Philippine history in San Francisco

IT WAS my first time in Oakland.  I looked out the window and saw the skyline that reminded me of Bienvenido Santos and his 1987 novel “What the hell for, you left your heart in San Francisco?” The Asia Foundation made it possible for me to be one of the “events” at the recent Filipino-American FilBookFest in the San Francisco Public Library.

The street between the library and the Asian Art Museum was closed to  vehicular traffic and lined with booths with books on the Philippines,  T-shirts, music, Kapampangan food and even Magnolia Ice Cream. Only  lechon and dirty ice cream were missing to complete the festival  atmosphere. National Artist BenCab had a closed door but well-attended  nude sketching session, National Artist Virgilio Almario delivered a  lecture on Rizal’s poetry, and a Balagtasan troupe known as MTV  (composed of poets Mike Coroza, Teo Antonio, and Vim Nadera) regaled  the crowd with verbal jousting. Dolphy’s biography sold like hotcakes  from the hands of his sons Eric and Epi who were in town to visit  their mom. Among the many writers I spotted were Honey Carandang,  Marites Vitug, Luis Francia, Vina Lanzona, Butch Dalisay and Pete  Lacaba. Fidel V. Ramos was in his element posing for souvenir  photographs to promote a no-holds-barred FVR biography by Scott Thompson.

This trip provided another opportunity to walk aimlessly around town  looking for traces of Philippine history. San Francisco was the place  where American soldiers were shipped off to fight in the Philippine-American War and we can see what they looked like from old films  downloadable from the Library of Congress. Frederick Funston, the man  who captured Emilio Aguinaldo in Palanan, Isabela, in 1901 is part of  this city’s history and is buried in the Presidio outside town. If you  walk in this cemetery and take the time to read the tombstones you  will see many more who were killed in the Philippines.

There are many Filipinos who live, work or visit San Francisco who  don’t realize Philippine connections in two local landmarks. First,  there is Union Square in the heart of the shopping district. The  square is a place to rest weary legs. It boasts the first underground  parking. It is a meeting point. At the center of the square is a  slender monument topped with a woman depicting “Victory” that makes  reference to the Philippines and Philippine-American history. The  monument commemorates George Dewey’s victory in the Battle of Manila  Bay on May 1, 1898.

In my youth, I walked around this monument but never took the  time to read the commemorative text on it. It was only during a trip  five years ago, while waiting for friends in the shops, that I noticed  the text. One side of the memorial reads: “Erected by the Citizens of  San Francisco to commemorate the victory of the American Navy under  Commodore George Dewey at Manila Bay, May First 1898. On May 3, 1901  the ground for this monument was broken by President William  McKinley.”

The historic telegram is etched on granite on another  side of the base: “Secretary of the Navy John D. Long to Commodore  George Dewey April 24, 1898. War has commenced between the United  States and Spain. Proceed at once to the Philippines Islands and  capture or destroy the Spanish fleet.”

A short and dramatic narrative  is to be found on the third side of the base:  “On the night of April  30th, 1898 Commodore Dewey’s Squadron entered Manila Bay and undaunted  by the danger of submerged explosives reached Manila at dawn of May  First 1898. Attacked and destroyed the Spanish fleet of ten warships.  Reduced the forts and held the city in subjection until the arrival of  troops from America.”

Finally we read the list of the names of the  US ships that saw action in the Philippines on the fourth side:

“American Squadron Manila Bay. Olympia (flagship), Baltimore, Raleigh,  Boston, Concord, Petrel, McColloch. On May 14, 1903 this monument was  dedicated by President Theodore Roosevelt.”

For a decade I installed historical markers all over the Philippines  (some abroad too) and now I wonder if people take the trouble to  read them. Markers are meant to remind people about the past, but as the saying goes you can lead the horse to water but you cannot force  it to drink. The monument on Union Square is relevant to Filipinos but  a century and a decade since it was erected, how many Filipinos who  have passed by it have seen this historical connection?

It was only three years ago that I visited the Palace Hotel downtown where Rizal stayed in 1888. This hotel is wonderfully preserved. Walking in its lobby and peeking into its dining room made me realize  why people presume Rizal was so wealthy that he could afford to live it up abroad. Nothing  can be farther from the truth. Rizal’s letters and diaries reveal that  his allowance was barely sufficient and often arrived late.

If Rizal  was hard-up, why did he always travel first class? His family didn’t scrimp on travel, knowing that if Rizal traveled in economy he would be  discriminated against on account of his color and his booking class.  All of us who watched the movie “Titanic” know that lifeboats and life  preservers were reserved for first-class passengers.

Sometimes,  historical research is done on foot instead of inside a library,  providing new insight, new perspectives.

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