Three songs became the background for the first EDSA: one an angry lament, another a call for action, the third a joyous affirmation. These songs once again became the background to a people's mourning last August as we accompanied Cory Aquino to her final resting place. And now that her son and Ninoy's has finally announced his bid for the Presidency, shall we hear those songs once again against a background of yellow?
Here are the lyrics for Handog ng Filipino sa Mundo and Magkaisa, with English translations for those who cannot understand Filipino. Translations are literal, though, and not metered.
For Bayan Ko lyrics, see Even Birds.
Handog ng Filipino sa Mundo
(APO Hiking Society)
'Di na 'ko papayag mawala ka muli.
'Di na 'ko papayag na muli mabawi,
Ating kalayaan kay tagal natin mithi.
'Di na papayagang mabawi muli.
Magkakapit-bisig libo-libong tao.
Kay sarap palang maging Pilipino.
Sama-sama iisa ang adhikain.
Kelan man 'di na paalipin.
Ref:
Handog ng Pilipino sa mundo,
Mapayapang paraang pagbabago.
Katotohanan, kalayaan, katarungan
Ay kayang makamit na walang dahas.
Basta't magkaisa tayong lahat.
Masdan ang nagaganap sa aming bayan.
Nagkasama ng mahirap at mayaman.
Kapit-bisig madre, pari, at sundalo.
Naging Langit itong bahagi ng mundo.
Huwag muling payagang umiral ang dilim.
Tinig ng bawat tao'y bigyan ng pansin.
Magkakapatid lahat sa Panginoon.
Ito'y lagi nating tatandaan.
(repeat refrain two times)
Coda:
Mapayapang paraang pagbabago.
Katotohanan, kalayaan, katarungan.
Ay kayang makamit na walang dahas.
Basta't magkaisa tayong lahat!
The Filipino's Gift to the World
(Original by APO Hiking Society; translation by Laya)
I will not allow it, that you will be lost again
I will not allow it, that they will regain
Our beloved freedom, we've dreamed of for so long
We will not allow them to take it away again...
Arm in arm thousands of people standing there
Suddenly 'twas so sweet to be a Filipino
There united with one single purpose
Never again will we be slaves.
Ref:
The Filipino's gift to the world
A peaceful method for change
Truth, freedom and justice
Can be achieved without violence
As long as we all unite.
Look at what is happening to our country
The poor and the wealthy unite
Arm in arm with nuns, priests and soldiers
This part of the world became heaven.
Let's not allow darkness to reign again
Each man's voice should be heard
Brothers and sisters all in the Lord
We should always remember that.
(repeat refrain two times)
Coda:
A peaceful method for change
Truth, freedom and justice
Can be achieved without violence
As long as we all unite!
---------------------------------------
Magkaisa
(Virna Lisa; sung by Sarah Geronimo at Cory Aquino's funeral)
Ngayon ganap ang hirap sa mundo
Unawa ang kailangan ng tao
Ang pagmamahal sa kapwa'y ilaan
Isa lang ang ugat na ating pinagmulan
Tayong lahat ay magkakalahi
Sa unos at agos ay huwag padadala
Chorus
Panahon na (may pag-asa kang matatanaw)
Ng pagkakaisa (bagong umaga, bagong araw)
Kahit ito (sa atin Siya'y nagmamahal)
Ay hirap at dusa
Magkaisa (may pag-asa kang matatanaw)
At magsama (bagong umaga, bagong araw)
Kapit-kamay (sa atin Siya'y nagmamahal)
Sa bagong pag-asa
Ngayon may pag-asang natatanaw
May bagong araw, bagong umaga
Pagmamahal ng Diyos, isipin mo tuwina
(Repeat Chorus)
Magkaisa (may pag-asa kang matatanaw)
At magsama (bagong umaga, bagong araw)
Kapit-kamay (sa atin Siya'y nagmamahal)
Sa bagong pag-asa
Unite
(Original sung by Virna Lisa; translation by Laya)
Now that hardship is prevalent in the world
Compassion is what people need
Love for one's fellowman should be given
We all come from one root
All of us come from one race
Let's not let the rain and the flood sweep us away
Chorus
It's time (there's hope, you can see)
For unity (a new morning, a new day)
Even if (He loves us all)
it takes hardship and suffering
Let's unite (there's hope, you can see)
And work together (a new morning, a new day)
Holding hands (a new morning, a new day)
Towards a new hope
Now there's a new hope we can see
A new day, a new morning
Always remember God's love...
