6 Surprising Pinoy Historical Facts You Probably Don't Know

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6 Surprising Pinoy Historical Facts You Probably

Dont Know

Philippine history is a box full of mysteries. Just when you thought historians had it all figured out, you
come across with stories that arent frequently discussed in history books. Heck, some of them are
too surprising that you start thinking maybe you were asleep or daydreaming when they were first
taught in your school.
Also Read: Top 10 Amazing Pinoy Trivia That Will Blow Your Mind
But hey, dont fret. For people like me who just didnt have the energy to study history books from
cover to cover, this list is for you!

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Here are some of the most fascinating but little-known facts that might rekindle your interest in
Philippine history:

1. Philippines could have been a German colony.

In a Manila Times article published on September 21, 2006, author Augusto de Viana reveals that the
Philippines would have been a German colony had a second battle of Manila Bay taken place.
During the Spanish-American War in 1898, Kaiser Wilhelm sent the German squadron to Manila to
protect German interests and her citizens. But unlike other countries who also sent their naval
vessels to Manila, Germany had plans of taking over the Philippines if the U.S. abandoned the islands.
After Commodore George Dewey from the U.S. ordered a blockade of Manila, the Germans started
supplying trapped Spaniards with flour and even treated some of the wounded soldiers aboard the
German vessels. This incident infuriated the U.S. but it was when the Germans refused to let the
Americans inspect their gunboat Cormoran that resulted into a heated confrontation.
The conflict between Germany and the U.S. only ended when the British ship Immortalite chose to
join Deweys flagship Olympia. The combined forces outnumbered the Germans, forcing them to stop
their provocations.
Later, the McKinley administration formalized their control over the Philippines through the Treaty of
Paris which refused to recognize Aguinaldos declaration of Independence and permanently ended
Germanys aspiration of making our country one of its colonies.

2. A black American fought for the Filipinos during the Philippine-American

War.

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Troop C, 9th Cavalry, at Camp Lawton, Washington, before being sent

to the Philippines in 1900. Source: University of Washington
His name is Corporal David Fagen, one of the 7,000 black soldiers who were sent to the country
during the Philippine-American War of 1899-1902.
He was supposed to fight against Filipino Insurrectos but conflicts between him and his superiors as
well as the racism shown by Americans against Filipino soldiers pushed Fagen to finally abandon his
group on November 17, 1899.
Fagen proved to be useful for the Philippine army. He was promoted to captain by General Jose
Alejandrino and would clash with the American army for at least eight times. His most daring and
commendable action was when he bravely led his 150 men to capture and seize cargo of guns from an
American steam launch on Rio de Grande de la Pampanga River.
After General Alejandrino surrendered to the American army in 1901, Fagen escaped to the mountains
of Nueva Ecija together with his Filipina wife and another Filipino soldier.
A man named Anastacio Bartolome would later appear on December 5, 1901 with a sack containing a
decomposed head allegedly of Fagen. However, this discovery has been heavily contested and there
was no record proving Bartolome received his reward.

3. In 1965, a nuclear bomb fell into the Philippine sea. Its still missing.

The American Mark-43 nuclear bomb. Source: US Department of

Defense.
On December 5, 1965, a month after the aircraft carrier USS Ticonderogas departure from a U.S.
naval base in Subic Bay, a Broken Arrow incident (i.e. an accident involving a nuclear weapon)

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occurred.
The attack jet United States Navy Douglas A-4E Skyhawk, manned by American pilot Lieutenant
Douglas M. Webster, accidentally fell off the carrier while being rolled from the level 2 hangar to the
level 2 elevator. Unfortunately, the Skyhawk was carrying a nuclear weapon at that time, specifically
the Mk. 43 free-fall bomb which contains at least a megatons worth of nuclear explosive.
The accident happened just 80 miles from Okinawa. The pilot as well as the aircraft and the nuclear
bomb were never recovered, and its not until the 1980s that the Pentagon revealed the loss of such
weapon.

4. A Ferdinand Marcos look-alike doubled for the late president during many
occasions.

Jesus Quevenco (left) with President Ferdinand

Marcos
Jesus Quevenco, a native of Negros, first met Ferdinand Marcos when his friend, Silay Mayor Romulo
Golez, accompanied him to the late dictators house in the 1960s. During that time, then Senator
Marcos just made his bid for the presidency.
While he was waiting at the living room, Quevenco met NP delegates from Mindanao who would later
shake his hands, thinking that he was the real Marcos. It was the start of Quevencos part-time job as
a Marcos double. He would take the place of Ferdinand to meet with people, accompany the First Lady
Imelda Marcos, and attend events in times when the late president was either too busy or tired.

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For his efforts, Quevenco was offered a position in the government which he then refused. But
desperate to get him back as a Marcos double, Imelda Marcos offered a government position once
again, this time to Quevencos wife, Thelma, who would become a GSIS employee and
later, operations manager of the Ministry of Human Settlements in Western Visayas.
Eventually, Marcos popularity decreased in the 1970s and poor Quevenco was chased twice by an
angry mob who thought he was the dictator. Afraid of his life, Quevenco left Manila with his wife and
promised to never go back again.
The Marcos look-alike outlived the original by 25 years. Quevenco died of pneumonia at a Bacolod
City hospital at the age of 90.

5. A statue in Pampanga was built to honor the first Japanese kamikaze

pilots of World War II.

Source: wgordon.web.wesleyan.edu
The life-size statue, cast and paid for in Japan, was erected at Mabalacat next to the former Clark Air
Base. It shows Lt Yukio Seki, considered as the worlds first official human bomb who led the first
kamikaze raid in October 1944. The fiberglass statue represents thousands of Japanese suicide pilots
who damaged or sunk Allied ships from October 1944 to August 1945.
Every October, hundreds of Japanese tourists , students, war veterans, and even Buddhist monks visit
the place to offer prayers, flowers, and incense to all the suicide pilots who perished during the war.
Although it faced a lot of protests from comfort women and other victims of Japanese brutalities, the
life-size statue has helped boost Mabalacats tourism industry.

6. University of Santo Tomas was established before calculus was invented.

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We all know UST is old but only few realize just how old it is. Established on April 28, 1611 by
Manilas third Archbishop, Msgr. Miguel de Benavides, O.P., the University of Santo Tomas predates
Americas Harvard University and even the calculus. In fact, both Harvard and UST were not teaching
calculus during their first few years because calculus at that time wasnt invented yet.
Calculus was first introduced in 1684 through Gottfried Leibnizs Nova Methodus followed by Isaac
Newtons Principia in 1687. Harvard University, on the other hand, was established in 1636, exactly
nine years before UST was elevated from college to the rank of university by Pope Innocent X .

Also Read:
The WWII Japanese Soldier Who Hid In Philippine Jungle For 29 Years. [Read full story]
Almost Astronauts: The Story of the First Philippine Monkeys in Space Flight. [Read full story]
Ninoy Aquinos Historical Speech Nobody Ever Heard. [Read full story]

Your Turn To Vote!

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Which of these historical facts

fascinate you the most?

Philippines could have been a

German colony
The 'black hero' of PhilippineAmerican War
Nuclear bomb in the Philippine sea
Marcos double
Statue of the first japanese
kamikaze pilots
UST is older than calculus
Other:

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