Proceedings of the first Independence congress : held in the city of Manila, Philippine islands, February 22-26, 1930 / Published under the direction of Dean maximo M. Kalaw, executive secretary, University of the Philippines.

EDUCATIONAL SECTION

193

truly Filipinos not only in race but also in spirit. And if in
addition to this measure the government should send immigrants from densely inhabited provinces such as the Ilocos and
Cebu to settle in Mindanao, in Mindoro and other sparsely
inhabited regions of our country, we venture to predict that
within ten years all our people-Christians, Mohammedans,
and others —will be self-supporting and intelligent citizens of
the country.
On account of differences in religion between the southern
and northern Filipinos, there are those who believe that Mohammedans and Christians in our country are not bound by
the same historical past, and, therefore, are not united at present in their aspirations for a common destiny. Historians
and anthropologists assure us that our people had the same
civilization for a thousand years before the coming of the
Spaniards. Even at the time of Spanish occupation, the rulers
of Luzon and Mindanao were related by blood and by marriage
and had friendly relations with one another. The Spanish
occupation, therefore, of our country, is only a short period of
time as compared with the long period of common history
previous to their coming.
The Filipinos of the South for the most part remained
uninfluenced by Spanish domination. while the Filipinos of
Luzon and Visayas adopted many of the aspects and features
of Spanish civilization. Now these two groups of our people,
belonging to the same race, are united again in one mighty
effort to strengthen and solidify our national structure. The
history of our people is like a stream that from its source
flowed on for thousands of years, and then at an obstruction
in its path became divided for the brief lapse of three centuries.
Now its waters, at last united again, flow on toward a greater
destiny.
Belonging as we do to the same race and sharing the same
traditions, we will find the permanent foundations of our
national solidarity in like-mindedness, in the love of our people
for our land and our country. The more deeply our people
become rooted in our native soil, the more permanent and the
more vigorous will our nation's existence and solidarity become.