Convicts No More
Apolinariang Binibini, Blogs
Australia is known for the Sydney Opera House, the Australian Open, Nobel Laureates, Ian Thorpe, UGG boots, agriculture products, and the list goes on. But wait. Didn’t the country start out as a colony of convicts?
The National Library of Australia by stage88
The National Library—found in Canberra—allows Australians to trace their convict lineage! In short, this country began with terrible conditions. How did the country go from convict colony to a nation with a legacy to the world?
A unique beginning
Last December, I visited the Hyde Park Barracks museum. Not the usual tourist fare. It used to be one of the convict barracks. And it sure depicted the kind of life they lived through the personal items they had, the lodging, and the kind of routine they kept.
Hyde Park Barracks in Sydney, Australia
The museum had an ingenious replica of the convicts log, which documented each prisoner’s name, crime, sentence, and hometown in Britain. There were murderers but a lot committed petty crimes. One was sentenced to 7 years in prison for stealing a hair-brush. Regardless of the severity of the crime, the point is, these people were unwanted by society. Some early settlers were survivors of the Irish famine while some were orphans. To tell you the truth, it was heart-wrenching for me to go through the entire museum all because I realized that Filipinos did not start out as convicts. I remember that the Spanish were shocked to find the early Filipinos clad in gold!!!
Ancient Filipinos clad in Gold from the Boxer Codex
The early Filipinos were learned people. The big question is, while the convicts made a nation for themselves, what happened to the Philippines?
Kangaroos with a vision
The kangaroo and the emu—animals native to Australia—are conspicuously found in the nation’s emblem.
The Coat of Arms of Australia
This is for the reason that these animals have the inability to walk backward, thanks to their physiology. Come to think of it, it would be really funny to see kangaroos hop backwards. But seriously, these animals symbolize the forward-looking spirit of a people who began in the worst beginnings. For instance, in Parramatta, Sydney, you’ll find The Experiment Farm.
The Experiment Farm, Parramatta, Sydney, Australia
Farming was developed here and this made Parramatta the bread basket of the country. There was an urgent need to develop agriculture due to the impending starvation of the colony—since the site where the colony settled was not suitable for planting. The convict, James Ruse, began the experiment and the rest is history!
Even a rock has a story
One by one, the settlers came to love the country. They didn’t see it anymore as a place where the unwanted lived. It became a place where a new life could begin. I’ve been to the amazing places of Australia but what really amazes me is that in present-day Sydney, practically every corner has a story. I would sometimes just shake my head, thinking that it’s already exaggeration. I would often reflect that the Philippines should have more stories to tell because the early Filipinos were ancient! But it’s not really about whether Australia has many stories or not. I realized that stories abound because when people have love for country, even a piece of rock will have a story. I was brought to what is called the Blow Hole. So many people were eagerly waiting for something to happen. And I was wondering what it was, only to find out that they were waiting for the water from the crashing waves to go through the hole in the rocks and shoot up into the air! Well nothing happened that time because it was low-tide—it didn’t dampen their excitement though! Another time I was brought to a cliff. It was called a Look Out. Well, it literally looked out into the sea because it was a cliff!!! And in my heart I wept for the Philippines. We have the most beautiful sunset in the world, the best beaches, the most diverse flora and fauna and we can go on forever. But we will be story-less all because there is no love for country.
Restoring history
Last March, I visited the Old Governor’s House. And there was this sweet old lady who was a volunteer tour guide.
The Old Governor’s House, Parramatta, Sydney, Australia
We spent 30 minutes just talking about a particular tree in the heritage site. By the end of the tour, she asked if there were also many historical houses being restored in Manila. I said that there are some but things could be better. I will never forget her reply. She said, we can only restore when we have come to terms with our history. She was referring to restoring heritage sites but I was thinking about the heritage of the Filipinos as a people.
I dropped by Kinokuniya bookstore in the CBD. Malaysia, Indonesia, Laos and Cambodia have their own sections. The one book I found on the Philippines was in the PACIFIC ISLANDERS section. Why should our identity matter to the world when it does not matter to us? Again I wanted to cry because the world treats us according to how we treat ourselves. The Australians became proud of their accent, which was deplored as un-British, while Filipinos want to have the accent of Beverly Hills and worse, we deplore our own color!