(Repeat Chorus)
Let's unite (there's hope, you can see)
And work together (a new morning, a new day)
Holding hands (a new morning, a new day)
Towards a new hope...
"Sa bayan ng Baler, isang dapithapon
mayro'ng isinilang, isang magandang sanggol.
Siya ay lumaki, at naging marunong
Siya ay nabantog, Manuel L. Quezon..."
...with the name pronounced as "Manuel La Quezon," the way we were taught to say our abakadas when I was in Grade One.
When called upon to deliver a song or poem appropriate for the Linggo ng Wika, one or another of my elementary school classmates would always render that little ditty. I don't know who wrote it, or if there was anything more to it than just those four lines, but it always reminded us of one thing: on the same day, August 19, many years ago, a boy named Manuel Luis Quezon was born in Baler and grew up to be President of the country and the Father of the National Language (Ama ng Wikang Pambansa).
Establishing the national language is probably the thing we best remembered Quezon for, when I was younger back in the province. For a long time, we still thought of the national language as Tagalog that went by another name, a language foisted upon us by the powers that be in the capital. It is only now that I can appreciate having Filipino as the language I can use to communicate with everyone from Ivatan to Tausug. Quezon did have the right idea.
When I was writing the article about Manuel Luis Quezon for Wikipilipinas, I learned how much more there was to him than just the Father of the Language whose birthday we remembered every August with celebrations of our languages and our diverse cultures.
Manuel Luis Quezon was the first President of the Philippine Commonwealth. More than that, he was also considered the Father of the Country because of his efforts in lobbying for Philippine independence from America. An ardent nationalist, he was from many accounts a passionate and fiery man who cared about many things. He died before he could see his dream of an independent Philippines come true, but his efforts were not in vain.
"I would rather see the Philippines run like hell by Filipinos than run like heaven by the Americans, because no matter how bad a Filipino government might be, we can always change it," he once said. This statement has earned him a lot of flak recently because many commented cynically that he got what he wanted. Still, he did say we could always change a bad Philippine government by ourselves; a bad government that is not even ours would be harder to change. If, that is, we really want to change it.
Maligayang kaarawan po, Pangulong Quezon.
I just finished reading "By Telephone", an English translation of Por Telefono, Jose Rizal's wickedly funny satire on the Spanish friars, which I found in full text version on Filipiniana.net. According to the executive summary, the satire was Rizal's response to the censorship of his Noli Me Tangere. In it, he depicts the friars as being very humble and virtuous even though they had taken vows of "wealth, pride and licentiousness".
As the title states, the piece focuses mainly on a telephone conversation between the Augustinian's Father Provincial in Manila and his procurator in Madrid. (Hindi pa uso si Hello Garci noon, but it sure rings a bell!) My favorite part was when he told the procurator, "Meanwhile, I impose as a penance upon you, who are neither a braggart nor a fool, that you have your picture taken in various poses, but always in the attitude of meditating, of writing a sermon, with a pen in your hand, a lamp beside you, with spectacles on even though you don't need them. Do you understand? Then have the pictures exhibited in public so that everybody may say, although nobody believes it: 'What a thinker he is. What a great orator this Salvadorcito Tont must be! He's always writing sermons. He doesn't even have time to get his picture taken!' This will cause you suffering but in spite of your having taken vows of wealth, pride and lustfulness, don't mind it. Don't forget to have your picture taken in a pensive altitude and as an actor! Good-by!"
"By Telephone" is only one of the numerous Rizal documents in the extensive Rizaliana collection of Filipiniana.net. named, appropriately enough, "The Complete Jose Rizal", which was just launched today, June 19, 2008, in time for Rizal's birthday. The Complete Jose Rizal, which was undertaken by Filipiniana.net in cooperation with the National Historical Institute, contains a complete bibliography of all of Rizal's literary works, professional notes, and correspondence, including full text versions of the originals and their translations, as well as of materials written about Rizal. It also has a gallery of over 100 images, among them photographs of Rizal, his family and friends, his artworks, and yes, even his women *giggle*. The correspondence numbers over 900 letters between Rizal and his family and friends, I am told, and includes three never-before-seen letters from Rizal to his family. (Whew! He only lived 35 short years and kept traveling all over the planet. He turned out quite a lot of literary works-- poems, essays, and even novels-- and artworks --paintings, illustrations and sculpture. Where'd he get the time to write all those letters, and still have time left over to go to parties and gatherings and dally with girls? No kidding, he really was a hero!)
