CANDON CITY, Ilocos Sur – Officials and residents of this city remembered the “Ikkis ti Candon” (Cry of Candon) uprising during the 125th anniversary of the Philippine Independence on Monday, June 12.
SINGSON
Mayor Eric D. Singson led the traditional wreath-laying ceremony at the foot of the statue of national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal, at the Freedom Park here.
“The annual commemoration of our Philippine independence is always very touching for all of us Filipinos. For us Candonians, it is even more meaningful as it is a source of our constant pride. We may be just a fraction of our country’s population, but we can proudly shout to the world that we are descendants of one of the bravest freedom-loving forbearers,” Singson said.
Singson cited the heroism of Don Isabelo Abaya who led the Cry of Candon following his declaration of the Republic of Candon.
“The deeds of our forefathers’ freedom fighters were encapsulated in our Ikkis ti Candon, our forebearers’ uprising against the abuses of the Spaniards. They put everything on the line, including their lives, for the sake of all Candonians. This is the reason, and it is not a myth, that we were once a ‘Republic of Candon,’” Singson said.
“In a trivia note for everyone, the great Filipino nationalist Andres Bonifacio called his group ‘Katipunan,’ which is a short name for ‘Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan.’ Our very own local hero Don Isabelo named his Candonians troop ‘Espiritu de Candon.’ It may be a short-lived three-day Republic of Candon, but long enough to put us on record for our love of freedom and country and forever be the standard for the next generation of Candonians like all of us here to appreciate and live up to the billing,” Singson added.
With the freedom that the Filipinos now enjoying, Singson said that the best way of showing gratitude to the ancestors’ freedom fighters is helping one another in the fight against poverty.
“It is a reality that it is a work in progress, and we, your leaders, are at the front to lead our fight against poverty,” he said.
“With poverty having many faces, like lack of job and enough income, we your leaders have always offered many opportunities as our best intervention. This is the reason why we worked it out that we will host one of the Kalayaan job fairs in our country in partnership with DOLE and other national agencies,” Singson added.