Jun
11
2008
Happy Independence Day!!!
Every June, our nation’s flag is displayed in more places than usual. And every June, we see the national colors displayed erroneously by an alarming number of people and establishments. Last week when I was in Metro Manila, at a restaurant with some blogger friends, I saw a couple of waiters hanging the flag vertically… but they did it the wrong way. Same with a mall here in Davao.
The Flag of the Philippines, when being displayed vertically, must show the blue field on the left side during peacetime. Only in time of war is the red field of the flag shown on the left side.
To avoid confusion or point-of-view arguments, here’s the rule of thumb: the vertical flag must be considered facing the outside of the building when displayed on the latter’s facade. I’m bringing this up because someone remarked that the flag, which was installed on a glass wall at that restaurant in Ortigas last week, wasn’t displayed improperly since customers inside the establishment were looking at the flag the right way.
It’s rather embarrassing that there are Filipinos who do not appreciate the flag. It is our symbol of national pride, therefore we should know it and hold it in the highest regard. Some might think it’s superfluous to subscribe to such ideas — but many times, ideas can be the start of something big. Perhaps we should start paying more attention to the ideas of nationalism, and perhaps we’ll become a much better country for it.
Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!
Jul
03
2007
I send greetings to Americans everywhere celebrating Independence Day.
Two hundred thirty-one years ago, 56 brave men signed their names to a bold creed of freedom that set the course of our Nation and changed the history of the world. On this anniversary, we remember the great courage and conviction of our Founders, and we celebrate the enduring principles of our Declaration of Independence.Through selfless sacrifice and unrelenting determination, the patriots of the American Revolution ensured that our Nation's claim to liberty and equality would not be dismissed or forgotten. The ideals they fought for and the country they helped establish are lasting symbols of hope to the entire world.Our commitment to America's founding truths remains steadfast. We believe that freedom is a blessing from the Almighty and the birthright of every man and woman. As our Nation faces new challenges, we are answering history's call with confidence that our legacy of freedom will always prevail. On Independence Day, we express our gratitude to the generations of courageous Americans who have defended us and those who continue to serve in our country's hour of need, and we celebrate the liberty that makes America a light to the nations.Laura and I wish you a Happy Fourth of July. May God bless you, and may He bless our wonderful country.GEORGE W. BUSH
Jun
12
2007
It's Independence Day for chrissakes (wait, is it yesterday or today?) but please don't think this is such an unpatriotic blog entry. It's just that with everything around us today, Ninoy may want to reconsider his most famous statement immortalize in the 500 peso bill, which amounts to really not much these days. On the second thought, even if Ninoy would be alive today he'd still die for us, for the country, but I know he'll come up with something that doesn't necessarily require bloodshed. It would be such a waste of brains.
# 1 - Where are these Filipinos we’re talking about? The majority of the Filipinos being referred to in the statement have fled and flown to just about every city in whole wide world where their idealism, intelligence, talent and perseverance will be put to good use. Just exactly who are the ones left? Those who couldn’t care less.
# 2 – Statistically majority of the Filipinos are either dying from hunger or on the brink of poverty. And government phonies would try to lure you with figures and stats that’d suppose to tell you poverty has abated. But really who are they kidding? The homeless? The unemployed? The farmer who up to now tills land he does not own? When you’re hungry nobody gives a flying lemur about heroic deeds or love for country. One of my friends said she’d begged to steer away from my first premise and rather say that Filipinos found more than one reason to leave this country. Sad but true.
# 3 – Practically a number of negative traits have been coined referring to a particular Filipino character. Yes, there are whole bunch of talented and industrious people out there but there are a great number who are indolent and plain worthless. Paging crab mentality and a plethora of other bad behavior. To my mind, this doesn’t give us any positive identity rather it has work to the disadvantage of hard-working Filipinos both in and out of the country only to be discriminated against because their fellowmen are morons.
# 4 – If Ninoy was alive today, he’d shoot himself in the head if he was to work and be flanked by worthless bad-ass sonofabitches in practically every level of government. Think DOJ secretary Raul Gonzales whose etymological skill has entirely modified the meaning of vote-buying or Benjamin Abalos and the COMELEC aliens who sit in their prized thrones clad in robes watching the whole elections get rigged. A friend of mine said Ninoy would still probably shoot his head if he lives up to seeing her daughter's histrionics. Di nga kaya?)
# 5 – That GMA ad featuring a dispatser shouting Kalayaan is so striking for me. It’s not enough that people have lost touch with the essence of our independence. To further mis-educate the people, the government’s ability to swap relevant commemorations as if it were festivals has come to its fruition with this one.
There’d be more reasons out there I guess but that’s what I can think of and also based from those who have commented and validated.
So am I saying that every hero who has fought for our liberation died for naught? Am I unworthy? And those who still live up to the hope and ideals that this nation can still be great? Am I to be blamed for wanting a better life? Are those people who have put to good use their talents and those who have enslaved themselves to working for other countries be blamed because they did not espouse patriotism? Maybe yes? Maybe no?
These are just questions. But I hope and pray that I would be able to live up to a time that I shall know the answers.
Photo courtesy of www.apa.si.edu
Jun
11
2007
The Philippine Declaration of Independence occurred on
June 12,
1898 in the
Philippines, where Filipino revolutionary forces under General
Emilio Aguinaldo (later to become the Philippines' first Republican President) proclaimed the sovereignty and independence of the Philippine Islands from the colonial rule of Spain after the latter was defeated at the
Battle of Manila Bay during the
Spanish-American War.
The declaration, however, was not recognized by the United States or Spain, as the Spanish government ceded the Philippines to the United States in the
1898 Treaty of Paris, in consideration for an indemnity for Spanish expenses and assets lost.
While the Philippines first celebrated its
Independence Day on
June 12, its independence was only recognized on
July 4,
1946 by the United States. Henceforth, Independence Day was observed on
July 4, but in the name of nationalism, and upon the advice of historians, Republic Act No. 4166 was signed into law by President
Diosdado Macapagal in 1964, proclaiming
June 12, which up to that time had been observed as Flag Day, as Independence Day.
The declaration, in the form of a proclamation, in the presence of a huge crowd, was done at the ancestral home of General
Emilio Aguinaldo between four and five in the afternoon in Cavite el Viejo (now
Kawit),
Cavite, some 30 kilometers south of
Manila.
The event saw the unfurling of the national
flag of the Philippines, made in
Hong Kong by Mrs. Marcela Agoncillo, Lorenza Agoncillo and Delfina Herboza, and the performance of the Marcha Filipina Magdalo, as the country's national anthem, today known as
Lupang Hinirang, made by Julian Felipe and played by the San Francisco de Malabon marching band.
The Act of the Declaration of Independence was prepared and written by Ambrosio Rianzares Bautista in Spanish, who also read the said declaration. A passage in the Declaration reminds one of another passage in the American Declaration of Independence.
The Philippine Declaration was signed by ninety-eight persons, among them an American army officer who witnessed the proclamation. The proclamation of Philippine independence was, however, promulgated on August 1, when many towns had already been organized under the rules laid down by the Dictatorial Government.
The
June 12 proclamation was later modified by another proclamation done at Malolos, Bulacan, upon the insistence of
Apolinario Mabini, who objected to the original proclamation, which essentially placed the Philippines under the protection of the United States. (Wikipedia)