Who was Rizal, really? I was doing some research about something else some time ago when I stumbled over a copy of Vicente Albano Pacis' 1952 Philippines' Free Press article "Rizal in the American Congress." Huh? The piece narrates an encounter between the author and Wisconsin Congressman Henry A. Cooper in 1926, in which Cooper talks about how the American Congress was finally persuaded to grant the Philippines its independence. According to Cooper, Rizal, then already a few years dead, "came to the rescue." During his speech sponsoring the Philippine Bill of 1902, Cooper said: “It has been said that if American institutions had done nothing else than furnish to the world the character of George Washington, ‘that alone would entitle them to the respect of mankind.’ So, sir, I say to all those who denounce the Filipinos indiscriminately as barbarians and savages, without possibility of a civilized future, that this despised race proved itself entitled to their respect and to the respect of mankind when it furnished to the world and character of Jose Rizal." Cooper then quoted the "Ultimo Adios" and concluded "Sir, the future is not without hope for a people which, from the midst of such an environment, has furnished to the world a character so lofty and so pure as that of Jose Rizal." Reminiscing, Cooper told the writer “The story and poetry of Rizal did something to the House akin to a miracle,” because he "kindled a light" that became the turning point leading to the passage of the bill.
Novelist, artist, sculptor, doctor, poet, nationalist, linguist, son, brother, lover, husband, hero, genius. That's Rizal -- a person who embodied so many facets of the best of being human. In Filnet's The Complete Jose Rizal collection, we discover more and more of those facets, inspiring us and showing us what we could become. When we truly realize who Rizal was, we realize just how great a thing it is to be a Filipino.
Happy birthday, Rizal!
(also published on the Filipiniana.net blogsphere)
One of life's greatest pleasures: a road trip!!!
It was with great anticipation that I awaited our company outing to the Ilocos with the rest of the Filnet/Wikipinas team... and this is our adventure.
(All photographs in the slideshow of this blog entry are courtesy of Jack Victor Nera.)
Our original destination was Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte, located at the northernmost tip of the Philippines, about 12 hours away from Manila. However, we also decided to take in as much of the Ilocos as we could while we were there.
We left Manila at about 8:00 pm on the evening of April 30, 2008. All of us were a bit weary as we had put in a full day's work, but we were all eager for the sights and sounds of Ilocandia. We mostly dozed on and off inside the bus-- I was a bit peeved because it was pitch black outside and I couldn't even see what we were passing, except for two or three cemeteries along the way. Spookee! The road was long and winding and in some places bumpy-- sort of like riding a roller coaster with surprise bumps for 12 hours!! Argh! Anyway, we rolled into Laoag at about 5:30 in the morning of May 1. Pagudpud was still about 2 hours away, we were told.
Before going to Pagudpud, we went up this really narrow mountain road.
Surprise! At the top was the Cape Bojeador Lighthouse, built in 1892, declared a National Historical Treasure. It's really old and somewhat shabby now, but we could still see that it must've really been beautiful in its day. We climbed up to the foot of the lighthouse tower -- even from there, the view was breathtaking. We could see the entire countryside, including a large part of the coastline. Bambie and Jess indulged their inner Charlie's Angels in the doorway of the lighthouse :p while Jack pretended to be a prisoner at the gate. :(
Next stop: the Bangui Windmills.
They reminded me somewhat of a child's toy pinwheel, except they had three blades instead of four. Seen up close, they looked like giant airplane propellers set on giant stems-- 6 meters in diameter and 50 meters high, whew! These windmills look like pinwheels for a giant child-- Jess looked really small standing next to one! I wouldn't have thought that something industrial could be beautiful, but those windmills proved me wrong. And the sound they made as they spun was strangely haunting, sort of a soughing sound that matched the sound of the surf breaking on the nearby beach.
