ADVERTISEMENT
970x220

Transfer of monuments to Pinaglabanan Shrine done to 'pay proper respect' to national heroes — San Juan LGU

Published May 10, 2023 01:12 am
The San Juan City government said the decision to transfer three monuments of the country’s national heroes to Pinaglabanan Shrine was done to “pay proper respect and reverence to the heroes who fought in the Battle of Pinaglabanan.” “With the relocation of the monuments of Rizal, Bonifacio, and Jacinto to the Pinaglabanan Shrine, visitors can now witness and better appreciate a trio of Eduardo Castrillo's masterpieces, which, when combined with Castrillo's "Spirit of Pinaglabanan" sculpture at the inner portion of the Pinaglabanan Shrine, creates a remarkable ensemble of 4 Castrillo sculptures that welcomes visitors to the shrine,” the city government said in a statement released on Tuesday, May 9. The statement was released by the city government after Senator JV Ejercito posted about the missing Bonifacio monument on his social media page last April 24. "Maliban dito, sobra ang lungkot ko dahil isa ito sa aking mga unang proyekto noong ako ay Mayor. Ililipat daw ito sa loob ng Shrine na kung saan hindi na ito masyado makikita ng mga motorist at mga dumadaan (Aside from this, I am very sad since this is one of my first projects when I was mayor. They said it will be transferred inside the shrine where motorists and pedestrians passing by would no longer see it)," the post read. Screenshot of Sen. JV Ejercito's Facebook post on the "missing" Bonifacio monument last April 24.
He posted again on May 7, saying "pilit mang itinago si Gat Andres Bonifacio sa mga Pilipinong dumaan dito sa Pinaglabanan, San Juan, hindi ako matitinag sa aking pagbubunyi at pagbibigay-pugay sa kanyang kadakilaan, kabayanihan, at kagitingan," read the post on May 7. Prior to their transfer, the Dr. Jose Rizal monument was located at the Plaza ng Masa, the Gat Andres Bonifacio monument was at the corner of Pinaglabanan and Valenzuela Streets, and Gen. Emilio Jacinto monument was at the corner of Pinaglabanan and P. Narciso Streets. The relocation was initiated by the San Juan City Council through Ordinance No. 52, Series of 2021, and Ordinance No. 55, Series of 2021. The ordinances were passed on Sept. 20, 2021 and Oct. 4, 2021. The city government clarified that the relocation of monuments was "carefully studied" and approved by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), with the proposal signed by former Officer-in-charge of the Office of Executive Director Carminda R. Arevalo on Sept. 21, 2021. An agreement between the government and the NHCP on the maintenance of the monuments by restoration experts of the NHCP was also signed. The local government said that around 3,000 people visit the Pinaglabanan Shrine per day since the easing of pandemic restrictions, making the shrine a strategic location for the monuments. In addition, many groups have applied for study or tourist tours in the El Deposito Underground Reservoir, which is located at the Pinaglabanan Shrine. Safety reasons were also cited by the city government since many traffic accidents have been reported at the intersections where the Bonifacio and Jacinto monuments were previously located. "The City Government of San Juan remains committed to give proper reverence and recognition to our heroes and as such, shall ensure that the Pinaglabanan Shrine will be among the Philippines’ top historical destinations," the city government said. The Pinaglabanan Shrine is a national shrine recognized by the NHCP that commemorates the Filipinos who fought at the Battle of Pinaglabanan, led by Bonifacio and Jacinto, which signaled the start of the Philippine revolution during the Spanish colonial period in 1896.

Related Tags

metro news San Juan City Pinaglabanan
ADVERTISEMENT
300x250

Sign up by email to receive news.