- Independence Day composite image from Inquirer and AFP file photos
MANILA: After Spain ceded political control of the Philippines to the United States in 1898, food - from preparation and service to consumption - played a crucial role at a time when Filipino independence was still uncertain under a new colonial power.
In 1900, the Americans conducted a study of the Philippine Islands to assess their readiness for democratic self-rule. Ultimately, it resulted in a decision that they were not.
