KATIPUNAN: A PRECURSOR TO A WOKE GENERATION
Christian Bernard A. Melendez
Senior Shrine Curator, Museo ng Katipunan-Pinaglabanan Memorial Shrine 

In today’s world, the reality is that injustices, biases, racism are prevalent—from hatred towards the other gender to prejudices to skin color. However, to counter this hatred, there are human beings who exert their efforts in advocating inclusivity, fairness, and objectivity. In modern parlance, they are called as the ‘woke’ people. Whenever and wherever injustices are felt, the woke people take charge to protect their fellowmen and the oppressed.

But does inclusivity and fairness manifest itself only to this woke people? Or only to this generation? Or through this time only? The Philippines, as the first Asian country to gain independence, was fought for by the people with the same sentiments and advocacies. The Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalang na Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan is a very good example of people who banded together with equality, fraternity, and liberty on their minds. Their main objective was to liberate the Philippines from Spanish colonial rule. But how credible was the Katipunan? What made them a believable organization? What drew the people to join their causes? The answers might be within the structure of Katipunan itself.

Examining the kind of members the Katipunan had, we can observe that members came from all walks of life. The Katipunan was a well-represented society. And with this kind of set-up, we can fairly assume that the Katipunan’s aim was legitimate since they all included the various sectors of society, who are important in nation-building.

Below, we identified the different sectors within the Katipunan and the popular members that best represent them.

The Masses en masse

Probably the largest sector inside the Katipunan, the masses identified in this article, were those whose jobs were blue-collar – from farmers, sales agents, vendors, to bodegeros. And the best representative of this sector was none other than Andres Bonifacio. Though latest research about Bonifacio tells us that as a bodegero, he commanded a sufficient salary, nevertheless, his humble beginnings as a bodegero and a simple man from Tondo, has made him the best representation of the masses inside the Katipunan. Representing the Filipino masses, Bonifacio is a prime example of achieving success despite coming from humble beginnings.

Other notable Katipuneros who represented the masses were Macario Sakay, a sales agent, and Guillermo Masangkay, a buyer and seller.

The Licensed to Revolt Katipuneros

The Katipunan also consisted of people who carried licenses to practice their occupations. These professionals, known as white-collar workers, were helpful and useful to further the Katipunan’s causes. A forefront personality was Pio Valenzuela, who, by profession, was a doctor. As a licensed doctor, he was a surgeon-general within the Katipunan. And nobody in the group held the same position since. It was due to his professional background that the Katipunan’s leaders chose him to seek the advice of Dr. Jose Rizal in Dapitan about the forthcoming revolution. Doctors discussing their professions will not invite the suspicion of the Spanish authorities.

One more noteworthy professional in the Katipunan was Feliciano Jocson. As a pharmacist, he permitted the Katipunan to use his pharmacy for their clandestine meetings. He also used his personal savings to fund the Katipunan—this personal fund was most probably earned from his profession as a pharmacist.  

Behind the Strong Katipunan were Women

The secret society also accepted women as part of their group. These women were related to members of the Katipunan.  The likes of Gregoria de Jesus and Espiridiona Bonifacio, wife and sister of Andres respectively; Trinidad and Josefa Rizal, sisters of Jose Rizal, are a few examples on the list. Their role in the Katipunan was to safekeep Katipunan documents.

The Empowered Youth of the Nation

The Katipunan also recruited the youth to the organization. These young fellows had shown grit, tenacity, and most of all, deep love for the country. Emilio Jacinto served as the best example. He should have taken up law but he was deeply involved in the group. Being intelligent, he steadily rose in the ranks of the Katipunan. He was regarded as the Brains of the Katipunan because of his superior intellect.

His female cousin, Marina Dizon, who was of the same age as he, also became a member of the Katipunan. As mentioned, one of her roles was to safely keep the documents of the Katipunan from the prying eyes of colonial authorities.

Another youth worthy of mention was the young general Gregorio Del Pilar. As a young member of the Katipunan, Del Pilar bravely fought in the Battle of Kakarong de Sili at Pandi, Bulacan in 1897 and escaped the massacre of his fellow Katipuneros. As a young general, he became famously known as a martyr in the Battle of Tirad Pass. He engaged the pursuing American forces in combat in this mountainous area of Ilocos Sur, allowing President Emilio Aguinaldo to safely escape to Palanan, Isabela.

Ode to Joy of the Elderly Revolutionary

As someone who should have peacefully enjoyed the remaining days of her twilight years, Melchora Aquino found joy in helping the cause of the Katipunan. Though not officially a member of the Katipunan, Tandang Sora, a term of endearment given to her by Bonifacio and the others, she contributed much to the welfare of the group by providing food and nursing their wounds. She was captured at the outbreak of the war, but nevertheless, stood firm and did not divulge what she knew about the Katipunan. This led to her eventual deportation and exile to Guam, which lasted seven years (1896-1903).

A Well-represented Nation is an All-In Nation

The credibility and integrity of a society is reflected on how it accepts acknowledges, and includes every member that constitutes its existence. This receptive viewpoint indicates a mature, considerate, and tolerant leadership. Thus, the Katipunan, though imperfect, remains an ideal group which we can continue to admire and emulate. Their aims were consistent with their core beliefs of humanity, solidarity, and inclusivity.

It is our hope that we will continue to discover archival materials on the Katipunan, which will reveal the participation of the LGBT and PWD communities in the Philippine Revolution. If this be the case, the argument that the Katipunan is a well-represented group will be further validated and commended.

Sources:

Dr. Pio Valenzuela and the Katipunan; Arturo E. Valenzuela, Jr.
http://nhcp.gov.ph/resource/filipinos-in-history/martyrs/

Melchora Aquino
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9c6mrxI4zoYSU1UOGFPSHhxNTQ/view

Andres Bonifacio
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9c6mrxI4zoYTGlZbzU2WTN5bDg/view
https://www.rappler.com/nation/44920-andres-bonifacio-myths-trivia-execution

Gregoria de Jesus
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9c6mrxI4zoYdWtfTW9leXVnWkU/view

Gregorio s. del Pilar
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9c6mrxI4zoYR1dEcHdVVjdycU0/view

Emilio Jacinto
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9c6mrxI4zoYcUFRTUM2a3RfR0k/view

Feliciano Jocson
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9c6mrxI4zoYZi03TGdOWVc3aDQ/view

1. The National Historical Commission of the Philippines, through the 2022 General Appropriations Act intends to apply the sum of Four Hundred Thousand, Nine Hundred Eighty Pesos and 43/100 (₱400,980.43) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for Restoration and Maintenance Works at the Museo ni Apolinario Mabini sa PUP (MAMPUP) – Main Campus, Sta. Mesa, Manila. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

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12. The National Historical Commission of the Philippines reserves the right to reject any and all bids, declare a failure of bidding, or not award the contract at any time prior to contract award in accordance with Sections 35.6 and 41 of the 2016 revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of RA No. 9184, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

13. For further information, please refer to:
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 ROSARIO V. SAPITAN
       BAC Chairperson

^[1] May be deleted in case the ABC is less than One Million Pesos (PhP1,000,000) where the Procuring Entity may not hold a pre-bid conference.

