Last week, us and the United States government marked the 75th anniversary of the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) signed in 1951. Both governments reaffirmed alliance and continued bilateral collaboration. My question. Can we still rely on the Americans? I have my doubts. Many political analysts share my doubts. Just look how the Chinese navy harassed our own and local fishermen. How many diplomatic protests already lodged? (Walang paki ang Chinese government sa protest protest na).
Retro: Just to refresh the memory of senior citizens and for the benefit of the millennials. It was in August 1898 when Admiral George Dewey with his fleet engaged the Spanish armada which is now in the history books and described it as the Battle of Manila Bay. It didn’t take long for the Americans to subdue the armada of the Spaniards. So the Spanish government said: ‘You only won Manila, and if you want the whole archipelago you have to pay us’. So the American government in agreement paid $20 million and this was contained in the Treaty of Paris.
If you happen to visit Clark Freeport, drop by at the museum and slices of history of how the American cavalry started their journey before the turn of the century from Manila on their way to dig gold in the mountainous province of Benguet. It was the enormous gold deposit why the Americans agreed in the first place to pay the Spaniards $20 million. They got the better end of the bargain, so to speak. They made a stopover in Culiat town (now Angeles City) and encamped there meanwhile. One of the horses of the cavalry, as the story unfolded, went astray. And when it was found it was near barrio Sapangbato where therein was an abundance of lemon grass which was used as fodder for their horses. So they moved their camp there and named it Fort Stotsenberg. The cavalry stayed there permanently, until the aviation era dawned and renamed the camp to Clark Air Force Base. So it can be said it was the fault of that sh—t horse why we became neighbors to the American GIs.
A part of that cavalry proceeded to the north for the gold. An engineer by the name of Kennon carved a mountain road which zigzagged to the top. ( When you make a trip to Baguio City visit Mines View Park and below was where the heavy diggings for gold happened.
Now back to modern day. When the Americans hurriedly left following the Mt.Pinatubo eruption in June 1991 there were many who were displaced. In 1993 though Republic Act 7227 was enacted and the former military installation was converted to an economic zone. The initial phase was clearing the more than 4 thousand fenced area which was blanketed with ash fall. Then slowly but surely investors started coming in. Today the 4,400 hectares of the zone was cut in half. One half was turned into a freeport and the other half was declared as an aviation complex. We are now witnessing business activities never witnessed before. Thanks Mt. Pinatubo, you drove away the GIs.
