The University of Michigan-Ann Arbor holds many documents from the early 20th century when the United States colonized the Philippines. The Clements Library’s archives are souvenirs, letters, and other documents from American soldiers stationed in the Philippines in the early 1900s.
April 9 is Araw ng Kagitingan or Day of Valor, commemorating how Filipinos fought valiantly against the Japanese in World War II. Today is in celebration of the American brethren in arms who fought with us and died against the Imperial Japanese Army. Yet, the collection is from about four decades before World War II when the Philippines had a different kind of relationship with the American soldiers.
Among the collection is this clipping of the map of the Philippines. This map was part of the collection of documents from an American soldier. The map of the Philippines is in a vertically spaced column with indicators of dangerous places for Americans. The black lines show where it is perilous for American soldiers. The white space, or the non-shaded areas, is generally peaceful towards the soldiers.
The entire Samar island was blackened, with one location specifically labeled: Balangiga is a witness to the American atrocities. In 1901, a group of Filipino farmers surprised the massive and well-armed American soldiers with an attack that resulted in many deaths.
In retaliation, the Americans killed every Filipino over ten years old. The blackened island is an apt reminder of not the danger it posed to the Americans, but that it was razed to the ground, cruelly resulting in what we know as the Balangiga Massacre of 1901.
The island of Negros has a black ovoid shape labeled as “Ladrones,” which is Spanish for thieves. The Mountain Province areas are “Savage but friendly.” These two markers illuminate these areas’ political and social history and the American presence.
Mountain Province became a focal point for American intrusion because of the rich resources—among them, gold—which the Americans pilfered. In the process, Baguio emerged as a point of entry for Americans from Manila.
Negros has sugar plantations and mills that gave their elite tremendous wealth and influence. One can imagine the collaboration between the elites and the Americans did not go well with some of the natives living in the island’s interior.
After all, the interior of Negros consists of mountainous jungles where the rebels could scurry and hide. This refers to what Filipinos still cite as acts of rebellion, such as “namundok” or hiding in the mountains. To call the recalcitrant natives “ladrones” or thieves would diminish their personhood as not freedom fighters or revolutionaries but petty thieves. The blackened areas are held either by the Ladrones or the Moros.
Apparently, according to the Americans, Mindoro was a Moro stronghold. Furthermore, the Southern Tagalog region is reliably anti-colonial with its history as among the provinces that have revolted against Spain. Southern Tagalog may have been displeased with the Americans stealing our hard-fought and brand-new independence.
Interestingly, Palawan is absent from this map. Perhaps the American forces thought they needed to secure the major island groups that historically had rampant rebellious activities. Or because Palawan may be too peaceful and too distant. However, since this infographic was laid out in a publication, if they included Palawan, the Philippine map would be smaller for the allotted column space. They needed to emphasize and be clear about where danger lurks.
Whatever the reason for Palawan’s absence here, I hope China will not use this map as proof that Palawan belongs to them.
You may reach Chong Ardivilla at kartunistatonto@gmail.com or chonggo.bsky.social