Download bidding documents here.

1. The National Historical Commission of the Philippines, through the 2022 General Appropriations Act (GAA), intends to apply the sum of One Million Nine Hundred Thousand Pesos (₱ 1,900,000.⁰⁰) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Design, Development and Maintenance of the Corporate Website and Online Digital Library and Collections Portal of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at the opening of the financial proposals.
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Eligibility documents of interested consultants must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat on or before 08 July 2022 (Friday) at 2F NHCP Central Office, Teodoro M. Kalaw Ave. Ermita, Manila. Applications for eligibility will be evaluated based on a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion.

3. Interested bidders may obtain further information from the National Historical Commission of the Philippines and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below between 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM 

4. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders on 11 July 2022 from the address below and upon payment of the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents, pursuant to the latest Guidelines issued by the GPPB, in the amount of Five Thousand Pesos only (₱ 5,000.00). It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity, provided that Bidders shall pay the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

5. The BAC shall draw up the short list of consultants from those who have submitted Expression of Interest, including the eligibility documents, and have been determined as eligible in accordance with the provisions of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”, and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). The short list shall consist of all prospective bidders who will meet the minimum qualifying score of eighty percent (80%). The criteria and rating system for short listing are:

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6. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the IRR of RA 9184. Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, cooperatives, and partnerships or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.
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ROSARIO V. SAPITAN
BAC Chairperson

Download bidding documents here.

Christian Bernard A. Melendez
Senior Shrine Curator, Museo ng Katipunan-PMS

We are all familiar with our National Anthem – the Lupang Hinirang. Ever since we went to school, we were taught how it should be sung and when it should be played. The anthem was played for the first time after the proclamation of Philippine Independence in the residence of Emilio Aguinaldo in Kawit, Cavite. The music, without any lyrics, was composed by Julian Felipe. Only after a year were the lyrics written by Jose Palma.

Unbeknown to many, there is a song that should have been our national anthem, written earlier than the one we have right now. The Marangal na Dalit ng Katagalugan was composed by Julio Nakpil, while the revolution was on-going. Because of the power struggles within the Katipunan, this hymn was never adopted by the revolutionary government.

The Composer and His Situation

Julio Nakpil was a professional pianist and musician. Prior to the revolution, he taught music and played in Malacañan on many occasions. He had also written numerous musical compositions before and after the revolution. When the sons of the nation revolted against the Spaniards, Julio Nakpil joined the Katipunan and served as the General of the revolutionaries in the north of Manila.

Because of his mastery with music, Andres Bonifacio asked Nakpil to write a song for the revolution when they were in Balara in November 1896. Three months after, on 13 February 1897, when Bonifacio was in Cavite, he sent a letter addressed to Nakpil telling him he did receive the hymn.

The Replacement

What happened next in the Katipunan’s history after a month, Bonifacio received the hymn during the infamous Tejeros Convention. As this convention ended with Bonifacio’s nullification of the election results, the rift between the Magdiwang and Magdalo factions became apparent. It became a battle of supremacy between the old Katipunan led by Bonifacio and the newly-formed Revolutionary Government led by President-elect Emilio Aguinaldo. And the succeeding two months of internal rift within the group resulted in the death of Andres Bonifacio.

With his death and the assumption of leadership by Emilio Aguinaldo, everything turned around especially for those allied with Andres Bonifacio. Julio Nakpil’s composition was not officially used as the revolution’s hymn but rather the Marcha Filipino Magdalo, which later became the Lupang Hinirang.

Appropriation and Rendition

There are two versions of song written by Nakpil. First is the Marangal na Dalit ng Katagalugan, while the second version replaced the word Katagalugan in the title to Sangkalupaan to make it inclusive of all Filipinos from other regions. Alterations to the lyrics were also done as seen below:

MARANGAL NA DALIT NG KATAGALUGAN

Mabuhay, Mabuhay yaong Kalayaan, Kalayaan
At pasulungin ang puri’t kabanalan
Kastila’y mailing ng Katagalugan
At ngayo’y ipagwagi ang kahusayan
 
Mabuhay, Mabuhay yaong Kalayaan, Kalayaan
At pasulungin ang puri’t kabanalan
Kastila’y mailing ng Katagalugan
At ngayo’y ipagwagi ang kahusayan

MARANGAL NA DALIT NG SANGKALUPAAN

Mabuhay, mabuhay ang Sangkalupaan

At ngayo’y ipagdiwang ang Kalayaan,

Ang pamimiyapis siyang pagsikapan

At Kastila’y mamatay sa Kasamaan.

Mabuhay, mabuhay ang Sangkalupaan

At ngayo’y ipagdiwang ang Kalayaan,

Kayang wagayway bandilang Kamahalan

Kastila’y maining ng Sangdaigdigan.

Although it was set aside after the death of Bonifacio, Julio Nakpil reused the composition of the Marangal na Dalit ng Katagalugan later on. During the eighth year commemoration of Jose Rizal’s martyrdom, Nakpil re-wrote the hymn and changed its title to Salve Patria. The revised song was first performed at the Teatro Zorilla on 30 December 1904. 170 musicians performed the song and it was critically acclaimed by the audience. This score was written with twenty-six bars and two main sections. The first section is in the key of C while the second section is in the key of F.

Unfortunately, the remaining copies of the score were destroyed during the World War II Battle of Manila in 1945. Julio Nakpil, in his eighties, reconstructed the song through his memories.

The Leader’s Choice is the Nation’s Voice?

The struggle for independence, alas, became a struggle for supremacy—whomever is victorious dictates the direction of the nation’s policies. The ideologies of the triumphant leader will shape and affect the nation’s sense of nationhood—from selecting national emblems to implementing state and international policies. Aguinaldo’s preference of the Lupang Hinirang over the Marangal na Dalit ng Katagalugan is an example. But in today’s world, there are more serious policies and principles a leader can implement to direct and influence the nation’s well-being—which the sons of the nation should examine and be cognizant of.

If in an alternate universe, Bonifacio remained as the leader of the revolution, Filipinos nowadays would have been humming a different tune. They would have memorized a different set of lyrics and sung a different melody.

But that’s an intriguing speculative viewpoint in the fictional annals of alternative  Philippine history.

