The Poem that was hidden and no title.

“Ipinahanap sa akin at pinapaintindi,
kung ano ang nasa sa isipan ng isang bayani sa kanyang huling gabi.
Sa gabi na punong puno ng pasakit at pangungulila sa mga minamahal.

Matapos ang 150 na taon ng kanyang kapanganakan,naintindihan at namutawi muli sa isipan at bukang bibig ang kanyang ngalan dahil sa pagsasakripisyo para sa inang bayan.

Sa 95 na milyon kong kababayan, maliit na porsyento ang aking nasasaksihan. Na may kakayahang gumawa ng tama na may sakripisyong dala at busilak na kalooban.

Gamit ang talas ng pananalita at panunulat, nagbuwis ng buhay sa murang idad. May kakayahan pa sa aking nasasaksihan sa araw araw, ngunit karamihan ay takot na maiba at mangibabaw.

Sa sunod sunod na krimen, ganid ang nangingibabaw. Puno at dulo man ay kasakiman, narito pa rin ang isang Maria na nagtatanong. Asan ka na Crisostomo, sa ngayon ang bayan ay nangangailanagan.

Sa gabi ng iyong pangungulila, oras na lang ang binibilang tungo sa hukay.
Ang mga kababayan ay walang magawa, sa ngayon ay ano ang nasasaisipan mo. Ang sulat o tula bang ito ay pasaring? Pinapadama mo ang iyong nasasaloobin. Sa iyong pagdarasal ay isa nang katibayan, naniniwala ka sa poong lumikha sa atin.

Ni pangingimi o poot ay wala, sa isang tula na iyong tinago pa. Nalimutan na rin ang pamagat, sa pagmamadaling maisulat ang nadarama. Matapos ang 150 na taon na iyong kapanganakan, heto kami at nangungulila sa isang lider na may puso para sa bayan."

Tagalog Version of
"Mi Ultimo Adios"
(My last farewell)

PAHIMAKAS ni Dr. Jose Rizal

Pinipintuho kong Bayan ay paalam, Lupang iniirog ng sikat ng araw,
mutyang mahalaga sa dagat Silangan, kaluwalhatiang sa ami'y pumanaw.
Masayang sa iyo'y aking idudulot ang lanta kong buhay na lubhang malungkot; maging maringal man at labis alindog
sa kagalingan mo ay aking ding handog. Sa pakikidigma at pamimiyapis
ang alay ng iba'y ang buhay na kipkip, walang agam-agam, maluag sa dibdib,
matamis sa puso at di ikahapis.  Saan man mautas ay dikailangan
cipres o laurel, lirio ma'y patungan pakikipaghamok, at ang bibitayan,
yaon ay gayon din kung hiling ng Bayan. Ako'y mamamatay, ngayong namamalas
na sa silinganan ay namamanaag yaong maligayang araw na sisikat
sa likod ng luksang nagtabing na ulap.
Ang kulay na pula kung kinakailangan na maitina sa iyong liway-way,
dugo ko'y isabong at siyang ikinang ng kislap ng iyong maningning na ilaw
Ang aking adhika sapul magkaisip ng kasalukuyang bata pang maliit,
ay ang tanghaling ka at minsan masilip sa dagat Silangan hiyas na marikit.
Natuyo ang luhang sa mata'y nunukal, taas na ang noo't walang kapootan,
walang bakas kunot ng kapighatian gabahid man dungis niyong kahihiyan.
Sa kabuhayang ko ang laging gunita
maningas na aking ninanasa-nasa ay guminhawa ka ang hiyas ng diwa
hingang papanaw ngayong biglang-bigla.

Pag hingang papanaw ngayong biglang-bigla.  Ikaw'y guminhawa laking kagandahang
akoy malugmok, at ikaw ay matanghal, hiniga'y malagot, mabuhay ka lamang
bangkay ko'y masilong sa iyong Kalangitan;

