Double Dutch

Holand (with one “l”) is a popular brand of hopia or Chinese pastry. It is not to be confused with Holland (double “l”), which pertains not just to a part of the Netherlands, but is sometimes used to refer to the whole country.

It is not well known that the Philippines and the Netherlands are maritime countries linked by sea and history. The pandemic lockdown and the quincentennial celebrations of Lapulapu’s victory in Mactan have relegated the 70th anniversary of the establishment of Philippines-Netherlands diplomatic relations to a footnote this year. A pity, because our cultural and historical links go back four centuries.

Growing up, I remember the Dutch in daily life: Dutch cleanser in the bathrooms, Dutch Boy paint on our house, and Dutch Maid milk which competed with Magnolia, Bear Brand, Alpine, and Real Fresh in our pantry. One of my favorite ice cream flavors, Gold Label Double Dutch, is now challenged by Quadruple Chocolate. The ice cream war reminded me of the “Cuatro Chic” beauty salon in Manila, whose owner tried to outdo the rival “Tres Chic” salon.

When I first visited Amsterdam, I found out that queso de bola— a staple of our noche buena tables, grated and sprinkled atop ensaimada to upgrade it from ordinary to special, or made into bottled cheese spread—is imported from the Netherlands. The iconic Spanish trademarks Marca Piña (pineapple brand) and Marca Pato (duck brand) suggest that Dutch Edam cheese was introduced to the Filipino palate during the Spanish colonial period. That the queso de bola we know is harder and saltier than fresh Edam hints that the cheese had aged or was specially manufactured for a long sea voyage from Amsterdam and Rotterdam to Manila. If we scratch at the surface of Philippine history, as we would the red wax covering of queso de bola, we will find enduring Philippine-Dutch relations.

While documenting the Rizal monument on Plaza Pershing in Zamboanga City years ago, I noticed that unlike other towns and cities, the Rizal structure faced the municipio or city hall, perhaps as a reminder for public servants to work for the people. As an implied threat, a pair of bronze cannons flanked the Rizal monument, with one pointed directly at the Mayor’s office. Both cannons sported foundry marks that indicated their origins: one is from Spain, the other from the Netherlands, based on the “VOC” monogram that stands for “Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie.” How did this cannon, owned by the Dutch East India Company, end up in Zamboanga? I have seen a similar cannon, also with the VOC monogram, in Intramuros.

These cannons are mute reminders that the long four centuries of Spanish rule in the Philippines was not without threats or challenges from other countries. The Portuguese blockaded Manila in the 16th century. The Chinese pirate Limahong posed a threat, and so did the Japanese Hideyoshi. The British East India Company occupied Intramuros in the 18th century. And after the US squadron sank the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay at the end of the 19th century, they were stressed out by the presence of a superior German fleet commanded by a Vice Admiral who outranked US Commodore Dewey. Leopold, King of the Belgians, also wanted to acquire the Philippines, but ended up with the Congo.

The Dutch presence in our history is commemorated each year on the Second Sunday of October, in Santo Domingo Church, Quezon City. Devotees of the Virgin of the Most Holy Rosary come for a procession to venerate “La Naval de Manila,” the five naval battles in 1646 when the Virgin helped the Spanish repel the Dutch. There were more battles before 1646: against Olivier van Noort off Nasugbu in 1600, against François Wittert in Playa Honda near Zambales in 1609, and against the blockade of Manila Bay by Joris van Spilbergen in 1616.

In the wonderful map drawn by the Dutch cartographer Hondius, the Philippines is drawn clearly within the “Insulae Indiae Orientalis” (East Indies). To fully appreciate this map, remember that Hondius did not have Google Earth, or even a drone that would help him see the outline of the archipelago from the air. But the general shape of the Philippines as we know it today is already there. Dutch and Spanish ships engaged in battle are also on the map, to remind us of footnotes in the Philippines-Netherlands history that are often overlooked.

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