This trip really brought out the model instincts and photographer's talents in some of my companions. Jerome made like a sunglasses ad, Jack tried to push the tower, and everybody else hammed it up!
After the windmills, we finally got to Pagudpud, where we relaxed at the Villa del Mar for a day or so of sun, surf and sand. The Villa del Mar was our home away from home in Pagudpud (complete with Wikipilipinas banner)! It's practically on the beach, so all we had to do was get into our swimwear and jump in the water! We went for long walks along the beach, too, a lot to see! There were a lot of peddlers selling accessories on the beach-- I got myself some coral bracelets (real red coral) and bracelets made of polished pebbles, 3 for Php100. It was in Pagudpud that we discovered what pinakbet really tasted like. Well, of course, it's an Ilocano dish, so where better to taste the original than in the heart of Ilocandia? Their pinakbet was crunchy and tasted different and way better than what we're used to... Papa Digs said it was due to the baknet, some kind of lechon kawali, that was one of the ingredients.
The next day, we went to Bacarra's St. Andrew's Church with its leaning belfry! Since the structure is no longer sound for climbing around in, we had to content ourselves with touching its bricks and having our pictures taken beside it. In the grounds of the church, behind what was then the convent and what is now a multipurpose hall, there were mysterious steps leading down into the ground, but we didn't have time to explore it any further because we were called to go on to our next destination.
The Patapat Viaduct, along the road to Cagayan. It's an elevated highway constructed along the steep mountainside. Someone told us that it was built to solve the problem of landslides and vehicular accidents along the original road, which was way overhead and looked super narrow! At least, the viaduct looked lots safer and made for a great view of what we learned later was Pasaleng Bay. A lot of people were also there, stopping on the viaduct to take pictures. Apparently the drivers who regularly passed along that highway were used to all those tourists taking pictures for they calmly steered a route through without a sound of protest.
On the way back from Patapat, we saw Bantay-Abot Cave and simply had to stop and take a look. To get into the "cave", we had to go over some rocks which were slippery with the waves washing over them! Super slippery! Chris tried to scale the cliff next to the cave. Minutes later, he's still trying :p while we decided to have our picture taken beside him :D Papa Digs got up on a rock... and everybody followed suit! It really began to look like a Wikipilipinas photo shoot!! >:) Meanwhile, Anwar did his best "Karate Kid" pose. It's the "Moment of Truth"... will he or will he not fall off the rock? (He didn't!)
After Bantay-Abot Cave, it's on to the Java Hotel, where we would stay for the night. I had noticed this hotel on the way to Pagudpud and thought it looked really intriguing. It looked to me like an eyrie, an eagle's nest, with its straw roofs and balconies. Like a village where bird-people lived in fantasy stories. Inside, it's all connected by bridges and ramps, including the restaurant, named, appropriately enough, the Eagle's Nest.
The next morning, we set out for Vigan and the World Heritage Village. On the way, we stopped at Paoay to see the famous church, and indulged our longing to climb the belfry. The steps were really rickety, and some of them were thin or even prone to break in places-- I hope the people in charge of maintaining the site replaces or repairs those stairs soon, otherwise, with the number of people who try to conquer that belfry every day, they might find themselves with an accident on their hands. Even then, the interior of the tower reminded us of the movie National Treasure, and Tin also commented that she remembered Crispin and Basilio in the Noli, who must have been bell-ringers in a similar tower. Thankfully, everyone was able to make it back down without mishap!
We got to Vigan by noon, and ate at Max's. We wanted to eat at Cafe Leona's but it was super crowded, especially as it was the Binatbatan Festival in the city. Anyway, all the restaurants in the place were in old buildings, even the McDonald's! The guys amused themselves with taking pictures from the upstairs windows and balconies of the restaurant while we were waiting for the food to be served. They got some good pics, too!
