Published by: Rezy Jyn Veradio
Date Published: August 28, 2023
Time Published: 12:10 PM
Republic Act No. 9492 states that the National Heroes Day is celebrated every last Monday of August in our country.
Despite this, no existing law in the Philippines that recognizes a specific person as the "National Hero". It means that it gives an opportunity for all to celebrate the bravery of not one, but all Filipinos who fought for our country that may serve as an inspiration to people [1].
With the goal of protecting the country at their own ways, these are the Filipinos who contributed in our history and their legacy remains in today's society:
𝗗𝗿. 𝗝𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝘇𝗮𝗹
He was a patriot, physician, and a man of letters, who served as an inspiration to the Philippine nationalist movement [2].
In 1887, he published his 1st novel that is written in Spanish entitled, "𝘕𝘰𝘭𝘪 𝘔𝘦 𝘛𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘦". This novel exposes the evil things that the Spaniards did to the Filipinos while ruling in the Philippines.
Then four years later, Rizal published his 2nd novel entitled, "𝘌𝘭 𝘍𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘮𝘰" he wrote El Fili in dedication to the three martyred priests Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, also known as the "GomBurZa" in history books. The novel aimed to enlighten the society, and for Filipinos to be brought to the truth. He fought the Spaniards through writing.
Rizal's novels are still being passed on today, 𝘕𝘰𝘭𝘪 𝘔𝘦 𝘛𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘦 and 𝘌𝘭 𝘍𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘮𝘰 are taught in Junior High School and his life as a College subject, in pursuant to Republic Act No. 1425 also known as the "Rizal Law" passed by the Philippine Congress in 1956 [3].
𝗔𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗼 𝗠𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗶
Mabini was a theoretician and spokesman of the Philippine Revolution.
In his 30's, Mabini got a disability that struck his life, but that didn't stop him from fighting for our country during the revolution [4]. Even if he couldn’t physically fight in the battlefield, he armed himself with knowledge and deep patriotism that became one of the reasons for the country's freedom.
When the Katipunan revolt broke out in 1896, Spanish authorities arrested him because he was a member of the Katipunan, but Mabini was not even a member of the said revolt, but rather the '𝘓𝘢 𝘓𝘪𝘨𝘢 𝘍𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘢' reform association formed by Dr. Jose Rizal. In the revolution against the United States, he became known as the '𝘜𝘵𝘢𝘬 𝘯𝘨 𝘏𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘴𝘪𝘬𝘢𝘯' or the brain of the revolution.
Despite him being paralyzed, General Emilio Aguinaldo appointed Mabini as his chief adviser. He made drafts of many decrees and crafted the constitution of the 1st Philippine Republic, including the revolutionary government framework which was implemented in 1899 at Malolos, Bulacan. Then in the same year, he was appointed as the prime minister and also a foreign minister of the newly independent government of Emilio Aguinaldo. Mabini led the 1st cabinet of the republic, and remained as the head of Aguinaldo's cabinet until he resigned on May 7, 1899.
𝗔𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗕𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗼
He was known as the 'Father of the Philippine Revolution' against Spain, and also known as the 'Father of 𝘒𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘱𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘯', a secret revolutionary society he founded in 1892, where it aimed to gain Philippine Independence from Spain by revolution.
Andres read all of Rizal's writings, including the Bible and the history of the French revolution. His ability to lead pushed him to rally and as he prepared to strike with the Spanish authorities [5]. But before they could attack, Bonifacio's group was discovered by the parish priest in Tondo, then reported to the authorities. They were able to escape to the hills of Balintawak.
On August 26, 1896, Bonifacio and his men raised their sabers and rifles crying out, "Long live the 𝘒𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘱𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘯! Long live Philippine Independence" and tore their 𝘤𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘴 (identification papers) shouting "𝘒𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘢𝘢𝘯!". This event in history became known as the 'Cry of Balintawak' and commemorated every year on August 26.
𝗟𝗮𝗽𝘂-𝗟𝗮𝗽𝘂
Before the Spaniards conquered the Philippines for 300 years, Lapu-Lapu was one of the first Filipinos who fought for our country.
On March 16, 1521, a Portuguese explorer sailing for Spain, named Ferdinand Magellan arrived in the Philippines. He first landed in the island of Homonhon and explored many islands before he arrived in Cebu. Magellan baptized and converted natives to Christianity. Magellan and his comrades went to Mactan, and wanted Lapu-Lapu (chief of Mactan) and his people to bow before the chief of Cebu, to be under Spanish ruling and converted as Christians. But Lapu-Lapu rejected the offer and the Battle of Mactan began [6].
Magellan and his comrades attacked but were overpowered by Lapu-Lapu and his tribe. Ferdinand Magellan was struck by a bamboo spear and died in Mactan Island. Lapu-Lapu became the 1st hero of the Philippines and delayed the Spanish colonialism to the Philippines for 40 years.
Let us all recognize the hardships and sacrifices made by our fellow Filipinos who fought for our democracy, and made the society we live on today.
REFERENCES:
[1] Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines (nd). National Heroes Day. https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/featured/national-heroes-day/
[2] Department of Education Regional Office 1 (2022, July 27). Jose Rizal, National Hero of the Philippines. https://depedro1.com/jose-rizal-national-hero-of-the-philippines/#:~:text=Rizal's%20political%20program%20included%20integration,and%20Spaniards%20before%20the%20law.
[3] Our Happy School. (2013). The El Filibusterismo. https://ourhappyschool.com/journalism/el-filibusterismo
[4] National Council on Disability Affairs (nd). Apolinario Mabini. https://ncda.gov.ph/featured-filipino-pwd/apolinario-mabini/
[5] Pardo, M. (2016, June). Know your heroes: Andres Bonifacio. http://www.filipino-association.org/tambuli/showarticle.asp?_id=90
[6] Purdue Filipino. (nd). Basic Filipino History. https://purduefilipino.com/filipino-history#:~:text=Lapu%2DLapu%20became%20the%20first,Philippines%20for%20over%2040%20years.
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