Philippine E-Journals

Visayan-Tagalog Tension in the Philippine Revolution

Earl Jude Paul L. Cleope

Discipline: Philippine History

 

Abstract:

The Philippine Revolution was a product of multiple discourses. It must be recalled that the development of Filipino nationalism in the 19th century was caused by many factors. Spanish colonization influenced the concept of nationhood and centralism, yet the divide et impera policy fomented divisions and antagonisms among the various cultural and linguistic groups in the archipelago. With the advent of the Revolution, various manifestations of the tensions could be gleaned from these relationships, especially in the context of the Visayan-Tagalog interactions. This paper attempts to examine the issue of the dealings between these two major ethnolinguistic groups and how they influenced the outcome of the Revolution and their various responses towards the coming of the Americans.

Subsequently, the paper tries to elucidate the psychohistory of the tensions by looking at the various motivations by which the groups operated. In essence, its relevance continues to hound the current 'state of affairs' and it is hoped that this paper will contribute towards the goal of fomenting a national unity based on understanding and respect.