Afterwards, we explored Calle Crisologo and looked for souvenirs to take home. There was this shop, halfway down the street, that looked like any other souvenir shop except that our boss, Mr. Gus Vibal, discovered that it also sold old books, from the collection of the proprietress' uncle who lived in the States. In the loft of that shop were a lot of books on history and culture and literature. Although they were a bit pricey for the average shopper, the collection was amazing! (I was so, so sorry my budget was limited, as there was a volume on Scottish Folk Tales I was itching to read!) Instead, we bought bags, and Ilocano hand towels and blankets (Anwar even got a box of hand-rolled cigars), and a lot of other things. I got this precious purple banig carryall with a ribbon for only Php150. We wanted to look around some more, but so far only the Calle Crisologo portion has been restored. The other buildings are still mostly dilapidated. Tin and I thought that it was a pity, because all of those buildings, genuine bahay na bato, must have been splendid in their day. I hope they restore more of the old houses soon! Maybe by the time I can come back to Vigan (fingers crossed)!
Then the parade started. Since Vigan was into nostalgia, there were no motor vehicles in the parade-- all the floats were calesas, decorated with recycled or indigenous materials. My personal favorite was the float of St. James Hospital-- even the horse wore hospital scrubs!! The most applauded float, however, was Jollibee's-- you could hear the chanting straight down the block "Jollibee! Jollibee!" which shows how popular that fast food chain has become. Go figure.
After the parade, we headed back south towards Manila, but not without dropping by Vigan's Bantay Church. The minute I laid eyes on its tower, situated all by itself on a little knoll, I thought it looked like Rapunzel's tower in the fairy tale. All like-minded, when we got out of the car, we all ran like crazy, over the grass and winding steps, to get to the door of the tower first. This time, the going was easier and we got to the top of the tower without any mishap. From there, the guys who seemed to be caretakers of the tower and its grounds said, we could see most of Vigan and clear to the South China Sea. A very effective watchtower it must have been in its day! No wonder it's called Bantay!
Finally, we headed home, passing over the breathtaking Quirino Bridge that spanned the Abra River. We still saw much of the countryside before it got too dark, and stopped in Candon City for kalamay and other kakanin, including a giant package of their famous kornik. We also stopped here and there for garlic and onions (the Ilocos are famous for these spices) and other local specialties.
But just when we thought that our lovely sojourn in the North was over, we had another surprise coming. We stopped at Gerona, Tarlac, at the Isdaan restaurant (I admire the genius who conceived this creation!). It's a restaurant that's almost a theme park, where we dined in a floating pavilion (I mean literally floating, as in on a raft) on ponds filled with colorful koi. We also checked out the place, from the "tacsiyapo" wall where you can pay to smash crockery and vent your anger to your heart's content; to the famous bridge that was no wider than the wall of a rice paddy, that whoever crossed it safely got a free kilo of fresh fish; to the Buddha pavilion at the top of a series of tall stairs. We also saw the spitting monkeys (again, a kilo of fresh fish to the one who could elude these gargantuan statues' emissions), and the curious bike made from faucets. Finally, we dined on sisig, kare-kare, broiled fish, and pusit, until we were full. Yum-my! By the time we got back to Manila, two hours later, we were all very sleepy and tired, but it was a different sort of tired. It was a tiredness that felt at the same time content and fulfilled and happy with the world.
Thanks to Vibal Publishing, especially to Mr. Gus Vibal, for the great experience, and thanks to my officemates, too, for all the fun we had. Looking forward to the next time!
Congressman Jose de Venecia was ousted as Speaker of the House just after midnight today, Tuesday, February 5, 2008, and Congressman Prospero Nograles was elected Speaker in his place. What makes this ironic is that, in an earlier (failed) attempt to unseat JDV and install another Prospero (this one a lettuce, er, Pichay, what's with the Shakespearean names anyway?!?) in his place, Nograles reportedly claimed that JDV was his friend and that he would not "do a Brutus" on his friend.
Huh.
"Et tu, Brute?" Caesar gasped after being stabbed by the person he considered his friend in the Roman Senate.