Kung sa libingan ko'y tumubong mamalas sa malagong damo mahinhing bulaklak
sa mga labi mo'y mangyayaring itapat, sa kaluluwa ko hatik ay igawad.
At sa aking noo nawa'y iparamdam, sa lamig ng lupa ng aking libingan,
ang init ng iyong paghingang dalisay at simoy ng iyong paggiliw na tunay.
Bayaang ang buwan sa aki'y ititig ang iwanag niyang lamlam at tahimik,
liwayway bayaang sa aki'y ihatid magalaw na sinag at hanging hagibis.
Kung sakasakaling bumabang humantong sa krus ko'y dumapo kahit isang ibon doon ay bayaan humuning hinahon
at dalitin niya payapang panahon.  Bayaan ang ningas ng sikat ng araw
ula'y pasingawin noong kainitan, magbalik sa langit ng boong dalisay
kalakip ng aking pagdaing na hiyaw.
Bayaang sino man sa katotang giliw tangisang maagang sa buhay pagkitil;
kung tungkol sa akin ay may manalangin idalangin, Bayan, yaring pagka himbing.
Idalanging lahat yaong nangamatay,mangagatiis hirap na walang kapantay;
mga ina naming walang kapalaran na inihihibik ay kapighatian.
Ang mga bao't pinapangulila, ang mga bilanggong nagsisipagdusa;
dalanginin namang kanilang makita ang kalayaan mong, ikagiginhawa.
At kung an madilim na gabing mapanglaw ay lumaganap na doon sa libinga't tanging mga patay ang nangaglalamay,
huwag bagabagin ang katahimikan.
Ang kanyang hiwagay huwag gambalain; kaipala'y maringig doon ang taginting,
tunog ng gitara't salterio'y mag saliw, ako, Bayan yao't kita'y aawitin.
Kung ang libingan ko'y limat na ng lahat at wala ng kurus at batang mabakas,
bayaang linangin ng taong masipag, lupa'y asarolin at kauyang ikalat.
At mga buto ko ay bago matunaw maowi sa wala at kusang maparam,
alabok ng iyong latag ay bayaang siya ang babalang doo'y makipisan.
Kung magka gayon na'y aalintanahin na ako sa limot iyong ihabilin
pagka't himpapawid at ang panganorin mga lansangan mo'y aking lilibutin.

Matining na tunog ako sa dingig mo, ilaw, mga kulay, masamyong pabango,
ang ugong at awit, pag hibik sa iyo, pag asang dalisay ng pananalig ko.
Bayang iniirog, sakit niyaring hirap, Katagalugang ko pinakaliliyag,
dinggin mo ang aking pagpapahimakas; diya'y iiwan ko sa iyo ang lahat.

Ako'y patutungo sa walang busabos, walang umiinis at berdugong hayop; pananalig doo'y di nakasasalot,
si Bathala lamang dooy haring lubos; Paalam, magulang at mga kapatid
kapilas ng aking kaluluwa't dibdib mga kaibigan bata pang maliit
sa aking tahanan di na masisilip; Pag pasasalamat at napahinga rin
paalam estranherang kasuyo ko't aliw, paalam sa inyo, mga ginigiliw;
mamatay ay siyang pagkakagupiling.

"Mi Ultimo Adiós" (My Final Farewell), written by the national hero of the Philippines, Dr José Rizal, in Fort Santiago on the eve of his execution by the Spanish on December 30, 1896


(English Translation)

Farewell, dear Fatherland, clime of the sun caress'd
Pearl of the Orient seas, our Eden lost!,
Gladly now I go to give thee this faded life's best,
And were it brighter, fresher, or more blest
Still would I give it thee, nor count the cost.

On the field of battle, 'mid the frenzy of fight,
Others have given their lives, without doubt or heed;
The place matters not-cypress or laurel or lily white,
Scaffold or open plain, combat or martyrdom's plight,
T is ever the same, to serve our home and country's need.

I die just when I see the dawn break,
Through the gloom of night, to herald the day;
And if color is lacking my blood thou shalt take,
Pour'd out at need for thy dear sake
To dye with its crimson the waking ray.

My dreams, when life first opened to me,
My dreams, when the hopes of youth beat high,
Were to see thy lov'd face, O gem of the Orient sea
From gloom and grief, from care and sorrow free;
No blush on thy brow, no tear in thine eye.

Dream of my life, my living and burning desire,
All hail ! cries the soul that is now to take flight;
All hail ! And sweet it is for thee to expire ;
To die for thy sake, that thou mayst aspire;
And sleep in thy bosom eternity's long night.

If over my grave some day thou seest grow,
In the grassy sod, a humble flower,
Draw it to thy lips and kiss my soul so,
While I may feel on my brow in the cold tomb below
The touch of thy tenderness, thy breath's warm power.

Let the moon beam over me soft and serene,
Let the dawn shed over me its radiant flashes,
Let the wind with sad lament over me keen ;
And if on my cross a bird should be seen,
Let it trill there its hymn of peace to my ashes.
Let the sun draw the vapors up to the sky,
And heavenward in purity bear my tardy protest
Let some kind soul o 'er my untimely fate sigh,
And in the still evening a prayer be lifted on high
From thee, 0 my country, that in God I may rest.