Sources:

The Light of Liberty: Documents and Studies on the Katipunan, 1892-1897; Jim Richardson

Saysay Himig: A Sourcebook on Philippine Music History, 1880-1941; Arwin Q. Tan, Editor

Kasaysayan: The Story of the Filipino People, Volume 5 Reform and Revolution

https://lyricstranslate.com/en/katagalugan-national-anthem-marangal-na-dalit-ng-katagalugan-himno-honorable-de-la-rep%C3%BAblica.html

http://malacanang.gov.ph/7815-the-national-anthems-predecessor-and-influences/

http://nhcp.gov.ph/julio-nakpil-musician-turned-revolutionary/

Diana A. Galang
Librarian, Serafin D. Quiason Resource Center
National Historical Commission of the Philippines

The Philippines witnessed significant economic changes in the 19^th-century. Among these was the end of the famed Galleon Trade in 1815 after almost two centuries of pioneering globalization and exposing the Philippines to the world. It opened new opportunities to both the Filipinos and foreigners residing and based in the archipelago as the Philippines opened to world trade. Among the foreign companies to invest in the Philippines was Robert Wise and Co., a British trading company based in Liverpool, England which opened a Manila branch in 1845.

The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) is fortunate to own a 741-page compilation of correspondences of the company. It was bequeathed to the National Historical Institute, the predecessor of the NHCP, in 1996 by John W. Hakwins, a descendant of the company’s Manila manager, Holiday Wise, who settled permanently in the capital city in 1832. A Spanish Royal decree issued on 27 May 1841 authorized Robert Wise & Co. to operate in Binondo, Manila. Due to various partnerships and changes of management among family members, the company was known by different names like Robert Wise and Co., Holliday, Wise and Company, and Farbridge, Holliday and Company. They later opened a branch in Iloilo. It is now known as the Wise Holdings Inc.

The letters are basically exchanges between Wise and his business partner, Norbridge Holiday, who was residing in Manchester, England. Topics are usually about the company’s sales, remittances, shipments, imports, and credits. They also contain valuable information such as the cholera epidemic in Manila in 1882.

Except, perhaps, for the National Archives of the Philippines, the Robert Wise & Co. Manuscript is one of the rare materials found domestically beneficial in understanding the economic history of the country in the 19^th century, which was the same period when the Filipino nation was born. To help advance the historical research and knowledge, the NHCP is presenting the manuscript to the public in digital form soon in the National Memory Project as a brand-new feature of the NHCP website. The said project aims to democratize the historical wealth of the country found in the collection of the NHCP.

For queries, you may contact the NHCP Serafin D. Quiason Resource Center at library@nhcp.gov.ph. Read about the National Memory Project here: https://nqc.gov.ph/en/memory-project/

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Jose Rizal had young male students that he affectionately called chicos or boys from his Dapitan community school that he established while in exile. Searching for Rizal’s male students was like trying to trace his children, if he had any. Each of Rizal’s students had his own story of how his beloved Maestro Rizal enriched and nurtured him to become a man, pushed him to pursue excellence in his chosen field, and made him cherish the legacy he would leave his family.

Dapitan Community School

The story of Rizal’s students began in January 1894 when he accepted boys 12 to 16 years of age for his Dapitan community school located inside his private estate in Talisay. Most of the boys came from Mindanao, but some were from Luzon. Since the boys came from far distances, they were taken in as boarders or internos in Rizal’s Casa Cuadrada and Casa Redonda, which served as dormitories inside Rizal’s private farmland. They helped their Maestro Rizal with household chores and farming while enjoying the schooling for free. Rizal wrote about his students to his best friend, Ferdinand Blumentritt, in a letter dated 1895:

I have now 16 boys studying with me, paying me with their labor. They all belong to the best families in the town and one can see their eagerness to learn even if they have to work for me in order to study. If I would ask them for money, I am sure they would pay with pleasure and more would come. Ah, what a lack there is of a good school with good teachers who teach so that the children may learn and not that they may waste their time, as it happens generally.

Rizal, being a resourceful person, crafted his own instructional materials and school equipment for his classes, which were held on the wide veranda of his Casa Residencia or in the kiosko. Rizal’s grandniece, Asuncion Lopez Bantug, described the classes as:     

[Rizal] devised his own teaching aids; made his own writing tools, blackboards, and maps; used natural specimens during lessons; translated what textbooks were needed but as much as possible concentrated on practical instructions rather than book learning. Classes were held at the square [residential] house or in the kiosko he had built as a private retreat for himself on a hillside. Usually, he taught from a hammock, with the boys gathered around him, sitting on the floor or grass o bench, just as they pleased, though whoever was currently the top scholar occupied a place of honor. Periodic exams were given, with outsiders as examiners. Boys with high marks were rewarded with useful prizes: a pen, a book, a net, or a rifle.

Rizal strategically divided his students according to their height – grandes (big) and pequeños (little) – for better school management. The top among Rizal’s scholars was called Emperador. This was reminiscent of the system he experienced as a student in the Ateneo de Manila, where his class was divided into “Romans” and “Carthaginians” and the top student was honored as Emperador.

Rizal thoroughly designed his curriculum for his students which was composed of subjects that holistically shaped the mind of his learners. His curriculum was composed of subjects that would develop his students’ competence in reading, writing, geography, history, mathematics, industrial work, nature study, morals, and gymnastics. Rizal wanted his students to learn the practical knowledge and skills that would be useful for them in everyday life. Rizal wrote to Blumentritt:

I teach here the poor but intelligent boys reading Spanish, English, Mathematics, and geometry; moreover, I teach them to behave like men. I taught the men here how to get a better way of earning their living and they think I am right.

Rizal began with three students, and this number soon increased to twenty-eight. Some of them were Rizal’s nephews. The enrolled students between 1894 to 1896 were:

1. Filomeno Acopiado
2. Jose Acopiado
3. Lucas Adas
4. Pedro Agapay
5. Jose Aseniero
6. Jose Bael
7. Aniceto Bajamunde
8. Marcial Borromeo
9. Jose Caancan
10. Carlos Cadavedo
11. Ubaldo Dagpin
12. Jose Dalman
13. Mateo Edjawan
14. Tomas Edjawan
15. Fernando Eguia
16. Leopoldo Empeynado
17. Catalino Gallemit
18. Marcelino Galleposo
19. Gregorio Gina
20. Romulo Hamak
21. Gregorio Lumasag
22. Jose Elumbaring
23. Teodulo Tantico
24. Melchor Taladua
25. Estanislao Herbosa
26. Teodosio Herbosa
27. Mauricio Cruz
28. Antonio Lopez

Rizal’s mode of instruction was unique during that period in contrast with the traditional teaching practices in parochial schools run by Spanish Christian missionaries. Jose Aseniero, a student of Rizal, gave more insight into the regular life inside Rizal’s Dapitan community school as he recalled in his memoir:

The students were required to provide themselves with sufficient clothing, bedding, plates, and tableware. As internos with the privilege of going home on Saturday afternoons and back early Monday morning, also fiestas and holidays, the boys virtually lived in Talisay.

