THE VIEW FROM RIZAL
Thursday of last week, millions of devotees joined the annual trek to Antipolo City and to the International Shrine of the Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage called “Alay Lakad.”
Philippine National Police (PNP) officials estimated the number of pilgrims-on-foot at 4.8 million to five million. It appears that the previous record of the number of “Alay Lakad” participants — 3.8 million to four million in 2019 — has been broken.
This Maundy Thursday tradition was suspended during the three previous years due to the pandemic. Last week, devotees returned to the tradition “with vengeance.” The five million who made the way up to the shrine seemed to be telling the whole world that single most powerful message of the post-pandemic era: “We are not afraid anymore.”
This proves once more that, from a spiritual perspective, we, Filipinos, are a “Resurrection People.” We are an expression of the meaning of Easter: emerging from darkness into light, we respond to the words of the Resurrected Christ – “Be not afraid.”
The words were meant in particular for Jesus’ disciples who visited his tomb and found it empty.
Those words continue to ring for a world that is enveloped by fear, for all of us who face the future with fear and doubt. That is why Easter Sunday and the Easter Week are special to us Filipinos. During this time, we are reminded of Christ’s exhortation for us to “be not afraid.”
Two days ago, the nation marked another important date: the “Araw ng Kagitingan” or “Day of Valor.” It is interesting that resurrection Sunday and the latter celebration, which used to be called “Fall of Bataan” are marked just days apart or even on the same date during certain years.
Perhaps, it is because our ability to take gallant stands against our biggest challenges has always been inspired by Christ’s command for us to not be afraid.
In the pitch-black darkness of defeat at the hands of foreign invaders, our forefathers heard those words some 81 years ago in a special, unique way.
That message was delivered not from a Church pulpit. It came from the broadcast from a shortwave radio station at the Malinta Tunnel in Corregidor Island called the “Voice of Freedom.”
Two years ago, we shared the text of portions of that broadcast in our column. The words continue to be powerful as they are relevant. On that Easter Sunday, the broadcast began with these words:
“Bataan has fallen.”
It continued:
“Bataan has fallen, but the spirit that made it stand — a beacon to all the liberty-loving peoples of the world — cannot fall!”
“The Philippine-American troops on this war-ravaged and bloodstained peninsula have laid down their arms. With heads bloody but unbowed, they have yielded to the superior force and numbers of the enemy.”
The voice on the radio would later call on the “Resurrection Spirit” of our people:
“Today, on the commemoration of that resurrection, we can humbly and without presumption declare our faith and hope in our own resurrection, our own inevitable victory…
We, too, shall rise.
After we have paid the full price of our redemption, we shall return to show the scars of sacrifices that all may touch and believe. When the trumpets sound the hour, we shall roll aside the stone before the tomb and the tyrant guards shall scatter in confusion.
No wall of stone shall then be strong enough to contain us, no human force shall suffice to hold us in subjection, we shall rise in the name of freedom and the East shall be alight with the glory of our liberation.”
Yes, at the grim hour of defeat, our gallant forefathers declared that we are a resurrection people.
The message of Easter Sunday — “Be not afraid” — still rings today and continues to remind us of the tensile strength which defines our character as a people.
Once again, we thank the five million pilgrims who visited Antipolo City and the International Shrine of the Lady of Peace and Good Voyage for helping us take care of their comfort and safety, and for helping us protect the environment.
We also thank and congratulate the various stakeholders who helped bring about this success: the Diocese of Antipolo and the church workers of the Antipolo Cathedral; our City Hall team; the PNP; the Bureau of Fire Protection; the Philippine National Red Cross, and the many civic groups who volunteered to be part of managing the holding of this resurrected tradition.
(For feedback, please email it to [email protected] or send it to Block 6 Lot 10 Sta. Barbara 1 cor. Bradley St., Mission Hills Subd., Brgy. San Roque, Antipolo City, Rizal.)