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.

54 INDEPENDENCE CONGRESS PROCEEDINGS

time grow to such an extent that the Filipino people might
forget their duties towards their country in order to continue
enjoying the material comforts and prosperity offered to their
efforts by a market of almost unlimited possibilities. I am
mentioning this fact without commenting whether or not the
fears of the past were well founded.
It is a matter of debate and speculation what the economic
development of the Philippines should have been without the
advantages of free trade, but there is no doubt that if free trade
did not exist between the United States and the Philippines,
we should not now have cause for worry about the possible
economic and financial effects of our national independence.
Compatriots, the time has come when we must all unite
and without fear or vacillation face the responsibilities that it
is our imperative duty to assume before the present and future
generations. Let.us always bear in mind this incontrovertible
truth: whatever may be the fate that Providence has in store
for us the thirteen million Filipinos with their present culture
cannot perish or be enslaved.
The last speaker in the first session was the Honorable
Rafael Alunan, Secretary of Agriculture and Natural
Resources. He read the following paper:
OUR ECONOMIC PROBLEMS IN CASE OF
INDEPENDENCE
By the HON. RAFAEL ALUNAN,
Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
The sensible people of the Philippine Islands can congratulate themselves that the leaders of public thought have
realized the necessity of giving due attention to the economic
aspect of the independence problem. One must admit that a
free and independent existence necessarily brings with it many
and serious economic problems. These are practical facts that
have to be faced resolutely, because like individuals, nations
cannot live on illusions. A person who, like the ostrich, hides
his head when any difficulty or danger is encountered, does
not exhibit constructive statesmanship.