Pray for all those that hapless have died,
For all who have suffered the unmeasur'd pain;
For our mothers that bitterly their woes have cried,
For widows and orphans, for captives by torture tried
And then for thyself that redemption thou mayst gain.

And when the dark night wraps the graveyard around
With only the dead in their vigil to see
Break not my repose or the mystery profound
And perchance thou mayst hear a sad hymn resound
'T is I, O my country, raising a song unto thee.

And even my grave is remembered no more
Unmark'd by never a cross nor a stone
Let the plow sweep through it, the spade turn it o'er
That my ashes may carpet earthly floor,
Before into nothingness at last they are blown.

Then will oblivion bring to me no care
As over thy vales and plains I sweep;
Throbbing and cleansed in thy space and air
With color and light, with song and lament I fare,
Ever repeating the faith that I keep.

My Fatherland ador'd, that sadness to my sorrow lends
Beloved Filipinas, hear now my last good-by!
I give thee all: parents and kindred and friends
For I go where no slave before the oppressor bends,
Where faith can never kill, and God reigns e'er on high!

Farewell to you all, from my soul torn away,
Friends of my childhood in the home dispossessed !
Give thanks that I rest from the wearisome day !
Farewell to thee, too, sweet friend that lightened my way;
Beloved creatures all, farewell! In death there is rest!

(Original Poem in Spanish)

Adios, Patria adorada, region del sol querida,
Perla del Mar de Oriente, nuestro perdido Eden!
A darte voy alegre la triste mustia vida,
Y fuera más brillante más fresca, más florida,
Tambien por tí la diera, la diera por tu bien.

En campos de batalla, luchando con delirio
Otros te dan sus vidas sin dudas, sin pesar;
El sitio nada importa, ciprés, laurel ó lirio,
Cadalso ó campo abierto, combate ó cruel martirio,
Lo mismo es si lo piden la patria y el hogar.

Yo muero cuando veo que el cielo se colora
Y al fin anuncia el día trás lóbrego capuz;
Si grana necesitas para teñir tu aurora,
Vierte la sangre mía, derrámala en buen hora
Y dórela un reflejo de su naciente luz.

Mis sueños cuando apenas muchacho adolescente,
Mis sueños cuando joven ya lleno de vigor,
Fueron el verte un día, joya del mar de oriente
Secos los negros ojos, alta la tersa frente,
Sin ceño, sin arrugas, sin manchas de rubor.

Ensueño de mi vida, mi ardiente vivo anhelo,
Salud te grita el alma que pronto va á partir!
Salud! ah que es hermoso caer por darte vuelo,
Morir por darte vida, morir bajo tu cielo,
Y en tu encantada tierra la eternidad dormir

Si sobre mi sepulcro vieres brotar un dia
Entre la espesa yerba sencilla, humilde flor,
Acércala a tus labios y besa al alma mía,
Y sienta yo en mi frente bajo la tumba fría
De tu ternura el soplo, de tu hálito el calor.

Deja á la luna verme con luz tranquila y suave;
Deja que el alba envíe su resplandor fugaz,
Deja gemir al viento con su murmullo grave,
Y si desciende y posa sobre mi cruz un ave
Deja que el ave entone su cantico de paz.

Deja que el sol ardiendo las lluvias evapore
Y al cielo tornen puras con mi clamor en pos,
Deja que un sér amigo mi fin temprano llore
Y en las serenas tardes cuando por mi alguien ore
Ora tambien, Oh Patria, por mi descanso á Dios!

Ora por todos cuantos murieron sin ventura,
Por cuantos padecieron tormentos sin igual,
Por nuestras pobres madres que gimen su amargura;
Por huérfanos y viudas, por presos en tortura
Y ora por tí que veas tu redencion final.

Y cuando en noche oscura se envuelva el cementerio
Y solos sólo muertos queden velando allí,
No turbes su reposo, no turbes el misterio
Tal vez acordes oigas de citara ó salterio,
Soy yo, querida Patria, yo que te canto á ti.

Y cuando ya mi tumba de todos olvidada
No tenga cruz ni piedra que marquen su lugar,
Deja que la are el hombre, la esparza con la azada,
Y mis cenizas antes que vuelvan á la nada,
El polvo de tu alfombra que vayan á formar.

Entonces nada importa me pongas en olvido,
Tu atmósfera, tu espacio, tus valles cruzaré,
Vibrante y limpia nota seré para tu oido,
Aroma, luz, colores, rumor, canto, gemido
Constante repitiendo la esencia de mi fé.

Mi Patria idolatrada, dolor de mis dolores,
Querida Filipinas, oye el postrer adios.
Ahi te dejo todo, mis padres, mis amores.
Voy donde no hay esclavos, verdugos ni opresores,
Donde la fé no mata, donde el que reyna es Dios.

