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K-27 If you look it up in the dictionary, the meaning of the words power and authority are somehow interrelated.

According to Encarta Dictionaries, power not only means the capacity to do something but it may also mean the authority to act or do something according to law or the capacity to control or influence over other people. On the other hand, authority means the right to give out orders or rule to other people or the right to command. It may also mean the holder of power. With authority comes power. Power and authority come in pairs. One who has the power over a community, an organization or a nation also has the right to be called as the person in authority, and because he has the power over his subordinates he is the one who has the authority to give out orders and commands. A person in authority has power and this power may have come from his resources, usually from wealth, properties and other assets. Say for example, in a corporation there is the employer and the employee. The employer is the one who employs the employee or the one who gives his employee his source of income. The employer is the one who has the capacity to employ the services of his employee therefore, the employer holds power over his employee and in turn he is the one who is in authority in this relationship. In a deeper sense, this connection between power and authority is evident during the eras when our country was colonized by foreign nations. One in particular was the Spanish colonization era, the longest period of colonization in Philippine history. The colonizer-colony relationship that the Philippines had with Spain was very much like the employer-employee relationship where the person in authority has the power because they have the resources. For example, they were capable of funding their expeditions, thus these expeditions led to the discovery of many lands in the east. These lands eventually became their colonies and our country became one of those. Also they had warrior men who fought victoriously in the battles against the natives which led to agreements placing islands and their inhabitants under the colony of Spain. They also had their religion, which became their greatest contribution to Philippines that they also used as a weapon for colonizing the country. In some islands, this was readily accepted and people began reverting from being pagans to Christianity. However in some islands, particularly in Mindanao, they revolted against the Spanish forces, thus the corversion to Christianity wasnt successful. Eventually, almost the entire Philippines was placed under the colony of Spain just because it has the resources to do so. Spain during the colonization era had power and authority over the Philippines. In summary, power and authority is precedes each other. Where there is power there is authority. The only ones who possess these are the ones capable to do so meaning they have the resources which made them acquire these.

Reference 1. Power. Microsoft Encarta 2009. Microsoft Corporation 2. Authority. Microsoft Encarta 2009. Microsoft Corporation

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