Think about it
Rizal’s roots in Pangasinan
By Jun Velasco
“It is part of a good man to do great and noble deeds, though he risks everything in doing them,” Plutarch
FLASH! Basista students and faculty of the Mary Help of Christians had their early Christmas gift from the Lord with the miraculous recovery of their principal, Joey de Vera, 45, from a killer lung cancer Level 4, following RCB and diet-based treatment from Dr. Robin Navarro of Dagupan and Mandaluyong City.
This was revealed to us by Ms. Joy Ong-Perez, who may one day soon sit as mayor, with her disqualification complaint against re-elected Mayor Manolito de Leon, who used his US visa twice before the elections.
Navarro, president of the Philippine College for the Advancement of Medicine (PCAM), has stirred the hornet’s nest in medical circles for his advocacy of plenty of eggs and bolalo for sustained health and wellness.
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We are in the midst of turmoil here and there.
Climatic disasters are matched only by man’s penchant to put one over his fellowmen.
Were we politically mature, the bashings and fighting that even involve high-ranking officials amid a massive disaster in Western Visayas would not have come to pass. This negative frame of mind must have affected President Aquino who spoke in Japan with these words, “We shall rise again!”
It has a similar ring to Bung Ferdinand’s “This nation can be great again” when he took his oath on the very first day of his first presidential term.
While we viewed the each-to-himself rescue and relief work in Tacloban, abetted by the Mar Roxas—Alfredo Romualdez open rift, we could only heave a deep sigh of dismay over the fate of our country.
This rhetoric of “rising again” intrigues us.
When were we great? Did FM’s vow get any result?
We think it was during the 1890’s that the Filipino only succeeded to unite with fellow Filipino ignited by Jose Rizal’s Noli and El Fili. Such was Rizal’s greatness for the indios were merely fighting the invaders without any idea of nationhood—or a Filipino nation.
And yet that period was already checkered by incipient turf war as evidenced by Gen. Emilio Aquinaldo’s order to liquidate the father of the Katipunan, Andres Bonifacio.
Since then, our nation has undergone a checkered metamorphosis, with fleeting great moments, series of coups, rebellion by those who had deep reservations with the government, and lately the most dismal exposure of high-ranking government officials robbing our poor people to the bone.
But the “fight” spirit has to go on.
The whole world has just mourned the passing of a giant among men—former president Nelson Mandela of South Africa.
In our small democratic space, the Comelec has just ordered some 422 officials including Governor Amado Espino Jr. to vacate their posts for failing to file election expenses. Divisive politics at work.
With festive Christmas up in the air, it’s interesting to find a group of never-say-die development workers who find it timely to divine the mind of a Filipino genius—our national hero, Jose Rizal—who, like Christ, gave up his mortal life, to awaken and free his countrymen from their Spanish chains and ignorance.
We are referring to the Pangasinan Historical Cultural Commission headed by Gonzalo Duque who Wednesday afternoon whipped up a program to recall Rizal’s life and times.
Ms. Anabel V. Arcinue, president of the Pangasinan Heritage, says Pangasinenses would be delighted to know that the hero had Pangasinan blood, being a relative of the Alonzos of Lingayen.
“He used to come to Lingayen,” says Bel, a remark that was followed by Ms. Virgie Pasalo’s reminder that the love of his life, Leonor Rivera, was from Camiling, Tarlac—then a barrio of Bayambang.
We used to hear Dagupan historian Resty Basa say that Rizal’s association with Dagupenos was reflected in his Noli where names of Dagupan families like Villamil and Crisostomo appeared.
The group was able to lure Gonzalo Duque to allow the use of his 2-hour slot at Aksyon Radyo and Cable TV Kabaleyan Channel on December 30 from 2 to 4pm for a poetry reading on Rizal followed by a forum.
Invited to read the Mi Ultimo Adios are Fr. Wong Escano, the orig Spanish version, ASNA awardee Sonny Villafania to do the Pangasinan “Kaonuran ya Patanir” written by Jose Jovellanos in 1946; poet Melchor Orpilla for the Ilokano version, “Maudi A Pakada,” and former UP Oblation editor Youssef Velasco of PMS to do the Tagalog version, “Huling Paalam.”
Duque, Arabela and Pasalo were later joined by former Binmaley OIC Vice Mayor Armi B. Lorice whose passion for history failed to conceal her worry over a Pangasinan history book cover with a half-nude woman warrior.
Salute this group for its zealous work on Rizal who was both nationalist and internationalist. In short, the Global Filipino (with apologies to Speaker Jose de Venecia whose biographical book bears that title).
Last Nov. 30, the media extolled the greatness of Andres Bonifacio to commemorate his birthday.
Being the father of the Katipunan, it may be logical to propose him as first president of the Philippine Republic, ahead Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo.
Some views would rank him as Rizal’s rival as National Hero, downplaying Rizal as “made” by the Americans while Bonifacio was likened to great revolutionaries like George Washington, Lenin of the Soviet Union, Bolivar of Latin America, Sun YatSen then Mao Tse-Tung of China and Ho Chi Minh of Vietnam.
Though we lavishly admire Bonifacio, we don’t think Rizal’s niche in the pantheon of national heroes can be rivaled.
In spite of the cruelty of those sent by Spain to colonize the islands including punishing his mother Teodora Alonzo y Realonda to walk barefoot from Calamba to Binan, Rizal did not fail to see the greatness of Spain.
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NOTES: Fun-loving Dagupanos, oblivious of the overheard lamentations of Tacloban and the VIsayas, are eager to get into the top of things, come Dagupan Fiesta and the much-awaited Dagupan City National High School Alumni Grand Reunion on Dec. 28… Joy Perez of Basista town will address Fil-Ams in Northern California this week, under the aegis of the Basista Association of NC headed by Benjie Mendoza and Ely Galisem, association president and vice president respectively… The Fercolla Clan (Fernandez, Coquia and Llamas) will have its grand reunion at the People’s Astrodome on Dec.30, from 9A.M to 5 P.M…. Happy birthday, Speaker JdV on Dec. 26.
Newly opened Seven Eleven store is a fresh wind that freshened up Danny’s shop, Autocraft, in Bonuan Gueset, Dagupan. That barangay never sleeps.
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