la Confederación que según creo, sustenta un ideal muy santo y muy elevado, y que en sus procedimientos, seguro estoy, la Confederación, se ha guiado solamente y se guiará fie los sanos principios de la libertad democrática que debe ser la base más (‘stable, creo yo, sobre que edificar el ideal que todos ansian.