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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Metro Manila devider San Juan City kicks off 127th Araw ng Pinaglabanan celebration

San Juan City kicks off 127th Araw ng Pinaglabanan celebration

Published Aug 30, 2023 10:46 am

The San Juan City local government commemorated on Wednesday, Aug. 30, the 127th Araw ng Pinaglabanan or the Battle of San Juan del Monte, which is considered as the very first major battle of the Philippine Revolution which sought the country's independence from Spain.IMG_3165.jpeg

(Photo from Mayor Francis Zamora)

San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora spearheaded the lineup of events for the celebration. He was joined by his wife Keri Zamora, San Juan City Rep. Bel Zamora, First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos, Department of Tourism (DOT) Sec. Christina Garcia Frasco, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr., and National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) Chairman Dr. Emmanuel Calairo.

The celebration started with flag-raising ceremony followed by the lighting of the eternal flame and wreath-laying at the Pinaglabanan Shrine.

The shrine features the "Spirit of Pinaglabanan" monument created to preserve the significance of the battle where the Katipunan, led by Gat. Andres Bonifacio, decided to launch an attack in San Juan del Monte because of its two strategic locations: the El Polvorin gun powder depot and El Deposito water reservoir on Aug. 30, 1896.

“Bagaman hindi nagwagi, ito pong himagsikan ng San Juan del Monte ang nagsilbing hudyat at inspirasyon sa iba pang malawakang pakikipaglaban ng mga Pilipino sa mga dayuhan na siyang nagbigay-daan para makamit natin ang kalayaan noong June 12, 1898. ‘Yan po ang kahalagahan ng Pinaglabanan sa lungsod ng San Juan at sa ating kasaysayan. Kaya tunay nating masasabi na walang kalayaan, kung walang Pinaglabanan (Despite losing the fight, the battle in San Juan del Monte served as the start and inspiration of other extensive battles of Filipinos against the invaders that paved the way to achieve our freedom on June 12, 1898. That's the importance of Pinaglabanan in the city of San Juan and in our history. Hence, it can truly be said that there would be no freedom without Pinaglabanan)," Zamora said.

Cong. Bel Zamora also stated, “Alam natin ang papel ng bawat Katipunero sa San Juan del Monte. Ang kanilang tapang at kabayanihan ang naging daan upang makamit natin ang isang malayang bukas para sa ating lahat. Nawa’y maging gabay at inspirasyon ang mga Katipunero sa ating pang-araw-araw na buhay upang magtagumpay po tayong lahat sa ating mga pagsubok. Magtulungan po tayong lahat upang tayo ay magkaroon ng mas matiwasay at masaganang bukas (We all know the roles of each Katipunero in San Juan del Monte. Their bravery and gallantry paved the way for us to achieve freedom for all. I hope that these Katipuneros become our beacon of inspiration in our daily lives for us to succeed in all the challenges we may face. Let's all work together so we can have a good and prosperous future."

PHOTO AND VIDEO CONTEST

After the ceremony, Zamora led the awarding of the winners of the Makabagong San Juan and Pinaglabanan Shrine Photo and Video Contest. 

The contest tasked participants to take photos and videos of the newly relocated monuments of Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto, Jose Rizal, and the Spirit of Pinaglabanan in the shrine, as well as the El Deposito Underground Water Reservoir.

A total of P475,000 were given to all the winners.

However, the mayor announced that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and the First Lady  topped up an additional P1 million each to the winners of the Best Photo and Best Video Contests.

The winners of the contests are:

Best Tourism Video 
1st Place - JC Tecson
P100,000 from the city government plus P1 million from the President and First Lady

Best Tourism Video 
2nd Place - Jack Logan 
P50,000.00

Best Tourism Video 
3rd Place - Carlos Miguel P. Aragon

Best Tourism Photo 
1st Place - Nico Binwag
P100,000 from the city government plus P1 million from the President and First Lady

Best Tourism Photo 
2nd Place - Jayrald Vasquez
P50,000.00

Best Tourism Photo 
3rd Place - Kevin Rodriguez
P25,000.00

Winners of special categories were:

MOST LIKED PHOTO - Leo Marin Salvo
P25,000.00

MOST SHARED PHOTO - Jayrald Vasquez
P25,000.00

MOST LIKED VIDEO - JC Tecson
P25,000.00

MOST VIEWED - Jack Logan
P25,000.00

MOST SHARED VIDEO  - JC Tecson
P25,000.00

The San Juan City and Pinaglabanan Shrine Photo and Video Contest earned over 3.5 million views and over 4 million engagements.

STATUES OF HEROES 

Meanwhile, the city government also unveiled the markers of the statues of Gat Andres Bonifacio, Gen. Emilio Jacinto, and Dr. Jose Rizal. 

The monuments, all made by Eduardo Castrillo, were transferred from their original locations to the Pinaglabanan Shrine so Filipinos and foreign visitors could pay their respects and give reverence to the heroes who fought for the Philippine independence.

"We really pushed for this transfer because we believe that our national heroes deserve to be placed in a beautiful and historic place like the Pinaglabanan Shrine,” Zamora said.

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.

ART EXHIBIT

He also kicked off the San Juan Art Exhibit and the San Juan City Art Trail as part of the city’s continuous efforts to put San Juan on the map as one of the must-visit places in the country.

IMG_3163.jpeg

(Photo from Patrick Garcia)

The art exhibit, in partnership with DOT, features Filipino artists from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, as well as local artists from San Juan City. Their artworks showcase a wide range of artistic styles, techniques, and themes from the regions where the artists come from. 

The exhibit runs from Aug. 30 to Sept. 5.

On the other hand, the special arts tour will visit four premier art destinations in the city such as the Fundacion Sanso, Art Underground, 7th J Art Gallery, and Secret Fresh.

“With the help of DOT, we are slowly but surely building a more sustainable tourism in our city. This art trail is one of its kind because it allows us to highlight Filipino artists and local San Juan artists and shows our appreciation for their art,” the mayor said.

“This year, we are pushing forward with our goal of reaching out to more tourists and visitors in our historical and art trails. We know that we have something different to offer – we have museums, churches, and art destinations that tourists can DIY and finish in a day. They also don’t have to spend a lot since most destinations are free. So we hope that with all that we’re doing, we can boost our local tourism,” he added.

 

Related Tags

metro news mayor francis zamora san juan city pinaglabanan day
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