Here and There
Why we’ve stopped singing “O say, can you see…”
By Gerry Garcia
We were graduating seniors of the Dagupan Institute High School on Arellano on December 8 of 1941 when World War II reached our shores through the infamous Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, dawn of the same day and the subsequent bombing of American bases at Clark in Pampanga and at Subic in Zambales.
The DI (Dagupan Institute) was immediate precedent to the Dagupan Junior Colleges which became what is presently known today as the University of Pangasinan, now under the auspices of the Duques who bought it from the Rayoses shortly after the death of then President George Rayos, son of the late founding president Dr. Blas F. Rayos.
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Our final days at the Institute, soon to be darkened by subsequent Japanese occupation of the islands, were reminiscent of the dying days of the US national anthem as sung in every school campus in the country together with the Philippine National Anthem (also in English).
Our modus operandi at daily flag-raising ceremony; we would begin with “O, O say can you see” to be immediately followed by “Land of the morning, child of the sun returning”
This was, of course, dual swearing of allegiance of Mother America and her ward Pinoyland, a historic fact we in our child-like innocence merely took for granted without asking why.
In July 4, 1946 when we were granted independence, westarted raising our lone Philippine flag to the strains of “Lupang Hinirang” (in Pilipino, of course. We’re no longer wet behind the ears).
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June 12, our new Independence Day given life to by then President Diosdado Macapagal’s Executive Order in 1961, marked the event when Emilio Aguinaldo, president of the first Philippine Republic, raised the Philippine flag at his palatial residence in Kawit, Cavite on June 12, 1898.
July 4, no longer a non-working holiday, has become Filipino-American Friendship Day.
Since July 4 is originally US Independence Day too, the US government gave $5 million fund in various relief and rehab efforts for areas in the Bicol Region that were badly hit by super typhoons “Milenyo” and “Reming”. US Ambassador Kristie Kenny and Albay Gov. Joey Salceda recently signed a MOA at the provincial capitol during the US envoy’s visit there to celebrate Filipino-American Friendship Day and US Independence Day.
(For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/here-and-there/)
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