What makes me snort (as in smoke coming out of my nose) is that on Monday morning, on my way to work, I heard over the radio (I think it was DZRH), one of the commentators in one of those "tambalan" programs say that JDV's goose was cooked since there already had been a celebratory dinner at the Arroyo house in QC the night before, complete with everybody slapping everybody else on the back and offering toasts all round. Wow. Talk of being sure of yourself. Well, they must've been pretty sure of their 174 votes if they were celebrating as early as Sunday evening. The commentator went on to speculate how much money changed hands and where it was from (kalahating milyon na naman?). Wow naman. Buti pa sila, ang lalaki na nga ng suweldo, marami pang perks of the job, tapos binibigyan pa ng kalahating milyon. Samantalang ang taong bayan, kumakayod ng kumakayod, halos kulang pa nga pambuhay ng pamilya, kinakaltasan pa ng kung gaano kalaking buwis. I wouldn't be so bitter about the taxes if it went to something tangible for the people. The problem is, we already know that most of the taxes we pay go into somebody's pocket and we get only the dregs as government services! Hello! Then I see that half-assed advertisement that mars my enjoyment of Channel 9's C/S shows-- "umunlad ang aking buhay" daw, pwe. So are we supposed to be grateful for government services? Hello ulit! Binayaran namin yan sa buwis na kinakaltas n'yo sa amin kada buwan! Wala kaming dapat na utang na loob sa inyo para sa serbisyo na binibigay ninyo dahil karapatan namin yan bilang mamamayan ng Pilipinas! Pwede tama na tong hacendero mentality na to?
That's what I call this sort of thing: hacendero mentality. I think historians and sociologists would also call it the "datu" system. You know, parang peon sa asyenda, kumakayod ng kumakayod para gumanda ang buhay ng hacendero, tapos kailangan pang mangutang sa hacendero at tanawin pa na utang ng loob yun, samantalang kung tutuusin yung serbisyong naibigay na nila ay hamak na mas mataas na ang halaga kaysa "utang" na yun. We Pinoys should've had enough of thinking that we are worthless, or that we are worth less than those whatevers that we often see on TV yelling at one another in Congress over who's going to get what. Kaya nga popular representation tawag dun eh. They are just our delegates! We put them there! So when we need something from them, we shouldn't think that they're going to do us a favor, because we are entitled to their services, damn it!
Anyway, ranting again. It's the result of reading Katherine Mayo's book "Isles of Fear: The Truth About the Philippines" on top of the ouster in the House. This book (published 1924) will be available on Filipiniana.net soon, so watch for it. Maaasar kang matatawang maiiyak. Tapos mapapaisip ka, is there a difference between what is depicted in the book and what is happening nowadays? Granted, exag ang book, not to mention the decidedly biased American viewpoint of the author, but if you disregard the pontification on how America is better and look at the facts and incidents as depicted, baka masabi mong nangyayari pa rin hanggang sa ngayon. Ang tanong: bakit walang nagbago? Ang sagot: aba, ewan. Tanong mo kaya sa mga unnamables sa Kongreso?
Where was I? Ah yes, the ouster. Nag-abstain si Darlene (Congresswoman namin) kaya no comment na rin ako sa mga nangyayari. Dog-eat-dog ang labanan --- so what's new? Bakit ako kakampi sa isa sa kanila, eh pare-pareho lang naman ang mga lintok, pinag-agawan na naman ang liderato para kung may gusto silang ipasa o ilusot, may backer na naman sila. Para malakas ang kapit. Oy, mahiya naman kayo sa mga taong bayan na naglagak sa inyo sa puwesto, gumawa naman kayo ng para sa kanila at yung hindi para sa mga sarili nyo! Kundi, mas gugustuhin na lang namin na mag-ubusan na kayo at ng mapalitan na! Peste!
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While we're on the subject of Aguinaldo and Bonifacio, I can't help but remember another person connected with Aguinaldo. Gregorio del Pilar, born November 14, 1875, goes down in Philippine history as the youngest general of the Revolutionary Army, called the "boy general". He died on December 2, 1899, a Brigadier General at age 24, at Tirad Pass, covering Aguinaldo's retreat with 60 men against 3000 American soldiers-- the circumstances of his death were so much like an old Greek legend that he was referred to by some as the "Leonidas of the Philippines" and Tirad Pass as our local version of Thermopylae. (300, anyone?) Hey, to be compared to a Spartan, a member of a race best known in history for their bravery, discipline, and honor (ever read the story about the Spartan boy with the fox under his coat?), is no small thing.
I read Wilfredo Pascual's blog entry about how del Pilar's bones were exhumed in 1930 and brought to the municipal hall of Concepcion, Ilocos Sur, the nearest town to Tirad Pass. That town was later renamed Gregorio del Pilar in 1955, in honor of the boy general. There was a comment by Dr. Ricardo Soler about how some viewed del Pilar as nothing more than a wannabe hoodlum, "a bodyguard of Aguinaldo no different from the bodyguards of politicians who tell their masters, 'Boss, tirahin na lang natin 'yan. (Boss, let's just take him out.)' "
Huh.
