Filipinos to be called ‘Rizalines’
FILIPINOS TO BE CALLED ‘RIZALINES’
‘Gen. Artemio Ricarte’s Rizaline Constitution’
By: Quennie Ann J. Palafox
In 1978, Sen. Eddie Ilarde filed Parliamentary Bill 195, seeking to change the name Philippines to Maharlika. According to Ilarde, Maharlika is our ancient heritage, long before Western colonialists set foot on our shores. Maha is Sanskrit for noble or great while Likha is our own word for create, thus, Maharlika means “nobly created”. Further, as Ilarde averred, the memory of King Philip II, after whom the Philippines was named, should give us pride since his character and deeds do not merit emulation or perpetuation. During his reign the Moors of Granada and the people of the Netherlands revolted against his misgovernment which according to some historians contributed to the decline of the Kingdom of Spain and led to its bankruptcy. Not only was he criticized for his cruelty, but also for not being a good husband and father. Ilarde’s proposal to adopt “Maharlika” was attacked of its link to President Ferdinand Marcos, as Marcos himself had in mind the same name. “Maharlika” was the name of his guerrilla unit which supposedly fought the Japanese invaders. Marcos’ claim later on was exposed as a hoax.
In his paper “Why We Should Change the Name Philippines”, historian Celedonio O. Resurreccion wrote that changing the colonial name is a world tradition: Nueva España was changed to Mexico, Formosa to Taiwan, Malaya to Malaysia, Dutch East Indies to Indonesia, and many others. What we were transformed from a colony to commonwealth, we changed the name of our country from “Islas Filipinas”, or “Philippine Islands”, which were plural concepts, to simply “Philippines”, which was a collective concept. Etymologically, the name “Filipinas”, or “Philippines,” which means “islands of Felipe” refers to King Philip II of Spain. The name “Filipinas” was given by a Spaniard Ruy Lopez de Villalobos. Before Rizal, no one proclaimed himself a Filipino because the Spanish addressed the natives as Indios. The name “Filipino” was exclusively reserved for pure-blooded Spaniards born in the Philippine Islands. It was the martyred Fr. Jose Burgos, mentor of Jose Rizal’s older brother Paciano, who first used the name “Filipino” during the campaign to secularize and “Filipinize” Catholic parishies. Jose Rizal however, revived the idea of the Indio as Filipino when he wrote his 1879 poem, “A la Juventud Filipina” (To the Filipino youth).
Other national names that suggested to replace with the name Philippines are: Solimania (after Raja Soliman), Luzvimin (first syllables of the three major islands Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao), Perlas ng Silangan (from Rizal’s “Perlas del mar del oriente”), and Rizalinas (“islands of Rizal”). Jose Rizal aficionados strongly favor the name Rizalinas for they believe that Jose Rizal is the pride of the Filipino race and epitome of Filipino nationalism. For them, it is only right to name the country after him. In fact, Bolivia, a country in South America was named after Simon Bolivar, a leader who played a key role in the Latin America’s wars of independence from Spain.
Gen. Artemio Ricarte, known by his nom-de-guerre “Vibora” or viper and considered by the Armed Forces of the Philippines as the “Father of the Philippine Army”, drafted a charter which he called the Rizal Constitution while in exile in the Island of Lamah in Hong Kong on March 31, 1913.
The Rizaline Constitution was an act of defiance against the American colonization of our country and a roadmap of a government attempting to eradicate foreign influence. When the forces of Aguinaldo were defeated by the Americans, Ricarte was among the revolutionary leaders who refused to take the oath of allegiance to the US government. In contrast with other revolutionists, Ricarte dreamed of freeing the Philippines from foreign invaders.
Although Ricarte never met Rizal, Ricarte’s immense admiration and respect for this great hero inspired him to name our country “Rizaline Islands” and call its citizens “Rizalines”. Ricarte’s tribute to Rizal evokes that of the Katipunan of 1896. While Jose Rizal was not involved in the organization and activities of the Katipunan, the Katipuneros drew inspiration from him and venerated him. Rizal’s name was used as a password by the highest-ranking members who were called bayani.
Vibora’s Rizaline Constitution consisted of twelve chapters. In the first chapter of the constitution our country which was named “Filipinas” by Ruy Lopez de Villalobos would, according to him, be known as the “Rizaline Islands” with the inclusion of Guam and the Marianas Islands. It also provided that all citizens of the islands would be called “Rizaline” including foreigners who would help the Rizalines acquire absolute independence and those who were born in another country of Rizaline parents. The Rizaline Republic will also adopt as a flag the ancient and well-known emblem of three colors (red, blue and white), with a sun and three stars. Perhaps, Ricarte was referring to the flag unfurled in Kawit, Cavite whose description is similar to what Ricarte had mentioned. The Rizaline constitution also provided a supreme government composed of “Three Powers,” each of them having president and vice president. These powers were the Executive Power, Advisory Power and the Judicial Power. The Constitution also maintained that the official language of the republic would be Spanish.
Unfortunately for Ricarte, his Constitution of the Rizaline Republic did not materialize. This charter, nevertheless, was a clear manifestation of Ricarte’s aspiration to have a free nation and perpetuate the memory of our foremost hero, Jose Rizal. The changing of our national name Philippines to a more nationalistic name continues to be a topic of debate up to this day.
A Few Thoughts on Freedom and Colonial Culture
A FEW THOUGHTS ON FREEDOM AND COLONIAL CULTURE
by Ferdinan S. Gregorio
On the 12th of June, the nation will celebrate its 113th Independence Anniversary. Independence Day is commonly associated with the freedom that we achieved after our heroes shed blood for the country by means of an armed resistance and propaganda movements. But for the youth today, the essence of celebrating a date that shaped our nationhood seems have vanished, making it a plain, red printed holiday in the calendar, free from work and classes.
After more than a century ago, it would be interesting question to ask ourselves if we have totally attained independence? Are we really independent or is it just a concept that we claim to boost our pride as a sovereign nation? 113 years after General Emilio Aguinaldo declared independence, the question remains the same- are the Filipinos truly free?
