What Has Become of Araw ng Kagitingan?
We may be a small nation but we are a country of great and brave men and women. Throughout our nation's 500 year history, there are a lot of people who rose as heroes that serve as inspiration to the later, much younger generation. These are the brave men who fought hard against foreign aggressors. They are the intelligent men and women who work for our independence from the Spaniards, the Americans and the Japanese. They are the Filipinos that brought honor to our country and great pride to their countrymen. On April 9, we will honor these great people. Most of them are long dead. Some of them we can barely remember their lives. Others, however, are still alive. They are the legacy of our country that has gone through tumultuous and trying times. They are the heroes long gone but not forgotten. Those still alive are living inspiration of how resilient the Filipino spirit is.
Three of these great and brave men deserve special mention. The first one is a loincloth clad brave native that fought against the Spaniards who he thought arrived in the islands to conquer them all. He may have been mistaken, but what he did brought him honor as the first Filipino ever to ward off western invasion. The second one is a small guy with big ideas. He was fighting and all out war against the unjust governance of the the Spaniards, some of whom were priests he sorely denounced. The third one is still alive and kicking (actually boxing). He is currently making waves in international scene because of his brave spirit. All these men, one way or the other, are brave. The loincloth clad native is brave in deed. The small guy has a brave mind and the third one remains undefeated because of his brave spirit. These are men whose lives are worth emulating. These are Filipino men all Filipinos should be proud of.
When Ferdinand Magellan sailed off the port in Spain going east in search of the elusive Spice Island, he did not think of being slain dead by a Filipino native in the Visayas Islands. Lapulapu, who is a Cebuano native, did not believe in Magellan's honest intentions. This ended tragically in a seashore battle at dawn between the Spaniards and the Cebuano natives. Magellan was killed and Lapulapu was hailed as a local hero. This great encounter is known today as the Great Battle of Mactan. Magellan's death ushered in new chapters of the nation's history. It started the 300 year Spanish occupation in the Philippines. Though it was predominantly a sad past with Spain, the Spanish occupation, however, elevated the country's cultural awareness and heightened each and every one's patriotic heart to ward off any more foreign invasion. Lapulapu may not have realized the implications of his actions, but he placed the Philippines in the map just because he defended what he believed to be rightfully his.
Jose Protacio Rizal is our national hero. He is small in stature but he is a very intelligent guy. He is the youngest in a brood of nine. When he was still a child, he already saw the injustices committed by the Spanish authorities - both in the government and in the church - against his countrymen. He himself and his family were victims of the wrath of the Spanish friars who considered the Filipinos then as second class citizens of their own country. Rizal went on to study in Spain where he launched La Liga Filipina, a propaganda movement against the Spanish authorities in the country. He is, however, working for a peaceful transition, handover. Rizal's battle was never violent. He always believed that the pen is mightier than the sword. He advocated for peaceful means of revolution, in contrary to the very meaning of the word. He died in a firing squad facing the early morning sun in what is now known as the Luneta Park.
Not all heroes, however, are long dead. Manny Pacquiao, who everyone in the country knows very well, is very much alive and boxing. He is not just kicking but he has elevated the art of pugilism into a science. He was before a lowly boxer from the province who was not even able to finish high school. He knew then that he can fight as a boxer. Through hard work and dedication he slowly rose from the ranks to emerge as the world's greatest pound per pound boxer. Seeing him fight makes one think that boxing can be so graceful, not just bloody violent. He has carved his own style of fighting which made him the best. Coming from a poor background has also kept him grounded. He has not grown proud of his accomplishments. He always says that he is fighting first for his country. Every win he makes is dedicated to his country and the people that inspire him to box his best every time he gets up in the ring. His triumph inside the ring, therefore, is always the victory of our nation and its people.
In the face of great adversity, unlikely heroes surface. Lapulapu was an accidental hero. He was destined to be one, but he did not know it. His bravery in deed trying to defend what he believed to be rightly his sealed his destiny as the country's first to fight against foreign aggressors. Jose Rizal is brave in mind. He believed and died believing that independence is sweeter if fought not with aggression but with reasons. Unlike Lapulapu, however, Rizal did not become famous overnight. He worked for what he rightly deserves today as our national hero. When Pacquiao fights, the Filipinos unite as one in rallying for the Pambansang Kamao. No single living Filipino today can command what Pacquiao can, though unintentionally. Manny's bravery in spirit has made him overcome the worsts in his life. His persistence and because he did not give up, made him the local sport champ of the country and the best pound per pound pugilist of the world. Three men in different times, of different backgrounds. Three brave Filipinos, three heroes.
Unfortunately, these great and brave Filipinos will no longer be revered as deeply as we did before. Children today are not so aware of them. Could it be that the schools today are partly to blame? Or should the blame be on the the President who keeps on moving holiday dates to accommodate economic demands of the purportedly few rich Filipinos. Araw ng Kagitingan which honors brave and great Filipino men and women is still supposed to be celebrated on April 9, so why declare April 7, today, a national holiday? If only Lapulapu could swirl his bolo and hacked our necks flying off the air, if only Rizal could resurrect himself from his peaceful sleep, and if only Pacquiao has won a congressional seat, we could have celebrated with much pomp, pageantry and deep appreciation Araw ng Kagitingan as it should be this coming Thursday. Monday or Thursday, 7 or 9, the fact still remains though that we are the descendants of a brave race of men and women. We were not only once great because until today we are still great.
