The 125th Year of Liberation
By Claire Fabul Tolentino Photo by Laidel Hizola What does it feel like to finally achieve the freedom you deserve? The freedom that was inherently yours but was forcefully taken away. They confined, exploited, and stripped you of everything, leaving you shattered. But despite their attempts to break your spirit, you rose above the ashes, reclaiming your independence and embracing the liberty that rightfully belongs to you. This journey was marked by hardships, reminiscent of the events experienced by the Philippines when a foreign country invaded our land a few decades ago. It all started when the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and his fleet set foot on Cebu, trying to establish trade relations and spread Christianity. He tried to assert dominance, showing his authority, and war broke down; this was later known as the battle of Mactan, where he fought the local chieftain, Lapu-Lapu. Even tho he had lost the battle, Spain still wanted to obtain the nation's power in thei