We need not stay convicts
The history of Australia is full of people of vision. James Cook, the founding father, was one of the greatest explorers of the world. Richard Johnson, the first chaplain, took care of the convicts and saw a future in the change of their character. The governor-generals were people of character, learning and discovery. The War Museum in Canberra is a very beautiful testament to the valor of the soldiers who happily died for principle, even in a heart-breaking losing battle!
The Australian War Museum, Canberra, Australia
But what I love the most about the history of Australia is the fact that the country was transformed by the choices of the individuals who considered Australia not anymore as the largest prison in the world but as a place of hope and new beginnings. It is ironic to hear that Australia is now the safest country in the world. A penal colony! The transformation of the country is due to the realization of people that they too can be a legacy to the world. After everything, the trips to the Land Down Under became a message about my beloved country—the Philippines. The real prison sentence is not done by any court but by the kind of actions we choose to take, the kind of life we choose to live and the kind of love we choose to bestow on our country. Nation of Servants is a sentence. Basket Case of Asia is a sentence. But just like the early Australians, we need not stay convicts. Let us choose not to. We too can be a legacy to the world. When our love for country has grown up, the time will come that every alitaptap in the Philippines will have its own story to tell.
May 7th, 2009 at 03:15 AM
Grabe I was moved by this story… We had a film showing in our Urban Planning Course during my college years and it’s about Canberra. Canberra is one of the great Modern Cities in the world! Imagine they even constructed a man made lake there named after the urban planner…
Meron din tayong sariling atin na dapat ipagmalaki… Kaya naman nating bumangon eh. MANIWALA at KUMILOS lang tayo…
“Nothing happens unless something moves.” – Albert Einstein
May 7th, 2009 at 08:48 AM
I like this entry because it doesn’t stop at ranting with what’s wrong with us as a people but opens our eyes to the possibilities and urges us to pursue them.
Thanks!
May 7th, 2009 at 08:57 AM
I like this entry because it doesn’t stop at ranting with what’s wrong with us as a people but opens our eyes to the possibilities and urges us to pursue them.
Just to add to what the author said about Aussies having had come to terms with their history and heritage, one of the denominations of the Australian Dollar used to feature a female convict (thief) who had become a hero in the peoples’ eyes as she relentlessy helped the less fortunate. Another is when their PM finally apologized to the natives for all the injustices committed (even until the 1960s, the natives were considered part of the flora and fauna!). Aussies continue to mature as a people because they have the courage to face the mirror even if they don’t like what they see and the conviction to be better.
May 7th, 2009 at 02:17 PM
“The transformation of the country is due to the realization of people that they too can be a legacy to the world. After everything, the trips to the Land Down Under became a message about my beloved country—the Philippines. The real prison sentence is not done by any court but by the kind of actions we choose to take, the kind of life we choose to live and the kind of love we choose to bestow on our country. Nation of Servants is a sentence. Basket Case of Asia is a sentence. But just like the early Australians, we need not stay convicts. Let us choose not to. We too can be a legacy to the world. When our love for country has grown up, the time will come that every alitaptap in the Philippines will have its own story to tell.”
–Apolinariang Binibini
Thank you for sharing this, Apolinariang Binibini.
May 7th, 2009 at 04:27 PM
Totally true. I’ve been dying to go to Australia just to see the wonderful places of it and hope that sooner enough, Philippines would transform and have it’s very own beauty. But I have no idea why our fellowmen does not appreciate the own beauty of his country.
May 7th, 2009 at 04:33 PM
Love for our country – the Philippines I agree that’s what we Filipinos lack. Love is the key to everything and I believe it is also the root of our future success. Convicts was used to define Australia then, but the Australians used the word “convicts” to define freedom. Philippines are convicts as well then of the Spaniards. Same is true we commit freedom. The big difference is that Australians sustain what their ancestors have done for their country while the Filipinos is continuing to deteriorate valuing their ancestors’ love for the country. Surely Australians made history while Filipinos just watch history to be made by other country. Whether we like it or not, Filipinos do not feel they are Filipinos. We only feel that we are Filipinos when our race is already criticized by other people. We react because we are hurt but after that we settle like there’s nothing happen. There are so many things Filipinos need to be proud of starting from our ancestors up to our identity, natural riches, talents and a lot more. The question is do we see and value them? Do we love them?Are we proud of them? Or do we just treat them as nothing? Ask ourselves. Answer it ourselves.
Thanks for such a wonderful literature as this. May we continue planting more seeds of love for our country. God bless!