We are free from the dangers and horrors brought by the Spanish Guardia Civil or an American Soldier holding a loaded rifle. But we have succumbed to the subtle encroachment of neo-colonialism. As defined by Merriam Webster, neo-colonialism is the economic and political policies by which a great power indirectly maintains or extends its influence over other areas or peoples. This influence is not merely economic or political, but also cultural. Such a system allows the supplanting of a people’s unique indigenous culture by that another.
Neo-colonialism has allowed the invasion of globalization, free trade and commercialization in the Philippines, tools by which the transnational companies used to monopolize the world market. Globalization is like a cordon that symbolizes a no escape zone for the Philippines. The Philippines, due to high inflation rates and its devalued Peso, imports a lot of cheaper products from China, killing what remains of our local industries. In truth, our markets are flooded not only with Chinese products but those of other foreign countries, under such economic realities.
Every morning, we wake up and do the day’s routine. A typical Pinoy breakfast consists of hotdogs, bacons, pasteurized cheese, cereals and beverages, much of these are foreign products. Most of the Filipinos still use toothpaste that was introduced by the Americans many decades ago. Filipinos love to listen to hip-hop songs by foreign rappers and hate not being in on the latest American hit movie. Yes, Filipinos are still shadows of their colonial past, a past that is akin to a leech stuck to the national character.
Though sad but true, human labor is our main export today. We export our countrymen, families and friends in exchange for dollar remittances. It was our heroes’ dream to liberate the Filipinos from any form of foreign slavery, but today, extreme poverty forces Filipinos to work in foreign lands and ironically serve the same foreign masters who oppressed us before.
During the Spanish and American colonial eras, the Philippines was politically and economically controlled by those two countries. The Spaniards labeled the Filipino race as Indio, to underscore our inferiority. In a debate on the Treaty of Paris in 1898, U.S. Senator MacLaurin asserted that the possible annexation of the Philippines would mean the “incorporation of a mongrel and semi-barbarous population into our body politic, which was inferior to, but akin to the Negro in moral and intellectual qualities…”. To the Americans, we belonged to the lowest class of civilization simply because we are Filipinos. We admit it or not, this mentality the Whites taught us is like a scar that marks our consciousness. Today, most of us still follow the standards of beauty set by our past oppressors. In fact, Filipinos patronize whitening products to erase their natural kayumanggi complexion and “assume” the skin color of he Anglo-Saxon American.
Recently, Sarangani Congressman and World Boxing Champ Manny Pacquiao voluntarily deactivated his Twitter account because of foul comments from English-literate critics who seemed to forget that English is not our native tongue. Before the Spaniards and the Americans conquered the Philippines, our ancestors used the Alibata and their respective regional dialects to communicate with each other. It is not a mortal sin if Manny Pacquiao commits errors in English grammar. When he becomes inarticulate to his native tongue, like a so called “Coño”, that is time for us to say boo to Manny.
Religion is probably the most popular vestige of colonialism that was left by the Spaniards and Americans From animism, the Filipinos were drawn to the Christian doctrine. Islam, a dominant religion in Mindanao was not founded by a Filipino but by an Arab named Mohammad. Our anitos were replaced by statues with Greek features. Today, a various sects are sprouting like mushrooms to teach Western theology.
When we go to the movies, we patronize Hollywood films because our colonial culture has conditioned us to believe that local productions are inferior in all aspects. All of these manifestations of colonial culture and colonial mentality recall the words of Renato Constantino
wrote in one of his books;
“The Americans established a system of education using English as a medium of instruction… English opened new vistas of Western culture to their dazed eyes and enabled them to write poetry about autumn and winter and snow on fir trees… But more important because of greater practical value…their rudimentary command of English enabled Filipino citizens to import Hollywood movies, to purchase large quantities of American publications, and to consume a phenomenal amount of American-made goods”.
Where Jose Rizal visualized where Filipinos are now in his “The Philippines a Century Hence”;
“Then began a new era for the Filipinos; little by little they lost their old traditions, the mementos of their past; they gave up their writing, their songs, their poems, their laws in order to learn by rote mother doctrines which they did not understand, another morality, another aesthetics different from those inspired by their climate and their manner of thinking. Then they declined, degrading themselves in their own eyes; they became ashamed of was their own; they began to admire and praise whatever was foreign and incomprehensible; their spirit was dismayed and it surrendered.”
June 12, 1898 was a milestone event that all Filipinos should commemorate. However, the challenge this event presents before us every year is to achieve true independence. This kind of independence does not stop with the absence of foreign military invasions but starts with the application of nationalist ideas by all Filipinos.
REFERENCES:
June 12, 1898 and Related Documents. National Historical Institute. 1993
Political and Historical Writings (1884-1890) Rizal. National Historical Institute. 1978
Constantino, Renato B. Neocolonial Identity and Counter-Consciousness: Essays on Cultural Decolonization. The Merlin Press. 1978.
Our Founding Mothers: Lest We Forget
OUR FOUNDING MOTHERS: LEST WE FORGET
By: Quennie Ann J. Palafox
A popular saying goes “Behind every man’s success, is a woman”. As far as history is concerned, women have played important roles not only in support of their husbands or in nurturing their child but in nation-building as well. From pre-Hispanic times to the present, women have occupied a vital part in the development of their community and the emergence of Filipino nationalism. The Philippine Revolution was the work of both Filipino men and women, thus, women also are worth mentioning along with men each time we give tribute to the patriotism and sacrifices of our heroes.
In the past, we have often attributed the attainment of our independence as the handwork of men like Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Aguinaldo, and other great heroes. Lest we forget, these men would not be successful in their aspirations without the support of their wives and family members. History does not give justice to the women who dedicated their lives to our country as we are more focused on exalting male heroes.
There were women whose prowess in combat was admired including Teresa Magbanua, Trinidad Tecson and Agueda Kahabagan. The Ilongga Teresa Magbanua or Nay Isa earned the title “Visayan Joan of Arc”, for leading the revolutionary armies in the battle in Barrio Yating, Pilar, Capiz. The Bulakeña Trinidad Tecson, dubbed as the “Mother of Biyak-na-bato”, was initiated in the women’s chapter of the Katipunan and became famous in the battlefield. Patrocinio Gamboa known as the “Heroine of Jaro”, became one of the revolutionary leaders in Iloilo and even served as intelligence worker during the hostilities against the Spaniards. Agueda Kahabagan or Henerala Agueda, was the only woman general of the Army of the Filipino Republic. She was a fierce combatant fighting side by side with men in the battlefields in Laguna.
