April 9 is an important day for Filipinos, a day for everyone to recall and pay tribute to the country’s heroes who sacrificed with their lives, for the independence of the Philippines as a sovereign nation. It is designated as a special non-working holiday, for all Filipinos to look back, reflect and commemorate the courage of the Filipino soldiers, driven by their deep love for the country’s independence as a sovereign state in the international community of nations.
While it focuses on the brave stand of the Filipino and American soldiers to fight off the Japanese invaders in Bataan in the first half of the 1940s, it behooves every Filipino to remember and reflect on the inspiring self-sacrifice of all the Filipino heroes, like Lapu-Lapu, Fathers Gomez-Burgos-Zamora, Diego and Gabriela Silang, Dr. Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Teodora Alonzo (Tandang Sora), Antonio Luna, Juan Luna, Apolinario Mabini, Macario Sakay, and many others who dedicated their lives in fighting off the Spanish, American and Japanese colonial administrations.
Of course, it goes without saying, that the heroic sacrifice of those who fought the brutal Marcos Martial Law regime from 1971 to 1986 should never be forgotten and must also fittingly be remembered and given due recognition with their stories shared in the history classes particularly of elementary and high school students.
HEROISM & SUPREME SACRIFICE
In this regard, our public officials from President Bongbong Marcos, VP Sara Duterte, the Senators, Congressmen, the Supreme Court justices and down to the LGU officials are expected to lead the celebrations in their respective jurisdictions, to highlight the importance of remembering the heroism and supreme sacrifice of the country’s national heroes.
Note that our paper currency, in various denominations, has prominently displayed the faces of some of our national heroes. (BUT, the Central Bank, under this current Marcos-Duterte regime, stupidly replaced some of the heroes’ faces with those of animals!
Netizens expressed their disappointment in social media, and wondering if the idea-people in the Central Bank meant to obliterate the self-sacrificing patriotism embodied by the national heroes. Did they opt, traitorously if so, to put some Chinese or American symbols, as the former president now in an ICC prison in the Hague apparently showed his personal preference in word and in deed, at the height of his power as head-of-state?).
KEEPING THE SPIRIT
The commemoration of the courageous nationalist and patriotic self-sacrifice of our national heroes, on their respective birthdates or on other dates collectively honoring them, must be seriously implemented in all LGUs nationwide, and especially in schools and colleges, along with all government institutions –- to keep the Spirit of Love of Country instilled in the heart of every Filipino.
Especially at this time of President Xi Jin Ping’s China continuing aggression on our sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea, and President Trumps’ self-serving trade wars against more than 80 countries, the nationalist spirit of the Filipinos must be renewed vigorously by the government, by emphasizing and encouraging a patriotism-event-to-remember in all LGUs, government institutions, and in schools and colleges nationwide.
These significant dates of remembrance, dedicated to the heroism of our national heroes, actually should be a date when all of our public officials seriously reflect on how best they can emulate the heroes’ self-sacrificing love of country.
And, as mandated, to keep their spirit of “SERVE THE PEOPLE,” as clearly stated in the Constitution “to build a just and humane society.” Indeed, today, more urgently, the Filipino people are expecting that the Marcos-Duterte administration will at least start providing the people the P20/kg of rice, STOP extra-judicial killings (EJKs), and China’s encroachment into our sovereign territories.
Mr. Macaranas, your suggestions on how we, as a nation, should celebrate Araw ng Kagitingan is very appropriate and certainly very laudable…..BUT unfortunately not widely doable under our current situation where our country is run by self-serving political dynasties. Clearly, indisputably, national interests are a very poor second, if at all, to their primary interest of further enhancing their economic and political power.
But let’s keep alive the patriotic hopes you have passionately expressed ….because there IS hope.
Let me suggest a way we can finally put an end to political dynasties. My suggestion is too late for our mid-term election next month…but it just might be doable for election 2028. Here goes.
Let passionately patriotic individuals and groups like you and the People’s Choice Movement (PCM) of which you are president, create an AD HOC group, or even an AD HOC political party, with the SOLE OBJECTIVE of creating a law that will forever effectively ban political dynasties!
As I see it, this might be the only way we can free our country from the scourge of political dynasties.
Mr. Macaranas, as president of PCM, you may also aim for a vigorous program of VOTERS’ EDUCATION to guide our citizens in voting wisely during elections.
A hearty salute to our patriotic and courageous heroes, past and present. God bless our country.
With coming election, vote for candidates who are true patriots willing to sacrifice for the well being of the Filipinos instead of selfishly enriching their dynasties.