May 7th, 2009 at 06:51 PM
I agree with Joyce that this article is an encouragement to us to pursue greater possibilities because of our grand pre-colonization past.
Indeed, we all hope for the time to hear every firefly’s story. Thank you Apolinariang Binibini.
May 7th, 2009 at 08:33 PM
the moment we begin to show genuine love for our country will signal the new age for the Philippines. time will come our Asian neighbor will respect us and consider us equal to them. we will be called Asian not “pacific islanders”. when ask by a foreigner we could proudly say “I am a Filipino” with dignity. when that time came we will once again be called “Pearl of the Orient”.
May 7th, 2009 at 09:11 PM
I thought I would just be delighted by this essay. And I really was.
But then when I was able to think deeply, I began to realize this: layers of layers of layers of layers of culture damage afflict our nation. Kung chess game ito para tayong nacheckmate. 500 years after and we’re still being treated by foreigners and we’re treating ourselves as prisoners or even worse–we’re the ones enchaining our souls. We’re like building our own garrisons.
Parang ngayon lang ako nagising talaga. Bawat entry ginigising ako. At parang bawat araw ginigising ako kasi layers and layers and layers din ang pagkahimbing ko sa tulog ng pagka-alipin. Parang una ginising muna ang katawan, tapos ang utak, tapos ang puso’t damdamin, tapos ang kaluluwa. Parang laging may umaga kasi laging nanggigising.
May 8th, 2009 at 01:54 AM
wow… grabe noh, dito makikita natin kung anong ipekto ng mababaw na pagmamahal sa bansa noh… mula sa malaking problema katulad ng pagiging mahirap nating bansa na binansagang kunga ano-anung nakakapangsurang tawag ngaun pati sa napakaliit na bagay na pagsalitsalin ng istorya lagapak din tayo.
“The real prison sentence is not done by any court but by the kind of actions we choose to take, the kind of life we choose to live and the kind of love we choose to bestow on our country.”
tama eh.. it’s about time to choose what’s good for our country – Philippines
May 8th, 2009 at 05:39 AM
@ Chin
Hello Chin! RE your question on why Filipinos don’t appreciate the beauty of our country…let me go back to the cliche, “beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.”
It is indeed mind boggling that for a country like the Philippines which is full of natural wonders, there is little appreciation by its own people. In contrast, look at Singapore, for instance. It is basically barren and bereft of natural resources. But because of love for country, the Singaporeans made it beautiful. Their love for country resulted in deliberate actions to lift the country. And it did not matter if there was something to appreciate or not in the beginning. Often times, we keep looking for many reasons to convince ourselves to love the Philippines when being Filipino should be enough reason. 
May 8th, 2009 at 08:52 AM
Magandang umaga po sa lahat!
Napakahusay po ng mensahe nitong blog po na ito. Ako’y nalulungkot ngunit nabigyan ng pagasa sa blog na ito. Hindi dapat tayo sumuko sa mga visions na nakikita natin para maiangat natin ang Pilipinas. Sana nga magkatutoo yung dream for a great library kung saan hindi lang siya lugar para makapagimbento at makapagaral kundi para makapagrelax sa mahabang oras na pagtratrabaho.
May this blog be a tearing of the heart for all Filipinos that we too can rise up! Let us not become so blind of the things around us its time for us to wake up to reality.
Maraming Salamat po Apolinariang Binibini!
SULONG BRYORG!
May 9th, 2009 at 09:43 AM
“WE CAN ONLY RESTORE WHEN WE HAVE COME TO TERMS WITH OUR HISTORY” I am moved by the old woman’s reply because she was right in saying that the only way for us to understand our culture and history is to go back to our roots. We need to review our past, learn more about culure to undertand better what our country has become. We can only “come-to-terms” with our history when we undertand better who we are.
We just came from a “walk-about” trip to Rizal’s home in Dapitan. True enough there is more to learn about our National Hero. Learning and undertanding better his life and his contributions made me realize I wanted to be the next Rizal too.
I am happy to say, I’ve been to Rizal’s Place and came home full of hope.
May 9th, 2009 at 08:19 PM
@ Joyce
Hello Joyce!
It’s nice to have a resolve that we shall be the first answers to the things we want to change. At the launch of the Brown Raise Youth Organization last May 5, Lipad-Lawin casted 8 Dreams. And these show that we are serious. 
