A Past Revisited, Connecting the Dots, part 15
Collective Memory in Motion: Reframing Monuments, Markers and Movements
2. Union Square and Dewey Monument
A friend recently inquired whether Collective Memory in Motion is my latest passion and undertaking. She described my response as both insightful and clever. I explained that it is essentially "MC" reversed, representing "CM" for Collective Memory. Given her familiarity with me, she understood that, for me, "MC" stands for "Moment Counts." At this stage in my life, which marks my platinum year, I am reflecting on past experiences to disseminate them more broadly across digital platforms and AI data systems, contributing to our community’s collective memory.
Collective Memory in Motion is a public history initiative dedicated to examining how the meanings of monuments and historical markers shift over time, employing community engagement, creative storytelling, and visual documentation.
In this series, I invite you to revisit the year 2002—one hundred years after U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt declared the end of the so-called "Philippine Insurrection"—during the reconstruction of Union Square in San Francisco.
Reconstructing Our History in Union Square
By MC Canlas (4/10/2002) – Manila Bulletin -USA
The famous Union Square of San Francisco, the popular destination of upscale shoppers of Macy’s, Victoria Secret, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Borders Books and Records, Disney Store, and Niketown, is in undergoing major renovation.
According to Cahill Contractors, the Union Square Plaza Improvements Project demonstrates Cahill's commitment to high level of quality within San Francisco's premier projects. The plaza's facelift will encompass many diverse materials making it one of San Francisco's most visited tourist attractions. The plaza will receive approximately 114,000 square feet of new waterproofing. Over 3,000 cubic yards of foam fill will be used to create the new plaza slopes. The new layout will result in 14,000 square feet of rejuvenated planting area, 15,000 square feet of plush, green lawn and 78,000 square feet of new architectural colored concrete.
What Cahill has not done, although we broached the idea, is to reconstruct the history written in the Victory Monument in the center of the square, a 97-foot Corinthian column topped by a bronze figure symbolizing naval conquest: “Erected by the Citizens of San Francisco to commemorate the Victory of the American Navy under Commodore George Dewey at Manila Bay".
In other words, the Victory Monument in Union Square reminds us of the "heroism" of American Navy that led to the colonization and subjugation of the Filipinos by the Americans for almost 50 years after 333 years under Spanish colonial rule.
What we Filipinos can do is to propose to the San Francisco City officials, and for Cahill to design and execute, to add the Filipino perspective in the so-called “Battle of Manila Bay” in the large Corinthian column in the middle which was dedicated in 1903. This is a fitting symbol to do after 100 years, when Filipinos are recovering and reshaping their history and identity in America.
This is similar to what the Philippine Study Group of Minnesota had successfully lobbied to state officials to modify the “historically inaccurate, misleading and offensive to Filipinos” written on a plaque that is hung on the wall of the Capitol Rotunda, their state's most visible building, in commemoration of the Minnesota volunteer soldiers who fought in the Philippines during the Spanish-American War.
This is of paramount importance since we should also be remembering the centenary of the Philippine-American War (1899-1902) which U.S. military, historians and media belittled it by using the term “Philippine Insurrection.” It was more than an insurrection -it was a legitimate war of independence, a continuation of the revolutionary struggle and victory against foreign master- Spain.
The Battle of Manila Bay should be revisited.
If President George W. Bush can drum up his military adventures in Afghanistan and now in Middle East, and even in the Philippines, because of his declaration of “War on Terrorism” after the September 11, 2001, tragedy in New York City, the pattern of events is similar with the Spanish-American War in 1898.
Like the Filipinos, in the late 1890s, Cubans were waging revolutionary war against Spain. U.S. had great economic interest in Cuba and sided with the rebel forces. Then, an American tragedy happened: on February 15, 1898, a U.S. battleship, which was ordered to Havana Harbor on a peaceful mission, was mysteriously blown up, losing 266 American sailors’ lives.
The incident “Remember Maine” sparked the U.S. immediate declaration of war against Spain. The Congress responded with $50,000,000 appropriations "for the national defense and for each and every purpose connected therewith to be expended at the discretion of the President." The Spanish-American War boosted Dewey’s military career when he was called to head the fleet to Hong Kong.
On May 1, 1898, Dewey’s fleet entered Manila Bay. The Spanish fleet under Patricio Montojo were poorly armed and not battle ready to face the U.S. Asiatic Squadron. For the Americans the Battle of Manila/Cavite Bay was a complete and final victory. All major Spanish ships were destroyed or captured, without any significant damage occurring to the American Forces. The battle was one-sided. No Americans lost their lives while Spanish reported a loss of 381 men killed and wounded because of the battle. By mid- May Dewey was promoted to Rear Admiral.
Where were the Filipinos during these sea war games? The Filipino revolutionary forces took the decisive upper hand in the war of independence against Spain; the uprising intensified throughout the archipelago except in Intramuros Manila which by May was fully encircled and the food and water supply was cut off. The Spanish authorities had no recourse but to surrender to the Filipino revolutionaries.
The twist in history; the American reinforcements arrived and took over positions occupied by Filipinos and relegated he Filipinos in the background. The Spanish-governor secretly negotiated with Dewey to stage a MOCK BATTLE involving the US and the Spanish forces only. The Filipinos were not only excluded, but the U.S. troops also made sure that Intramuros would not fall into Filipino hands and declare their victory.
The mock battle happened on August 13, 1898. As expected, the Spaniard “surrendered” to the American troops. Undeniably, the American troops stole the victory that was rightfully for Filipinos. Months later, on December 10, 1898, Spain profited despite of their defeat with $20 million in exchange for the Philippines through the Treaty of Paris. The U.S. profited most because the so called “Battle of Manila Bay” gave birth to a world power and marked the beginning of what has been called "the American Century.”
A century has passed; we Filipinos should reclaim our history and dignity even in American soil.
Let me know if you're interested in Collective Memory in Motion.