Officially, Filipinos do not have heroes – Sen. Imee
Published Aug 26, 2019 03:38 pm
By Mario Casayuran
Senator Imee R. Marcos said Monday the Philippines’ observation of National Heroes' Day may be a misnomer because officially, Filipinos do not have heroes.
Senator Imee Marcos (Senator Imee Marcos Official Facebook Page / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
This is a historical fact that would shock most Filipinos, she added.
“Little do most Filipinos know that ever since the Philippines gained independence, the government has never officially proclaimed who our national heroes really are, even if it has been taught as early as grade school that the likes of Jose Rizal and Andres Bonifacio are among them,” she said.
Marcos said the Philippine National Heroes Committee officially recommended several people for the designation in 1995, including Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Aguinaldo, Apolinario Mabini, Marcelo H. del Pilar, Sultan Dipatuan Kudarat, Juan Luna, Melchora Aquino, and Gabriela Silang.
However, the issue deteriorated into a debate involving regional interests that never was resolved, she pointed out.
The only bill that sought to proclaim a national hero was filed by Bohol Rep. Rene Relampagos back in 2014, urging the government to declare the reformist writer Jose Rizal as such, who advocated, fought, and died for Philippine reforms during the Spanish colonial era.
As of January 2017, the bill remained "Pending with the Committee on REVISION OF LAWS," Marcos said.
"What we only have are implied heroes, despite having official dates for their commemoration," Marcos added, citing they continue to be honored year after year during public municipal or provincial holidays.
Should the debate on national heroes resume, Marcos urged the inclusion of Macario Sakay in the roster.
Sakay was the first president of the Tagalog Republic who fought against Spanish and American colonizers in the Philippines during the early part of the 20th century.
Sakay's negative image as a bandit was just black propaganda contrived by American colonial authorities who found it hard to subdue him, Marcos revealed.
Marcos stressed that the betrayal of Sakay by a fellow Filipino to effect his surrender to the Americans should be taught in history class.
Senator Imee Marcos (Senator Imee Marcos Official Facebook Page / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
This is a historical fact that would shock most Filipinos, she added.
“Little do most Filipinos know that ever since the Philippines gained independence, the government has never officially proclaimed who our national heroes really are, even if it has been taught as early as grade school that the likes of Jose Rizal and Andres Bonifacio are among them,” she said.
Marcos said the Philippine National Heroes Committee officially recommended several people for the designation in 1995, including Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Aguinaldo, Apolinario Mabini, Marcelo H. del Pilar, Sultan Dipatuan Kudarat, Juan Luna, Melchora Aquino, and Gabriela Silang.
However, the issue deteriorated into a debate involving regional interests that never was resolved, she pointed out.
The only bill that sought to proclaim a national hero was filed by Bohol Rep. Rene Relampagos back in 2014, urging the government to declare the reformist writer Jose Rizal as such, who advocated, fought, and died for Philippine reforms during the Spanish colonial era.
As of January 2017, the bill remained "Pending with the Committee on REVISION OF LAWS," Marcos said.
"What we only have are implied heroes, despite having official dates for their commemoration," Marcos added, citing they continue to be honored year after year during public municipal or provincial holidays.
Should the debate on national heroes resume, Marcos urged the inclusion of Macario Sakay in the roster.
Sakay was the first president of the Tagalog Republic who fought against Spanish and American colonizers in the Philippines during the early part of the 20th century.
Sakay's negative image as a bandit was just black propaganda contrived by American colonial authorities who found it hard to subdue him, Marcos revealed.
Marcos stressed that the betrayal of Sakay by a fellow Filipino to effect his surrender to the Americans should be taught in history class.