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The US colonized our country after we declared our independence from Spain on June 12, 1898. That was after our revolutionaries were beaten in what we call the Philippine-American War, but what the Americans call the "Philippine Insurrection."


Even after we got back our independence in 1946, most Filipinos still think of the US as our mother country, albeit not officially, but more like a protectorate of the US like Puerto Rico.


Most Filipinos still prefer "stateside" goods — like brands of soap and toothpaste — over the same brands manufactured in our country.


We prefer canned food sent on balikbayan boxes by relatives living in the US over Philippine-made canned goods.


"Basta galing sa America, malasa", is the opinion of most Filipinos.


Most of us don't know it, but many Americans like Philippine canned goods — like those produced by Purefoods and CDO Foodsphere — better than those produced in the US.


American canned hotdogs, for example, are bland compared to ours, which are piquant.


If you don't believe me, ask Purefoods owner Ramon S. Ang, who plans to set up a food manufacturing plant in the US soon to answer the big demand for Filipino food products in the US market.


On the other hand, China is a new friend even if it's our next-door neighbor compared to the US, which is oceans away from the Philippines.


Most Filipinos think that China is an enemy because it's an enemy of the US. The enemy of my friend is my enemy.


But China is not our enemy even if it's not too friendly with the US at this time because of the tariff or trade war between the two countries on account of Donald Trump.


China is trying hard to become friends with us not only because Chinese and Filipinos practically look alike as we're both Asians, but also because that country wants our fruits and fish and seafood to feed its humongous population.


In short, if we learn to trust China a little bit more, both our countries will benefit from trade.


Many years ago, long before the Spaniards came to invade us, China was already trading with us.


Our relations with China in the pre-Hispanic era were based on mutual respect and trust.


Chinese traders entrusted their goods with their Filipino counterparts when they returned to their country; and when they came back months later, they were paid with other goods of equal value. It was barter at its best.


Let us put back the mutual trust and respect we had with China eons ago before the white men came to our shores to conquer us.


China then had no desire to invade the Philippines. It has no desire to invade us now.


Let us shake off the brainwashing we've had from Western countries about China being an evil empire.


After all, China and the Philippines are alike: both were subjugated by Western countries.


The first gunpowder was invented in China, but it was never used to invade other countries.


The 21,000-kilometer Great Wall of China was built to repel invasion from the Mongols.


If China did not invade other countries before, there's no reason it has military designs on us in this day and age.


Sources: 


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Why Filipinos should trust China, <a href="https://www.manilatimes.net/2019/12/14/opinion/columnists/topanalysis/why-filipinos-should-trust-china/664062/" class="news_link" title="Source" target="_blank">Ramon Tulfo</a>, December 14, 2019, The Manila Times
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Why do we trust the US and distrust China? Answer: We still haven't shaken off our colonial mentality