Do Filipinos Hate Spain? A Filipino Reflection on History, Memory, and Moving Forward

Do Filipinos hate Spain because we were colonized for more than 300 years?

It’s one of those questions that looks simple when written in one sentence… but the moment you ask real people, it becomes complicated.

Recently, I posted that exact question online. Not because I had a final answer. Not because I wanted to start a fight. But because I was genuinely curious. As Filipinos now living here in Spain, this is not just a history question for us anymore. It has become a personal one.

Because when you live in Spain as a Filipino, history suddenly feels less like a textbook chapter… and more like a conversation you’re somehow standing inside. And after reading so many replies, one thing became very clear: There is no single Filipino answer to Spain. Some carry anger. Some carry gratitude. Some carry both. And many, honestly, just carry distance.

So… do Filipinos hate Spain? My honest answer? Some do. Most probably don’t. But almost all of us inherited a relationship with Spain that is more layered than people think.

The question isn’t really about hate

When people hear the question “Do Filipinos hate Spain?”, it can sound dramatic. But I don’t think the real question is about hate. I think the deeper question is this: How should Filipinos feel about a country that shaped so much of who we are—through both violence and legacy?

That is where it gets uncomfortable. Because Spain is tied to some of the most painful parts of Philippine history. And at the same time, it is also tied to many things that became part of Filipino identity. That tension is real. And maybe that’s why the conversation always becomes emotional.

Yes, the pain is real — and it should never be erased

Let’s be clear first: The Philippines was under Spanish colonial rule for more than 300 years—from 1565 to 1898. That is not a small footnote in our history. It shaped our religion, language, governance, land systems, class structures, and even the way many of our cities were built.

And like most colonial histories, it was not peaceful. There were abuses. There was forced control. There was exploitation. There was suppression. There was inequality built into the system. The historical record is not clean, and it should not be romanticized.

Filipino reformists and revolutionaries did not rise out of nowhere. The execution of José Rizal in 1896 became a major turning point that helped unite anti-colonial resistance, and the Philippine Revolution of 1896–1898 was a direct struggle against Spanish rule. So if some Filipinos feel anger when Spain is brought up, that feeling did not come from nowhere. It came from history. And history deserves honesty.

But the truth is also this: most Filipinos today are not living in active hatred

Reading through the replies, I noticed something interesting. A lot of people did not respond with hate. Some said they had already moved on. Some said they feel no strong emotion either way. Some even said they feel grateful for parts of what Spain left behind.

That doesn’t mean colonialism was good. That doesn’t mean suffering didn’t happen. It simply means this: Most modern Filipinos are not waking up every day emotionally driven by anti-Spanish resentment. For many people, Spain is not an enemy in their daily life. It is history. It is influence. It is complexity. It is contradiction. And sometimes, it is simply a country they now visit, work in, move to, or even call home. Like us.

Living in Spain changed how I think about this

Before moving here, Spain felt like a historical figure. A distant one. A chapter in school. A colonizer in our books. A source of surnames, churches, fiestas, and old stone buildings. But living in Spain makes the question more human.

Because suddenly, “Spain” is no longer just the empire from the 1500s. It becomes the old man saying buenos días in your neighborhood. The cashier at the grocery store. The grandmother walking to church. The quiet streets of Oviedo. And that’s where it gets interesting. Because the Spain we live in today is not the Spanish Empire. Modern Spaniards are not automatically responsible for every crime of the empire. At the same time, history should not be erased just because the people are different now. Both things can be true. And I think maturity begins when we can hold both truths at once.

The “colony or province” debate is where people get heated

One of the strongest reactions in the thread came from a familiar historical argument: Was the Philippines a colony, or was it considered a province within the Spanish imperial system? Historically, the Philippines was ruled under Spain’s empire, and for much of the period after 1565 it was administered through the Viceroyalty of New Spain (based in Mexico) before later being governed directly from Madrid after Mexican independence in 1821.

So yes, there are legal and administrative nuances in how the empire classified territories. But for many Filipinos, that distinction does not erase the lived reality of colonial control. That’s why these conversations often go nowhere fast. Because sometimes one side is talking about legal framing, while the other side is talking about historical experience. And those are not the same thing. That’s why many Filipinos will always call it what it was to them: colonization.

Why some Filipinos still feel grateful — and why that doesn’t automatically make them “wrong”

Another pattern I saw in the replies was gratitude. Some people said they do not hate Spain because of Catholicism. Some said Spain helped connect the Philippines to the wider world. Some pointed to institutions, cities, architecture, or cultural links. Some even mentioned present-day practical benefits, like Spain’s shorter residency pathway to citizenship for Filipinos.

That last part, by the way, is grounded in current Spanish nationality law: citizens by origin of the Philippines may apply for Spanish nationality by residence after two years of legal residence, instead of the standard ten years in many cases.

Now, does acknowledging these things mean endorsing colonization? No. And I think that distinction matters. A person can say: “Colonialism harmed us.” “Abuses happened.” “Our heroes fought for a reason.” and also “Some things that came through that history became part of our identity.” That’s not betrayal. That’s complexity.

Filipino identity is full of inherited contradictions: We speak words with Spanish roots. Many of us carry Spanish surnames. Catholicism became deeply woven into Filipino life. Our fiestas, architecture, food terms, and legal structures were shaped by that era. Even dishes like adobo carry a Spanish name, though the cooking method itself existed locally before Spanish naming. You don’t have to celebrate colonization to admit that history leaves traces.

What bothers me most is when people reduce history to either blind hate or blind gratitude

This is where I personally struggle. Because online conversations often force people into two extremes: “Spain ruined everything.” This can flatten history into a single emotional conclusion and make every modern Spanish person a symbol of old empire. “Spain gave us everything, so be thankful.” This can erase suffering, resistance, and the sacrifices of Filipino heroes who fought back for a reason.

I don’t think either extreme is honest. The Philippines was not “saved” into existence. And the Philippines was not “destroyed” into nonexistence either. We were transformed—violently, unevenly, permanently. That is harder to say. But I think it’s closer to the truth.

Do Filipinos hate Spain? My personal answer

If you asked me now, after reading all those opinions and after living in Spain myself, this would be my answer: No, I don’t think most Filipinos “hate Spain.” But I also don’t think we should pretend history was harmless.

I think many Filipinos today fall into one of these groups: those who still feel historical anger; those who feel neutral; those who feel gratitude for certain legacies; and those who feel all of the above depending on the day. And honestly? That makes sense. Because Spain is not just a country in our story. It is part of our story.

As a Filipino in Spain, I don’t think “hate” is the right lens anymore

Living here has taught me something simple: If we want to be intellectually honest, emotionally mature, and historically respectful… “Do we hate Spain?” is too small a question. A better question might be: Can we remember history without becoming trapped inside it?

Can we honor our heroes without turning memory into permanent resentment? Can we acknowledge what was taken from us… without denying what also became part of us? Can we refuse historical amnesia… without projecting old empire onto every person alive today?

For me, that is the more useful conversation. Not because it’s easier. But because it’s truer.

What I hope more Filipinos understand

You do not need to hate Spain to love the Philippines. You do not need to romanticize Spain to appreciate cultural links. You do not need to deny atrocities to admit complexity. And you do not need to choose between memory and peace.

You can be proud of our heroes. You can respect the pain of colonization. You can recognize what was inherited. You can live in Spain. You can learn Spanish. You can enjoy the beauty here. And still never forget what happened. Those things are not mutually exclusive.