Rizal’s school lasted for almost two and half years…

Mondays and Wednesdays were set for the study of Spanish. Lessons were conducted in Spanish and everyone was required to speak Spanish.

Tuesdays and Fridays were days set for the study of mathematics, arithmetic, geometry, and algebra. The textbook used was in French, authored by Ganot.

Thursdays and Saturdays were set for English lessons. The language in the classroom was English. A Japanese novel, Hausoko, a story about prodigal son, written in English, was taught, but was translated in Spanish during the days Spanish subjects were required lessons.

The wide veranda of the casa [residencia], his own home, served as classroom during academic studies. Rizal sat on a hammock and his students sat on a long bamboo bench. The room was well lighted and ventilated. 

Quizzes or examinations were conducted by outsiders in the open air. Textbooks were bought by students. Rizal ordered them from Manila. The brightest was placed at the head of the class as “Emperador.”

Gymnastics were taught in the open air. There were rings, parallel bars, barbells, and dumbbells. Fencing, swimming, and target practice were part of athletics indulged in as recreation.

Smoking was taboo. One could smoke if he could not help it, but in private, never within the sight of the teacher…

It should be noted that, while Rizal was an exile, he never mentioned the Noli or the Fili to his pupils. No person in Dapitan ever spoke of these books except perhaps Captain Carnicero in his conversation with Rizal.

Rizal used different incentives to encourage his boys to study hard. He converted study into a game. He offered prizes to those who topped the examinations.

It was through Rizal that the Dapitan boys first saw a typewritten letter. He told them the letter was written by the machine and then described the invention.

Rizal not only taught by the book, but also taught by experience. One time, he challenged the trustworthiness and courage of one of his students, Marcial Borromeo:

One night, [my Maestro] told me he had left something in the woods behind the house. I was to retrieve it and bring it back to him. You can imagine the fears of an 11-year-old boy going alone in what was practically a forest. My heart beats loud and fast; I was pale with fright but full of determination. On my way, I heard cries and hoots which frightened me even more, but finally, I found the object and presented it to him.

He patted me on the back and praised my courage. Then the other boys appeared and revealed that they were the ones who hooted and hissed. You can imagine my relief and satisfaction. It was only then that I found out that this was some kind of initiation.

Rizal was a foremost gentleman, with an amiable character, in Dapitan. Fernando Eguia, a student of Rizal, recollected the discipline and good morals that the Maestro instilled in them:

During my stay with Rizal as our teacher, Rizal was very particular about uprightness, integrity, and honesty in the performance of private and public duties. I admire his kindness to others, courteous manner, respect for the opposite sex, and hatred against stealing.

On 31 July 1896, Rizal left Dapitan together with his six students namely: Jose Aseniero, Jose Caancan, Jose Dalman, Mateo Edjawan, Romulo Hamac, and Tomas Edjwan. He was allowed to leave Dapitan after he received authorization from Governor-General Ramon Blanco to serve as an Assistant Physician in the Corps of Military Health in Cuba. This officially ended his more than two years old community school and his four years of exile in Dapitan. Rizal noted his bittersweet departure from Dapitan in his diary:

I was happy to know that the people of Dapitan would miss me. A large number came to say goodbye. The town band came and played many songs. Those who left with me at midnight on the ship España were Josephine, my sister Narcisa and her daughter Angelica, Mr. and Mrs. Sunico, my three nephews, six boys, and the Commander of Dapitan.

Rizal never made it to Cuba as he was accused of being one of the conspirators in the 1896 Philippine Revolution against Spain. He was sentenced to death by firing squad on 30 December 1896. Indeed, the execution of Rizal was gravely mourned by his students; thus, driving them to uphold the teachings of their beloved Maestro. In the first half of the 20^th century, the respective communities where Rizal’s students lived would witness the fruit of Rizal’s selfless dedication to the improvement of education.

Some of the Notable Students of Jose Rizal’s his Martyrdom in 1896

Jose Aseniero witnessed the death of their Maestro Jose Rizal on 30 December 1896. He also saw the creation of the relief map of Mindanao by Rizal and Padre Sanchez in front of the parish church of Dapitan in August 1892.

He later became the most successful in politics among his classmates. His career in government started when he was hired as an interpreter after his release from prison in Iligan by the Americans at the turn of the century. Then, he was appointed customs inspector and later joined the Bureau of Internal Revenue. He also served as a postmaster of Dapitan in 1912, clerk of court from 1912 to 1914, and special agent of the Census Office of the Philippine Islands in Zamboanga Province in 1918. He was appointed as President Municipal of Dapitan in the newly organized Department of Mindanao and Sulu. He was also appointed as Municipal District President of Lubugan (now Katipunan) by Governor Frank Carpenter and worked for its conversion into a regular municipality. He initiated the restoration of Rizal’s relief map of Mindanao. He was also instrumental in the protection and reconstruction of Rizal’s Talisay estate together with President Manuel L. Quezon. Aseniero’s descendants are known for being academicians and for holding diplomatic posts.

Jose Aseniero during the prime years of his life
NHCP

Jose Aseniero’s ancestral house in Dapitan
ALBERT VINCENT F BARRETTO/NHCP

Jose Caancan became a famous sculptor in his hometown of Paete, Laguna. During his school days in Dapitan, Rizal taught him Spanish and sculpting. After Rizal’s martyrdom, he went home to Paete and started his own woodcarving workshop. He was known for his mastery of sculpting religious images, many of which are now venerated in Catholic churches. His gifted hands in sculpture brought him fame not only at the national level but at the international level as well. His talent was praised in an article in the Midsummer-Autumn 1937 edition Cathedral Age, a Washington D.C. based Catholic magazine:

A Filipino living in the other side of Laguna, South of Manila, was found to be a wood-carver of a real merit. After he had been called upon for some smaller things and his genius of workmanship became known, he was called upon for several statues for the Altar in All Saints’, Bontoc, then for other statues and for the Stations of the Cross. It is he who carved the large crucifix of Christ in glory over the Altar of the Morning Chapel and later a rather wonderful Last Supper for the Altar of the Oratory attached to Bishopstead. If he were living in Italy, the name of Jose Caancan would be known and he would be classed among the great artists; it is fully expected that this crucifix alone will gradually earn for him a wide recognition.

Jose Caancan in his later years
NHCP

Jose Caancan and his woodcarving workshop in Paete, Laguna
PHOTO COURTESY OF CELESTINO PALMA III

Jose Dalman implemented Rizal’s plan to develop and cultivate the land of Ponot. He served as an enumerator of the town of Manukan under the Census Office of the Philippine Islands in 1918. He became the alcalde municipal of Lubungan (now Katipunan) from 1934 to 1937. The land of Ponot later became a separate municipality and was renamed as Jose Dalman. He remembered his schooldays with his Maestro:

I enjoyed collecting flowers and orchids for Rizal. I enjoyed his boating, fishing, and hunting trips.

