A special day to commemorate a national hero or a historical event is important. It is a day to remember the significance of actions of men and events that shaped our history which should give inspiration to the next generation.
Nov. 30, Bonifacio Day, is one of these special days. It marks the birth anniversary of Andres Bonifacio, the founder of the Katipunan, which sparked the uprising against Spain and laid the groundwork for the first Philippine Republic. Thus, Bonifacio is also known as the “Father of the Revolution.” Unlike other heroes who are commemorated on the date of death, Bonifacio Day is set on his birth anniversary because of the controversial events of his death which left his body unlocated.
Life had not been easy for Bonifacio. His life mirrors the lives of millions of poor Filipinos who have to struggle to survive.
Bonifacio was born in Tondo in 1863, to a tailor, his father, and a cigarette factory worker. At 14 years old, he had to drop out of school and support three brothers and two sisters after the death of his parents.
To this day, there are still many stories of struggle, hard work, and perseverance that define many Filipino lives. Bonifacio worked many menial jobs – as a craftsman, messenger, and warehouse keeper – because of his lack of formal education. It was his love for reading and eagerness to learn that made up for his lack of education and inspired thoughts on equality and freedom in him.
Learning the Spanish language, he read literature and the writings of philosophers and nationalists. His favorite books were on the French revolution, the lives of the presidents of the United States, Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables, and Eugene Sue’s The Wandering Jew.
History says that Bonifacio’s thoughts on equality was influenced by Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, which were a “portrait of a society in agony, a mirror of his own sense of oppression, but more than this it placed a sharper focus on the tragic state of a forsaken people,” as the Philippine Folklife Museum stated, richly describing the significance of the books to Bonifacio’s heroic spirit.
He joined La Liga Filipina which was organized by Rizal in 1892 as a nationalist movement. After Rizal was executed in 1896, Bonifacio declared Philippine independence.
To Filipinos, we can say – the rest is history – as the life of Bonifacio is well-known in the hearts of Filipino citizens.
Reminders of Bonifacio have become part of our regular day. There is the massive Bonifacio National Monument, installed in 1933, which is a major landmark for commuters and motorists, known as Monumento, which serves as the boundary between Quezon City and Caloocan.
At the center of Manila, beside the city hall is the Bonifacio Shrine, also known as the Kartilya ng Katipunan. There’s Bonifacio Drive, Bonifacio Avenue, Bonifacio Street in many cities and towns around the country. There are museums telling the story of Bonifacio and the birth of the Philippine Republic. And there is today, Nov. 30, Bonifacio Day, a non-working holiday.
All these keep the story of Andres Bonifacio going. One hundred sixty-one years ago, a hero was born. And he was one of the great men who gave us our freedom today.