Nevertheless, there are still unsung heroines of Philippine revolution, who should be given due credits. Women such as Marcela Marcelo or Selang Bagsik of Malibay (now part of Pasay City) who died in the Battle of Pasong Santol in Imus in 1897; Valeriana Elises who accompanied her husband Gen. Pantaleon Garcia in his battles in Cavite, and Gregoria Montoya, who avenged the death of her husband and died bravely in the combat zone.
But Filipino women’s participation during the Revolution was not confined solely to hand-to-hand combat. Melchora Aquino, known as Tandang Sora, accordingly was the oldest heroine who at participated in the Revolution. She became a legend risking her life feeding and sheltering revolutionists and giving medicines to the wounded soldiers. For this, she was deported to Guam in 1896. Similarly, there were women who, scions of rich families, voluntarily donated their money to finance the Revolution. Some of them were Matea Rodriguez of Pampaga and Rosario Lopez of Negros. There were also wives who rallied behind their husbands and supported them in their fight for freedom namely Salome Siapoco, wife of Gen. Mariano Llanera and Agueda Esteban, wife of Col. Mariano Barroga. Another hardly known heroine was Rosario Villaruel, the first Filipino woman mason, who was arrested with other Ilustrados suspected of engaging in Masonic activities which were then considered anti-friar.
The Filipino Red Cross served as another venue for women’s participation in the Revolution by treating the wounded soldiers as well as collecting donations of food and clothing for the revolutionaries and their families. Hilaria del Rosario, the first wife of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo was the organizer and president of the Filipino Red Cross Society. Other Red Cross volunteers were Praxedes Fajardo, Adriana Sangalang Hilario of Pampanga and Nazaria Lagos, who earned the title “Florence Nightingale of Panay”.
In July 1893, a year after the foundation of the Katipunan, the women’s chapter of the Katipunan was formed in July 1893. Women who joined the Katipunan were limited to the wives, daughters, or close relatives of the Katipuneros. Among the women initiated were Marina Dizon (cousin of Emilio Jacinto), Josefa Rizal (sister of Jose Rizal), Angelica Lopez and Delfina Herbosa (Rizal’s nieces), and Gregoria de Jesus (Bonifacio’s wife).
Gregoria De Jesus, the Lakambini of Katipunan, had to endure many sufferings and even faced many dangers while accompanying the soldiers in the battle in the outbreak of the revolution. Rizal’s sister, Josefa Rizal, who was elected president of the Women’s chapter of Katipunan, also joined in masonry, which espoused liberalism, through the Logia de Adopcion where she used the name “Sumikat.” Another sister of Rizal, Trinidad, was also active in the Masonic lodge and along with Josephine Bracken and Paciano, she was active in the revolution in Cavite. Marina Dizon from Binondo presided over
initiation rites for women, kept the records, and provided orientation for the new members about the constitution and teachings of the Katipunan.
We owe our national flag that was unfurled during the declaration of Philippine Independence in Kawit, Cavite on June 12, 1898 to a woman by the name of Marcela Agoncillo, best known as the “maker of the Philippine flag”. She was assisted in this project by her daughter Lorenza and Delfina Herbosa, Rizal’s niece and wife of General Jose Salvador Natividad.
As we celebrate the 113th year of Philippine Independence, let us also commemorate and pay due respect to the sacrifices of our founding mothers for the cause of the country’s freedom. History has shown the Filipino women to be tenacious and to have strong will power. Although there were many obstacles in their path their sheer determination enabled them to achieve their longing for freedom and driving them to go on fighting, not only for themselves or their families, but also for their beloved country. The National Historical Commission of the Philippines has honored some of these eminent Filipinas posthumously, by installing a historical marker reminding every Filipino about their heroism and nationalism.
Deodato Arellano
(1844-1896?)
Propagandist and First President of the Katipunan
Propagandist and first president of the Katipunan, Deodato Arellano was born to Juan de la Cruz and Mamerta de la Cruz on July 26, 1844 in Bulacan, Bulacan. The family changed their name to Arellano in compliance with the Claveria decree of 1849.
After taking a course in bookkeeping at the Ateneo Municipal, he worked as an assistant clerk at the arsenal of the military’s artillery corps. He married Marcelo H. del Pilar’s sister, Hilaria, on April 22, 1877, after his first wife, Paula Rivera, died.
He joined La Propaganda, a movement that sought political reforms in the country. It was founded by his brother-in-law Del Pilar and Mariano Ponce. He was assigned to handle both the dissemination of the group’s propaganda materials and the collection of funds for the members who were based in Spain. He also made reports on the group’s progress and activities, which he sent to its leaders. He was assisted in the dissemination work by Del Pilar’s young nephew, Gregorio del Pilar.
La Propaganda was short-lived. The money collected to pay for the upkeep of the members struggling for reforms in Spain was allegedly misspent and, thus, the group was dissolved. To continue La Propaganda’s work, Dr. Jose Rizal decided to establish La Liga Filipina on July 3, 1892. Deodato Arellano, who was one of the first to respond to Rizal’s cry to unite and organize, was elected its first secretary. He served under its president, Ambrosio Salvador.
A few days after the establishment of the Liga, however, Rizal was arrested and detained at Fort Santiago. On July 7, 1892, Gov. Eulogio Despujol announced his immediate deportation to Dapitan. That same day, at the house of Deodato Arellano at 72 Azcarraga Street, Andres Bonifacio, a Liga member, gathered together Teodoro Plata, Valentin Diaz, Ladislao Diwa, Jose Dizon and Arellano himself to found an underground association, the Katipunan, whose main goal was to attain not mere reforms but the country’s separation from Spain – national independence.
In a secret meeting called in October 1892, Arellano was declared the first president of the association and of its first supreme council. As president, he endorsed the laws of the Katipunan formulated by Plata and Diwa. He did not last in that position, though. Several months later, in February 1893, he was replaced by Roman Basa as Katipunan head on the intervention of Bonifacio, who judged him an ineffectual leader. Nevertheless, despite this personal setback, Arellano dutifully carried on with his work in the movement. While Bonifacio and other members were organizing popular councils in Manila, he himself was organizing provincial councils in Bulacan, thereby fulfilling one of Rizal’s aims in founding the Liga.