Descendants of Jose Dalman remember him instilling a sense of leadership and authority in the community; thus, making them a family of public officials. This leadership skill was one of the traits taught by Rizal in Dapitan. The municipality of Jose Dalman was established in 1979 after it was separated from Manukan. Iniego Dalman, son of Jose Dalman, became the first municipal mayor.

Jose Dalman
NHCP

Built in the 1930s, built by Iniego Dalman, son of Jose Rizal’s student –Jose Dalman who also used to live here. Iniego Dalman became the first municipal mayor of Ponot (now town of Jose Dalman). Jose Dalman’s descendant former governor of Zamboanga del Norte, Roldan “Brogs” B. Dalman, also used to live here.
ALBERT VINCENT F BARRETTO/NHCP

Fernando Eguia became the administrator of Rizal’s farmland in Daanglungsod, Lubungan (now Katipunan) in lieu of Doña Trinidad Rizal.  He was appointed as a justice of the peace for Lubungan in 1909. He was elected as presidente municipal of Lubungan in 1919. Later, his son, Crisostomo Eguia, Sr., bought the farmland with a promise to keep the land in memory of Rizal.

The descendants of Fernando Eguia remain as a prominent family of public officials in the town of Katipunan, Zamboanga del Norte. Many of his descendants became the municipal mayor of the town. They remember Fernando Eguia as a strict disciplinarian, just like what Rizal imposed on him as a student in Dapitan.

Portrait of Fernando Eguia
NHCP

Fernando Eguia wearing a hat together with his family
PHOTO COURTESY OF PATCHITO T. EGUIA

Catalino Gallemit offered his almost two hectares of land for the establishment of Langatian Primary School in 1938. He also served as the teniente del barrio of Langatian, which is now a municipality known as Pres. Manuel A. Roxas.

Catalino Gallemit
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GALLEMIT FAMILY

Don Catalino Gallemit Monument erected in August 2021. It is located inside Roxas Central School in the municipality of President Manuel A. Roxas, Zamboanga del Norte
ALBERT VINCENT F BARRETTO/NHCP

Gregorio Lumasag resided in Plaridel, Misamis Occidental and helped established their town’s puericulture center by donating construction materials. The Lumasags are presently known for being a family of professionals.

Gregorio Lumasag during his later years
PHOTO COURTESY OF ISIDRO M. LUMASAG

Gregorio Lumasag together with his family, photo taken in 1930s
PHOTO COURTESY OF ISIDRO M. LUMASAG

Marcial Borromeo became a member of Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of the Philippines. He served as Senior Warden of Maktan Lodge No. 30 in 1934 and 1935, Worshipful Master in 1936 and 1937, and Treasurer in 1939, 1940, and 1941. He resided in Cebu City.

Marcial Borromeo
NHCP DIOSDADO CAPINO COLLECTION

Jose Rizal’s students in their later years, shown from left to right: Marcial Borromeo, Jose Aseniero, and Jose Dalman photo taken around 1950.
NHCP DIOSDADO CAPINO COLLECTION

Conclusion

The descendants of Rizal’s students continued their ancestors’ practice of living out the teachings of the national hero. Rizal was more than a teacher to his students; he was also a father figure to them. He fostered in his students the ideals of knowledge, creativity, leadership, and responsibility; thus, making them model citizens of their communities and the entire country.

Reference:

Dapitanon, Noel G. Villaroman, 2018

Lolo José: An Intimate and Illustrated Portrait of José Rizal, Asunción López Bantug, 2008

Stories of Rizal’s Exile in Dapitan, Diosdado G. Capino and Virginia M. Buenaflor, 1961

The Cathedral Age, Midsummer-Autumn 1937

The Cabletow, January-February 1997

Distinguished Governors of The Province: https://web.archive.org/web/20131203032432/http://www.zanorte.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=28&limit=1&limitstart=5 (retrieved 22 May 2022)

by Albert Vincent F. Barretto

Water binds people together and helps establish communities where culture flourishes and life is nourished.

It is precisely for this reason that the town of Dapitan was established beside a calm bay at the northernmost tip of the Zamboanga Peninsula.  During the last decade of the 19^th century, Dapitan witnessed two pivotal and connected events: the arrival of Jose Rizal and the construction of the town’s public waterworks.

As early as June 1892, The Mission Superior of the Jesuits in the Philippines, Father Pablo Pastells, visited Dapitan to check on their missionary work. He found out that water wells were insufficient in providing potable water for the populace. The parish priest of Dapitan, Father Antonio Obach, recalls in one of his letters:

While on visitation of Dapitan in June 1892, Father Pablo Pastells, Mission Superior, accompanied by Fr. [Joaquin] Sancho, observed that these people were drinking no other water than that of wells. No doubt, this contributed to the precarious health and yellowish complexion noticeable among the inhabitants. This gave birth to the plan for a water system.

The yellowish complexion referred to in the letter indicates jaundice caused by the hepatitis virus in the liver  due to contaminated water. This made the waterworks project an immediate need that Father Pastells felt compelled to provide. The Jesuits’ quest for a source of water brought them to the pristine waters of Linao stream located north of the town proper. Father Obach wrote more about it in his letter:

All of us priests went to examine the waters of a site called Linao, a little more than two kilometers from the town. The waters are very good and well-purified since they come from far, flowing down among steep rocks like waterfalls.

The word “linao” is a Visayan word for “peaceful.” The site might have been given such a name due to its tranquil and serene location. Coincidentally, “linao” means “clear” in Tagalog. The term fits the description of clear, fresh water flowing from the site. Interestingly, a Tagalog man was about to be exiled and would live nearby.

After the Jesuit priests determined the source of water for its waterworks project, they submitted their proposal to government officials and were instantly given clearance on 21 July 1892. Father Obach wrote it in his letter:

The deed was immediately drawn up and approved by the authorities afterwards. [The] approval came on July 21, and we celebrated the news very joyfully to everyone’s satisfaction. The night, the music went with the leading figures around the streets. They were carrying three huge lanterns with these inscriptions: (1) “WATER SYSTEM INITIATED BY FR. JOAQUIN SANCHO, S.J.,” (2) “WATER SYSTEM APPROVED BY HIS EXCELLENCY, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, DON EULOGIO DESPUJOL,” (3) “WATER SYSTEM STARTED BY DON RICARDO CARNICERO, POLITICO-MILITARY COMMANDANT OF THIS DISTRICT [OF DAPITAN.” [That] day, there were diana, pealing of the church bells, solemn Mass, and contests to climb a greased pole. In the afternoon, races for children; for the men, sack races, horse races, carabao races, the last the most entertaining for the people.

