“Are you saying that since they had religion under the Spanish, that’s all they needed and they were better off with them than under the Americans?”
As a Roman Catholic faith supersedes all else; we certainly contributed much to the Philippines, but not that. Americans have a different version of history than Filipinos do. Their initial “independence” celebration they held when Spain left was the only one they had for decades. They fought us as they had fought Spain. Spain has left an indelible mark on the Filipinos in terms of language, faith, and culture; today the Philippines bears little resemblance to the United States.
As a Roman Catholic, I also agree that that faith supersedes all else. Faith should be first in life, but it is not a panacea for all of life's challenges.
today the Philippines bears little resemblance to the United States.
I would disagree, it bears a good deal of resemblance to the US. They may be ahead of us in the faith department, but don't sell the US short. Contrary to what you see in the MSM, liberals that worship "mother earth" are a very small minority here. It was never the intention of the US to make the Philippines into a carbon copy of the US or a US state for that matter. The Philippines today is a dynamic republic that practices democracy pretty well. It has a well developed education system, a vibrant economy, and very little socialism. The US certainly deserves some credit for this. The Philippines is still a trusted ally and the US is still respected there.