In April 1893, Arellano decided to revive the Liga and continue the work of its spiritual leader, Dr. Rizal, despite his absence. Aided by Juan de Zulueta, he reorganized the group and spurred other members into renewed activism. Subsequently, a new set of officers, led by Domingo Franco as president, was elected. Arellano was voted secretary and treasurer.
In October of the same year, the members of La Liga Filipina decided, finally, to disband. Two groups emerged from their ranks. One was the already established, though as yet secret organization, the Katipunan, which opted for revolutionary change. The other, the Cuerpo de Compromisarios, was founded by Numeriano Adriano in 1894. Its members chose to remain peaceful agitators for change in the government. Arellano was elected secretary of this reformist organization.
The circumstances surrounding Arellano’s final days after he was arrested on October 10, 1896 remain unclear. Some historians believe that Arellano, after being inculpated by Katipunan members who had been captured by the Spanish authorities and forced to reveal information, was himself arrested, tortured and eventually left to die. Other historians tend to believe that he joined Gen. Gregorio del Pilar, whom ha had trained in propaganda work years before. He is supposed to have served as paymaster to the young general’s troops during their assault on a Spanish army outpost in Bulacan, until he died somewhere in the mountains of Bontok.
References:
Gwekoh Sol H. “First Katipunan President,” The Manila Times, July 26, 1965.
Manuel, E. Arsenio. Dictionary of Philippine Biography Volume I. Quezon City, 1955.
Patricio G. Mariano, Nationalist Playwright
PATRICIO G. MARIANO, NATIONALIST PLAYWRIGHT
A playwright, poet, journalist, violinist, and painter, Patricio Mariano y Geronimo was born on March 17, 1877 in Santa Cruz, Manila to parents Petronilo Mariano and Dionisia Geronimo. Patricio Mariano finished his secondary education at the Ateneo Municipal and San Juan de Letran. He pursued bookkeeping at the Escuela de Artes y Oficios and obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree from the Liceo de Manila.
Mariano worked at the typography and stereography shop supervised by Jose Dizon, a Katipunan leader. He joined fellow Filipinos in the outbreak of the revolution in 1896. In 1898, he served as right hand man of Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista, President Aguinaldo’s adviser. Mariano applied his skills obtained from his experience in the printing shop while helping the revolutionary government. He was appointed as the manager of the Imprenta de Malolos in Barasoain, Malolos, Bulacan and wrote prolifically for El Heraldo de la Revolucion and Ang Kaibigan ng Bayan.
When the Philippine-American war was finally over, Mariano went back to Manila to continue his passion for writing. He joined the staff, either as writer or editor, of the following periodicals: Los Obreros, Ang Paggawa, Katwiran, Lunas ng Bayan, El Renacimiento Filipino, and later La Vanguardia and Taliba. He was an all-around writer, he could write poetry, short stories, novels, dramas, operettas, and zarzuelas in Tagalog. Most of his creations that were either “romantic” or “symbolical” evolved in themes dealing with social conditions and hopes of the Filipinos. Apart from writing, he appeared on the stage which earned him the title “dean of Tagalog actors”.
His play Sampaguita played at the Zorilla theater in 1901 got the attention of the public and so did with his other plays like the following: Anak ng Dagat, Ang Pakakak (drama staged at the Manila Grand Opera House on July 7, 1913), and Ang Silanganan (one-act drama staged at the Rizal Theater in Tondo on December 30, 1904). He translated in Tagalog the operas Lucia de Lammermoor, the third act of La Traviata. His major achievement however was his translation of Rizal’s Noli me Tangere and El Filibusterismo in the vernacular. He became famous for his plays making him sought by literary organizations like the Union de Artistas, Union de Impresores, Buklod na Ginto, Aklatang Bayan, and Lupong Tagapagpalaganap ng Akademya ng Wikang Tagalog. In literature, Patricio Mariano maintained his patriotic sentiment. He helped establish the Asociacion Pro Patria.
Patricio G. Mariano caught illness caused by what appeared to be a harmless tumor in the neck. On January 28, 1935, Patricio Mariano died.
An Ibanag Soldier in the Visayan Revolutionary Forces
AN IBANAG SOLDIER IN THE VISAYAN REVOLUTIONARY FORCES
By: Quennie Ann J. Palafox
Mateo Noriel Luga is probably one of the most unsung revolutionaries the Philippines ever had. His parentage and other information about him remain mysterious, but his legacy is more essential for the Filipinos to know. The Cebuanos look up to him because he fought for Cebu during the turbulent early years of American encroachment even though he was not a Cebuano but a native of Tumauini, Isabela province.
Mateo Luga was an experienced soldier having gained his skills in combat when he fought against the Spanish forces in Malinta, Antipolo, Montalban, San Pedro de Makati, Paliparan, Munting Lupa, Kalookan in the early years of revolution after joining the Katipunan in 1896.
Between the summer of 1898 and mid-1899, the armed insurrection against Spain in Cebu was at its peak. A revolutionary government was established by the rebels in Cebu after Spanish Governor Adolfo Montero abandoned the province of Cebu and sought refuge in Zamboanga. Peace prevailed over the island but it was cut short with the unexpected arrival of the American occupation forces in Cebu. Fighting between the Americans and the Cebuanos broke out in 1899 when the latter refused to recognize the Americans as new rulers. In the midst of these armed hostilities, Gen. Aguinaldo commissioned Mateo Luga to be the personal adviser of the Katipunan in Cebu in April 1899.
He proceeded to Cebu together with his bodyguards aboard a ship. When he arrived in Cebu he was suspected as a spy and brought before General Climaco who ordered his released when he was recognized as the person sent by Gen. Aguinaldo to Cebu. When the revolutionary government divided into three operational sectors, the central zone was placed under Gen. Luga who was the only non-Visayan leader during that time. The Ibanag general engaged his American foes in guerilla warfare, launching raids, assaults, and ambushes ambushes between 1899 and 1901. His toughest battle with the Americans was at Sudlon which lasted for nine days in January 1900. The revolutionary forces knowledge of the terrain gave them an advantage over the Americans which ended in a victory on the part of the Filipinos.
