His father, Jose, was president of the Japan-sponsored 1943 republic. His grandfather, Sotero, led a Batangas delegation to the 1897 Tejeros Convention, which elected the revolutionary government of Emilio Aguinaldo. Sotero later became interior minister, but died in the fight against the Americans after his capture in 1902. Indeed, during the centennial, most Filipinos may well feel like amnesiacs confronted with a hazy heritage full of forgotten forebears. Mention the word centennial even in Manila and chances are the listener won't now what you're talking about.
Compatriots abroad are even more in the dark.
Ray Vargas is one of a group of young Filipino Americans who recently spent two months in the Philippines studying the language and culture. But another in the group is daunted knowing that she has only touched the surface of what there is to learn. The guardians of the national heritage say there is a lot worth studying. National Archives director Ricardo Manapat maintains that other Southeast Asians envy Filipinos for having so many heroes and centuries of written records. But the general lack of concern for the past may threaten the very records that are the foundation of the nation's collective memory.