Adios, padres y hermanos, trozos del alma mía,
Amigos de la infancia en el perdido hogar,
Dad gracias que descanso del fatigoso día;
Adios, dulce extrangera, mi amiga, mi alegria,
Adios, queridos séres morir es descansar.

Rizal on Backwardness and the Way Forward

Governor ER Ejercito and some provincial officials- June 19, 2011 Calamba city

I am not a history major or even a well verse middle-aged citizen about the Philippine National Hero. I am just aware and have lots of invitations from different distinguished people in my world from well meaning film showing to covering a political expose. I am bragging about what not everyone can do or can go. In this experienced and overwhelming journey I am having so far, awareness is what I could only share to my countrymen. Richness and favors are not in my side but fortune of having guts and supports from my family or just really the fighting spirit, nothing at all. Truly one is fortunate by being taught by her parents that one can do all, as long as you believed or that if others can, why can’t you.

With so many people I met and blocked from my life and cyber world in this digital social media we have right now, one can concluded that experienced is the best teacher of all. People taught one to be stronger, dubious and fighter.  That 90% of the acquaintances doesn’t practiced gratitude and that education is a must for one to get respected. The higher your education is, the higher will be your points.

Dr. Jose P. Rizal 150^th Birth Anniversary is an eye opener. Learned that even then, Time management was a must. For only 35 years old, he was an accomplished man, a leader, poet, novelist, writer, doctor, activist and linguist. Traveled more than 20 countries and have 13 lovers in his lifetime. His life was not only meaningful but also admired by everyone today. A lot of questions in this 21^st century and looks like there will be no answer but only conclusion with different meanings from different analyst.

I love to attend events. Each is unique with different people, new acquaintances, knowledge, oh yes including foods and I am looking forward to it every event, sumptuous food by the way and photo op to include in my collection. Each event is different with amazing theme. So when I got an invite from Mr. Gabby Lopez of Development Academy of the Philippines to honor Dr. Jose P. Rizal as the Bayaning Environmental Planner, I made a point to attend. Met the descendants, professors, politicians and students.

One speaker is the new chairman of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) Maria Serena I. Diokno. A historian I supposed and a good speaker. Here is her complete speech that I admire the most from all speech I heard of. Her analysis with Rizal novels and works were amazing. She translated the 19^th century genius mind to 21^st century hypocrisy. Sharing direct to the point observation of mine is one of my advocacy by the way. Whatever goodness one can do, there will always be criticisms and mostly by Filipinos.

Jules Mariano, Wyatt Belmonte, Senator BongBong Marcos, me and Jaypee David

Noemi Dado and me

Senator Ferdinand "BongBong" Marcos and me- Fort Santiago, June 19, 2011

Dean Jorge Bocobo (ANCs "The Explainer) Wyatt Belmonte, Noemi lardizabal Dado( Blogwatch), Grace Bondad- Nicolas, Leslie Bocobo, Jaypee David, Jules Mariano and Noel De Guia

Chairman of NHCP- Maria Serena I. Diokno

 

Rizal on Backwardness and the Way Forward*

Maria Serena I. Diokno

(Read at the Development Academy of the Philippines on the occasion of Jose Rizal’s 150th birth

anniversary, Pasig City, 17 June 2011.)

Development management was unheard of in the 19th century, which is why

I hesitate to apply it to Rizal’s thinking, let alone speak of Rizal’s legacy in this very modern field of management. Yet, I suppose, given Rizal’s expansive and

insightful views on progress in his time, your message is that development

managers, planners and workers in the 21st century can benefit from his wisdom.

Reading Rizal, I would go further and say that in some ways, he was the precursor or pioneer, if you will, of this field. I say this because a number of today’s development management buzzwords—planning, best outcome, sustainability, transparency, effectiveness, consultative leadership, partnership, gender sensitivity—are not all that original; some come to mind when listening to Rizal speak of the need for reform and progress in 19th century Philippines.

Rizal’s advantage was that he wrote elegantly, thereby avoiding the triteness that

buzzwords often acquire, and with fervor matched only by the fineness of his

intellect. I do not of course suggest that what Rizal meant in his time necessarily

prevails today, lest I fall into the pitfalls of historical anachronism. But in a

perilously uncanny way, some of Rizal’s words regarding development and his

reform agenda resonate to this day.