Mateo Luga was endowed with superior fighting qualities that his forces almost captured Gen. Henry Lawton. The Americans considered him a dangerous opponent; they even put his wife and children in jail in order to pressure Gen. Luga to surrender, but Luga proved himself a cunning warrior when he managed to rescue his family.
He fought in the battles at San Nicolas, Bulusan, Guadalupe, Mabolo and Talamban. Luga was a valiant fighter, which made him earn the respect of the Americans. More contingents arrived for the Americans, which boosted the morale of the soldiers to defeat the Filipino insurgents. Some Filipino leaders decided to cease the fight with the Americans because of the mounting pressure, among of them was General Maxilom who succumbed to the Americans on October 27, 1901. When Luga learned of the capture of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, he and his troops laid down their arms on the same day to Capt. Frank McIntyre of the 19th U.S Infantry. He joined the American-organized Philippine Constabulary to restore peace and order throughout the island. He was commissioned as inspector and rose to the rank of captain later on. His mission was to chase after bandits; he went all to the way to Samar and Leyte to protect the provinces from the Pulahanes especially the province of Cebu.
His opposition to the provision of the Hare-Hawes-Cutting Act which he considered biased in favor of the Americans led him to resign from the Constabulary in 1914. He found immediate employment at the Philippine Refining Company, an American firm, and later transferred to Public Lands Commission. He retired in Sagay, Negros Occidental with his wife, Ruperta, and their children, Maria, Jose, Pilar and twins Emilio and Antonio. General Mateo Noriel Luga died of cancer in Manila in 1935.
References:
Hurley, Victor. Jungle Patrol: The Story of the Philippine Constabulary, (N.Y.E.P. Dutton, 1938).
Mojares, Resil B.; The War Against the Americans, (Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila Press, 1999).
Piedad, Publio. “Sudlon: A Historical Landmark.”. From Cebu; History of Its Four Cities and Fifty-Nine Municipalities, Gervasio L. Lavilles, (Cebu City: Mely Press, 1965).
Quisumbing, Jose. Warwick Barracks. (Quezon City: Progressive Printing Palace, 1983).
Wolff, Leon. Little Brown Brother. (Manila: Erewhon, 1968).Alfafara, Celestino,
Maria Corazon Cojuangco Aquino
MARIA CORAZON COJUANGCO AQUINO
(January 25,1933- August 1, 2009)
Maria Corazon Cojuangco Aquino was the eleventh and first woman President of the Philippines.
She was born on January 25, 1933 in Manila, the sixth of the eight children of Don Jose Cojuanco Sr., lawyer, congressman representing Tarlac, sugar magnate and banker, and Doña Demetria Sumulong, a pharmacist and member of a politically famous clan from Rizal province.
Her formative years were spent at St. Scholastica’s College and the Assumption Convent in Manila. In 1946 the Cojuanco family left for the United States and she entered Ravenhill Academy in Philadelphia, but later enrolled at, and graduated from, the Notre Dame Convent School in New York. She continued her studies at College of Mount St. Vincent also in New York, where she took up French as major and mathematics as minor. Back in Manila, she enrolled in law at Far Eastern University but her studies were cut short when she married Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. on October 11, 1954 at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Pasay City. They had five children namely, Maria Elena, Aurora Corazon, Benigno III, Victoria Elisa and Kristina Bernadette.
Her first exposure to the world of Philippine politics began shortly after the birth of their first child, in November of 1955, when her husband became the mayor of Concepcion, Tarlac. But Ninoy lost his seat after two years on account of his being nineteen days younger than the age required for the office of mayor at the time of his election. In the next local election, Ninoy became the youngest vice-governor of Tarlac and after serving a term as governor of Tarlac, Ninoy ran for the Senate and won. Mrs. Aquino quietly and wholeheartedly supported all her husband’s aspirations.
After Ninoy’s assassination, Corazon C. Aquino was thrust into the limelight. She returned home from Boston and became the unofficial leader of the opposition to the Marcos regime. President Ferdinand Marcos signed Cabinet Bill Number 7 which formally set the presidential poll on February 7, 1986. The next day, Cory Aquino announced that she would run.
The incumbent President Marcos and former Senator Arturo Tolentino ran against Corazon Aquino and Salvador H. Laurel. In the controversial election, Marcos won in the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) count and was proclaimed president by the rubber-stamp Batasang Pambansa. Aquino led in the National Citizens Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) tally and called for a nationwide protest movement against widespread cheating in the elections.
The tide began to turn when a faction of the military mutinied against the Marcos administration on February 22, 1986. Two of the administration’s highest officials-Minister of Defense Juan Ponce Enrile and Vice Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Fidel V. Ramos- announced the withdrawal of their allegiance upon being implicated in a rebellion charge. Such action of breaking up from the administration signaled the start of the People Power Revolution. Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin enjoined the Filipino people to pray and keep vigil around Camp Aguinaldo and Camp Crame, in EDSA, Quezon City. Heeding his call, civilians turned out by the thousands to protect the soldiers.
On February 25, 1986, Corazon Aquino took her oath of office as President together with Salvador Laurel in the presence of Justice Claudio Teehankee at Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan. President Aquino was immediately recognized by the Filipino people as well as by other foreign leaders. She called on all appointed officials to submit their courtesy resignation beginning with the members of the Supreme Court.
On March 25, 1986, she proclaimed a Freedom Constitution, giving her dictatorial powers. And after a few days, the Constitution of 1973 and the Batasang Pambansa were abolished. President Aquino, however, had no intentions of remaining a dictator. She issued Proclamation No. 9 on April 23 calling for the convening of the Constitutional Commission (CONCOM) on June 2. She appointed fifty commissioners in May 1986 to write the new document. The CONCOM elected former Supreme Court Justice Cecilia Muñoz Palma as president and former Senator Ambrosio Padilla as vice-president. It finished its assigned task in record time on October 15, 1986 and the result became known as the Constitution of 1987 as it was ratified in a plebiscite held on February 2, 1987.