Dapitanons were indeed grateful for the approval of the waterworks project, which they celebrated with festive activities and games, a good opening salvo for the upcoming feast of the town’s patron saint on 25 July. The water system was deemed a prestigious infrastructure during the late Spanish period. It shared with the Carriedo Waterworks in Manila and the Balingasag Waterworks in Misamis, the distinction of being one of the known places with a waterworks system equipped with aqueducts or pipes.

Jose Rizal arrived in Dapitan on 17 July 1892 as an exile and described his place of exile in the introduction to a novel that he planned to write:

It is located on a beautiful bay which looks towards the West, on a kind of island especially made for it as if to isolate it from the vulgar world, a beautiful river which, to accommodate it, has gladly consented to divide itself into two, its two silvery arms encircling it and bringing it toward the sea as an offering, for being the most beautiful thing that it could find in its tortuous and undulating pilgrimage through mountains and valleys, through woodlands and plains.

The beautiful river that he described was the Liboran River, which splits into two river outlets in the area of Bagting and Polo before emptying into Dapitan Bay. Although Dapitan was surrounded by water, the water from Liboran River was not fit to drink. When Rizal quickly learned about the proposed project of the Linao water system, he immediately commended Don Ricardo Carnicero, the Politico-Military Commandant, who was one of the proponents of the water system. He praised Don Carnicero through a poem that he gave during the commandant’s birthday in August 1892:

The streets of Dapitan that
Before on moonless nights
Had cause a dismal dread,
Now smile with many lights;
Work projects all around
Unceasing work everywhere:
A school here, there a road,
The mind is planning there
To bring the water down
From nearby Linaw clear.

The Linao water system project began when a Jesuit brother named Juan Costa, an expert potter, arrived in Dapitan on 25 April 1893. He was known for building the waterworks in Balingasag, Misamis Oriental. He immediately built a kiln in an area rich in red clay soil, which was situated near the Pitosan River. The kiln was erected for baking bricks, gutters, pipes, and other essential materials for the project. Father Obach wrote more about Brother Costa in his letter:

The Mission Superior promised that the intelligent Bro. Juan Costa would direct the works that had to be done. He is known for having built the water system in Balingasag. But he could not come immediately as we wanted because he could not leave behind the work he was doing. Brother finally arrived on April 25, 1893 and he immediately set about building a big shed. A kiln was erected for baking bricks, gutters, pipes, and everything needed for the project. For their part, the people drew up an act promising volunteer work one day a month.

There was a delay for almost a year in the implementation of the Linao water system project as the Jesuit priests of Dapitan waited for Brother Costa’s arrival. Nevertheless, the Dapitanons promised to do voluntary work under the supervision of Brother Costa. It was easy for Brother Costa to gather the raw materials that he needed for the project as the town of Dapitan was rich in natural resources, such as red clay soil for making bricks, gutters, and pipes; round rocks found in the rivers used for leveling the foundation of the clay pipes; and limestone, a sedimentary rock abundantly found along the coastline of Dapitan, which was processed to make lime powder for making mortar mixture.

Around June 1894, the Linao water system dam was constructed. Father Obach further detailed the development:

At the moment, the dam is now ready, and about 200 meters of the aqueduct. When this reaches the [Liboran] river, it will be necessary to close it up, and this will cost quite a lot because of the huge amount of water flowing in and out with the tides. But it will be of incalculable benefit to the people for irrigating the immense plains that will be cultivated, either for wet-rice planting or for the coconuts and other plants on what are now mangroves, which disappear with the high tide.

Meanwhile, Rizal did his part for the Linao water system as he was known for being a perito agrimensor or expert surveyor, a skill he learned at the Ateneo Municipal. In May 1895, Father Obach wrote about Rizal’s expertise in his letter:

Bro. Costa is bringing the scheme made by Don Jose Rizal for the [Linao] water system. Drawn by such an engineer, it does not lack precision.

In February 1895, while the Linao waterworks was underway, Rizal began making his own water supply system by tapping a stream found inside his private estate in Talisay, a place in Dapitan. It served his household and farm needs. He mentioned it in his letter to his sister Trinidad:

The dam that I am having built is paralyzed for lack of lime, but it is already very high. There are 14 boys at home and there is one more who likes to come.

Rizal and his students resumed his private waterworks project in mid-March 1895 after he obtained sufficient lime to make mortar concrete. Rizal wrote about it to his best friend Ferdinand Blumentritt:

I have undertaken some works on my land. I am constructing a dike in order to have a water depository for the dry season. The water is now more than three meters deep; the wall has a base two meters wide… It is all made of live rock, sand, lime, and cement and constructed by boys of thirteen to fourteen under the direction of one of twenty. They did it as play.

Some of the materials used in building Rizal’s private waterworks, such as clay gutters and pipes, were surplus materials from Linao Waterworks made by Brother Costa. He was further inspired by the waterworks, which led him to construct a brick-making machine. He told Blumentritt in a letter dated 20 November 1895:

I have made a wooden machine for making bricks and I believe that with it I can make at least 6,000 a day; well now, I lack an oven. When I was in Belgium, I saw bricks being made outdoors, without ovens; and at Baden I saw also a pile of bricks in a field. I suppose that in Bohemia they also bake brick outdoors sometimes. If that is so, please tell me how they arrange the bricks so that the heat may not escape too much.

Around 1895, Jose Rizal built a public fountain with a sculpted lion’s head faucet, which was similar to a water fountain that he saw on his trip to Heidelberg, Germany, way back in 1886. The fountain was called Fuente de Nuestra Señora del Carmen and was the only outlet of the Linao water system. It was located on the Liboran River bank in front of the terminal of Calle Marquez de Peña Plata.

From 1895 until the 1950s, the Linao waterworks supplied Dapitanons with fresh drinking water. As modern water systems were introduced in the second half of the 20^th century, the Linao waterworks became obsolete. The Fuente de Nuestra Señora del Carmen was demolished to give way for the construction of the Bagting Bridge.

At present, the Linao water system is in ruins and is almost forgotten by today’s generation. Only a handful of people, usually historians and heritage enthusiasts, know of its existence and location. Traces of clay pipes and a dilapidated brick water reservoir can still be seen in the neglected Linao waterworks site. On the other hand, Rizal’s private waterworks in Talisay has become one of the notable landmarks inside the present-day Museo ni Jose Rizal Dapitan.

Waterworks in Dapitan, namely the Linao and Talisay water systems, were not just infrastructure for conveying water but also served as symbols of the skillfulness and aspirations of the Dapitanon people. For Rizal, the water systems in Dapitan became an opportunity to help the community and an instrument to practice and execute his technical knowledge as an expert surveyor, and even his artistic skills. Truly, water brings life to places wherever it flows.

