Dear Mr. Ambeth Ocampo,
Greetings! At first, I thought you are a "woman" because your name sounds like a girl's. With this I could say "I am innocent but not ignorant because that was my first impression", right?
With all due respect, I just want to express my sentiment on your statement, "...contrary to popular belief, ...Maynila (not Maynilad as propagated by the ignorant)" posted in the Philippine Daily Inquirer on 01/22/09 (Opinion/Columns section) under your article "Legaspi's Wish List".
I don't care if you are a well-informed and a very knowledgeable Filipino historian at that. I also don't even care if your stockpiles of knowledge is beyond ours', but you don't have the right to call those people, whose sources of information are limited to the obsolete books and reading materials, ignorant. They knew they are not well-informed because of some other reasons we are aware of. But relying on textbooks approved by the DepED is not indicative of ignorance because they knew for sure that the data supplied therein are meticulously examined and approved by the scholars and experts. Thus, believing with the contents of these textbooks is but a result of the natural process of acquiring knowledge and information.
And, when did you learn that term "Maynila" and not "Maynilad" as the right term? Was it before or after your higher education? And, which of the two terms did you use when you were still in the elementary grades? I don't think you already knew it was "Maynila" from the very beginning since the first records tell us it was "Maynilad".
Mr. Ocampo, my dear, please do not monopolize the field by claiming you alone has the sole stockpiles of knowledge and "correct data" as far as Philippine history is concerned. Please do not accuse your predecessors "ignorant" for reasons that "history is not 100% accurate". Not all you have written are absolutely "facts" and are still subject for further verifications.
Do you remember the famous speech/oration "Land of Bondage Land of the Free" by the late Raul S. Manglapus? "You accuse me of ignorance. But I am ignorant because my master, ...finds it profitable to keep me ignorant." It seems that there is a certain degree the speech is directed to you? Better yet, it seems that there is a repetition in history where those belonging to the upper echelon are tagging the less informed "ignorant" and "indolent"?
And, where did you get your information that "Maynilad" is a misnomer? Can you convince those people you called ignorant? What if it is the opposite? Just asking.
Sincerely,
Ranie
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