Dreams without action are worthless. But on the other hand, there are a gazillion instances that when a Pinoy does not like the ranting of others about the ills of our culture, it shows our pikon sensibility or unteachability. When James Fallow called our culture a damaged one, the whole country was angry. When we were called a “Nation of Servants,” again, we showed an offended sensibility that does not result to any real change in resolve the way the Chinese vowed to lift China. The ranting of others about us Filipinos can be helpful as a mirror. We miss the opportunity if we don’t reflect. Facing ourselves is one of the most difficult things to do. We cannot go forward without a truthful reflection of who we are. 
May 9th, 2009 at 09:48 PM
History tells us that even the slightest, smallest thing in any part of the world, make it Australia or Philippines, THERE IS A STORY TO TELL. It only depends now on the terms of how this is recorded or somehow portrayed in a sense we as our own race can easily comprehend. But that is not the core of the issue. Senselessly we, Filipinos incline to the latter of which this ancient history of our own people makes no value nor expense to the current life. We tend to FORGET OUR ROOTS. Yes, we have been continuously overwhelmed by the mentality of being slaves in the manner that we abruptly disregard our most important possesion as human beings…Our IDENTITY. This blog has provided me of such information and pain that I, my self, want to diminish this emotional turmoil through tears of this never ceasing burden.
Let us discover again who we are…
Let us dicover again our roots…
Let us possess this “Race Jealousy” even of which our beloved hero Jose P. Rizal discovered when he was only 14 years of age.
We have begun as an envied nation and are you content or yet again accept that you, me, us, the Great Malay race be called “monkeys” and our country “nation of sevants”?
It’s entirely…up to us, my friends.
PARA SA PILIPINAS, PARA SA MAYKAPAL!
May 9th, 2009 at 10:49 PM
Here! Here! Here! Hear! Hear! Hear!
May 10th, 2009 at 07:36 PM
grabe po talaga how love for one’s country can change even their worst situations. sana po lahat ng ating mga kababayan ay talagang mamahalin ng todo ang ating bansa na pati ang pagaaral ay gagawing seryoso para lang masabi natin na may nagawa tayo para sa ating bansa. when you love your country, everything really comes along.
May 11th, 2009 at 02:07 PM
Yes, even a rock has a story to tell, if we have love for our country and that is true in the life of our national hero, Jose Rizal. Recently we had a historical tour in the Shrine of Dr. Jose Rizal in Dapitan and his love for our country was etched in every corner of the place. He was in banishment but it seemed that whatever he touched became fruitful. He had a school, a clinic, a farm, an amphitheater, a pool, water system, invented a wooden brick maker and many more. He left legacies which for quite a while remain unnoticed until now. I hope our new Rizals from the BRYORG be able to visit the place before it’s totally depleted. It’s so sad to see that our Historical Institute has done so little to preserve the soon-to-be fading artifacts and also fail to give the proper highlights. You must really see it for yourselves. As for our group who visited the place we resolved to make a replica of what we’ve seen in that building and write the correct highlights that our young people must know. If Australia had been transformed by choices of individuals, from a penal colony to the safest country in the world, with our choice to love our country not only in words but in deeds, we can also regain the dignity of our country, Philippines.
May 12th, 2009 at 12:58 PM
“It’s so sad to see that our Historical Institute has done so little to preserve the soon-to-be fading artifacts and also fail to give the proper highlights.”The Visitor
I agree. It’s really sad and even tragic because in other countries (Australia, Singapore, China, Germany)our National Hero’s shrines are well preserved and are rendered with due respect and significance. These countries are treating Jose Rizal like their own national hero. But we–always a heritage of smallness, a slave mentality reflected on the way we treat the Man who fought for our freedom and identity through his writings.
May 12th, 2009 at 04:06 PM
wow ang ganda ng mga library ng mga ibang bansa dapat tato din ganun may pagmamahal sa bansa niya.
May 16th, 2009 at 11:30 PM
isa lang masasabi ko wala akong masabi gara pero ganun eh kung hindi lang sana napabayaan ang atin di sana tayo ang hinahangaan ngaun!!
May 17th, 2009 at 05:00 PM
@ Si Matibay
May pag-asa pa!
Tulad nga ng sabi ni Apolinariang Binibini, “we need not stay convicts. Let us CHOOSE not to.”