RH Bill supporters and JPR Descendants Atty. Ramoncita Reyes, Tato Faustmann, Amelia Yulo, Mia Faustmann, Panjee Gonzales mom Tweetums Gonzales (Panjee is very vocal for her support) and another descendant

Structural causes of backwardness

Let us start with Rizal’s analysis of the causes of our underdevelopment or,

to use a 19th century term, backwardness. The first, often cited by Spanish

colonialists, was the laziness of the Filipino. But “instead of holding it to be the

cause of the backwardness and the trouble,” said Rizal, “we regard it as the effect of the trouble and the backwardness, by fostering the development of a lamentable predisposition,”1 a tendency that, Rizal conceded, was attributable to our lethargy inducing climate. More important, he pointed out, were the true causes of our backwardness, ranging from wars of conquest to the encomienda system, official corruption, religion, and so on.2

What struck me as Rizal explained each of these causes was his keen

appreciation of the underlying causal nature of the lack of progress. Here Rizal

recognized both the material conditions and structures that blocked progress and

the psychology of underdevelopment. With regard to the first, listen, for example,

to Rizal’s elaboration of the colonial structure of politics and justice or, more aptly, injustice, as the cause of backwardness and indolence.

‘Why work?’ asked many natives. The curate says that the rich man

will not go to heaven. The rich man on earth is liable to all kinds of

trouble, to be appointed a cabeza de barangay, to be deported if an

uprising occurs, to be forced banker of the military chief of the town,

who to reward him for favors received seizes his laborers and his

stock, in order to force him to beg for mercy, and thus easily pays up.

Why be rich? So that all the officers of justice may have a lynx eye

on your actions, so that at the least slip enemies may be raised up

against you, you may be indicted, a whole complicated and

labyrinthine story may be concocted against you …? The native,

whom they pretend to regard as an imbecile, is not so much so that

he does not understand that it is ridiculous to work himself to death

to become worse off …. he prefers to live miserable and indolent,

rather than play the part of the wretched beast of burden.3

It fascinates me how Rizal transformed laziness, a negative trait by

convention, into a micro-weapon of the oppressed, a deliberate alternative to the

state of being a beast of burden. The inclination toward indolence, as Rizal

explained, was thus no mere reaction to the climate and neither an innate attribute of the Filipino, but rather the product of colonial conditions and structures.

Descendants of Dr. Jose P. Rizal

Psychology of underdevelopment

Equally important to Rizal was the psychology of wretchedness that these

structures nurtured and reinforced. Notice how deftly Rizal turned the divide

between colonizer and colonized inside out when he said:

The pernicious example of the dominators in surrounding

themselves with servants and despising manual or corporal labor as

a thing unbecoming the nobility and chivalrous pride of the heroes of

so many centuries; those lordly airs, which the natives have

translated into tila ka castila, and the desire of the dominated to be

the equal of the dominators, if not essentially, at least in their

manners: all these had naturally to produce aversion to activity and

fear or hatred of work.

In addition to the psyche of the oppressed-oppressor transformation, Rizal

highlighted the role of religion in the psychology of underdevelopment.

It is well, undoubtedly, to trust greatly in God; but it is better to do

what one can and not trouble the Creator every moment, even when

these appeals redound to the benefit of His ministers. We have

noticed that the countries which believe most in miracles are the

laziest, just as spoiled children are the most ill-mannered. Whether

they believe in miracles to palliate their laziness or they are lazy

because they believe in miracles, we cannot say; but the fact is the

Filipinos were much less lazy before the word miracle was

introduced into their language.

Education and the lack of national sentiment

Above all, Rizal pointed to education as the cause of the country’s

backwardness, describing it as “brutalizing, depressive and antihuman (the word

‘inhuman’ is not sufficiently explanatory …).”6 While he lauded the efforts of some

priests who had established schools and colleges, like Fr. Miguel de Benavides

(who founded UST), Rizal observed that such efforts were few and were rendered ineffectual. Books, for example, were chosen “by those very priests who boldly proclaim that it is an evil for the natives to know Castilian, that the native should

not be separated from his carabao, that he should not have any further aspirations, and so on.”Added Rizal:

“You can’t know more than this or that old man!” “Don’t aspire

to be greater than the curate!” “You belong to an inferior race!” “You

haven’t any energy!” This is what they tell the child, and as they

repeat it so often, it has perforce become engraved on his mind and

thence moulds and pervades all his actions. The child or youth who

tries to be anything else is blamed with vanity and presumption; the

curate ridicules him with cruel sarcasm, his relatives look upon him

with fear, strangers regard him with great compassion. No forward

movement! Get back in the ranks and keep in line!8

Yet even as he decried the conditions under Spain, Rizal also recognized

the weakness of the Filipino: the absence of a sense of nation. This “lack of

national sentiment,” wrote Rizal,

brings another evil, moreover, which is the absence of all opposition

to measures prejudicial to the people and the absence of any

initiative in whatever may redound to its good. A man in the

Philippines is only an individual, he is not a member of a nation. He

is forbidden and denied the right of association, and is therefore

weak and sluggish.9

As a result, Rizal concluded, “if a prejudicial measure is ordered, no one

protests; all goes well apparently until later the evils are felt….”10 In my view, the

lack of a sense of nationhood posed the greatest hurdle to development, and

remains—albeit in different forms—an unfinished project more than a century later.