‘

Sketch of Linao waterworks drawn by Jose Rizal
AUSTIN CRAIG, LINEAGE, LIFE AND LABORS OF JOSÉ RIZAL, 1913

The possible water source for the Linao waterworks was found in the upper part of the Linao stream. A dam made of bricks and boulders was built in this area.
PHOTO COURTESY OF REX ANGELO HAMOY

Stream found inside Jose Rizal’s estate in Talisay, Dapitan, where Rizal sourced his own water supply for his private Talisay waterworks
ALBERT VINCENT BARRETTO/NHCP

Fine red clay soil found near the Pitosan River in present-day Barangay Maria Cristina. The site used to have a brick kiln that produced clay bricks and pipes, which were vital to the construction and maintenance of the waterworks in Dapitan.
ALBERT VINCENT BARRETTO/NHCP

Round rocks extracted from the riverbeds of Dapitan. These were used to make a leveled layer of foundation before clay pipes were installed. These were also mixed with lime to create mortar mixture.
ALBERT VINCENT BARRETTO/NHCP

Limestone is a sedimentary rock abundantly found along the coastline of Dapitan. It is processed to make lime powder, which is used in making mortar mixture. Another excellent source of lime is coral rock.
ALBERT VINCENT BARRETTO/NHCP

Remaining clay pipes of the Linao waterworks found in their original site. Most of the clay pipes were destroyed either by human activity or vegetation.
ALBERT VINCENT BARRETTO/NHCP

Ruins of the Linao waterworks reservoir found on a hill in Matagubtob
ALBERT VINCENT BARRETTO/NHCP

Front view of Rizal’s dam, 1960s
NHCP SERAFIN QUIASON RESOUCE CENTER

Rizal’s Talisay waterworks dam is now a prominent landmark inside the Museo ni Jose
Rizal Dapitan.
ALBERT VINCENT BARRETTO/NHCP

The fountain of the Linao waterworks served as the only outlet for the potable water coming from the Linao stream. The fountain was also called Fuente de Nuestra Señora del Carmen and was known to contain the terracotta lion head faucet sculpted by Rizal. The Linao water system was inaugurated in 1895 and served the Dapitanons until the 1950s.
NHCP SERAFIN QUIASON RESOUCE CENTER

Original drinking fountain from Wilhelmsfeld, Heidelberg, Germany where Jose Rizal often drank during his stay in that said village. This drinking fountain became the inspiration for Jose Rizal’s fountain containing a sculpted lion head faucet in Dapitan. This drinking fountain was later transferred from Germany to the Philippines.
NATIONAL HISTORICAL COMMISSION OF THE PHILIPPINES

References:

Dapitanon, Noel G. Villaroman, 2018

Jesuit Missionary Letters from Mindanao, Vol. 4, Jose S. Arcilla, S.J., 2000

Jose Rizal: Sculptor, Celestino M. Palma, III, 2020

Lineage, Life and Labors of Jose Rizal, Austin Craig, 1913

Lolo José: An Intimate and Illustrated Portrait of José Rizal, Asunción López Bantug, 2008

Rizal: Model Citizen of Dapitan, Juan Claros Orendain, 1966

1. The National Historical Commission of the Philippines, through the 2022 General Appropriations Act intends to apply the sum of Three Hundred Ninety-Two Thousand Nine Hundred Twenty-Four Pesos & 06/100 Only (₱392,924.06) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for Proposed Tempered Glass Canopy Roofing of the Azotea of the Museo ng Republika ng 1899 in Malolos City, Bulacan (2^nd Posting). Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

2. The National Historical Commission of the Philippines now invites bids for the above Procurement Project. Completion of the Works is required within sixty (60) calendar days.  Bidders should have completed a contract similar to the Project.  The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II (Instructions to Bidders).

3. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the 2016 revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) No. 9184.

4. Interested bidders may obtain further information from the National Historical Commission of the Philippines and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

5. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested bidders on 12 May 2022 from given address and website/s below and upon payment of the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents, pursuant to the latest Guidelines issued by the GPPB, in the amount of One Thousand Pesos (₱ 1,000.00). The Procuring Entity shall allow the bidder to present its proof of payment for the fees via a photocopy of the receipt included in the submitted bid or via e-mail (bachnhcp2020@gmail.com)

6. The National Historical Commission of the Philippines will hold a Pre-Bid Conference^[1] on 23 May 2022 (Monday), 9:30 AM at 4/F Conference Room, NHCP Building, T.M. Kalaw Avenue, Ermita, Manila, and/or through videoconferencing/webcasting via Zoom, (the link for which may be requested via e-mail at bacnhcp2020@gmail.com and will be sent one (1) day before schedule) which shall be open to prospective bidders.

7. Bids must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat through (i) manual submission at the office address as indicated below, (ii) online or electronic submission as indicated below on or before 6 June 2022 (Monday), 9:30 AM. Late bids shall not be accepted.

8. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 16.

9. Bid opening for the technical and financial proposals shall be on 6 June 2022 (Monday), at 9:30 AM and 10:30 am, respectively at the given address below and/or through Zoom (the Meeting ID and Passcode for which may be requested via e-mail at bacnhcp2020@gmail.com and will be sent one (1) day before schedule). Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend the activity.

10. All bidders are reminded that each and every page of the Bidding Documents submitted should be duly signed by the bidder’s authorized representative/s and that all legally executable documents (e.g., Omnibus Sworn Statement) are duly notarized. Submitted bids which have unsigned pages and/or unnotarized legal documents shall be considered non-responsive.

11. All bidders are advised to adopt the new, revised format of the Omnibus Sworn Statement issued pursuant to GPPB Circular No 4-2020 as adopted by GPPB Resolution No. 16-2020. The revised format of the OSS consists of 10 articles/paragraphs (with two new additional provisions since the previous 2016 edition), a template of which may be downloaded from the GPPB website thru this link https://www.gppb.gov.ph/downloadables.php.

12. The National Historical Commission of the Philippines reserves the right to reject any and all bids, declare a failure of bidding, or not award the contract at any time prior to contract award in accordance with Sections 35.6 and 41 of the 2016 revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of RA No. 9184, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

13. For further information, please refer to:
    Reinere Policarpio
    BAC Secretariat
    G/F NHCP Building, T. M. Kalaw Avenue, Ermita, Manila 1000
    Telephone No.: (+63) 2-5335-1200
    Facsimile. No. (+6) 32-8536-3181
    E-Mail: bacnhcp2020@gmail.com
    Website: www.nhcp.gov.ph 

14. You may visit the following websites:
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     http://nhcp.gov.ph/category/nhcp/procurement/bid-opportunities/

     For online bid submission:
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 ________________________________

            ROSARIO V. SAPITAN
            BAC Chairperson

^[1] May be deleted in case the ABC is less than One Million Pesos (PhP1,000,000) where the Procuring Entity may not hold a pre-bid conference.

Download bidding documents here.