As a child, I was taught about del Pilar's loyalty to Aguinaldo, so that he ultimately died to defend his President. Knowing more about Aguinaldo now than I did before, I can't help but marvel at his misplaced loyalty, but well, he did what he felt was right. According to Teodoro A. Agoncillo's History of the Filipino People, after Gregorio del Pilar's death, Major March, his American opponent, found the boy general's diary. In it, del Pilar had written:
" The General [ Aguinaldo ] has given me the pick of all the men that can be spared and ordered me to defend the Pass. I realize what a terrible task has been given me. And yet, I felt that this is the most glorious moment of my life. What I do is done for my beloved country. No sacrifice can be too great. "
Gregorio del Pilar's body was not buried until several days after his death. American soldiers left his corpse almost naked, stripping it of all valuables for "souvenirs". (And they called us Filipinos barbarians--- pwe!) Finally, an American officer, Lt. Dennis Quinlan, found his body and ordered him buried. It is said that Quinlan admired del Pilar's courage so much that he had an marker placed on del Pilar's grave which read:
GENERAL GREGORIO DEL PILAR; KILLED AT THE BATTLE OF TIRAD PASS, DECEMBER 2D, 1899; COMMANDING AGUINALDO´S REAR GUARD- AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN. (emphasis mine)
The pic of del Pilar on Wikipedia makes him look dandified. His legs are crossed, his right hand is in his tunic, he looks like he's leaning on his sword.
But I found another pic of Gregorio del Pilar on Filipiniana.net. (it's the first pic that comes up when you google search for "general gregorio del pilar"). It's a full-body black and white picture; there's what looks like a house behind him, and perhaps pandan or some tall grass, and palm fronds. His wide-brimmed hat is on the grass near his feet. The boy general is wearing his uniform: a white tunic with epaulets, and dark trousers tucked into high boots. He has a sword hanging from his belt, his arms are crossed. From a distance, you might label it as just another picture of an officer in the Revolutionary Army, and not look any closer.
But this is del Pilar. It was those crossed arms that did it for me, I guess. 
I am reminded of the words of Thetys to her son Achilles in the movie "Troy":"If you stay in Larisa...you will find peace. You will find a wonderful woman. You will have sons and daughters, and they will have children. And they will love you. When you are gone, they will remember you.But when your children are dead and their children after them... your name will be lost.
If you go to Troy...glory will be yours. They will write stories about your victories for thousands of years. The world will remember your name. But if you go to Troy... you will never come home. For your glory walks hand in hand with your doom."
A thug? Would a common thug have felt that no sacrifice done for his beloved country was too great? Would not a common thug if faced with certain death have cut his losses and run? That is the difference between a common hoodlum and Gregorio del Pilar. That is why even the Americans honored him as a worthy foe, "an officer and a gentleman." Because when faced with the option to do the right thing even if it cost him his life, he took it without hesitation. How many people today would do the same?
I really must study Spanish. I keep wanting to study that language but never really got down to it. Since we Pinoys have a lot of Spanish words in our language (so does English, actually), I can get the gist of Spanish when reading or hearing it, but not really accurately. Lamentably, I am of the generation that no longer had Spanish as a compulsory subject in college, so I have to make do with cocina, cuchillo, cuchara and etc. :p
Anyway, the reason I am so peeved with my poor Spanish is because there are a lot of interesting old documents being published on Filipiniana.net, in the original Spanish text, that I am simply itching to read! (Gosh, that sounds like Mindy, the Wikipilipinas avator...) Really, I mean come on. I have always liked history, and who hasn't wanted to be a treasure hunter? Indiana Jones. Sydney Fox (Tia Carrere in Relic Hunter). Lara Croft. Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz in The Mummy. Allan Quatermain in King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard (yup, I read that!). Amelia Peabody and Radcliffe Emerson. Gabriela and Elias in Asian Treasures. Our fascination with the Golden Buddha and the Yamashita Treasure. Even Heinrich Schliemann and Troy, for goodness' sake. Many treasure hunts start with old documents. And also, the old documents are treasures in themselves. The knowledge they impart are is a treasure in its own right (makes me think of the ten scrolls in Og Mandino's "The Greatest Salesman in the World"--- love that book!).