Consultative approach to development

Given the causes of our lack of development, let us turn to the manner in

which Rizal proposed that development be undertaken. First, Rizal said,

government must be consultative. While lauding the efforts of the Spanish Minister of Colonies to develop agriculture in the Philippines in 1889, for instance, Rizal proposed “that the farmer be consulted also, the one in direct contact with the land, who makes the land productive with his capital and labor and puts into practice the measures that science and experience suggest.”11 To improve

agriculture, Rizal advised, “[i]t is necessary to aid those who practice it.” And then

in a pointed reference to government bureaucrats, Rizal said:

Those who from their comfortable chairs think otherwise and see the

inefficacy of the royal decrees throw the blame for its backwardness

to the indolence of the Indio. They do not know with what obstacles

he has to contend …”

Moreover, Rizal argued, projects had to be implemented effectively, beyond

the rhetoric of official instructions.

And not only must he [the Filipino] not be forgotten but neither

must his hands be tied, disabling them for work, as it happens,

unfortunately. It is not enough to issue royal decrees and timely

measures; they must be enforced and enforced expediently.13

Rizal had the opportunity to put his thoughts into practice while in exile; he

helped organize the Association of Dapitan Farmers. The by-laws of the

Association in 1895 indicate Rizal’s understanding of the need to raise the quality

of the produce, improve access to markets, and provide farmers and farm laborers with facilities to purchase their needs at reasonable cost. Organized as a premodern cooperative, the Association consisted of industrial partners who handled marketing, loading and storage of farm products, and shareholders who

contributed at least P50.14

Ayala Alabang Resident  and JPR Descendant  Atty. Ramoncita Reyes who rallied with us for the passage of RH Bill at Ayala, Alabang.

Role of women

Just as Rizal’s venture into a farmer’s cooperative reverberates to this day,

so does his salute to the women of Malolos, whose valor in demanding education

impressed him no end. Wrote Rizal:

Now that you have responded to our vehement clamor for

public welfare; now that you have shown a good example to your

fellow young women who, like you, desire to have their eyes opened

and to be lifted from their prostration, our hope is roused, now we are

confident of victory. The Filipino woman no longer bows her head

and bends her knees; her hope in the future is revived; gone is the

mother who helps to keep her daughter in the dark, who educates

her in self-contempt and moral annihilation. It is no longer the highest

wisdom to bow the head to every unjust order, the highest goodness

to smile at an insult, to seek solace in humble tear. You have found

out that God’s command is different from that of the priest, that piety

does not consist in prolonged kneeling, long prayers, large rosaries,

soiled scapulars, but in good conduct, clean conscience and right

thinking. You have discovered that it is not goodness to be too

obedient to every desire and request of those who pose as little

gods, but to obey what is reasonable and just, because blind

obedience is the origin of crooked orders and in this case both

parties sin.

Rizal viewed the role of Filipino women as essential to the freedom and

progress of our country. In his words: “The mother who teaches nothing else but

how to kneel and kiss the hand should not expect any other kind of children but

stupid ones or oppressed slaves.”16 Today no development project can take flight

without a clearly articulated gender component.

National Historical Commission of the Philippines Chair Serena Diokno is supporting the RH Bill- June 19, 2011- Calamba City

Infrastructure development

Rizal, too, had something to say about local infrastructure projects. When

the Spanish newspaper in Manila, La Voz de España, urged municipal

governments to ask for infrastructure development, Rizal asked, rhetorically, how

public works are carried out in the first place. And his response: “At the expense of the unhappy people, all gratis, with many vexations, and many beatings, and then of what use are they?”17 Rizal went on to cite example after example of

infrastructure projects that turned out to be a farce (sounds familiar?), such as two school buildings in Calamba built at the expense of the town and the

gobernadorcillo, which ended up as barracks and the courthouse; or the hospital in Los Baños, constructed by workers from other towns, forced to work and at way below the daily wage. Charity bazaars had to be held to cover the cost of the

hospital, which eventually descended to a state of ruin.18 Development managers

have lots to learn from the examples Rizal cited: how to plan projects that are

actually needed, for whom, the manner of executing the project all the way to its

eventual use.