Seven major coup attempts occurred between July 1986 and December of 1989 against her administration. These were the coup attempts of November 1986 and August 1987 led by the Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM) and four were attempts of high ranking military still loyal to President Marcos. The last major effort to depose Aquino, in December 1989, and the one that came closest to toppling her was a joint effort of the RAM and the Marcos loyalists. But an overwhelming vote for the May legislative elections proved that most Filipinos supported Aquino’s administration.
Significant legislation were approved during the term of President Aquino includes The Local Government Code of 1991; The Family Code of 1987; The Administrative Code of 1987 and The Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Act of 1987. One of her major achievements was the performance of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), the only government financial institution whose rehabilitation was not funded by the government. It more than doubled its assets and even had a surplus of over P100 million pesos to turn over to the National Treasury.
In 1987, the TIME Magazine named her 1986 Person of the Year. On January of 2001, Cory was among the first few thousand people in EDSA endorsing the impeachment of President Joseph Estrada, a gathering dubbed as “People Power II.”
In 2006, former President Aquino graced the cover of TIME MAGAZINE’s issue called “60 YEARS OF ASIAN HEROES.”
Cory’s children announced on March 24, 2008 in a public statement that President Aquino had been diagnosed with colon cancer. She was confined at the Makati Medical Center and started chemotherapy. On December 22, she apologized to former President Estrada for helping oust him in January of 2001. On June 22, 2009 she was confined at Makati Medical Center due to lack of appetite and on June 30, a 9-day healing mass for her was held at Greenbelt Chapel in Makati City.
On August 1, 2009, at six in the morning Senator Benigno Aquino III announced that Pres. Aquino died at around 3:18 in the morning.
Sources:
Cory an Intimate Portrait, Margie Penson-Juico, 2009
The Philippine Presidents and Other Nation Builders,
Rosario P. Nem Singh, 2004
The Presidents of the Philippines and their Inaugural
Addresses, J. Eduardo Malaya & Jonathan E. Malaya, 2004
Philippine Presidents 100 Years, Rosario Mendoza Cortes, 1999
Biographies & Pictures: The Presidents Republic of the Philippines
Rheno A. Velasco, 1996
Mga Pangulo ng Pilipinas, Lydia Gonzales-Garcia, 1994
The Making of Cory, Miguela Gonzalez-Yap, 1987
Cory Profile of a President, Isabelo T. Crisostomo, 1986
The President of the Philippines, Eduardo Bananal, 1986
WikiPedia- Ang Malayan Ensiklopedya
The Life and Drama of Severino Reyes
THE LIFE AND DRAMA OF SEVERINO REYES
By: Quennie Ann J. Palafox
Decades ago, before rock, mellow and RnB songs flourished in the music arena, there was the zarzuela dominating the countryside. Zarzuela, nowadays, is a long forgotten form of art, which underwent a dramatic setback during the 1930s with the advent of the vaudeville and the cinema. Zarzuela is a play with music, deriving its name from the Palacio de Zarzuela near Madrid where entertainments called “fiesta de la zarzuela” were presented for the royal families. The zarzuela was introduced in the Philippines in the 19th century by Spanish director Alejandro Cubero. Soon, zarzuela became known in the Philippines as sarsuwela. It was later on adapted in the vernacular. The 20th century saw the rise of Tagalog sarsuwela through the efforts of sarsuwelista like Hermogenes Ilagan and Severino Reyes.
Severino Reyes was born on February 11, 1861 in Sta. Cruz, Manila. His parents were Rufino Reyes and Andrea Rivera. He acquired his early schooling in an institution owned by Catalino Sanchez and studies at the Escuela de Segunda Enseñanza of Colegio de San Juan de Letran, where he obtained his Bachelor of Arts. He continued his studies at the University of Santo Tomas for a degree in Philosophy. He was proficient in both Tagalog and Spanish, with a fair knowledge of Latin, Greek and Hebrew, and several Philippine dialects. A widely read man, he could converse with deep knowledge on religion, philosophy, history, literature, arts and the sciences.
He married Maria Paz Puato, a childhood friend. They were blessed with 17 children. To get way from being enlisted into the Spanish Army to fight the Muslims of Mindanao and Sulu, he accepted a clerical job at the Tesoreria General de Hacienda. However, he had hard time supporting his growing family with his low income. He quit his job and decided to put up a store at the corner of Calle Ascarraga.
In 1902, Reyes founded and directed the Gran Compania de Zarzuela Tagala, which became famous during its time. It presented its first one-act piece, Ang Kalupi in April 1902 in Teatro Zorilla. The company traveled extensively, giving shows in neighboring towns and provinces.
On June 14, 1902, the company staged his play Walang Sugat (No Wounds), a drama set in Bulacan during the Philippine revolution. Walang Sugat tackled the bravery and dedication of the Katipuneros or the local revolutionary army of the Philippines during the later years of Spanish occupation. This marked the beginning of the golden Age of Zarzuela in the Philippines. Also in 1902, Reyes staged in Manila a comedy called R.I.P (Requiescat in Pace), which called the komedya dead and ready for burial. Enraged komedyantes in full costume and riding horses stoned his house. Other Tagalog zarzuelas written by him that also received thunderous ovations were Minda Mora, Mga Bihag ni Cupido, Ang Bagong Fausto, Ang Tunay na Hukom, Ang Tatlong Bituin, Margaritang Mananahi, Ang Halik ng Isang Patay and Luha ng Kagalakan.
Severino Reyes became recognized in other countries for his mastery in drama. Governor Taft exhibited the programs of his plays in the St. Louis Word Exposition and the Panama Pacific International Exposition. Reyes is also recognized for pioneering the Tagalog literary renascence during his time, for his role in the founding of Liwayway magazine in 1922.
It was in the pages of Liwayway where Don Severino’s Mga Kuwento Ni Lola Basyang appeared, a character Reyes based on a neighbor named Gervacia de Guzman. The “Lola Basyang” stories eventually became the most-widely read prose feature of Liwayway. For many years, readers mistook the real “Lola Basyang” as an old woman full of ancient stories stuck in her ancient baul, only to find out later that she was actually man.
Indeed, Severino Reyes is one of the stalwarts of Filipino arts and literature. Until today, the name Lola Basyang is still being used by different art forms and stage and television shows. Lola Basyang became a generic name in Philippine society depicting an old grandmother who loves telling stories to her grandkids. The stories that she tells are always meant to teach moral lessons to children listening. No one can deny the important contribution of Severino Reyes from his time in the early part of 20th century until today, even after more than fifty years since his death.