Notice is hereby given on the postponement of the scheduled submission of eligibility documents and shortlisting of eligible bidders for  the following project under competitive bidding, to wit:

This Bid Bulletin is issued to modify, amend or clarify items in the issued Bidding Documents for the following projects:
1. Printing of 1000 copies of the National Quincentennial Committee (NQC) Coffee Table Book

1. The National Historical Commission of the Philippines, through the 2022 General Appropriations Act, intends to apply the sum of One Million, Five Hundred Thousand Pesos (₱1,500,000.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Production of a 45-minute documentary on the GomBurZa.

Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at the opening of the financial proposals.

2. The National Historical Commission of the Philippines now calls for the submission of eligibility documents for the Production of a 45-minute historical documentary about the martyrdom of the three Filipino diocesan priests (Fathers Mariano Gomes, Jose Burgos and Jacinto Zamora) who championed the secularization movement and were wrongfully accused of plotting the failed 1872 Cavite Munity Eligibility documents of interested consultants must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat on or before 29 April 2022 (Friday) 9:30 AM at Records Office, G/F NHCP Central Office, T. M. Kalaw Avenue, Ermita, Manila. Applications for eligibility will be evaluated based on a nondiscretionary “pass/fail” criterion.

3. Interested bidders may obtain further information from the National Historical Commission of the Philippines and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below during 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

4. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders on 02 May 2022 (Monday) from the address below and upon payment of the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents, pursuant to the latest Guidelines issued by the GPPB, in the amount of Five Thousand Pesos only (₱ 5,000.00). It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity, provided that Bidders shall pay the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

5. The BAC shall draw up the short list of consultants from those who have submitted Expression of Interest, including the eligibility documents, and have been determined as eligible in accordance with the provisions of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”, and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). The short list shall consist of at least three (3) prospective bidders who will be entitled to submit bids. The criteria and rating system for short listing are:
• Applicable Experience of Consulting Firm (50%)
• Qualification of Key Personnel to be assigned for the project (30%)
• Current Workload Relative to Capacity (20%)

6. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using nondiscretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the IRR of RA 9184. Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, cooperatives, and partnerships or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

7. The Procuring Entity shall evaluate bids using the Quality Based Evaluation/Selection (QBE/QBS), procedure. The criteria and rating system for the evaluation of bids shall be provided in the Instructions to Bidders.

8. The contract shall be completed within one hundred and fifty (150) calendar days or approximately five (5) months from the issuance of the Notice to Proceed.

9. The National Historical Commission of the Philippines reserves the right to reject any and all bids, declare a failure of bidding, or not award the contract at any time prior to contract award in accordance with Section 41 of RA 9184 and its IRR, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

10. For further information, please refer to:
Reinere Policarpio
BAC Secretariat
G/F NHCP Bldg. T.M. Kalaw Ave. Ermita, Manila
(632) 5335-1211 to 13
bacnhcp2020@gmail.com
www.nhcp.gov.ph

_________________________________
ROSARIO V. SAPITAN
BAC Chairperson

Download bidding documents here.

1. The National Historical Commission of the Philippines, through the 2022 General Appropriations Act intends to apply the sum of Three Hundred Ninety-Two Thousand Nine Hundred Twenty-Four Pesos & 06/100 Only (₱392,924.06) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for Proposed Tempered Glass Canopy Roofing of the Azotea of the Museo ng Republika ng 1899 in Malolos City, Bulacan. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

2. The National Historical Commission of the Philippines now invites bids for the above Procurement Project. Completion of the Works is required within sixty (60) calendar days.  Bidders should have completed a contract similar to the Project.  The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II (Instructions to Bidders).

3. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the 2016 revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) No. 9184.

4. Interested bidders may obtain further information from the National Historical Commission of the Philippines and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

5. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested bidders on 12 April 2022 from given address and website/s below and upon payment of the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents, pursuant to the latest Guidelines issued by the GPPB, in the amount of One Thousand Pesos (₱ 1,000.00). The Procuring Entity shall allow the bidder to present its proof of payment for the fees via a photocopy of the receipt included in the submitted bid or via e-mail (bachnhcp2020@gmail.com)

6. The National Historical Commission of the Philippines will hold a Pre-Bid Conference^[1] on 25 April 2022 (Monday), 9:30 AM at 4/F Conference Room, NHCP Building, T.M. Kalaw Avenue, Ermita, Manila, and/or through videoconferencing/webcasting via Zoom, (the link for which may be requested via e-mail at bacnhcp2020@gmail.com and will be sent one (1) day before schedule) which shall be open to prospective bidders.

7. Bids must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat through (i) manual submission at the office address as indicated below, (ii) online or electronic submission as indicated below on or before 6 May 2022 (Friday), 9:30 AM. Late bids shall not be accepted.

8. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 16.

9. Bid opening for the technical and financial proposals shall be on 6 May 2022 (Friday), at 9:30 AM and 10:30 am, respectively at the given address below and/or through Zoom (the Meeting ID and Passcode for which may be requested via e-mail at bacnhcp2020@gmail.com and will be sent one (1) day before schedule). Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend the activity.

10. All bidders are reminded that each and every page of the Bidding Documents submitted should be duly signed by the bidder’s authorized representative/s and that all legally executable documents (e.g., Omnibus Sworn Statement) are duly notarized. Submitted bids which have unsigned pages and/or unnotarized legal documents shall be considered non-responsive.

11. All bidders are advised to adopt the new, revised format of the Omnibus Sworn Statement issued pursuant to GPPB Circular No 4-2020 as adopted by GPPB Resolution No. 16-2020. The revised format of the OSS consists of 10 articles/paragraphs (with two new additional provisions since the previous 2016 edition), a template of which may be downloaded from the GPPB website thru this link https://www.gppb.gov.ph/downloadables.php.

12. The National Historical Commission of the Philippines reserves the right to reject any and all bids, declare a failure of bidding, or not award the contract at any time prior to contract award in accordance with Sections 35.6 and 41 of the 2016 revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of RA No. 9184, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

13. For further information, please refer to:
    Reinere Policarpio
    BAC Secretariat
    G/F NHCP Building, T. M. Kalaw Avenue, Ermita, Manila 1000
    Telephone No.: (+63) 2-5335-1200
    Facsimile. No. (+6) 32-8536-3181
    E-Mail: bacnhcp2020@gmail.com
    Website: www.nhcp.gov.ph 

14. You may visit the following websites:
    For downloading of Bidding Documents:
     http://nhcp.gov.ph/category/nhcp/procurement/bid-opportunities/
    
    For online bid submission:
    https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc3KboP7KFWN4OnmvK25MDcRk9BkrYnoDww5g9HLyMOEw8G5w/viewform

ROSARIO V. SAPITAN
BAC Chairperson

^[1] May be deleted in case the ABC is less than One Million Pesos (PhP1,000,000) where the Procuring Entity may not hold a pre-bid conference.

Download bidding documents here.