May 19th, 2009 at 10:07 AM
But then…it’s a privilege to live and exist and to be a Filipino today because we can still do so much and we can be part of the raising of OUR brown race. There are struggles and it’s so hard specially when we are failing. And now it’s even more hurtful to fail because when we fail we are not failing ourselves, we are failing the Brown Race, and it is almost close or tantamount to being cruel to our own kind. Till the BROWN RAISES!
June 4th, 2009 at 12:51 PM
Our hearts are indeed bound by blindness,poor inside that we cannot see our purpose in this world.As we continue, may we-FILIPINOS leave footprints that others find us better in every steps of the way behind those negative circumstances happened to us.
August 21st, 2009 at 08:15 PM
the moment we begin to show genuine love for our country will signal the new age for the Philippines. time will come our Asian neighbor will respect us and consider us equal to them. we will be called Asian not “pacific islanders”. when ask by a foreigner we could proudly say “I am a Filipino” with dignity. when that time came we will once again be called “Pearl of the Orient”.
September 15th, 2009 at 01:28 PM
upon reading this blog, i remember the time when i was assigned to present a research paper regarding the relationship of China and Australia as part of my requirements in studying the history of Australia. Its true that Australia started as a penal colony but one great contributors of their success were the efforts of chinese slaves – the miners. Chinese started as slaves but ended up us entrepreneurs, builders of the country. It reminds me of our fellow kababayans abroad. One writer once commented, “take away the Filipino workers abroad, pilay ang bansa nila.” Maaaring ang tingin ng buong mundo sa atin ay bansa ng mga alila, mababa, walang halaga, ngunit alam ko na darating ang araw, sa unti-unting pagsisikap na iahon ang lahing kayumanggi bitbit ang pangaraping iaangat ang ating dangal, kasabay ng pagbibigay parangal sa Diyos na Syang lumikha at nagtalaga sa atin upang maging mga Pilipino, ang mga mumunting liwanag ngayn ay magiging isang ilaw na magbibigay ng tanglaw sa susunod na henerasyon.
December 21st, 2009 at 07:02 PM
Kahit mga kriminal ang mga Australians dati, bakit sila kaya nilang mahalin ang Australia. Eh tayo nga, lupa na ng ginto, hindi pa natin kayang mahalin ang Pilipinas. Maaaring hindi nga alam ng ibang mga Pilipino na nakatungtong sila sa lupa ng ginto eh. Di hamak naman na mas mahirap mahalin ang isang malaking kulungan kumpara sa lupa ng ginto. Napakaganda nga ng Pilpinas eh. Kung tutuusin karapatdapat ito sa pagmamahal nating mga Pilipino. Kung titignan natin ang ganda ng Pilipinas, talagang mamahalin mo ito. Eh bakit uhaw na uhaw pa rin ang Pilipinas sa pagmamahal. Mahirap bang mahalin ang PIlipinas? Hindi naman eh. Kung kayang mahalin ng mga Pilipino ang Estado Unidos, bakit hindi natin kayang mahalin ang sarili nating bansa? Hindi ba’t kung pag-aari mo, mas minamahal mo dapat? Halimbawa na lamang kung pag-aari mo ang isang libro, mas aalagaan mo ito kumpara sa librong hindi sa iyo. Bakit hindi natin ito gawin sa sarili nating bansa. Napakasakit lamang kasing isipin na hindi umaangat ang Pilipinas dahil kulang ito sa pagmamahal. Dahil kapag walang pagmamahal sa bansa, wala ka nang gagawin para umangt ang bansa mo. Gagawin mo nalang ang lahat para umangat ang sarili mo. Kaya tayo tinatawag na unggoy at alipin eh. Dahil walang pagmamahal sa bansa. Sa katunayan nga, hindi naman ang mga Pilipino ang ungoy eh. Ang unggoy, yung Pilipino sa labas, ngunit, puti sa loob. Kaya dapat, nag-aaral tayo nang mabuti at mahalin natin ang ating bansa para may maipagmalaki tayo. Kapag nag-aral tayo nang mabuti, minahal nating ang Pilipinas at Pilipino tayo sa labas at loob, kapag tinawag tayong unggoy at alipin, maipapakita natin sa mundo na nagkamali sila sa pagtawag sa ating unggoy at alipin. Sana ay dumating ang araw na nakikipagkompitensiya na tayo sa ibang bansa. Sa paningin ng iba ito ay pagputi ng uwak na lamang. Pero para sa akin may pag-asa pa dahil may mga natitira pa ring lubusang nagmamahal a Pilipinas.