GEARING UP FOR INDEPENDENCE
(by Eduardo I. Lee - Publisher of ATIN ITO)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, April 29, 1998 - On June 12, 1998, which is the peak of the celebration, all church bells will be ringing all out at the same time. A thousand voices will be singing the hymns of the Republic in Luneta.
This scenario on June 12th will be repeated all across Canada, starting in Vancouver at the Atlantic coast, duplicated in St John's Newfoundland; and in between in Toronto, Windosr, Orilla, Oakville, Mississauga, Scarborough, Brampton, Montreal, Winnipeg, and Edmonton. That's just about covers the whole of Canada, as far as raising the Philippine flag is concerned.
The biggest part of the Philippine Independence Day Celebration worldwide is the commemoration of Aguinaldo's declaration of Independence on June 12, 1898. It was the setting up of what is now called the "First Republic" also now officially celebrated as Independence Day instead of July 4, 1946, until President Macapagal changed it.
The latter date was in commemoration of the American-sponsored republic set up after the end of second World War, on the same day as the Independence of the Americans. It was felt that Filipinos deserved an Independence date worthy of their own efforts, not out of the goodness of the hearts of the Americans.
Indeed it is ironic that Americans tried to make a big show of this day to coincide with their own independence date. They were the ones who not only delayed it, but in fact, trampled on it,, in the early heady days of our forefathers victory over the Spaniards.
This is the most important point about the Centennial. It is just as important to look up the past, so that we can see what has really happened, so we can understand how and why we appear to be a "broken culture" that our critics label us, as if it were our fault.
It is for this reason that President Ramos' selection of Doy Laurel as Chairman of the National Centennial Commission was indeed an inspired one. His very statesman-like demeanor and personal history of sacrifices for the national interests, are only logical connotations of his forebears' similar dedication of their lives for service to the nation.
Doy Laurel's familiarity with the various periods of history is because his family has been the center of that history for the last hundred years up to today. When we were already celebrating the Centennial of the past, we would realize that his family did gloriously contribute to that part of our history in the building of this nation.
Once more, the Laurel clan is at the forefront of this effort to arm the mind, with the Old Man Laurel's commitment to, and vision of, a nationalist education. and this is what the various activities of the Centennial, that one of his sons, Doy Laurel, envisions to be revived and strengthened, as Chairman of the National Centennial Commission.
© Copyright, 1998
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