During the Japanese occupation, he suffered from heart disease and was confined for a time in a hospital. He died on September 15, 1942.
Today, the zarzuela is no longer popular, having lost its appeal as a form of popular culture and is now considered a part of the older generation. But the zarzuela remains an integral part of our theatrical tradition and heritage, and because of this, we salute those organizations that are exerting efforts to revitalize the zarzuela. The zarzuela is an art that we must treasure for its expression of Filipino ingenuity.
Hernando R. Ocampo
(1911-1978)
National Artist
Ocampo was born on April 28, 1911 in Sta. Cruz, Manila. His parents were Emilio Ocampo and Delfina Ruiz, both ilustrados. He finished his high school at the YMCA, Manila in 1928, and then went to Letran College to take up pre-law at the instance of his father. Instead of concentrating on his studies, however, he devoted more time to creative writing. He was partial to poetry and short stories. In 1932, he joined Narciso G. Reyes, who was to become Philippine ambassador, in forming the veronica Writer’s Group.
Jose Garcia Villa’s choices for the best Filipino short stories for 1936 and 1937 included Ocampo’s “My Name is Mary,” “Street Scene in Maypajo,” and “We or They.”
The nationalism of Ocampo is strongly evident in his writings during the Japanese occupation, particularly in the story, “Ang Ikalawang Pagdalaw,” which was published in Sinagtala. This work earned the acclaim of literary critics. Another story, “Ang Kulay ng Lumbay,” was reprinted in Diwang Kayumanggi, an anthology edited by Juan C. Laya. Moreover, his works were among the 25 best short stories published in 1943.
As a journalist, Ocampo worked as associate editor of the Herald Midweek Magazine before he served as director of the National media Production Center from 1954 to 1958.
Although Ocampo excelled in journalism and short story writing, he was more eminent as a painter. A modernist, he painted brilliant canvases that bear a distinctive originality. His abstract paintings won in art compositions in the 40’s and 50’s.
In 1948, Ocampo represented the Philippines at the Sports art Exhibition in Victoria and Albert Museum in London. In 1950, he was offered a scholarship to study French art in Paris. The following year, the Unite States government offered him a Smith-Mundt leader grant in communications. However, he declined both offers for personal reasons. In 1954, in recognition of his contributions towards the advancement of Filipino culture in the field of painting, the government bestowed on him the Republic Cultural Heritage Award.
Ocampo died of heart failure on December 28, 1978. Thirteen years later, in June 1991, he was posthumously named National Artist, thus securing his place of honor in Philippine art and culture.
References: CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art Volume 3. Manila: Cultural Center of the Philippines, 1994 Quirino, Carlos. Who’s who in the Philippines. Manila: Tahanan books, 1995.
When Markers Lie
WHEN MARKERS LIE
by Peter Jaynul V. Uckung
The Philippine has a healthy sense of remembering her Independence Day. Proofs of this are the countless memorials and shrines dotting the landscape, telling tales of battles and extolling the sacrifices of Filipinos in fighting for freedom. Indeed, June 12, is a very hallowed date in Philippine history as this was the day that Philippine Independence in Kawit, Cavite, was proclaimed.
We officially begin our Independence celebration on May 28, which is declared “Flag Day”, culminating on June 12. There is, however, a curious revelation after June 12, 1898. It was only after June 12, 1898 that the Filipinos embarked on a more brutal conflict on their quest for total independence. This was the war against the United States.
The Philippines has long ago recognized the fact that the Americans had waged a war of aggression on the Filipinos, and actually commemorates battles, won or lost, against American soldiers, even making heroes of Filipino soldiers hanged as bandits by Americans. What’s more, the Philippines is now remembering massacres perpetuated by American soldiers on Filipino civilians.
In America, there is a quiet hushing up of the event. There is no a shrine or memorials remembering the Filipino-American War. There are, however, memorials on the Spanish-American War.
On the base of these monuments is a bronze plaque with the words “Spanish-American War, 1898-1902, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Philippine Islands, USA”. There is also an illustration of a native woman with her chains broken, kneeling before the US soldier and sailor, who it appears, liberated her. In reality, any Filipina, upon seeing American soldiers, would have fled into the mountains, as she knew how capable these soldiers were in killing civilians.
There is a large bronze plaque in Minnesota State Capital honouring the 13th Minnesota State Infantry. It details how the unit volunteered for Philippine insurrection to campaign against “insurgent Filipinos under Chief Aguinaldo”.
Although, recognizing the conflict in the Philippines, the plaque was full of misinformation. The Thirteenth Minnesota never volunteered for the Philippine insurrection. Yes, they volunteered to fight the Spaniards, but not the “Niggers” in the Philippines, as one Minnesota soldier revealed.
And there was no Philippine insurrection. The term falsely depicts the sovereignty of the US over the Philippines, against which Filipino rebelled. Nothing of that sort was true. It was clearly a war of conquest; as the Philippines had declared her independence much earlier. Calling Aguinaldo as chief was another tell-tale blunder. This was an American attempt to relegate Aguinaldo and his fighting Filipinos as a minor group or “tribe”
This was ironic, because before the Filipino-American war erupted, the Americans considered Aguinaldo the leader of the Filipinos. They even consulted him and enlisted his help during the Spanish-American War. In duration, effort and loss of lives, the Filipino-American was far out shadows the Spanish-American War.
In the 1960’s, there was a brief resurgence of memory about the Filipino-American War. The American were then deep in the Vietnam War in Quagmire.
Parallels between the war in the Philippines and the war in Vietnam were many. In both countries, the US were friendly at first with the colonized people, and then turned on them, re-establishing colonialism. The Filipinos were allies against Spain, while the Vietnamese were allies against the Japanese. The American replaced Spain in the Philippines; in Vietnam they replaced the French. In both conflict, the US lied to the American people and employed censorship in news reports.
As Filipino civilians supported the struggle for freedom, the Americans effected a program of reconcentration camps. In Vietnam, they did it again, calling the scheme “strategic hamlet.”