One of the biggest shocks I have ever had in my whole life was reading about Andres Bonifacio being betrayed by the Katipunan he had worked so hard for. I forgot the title of the book, which my tita brought home from one of those librarian's conferences she often attends, when I was still in college (the late 1990's). Anyway, my knowledge of Andres Bonifacio was limited to this person so often depicted in paintings and monuments, the man who looked like a farmer in a camisa de chino and rolled-up trousers, with a red bandana around his neck, pointing forward with a bolo in his hand, his mouth open in a perpetual cry of "sugod mga kapatid!" (which is an apocryphal image, so historians now tell us). Who was Andres Bonifacio? Ah, isn't he that guy connected with the Katipunan? The one who tore up his cedula at the Cry of Balintawak? The guy who was orphaned young, who made and sold fans to keep his family alive, the one who brought up his younger brothers and sisters? The one who led the Revolution? His wife was Gregoria de Jesus, right? Bits and pieces of trivia-- that was all I knew about Andres Bonifacio. I never really got the picture of how hard it would have been for him, all the legwork that went into founding a secret society and keeping it alive enough to form the foundation for a revolution, the hard work that went into conducting the revolution itself, all because this man loved his country. He had a dream, and he wanted to make it real. In the end, he was betrayed and killed by people who later sold away his dream for their own personal convenience. After reading that book, I somehow wished that my knowledge about Bonifacio had indeed stopped at knowing he was the Supremo of the Katipunan and the Father of the Revolution, because reading about what happened to him later was like watching a really sad episode of "Maalaala Mo Kaya"... it left an ache in my heart.
Now, long years later, Filipiniana.net published the Philippine Revolutionary Records, all full texts of original documents from the Philippine Revolution, including the records of the Bonifacio court martial (gusto kong barilin si Aguinaldo, pramis!) and later Aguinaldo's justification of his order to have Bonifacio executed (gusto ko na talagang barilin si Aguinaldo, buti na lang patay na rin siya!) saying, in effect, that it was either him or Bonifacio, and like any person who wanted to preserve his own worthless hide, he chose himself, of course, wouldn't anyone else have done the same? (I wonder what Gat Andres would have done had the roles been reversed. And yes, he does deserve that "Gat" before his name!)
At least the Bonifacio Court Martial was in Tagalog (Pinoy na Pinoy) so I had no trouble reading it (the trouble was with my reactions to it, I mean it was all so long ago, but that doesn't help the indignation I feel!). Now Filipiniana.net has published the "El Indio Agraviado", written in 1821, which is considered the Manifesto, a first manifestation of Filipino nationalism. Original text is in Spanish, which is why I am so bummed about my Spanish-language skills! well, anyway, I guess I have to be content for now with the Google translation, although I do wish Filnet would publish a translation (sige na po...)!
"El Indio Agraviado" literally means "the injured native" --- we still use the term "agraviado" or "agrabyado" today to mean "disadvantaged". Anyway, the context of "El indio" was this: a "political scientist" states in the publication "Noticioso Filipino" that the educational system in the Philippines should be reformed because the native was ignorant, inept, inferior, a thief, and a lot of other epithets that make my ears smoke (pati bumbunan ko umuusok ah!), but then, if the native were educated he would use his learning to write against the Spaniards and feel like their equal. Argh. If you think today's people are bigots, try the 17th century! Thank Bonifacio and his companions for the Revolution, in fact while we're at it, thank all the nationalists who fought so hard for our independence.
Anyway, at least one of the "natives" this bigoted "political scientist" talked of must've been very indignant, because he denounced the statements of this person in a piece which is, you guessed right, "el indio agraviado", and el indio agraviado he must remain because the piece is anonymous and no one knows who this early nationalist really was. "El indio agraviado" said, among others, that if the natives are ignorant, it is the result of two and a half centuries under Spanish rule, and that a person is likely to become a thief if you deny him his rightful income. He goes on to say that the contemptuous attitude of the Spaniards towards the natives was unconstitutional because they all belonged to one nation. Now that's telling them!
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