We may be a small nation but we are a country of great and brave men and women. Throughout our nation's 500 year history, there are a lot of people who rose as heroes that serve as inspiration to the later, much younger generation. These are the brave men who fought hard against foreign aggressors. They are the intelligent men and women who work for our independence from the Spaniards, the Americans and the Japanese. They are the Filipinos that brought honor to our country and great pride to their countrymen. On April 9, we will honor these great people. Most of them are long dead. Some of them we can barely remember their lives. Others, however, are still alive. They are the legacy of our country that has gone through tumultuous and trying times. They are the heroes long gone but not forgotten. Those still alive are living inspiration of how resilient the Filipino spirit is.Three of these great and brave men deserve special mention. The first one is a loincloth clad brave native that fought against the Spaniards who he thought arrived in the islands to conquer them all. He may have been mistaken, but what he did brought him honor as the first Filipino ever to ward off western invasion. The second one is a small guy with big ideas. He was fighting and all out war against the unjust governance of the the Spaniards, some of whom were priests he sorely denounced. The third one is still alive and kicking (actually boxing). He is currently making waves in international scene because of his brave spirit. All these men, one way or the other, are brave. The loincloth clad native is brave in deed. The small guy has a brave mind and the third one remains undefeated because of his brave spirit. These are men whose lives are worth emulating. These are Filipino men all Filipinos should be proud of.
When Ferdinand Magellan sailed off the port in Spain going east in search of the elusive Spice Island, he did not think of being slain dead by a Filipino native in the Visayas Islands. Lapulapu, who is a Cebuano native, did not believe in Magellan's honest intentions. This ended tragically in a seashore battle at dawn between the Spaniards and the Cebuano natives. Magellan was killed and Lapulapu was hailed as a local hero. This great encounter is known today as the Great Battle of Mactan. Magellan's death ushered in new chapters of the nation's history. It started the 300 year Spanish occupation in the Philippines. Though it was predominantly a sad past with Spain, the Spanish occupation, however, elevated the country's cultural awareness and heightened each and every one's patriotic heart to ward off any more foreign invasion. Lapulapu may not have realized the implications of his actions, but he placed the Philippines in the map just because he defended what he believed to be rightfully his.
Jose Protacio Rizal is our national hero. He is small in stature but he is a very intelligent guy. He is the youngest in a brood of nine. When he was still a child, he already saw the injustices committed by the Spanish authorities - both in the government and in the church - against his countrymen. He himself and his family were victims of the wrath of the Spanish friars who considered the Filipinos then as second class citizens of their own country. Rizal went on to study in Spain where he launched La Liga Filipina, a propaganda movement against the Spanish authorities in the country. He is, however, working for a peaceful transition, handover. Rizal's battle was never violent. He always believed that the pen is mightier than the sword. He advocated for peaceful means of revolution, in contrary to the very meaning of the word. He died in a firing squad facing the early morning sun in what is now known as the Luneta Park.
Not all heroes, however, are long dead. Manny Pacquiao, who everyone in the country knows very well, is very much alive and boxing. He is not just kicking but he has elevated the art of pugilism into a science. He was before a lowly boxer from the province who was not even able to finish high school. He knew then that he can fight as a boxer. Through hard work and dedication he slowly rose from the ranks to emerge as the world's greatest pound per pound boxer. Seeing him fight makes one think that boxing can be so graceful, not just bloody violent. He has carved his own style of fighting which made him the best. Coming from a poor background has also kept him grounded. He has not grown proud of his accomplishments. He always says that he is fighting first for his country. Every win he makes is dedicated to his country and the people that inspire him to box his best every time he gets up in the ring. His triumph inside the ring, therefore, is always the victory of our nation and its people.
In the face of great adversity, unlikely heroes surface. Lapulapu was an accidental hero. He was destined to be one, but he did not know it. His bravery in deed trying to defend what he believed to be rightly his sealed his destiny as the country's first to fight against foreign aggressors. Jose Rizal is brave in mind. He believed and died believing that independence is sweeter if fought not with aggression but with reasons. Unlike Lapulapu, however, Rizal did not become famous overnight. He worked for what he rightly deserves today as our national hero. When Pacquiao fights, the Filipinos unite as one in rallying for the Pambansang Kamao. No single living Filipino today can command what Pacquiao can, though unintentionally. Manny's bravery in spirit has made him overcome the worsts in his life. His persistence and because he did not give up, made him the local sport champ of the country and the best pound per pound pugilist of the world. Three men in different times, of different backgrounds. Three brave Filipinos, three heroes.
Unfortunately, these great and brave Filipinos will no longer be revered as deeply as we did before. Children today are not so aware of them. Could it be that the schools today are partly to blame? Or should the blame be on the the President who keeps on moving holiday dates to accommodate economic demands of the purportedly few rich Filipinos. Araw ng Kagitingan which honors brave and great Filipino men and women is still supposed to be celebrated on April 9, so why declare April 7, today, a national holiday? If only Lapulapu could swirl his bolo and hacked our necks flying off the air, if only Rizal could resurrect himself from his peaceful sleep, and if only Pacquiao has won a congressional seat, we could have celebrated with much pomp, pageantry and deep appreciation Araw ng Kagitingan as it should be this coming Thursday. Monday or Thursday, 7 or 9, the fact still remains though that we are the descendants of a brave race of men and women. We were not only once great because until today we are still great.
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