Depiction Of Different Perspectives Of Philippines During The World War Ii In Paintings
Since its initial discovery in France, drawings have since evolved from a transmission of information into a medium that elicits thoughts and emotions. Artists use paintings to portray their emotions and reality and this was especially significant back in times of war when freedom of speech was close to absent. The relationship of war and its impact on paintings was something that attracted my attention.
Fernando Cueto Amorsolo’s painting “Marketplace during the Occupation” was an interesting depiction of the subtle undertones on the tension that war brings to Philippines. Underneath the facade of stability portrayed by the ample food supply in the marketplace, relaxed looking faces of the people and the seemingly bright and vibrant color used hides the resentment, apprehension and tension faced by the locals as hinted by the scratched Japanese flags, the rifle-wielding Japanese soldier and banners bearing Japanese symbol serving as constant reminders of the Occupation.
In contrast, Ricarte Puruganan’s “Give Us This Day” which is a replicate of the original copy painted in 1944 that was destroyed during the bombing of Manila in 1945, translates a more straightforward approach on the artist’s impression towards the Japanese occupation in relation to the current state of Philippines. Locals appear to be fleeing away from the Japanese’s control charging headfirst towards a black tornado, which seems to symbolise an uncertain future that lies ahead for them. This is possibly due to the initiation of the Philippines campaign in 1944 with the American and Filipino military forces fighting back against the Imperial Japanese forces. This explains the title Ricarte gave his artwork, which conceivably aims to provide hope to his fellow Filipinos that their nation can finally break free from an oppressive rule.
“Give Us This Day” also outlines that despite having the same primordial identity, war could result in the birth of different imagined communities that further demonstrates the disparity between how grounded or ungrounded citizens of the same nation can be towards these identities. In this case, there exists 2 conflicting imagined communities: the first imbued with the desire to bring back the familiarity of their peaceful daily lives which they are so used to, the second displaying the urge to break free from the colonial power for the independence of their beloved country. With reference to Benedict Anderson’s book of Imagined Communities, these communities are imagined as they are “imagined by the people who perceive themselves as part of that group” and cause “members of even the smallest nation will never know most of their fellow-members, meet them, or even hear of them, yet in the minds of each lives the image of their communion”.
Despite having a common ancestry, common languages or even common beliefs in values such as religion, it is interesting to note that imagined communities with opposing characteristics are birthed in the Philippines at that time. On one hand, locals who views stability as top priority chose to be loyal to the Japanese as illustrated by Filipino soldiers wearing uniforms that resemble the Japanese military uniform, controlling and even chasing other commoners. They represent people who feel that the Japanese Occupation “provided” them a form of stability in terms of less violence outbreak and adequate food supply as demonstrated in “Marketplace during the Occupation”. In spite of only recognising the Japanese as their colonial master, they are still willing to support them to go against their own people with the believe that the Japanese can provide them with what they yearn for. While on the other hand, locals that longed for the independence of Philippines, identified by majority of the people in “Give Us This Day” risking their life, gathering resources and diving straight towards the ambiguous yet hopeful future of Philippines’ independence. They are the ones who regard themselves as part of a group of people who strive for freedom.
I feel that these two paintings describe different perspectives of Philippines during the World War II (WWII), one in which Ricarte appears to be opposing Fernando view of a calm and stable society with a selfish and chaotic one. If the Good do not always triumph, then should we still do Good? To answer that, we must first understand that Good and Evil are moral concepts. Biologically, we have the evolutionary imperative to ensure the continued existence of our own genes, but at the same time, we also possess a strong instinct for the preservation of species.
Signs that Philippines is living in a postcolonial world of not just the Japanese but also the Spanish are evident. The verdict of how the name Philippines was chosen to represent the country in honour of King Philip II of Spain, even with other possible names is one clear indication. During the Spanish colonial period, Spanish friars envisions to convert all the natives from their primal religion to Christ through Catholic tradition proves to be a successful influence as seen by how at least 92% of the Philippines’ population are Christian today. Furthermore, the addition of Miso in “Sinigang na Bangus”, a traditional Filipino food has shown how Philippine cuisine are modified with Japanese influences. We can see how deeply rooted influence colonizers has on the Philippines to be able to even make them change values that means so close and personal to them.