In the end Rizal had a singular message to the Filipinos of his time and to

us today, that if we desire freedom and progress, we must strive for it even at

great cost to ourselves. Listen to Rizal:

Filipinos do not seem to know that triumph is the child of struggle,

that joy is the flower of many sufferings and privations, and that

redemption presupposes martyrdom and sacrifice. They believe that

with regretting, folding their arms, and letting things go on as they

are, they have fulfilled their duty. Others, it is true, pretend to do

something more and give pessimistic or discouraging advice: They

advise that nothing be done. There are some, however, who begin to

see clear and do all that they can.19

So, development planners and managers of the Philippines in the 21st

century, you have three choices: to bask in remorse and leave things just as they are; to appear to act by serving as the adviser of gloom; or to understand the situation and then act as best, as wisely, as you can. The last was Rizal’s way forward. Which is yours?

June 17, 2011- Amelia Reyes Yulo (Great Grand Child of JPR under Narcisa) with mary Therese de silva, grace Bondad- Nicolas and Noel de- Guia

The Plaza- 150th Birth Anniversary of the Philippine National Hero

Calamba City 150^th Birth Anniversary of Dr. Jose P. Rizal

Calamba City- The place where someone was born will never be forgotten especially if the place is where Dr. Jose P.Rizal was born and spent his childhood. The 150^th Birth Anniversary of Dr. Jose P. Rizal was celebrated with the unveiling of the tallest statue in the world. The Plaza which is comprise of 7.5 hectares of land has been developed partially and is where the new monument of Dr. Jose P. Rizal is located. In front of one of the biggest City Hall in Laguna or might be the grandest, “The Plaza” will soon have a shopping center and amusement park that will be the surroundings of the tallest statue which have a 22 ft long with 15 tall platform from the ground.

Attended by no less than the President of the Philippines Benigno “NoyNoy” Aquino, Governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Amando Tetangco Jr, Chairman of National Historical Commission, Congressman Justine “Timmy” Chipeco of the 2^nd District of Laguna, Ambassador of Germany, former DILG Secretary Jose D. Lina,  Secretary Manuel Quezon III, Board Members Andrew Neil Nocon of 2^nd district of Laguna and Angelica Alarva Jones of 3^rd district of Laguna, Mayors in Laguna like Arlene Nazareno of Sta Rosa City, Baby Berris of Calauan, Maita Ejercito of Pagsanjan, Joe Padrid of Bay among others together the descendants of Dr. Jose Rizal like Mia Faustman, Atty. Ramonsita Reyes (great grand daughter of Dr. Jose Rizal eldest sister Saturnina), Atty Teresita Herbosa (Chair of Security and Exchange Commission)  with more than 5000 Filipinos from all over the country wearing their best in Filipiniana and barong Tagalog which is the motif of the event.

The President arrived via chopper in Colegio De San Juan De Letran then went straight to the Rizal Shrine (House) together with Dr. Jose P. Rizal descendants and Local City officials headed by Mayor Joaquin Chipeco Jr. while people and attendees at the new Rizal monument were watching from the big screen.

Some Dr. Jose P. Rizal descendants attended in the Rizal Shrine but not in The Plaza (monument) like Panjee Tapales (daughter of Tweetums Gonzales). After the unveiling of the tallest monument, everyone was invited for a buffet lunch at the City Hall of Calamba.

PRESS STATEMENT

Laguna launches innovation in public high schools with eRizal

June 19, 2011- Laguna Governor Jeorge “ER” Ejercito Estregan announced today the formal launching of a capacity enhancement program that will benefit students and teachers in public high schools in the province of Laguna. The program, dubbed eRizal, was introduced during the ceremonies marking the 150^th birth anniversary of the Philippine National Hero, Dr. Jose Rizal.

The eRizal program consists of supplementary teaching-learning modules on math, science and social studies that are loaded in the tablets. A portable personal computer, the tablet will have multiple functions as well as memory space to store volumes of references and textbook materials for high school education. With this tool, the students and teachers can “virtually” carry on with classroom interaction and exercises. The virtual classroom environment allows limitless possibilities for developing the critical, analytical and creative skills of students, thereby exponentially improving their competency to pass norms and standards in scholastic achievements.

The eRizal will be implemented in phases. Phase 1 will be piloted-tested in selected public high schools in Laguna, specifically from those distant communities in the periphery of the province. For this phase, there are activities lined up, as recommended by the participants who took part in the eRizal conference and workshop held in Calamba City in April. The conference/workshop assembled a group of experts in IT (Information Technology) education, principals and administrators from various high schools, such as the UP rural high school and the Laguna Science High School.

