Julio Antonio T.

Tolentino

Land of Bondage, Land of the Free

By Raul Manglapus

This is a powerful passage written by Raul Manglapus, a real-life hero who fought for the liberation of the
Filipino people and a Filipino novelist, statesman, writer, singer, orator, and politician. Tao and his battles
with his captors. The painting vividly depicts the persecution of the farmers in the Philippines during the
Spanish era, but it also demonstrates a universal lesson about putting matters into one's own hands. The
Tao first refrains from combat, believing that things did not need to turn violent. The Tao then learns that
even members of his own nation have betrayed him in exchange for money.

Bolo once a tool use for clearing the land became an instrument of death, this shows that Tao had enough
of paying such overprized tax when he clearly owns the land. But the land was overtaken by his own
countryman, he suffer just as brutally as he suffers when the Spaniards came. The very thing we called home
became our own prison. doors and windows are open, sun and wind touched our skins but it’s not free. For
he is bound to it by chains because of his honor. The tao forced to shed blood because of the Spaniards
and our own people that succumb in riches and arrogance. The last line where it is stated “ May God have
mercy on your soul” for me is a powerful message that translates to May god have mercy on your soul
because I won’t. For three centuries the tao has become slave and no one has the right to judge to what
actions they took to reclaim their lands.