READING old Philippine newspapers has become a very addictive hobby. Opening those brittle, delicate pages has always excited me, but now, thanks to the digitization efforts of many institutions — among them, the library of the University of Sto. Tomas — you do not need more than a decent internet connection to travel to the past. The content of the newspapers, dictated by the immediacy of events, has always a flavor of freshness, of authenticity, and it is a gateway to understand the deep cultural transformations this archipelago has undergone.

Let’s not forget that 80 years ago, the Philippines was under US occupation. Its people did not suspect that in just 11 months, the Americans would suddenly abandon the country without any opposition and allow the arrival of a third colonial power: Japan. It is quite ironic that Philippine newspapers announced in its front pages on January 1941 that President Roosevelt wished a happy new year to the Filipino people.

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