And the Americans were cruel during the war in the Philippines. There were widespread reports of “burning the town and killing everyone insight, and taking no prisoners”. It was worse in Vietnam; remember Agent Orange, Napalm and My Lai massacre. There must be memorials on them to ensure that they will never happen again.
The war in Vietnam is described by Americans as their longest war. But the Filipino-American War arguably lasted longer.
The Minnesota plaque, thus, summarized the Filipino-American War: “they served the cause of humanity. They battled to free the oppressed people of the Philippine Islands, who suffered under the despotic rule of Spain.” This is a big lie; they did not come to help the oppressed they were here to conquer.
In 1998 a group of Filipinos exhibited and presented accurate information about the Filipino-American War in the Minnesota capitol. The Filipinos are truly sensitive of history. All m
en should be.
In Philadelphia is moored the USS Olympia, former flagship of George Dewey during the Battle of Manila on May 1, 1898, in which the US Navy destroyed the Spanish fleet at anchor. Footprints in bronze on the ship’s deck show where Dewey stood when he said, “You may fire when you are ready, Gridley”.
There is no trace, however, of the place where Dewey stood when he promised General Jose Alejandrino that the USS had no interest in becoming a colonial power.
Dewey even hosted Aguinaldo aboard the USS Olympia and assured him of the US recognition of Philippine Independence. Once again, there is neither trace nor mention of this historic meeting in the US Olympia. But there are bayonets, clothing, and spears displayed and labelled “Philippine Insurrection II”.
There really is a lot of work for the NHCP in straightening truths, in and outside the Philippines.
Asia’s Oldest University, The Royal and Pontifical University of Santo Tomas
ASIA’S OLDEST UNIVERSITY
THE ROYAL AND PONTIFICAL UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS
By: Quennie Ann J. Palafox
UST is a private and sectarian educational institution run by the Order of Preachers. The Dominicans were the fourth group of religious orders after the Augustinians, Franciscans and Jesuits that arrived in the Philippines, doing so in 1587. One of them was Fr. Miguel de Benavides who was appointed as the third Archbishop of Manila in 1603. Fr. Benavides most important legacy was his founding of UST, an institution of higher learning, initially intended to be a “seminary-college” to prepare young men for the priesthood. In his last will, Fr. Benavides donated his personal library and 1, 500 pesos which was a huge amount of money at that time, to finance the establishment of the college.
On the fateful day of April 28, 1611, the Colegio de Nuestra Señora del Santisimo Rosario was established in Intramuros with Fr. Domingo Gonzalez, O.P. appointed as rector. It was unfortunate that Benavides died on July 26, 1605 without even seeing the fruit of his work. In 1619, Pope Paul V granted the offering of degrees in Philosophy and Theology to all Dominican colleges in the world. Colegio de Nuestra Señora del Rosario was renamed Colegio de Santo Tomas, in memory of the foremost Dominican Theologian and its patron-saint, St. Thomas Aquinas, in 1625.
Pope Innocent X elevated the college to a university in 1645, making it the oldest existing University in Asia. In 1680 King Charles II placed the University under the royal patronage of the Spanish monarchy. The Faculty of Canon Law was formed as the Escuela de Derecho Canonigo in 1733, making it the oldest School of Canon law in the Philippines. King Charles III conferred the title “royal” university in 1785 because of UST’s loyalty to the crown when it volunteered its students for the military defense of Manila against the British who occupied Manila from 1762 to 1764.
In 1865, Queen Isabella II issued a royal order authorizing the University to direct and supervise all the schools in the Philippines with the Rector of the University as director of the Bureau of Education. No diploma was issued by other schools without the approval of the Rector of the University. The Revolution of 1868 led by Gen. Juan Prim resulted to the deposition of Queen Isabella II. A liberal government was established and an Italian prince, Amadeo of Savoy, was proclaimed as King of Spain in 1870. One of the acts of the newly-installed government was to secularize the University. However, this did not materialize because of the fall of the Liberal government and restoration of the Spanish monarchy.
Another significant move was implemented by the university in 1871 when it expanded its academic program to offer the degrees of Medicine and Pharmacy. The university opened its doors to women with the creation of the Escuela de Matronas (School of Midwives) in 1879. In 1898, UST was closed when the Philippine Revolution broke out. Classes were resumed a year later.
On September 17, 1902, Pope Leo XIII made the University of Santo Tomas a “Pontifical University”, and by 1947, Pope Pius XII bestowed upon it the title of “The Catholic University of the Philippines”. The University of Santo Tomas is the second university in the world after the Gregorian University in Vatican to be granted the formal title of Pontifical University.
A male dominated university, UST began accepting more female students in 1924 because of the desire of many families to have their daughters educated in a Catholic institution. In 1927, the UST Main building designed by Fr. Roque Ruaño, O.P., was inaugurated. That same year, the UST administration transferred the university campus from Intramuros to its present site in Sampaloc district because of the dramatic increase in its enrolment. In the following year, the Varsitarian, the official student newspaper of the university was founded. The Intramuros campus continued to operate until its destruction during the Second World War.
The Japanese Forces during the Second World War turned UST campus into an internment camp for 2,500 allied civilians. This sad episode of its history finally ended when the internees were liberated by U.S. forces in 1945.
In 1947, Pope Pius XII bestowed the appellate name “Catholic University of the Philippines” to UST. Two Popes have visited the University. The first time was in November 1970, when Pope Paul VI visited the University. The blessed Pope John Paul II came to the University in 1981. He came for the second time in 1995 and celebrated the World Youth Day with a mass at the UST parade grounds. The charismatic Mother Teresa of Calcutta also paid UST a visit in 1977.
Through the years has produced many Filipino patriots who have shaped the nation’s destiny among them the heroes Jose Rizal, Emilio Jacinto, Marcelo H. del Pilar, Apolinario Mabini; and Philippine Presidents such as Manuel Luis Quezon, Sergio Osmeña, Jose P. Laurel and Diosdado Macapagal. A large number of delegates of the Malolos Congress who drafted the Malolos Constitution in 1899 and delegates of the 1934 Convention who drafted the 1935 Constitution were alumni of the University.
Girl Power: The Women of Malolos
GIRL POWER: THE WOMEN OF MALOLOS