5 Things About The Philippines And The Vietnam War You Probably Didn't Know

The Vietnam War officially ended 40 years ago but did you know that the Philippines played an important part in this chapter of history or that the people of the Philippines have also been affected by the war? Speaking from a Filipino and a historian's perspective, here are five things you probably did not know about the Philippines and the Vietnam War:

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1. "the First Vietnam"

The Battle of Manilla on February 4, 1899. / Via Public Domain

The Philippine-American War and genocide of 1899-1903 (in some cases up to 1913) is considered by many historians as "the First Vietnam" in recognition of the many parallelisms between the two. The Philippine-American war set a precedent of U.S. involvement and interests in the affairs of the region.

2. Humanitarian Missions

March 7, 1906, http://U.S. troops massacred as many as a thousand unarmed Moros (indigenous Muslim people of Mindanao) who were taking refuge at Bud Dajo, a volcanic crater in Jolo, Sulu, Southern Philippines. / Via http://U.S. National Archives

As fellow Southeast Asians, the people of the Philippines have traditionally been sensitive to the humanitarian needs of the people of Vietnam. As early as 1954, the Philippines sent humanitarian missions to Vietnam. Contingents of agricultural experts, doctors, nurses and nutritionists, were sent to provide care for the people affected by the war in both Vietnam and Laos.

3. Non-combatant Troops

South Vietnamese refugees walk across a http://U.S. Navy vessel. Operation Frequent Wind, the final operation in Saigon, began April 29, 1975. During a nearly constant barrage of explosions, the Marines loaded American and Vietnamese civilians, who feared / Via Public Domain

Between 1964-1971 the Philippine government sent non-combatant troops to serve the medical, dental, engineering and other needs of the Vietnamese people. To this day many Filipino doctors, nurses, teachers, rights activists, humanitarian workers, etc. are found in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam as part of a collective regional consciousness and movements to strengthen the bond between the people of Southeast Asia.

4. Welcoming Refugee Communities

35 Vietnamese refugees wait to be taken aboard the amphibious command ship USS BLUE RIDGE (LCC-19). They are being rescued from a 35 foot fishing boat 350 miles northeast of Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam, after spending eight days at sea.

When Saigon and South Vietnam fell in 1975, the Philippines immediately built communities to shelter and aid the refugees. The Philippines was one of the earliest countries to open its borders and welcome refugees with open arms. When the world's strongest typhoon (Haiyan) hit the Philippines in 2013, many Vietnamese Americans rallied together to send aid to the people of the Philippines in gratitude and recognition of the love the people of the Philippines extended during the war.

5. A Dark Chapter in the Philippines

THIS PHOTO of police brutality on protesters is among those displayed in the exhibit, “Himagsik at Protesta,” put up by Karapatan at the University of the Philippines Library until Sept. 21 for the 40th anniversary of the declaration of martial rule. / Via Inquirer.net

More importantly for us Filipinos and Filipino Americans, we also cannot ignore the profound effects of the Vietnam War to the people of the Philippines. From a critical perspective, the Vietnam war was used as an excuse to continue the U.S. infringement of Philippine sovereignty. The Vietnam War was also a bargaining chip used to keep the Marcos Dictatorship, a dark chapter of Philippine history, in power. In fact, many of the issues plaguing the people of the Philippines today could be traced back to both the Marcos Dictatorship and the continuing neo-colonial relationship between the U.S. and the Philippines.

Flag bearers from the 11 Asean countries march during the opening ceremony of the biennial Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Singapore's National Stadium on June 5, 2015 / Via AFP

Hopefully this would help broaden the scope of understanding of the Southeast Asian history and identity. The people of Southeast Asia (all 11 countries in both the mainland and the islands) have long shared a collective consciousness and intersectionalities for thousands of years way before the first European set foot in the region. Let us reclaim what it means to be Southeast Asian beyond the divisions and definitions imposed by Western imperialism. Let us once again stand in solidarity and show the rest of the world the collective strength and resilience of Southeast Asia and its people, our people.

Learn more:

The First Vietnam: The U.S.-Philippine War of 1899
The Philippines: Allies During the Vietnam War
This Day in History: The Philippines agrees to send troops to South Vietnam
Filipinos Vietnam War Military Service