The deployment of eRizal tablet PCs o all selected public high schools will follow immediately after the eRizal teachers’ training course to be held in August this year. The course will touch on the system and methodology of teaching math, science, language and social studies, including the life and works of dr. Jose Rizal, as well as the functional capabilities of the eRizal tablet PCs and interoperability with existing IT infrastructure in Laguna.

The province of Laguna envisions the eRizal as an innovation in teaching high school students with the view to sharply improving their skills and competency in math, science, language and social studies.

The succeeding phases of eRizal implementation will have an enlarged base of coverage of public high schools as well as administrative and technical infrastructure to integrate the total system. In the pilot phase, the implementation will be in clusters to ensure control and quality supervision of teachers over students and generate important observations and results that could be the basis for upgrading and upscaling of eRizal program at a later stage.

The Running Priest

 When Gerry Ortega an environmentalist has been murdered and a good friend of Father Roberto Reyes, the priest decided to run as an advocacy to give awareness to the Filipino people about the need to love the environment by saving the forest, mountains and to become concerned about  Human Rights of everyone such as the environmental killings. “Takbundukan” Takbo para sa kabundukan” is the latest journey from Manila to Mount Makiling (Los Banos, Laguna) also with runners from Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR) and members of Earth Day Network Philippines (EDNP).

Father Roberto “Robert” Reyes is encouraging all Filipinos to see the importance of spending time in the mountains rather than in the mall. He said “Instead na mag Mall, mamundok.”  He also said that most Filipinos don’t love the environment and nature. DENR Secretary Ramon  Paje said the advocacy run is also in conjunction with the observance of Proclamation No. 125 issued by President Aquino on March 15 declaring 2011 as the “National Year of Forests” in support of the declaration by the United Nations of the year 2011 as “International Year of Forests” with the theme: “Forests for People.”

Every 24^th of the month, Father Reyes is making sure that he is spending time with his family and people of Palawan, this is for his advocacy and to spread awareness about the environmental killings in which he said that because lot’s of powerful backers from the government and even the Catholic Church a lot of officials cannot do anything about it, he said that “Bishops or priest are humans only, pag binigyan  na ng free hospitalization, may utang na loob na sa mining corporation.”

There are 350 Mining applications so far that was cancelled by President Noynoy Aquino and even ABS CBN Foundation Gina Lopez is gathering a 10 million signatures to stop the mining in Palawan. Father Robert Reyes is well known as the running priest in the Philippines and encouraging everyone to have a more positive approach in dealing with life everyday.

Everyday, Fr. Reyes have a soil in a bottle, seeds and his bamboo cane to show to everyone the importance of nature. From U.S News Las Vegas, The three-day run from June 6 to 8 started from the DENR central office in Visayas Avenue, taking the Manila-Pasay-Las Pinas-Muntinlupa route to reach Laguna province passing through San Pedro, Binan, Sta Rosa and Calamba cities culminating at the University of the Philippines at Los Banos (UPLB) where tree planting of “Balakat-gubat” (Balakata luzonica ‘vidal’ Esser), an indigenous tree species thriving in Mount Makiling, was participated in by the UPLB academe community and DENR-Region 4 officers and employees headed by Regional Executive Director Nilo Tamoria.

As a Pilgrimage to the Mountains which is why father Reyes is doing what he is doing. He said that our Nature is sacred. Lastly he said that  “Ang tingin sa kalikasan (Ng ibang tao), a commodity very materialistic and that is lost of faith, we can go to church but without love in environment, it will be like an atheist, you cannot love Mammon (Money) and God, Mammon is slavery to material things. Mall start wt letter of M, money starts wt letter M, Mammon start wt letter M.” He also said that he wants to connect those people in the mainland to go to the mountains and that most kids from Manila “ ay hindi pa nakakahawak ng lupa (soil). This run is a Nationwide campaign. When asked if may kinalaman ba ang mga politicians sa environmental killings he said “yes” because the masterminds are very influential in the society. He said that they control the courts and a large number of judges down to Regional Trial Court can be bought and that so far 128 Environmental martyrs has been murdered since Martial law.

He said that because he was jailed before in Manila for 60 days due to his political involvement, the bishop of Hong Kong excommunicated him. When he went back to that country, they didn’t allow him to do the Mass and asked him to vacate the room where he stayed before. He said that because of the controversial Reproductive Health Bill that is the hottest issue right now with respect to the involvement of the Catholic Bishops of the Philippines, The Bishop are so focused with the issue rather than environment which he thinks needed to have an attention too and that some priest have close ties with the mining business and mining corporations.